how selling canva templates changed my life

What if one random sale on the internet, just $50, could change your life? That's

exactly what happened to me. I had no business degree. I only had Canva,

business degree. I only had Canva, Wi-Fi, and a dream to escape my 9-5. And

this is the story of how that $50 became the start of my six-f figureure business.

[Music] So, life before starting a business was pretty ordinary, but I didn't know it was quietly preparing me for something more. I was born and raised in the

more. I was born and raised in the Philippines, and I moved to Canada when I was 18 years old. I started working as soon as I got here. My first job was in McDonald's. I stayed there for a few

McDonald's. I stayed there for a few years and eventually worked my way up to a managerial position. It was decent, but I knew deep down it wasn't where I was meant to stay forever. And because I

was earning just a little above minimum wage, I had to find a second job to make ends meet. You know, I worked at a few

ends meet. You know, I worked at a few coffee shops, in a chocolate shop, basically wherever I could find extra hours. And then one day, a regular

hours. And then one day, a regular customer who worked at the bank next door casually asked if I'd ever thought about applying there. I had zero background in finance, and so I thought,

"Yeah, right. There's no way they'd hire

"Yeah, right. There's no way they'd hire me." You know, funny how life works

me." You know, funny how life works because I actually got the job. And so I stayed in banking for a while and when I eventually moved to a new town, I found another opportunity and this time at a

trust company that handled private equity. It was still in the finance

equity. It was still in the finance world and it paid really well. Great

benefits. I worked on the 39th floor of this stunning building downtown. If you

can picture Wall Street energy, it kind of felt like that. I honestly thought, "This is it. This is the job I'll stick with. I'll climb the corporate ladder,

with. I'll climb the corporate ladder, make my family proud, maybe even retire here. But here's what no one knew. Every

here. But here's what no one knew. Every

night after work, I'd cry myself to sleep because I was so drained mentally, emotionally, physically, like in every possible way. And then I'd feel guilty

possible way. And then I'd feel guilty for feeling that way, like I was being ungrateful because on paper, it was a dream job. I mean, people would kill for

dream job. I mean, people would kill for that kind of role. But here's something I wish I knew sooner. You can be grateful for the job you have and still want more. Those feelings aren't

want more. Those feelings aren't mutually exclusive. And you're not a bad

mutually exclusive. And you're not a bad person for wanting to leave a good job if it's slowly breaking you inside. I still remember this one night

inside. I still remember this one night so clearly. I was lying in bed after a

so clearly. I was lying in bed after a long exhausting shift, completely drained, and this thought just hit me out of nowhere. Is this it? Like, is

this really all there is to life? It

sounds dramatic, I know, but in that moment, I genuinely wondered, if I die tomorrow, could I say I was truly happy with how I was living? Had I spent my last day on Earth doing something I

love? And that thought haunted me for

love? And that thought haunted me for days. And so that's when I knew I needed

days. And so that's when I knew I needed to find a way out. I had already tried so many side hustles before. I did

wedding photography, which I did for about a year. I did Amazon FBA. I even

made a whole video about that one. I

tried baking and selling cakes, event decorating, being a lash technician, studio photography, literally anything that sparked my interest, even a little.

None of them ever became my full-time thing. But looking back, each one gave

thing. But looking back, each one gave me something I really needed. Proof.

Proof that I could make money outside of a 9 to5. I just hadn't found the thing yet, you know, something I could actually scale into a full-time business. And so, I did what I always do

business. And so, I did what I always do when I'm curious about something. I go

to YouTube and start researching. I

remember typing how to make money online because if I was going to look for another side hustle, I knew one thing for sure, it had to be online. You know,

I was already so burnt out for my corporate job. I didn't have the energy

corporate job. I didn't have the energy for anything physical like photography or baking anymore. And so, scroll, scroll, scroll, that's when I found out about selling digital products on Etsy.

And it immediately grabbed my attention.

You see, I already knew my way around Canva a little from my previous side hustles because I had to do branding and marketing materials for those. So, I

figured why not give it a try? There's

no inventory, no shipping, no big upfront costs. All I needed was my

upfront costs. All I needed was my laptop and some time. And so, while everyone was out enjoying the holidays in December of 2021, I was tucked away at home creating my first few digital products, not knowing at all that this

would be the start of something that would completely change my life.

So, my very first products were Instagram templates, just nine listings.

I uploaded them to Etsy, crossed my fingers, and didn't think much of it.

And then 2 days later, I got my first sale. I still remember the notification,

sale. I still remember the notification, someone bought two templates for $50.

And I just sat there kind of in shock, like, wait, someone actually paid me for something I made, something I designed on Canva. It felt surreal. But that one

on Canva. It felt surreal. But that one sale, it changed everything. It gave me a confidence boost I didn't even realize I needed. Because for the first time, I

I needed. Because for the first time, I thought, maybe I'm actually good at this. If one person thought my designs

this. If one person thought my designs were worth paying for, maybe others would, too. And so, I kept going. I kept

would, too. And so, I kept going. I kept

creating more templates. I kept listing.

I kept learning. I was watching YouTube tutorials, tweaking my designs, testing different things. And slowly but surely,

different things. And slowly but surely, my little Etsy shop started to grow. And

then something wild happened. A few

months in, I realized I was already making more from selling digital products than from my full-time corporate job. At first, I thought it

corporate job. At first, I thought it was a fluke. I told myself, "Don't get too excited. It's probably just a good

too excited. It's probably just a good month." But then another good month came

month." But then another good month came and another until one day, I made double my salary in just one month from Canva templates I designed in my living room.

I couldn't believe it because you got to remember, I wasn't a professional designer. I had zero design background.

designer. I had zero design background.

I was in the finance world. This was

very, very far from my career. But I

guess the moral of the story is most of us talk ourselves out of trying before we even start. We convince ourselves we're not qualified, we're not creative, we're not smart enough. But what if you

are? What if the thing you keep

are? What if the thing you keep daydreaming about is actually meant for you? You'll never know unless you try.

you? You'll never know unless you try.

So take this as your sign. Whether it's

starting that business, sharing your art, launching that idea, just try. The

worst thing that can happen is you learn something. The best it could completely

something. The best it could completely change your life. Anyway, back to the story. So, you'd think that once I

story. So, you'd think that once I started making more than my corporate job, I would have quit right away. But I

didn't because honestly, I was scared.

Leaving something stable like a 9 to5, something you've done your whole adult life is terrifying. had imposttor

syndrome on top of that and I was fully convinced that maybe I just got lucky that people would realize I wasn't a real designer and stopped buying from me. So I stayed I stayed in that

me. So I stayed I stayed in that draining 9 to5 for a full year while working on selling digital products during weekends and nights. And then

came a short trip back home to the Philippines. I started opening up to my

Philippines. I started opening up to my friends about my Etsy shop and how much I hated my job. I asked them what I should do and every single one of them said the same thing. Quit. They told me

if something happens to your Etsy shop, worst case you go back to a 9 to5, but at least you gave yourself the chance to try. And so I went back to Canada and I

try. And so I went back to Canada and I didn't quit. I know. But after that, it

didn't quit. I know. But after that, it was like I couldn't unhear their advice.

I couldn't shake the idea. I felt even more miserable at work. Like I was wasting time knowing I had another option. And then January 2023 came and

option. And then January 2023 came and the tipping point wasn't some big dramatic moment. It was a dog. We got my

dramatic moment. It was a dog. We got my dog Zoe and I fell so in love with her that I didn't want to leave her home alone. That was it. Like that was my

alone. That was it. Like that was my reason. I thought screw it. Let this be

reason. I thought screw it. Let this be my excuse to finally quit. But before I finally did, I prayed to God and said, "Okay, if it's really time to quit, I

need a big sign. Something I cannot miss." And you know what? That same

miss." And you know what? That same

month, I hit my biggest revenue so far.

$17,000 from just one Etsy shop. That

was the sign I needed. I knew it was time. And so one Sunday night, I opened

time. And so one Sunday night, I opened up my laptop and sent in my resignation.

One of the happiest nights of my life.

I'm actually going to put a video here of the day after I submitted my resignation. So today is my first day of

resignation. So today is my first day of quitting my 9 toive job. To remember how happy I was to finally wake up the next

day, that was a Monday, not having to go to work. I was just so so

to work. I was just so so happy. Okay, so let's talk about how my

happy. Okay, so let's talk about how my life actually changed after starting my small business because let me tell you the difference is night and day. Back

then I had zero control over my time. I

had to be at work during specific hours every single day whether I felt like it or not. And taking a break or going on

or not. And taking a break or going on vacation wasn't as easy as just deciding to go. You know, I had to wait for

to go. You know, I had to wait for approval, plan way in advance. And even

then, I only had a handful of days a year to actually relax. It felt like I was always living for the weekends or counting down to the next holiday. And

that just didn't sit right with me. But

now everything is different. I don't set alarms unless I have to. I work when I want to, where I want to, and I can take a holiday whenever I feel like it. I

won't lie and say the workload is lighter because it's not. If anything,

I'm juggling even more now, especially since I've got into content creation, too. But here's the thing. It's work I

too. But here's the thing. It's work I actually enjoy. I wake up excited to do

actually enjoy. I wake up excited to do it. Yes, I still get tired, but it's the

it. Yes, I still get tired, but it's the kind of tire that feels good. The I'm

building something that matters to me kind of tired. So, back then, how much I made totally depended on how many hours I worked, and there's only so much you can do in a day. Like, even if I wanted

to do 24-hour shifts, which I definitely didn't, that wasn't even an option. My

paycheck was capped no matter how hard I worked. And that was just the reality of

worked. And that was just the reality of it. Now, my income isn't tied to my

it. Now, my income isn't tied to my hours anymore. It's not about how long I

hours anymore. It's not about how long I sit at a desk. It's about what I've built. But honestly, even if I wasn't

built. But honestly, even if I wasn't making more, I'd still pick this over my old job. I'd be fine. Even if I made a

old job. I'd be fine. Even if I made a little less because I actually like what I do now. I mean, I do it for free. I

mean, not really because I still need to eat and pay my mortgage, but you know what I mean. Before, I used to feel so drained all the time. Like I'd finish work and just cry. Not even because

something bad happened, but because I felt so stuck. Every day felt the same.

You know, wake up, go to work, count down the hours, come home, crash, and do it all over again. I was constantly living for the weekend. And even that went by in a blur. But now I wake up and

actually look forward to the day. You

know, I feel excited again. I get to be creative. I get to build something

creative. I get to build something that's mine. And there's this piece I

that's mine. And there's this piece I didn't even realize I was missing. I

don't dread Mondays anymore. I'm not

constantly running on empty or wishing time away. It's like my life finally

time away. It's like my life finally feels like my own. Maybe you're watching this and

own. Maybe you're watching this and thinking that's cool for her, but I don't think I could ever do something like that. And honestly, I used to think

like that. And honestly, I used to think the same thing. I thought people who ran their own businesses either had rich parents, insane talent, or a bunch of connections I didn't have. But look at

my story. I didn't start with anything

my story. I didn't start with anything fancy. No business degree, no special

fancy. No business degree, no special skills, no trust fund, no built-in audience waiting to buy what I made.

Just a laptop, some free time after work, and this quiet thought in the back of my head that maybe, just maybe, there was more out there for me. And if you've

ever felt stuck, like you're just going through the motions, you know, wake up, work, sleep, repeat, then you know what I mean when I say something's got to give. So, if there's even the tiniest

give. So, if there's even the tiniest part of you that's been wondering, could I try something new? This is your side.

Start small, start scared, start unsure, start without knowing all the steps, but start. Because the life you want, that

start. Because the life you want, that freedom, that flexibility, the holy crap, is this really my job feeling?

It's only possible if you take that first step. And a year from now, you

first step. And a year from now, you could be telling your own story about how everything changed. So, no, this isn't just my story. This could 100% be

yours, too. You just have to

yours, too. You just have to start. This commercial is brought to you

start. This commercial is brought to you by future me in her pajamas, editing this video at 1:00 a.m., realizing I forgot to add this part. Okay, so if you're sitting there thinking, I want to

start selling digital products, but I have no idea what to start with. I got

you. I put together a starter pack of 10 resellable digital products you can start selling right away. Yes, you can resell them as your own. And yes, I am giving them away for free. I leave the link down below to grab yours. And when

you do, you'll also get early access to something huge I've been working on.

Something I built for people like you who want to start a digital product business but aren't sure where to begin.

So yeah, this is your unofficial but very real invite. Stay tuned. If you're

feeling inspired to start your own journey, I'd love to hear about it. You

know, drop a comment or send me an email. I'd love to hear your stories. If

email. I'd love to hear your stories. If

you've made it to the end of this video, thank you so much for listening to my little story. As always, please don't

little story. As always, please don't forget to subscribe. It really, really helps me out. And I'll see you in the next video. Bye.

next video. Bye.

[Music]