Episode 495: #Tashmas Day 10: We can make money in our sleep?! (The MAFS lesson)

This one’s for everyone who’s ever been dazzled by the idea of “making money in your sleep”—and everyone who’s maybe rolled their eyes at it, too! In this episode of the Heart-Centred Business Podcast, I want us to have a really honest conversation about building an online business, how magical it can be, and why we sometimes lose our sparkle along the way.

Spoiler: there’s a special Tashmas gift for you at the end!

Wait… What is #Tashmas?

I do it for both my birthday (1-12 March) and pre-Christmas (1-12 December) every year! Every day up to the 12th of December, there will be a new daily podcast episode, with a hot tip or practical strategy as per usual… but you ALSO get a gift! The daily gift could be a freebie, a special offer, a competition… but there will be something for YOU every single day.

Let’s dive in!

Here for the links referenced in the show notes?

If you’d like to explore the different options available for you to leverage your time as an online business provider, be sure to grab my free training: 7 Sexy Models of Leverage.

You can register for free at: tashcorbin.com/models

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The MAFS Moment: From Hilarious to Honest

If you watched the latest season of Married at First Sight Australia, you’ll know where this starts. Jackie, one of the brides, spent her vows basically reading her CV—it was hilarious and super relatable. Then she threw in: “I even started a side business and I make money in my sleep. I mean, who on earth figures out how to make money in their sleep?” I cringed and laughed so hard at the same time, because I used to be her.

That sentence, though! If you’ve been around the online business world, you’ve probably heard it: “make money in your sleep.” And if you’re anything like me, you might not even realise if you’ve become a little jaded about that concept.

Losing That Sparkle—and Why It Matters

Here’s what happened for me: Hearing Jackie celebrate making money in her sleep, I realised how much of my excitement and gratitude I’d lost. I still knew the possibilities were there, and I could give you a strategic answer for why online business is so great, but I wasn’t feeling that next-level excitement that Jackie had—and that I used to have!

It hit me: At some point, I’d let some of that incredulous joy fade. I could see the potential logically but I wasn’t shouting it from the rooftops with gratitude and awe. Maybe you’ve lost a bit of that, too. I think most of us could use a dose of reconnecting to what got us so fired up about online business and passive income in the first place.

The Realities: Jadedness and Discernment

Let’s be real. Part of why my sparkle dimmed was learning that not everyone out there is creating from the heart or with high integrity. That kind of knocks the joy out of things. Whether it’s the knockoff industry, stolen creative work, or learning about dodgy dropshipping that’s just about making a buck, it can be disheartening. Even AI has played into this lately.

But I wanted to reconnect with that excitement, while also bringing in discernment—keeping my eyes open to the true landscape of online business.

Gratitude for the Possibility

When I really step back, I’m so grateful to be here now. This kind of business wasn’t even possible in the 80s—most of the people I follow and learn from online wouldn’t have made it onto TV back then because they didn’t fit the “mold.” But today, we get to create, serve, and get paid for our gifts, just by sharing them with the world.

And yet, it’s important to reconnect to this gratitude with some hard-earned discernment. Not every business is as ethical or transparent as ours. Not every offer is what it promises. So, while I want us all to get excited, I also want us to keep our eyes open.

No Sugarcoating: It’s Not All Easy (But It Is Possible)

You’ve probably heard plenty of shiny promises. “It’s super easy! You don’t even need an education, money, or much time. Just buy my thing and you’ll have passive income in no time.” It’s in some marketers’ interests to gloss over the tough stuff, so you’ll buy what they’re selling.

But the truth is, it’s not always easy or fast. I haven’t had to ask for sick leave or go into an office since 2013 (and trust me, I’m grateful for that every day). But I don’t sugarcoat what it takes, because sustainable, sleep-worthy income doesn’t just “happen.”

Validation Comes First

Rather than obsess over passive income straight away, I believe real validation is the path to sustainable success. When you’re starting out, that means working one-to-one, delivering your service, and getting paid for your work. The only way you know people will pay and get value is when you actually do the work with paying clients. That’s why I built the Take Off program around quick validation: get those sales and proof, fast, instead of borrowing someone else’s validation from ten years (or $10,000 in Facebook ads) ago.

So sure—sometimes I get a sale while I’m asleep, but that sale didn’t get made in my sleep. I first built, validated, and delivered great results.

The Trap of Chasing Passive Income (Too Early)

So many come into the Heart-Centred community convinced that passive income is the only path. They create low-ticket products, crank out content for months, and dream of $10,000 months. Then, after six months or a year, they’ve made three sales at $29 each. It breaks my heart, because usually all they needed was a strategy shift. A high-touch, high-ticket validation strategy works faster, especially for women, marginalised folks, or anyone with extra responsibilities.

The Extra Challenges Faced by Women and Marginalised People

This isn’t just theory—there’s a real, structural gender gap. Take the client whose partner “supported” her to take a year off to start a business. She had to be the full-time housekeeper and caretaker, too. When it was his turn to start a business, he got new equipment, hired help, took money from their savings, and saw his work as sacred. These imbalances make it even harder to get momentum.

Most people in this position walk away thinking the problem is them, not their strategy or lack of resources. I see it all the time—especially with givers, nurturers, and those with a lot going on outside their business. They end up internalising failure when really, it was the advice, the strategy, the resourcing, or the deeply biased expectations of the world around them.

How We Can Change the Industry (and Ourselves)

There’s a call to action here for all of us. Let’s be open about what’s possible and what’s challenging. Let’s champion both excitement and discernment. Let’s make sure new people don’t lose their sparkle—or blame themselves—because they weren’t told the whole truth.

Here’s what I want for you:

Reconnect with gratitude and awe for the opportunity we have
Stay discerning: Find a strategy that’s validated, viable, and resourced
Support each other with honesty—not sugarcoating, but not cynicism either
Challenge the narrative that “it’s passive or nothing”—and remember, building foundations makes passive possible later

Your Day 10 #Tashmas Gift!