A 23-year-old made his first $3 selling sweatshirts on TikTok. 2 years later, he's earning 6 figures as an affiliate.

Talon Krebs began earning money through TikTok Shop while he was a student at the University of Nebraska.

Talon Krebs Talon Krebs discovered TikTok Shop's affiliate program as a college student.

He started making videos with a couple hundred dollars and earned commissions on tagged products.

Today, he earns six figures as a TikTok Shop affiliate and is developing his own brand.

Talon Krebs was sitting in an 8 a.m. college class when he realized one of his TikTok videos was taking off.

A few weeks earlier, he'd posted a video about a digital business card available through TikTok Shop.

When he glanced at his phone during class that February morning, he saw he had already earned $100 in commissions that day alone.

"I was blown away," the 23-year-old told Business Insider.

"That was my biggest day already." The video kept gaining traction.

By the end of February, he'd earned more than $10,000 in commissions from the product.

Krebs, a University of Nebraska alum who graduated in May 2026, now works full time as a TikTok Shop affiliate.

He promotes products in short-form videos and earns a commission when someone buys through his shopping link.

The gig earned him six figures last year, according to a 1099 form reviewed by Business Insider.

Starting with a few hundred dollars and a personal TikTok account TikTok offers affiliates more than one path into its shopping program.