How I’d Actually Make Money with AI in 2026 (starting from scratch)

All right, so you know about AI automations. Now, this is a quick training where I'll show you the exact steps to monetize it. The truth is that you don't need to build a fancy sauce to make money with AI. The real opportunity is much simpler, helping businesses implement AI automations. You don't have to listen to me. It's what the most famous and successful businessmen in the world say. You know, like right now, if I was 16 years old or 25 years old and broke sleeping on the floor again, I'd be all about AI. Just like I taught myself programming before. >> So if you had nothing right now, if you just had a thousand bucks and a laptop, you'd be on the track. >> If I had access to a library Yeah. >> and zero dollars, I would be all about AI. I'd be in there till they kicked me out eating my ribs. And then I knew that I know that I can walk into any small business and say, "I know you don't know AI and I know you're hearing about it and you've messed with chat GPT some and you're not really sure how to use it." Just like back then I said here let me show you how to use a computer and connect them together to be more profitable etc. That's exactly what I would do. >> So they say learn AI then go to businesses and help them implement it because every business wants it but almost no one knows how to actually use it. And that's true but the real question is how do you do it? How do you find the right businesses? How do you talk to them? And how do you close your first client? I'll walk you through that right now. But just for context, I recently looked at the numbers because I thought maybe this space is already saturated. It's not. Not even close. There are over 1.7 million businesses in the US making between 500k and $10 million a year. These businesses provide 62% of all jobs. They know they need AI to stay competitive, but they don't have the time, the resources to figure it out. And the big consulting firms, they are not helping them because these companies are considered too small. That's the gap and it's huge. Right now, for every person offering AI automation services like I do and like you can, there are more than 1,100 businesses that need support, which basically means that market is wide open. I spotted this opportunity 2 years ago. Since then, we've delivered thousands of AI projects for clients around the world and grew my agency to $36,000 in monthly revenue. We've proven this works and the demand is only growing. So, if you know how to build even simple automations, you are already ahead of most people and businesses are more than willing to pay for that. Now, let me show you exactly how to land your first paying client. I know you've probably heard many times about different ways to make money with AI. Starting an AI agency, building a SAS, offering consulting, or even creating educational products. And all of those paths can work. But the truth is they take a lot of time and can feel overwhelming when you are just starting out. So I assume you are just starting out and that's why I suggest keeping it simple. Focus on one step at a time. You don't need a full business right away. You just need your first client because you know once you land that first client, everything shifts. You have a case study proof that you can solve real problems and momentum. From there, you can repeat the process, sign more clients and eventually turn it into a proper agency. Later on, if you want, you can branch out into products or high ticket consulting or even education. But the fastest way to get started, offer AI automation as a freelance service. It's the shortest path to your first paying client. Now, let's break down how to actually sell your AI service. Step one, pick a niche. Don't go out there saying, "I can automate anything." That's way too broad. Instead, focus on a specific type of client like coaches or e-commerce store owners or agencies and choose one clear problem to solve. When you specialize, everything gets easier. You can speak directly to your client's pain points and send messages that actually resonate. And with every call and email, you sharpen your understanding of that industry's processes and bottlenecks to the point where you can anticipate what prospects are going to say before they even say it. That's the power of sticking with one niche and going deeper into their world. All right, step two. Build a simple demo. Clients need to see it to believe it. A quick Loom video is enough. Just show the before and after. For example, before a coach was manually messaging every lead. After your chatbot qualifies leads and books calls automatically. Always focus on selling the results, not the AI. The AI is just the tool. What matters is the outcome. So, step three, outreach with a no-brainer offer. Speak in only two ways, two languages business owners really care about, time and money. For example, this process takes you 5 hours a week. That's about $2,000 a month of

wasted time. I can automate it for a onetime fee of $1,500. And when you frame it like that, saying no feels unreasonable. And for your very first client, especially if you don't have a track record yet, take it one step further. Remove all the risk for them. You can say something like, "You don't have to trust me. Okay? I guarantee you get this specific result, and if you don't, you get your money back." As simple as that. That's what makes it a true no-brainer offer. All right, step four, deliver and document. Once you've built the solution, track the metrics before and after. Show your client exactly how many hours you saved or how much revenue you protected. That gives you two powerful assets. A strong testimonial and a case study you can use to land your next client. Because now you can confidently say, "I know I can deliver these results for you because I've already done the same for other clients. That's my specialty. Here's a case study. Check it out. And remember, you're not selling AI. You are selling saves time, saved money, and growth. AI is just a tool. AI is the car. Business results are the destination. All right. Now, you know how to sell, how to communicate your value, and how to close a deal. Of course, it takes practice, right? You need to spend time making those calls, but none of that matters if you don't have people to talk to. That's where lead generation comes in. The good news is you don't need paid ads or a sales team. Almost every successful automation agency uses a handful of proven channels to get clients. And to be clear, there are many ways you could generate leads. You can join communities like on school and Facebook and publish there. You can do LinkedIn outreach. Uh you can scrape businesses from Google Maps and cold call them and plenty more. But I've been doing like outreach, cold outreach, and lead generation as my full-time job for over 5 years. On top of that, I've consulted with more than a 100 students who've started their own AI businesses. And based on all that experience, these are the most affordable and straightforward channels to start real interactions with customers. Channel number one, cold email. Cold email is still one of the most powerful ways to land clients if you do it right. The biggest advantage is that it works at scale. With cold emails, volume beats luck. The more emails you send, the more calls you'll book. As simple as that. The mistake most people make is sending generic spammy messages. That's where choosing a niche makes all the difference. When you target a specific type of client like coaches or e-commerce stores or agencies, you can write emails that speak directly to their pain points. And instead of saying, "Hey, I can build automations. Let me know what you need." You say, "I build an AI workflow that qualifies leads automatically for coaches, saving them over 40 hours a month." Here's a quick demo and a case study. The more specific and personalized your email, the harder it is to ignore. And the best part, cold email is cheap. Once you know how to source prospect lists and write copy that converts, you can run campaigns that cost pennies per lead. Channel two is Upwork. Let's talk about Upwork. A lot of people look down on it. They think it's too competitive and lowpaying, but the reality is completely different. Upwork is one of the fastest ways to land your first client because the buyers on that platform already know what they want and they have the budget and they are actively looking to hire right now. If I go to Upwork right now and search for automation, you'll get a ton of job listings. AI automation specialist um automate workflow 2 hours ago. automation specialist needed for make.com and Zapier projects, automation experts for email workflow setup and if I am more specific and I'll say um NA10 automation Instagram a automation system with NA10 cool custom NA10 workflow development expert NA10 AI agent creator and implement needed for long-term projects. Any workflow expert for sales automation and lead enrichments, AI automation specialist, client follow-up system, and many, many more. Of course, it's not like you just pick one of these jobs and the sale is done. It's all about volume and consistency. If you apply to five to 10 jobs every day for a month while following best practices for your profile for sending personalized Loom videos with each application, you know, using the sales tactics I just mentioned earlier and showing a demo, talking about numbers and results and backing it all up with the case study, the chances of not landing a client are close to zero. And if you're starting from scratch, your main priority has to be solving the biggest problem you face, getting your first client. And Upwork is one of the lowest risk, highest leverage places to start. For example, Victor from my community shared this stats for Upwork. Applications 112, viewed 36, replied 24, meetings booked 10, and

wasted time. I can automate it for a onetime fee of $1,500. And when you frame it like that, saying no feels unreasonable. And for your very first client, especially if you don't have a track record yet, take it one step further. Remove all the risk for them. You can say something like, "You don't have to trust me. Okay? I guarantee you get this specific result, and if you don't, you get your money back." As simple as that. That's what makes it a true no-brainer offer. All right, step four, deliver and document. Once you've built the solution, track the metrics before and after. Show your client exactly how many hours you saved or how much revenue you protected. That gives you two powerful assets. A strong testimonial and a case study you can use to land your next client. Because now you can confidently say, "I know I can deliver these results for you because I've already done the same for other clients. That's my specialty. Here's a case study. Check it out. And remember, you're not selling AI. You are selling saves time, saved money, and growth. AI is just a tool. AI is the car. Business results are the destination. All right. Now, you know how to sell, how to communicate your value, and how to close a deal. Of course, it takes practice, right? You need to spend time making those calls, but none of that matters if you don't have people to talk to. That's where lead generation comes in. The good news is you don't need paid ads or a sales team. Almost every successful automation agency uses a handful of proven channels to get clients. And to be clear, there are many ways you could generate leads. You can join communities like on school and Facebook and publish there. You can do LinkedIn outreach. Uh you can scrape businesses from Google Maps and cold call them and plenty more. But I've been doing like outreach, cold outreach, and lead generation as my full-time job for over 5 years. On top of that, I've consulted with more than a 100 students who've started their own AI businesses. And based on all that experience, these are the most affordable and straightforward channels to start real interactions with customers. Channel number one, cold email. Cold email is still one of the most powerful ways to land clients if you do it right. The biggest advantage is that it works at scale. With cold emails, volume beats luck. The more emails you send, the more calls you'll book. As simple as that. The mistake most people make is sending generic spammy messages. That's where choosing a niche makes all the difference. When you target a specific type of client like coaches or e-commerce stores or agencies, you can write emails that speak directly to their pain points. And instead of saying, "Hey, I can build automations. Let me know what you need." You say, "I build an AI workflow that qualifies leads automatically for coaches, saving them over 40 hours a month." Here's a quick demo and a case study. The more specific and personalized your email, the harder it is to ignore. And the best part, cold email is cheap. Once you know how to source prospect lists and write copy that converts, you can run campaigns that cost pennies per lead. Channel two is Upwork. Let's talk about Upwork. A lot of people look down on it. They think it's too competitive and lowpaying, but the reality is completely different. Upwork is one of the fastest ways to land your first client because the buyers on that platform already know what they want and they have the budget and they are actively looking to hire right now. If I go to Upwork right now and search for automation, you'll get a ton of job listings. AI automation specialist um automate workflow 2 hours ago. automation specialist needed for make.com and Zapier projects, automation experts for email workflow setup and if I am more specific and I'll say um NA10 automation Instagram a automation system with NA10 cool custom NA10 workflow development expert NA10 AI agent creator and implement needed for long-term projects. Any workflow expert for sales automation and lead enrichments, AI automation specialist, client follow-up system, and many, many more. Of course, it's not like you just pick one of these jobs and the sale is done. It's all about volume and consistency. If you apply to five to 10 jobs every day for a month while following best practices for your profile for sending personalized Loom videos with each application, you know, using the sales tactics I just mentioned earlier and showing a demo, talking about numbers and results and backing it all up with the case study, the chances of not landing a client are close to zero. And if you're starting from scratch, your main priority has to be solving the biggest problem you face, getting your first client. And Upwork is one of the lowest risk, highest leverage places to start. For example, Victor from my community shared this stats for Upwork. Applications 112, viewed 36, replied 24, meetings booked 10, and

closed four. Four closed deals. Okay, that's around 9% conversion rate from applications to meetings, and around 3.5% from application to closed deals. That's actually very high conversion rate. This is another example from my community, Benjamin. He sent 58 applications, opened 34, replied 16 calls booked nine and closed three. Again, three sales. That's that's already a win. The conversion rate for him was even higher. From application to calls around 15.5% and from applications to closed deals around 5.2%. So, Upwork is one of the best places to get started to land your first client and to make your first $,000 with AI. Channel number three, inbound using content creation. This is by far the highest ROI lead generation channel. It's a long-term play. That's that's for sure. But it's worth it. That's why I along with many other AI business owners run YouTube channels. And let me be clear, we don't run YouTube channels because we are content creators. We are entrepreneurs first. Content is just a business tool and it works. It builds inbound leads. My own channel brings me clients every single month. And the same goes for countless other agency founders. I know it's very time and energy consuming to start creating content. But the best part is that as you are learning, you can document your journey and turn it into tutorials that instantly builds authority. Even if you are just a few steps ahead, people see you as the expert because you already teach others. And honestly, the best way to learn is to teach. Every time you record a tutorial, you force yourself to master the skill. So don't overthink content. Don't treat it like a creative side project. Look at it as a lead generation system. Share what you learn. Demonstrate your skills and let that content bring clients to you basically on autopilot. All right. Called emails, Upwork, and inbound content with those three channels, you'll always have leads coming in. And once you layer on the sales process I just showed you, landing clients is guaranteed. It's that simple. Unfortunately, it's not that easy at all. All right, let's wrap it up. There are three core skills you need if you want to make money with AI today. First, learning how to build automations. That part has never been easier. There are free tutorials, free courses, and free communities everywhere. Learning this stuff is basically permissionless today. Second, learning how to sell. And again, there is no shortage of books, videos, or frameworks. But the truth is, and I'm sure you know it, learning sales frameworks alone won't make you good at sales, right? You get better by practicing, by actually getting on calls, making mistakes, and learning as you go. And the third component you need is consistency. And this is where most people drop off. Not because they can't learn or can't sell, but because they quit too soon. It's human nature. We are not built to work hard without immediate rewards. The hard part is staying consistent, showing up every day, even when it feels like nothing is happening. Naval put it perfectly. If you're willing to bleed a little bit every day, but in exchange win big later, you'll do better. That is entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs bleed every day. They are not making money. They are losing money. They are stressed out. But when they win, they win big. That's the gap. And that's why so many people give up right before things start working. And that's exactly why we built AI Fellowship Plus. It's a program with one simple goal to give you the road map and accountability to land your first client. Here's how it works. First, you'll follow a daily action plan broken down into small steps so you know exactly what to do each day. No overwhelm, no wasted time, just the right actions that move you forward. Then you'll have resources to back you up. my video walkthroughs over a 100 mini tutorials, ready to sell automation templates and clear guidelines for outreach proposals and even scaling on Upwork. I'll also share the exact content systems I use to bring in inbound clients. And finally, you'll get real support, not just tutorials, but direct help from me and my CTO Nick, who has 15 years of software engineering experience. We run three weekly live calls, one Q&A and two technical deep dives where you can troubleshoot your projects with Nick and me, and we answer all your questions inside the community, even with, you know, personalized Loom videos if that's what it takes. In short, you won't get stuck. Also, to make this a no-brainer, we've partnered with top tool providers, so your discounts alone save you more than the cost of the membership. And I'm so proud and confident about this program, I back it with a money back guarantee. If you don't land your first client within 90 days, you get a full refund. Zero risk. We only win if you win. If you're serious about landing your first client with AI, now is the time to join the community. The price will never be that

closed four. Four closed deals. Okay, that's around 9% conversion rate from applications to meetings, and around 3.5% from application to closed deals. That's actually very high conversion rate. This is another example from my community, Benjamin. He sent 58 applications, opened 34, replied 16 calls booked nine and closed three. Again, three sales. That's that's already a win. The conversion rate for him was even higher. From application to calls around 15.5% and from applications to closed deals around 5.2%. So, Upwork is one of the best places to get started to land your first client and to make your first $,000 with AI. Channel number three, inbound using content creation. This is by far the highest ROI lead generation channel. It's a long-term play. That's that's for sure. But it's worth it. That's why I along with many other AI business owners run YouTube channels. And let me be clear, we don't run YouTube channels because we are content creators. We are entrepreneurs first. Content is just a business tool and it works. It builds inbound leads. My own channel brings me clients every single month. And the same goes for countless other agency founders. I know it's very time and energy consuming to start creating content. But the best part is that as you are learning, you can document your journey and turn it into tutorials that instantly builds authority. Even if you are just a few steps ahead, people see you as the expert because you already teach others. And honestly, the best way to learn is to teach. Every time you record a tutorial, you force yourself to master the skill. So don't overthink content. Don't treat it like a creative side project. Look at it as a lead generation system. Share what you learn. Demonstrate your skills and let that content bring clients to you basically on autopilot. All right. Called emails, Upwork, and inbound content with those three channels, you'll always have leads coming in. And once you layer on the sales process I just showed you, landing clients is guaranteed. It's that simple. Unfortunately, it's not that easy at all. All right, let's wrap it up. There are three core skills you need if you want to make money with AI today. First, learning how to build automations. That part has never been easier. There are free tutorials, free courses, and free communities everywhere. Learning this stuff is basically permissionless today. Second, learning how to sell. And again, there is no shortage of books, videos, or frameworks. But the truth is, and I'm sure you know it, learning sales frameworks alone won't make you good at sales, right? You get better by practicing, by actually getting on calls, making mistakes, and learning as you go. And the third component you need is consistency. And this is where most people drop off. Not because they can't learn or can't sell, but because they quit too soon. It's human nature. We are not built to work hard without immediate rewards. The hard part is staying consistent, showing up every day, even when it feels like nothing is happening. Naval put it perfectly. If you're willing to bleed a little bit every day, but in exchange win big later, you'll do better. That is entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs bleed every day. They are not making money. They are losing money. They are stressed out. But when they win, they win big. That's the gap. And that's why so many people give up right before things start working. And that's exactly why we built AI Fellowship Plus. It's a program with one simple goal to give you the road map and accountability to land your first client. Here's how it works. First, you'll follow a daily action plan broken down into small steps so you know exactly what to do each day. No overwhelm, no wasted time, just the right actions that move you forward. Then you'll have resources to back you up. my video walkthroughs over a 100 mini tutorials, ready to sell automation templates and clear guidelines for outreach proposals and even scaling on Upwork. I'll also share the exact content systems I use to bring in inbound clients. And finally, you'll get real support, not just tutorials, but direct help from me and my CTO Nick, who has 15 years of software engineering experience. We run three weekly live calls, one Q&A and two technical deep dives where you can troubleshoot your projects with Nick and me, and we answer all your questions inside the community, even with, you know, personalized Loom videos if that's what it takes. In short, you won't get stuck. Also, to make this a no-brainer, we've partnered with top tool providers, so your discounts alone save you more than the cost of the membership. And I'm so proud and confident about this program, I back it with a money back guarantee. If you don't land your first client within 90 days, you get a full refund. Zero risk. We only win if you win. If you're serious about landing your first client with AI, now is the time to join the community. The price will never be that

low again. I've dropped the link in the video description. Check it out and I'll see you inside. Bye.

low again. I've dropped the link in the video description. Check it out and I'll see you inside. Bye.