Couple Builds Seven-Figure Online Business

Kelan and Brittany Kline share their journey of creating a seven-figure online business and the strategies that led to their success.

Kelan Kline’s desire for a different lifestyle led him on a unique journey to entrepreneurship. His corporate experience began in 2012, working in insurance sales where he quickly realized the traditional 9-to-5 structure was not for him. After a series of brief stints at various roles, including a position as a jail deputy in Rochester, New York, Kelan and his wife Brittany sought a way to take control of their financial future.

By 2016, they were newlyweds, grappling with approximately $40,000 in student-loan debt and eager for more flexibility and control over their lives. Their search for an alternative led them to start a personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, with remarkably low startup costs—just $2.95 a month for web hosting.

“With an online business, it’s unlimited scalability because you’re reaching the entire world,” Kelan noted. However, the initial phase was challenging; they had no technical experience and struggled to draw traffic to their site.

After gaining confidence from their first paycheck, Kelan left his job to devote himself entirely to The Savvy Couple. The achievement of surpassing the $1 million revenue mark in 2023 marked a significant milestone for the couple, with total sales reported at about $1.3 million that year, followed by $1.1 million in 2024.

The Klines have leveraged multiple revenue streams to build their online business. One of the principal methods is display advertising, which allows them to generate income passively once they attract enough visitors to their site. “Display advertising is one of the simplest ways to monetize a website with significant traffic,” they explained.

Another revenue avenue is affiliate marketing, where the couple earns commissions by promoting products and services. This has been particularly effective because they create articles that offer insights and recommendations, guiding their readers toward decisions that can ultimately benefit them financially.

Sponsorship deals also play a critical role in their revenue model. Once The Savvy Couple gained traction, multiple companies expressed interest in reaching their audience. “There’ll be companies that want to get in front of your audience because you have their ideal audience’s attention and trust,” Kelan said.

Alongside their main blog, Brittany has developed a separate platform, The Savvy Mama, focusing on household finance, meal planning, and family routines. She emphasizes that their product development stems from recognizing the specific needs of their audience. “We didn’t make products just for the fun of it; the audience needed something, and then the products that I created solved the problem,” she stated.

One popular offering has been a membership that provides meal plans and recipes, charging $9 a month with about 1,000 members at reporting time.

Looking ahead, the Klines reflect on their journey with a keen awareness of the changing digital landscape. If starting over in 2026, they would focus less on traditional blog models reliant on organic search traffic. Acknowledging the volatility of internet traffic and its impact on revenue, they now prioritize digital products, memberships, and a marketing agency for local businesses.

“The big lesson we learned from both of our blogs losing traffic is the importance of owning the business and not being reliant on one traffic form,” Kelan advised.

Through their transformative journey, Kelan and Brittany Kline have demonstrated that with the right strategies, it is feasible to achieve remarkable success in the online business realm.