We’ve all heard the promise: “Make money while you sleep.” The idea of passive income is everywhere — in business coaching ads, on social media, and in the dreams of burnt-out professionals everywhere. But here’s the truth no one tells you:
Passive income isn’t really passive. Not at first. And not without intention, ownership, and real inner work.
Leah thought passive = effortless
When Leah first came to us, she had a dream many people share: she wanted to build a passive income stream so she could step away from one-on-one client work, have more time for her kids, and maybe take that long-overdue vacation.
In her mind, passive income meant ease. Set it and forget it. Upload a course, walk away, and watch the payments roll in. But like most entrepreneurs quickly discover, it’s not that simple. She had powerful experiences and a lifetime of expertise to offer — but no system. No strategy. No clear offer.
But we built a funnel from her most lived experience
Instead of jumping straight to a polished funnel or expensive ads, we started with Leah’s most lived, raw, and honest experiences. What had she walked through that others were still struggling with? What knowledge had she earned the hard way?
We turned that into her signature offer — one that didn’t feel like a performance or another “product,” but a living, breathing container of transformation.
From there, we built her funnel: lead magnet, email sequence, webinar, evergreen sales — yes, all the familiar pieces. But we built it in her voice, with her story, and in alignment with her values.
What real passive income requires
We won’t lie to you: building a passive income stream requires a lot of work on the front end. What will you need to do?
Systems, yes – but also healing and ownership
Yes, you need systems. Automated emails, smart funnels, payment processors, and solid customer service. But more than that, you need inner alignment.
That means healing your relationship with receiving, owning your expertise without apology, showing up, even when it feels vulnerable, charging your worth and believing people will still come. Passive income asks you to believe that your presence is valuable — even when you’re not physically “delivering.” This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process and it takes time.
The client stories behind the screenshots
We all see the income screenshots on Instagram. “Look what I made while I was at brunch!” And yes — those moments are real. But what you don’t see is what went into them:
- Mel, a relationship coach, spent 6 months recording modules, rewriting email sequences, and rewriting her story so that it actually connected. Her first launch flopped. Her second hit $18k in sales — all while she was hiking in Colorado.
- Jonah, a copywriter, didn’t think anyone would pay for his knowledge unless he delivered it live. We helped him build an evergreen course that brings in $3-5k per month, consistently. But first, he had to work through his fear of being seen as “lazy” for not being on Zoom calls 24/7.
- Nina, a trauma-informed therapist, was exhausted from one-on-one sessions. She turned her signature process into a self-paced course with group support. It’s not 100% hands-off — but it gives her more space, more revenue, and more impact.
Behind every “while you sleep” success story is someone who stayed up late getting it right, prepping. Someone who wrestled with self-doubt. Someone who showed up — and kept showing up — until the system could finally carry the weight.
So yes, passive income is possible. But it’s not all that passive. It asks for your presence, your healing, your creativity, and your resilience — just in a different way than trading time for money.
If you want to “make money while you sleep,” be prepared to do the work while you’re awake, and do it without guaranteed pay. Be prepared to face yourself, to own your brilliance and build systems that reflect it. You can absolutely get there. Just don’t expect it to be effortless. The freedom is real — and so is the foundation it rests on.
