Introduction: A Smarter Approach to $10,000 Monthly Income in 2026
Many people struggle with traditional online business models that require upfront investment, skills, or time, such as dropshipping or YouTube automation, with slow or inconsistent returns. This video outlines a more effective path for 2026 that leverages existing systems and untapped markets.
Market Overview
1. The Microcreator Economy
- Over 200 million content creators worldwide, with 90% being micro creators (under 100,000 followers).
- Micro creators enjoy higher engagement, lower costs, and better ROI for marketers.
- Despite engaged audiences, most micro creators earn minimal income, primarily through low-commission affiliate marketing.
2. The Digital Product Market
- The creator economy is a $250 billion annual industry expected to double by 2027.
- Top earners generate wealth from digital products like courses, coaching, and memberships, not brand deals.
- Examples include Alex Hormozi, Jeff Nippard, and Jordan Peterson, who built multi-million dollar businesses selling digital content.
The Opportunity Gap
- Millions of micro creators lack business skills or infrastructure to monetize properly.
- Creators prefer creating content, not managing marketing, sales, or tech.
- Historical barriers to entry included high operational costs and the need for expert teams.
Why It’s Possible Now
Two Key Changes:
- AI Professional-Level Tools: Specialized AI tools can now replace many marketing tasks (copywriting, funnel building, ad management) at expert levels.
- Automated Revenue Share Payments: New platforms enable instant, automatic revenue splits between creators and partners, removing payment friction and relationship resistance.
These developments lower costs and complexity, allowing a one-person business to manage monetization for multiple creators effectively. Learn more about leveraging AI tools with 15 Essential Tips to Monetize Your AI Model Successfully.
The Shadow Operator Model Explained
- You partner with micro creators who have engaged audiences but no or underdeveloped digital products.
- You handle the business, marketing, and sales infrastructure using AI tools.
- Creators focus on content creation.
- You agree on a revenue split (e.g., 70% to creator, 30% to you) with no upfront fees.
- Your income depends solely on the creator’s sales, ensuring alignment and low risk.
This model aligns with concepts discussed in How to Build a $10K/Month AI-Powered Digital Product Business.
How to Get Started: A Three-Step Plan
Step 1: Find the Right Creators
- Target micro creators with 10,000–100,000 followers.
- Look for three criteria:
- A clear personal transformation story relatable to the audience.
- Content aligned with that transformation (e.g., fatherhood tips for fatherhood journey).
- Genuine audience engagement.
- Use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to find creators.
- Build a prospect list (30–50 creators) in a simple spreadsheet (template provided).
Step 2: Reach Out and Propose Partnership
- Keep outreach simple and upfront, no sales pitch needed.
- Ask if they have digital products or coaching programs.
- Offer to handle all business aspects with no upfront costs.
- Emphasize revenue share model and potential to multiply their income.
- Schedule a call if they show interest to discuss further.
For insights on creator growth that can support effective outreach, see Unlocking Personal Branding Success: The Three-Pillar Method for Rapid Growth.
Step 3: Build and Launch the Digital Product
- Use AI tools to create sales pages, email sequences, and promotional content.
- The creator supplies the expertise and content.
- Launch the product with a conservative sales estimate (e.g., 2% conversion on 10,000 engaged viewers).
- Example: For a $100 product and 200 sales, total revenue is $20,000; with a 70/30 split, you earn $6,000 from one launch.
Scaling and Advanced Strategies
- Manage multiple creators simultaneously with systems to avoid burnout.
- Use optimization tactics to increase conversion rates and revenue per creator.
- Grow your income from $10K to multiple five figures monthly over time.
Explore strategies on scaling digital content profitability in Unlocking Profits: Making $220,000 with AI-Generated TikTok Videos.
Conclusion: Seize the Opportunity Now
This is a rare, time-sensitive chance to enter an untapped segment of the creator economy with minimal risk and upfront capital. By combining your business and AI skills with creators’ audiences and content, you can unlock substantial income streams. Start today by building your list and initiating conversations with creators ready to monetize.
Ready to start?
- Download the free creator prospecting spreadsheet in the video description.
- Spend an hour finding your first 10 relevant micro creators.
- Reach out with a straightforward message to introduce the partnership concept.
Your role as a shadow operator is the missing link between content creators and successful monetization strategies in 2026.
So, I have a question for you. What if, and just what if the smartest way to make $10,000 a month in 2026 wasn't
building something new from scratch, but instead tapping into something that's already printing money every single day.
And the best part is something that is completely different than what everyone else is fighting over right now. Because
let's just be very honest with each other. If you're watching this video, more than likely you are either stuck in
a job or a degree that is slowly draining you, trading hours for dollars, watching time disappear while your goals
sit on hold, or you've already tried to break out. Drop shipping, YouTube automation, clipping. You have tested it
all. But every model feels like a trap. They all demand something that you don't have yet. Money, time, or skills. And
the math just never adds up. Even if you do everything right, it still takes you years to get close to the life that you
actually want. But what if I told you that there is a smarter route for 2026? One that doesn't require you to start
from zero, doesn't rely on luck, and doesn't burn you out before it pays off. A model that works with the systems
already winning online instead of fighting against them. And that is what this video is about. The smartest, most
realistic path to $10,000 a month in 2026. even if you are starting from nothing because the truth is the problem
isn't you. It is the system you've been playing in because the internet has changed completely. The rules that
worked 2 years ago don't work anymore and the people who are still trying to play by those rules are getting left
behind. But here is where things get exciting. There is a brand new window open right now, one that almost no one
is talking about. And it is creating more new $10,000 a month earners than any other model online. It's a shift, a
massive one happening inside two markets that are converging faster than anyone could ever expect. It's not a loophole
and it's not a get-richqu trick. And when you understand what's happening between these two markets, you're going
to see exactly why this is the moment to make your move. So, before I show you this three-phase plan on how you can go
ahead and take advantage of the smartest route to $10,000 a month in 2026, you need to understand the size of this
opportunity that you're looking at because this isn't some small little niche play. Before I show you the plan,
let me show you the opportunity. There are absolutely two massive markets involved here and it's very important
that you understand number one how big they are and also how you can play a part in taking advantage of them. It's
exactly what's going to give you that edge over everyone else. So, let me break down both of these markets, show
you the numbers, and then you're going to have a better idea on the size of the opportunity you have in your hands right
now. The first one is the microcreator economy. You see, right now there are over 200 million content creators
worldwide. Now, you might be thinking, "Oh, that's 200 million super famous people." No, no, listen. Almost none of
them are macro influencers. According to Hype Auditor, on Instagram specifically, micro creators with under 100,000
followers make up over 90% of the entire platform. Meaning that 9 out of 10 creators have under 100,000 followers.
So, the creator economy isn't run by people with millions and millions of followers. It's built by everyday people
creating content for small but loyal audiences. Now, you might be wondering, why does this matter? Because these
micro creators are where the real money is shifting. In fact, 64% of marketers worked with micro influencers in 2024
because they saw something the rest of the world is only catching up to right now. Higher engagement, lower cost, and
better ROI. So, you might be wondering, what does this actually mean? It means that brands make more profit when they
work with creators who have smaller audiences. And let me explain why. Would you rather sell a product to 300,000
strangers who barely know you or to 50,000 people who know, like, and trust you? Obviously, the second, right?
because trust converts and that is why brands are becoming obsessed with working with them. Because you need to
understand when a microcreator recommends something, people actually buy. But what makes this interesting is
despite having these valuable engaged followers, most microcreators are still making peanuts. And I mean that
literally. Most of the money these creators make come from affiliate commissions, which is promoting another
person's physical product and making a tiny 2 or 3% cut on that. It's inconsistent. It's unpredictable. And it
barely covers their rent. And on top of that, they are far too busy filming their morning routine with their double
pumpkin spice matcha latte and talking about being their own boss to realize that they're sitting on something way
bigger than just affiliate commissions or Google AdSense. An audience that can easily make them 10 times more if they
just knew how to monetize it properly. So that's the first market. Tens and tens of millions of micro creators, in
fact, over a 100 million micro creators to be correct, who have an engaged audience making practically nothing. So,
let's talk about the second market because this is where things get very interesting. Market number two is the
digital product market. According to Goldman Sachs, the creator economy is currently a $250 billion a year industry
and will nearly double to $500 billion a year by 2027. And when you look at the top players, the people making serious
money. They're not making their money from brand deals or affiliate commissions, the stuff that these little
micro creators are doing. No, no, they make their money from digital products, courses, coaching programs, or
memberships. In fact, some of the biggest names in the online space have made majority of their money selling
digital products. Alex Herozi made multiple eight figures from a coaching company called Gym Launch. And he
recently ran a webinar where he made over $100 million selling an info product. Then we have Jeff Nippard, a
fitness creator who built a multi-million dollar business selling workout programs and training guides to
his audience. Or we have Jordan Peterson who launched the Peterson Academy, an online education platform along with
psychology courses generating tens of millions in revenue from over 40,000 students paying for access to his
digital educational content. And by the way, I've done it, too. I've made over 9 figures selling digital products. And
for those that don't know, I made a very very very very large investment to become a co-owner in a company called
And in the last month alone, people have made over $170 million on our platform selling these exact products. I
know more about this industry than anyone else on Earth. Not only as a coowner of WAP, but also as a player in
this industry. I only ever sell something two or 3 weeks of the year. But when I sell, I break records. I have
broken WOP's 1 hour, 24-hour, 7-day, and 30-day record, not once, but twice this year. And bear in mind, people have made
over $2 billion on my platform. And from all of those sales, I still hold the record twice over. So, please trust me
when I tell you, I see this industry every single day. It's only getting bigger and bigger and crazier and
crazier. Now, you might be wondering, okay, cool. I'm not an expert. I'm not going to sell a course or a digital
product or a coaching program or a membership. Like, why are you telling me this? And trust me, we're going to get
on to that in just a second. But for now, you just need to understand this is where the real wealth is being built in
the creator economy. Not from sponsorships or brand deals, but from digital products, courses, coaching,
memberships. And the crazy thing is that these top names aren't special because of their audience size. They are special
because they understood leverage. They realize attention is a new currency. And digital products are how you multiply
it. And right now there are tens and tens of millions of small creators sitting on the exact same leverage. They
just don't know how to use it. And that is what's created this massive gap between micro creators making a few
hundred bucks a month or a few thousand a month and the big players making six 7 8 and even nine figures selling digital
products. And by the way, it's not because these smaller creators don't want to make money. It's because they
are creatives. They love creating. They love sharing ideas, building community, expressing themselves. But when it comes
to business systems, funnels, marketing, that's not their world. Okay? They are artists in their own kitchen. Think of
it like this. Imagine a chef, right? They're incredible at cooking. They can turn a few raw ingredients into dishes
that people will happily pay $100 a plate for onwards. And that's a valuable skill. But most chefs don't own
restaurants. They just cook. Okay? They spend years mastering their craft, working for someone else who built the
business around their talent. The chef knows how valuable they are. They see these people paying premium rates for
the food that they make, yet they are still on a fixed salary while the restaurant owner takes home the real
profit. Now imagine going to the chef and telling them, "Listen, you're leaving money on the table. You keep
doing what you love and you're great at, which is cooking. I will handle the business side. We'll split the profit
7030. You keep 70. I'll take 30. You don't pay me anything upfront. I only make money when you make money. Would
the chef take that deal?" Of course they would, right? Because nothing really changes for them. They're still doing
what they love, which is cooking. The only difference now is that they are finally getting paid what they are
worth. And that is exactly what's happening with creators. They've already done the hard part. They've built
audiences, created content, and earned trust. But they are only capturing a fraction of the value that they are
sitting on. The money is right there. It is not hidden. It's not far away. They just don't know how to tap into it. And
the truth is, most of them don't even want to learn how. They don't want to become business operators. They just
want to keep creating. That is what they are good at. That is what they enjoy. And by the way, I'm not just making this
up. This is happening right now constantly. Literally, yesterday I got a DM from a creator with over 100,000
followers on TikTok. She teaches reality trans surfing and inner healing to her audience. She goes, "Hi, man. Could you
please put me in touch with some AI shadow operators? I'm a creator with 100,000 followers, Tik Tok, mostly
teaching reality trans surfing and inner healing. I'm confident we can scale to a million in online courses, but the
business and tech side is my challenge. After seeing your shadow operator method, I realized I was the perfect
creator to create a partnership. Thank you for your time." There are tens of millions of people like this. Okay? She
already has an audience. She already has expertise. She's already confident in the demand. The only thing standing
between her and seven figures, someone to handle the business side. And that is where you come in. You don't need to
change what they're doing. You don't need to add more chaos to their lives or convince them to chase another shiny
strategy. You simply do what we call shadow operating. It's the quiet business model behind the creators that
you see every day. Where you run the systems, they run the content, and you both share the profits. You're not the
face. You're not the influencer. You are the one who's connecting the dots, turning attention into income without
ever stepping into the spotlight. And here's the beautiful part. You don't charge them anything upfront. You don't
ask for retainers, deposits, or monthly fees. Instead, you make the same offer we talked about with the chef. You're
going to handle things on the business side while they keep doing what they love, which is creating content and
showing up for their audience. And in return, you take a percentage of the profit, usually around 30%. Which means
you only make money when they make money. No risk for them, pure upside for you. They keep creating. You handle the
monetization. The revenue split happens automatically, which I'm going to tell you in just a little bit how that's
possible. Luckily, you're speaking to a coner. So, whenever there's certain issues that you might face as a shadow
operator, luckily I can just work with our devs to, you know, maybe sort out solutions. More on that in just a
second. But the point is, everyone wins. Now, you might be thinking, if this is such a massive opportunity, why hasn't
everyone done this? And the truth is, it simply wasn't possible. Or at least not like this. 2 years ago, the exact same
problem still existed. Okay, there were millions of creators. In fact, I say millions, over 100 million creators who
have an audience that isn't too small that there's not enough of them, but also aren't too big that if I'm just
being honest with you, are going to be too hard to sign. Like, for you to sign a creator with 2 million followers, it's
possible, but it's more intermediate or advanced stage. So, as a beginner, I can't in good conscience or good faith
say like, "Oh, yeah, that's a perfect creator for you to sign." No, no, no. You want to go to the creators where
they're like, "Oh, wow. You're helping them, right?" Whereas the creators with 2 million, you know, maybe they already
have an agent or they already have a team and yada yada all this sort of stuff. But the point is 2 years ago the
demand was there, the audience was there, but the infrastructure wasn't. And by the way, I know that firsthand
because I lived it. Okay? From 2016 to 2022, I ran an agency called IG Media. And about 80% of our clients were
creators, course creators, coaches, consultants, people who sold digital products. We handled their entire
marketing operation. We built their sales page, wrote their email sequences, managed their ad campaigns, optimized
their funnels. In fact, I was literally speaking to Luis, who's the CMO at one of my companies now. He's like, "Bro,
it's so funny. I got an email from one of our clients from five years ago, asking for like a G Suite login or
something like that. I think it must have been while we were sorting out some of his funnel stuff, and I was like,
"Wow, that's so funny. I totally forgot about that client." And this client had a course and a coaching program, helping
people find their twin flame. And I remember we were making them anywhere from $50 to $100,000 every single month
consistently. So, it's so funny. We were talking about this earlier today and I'm recording this video now. But it really
brings me back to that time because we built their sales page, we wrote their email sequences. Actually, even for this
client, I remember we were actually writing their emails as well, managing their ad campaigns, optimizing their
funnels, pretty much everything between having a product and actually making money from it. And by the way, we were
really good, okay? We helped clients generate millions and millions and millions in profit. But the only reason
we could deliver those results was because I had a team of specialists who had spent years mastering their craft.
Kieran was our copywriter. When a client needed a sales page, Kieran wrote it. When they needed email sequences, Kieran
wrote those, too. But he didn't become that good overnight. It took him six to seven years of writing copy, studying
what works, testing different angles before he could consistently produce sales pages that actually converted.
Luis, who I was speaking to earlier, that's the CMO of one of my companies now, he was our media buyer. He managed
the ad campaigns, reading the data, identifying which audiences were responding, which creatives were
performing, and how to scale profitably. Once again, Luis had 45 years of experience managing millions of dollars
in ad spend across dozens of campaigns before he reached that level. Unfortunately, you can't get to an
advanced level like that by just learning from a course. You get to that level by doing it over and over and over
again at scale. Or we had Danny who was my chief marketing officer. He would look at clients businesses and figure
out what the offer positioning, the funnel structure, where the bottlenecks were, how to optimize conversions. Danny
had years of marketing experience, seeing what works, what doesn't, and developing the pattern recognition to
make the right calls fast. And by the way, that was just the core team. We also had outside contractors we worked
with on a project-to-p project basis. That team alone cost me well over 5 figures a month just to keep running.
Okay. So before we ever signed a single client, before we made a single dollar, I was already 10 to 20k in the hole. So
if you were starting from scratch back then, you basically had two options. Spend years and years learning these
skills yourself or spend tens of thousands a month building a team to do it for you. Neither of those options is
realistic for a beginner starting from scratch. And that's why this opportunity, the shadow operator
business model, simply didn't exist for beginners. The economics didn't work, the tools didn't exist, and the barrier
to entry was too high. But I'm sure you've noticed something quite big in the last 18 months. Something
fundamental has changed. Well, actually, in fact, two things have changed. And these two things together have torn down
every wall that used to separate beginners from this opportunity. So, you might be asking, what has changed? Why
is this possible now when it wasn't 2 years ago? Well, two things happened. And when these two things came together
at the same time, they completely removed the barrier that made this inaccessible. Number one is AI reached
professional replacement level. Now, I need to be very specific about what this actually means. Because AI has become
one of those buzzwords people throw around without explaining anything. When I say professional replacement level, I
mean that specialized AI tools can now perform marketing tasks at the same level that my team used to. Think about
Kieran, my copywriter, for example. He spent six or seven years learning how to write sales pages that convert. He
studied the patterns, tested different headlines, and figured out what gets people to take action. That level of
skill, that is what I was paying for. But now there are AI tools built specifically for writing high converting
sales copy. I'm not talking about the generic surface level AI stuff that gives you average results. I'm talking
about specialized systems trained on millions of proven examples that understand structure, psychology, and
persuasion. These tools execute at a professional level. That is the shift. What used to require a 5-f figureure
team of marketing experts now just requires a specialized AI tool that you can carry around in your pocket. The
second is the payment infrastructure. You see, this one's massive because it removes the biggest thing that used to
ruin revenue share partnerships before they even got started. Let me explain what I mean. Back when I was running my
agency, I used to teach my team something simple. Every time a client has to think about paying you, they also
start to rethink whether they even want to keep paying you. Basically, every recall is a reframe. Okay? It's just
human psychology. The second someone has to open up their bank account, move money, or hit send, their brain
automatically starts looking for reasons not to do it. They think, "Do I still need this service? Is it really worth
it? Should I spend this money somewhere else?" That tiny pause, that moment of hesitation creates resistance. And
resistance kills business relationships. So, here is a very easy way to picture it. Think about how your taxes are
handled. If you work for a company, your taxes get taken out of your paycheck automatically. The money is gone before
you even see it. So, it doesn't really hurt as much, okay? You don't sit there and think, "Wow, look how much money I
paid in taxes." It just kind of happens in the background. But if you're self-employed and you have to manually
write a check to the IRS yourself, that's a completely different experience. It's the same money leaving
your account, but wouldn't you agree that it now feels like a loss? You're watching your balance drop and that
instantly creates emotional resistance, right? Well, that's the exact same sort of friction that used to exist with
revenue share deals. Let's say you partner with a creator, the product sells, money comes in, but now you have
to message them, "Hey, can you please send me my share?" Even if everything is agreed upon and fair, that process alone
creates an uncomfortable moment. As soon as they have to physically send money to you, the same thoughts start running
through their head. Do I really need this person? Am I paying too much for this? Maybe I could do this myself next
time. And that is the problem. The act of paying you subconsciously makes them re-evaluate you. And that tiny bit of
doubt repeated over and over every time money changes hands slowly breaks down the relationship. Not because you did
bad work, but because the system created friction that shouldn't have existed in the first place. And that is exactly why
this is a feature that I pushed our team at to push out ASAP. And that is the revenue share. Now you can set the split
once. Let's say for example 70% to the creator and 30% to you. And you never have to touch it again. Every time
someone buys, the system automatically splits the money instantly. The creator gets 70% and that grows directly to
their account. You get your 30% directly into yours. You don't have to chase payments. You don't have to send
reminders. You don't have to have that awkward, "Hey, can you send my cut?" conversation ever again. Both of you can
log in, see your earnings updated in real time down to the exact dollar. And that matters because it completely
removes the moment of recall. The creator never has to consciously pay you, which means that they never
subconsciously question paying you. It is automatic and it is clean. So, let me bring this all together and show you why
right now is the moment. You have tens of millions, in fact, probably over 100 million micro creators in that sweet
spot between 20 to 100,000 followers who have engaged audiences making practically nothing when they could be
generating serious income. You have a $250 billion creator economy that is growing faster than ever before. But
there's a massive gap between these two things. Okay? These creators either don't know it's possible to monetize
their audiences properly or they know it's possible, but they have zero interest in becoming business operators.
They're creatives. They want to create. They don't want to deal with the business side of things. And for years,
the professional services that could have brided that gap for them was completely out of reach. As I said, you
would have needed a team of specialists like mine. A copywriter with six to seven years of experience, a media buyer
with four to five years managing millions in ad spend, as well as strategists with years of experience.
You needed five figures per month just to keep the team running. You needed years of experience to know what you
were doing. The economics simply didn't work for beginners. The barrier was too high. But that barrier is now gone.
Because today, leverage, I'm sure, as you know, looks very different. A few years ago, you needed a full team to
pull this off. Now, you just need a laptop and the right specialized AI tools. AI handles what agencies used to,
copywriting, funnels, offers, design, all at a professional level. And platforms like WAP handle the money
automatically, splitting every sale in real time. So, for the first time, you can run this entire model as a oneperson
business with almost no capital inside markets that are already printing money. So, let me ask you, wouldn't it be
incredible to tap into this massive market at exactly the right moment before everyone else catches on? Can you
see how powerful it is to partner with creators who already have the audiences while you bring the monetization systems
that they desperately need? Isn't this exactly the kind of aligned win-win opportunity that you have been looking
for to build a real online business? If so, let me show you exactly what you are building by walking you through the
simple three-step process to start implementing this today. Step number one is finding the right creators. The first
thing you need to do is find the right creators who fit a specific profile. And when I say specific profile, I don't
mean that you need to be super picky or analyze everything to death. You're looking for three things, okay? And I'm
going to show you exactly what I mean by using a real example I literally just found. First, the creator who has some
kind of transformation. They went from point A to point B. Maybe they lost weight. Maybe they built a business.
Maybe they overcame something most people struggle to overcome. The point is they have a story, a journey,
something their audience can relate to and wants to learn from. Let me show you what this looks like in practice. I just
opened Instagram and searched fatherhood. That's it. Just typed it in in the search bar. And one of the first
profiles that came up was this creator named Rory. And when you first look at his content, you can immediately see
that he's a dad sharing his journey through fatherhood. He's documenting the ups, the downs, the lessons he's
learning, the mistakes he's making. And that is his point A to point B. Going from not knowing what the hell he's
doing as a new dad to figuring it out and sharing what works. And that is exactly what we're looking for, a
personal transformation that other people want to experience themselves. Second, they are creating content about
that transformation. I mean, this one sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people miss it. If someone lost
50 lbs, but their Instagram is all travel photos, well then that doesn't work. If someone built a business, but
only posts about personal life, well, once again, that also doesn't work. You need alignment between their
transformation and their content. So, going back to worry, when you scroll through his profile, what do you see?
Every single post is about fatherhood. Every real, every carousel, every piece of content is him sharing dad tips, dad
struggles, dad wins. His content and his transformation are perfectly aligned. His audience follows him specifically
because they want to learn about fatherhood. They are either dads themselves or they are about to become
dads. And that is exactly why they're there. That alignment is critical because when you eventually help him
create a digital product about fatherhood, his audience is going to want it because they are already
consuming his free content about this topic every single day. Third is they have good engagement. We want creators
with 10,000 to 100,000 followers who have real engagement. people who actually like, comment, and share, not
just dead follower count. Rory is perfect because he has 44,000 followers right in that sweet spot. He's a micro
influencer, which means his audience still feels connected to him. Now, look at his bio. It says sponsorships and
collabs with his email address. What does that tell you? It tells you that he is open to partnerships. He is looking
for ways to monetize, okay? But the fact that he's listing sponsorships and collabs means he's probably just doing
small brand deals here and there. Maybe some companies send some free kid products and he posts about them for a
few hundred bucks. That is probably the extent of his monetization right now. He doesn't have his own product. There's no
link in his bio to his digital product. There's no membership, which means he's leaving so much money on the table and
his engagement. Look at his content. The guy has reels with tens of millions of views, not thousands, millions. His
audience is clearly engaged. They are watching, liking, commenting, sharing. This is exactly the type of creator that
you're looking for. And what's even more wild is it took me literally 2 minutes to find him. I didn't spend hours
researching. I just searched fatherhood on Instagram and he was right there. Now, when it comes to finding these
people, there are a number of different methods that I can share with you. But for today, just to keep things super
simple, we're going to stick with the most barebones version. You go to Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube. You pick
one platform to start and then you search for your niche. Fitness, productivity, finance, fatherhood,
parenting, whatever interests you and you are just building a list. When you find someone who looks like a fit,
someone who has a transformation, someone who creates content about it and has good engagement, you add them to a
simple spreadsheet. And by the way, on that note, I have a small little gift for you. I've actually made a
spreadsheet that you can actually use to start prospecting. I'm going to go ahead and leave that in the description
entirely for free. So, you just open it up, fill in the basic information, and that's it for now. Just basic
information so you can keep track. Your goal is to build a list of 30 to 50 creators like this. By the time you have
30 to 50 creators on your list, you're going to have a really good sense of who's a good fit and who isn't. And then
you move on to step number two. And so now that you have your 30 to 50 creators, it's time to reach out. And
this is where people overthink it. They think they need some elaborate pitch or perfect script. They psych themselves
out before they even send the first message. But here's what you need to understand. This isn't a sales call.
You're not selling them anything. You're offering them a partnership where they don't pay you a scent up front. I mean,
think about it from their perspective for a second. and they're making a few hundred a month from random brand deals.
And then you show up and offer an opportunity where you're going to help them create a digital product. You're
going to handle all the business infrastructure. They keep creating content like they already do. You come
to an agreement on a revenue split. They don't pay you anything upfront and you only make money when they make money.
So, what is the downside for them? There isn't one. If it doesn't work out, they lose nothing. They're still making their
few hundred a month from sponsorship. But if it does work out, they have just 5x, sometimes even 100xed their income
doing what they already love. And that's the position you're in. You're not asking for permission. You're not hoping
they say yes. You are extending an invitation to someone who's already doing the hard part. And you just need
the missing piece. So, how do you actually reach out? I have some insane super ninja hacks. They get insane
results. But unfortunately, if I share it here with a few hundred,000 people, it's not going to be super ninja
anymore. So, I'm going to give you a super simple one just for now. All you do is you ask, "Hey, do you sell any
digital products on topic?" Or, "Hey, do you have a coaching program?" Or, "Hey, do you have a mentorship on topic?" And
listen, the reason this works so well is because no matter what they say, you win. If they say no, well, perfect. That
means they don't have a product yet, which is exactly the opportunity that you are looking for. So, if you follow
up with, "Got it, I asked because I help creators in niche turn their knowledge into digital products. Your content is
really solid, and I think a lot of your audience would pay to learn from you in a more structured way. I don't charge
anything upfront. I handle all the business stuff. You keep creating and we come to an agreement on revenue split.
Would you be open to a quick chat about how we could set that up together? Now, if they say yes, that's actually even
better because it means they're already making money, but probably doing it the hard way. Maybe they're manually
handling everything. Maybe their sales page is thrown together. Maybe they're not running any real marketing. They're
leaving money on the table and don't even realize it. So, your response is, "That's awesome. What are you selling
right now?" I asked them because I help creators scale their digital products. Most creators I work with are leaving
money on the table because they don't have the infrastructure set up right. I handle all the back-end stuff and we
come to an agreement on a revenue split. Want to jump on a quick call and I'll show you what I'm seeing. So in both
situations, whether they say yes or no lead to the same place, a conversation about partnership. Once someone says
yes, you schedule a call and that is when you move into the actual partnership phase. Okay? So your creator
says yes, you both agree on a revenue split and now it's time to actually make this happen. And this is where the
specialized AI tools really come in and do all the heavy lifting for you. Just so you understand, the sales page gets
written by a specialized AI agent. The email sequences get created by a specialized AI. The promotional stories
get created by specialized AI. Everything that used to require a copywriter, designer, and marketer,
these tools are now doing all of that for you. The creator's job is pretty simple. They create the actual content.
They record some videos. They share their knowledge, and they package what they already know. They are already an
expert on the topic, so that part comes naturally to them. That's what they're good at. Your job is to handle
everything else. So, if all goes well, let's break down what the numbers would actually look like. Let's go back to
Rory, the fatherhood creator we found earlier. Remember, he has 44,000 followers and gets tens of millions of
views on his content. His audience is clearly engaged and paying attention to what he posts. So, let's say you help
him launch a $100 digital product about fatherhood. Maybe it's a course called the first 90 days of fatherhood,
something that his audience would clearly benefit from. Now, let's say that 10,000 people watch his stories
when he posts it. And let's be pessimistic and say that only 2% of those people actually buy, which by the
way is super conservative for an engaged audience like his. Cuz bear in mind, I'm not saying his 44,000 followers. I'm
saying 10,000 people there are literally clicking his stories every single day and only 2% buy. Just so you understand,
that means in a room of 100 people, 98 people are like, "Yeah, I don't want this. I don't care." Even though they're
going out of their way to click his stories every single day. Okay? So 2% is super conservative. That is 200 sales.
200 sales at $100 each is still $20,000 in total revenue from the initial launch. Let's say you agree on a 7030
split with Rory. He keeps 14,000. You keep 6,000. And think about that for a second. From one launch from one
creator, from one story that took him maybe 30 seconds to post, Rory has just made more in one launch than he probably
has made in 6 months from random sponsorships and brand deals. And you just made $6,000 for setting up all the
infrastructure within the space of a few days. But here's the thing I need you to understand. That's the bare bones
approach. Okay? And don't get me wrong, this still works. You can absolutely build a solid income doing exactly what
I just showed you. But when you start layering in the ninja level tactics, the specific frameworks for optimizing
conversion rates, the back-end strategies that squeeze more revenue out of each launch, those numbers change
dramatically. And I'm not joking when I say I could sit here and create a 17-hour long presentation about the
craziest ninja level tactics and tricks for launches, but I don't want to overwhelm you. So, we're just starting
off with the basic stuff here. Okay. Now, you might be asking, okay, what happens once I start scaling beyond just
one membership? Once you're managing two, three, four creators at the same time, that's when the real leverage
kicks in. Because there are specific systems for managing multiple creative partnerships simultaneously without
burning yourself out. Ways to structure your operations so each new creator you add compounds your income without adding
chaos to your life. That's how you go from 10K a month to making multiple 5 figures a month working with the same
type of creators. Look, right now, this opportunity is wide open. Most creators have no idea this is even possible, but
that window will not stay open forever. In 6 months, this will be more common knowledge. In 12 months, creators will
be getting partnership offers left and right. Right now, you can be first. And being first is everything. So, if you're
watching this thinking, "Oh, I could actually do this." All I can say is don't wait, okay? Start building that
list of creators today. Spend an hour searching your niche. Find 10 creators who fit the profile. Add them to that
spreadsheet I gave you in the description. And listen, if you found this valuable, go ahead and please leave
some feedback down below. I've been spending a lot more time reading all your comments because it helps give me
some direction on what I should do for the next upcoming videos. So, tell me what you thought of this one. Give me
some feedback. I spent a lot of time putting this stuff together, so also I'll be honest, makes me feel a little
better. And listen, with all that being said, I hope you enjoyed today's video. And as always, I'm watching from afar
and I'm rooting for you.
The shadow operator model involves partnering with micro creators who have engaged audiences but lack digital products or marketing infrastructure. You handle the business, marketing, and sales using AI tools while the creator focuses on content creation. You agree on a revenue share, such as 70% to the creator and 30% to you, with no upfront fees, aligning your income with the creator's sales to minimize risk.
AI tools can automate tasks like copywriting, sales funnel building, and ad management at an expert level, drastically reducing operational costs and complexity. This enables a one-person business to efficiently handle monetization for multiple micro creators, eliminating the need for large teams and allowing faster product launches and optimization.
Target micro creators with 10,000 to 100,000 followers who have a relatable personal transformation story, content aligned with that story (e.g., fitness tips for fitness journeys), and genuine audience engagement. Use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to find such creators, and build a prospect list of 30–50 potential partners to maximize your chances of successful collaboration.
Keep your outreach simple and upfront by asking if they currently have digital products or coaching programs. Offer to handle all business aspects at no upfront cost, with a revenue share model that can significantly increase their income. Focus on clear communication and scheduling a call if they're interested rather than pushing a hard sales pitch.
After securing a partnership, use AI tools to create sales pages, email sequences, and promotional content while the creator provides their expertise and content. Launch with conservative sales estimates—like a 2% conversion on 10,000 engaged followers—and track results. For example, a $100 product with 200 sales generates $20,000 total revenue, from which you earn your agreed revenue share.
Manage multiple creators simultaneously by streamlining systems to prevent burnout and apply optimization tactics to improve conversion rates and revenue per creator. Over time, this approach can grow your income into multiple five figures monthly. Explore advanced strategies like AI-generated promotional content to enhance profitability across your creator portfolio.
In 2026, advancements in AI tools and automated revenue share platforms significantly reduce the barriers and costs previously needed to monetize creator audiences effectively. Millions of micro creators have engaged followers but lack business expertise, presenting a time-sensitive, low-risk opportunity to build income streams by bridging this gap using a scalable shadow operator approach.
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