New York-based lifestyle creator and corporate professional Nitisha (Tisha) Shrestha revealed she has earned a total of $30,674 from YouTube AdSense since starting her channel seven years ago.
Shrestha, who works a demanding full-time corporate job while managing her content, shared a detailed breakdown of her growth from 2018 to early 2026 to provide a realistic look at the creator economy for her 25,000 subscribers.
Her journey highlights the “slow burn” reality of content creation, as she spent the first four years making zero income before a series of apartment hunting vlogs in New York City triggered a massive spike in viewership.
The lifestyle vlogger explained that between 2018 and 2022, her channel remained unmonetized as she struggled to meet the platform’s requirements of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours.
During these “years in the trenches,” she experimented with fashion hauls and travel vlogs but saw minimal traction, often filming for only a handful of viewers.
She noted that most people quit during this phase when effort is high, but the “algorithm” does not yet favour their content.
A significant turning point occurred in 2023 when her “moving series” documenting the challenges of finding an apartment in Manhattan went viral, helping her leap from 1,000 to 25,000 subscribers in just three weeks.
This surge led to her most profitable year in 2024, where she earned $17,090 from 1.4 million views. Shrestha clarified that these figures represent “AdSense” revenue, the money YouTube pays creators from advertisements shown on their videos, and do not include separate “brand partnerships” which she plans to disclose in a future update.
Addressing aspiring creators who may feel discouraged by slow growth, Shrestha emphasized that she does not rely on YouTube for her livelihood, which allows her to create without the pressure of paying bills through content.
She urged beginners to start with just a smartphone rather than waiting for expensive equipment, noting that her own success came from documenting authentic life struggles, such as apartment mold and pest issues, rather than polished, high-budget productions.
Nitisha Shrestha is a Nepali immigrant living in New York City who moved to the United States at the age of 18. She shares her experiences navigating her 30s through lifestyle vlogs while also expressing herself through fashion and beauty content.
Her channel features realistic New York City lifestyle vlogs, conversations about mental health, and the challenges of achieving work-life balance while managing a full-time information technology job.
