Mar 17, 2026

How I Built a Side Hustle Into $1 Million a Year in Passive Income Before 27

Written by Andrew Lisa
|
Edited by Brendan McGinley
Discover fingers stacking quarters into growing piles, highlighting a simple moment of saving and counting money.

Nicolas Moore built and sold a six-figure-per-month passive income stream that worked overtime even when he was sleeping, providing him the financial security needed to pursue his dream of becoming a personal growth coach.



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At just 27 years old, he's a self-made millionaire working to help others achieve their own personal and professional dreams through Elevation Vibe, a brand and website he describes as "a sanctuary dedicated to goal-setting and the growth mindset, where the unceasing quest for self-improvement is pursued every day."

He's living his dream now, but he would never have had the time for a passion project if he had to work for his wealth. Instead, he labored feverishly to set up revenue streams that would eventually funnel money into his bank accounts without him exerting much effort.

"I built my wealth primarily through passive income streams from my former e-commerce businesses," said Moore.

Moore began dabbling in entrepreneurialism at 17, building websites, learning about traffic generation and immersing himself in the finer points of online marketing and selling. But he wouldn't launch a money-making endeavor in earnest for two more years when he prioritized higher earnings over higher learning.

"It all started when I was 19 and decided to drop out of college to pursue entrepreneurship," said Moore. "With just $2,000 in savings, I launched my first e-commerce store selling niche products."

He focused on marketing and customer service above all else and two years later, he was doing six figures in annual revenue, which he funneled right back into his expanding business.



"Reinvesting those profits, I expanded into several more successful e-commerce stores across verticals like fashion, health and home goods," said Moore. "My portfolio eventually scaled to over $3 million in revenue yearly."

Considering his age, the money was undeniably good, but the profits were anything but passive. Moore spent nearly every waking hour building, scaling, refining and managing his business.

Turning workaholism into passive income, Moore leaned on technology and human helpers to transform a one-man show into a self-propelled money machine.

"The key to this passive income model was systematizing every aspect of the business, from product sourcing to marketing to customer service," said Moore. "I invested heavily in automating processes and building incredible teams to run the day-to-day operations with minimal oversight from me. This allowed me to scale rapidly while maintaining a hands-off approach."

Now, his income was truly passive.

"At the peak, I was earning over $1 million per year in net profit from these stores, which required less than 10 hours per week of my time," said Moore.

Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing.

"Maintaining growth and profit margins in e-commerce is extremely challenging with constant competition," said Moore. "I had to become a master at marketing, conversion optimization, supply-chain management and every other aspect of the business. There were many times I wanted to quit, but the growth mindset that I developed across my career kept me pushing forward. I knew that if I could make it through those tough phases, the rewards of passive income and financial freedom would be life-changing."



Moore launched a business before he turned 20 and cashed out before 30, realizing the dream of achieving millionaire status as a young adult.

"After eight years of operating these businesses, I decided to exit and sold the entire portfolio for around $5 million in 2023 at 27 years old," he said. "While that wealth was incredible, I realized that money alone wasn't my biggest driver."

Moore was young and rich — which are good things to be — yet unfulfilled. Using the site-building and traffic-generation skills he learned while amassing his e-commerce mini-empire, he launched an online home for the endeavor that stoked his true passion — personal and professional coaching.

Moore uses Elevation Vibe to pass on the skills and, most importantly, the money mindset he developed while building his brand and business to enrich people's big goals but lacks the tools and experience to bring them to fruition.

"My true passion is now helping others cultivate a growth mindset, set ambitious goals and achieve exceptional results in both their careers and personal lives through coaching and online courses," he said.

This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.

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Written by
Andrew Lisa
Edited by
Brendan McGinley