How does Hilary Erickson's blog income strategy outperform other bloggers?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse. How can I help?

When I look at how I make money vs. a lot of other bloggers, a few things stand out:

• I’m diversified but courses are my core. I have four streams (ads, affiliates, my own products, and very occasional sponsored posts), but my own courses are about 66% of my income. Many bloggers stay heavily ad- or affiliate-dependent, which is less stable and usually caps growth.

• I’ve built two focused sites: Pulling Curls (pregnancy, parenting, home, travel) and The Pregnancy Nurse (pregnancy only). That niche clarity makes it easier to sell my prenatal class and related resources.

• I treat this like a real business: I hire tech support, VAs, legal and accounting, and I’m careful with costs (like buying lifetime software licenses when it makes sense). That frees me to focus on high‑ROI work instead of fighting with my website all day.

• I play the long game. I’ve been at this since 2005, really pushing since 2014. I update for SEO, build relationships with a few trusted affiliates (like Get Away Today), and prioritize audience trust over quick wins or spammy sponsorships.

What part of blogging income are you most curious about—ads, affiliates, or creating your own products?