Built Online Podcast: "Stack Multiple Passive Income Streams From One Simple Skill"

Host: Cody McGuffie
Guest: Kathleen Kobel
Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, Cody McGuffie interviews Kathleen Kobel, an Amazon veteran, successful entrepreneur, and mother of three. Kathleen shares how she leveraged her expertise as an Amazon seller to pivot into the Amazon Influencer program, building multiple passive income streams from a single, foundational skill—content creation. She discusses strategies for maximizing earnings, maintaining flexibility as a parent, and the broader principles of building an online business that serves your ideal lifestyle. The episode also touches on Kathleen’s new book, “The Unconventional Business Model,” and concrete advice for aspiring digital entrepreneurs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Building Income Around Lifestyle and Family

• Kathleen’s Motivation: Financial independence and flexibility matter deeply; she aims to avoid burnout and structure business around her children’s needs.
• Quote:
  “The beauty is that you can still be earning money while you're sleeping or while you're feeding your kids or while you're at your kid's soccer game.” – Kathleen (00:00)
• Modern Myth-Busting:
  • Cody and Kathleen agree that you can build profitable businesses without the classic sacrifices (e.g., “hustle culture” neglecting family):
    “You can actually build a business that you enjoy doing, fills you up, helps a lot of people, makes a lot of money, and also have the time...” – Cody (02:49)

2. Kathleen’s Path: From Amazon Seller to Influencer

• Background Recap:
  • 15 years as Amazon seller, 10 years in consulting, 4 years as Amazon Influencer (06:49)
  • Pivoted from agency/consulting (high hours) to influencer/content creator (passive/semi-passive)
• Core Business:
  • Creating product review and demo content for Amazon, earning commissions on sales generated through her content (04:24)
  • Uses seller knowledge to pick high-ROI products for reviews

3. The Amazon Influencer Program: How It Works

• Strategic Content Creation:
  • Don’t throw videos up at random—do research on commission rates and product price points: “I did my product research. I found products that paid the highest commission rate on Amazon...” – Kathleen (07:47)
• Income Potential Range:
  • Can vary from several hundred to $10,000+ per month (08:40)
  • Earnings increase when content is repurposed across platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc.)

Timestamps:

• [04:24] Explaining the Amazon Influencer Program
• [07:47] Strategic vs. random content, maximizing earnings
• [10:31] Getting products: purchasing, free samples, and paid collaborations

4. Brand & Influencer Collaboration

• How Brands Pay Influencers:

  • Compensation varies: $50 to $1,000 per video, depending on following and conversion rates (11:57)
  • Upfront video payment + commissions via affiliate links

• Platform “Virality”:

  • Amazon is less “viral” than TikTok; visibility is more stable and linked to product pages (13:25)
  • Still possible to drive outside virality through TikTok/Instagram channels

5. The Book: "The Unconventional Business Model"

• Focus: How to pick business models that maximize both financial and time freedom, especially important after having children (15:48)
• Advice on Business Models:
  • Choose what fits your life and ambitions; consider agency, e-commerce, content creation, and more.
  • Content creation is Kathleen’s favorite for flexibility and stacking income streams: “There is no such thing as truly passive income... but the beauty is that you can still be earning money while you're sleeping or while you're feeding your kids.” – Kathleen (17:34)

6. Content Creation as a Stackable, Semi-Passive Income Stream

• Strategy:
  • Create once, distribute everywhere (Amazon, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook).
  • Build adjacent products/services (courses, books, affiliate partnerships).
• Compound Effect:
  “It really only takes one skill that can, like, roll into so many other, like, income streams inside of the business, which is really, really powerful.” – Cody (23:04)

7. Using Amazon's Creator Connections Program

• Higher Upfront Earnings:
  • Creator Connections allows brands to offer influencers 10–30% commission versus Amazon’s standard 1–4% (20:56)
  • Multiple revenue streams: upfront payment, affiliate commissions, and external platform sales

8. Financial Advice for Entrepreneurs

• Early Lessons:
  • Wish she’d understood investing and tax-advantaged retirement (Solo 401k/Solo K for LLCs) earlier (24:49)
  • Quote:
    “Making money is step one, but then step two is compounding. Right. Investing, making that money work for you.” – Kathleen (24:49)

Memorable Quotes

• “Stop guessing and start growing. Use Amazon's creator connections to get paid up front, then stack affiliate earnings.” – Cody, referencing Kathleen’s advice (20:26)
• “Every day, you know, I'm like, am I working harder? Am I working smarter? When I'm questioning, like, a task that I'm doing...I always want to be working smarter.” – Kathleen (23:41)
• “I don't know that everyone's cut out to be a business owner, but I think everyone should at least have the opportunity...” – Kathleen (28:38)
• “Accountability...as long as I take responsibility, I just feel better. Even if it's something that's totally crappy, I take responsibility because then I'm in control of that and I empower myself to figure out the solution.” – Kathleen (32:16)
• “If anyone was able to like step in those shoes, I feel like, like you could be a better employee if you really understood kind of what your boss was thinking or what the owner of that business was thinking too.” – Kathleen (30:03)

Rapid Fire Answers ([24:18])

• Favorite Business Book: “Chill and Prosper” by Denise Duffield Thomas (24:22)
• Wish She Knew: More about investing and compounding early on (24:49)
• Worst Business Advice: “Go with the flow”—it prevents you from becoming a unicorn (26:10)
• Weekly Hours Worked: About 30, highly focused due to parenting duties (26:58)
• Who Should Be a Business Owner:
  “I think everyone should at least have the opportunity... It could completely change your life if it’s something you like and that works out for you.” (28:38)

Key Takeaways for Listeners

• Focus on building a business around your lifestyle, not the other way around.
• Leverage skills you already have to stack and compound income streams—start with one platform and expand.
• Use strategic research and program features (like Amazon Creator Connections) to maximize credibility and earning potential.
• Investing and compounding your earnings matters as much as making money.
• Everyone can benefit from experimenting with entrepreneurship, even if just as a side hustle or learning exercise.
• Seek accountability and ownership; these mindsets transform both business and personal growth.

Where to Find Kathleen Kobel

• Website
• Free Masterclass
• Book: The Unconventional Business Model (details on her site)

End of summary.