I made six figures in a single quarter for the first time ever — $100K in three months — and I re-recorded the intro to this video about ten times because my brain still can't quite believe it. This is my full Q2 2026 income report: every revenue stream, every expense right down to the studio rent, and the three changes that drove a 35% jump in revenue. And because revenue isn't the whole story, we also get into the shrinking profit margin, the enrolment goal I massively undershot, and the ad experiment that only half worked.
The biggest lever of all? My Claude operating system — the AI setup that's quietly become the jet fuel behind this milestone.
Here's everything under the hood:
✨ The full revenue breakdown — April, May + June (yes, it declined inside a record quarter)
✨ Every expense category — team, Meta ads, coaching, software, studio — and my real 39% profit margin
✨ What I actually paid myself, and why I never hide the profit-vs-revenue gap
✨ YouTube + Instagram stats: why my views dropped but my watch time (and AdSense) climbed
✨ The 4× ad-spend experiment — what scaled beautifully and what I switched off
✨ How my Claude operating system let me post 70% more content while working LESS
Currency note: I'm based in New Zealand, so all figures are in NZD.
💕 Thank you to Rella for sponsoring this video
Use code ELLEN for 10% off your subscription:
👉 https://getrella.com/?via=ellen
x Ellen
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// FREE CLAUDE RESOURCES //
🔎 Copy my competitor research skill! Download the prompt + set up guide here: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/pl/2148807824
📣 Set up your Claude to understand YOU! Download the Brand Voice Interview prompt: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/pl/2148783700
// WATCH NEXT //
🎥 How to set up Claude Cowork (full tutorial): https://youtu.be/R9Q1kDYlNUk?si=u2u9A2BmwJ2LGnLA
📲 Copy my Claude marketing team: https://youtu.be/-R32DSY5jOE?si=D6jdfa4hUIK4kYRz
// READY FOR MORE? //
📲 Buy my Instagram Strategy Playbook + AI knowledge file: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/offers/d7pPgBE2?coupon_code=50OFF
🏕️ Sign up for Camp Claude: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/camp-claude
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⏱ //TIMESTAMPS//
00:37 What's inside this Q2 income report
01:24 Hi, I'm Ellen
02:20 The revenue breakdown: April, May + June
04:50 Expenses: the full breakdown
10:58 What I paid myself + tax
11:53 YouTube + Instagram stats
18:46 The 3 key changes behind the growth
19:03 The 4× Facebook ads experiment
24:43 New digital products + Camp Claude
30:20 The freebie that got 4,000 downloads
