Why “Starting Before You’re Ready” Might Be the Best Thing You Do on YouTube
“I can’t imagine if I had just waited for the right time. The skills I’ve learned in four years are invaluable. I’m so much better off because I started four years ago.”
Rachel from Rachel’s Fit Pilates told herself she wouldn’t really start YouTube until September 2025, when her youngest started kindergarten.
And then… she started anyway.
That one decision changed everything. In the year she thought she’d finally begin, she already had a million subscribers, an app, and multiple revenue streams.
I can’t stop thinking about how many creators (especially moms) are living in the “someday” plan. “I’ll start when the kids are older.” “I’ll start when life calms down.” “I’ll start when I have more time.”
Rachel’s story is the reminder we all need: the ‘right time’ is a myth.
She started YouTube as a practice tool, not a business
Rachel didn’t begin with some big master plan.
She had transitioned from being an occupational therapist into becoming a Pilates instructor, and she was using YouTube to learn how to teach better. So she thought, why not upload my own workouts too? Just to get reps. Just to practice programming. Just to improve.
She wasn’t even checking analytics.
But about a year in, she started hearing other creator stories and realized YouTube could be more than a hobby. Maybe not “million subscribers” more… but at least supplemental income.
That’s when she got more strategic — including narrowing her audience. Because her first instinct was the same one I hear all the time:
Pilates is for everyone.
And that’s exactly why it wasn’t working.
The wall Pilates video that changed her life
Rachel’s biggest early struggle wasn’t subscribers. It was watch time.
She hit 1,000 subscribers… but couldn’t reach the 4,000 watch hours needed to monetize. So she started paying attention to trends and search data, and she noticed something popping up everywhere:
Wall Pilates.
There weren’t many videos for it at the time, and even though it wasn’t “traditional Pilates,” she made one anyway.
Then she made a second one immediately — just in case the first took off.
Within 10 days, everything exploded.
And what I love about this part of her story is that she didn’t let professional pressure stop her. A lot of instructors looked down on wall Pilates — so most qualified people weren’t making it.
Rachel didn’t care.
She adapted what she knew, did it her way, and the internet rewarded her for it.
The moment she stopped playing it safe
After that viral shift, Rachel had a decision to make:
Do I stay in reformer Pilates… or go all in on what’s working?
Here’s what helped her decide: she looked up the biggest reformer channel she could find and realized the ceiling was low. Even the biggest creator in that niche wasn’t pulling enough monthly views to support the full-time income she wanted.
So she pivoted into something that appealed to a wider audience.
That’s an uncomfortable truth more creators need to hear:
Sometimes your niche is “nice”… but too small for your income goals.
Why she still felt stuck at 400,000 subscribers
This is the part that surprised me.
Even after massive growth, Rachel still had a fear I see constantly in creators who blow up from one trend:
What if this is a flash in the pan?
Wall Pilates was trending… but trends fade. Rachel wanted to create strength workouts too, but her audience wasn’t responding — and YouTube wasn’t pushing those videos.
So she reached out for help because she wanted two things:
- more financial stability
- a strategy that would let her evolve without losing momentum
And that’s where coaching became a turning point.
What changed through Boot Camp and coaching
Rachel went through my Boot Camp first, and then we worked one-on-one. And one of the biggest shifts for her wasn’t tactical — it was identity.
She had been trying to show up overly polished, almost like she had to be “perfect” to be credible.
But that wasn’t her.
So she started letting more of her personality come through: jokes, imperfections, moments where things are hard, even self-deprecating humor. And her audience loved her more for it.
She also made a critical strategic choice: ride what YouTube is rewarding right now long enough to build stability — then expand intentionally.
That’s what Rachel did. She rode the wave, then used that momentum to diversify.
The income numbers that still shock me
Rachel shared two numbers that made my jaw drop:
- Her highest revenue month: $32,000
- The most she’s ever made from one video: $80,000
And that’s exactly why I tell creators: views aren’t vanity — they’re leverage.
But Rachel didn’t stop at AdSense.
The real long-term move: building an app
Rachel eventually created her own app, Rachel’s Fit Physique, because she realized something most creators learn the hard way:
YouTube income isn’t guaranteed to go up forever.
Even with a million subscribers.
When views dipped year over year, she knew she needed a business model that didn’t depend on a single trend or a single platform.
So she tested selling a one-time program first. Then she built the app. And now the app is the priority — with YouTube as the top-of-funnel.
That’s the evolution I love to see: platform → business.
The lesson for moms who are “waiting”
Rachel’s story comes back to one thing:
If she had waited until September 2025, she would have missed four years of skill-building, momentum, and income.
And she said it best:
She’s better off because she started when it was hard.
That’s what I want you to hear if you’re a mom thinking you don’t have time.
You don’t need 40 hours a week to start. Rachel began with about 10 hours a week while raising two little kids.
You just need to start.
Because the growth you want in 2026 is built by the reps you’re willing to do in 2026 — not by the perfect plan you keep saving for “later.”
“You have to care when it feels like no one else cares.”
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