How 6 Kajabi Creators Turned Their Passions Into $100k+ Businesses

Kajabi Creators Have Earned $6 Billion in Revenue!

What do a guitarist, AI educator, artist, calligrapher, YouTuber, and choreographer have in common?

They’re all Kajabi creators who, along with the rest of the creators in our Kajabi universe, have collectively earned more than $6 billion in creator revenue!

Kajabi’s journey has been paved with some pretty big milestones, but having our creators hit new revenue milestones stands in a league of its own. Each product launch, each thriving business, and each sale built this success, which tells the stories of versatile content creators and ambitious entrepreneurs we proudly call our Kajabi Heroes.

Our creators aren't confined to a niche or industry. They are a diverse group, innovating, creating, and transforming their entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Their successes, fueled by the all-in-one capabilities of our platform, contribute to a rapidly growing creator economy on track to hit half a trillion dollars by 2027.

Let’s take a closer look at the stories of six exceptional creators who represent the tens of thousands on Kajabi: Kerry Marshall Jr, Rob Lennon, Julie Soul, Karla Lim, Marina Mogolka, and Matt Steffanina. These are a few of the creators who have realized the dream of owning their destinies and building a thriving six-figure online businesses. Sit back, and let their stories inspire and inform your own journey of online entrepreneurship.

Professional Guitarist Makes Nearly Half a Million Teaching Others

✅ Earned over $400,000 to date with his membership site

Kerry Marshall, Jr., or as many know him, the soulful virtuoso behind Kerry’s Kamp, has built a guitar community that has struck a powerful chord with enthusiasts from ages 10 to 60 and beyond. Kerry's initial struggle with getting comfortable on camera and teaching effectively didn't deter his vision. Instead, it shaped his resourceful approach, enabling Kerry’s Kamp to seem like a large-scale operation, despite its modest team size. Kerry's unique service offering, which tapped into a void in the market, coupled with a well-strategized marketing plan, set his business apart and propelled it towards six-figure success. Today, over $400k in revenue affirms the resilience and determination behind Kerry's journey.

Emerging creators can draw critical lessons from Kerry’s entrepreneurial journey. First, the willingness and ability to offer something distinctive can create a niche for your business. Kerry's Kamp, for instance, offers a unique approach to learning the guitar with a platform distinguished by personalized learning paths, including structured and customized curriculums for each student. A niche business enables you to target a specific audience with distinctive needs, generating loyal customers and creating a stronghold in a market not penetrated by one-size-fits-all businesses.

Second, don't be deterred by initial challenges in translating your vision into a tangible product or service. Choose products and services that fit the needs of your audience. For Kerry, it made sense to offer an immersive and personalized learning experience with a membership that unlocks a comprehensive lesson library, live sessions, community support, and more.

Finally, leverage available digital tools to enhance and scale your operations effectively.

In Kerry's own words, the key to success is to "stay committed to the process. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Be flexible and make adjustments along the way to gain the success you so desire."

Looking ahead, his strategy for 2024 is to build a robust team — a testament to the fundamental belief that big dreams require shared efforts.

From Homeschooling Parent to High-earning Art Teacher

✅ Makes $700,000/year with less than 10k followers

Julie Soul, CEO and co-founder of Soul Sparklettes Art and The Glitter Bomb art curriculum, embarked on her entrepreneurial journey as a homeschooling parent who understood the unique needs and interests of her audience. Despite having no initial business intentions or background, Julie worked painstakingly to educate herself on how to build and grow a digital business. She experienced growing pains and rose to the challenges posed by unfamiliar business terms such as "sales funnel" and "opt-ins" but found an ally in Kajabi, which became pivotal in her business operations and success.

Julie’s journey offers several inspiring takeaways for creators just setting foot in the world of entrepreneurship. First, understand and empathize with your audience. Julie found success by addressing the immediate needs and interests of her clients instead of assuming supposed wants. This approach has brought her remarkable results. Her business earns around $700K in annual revenue and nearly 2,200 Glitterbombers members, all without a massive social media following — Julie has fewer than 10K followers across channels. “We achieved a half-million dollar revenue stream in under 2 years thanks to Kajabi and now we’re aiming at that $1 million mark,” she shares.

Second, don't wait for external validation or permission to start. Jump in, learn through doing and failing, and keep pushing forward. Agility also played a role in her success — the ability to pivot from offering singular goods to a membership model. Finally, make use of available tools and resources to streamline your operations. For Julie, this was Kajabi.

"We spend a lot of our life waiting for someone to give us permission to start, but no one is going to come knocking on that door. I have learned the most through doing, not by reading. I've learned the most by doing, failing, and failing forward, and trying again," she shares.

Julie has a lot to look forward to in 2024. Top of the list is launching a Glitterbombers High membership to continue service to those who might be aging out of Glitterbombers. 

How an AI Expert is Making Waves and Making Bank

✅ Made $500,000 in his first year as a solo entrepreneur

Rob Lennon transitioned from a tech enthusiast to the "AI Whisperer," using his deep understanding of practical AI applications to educate professionals through his platform, AI Content Reactor. Rob set himself apart from others by building a community where he not only emphasized authenticity and practical advice but also shifted the discussion about AI. Instead of focusing on what might be possible, he concentrated on strategies that have a tangible impact on business results. Despite the challenges stemming from the rapid success of his courses, Rob transitioned to Kajabi, which simplified the user experience and gave him the power to create a more engaged learning community. As a result, he saw impressive sales within months, and has helped over 2,500 professionals learn advanced AI techniques. In his first year as a solo entrepreneur, Lennon crossed $500,000 in revenue at amazing 96% margins.

"I’m one of the few AI influencers who is blending legitimate expertise with a deep understanding of AI prompts and automations. Everything is focused on real business outcomes,” he shares.

For creators starting their journey, Rob’s story encapsulates valuable insights on how to create successful products in a crowded market. He emphasizes the importance of validating ideas before heavily investing in them, as a product marketed to a non-existent demand is destined to fail. Rob’s suggestion is to communicate with prospective customers and gauge the demand rather than assuming the genius behind an idea will automatically translate into demand.

As for his 2024 strategy, Rob plans to continue focusing on what has worked, refining his existing offerings, and saying "no" more often.

How This Creator Took Her Calligraphy Hobby to a Six-Figure Business

✅ Makes over $100k annually with 2,000 students

Karla Lim, a Vancouver-based calligrapher and the face behind Written Word Calligraphy and Design, found her business inspiration on a rainy day dedicated to pursuing the creative art of calligraphy. Startled by the fading charm of handwritten notes, Karla found a unique business opportunity in shaping her leisure activity into a learning platform. As a mom and entrepreneur, her challenges varied from balancing motherhood to dealing with technical facets of running online courses, but her determined learning disposition guided her through these complexities. Karla's resilience and adaptability has allowed her to consistently earn six figures annually, teaching over 2,000 students, and growing even amidst a global pandemic and having a newborn.

From Karla's journey, aspiring creators can draw valuable lessons. Start with understanding that it's acceptable, sometimes even necessary, to make changes that might initially feel counterproductive. A creator's focus should be on serving their community rather than rigidly sticking to how they learn themselves. This means being in continuous dialogue with your audience, understanding their experiences, and catering to their unique needs is crucial as that differentiates you, builds trust, and cements your brand. Additionally, diversifying your revenue streams and creating a balance between active and passive sources can bolster the resilience of your business.

"It’s okay to step back and make some changes, even if it means it feels like you’re less productive. Learning about your clients and looking into how you can best serve them versus what else to sell them will help set you apart as a brand, and help build trust," Karla says.

Learn How This Successful Dancer Made a Thriving Global Dance Academy 

✅ Made over 7-figures in two years

As a distinguished choreographer and founder of DNCR Academy, Matt Steffanina has created a unique space catering to dance enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. Drawing from his own experiences, Matt designed the platform he wished he had access to when starting his dance journey. He successfully built a significant social media presence, amassing over 30 million followers by sharing his knowledge and passion for dance with others across the globe. DNCR Academy stands as a testament to his vision, merging learning and community in an online space for the ardent dance community.

Matt's story holds invaluable insights for budding creators and entrepreneurs. Foremost among these is the need to nurture a sense of community around their passions.

"Building a community is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Don’t be too hard on yourself in the beginning if it doesn't get immediate results. Stick with it," he says.

Offering a solution accessible to beginners and veterans alike, he emphasizes maintaining patience in the early stages and sticking with your initiative, even without immediate results. Another critical aspect of Matt's journey is balanced multitasking across multiple roles, which he says is achievable through building a strong team, underlining the value of delegation and teamwork for success.

Keep an eye out for new courses and new teachers in 2024, along with a gamified learning experience.

How this 8M+ YouTuber is Breaking Barriers

✅ Earned six-figures on Kajabi outside of social media

Marina Mogilko, creator and entrepreneur, is enhancing the creative space with her profound understanding of YouTube algorithms. With an audience base stretching over three channels in different languages, Marina's journey is a testament to her adaptability and skill. She has separated herself from the crowd by narrowing her focus, primarily with an audience of immigrant women like her, sharing her experiences and helping them make their way in a new country. As a creator, she faces the constant challenge of outsider opinions about her life and content. She is learning to stay true to her values instead of trying to please everyone.

Drawing from Marina's story, the most crucial advice for budding creators is to align their work to their passion rather than aimlessly following trends.

"Stop paying attention to trends! Yes, you can adapt to them, but you will only be successful if you do things that YOU care about! People will see your enthusiasm through their screen, through their phone," she confides.

Audience connection stems from the authenticity of the creator's enthusiasm that resonates through their work, so closely knowing your audience and fostering an ecosystem that caters to their distinct needs is essential. Additionally, Marina’s journey underscores the importance of building resilience against public opinion and focusing instead on the value you bring to society.

As for 2024, Marina has her eye on incorporating AI throughout her team’s content creation process to reduce workload.

The future is bright for Kajabi creators

The inspiring stories of our Kajabi creators represent the epitome of passion, translating into a sustainable and winning entrepreneurial journey. These notable creators have charted a unique path to success, demonstrating the incredible opportunities Kajabi brings to creators of all stripes.

Their accomplishments are also part of a much more significant milestone. Together, all Kajabi Heroes have surpassed a remarkable $6 billion in revenue, a testament to the unwavering dedication and entrepreneurial prowess Kajabi nurtures. As a creator on Kajabi, you keep everything you make.

If you're an inspired creator yet to join us, there's no better time than now. Together, we can empower your journey and create a success story worth sharing. Become a part of the Kajabi community, and let's continue raising the global creator economy together.

Cheers to the next $6 billion!