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From Idea to Income: The Power of Print-on-Demand & AI Video
How to Build a Multi-Six-Figure Etsy Business and Beyond
Keith Lim
October 14, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Ever felt like you're stuck in the daily grind, dreaming of an additional income stream that actually excites you?
Many of us have been there. The pandemic, economic shifts, and the ever-present desire for financial stability have pushed countless individuals to explore new avenues.
Today, we're diving into a story that proves it's not just possible, but incredibly rewarding, to build a thriving online business, even when the odds seem stacked against you.
We'll also explore an AI tool that can bring your creative visions to life in motion.
🎁 FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU
I always try to add more value to my readers, and here are all the resources I have share:
Beyond these free resources, if you really want to start making an income online with a step by step guide, you should check out my Pinterest Cashflow Plan.
🔍 PROMPT OF THE WEEK
Prompt to Turn Any Skill into an Interactive Course. GET IT HERE.
🖼️ IMAGE OF THE WEEK
🧰 AI TOOL OF THE WEEK
Kaiber.ai Superstudio is an AI video generation platform that transforms your ideas, images, or even existing videos into stunning, animated visual stories. It's designed to be a creative partner, allowing you to generate unique video content with ease, whether you're a seasoned filmmaker or just starting out. Think of it as a powerful tool that brings your static concepts to life through the magic of AI animation.
But is it actually useful?
Absolutely! In today's content-driven world, video is king. Kaiber.ai Superstudio empowers you to create engaging video content for social media, marketing, personal projects, or even as a unique product offering.
Imagine turning a single image into a captivating animation, or transforming a simple text prompt into a dynamic visual narrative. This tool opens up a world of creative possibilities, allowing you to stand out and capture attention in a crowded digital landscape. It's particularly useful for:
Artists: Animating static artwork, creating dynamic portfolios.
Marketers: Generating eye-catching video ads, social media content.
Musicians: Producing unique music videos from audio.
Content Creators: Bringing stories to life, creating engaging intros/outros.
Key Features that Matter:
Text-to-Video: Generate videos from simple text prompts.
Image-to-Video: Animate static images into dynamic video clips.
Video-to-Video: Transform existing videos with new styles and effects.
Audio Reactivity: Create visuals that respond to your uploaded audio.
Customizable Styles: Choose from a wide range of artistic styles and effects to match your vision.
Intuitive Interface: Designed for ease of use, making complex video generation accessible.
Mini Tutorial: Creating a Video from an Image with Kaiber.ai
Let's say you have an image of your brand mascot and you want to bring it to life with a short animation.
Go to Kaiber.ai/superstudio and sign up or log in.
Select the "Create a video" option.
Choose the model you wish to use, for example Kling, LTX, or Flipbook video.
Upload your mascot image.
Provide a text prompt describing how you want the mascot to animate. For example: "A friendly owl mascot winking and subtly shifting its head, with a gentle, glowing aura." Tip: use your preferred LLM (such as ChatGPT to give you a detailed prompt)
Adjust settings like duration and adherence to the prompt
Click "Generate" and let Kaiber's AI work its magic.
Once the video is generated, you can download it and use it across your platforms.
Pro tip: Experiment with different prompts and styles. Even subtle changes in your text description can lead to vastly different and exciting results. Consider adding background music or sound effects to further enhance your AI-generated video.
Bottom line: Kaiber.ai Superstudio is a great addition for anyone looking to create compelling video content without extensive animation skills or software. It's a powerful tool to elevate your visual storytelling and make your brand or projects truly stand out.
💸 AI INCOME USE CASE
Heather Studio's Multi-Six-Figure Print-on-Demand Journey on Etsy
Heather, from Heather Studio, has built an incredible print-on-demand business on Etsy, generating over $430,000 in total revenue. Her journey, starting during the pandemic, is a testament to perseverance, strategic diversification, and a deep understanding of the Etsy marketplace.
The Problem:
Many aspiring entrepreneurs struggle to find a reliable income stream outside of their traditional jobs. The fear of failure, market saturation, and the unknown often deter them from taking the leap. Heather initially faced similar challenges, including a failed first attempt at selling neck gaiters and a period of "crickets" after reopening her store.
The Playbook:
Embrace the Entrepreneurial Spirit: Heather's initial motivation stemmed from a need for additional income after buying a house and having her hours cut. This drive pushed her to explore print-on-demand on Etsy.
Perseverance is Key: After her first store failed and her second store saw no sales for four weeks, Heather didn't give up. She kept posting listings, eventually landing her first sale from a random stranger, which "revved her up for more." This highlights the critical importance of sticking with it, even when results aren't immediate.
Listing Volume & Diversification: Heather attributes her success to two key ingredients:
Listing Volume: Consistently posting a high number of listings. She posted her first 100 listings, even if they weren't perfect, and continued to build her catalog.
Niche Diversification: Instead of sticking to one niche, she explored multiple niches and design styles. This ensured year-round sales, as different niches perform better at various times of the year.
Trend Following & Setting: Heather found inspiration on Etsy, but also looked outside the platform (e.g., Facebook ads for Shopify stores) for trending designs. Crucially, many of her best-selling listings were "different trends than what was on Etsy," indicating a knack for identifying emerging styles and even starting her own trends.
Organic Growth First: Heather primarily focused on organic scaling methods, increasing listing volume, and utilizing social media and email marketing. She advises new sellers to test the market organically first, and only put ads on items that are already generating sales and trust through reviews.
Community Building (Beyond Selling): Instead of just joining Facebook groups to sell, Heather suggests becoming "the group" by building a community around a passionate niche (e.g., parents) and providing value, subtly integrating product offerings. She also recommends exploring meme Facebook or Instagram pages for promotion.
The "Why" Beyond Money: Heather's deeper motivation is financial stability and not feeling reliant on a single income stream. The pandemic solidified her belief that "one income is not enough anymore." This "why" fueled her persistence through difficult times.
Multiple Income Streams: After achieving six-figure profit with Etsy, Heather still didn't feel stable enough to quit her job entirely. She diversified into YouTube, affiliate income, sponsorships, digital products/online courses, and even credit card rewards, now boasting 5-6 income streams. This strategy provides a safety net and greater financial freedom.
Don't Quit Your Day Job (Yet): Heather advises growing your side hobby or business until it's ready to jump. Don't quit immediately, as success doesn't happen overnight, and you need a stable income during the growth phase.
It's Not Too Late: Despite starting during the pandemic, Heather firmly believes it's still possible to succeed on Etsy in 2023 and beyond. She cites students who started in 2022 and are now making six figures, and points to the print-on-demand market's projected growth from $4.9 billion in 2021 to over $30 billion by 2030.
The Messy Truth:
Success on Etsy, especially in print-on-demand, isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It requires consistent effort, a willingness to experiment, and the resilience to push through periods of low sales. Heather's journey highlights that even with significant revenue, diversifying income streams is crucial for long-term financial security.
Actionable Takeaway:
Start today, and don't give up. Focus on increasing your listing volume and diversifying your niches and design styles. Pay attention to trends, but also strive to create unique designs. Prioritize organic growth to build trust and identify winning products before investing in ads. Most importantly, understand your "why" – your deeper motivation for building an additional income stream – and use it to fuel your perseverance. Consider diversifying your income beyond Etsy once your initial venture gains traction.
🤑 AI INCOME Q&A
Q: "How do I handle the ethical concerns around AI-generated content for clients?" - Nadia J.
A: Establish clear ethical boundaries in your service agreement. I recommend a three-part approach: 1) Never generate content that impersonates real individuals, 2) Disclose AI usage to clients while emphasizing your human oversight, and 3) Verify all factual claims in AI-generated content before delivery. This framework protects both you and your clients while maintaining integrity in your work.
🌱 LIFE BEYOND AI
I’ve always been quite fascinated by how David Goggins goes about achieving crazy things, and this week, he’s done it again at the Moab 240. You can see his results here.
🛠️ TOOLS THAT MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER
Abacus.ai → Use all the latest LLMs and build custom AI applications for an extremely low cost
Later → All-in-one platform to manage social media content, track performance, and grow online presence
beehiiv → Build, grow, and monetize your newsletters (use my link to get 30-day trial + 20% OFF for 3 months)
Recraft → Create high-quality images and vector graphics, with features like background removal and style customization
LumaLabs → Create high-quality images and videos from text and images, including 3D models.
Beacons → Customize link-in-bio pages + building your online store
Descript → AI-powered video and audio editing platform to create professional-looking content
ElevenLabs → Create ultra-realistic text-to-speech voices in multiple languages
And that’s a wrap for this week.
If you have any questions, feedback, or just want to say hi, please hit “reply”. I do my best to respond to every single email.
Thank for so much for your support!
☄️ Let’s make moves,
Keith
Chief Human Officer, Optimizing With AI