Brittani Cunningham was climbing her way up in the film and TV industries in 2020, working in client relations and recruiting on the sets of shows like "Power," "Jessica Jones," and "Pose." But when the pandemic left her job at a standstill, she pursued a new passion: making travel-inspired candles and documenting her entrepreneurial journey on social media. Cunningham has sold just shy of $10,000 worth of candles since her launch, a figure Insider verified with documentation. Beyond product sales, Cunningham regularly earns hundreds of dollars a month, totaling thousands a year, through additional income streams like Google's AdSense advertising program, affiliate marketing, and partnership deals. Cunningham told Insider about the importance of building a YouTube community as a small-business owner. Read the full as-told-to story by @alexy0rk at the link in our bio. (Credit: Cunningham)