FROM having an influencer pooch to selling photos of their feet, three women share their success stories.
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‘Like Lily Allen, I Sell Photos Of My Feet’
Lucy, 42, works in HR and lives in London.
“It was a freezing evening in January 2024 and all I wanted to do was escape into reality TV.
But when two of the stars of Vanderpump Rules began talking about selling pictures of their feet, I immediately snapped to attention.
Single and living alone, I was trying my best to cope with the cost of living and the financial impact of Christmas and New Year.
I liked my full-time job in HR, but finances were tight.
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Looking at my feet, with their high arches and evenly spaced toes, my mind began to whirl.
A website called Feetfinder.com had been mentioned in the US reality show, and I browsed the profiles in it, fascinated.
They were nearly all women, describing and sharing images of their feet, and sometimes their face, too.
Everything was done through the website, so no one buying the pictures knew any personal details about you, and you could choose what kind of pictures you were happy to sell and set the price yourself.
I gave it a lot of thought, then in March decided to go for it.
I wasn’t naive – I knew that someone prepared to pay for photos of feet had a fetish, but that didn’t put me off.
I set some clear ground rules first, though. I would never show my face, never engage in sexual conversations and never accept requests for ‘niche’ images of, for example, dirty feet.
Using a made-up name and without showing my face, I took some pictures of my feet and freshly painted toenails, before uploading them, setting the price at £10 a photo.
Watching my profile go live, I felt excited, nervous and curious – would anyone actually want my photos?
Not wanting to deal with opinions and questions, I didn’t tell any of my family or friends.
Two days later, £17 landed in my bank account after someone purchased two of my photos, and the website’s commission had been taken.
I was stunned and amazed – it was so easy!
I decided to focus my pictures on high heels and stockings, which I was wearing to work anyway, and began snapping pics on my commute of my feet standing on the escalator or while sitting on the Tube.
At home, I’d take shots of my hands massaging my tired feet after work.
I also started taking proper care of my feet, making sure I had regular pedicures.
Studying peoples’ profiles, I realised that others were charging more than me for their photos, so I upped my price to £25-£100, depending on what the picture contained and how long it took to set it up.
One customer requested a video of me moving my feet around in leather boots so they squeaked, and I charged £100 for that.
By June 2024, I was making between £200 and £400 a month from my feet.
In under a year, spending just a few hours a week on my side hustle, I’ve made more than £3,500.
It’s been spent on bills and rent, as life has become increasingly expensive.
A few months ago, I finally confided in some of my close friends.
They were stunned, but I explained to them that it was fun, harmless and profitable, and they were supportive and non-judgemental.
Shortly after, singer Lily Allen revealed she also sells picture of her feet, but on OnlyFans.
Some people were horrified by her revelation, however, I applaud her for not being afraid to talk about it.
I’m so glad I found my side hustle and jumped into it – feet first!”
‘My Dog Has Made Me more than £200K.’
Rosie Macpherson, 35, works for a tech startup and lives in London with husband Charlie, 35, who works in finance, children Milo, four, Albie, two, and 10-month-old Clover, plus their two dogs, Winnie and Betty.
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“Relaxing in a five-star hotel, I sip my tea and reach for a scone.
What makes this luxurious mini-break even more wonderful is that it hasn’t cost me a penny – I’ve been invited to stay for free, thanks to my dog Winnie, who’s an Instagram star.
My husband Charlie and I got Winnie, a long-haired miniature dachshund, in late 2019 from a registered breeder.
Though I’d never had a dog before, I’d always adored the breed, and it was love at first sight. I’d never been hugely active on social media, but a friend suggested I set up an Insta account for Winnie.
Becoming a pet influencer was the last thing on my mind – I was working in a tech startup and just wanted to share how cute she was – but I was amazed every time her account @Winnie_the_slinker gained a new follower.
When the pandemic began, we moved from our small flat in London to my parents’ house in rural Hampshire so we could all isolate together.
Winnie’s following sky-rocketed, with more and more people seeking a distraction from all the bad news.
They loved seeing her adventures with her new best friend Oven Ready, a bald chicken who belonged to my parents.
By the time our first child, Milo, was born in November 2020, Winnie had 20k followers.
Money was tight due to my maternity leave, so I wondered if there was a way to monetise what I’d accidentally created.
I thought about my search for a decent doggy car seat for Winnie. I could only find products that were poor quality and ugly. That’s when I decided to create my own.
I launched Where’s Winnie car seats in February 2022, when I was seven months pregnant with Albie, and I used Winnie’s Insta to promote it.
I was so nervous, but thrilled when 10 orders arrived on that first day.
At the same time, Winnie’s modelling career was taking off.
A month earlier, I’d put her forward for a shoot for an animal DNA company.
We were paid £100, and the photographer suggested joining a pet modelling agency.
Winnie’s since worked with everyone from Aldi and Next to jewellers Astrid & Miyu.
She’s been a brand ambassador for supermarkets, kitchen utensils and a dog food brand.
With modelling fees now at £750 a day, she’s earned over £6,000.
Winnie also treated us all to four gifted hotel stays in 2024, worth over £3,000.
I just couldn’t believe that we were relaxing in luxury, all because of her social media fame.
I was blown away when her follower count hit 100k last month.
Thanks to all that support, our car seat business now has hit a turnover of £200,000.
Of course, Winnie hasn’t a clue about any of this.
She is now a mum herself, after having puppy Betty, who also appears on her Insta page and loves cuddles and fuss.
None of us see Winnie as a money-maker, she’s simply a much-loved family member.
But it’s amazing to think that she’s brought extra income, as well as endless love, to all our lives.”
Visit Whereswinnie.co.uk
’I use cheese to tell people’s fortunes’
Jennifer Billock, 41, is an author and lives in Chicago, USA, with husband Forrest, 40, a beer salesman.
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“Reading someone’s future is a big responsibility.
People come to me with questions about their career, health and love life, to look for symbols that might point to what their lives have in store.
But I’m not reading their palm or studying a tarot card.
I’m looking at something a lot more delicious – I’m telling someone’s future through a piece of cheese.
I’ve been fascinated with divination my whole life.
On childhood trips to the bookshop, my mum would find me curled up reading about spirit oracles and fortune sticks.
As a teenager, I was regularly reading my friends’ tea leaves or trying to figure out which boy secretly liked me by using tarot cards.
I wasn’t very good at it back then, although my intuition has definitely developed over the years.
In my 20s, I worked as a waitress and then a pastry chef, and started my writing career with books about historic recipes and bakeries, but I never lost my passion for the supernatural.
In my 30s, I was still collecting packs of tarot cards and tried everything from crystals to spirit stones.
In late 2020, I came across the word ‘tyromancy’ online.
It meant the practice of using cheese to tell fortunes, and dated back to the second century.
It felt like a light-bulb moment.
Scouring ancient manuals and reference books, I learned I’d need to examine the surface of the cheese for any images, numbers, letters or symbols that would give clues about the future.
Then there was the shape of the cheese as it crumbled, and any veins, cracks and holes that might reveal something about the person’s destiny.
My boyfriend Forrest thought it was cool, but was more interested in eating the cheese I was buying!
In summer 2021, after developing my skills by practising on friends, I organised a workshop at a local restaurant.
I charged people £40 to attend and explained they’d need three pieces of cheese – one each for their past, present and future.
I studied everything from blue and cream cheese to vegan and even a slice of processed cheese!
The workshops were a success, with demand for one-on-one cheese readings, costing £40, growing.
Once, I saw a sign in the cheese that the client would soon fly to the US state of Iowa, only to discover they were heading there the following week.
Another time, I divined a woman would have an argument with a friend, and the next week she messaged to say they’d had a huge fight.
If I see something alarming in the cheese, I always ask: ‘Do you want me to tell you?’ I’ve told people they will become ill or lose a loved one.
Forrest and I married in 2022 and he thinks my side hustle is great, as it means lots of cheese for him.
I made £25,000 from it last year, which has been a huge help with repaying student debt.
I’ve never used cheese to look into my own future, though. I’ve decided to keep the mystery.
That way, when I have some delicious cheese, it’s purely for pleasure.”
Visit Kitchenwitch.substack.com.
