- 6 months ago
Social media is an ecosystem. Influence is a science. You’re either playing the game or getting played. Panelists will transform an audience member into an internet sensation in real-time while sharing expert content creation strategies.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00How y'all doing? Welcome to GU Creators House. My name is Isaiah. I'm an art director here at
00:13Essence and the creative lead for Essence Ghost United. I am honestly so excited to talk to these
00:19superstars here. We're gonna have a really fun panel. For all the content creators in the room,
00:24for all the people that want to know what it takes to go viral, this is the crew. I'll let each of you
00:30introduce yourselves and then we'll get into it. So it's you, Justin. Is this thing win?
00:37Hi, I'm Justin Fred. One, thank you Essence for having me. I'm really, really excited.
00:45Also, not to be shady, but I see a lot of NPCs. If people want to move up, they surely can.
00:54Come on. Let's get real today. But yes, I'm really excited about talking about my journey
00:59as a creator, talking about making people a creator real time. It's tough work, but it's rewarding work
01:05and it's work that can land you to moments like this. So I'm grateful. Justine.
01:10Hi guys, I'm Justine. On socials, I'm Justine's camera roll. I started making content, I think,
01:18a little under two years ago. And then a little under a year ago, I had become a full-time creator.
01:23It's been such a beautiful journey to see, like, all that can happen in such a short
01:27amount of time. And I'm really excited to speak with you guys today. Thank you.
01:33Hi, guys. My name is Yari. I'm a very fan of Girls United. I was here last year, and I
01:40doubt to myself that I would not return to the rest of my head on the team. So it's so insane
01:44to see how time and manifestation works. And I'm honored to be speaking to you.
01:47Yeah. I could tell already that y'all about to be a great group. Y'all going to be a fun
01:54crowd. But let's get into it. As we know, social media, it's a crazy, fun, cool world that we're
02:03all in and all playing in. But the game of influencing has almost become a science, and
02:09each of you have to go. And what we're going to talk about today, we're going to dive into
02:14the ins and outs of what it is to be a content creator. We're going to break down what it
02:18really means to stand out, to connect, which is a huge thing, connecting with your audience,
02:23as well as what it takes to go viral. So let's get into the first question. And this is going
02:30to be a question I'm going to ask each of you. Because when we were in the back, we were
02:33talking about how big the personality we have on the stage are. And we know that personality
02:40is a huge part of it. So when it comes to turning your personality into a brand, what do you
02:46think it truly takes to build out a personal brand that can last beyond our minds? I actually
02:52want to start with you, Kiare.
02:58I think it's great to have a viral community, but I think you really would be some sort of
03:13flexible, like some sort of sustainable way of doing it. So if you have a viral community,
03:20there needs to be a sustainable way to back that viral moment so that it's able to last.
03:32I feel like I'm trying to put my words together. Because viral moments are great, but it's like...
03:38It's just a moment.
03:40It's a moment. It's a moment. It's a moment. And I also feel like personalities and talking
03:49subjects can be almost like a fad, like a trend. And a lot of people can become really trendy.
03:58But I think it's important to know what you want to say to the internet, know what you want
04:03to say to people, know what you want to bring to this space. And I guess just make sure you're
04:08really insightful about that.
04:09One thousand percent. I mean, each of you, like I said, have figured out how to crack the
04:13code and build brands that are larger than just any moment. I know each of you, just understanding
04:18a little bit about how the game works, know that you do have to lean into the virality
04:22a little bit. You have to lean into the trends a little bit. But I think what I really love to
04:26pull out and share with the audience here as well is like, what do you really think about?
04:33How do you strategize to be able to take the viral moments and still have it ladder up to
04:37the whole call, message and story that you're trying to tell? What do you think about that,
04:42Justin, too?
04:43Okay. You know, I think with that question, the problem that happens sometimes when people
04:48are getting into content is you haven't really thought about the brand. You thought about what
04:54you want to read out of having a brand. Yeah. And if you don't have concept of what it is
04:59that you really want to do here, you know, what it is that we're really recording for,
05:03what am I being consistent for, what am I trying to build the community for,
05:06why am I trying to engage with other people for, if you don't know the why,
05:09nothing that you're going to do is ever going to work.
05:12I hope y'all taking notes. These are the questions you should be asking yourselves.
05:15Like, I'm just excited.
05:17It's not going to work. So I think for me personally,
05:22and I think what makes us a beautiful group is people fell in love with us
05:27because of just who we are, our people, us as people, our personalities.
05:33I've leaned into that. Yeah. And so in building the brand,
05:37I'm always going to be the center because the work was me centered.
05:41If you're doing makeup, for example, the brand needs to be centered around the beauty.
05:46It needs to be centered around the aesthetic, not based on the work you produce for a week,
05:51which you have sung, but you have to think about what is the brand
05:54and what is the result of what I'm trying to get from the brand.
05:57Think about what the larger brand is. It's not just about the piece of content that you're going to be creating for that week or that month,
06:03but what is a larger play? What is the game that you're actually playing? Justine, I know you got this figured out.
06:12I want to hear, when it comes to your personal brand and overarching story, what is your North Star?
06:18And how are you leveraging some of our movements when you get there?
06:22Yeah. So a little bit about my journey. I started on TikTok.
06:25And if any of you guys are on TikTok, you know, it's kind of hard to build a community on there.
06:30There's a lot of like really fast videos, a five second, a 15 second, 30 second video.
06:36And at the time I worked in tech. I had a nine to five job and they were doing layoffs.
06:43And I was like, okay, I just, just in case, I just want to get ahead of it a little bit.
06:48So I started, I felt like I didn't want to have much, but I just had my voice.
06:53So I just started talking. And through that, I realized that, you know,
06:57even though everybody else is going viral with these five second videos,
07:00I can also have that speaking and actually connecting and being transparent.
07:06And when I started getting into actually wanting to create content,
07:09I just took everybody along with that journey, whether it was good or bad,
07:15talking about my brand deals and just making sure that people felt like they could
07:19trust the things that are coming out of their mouth.
07:21And I think because that's my journey and I've centered it around my journey,
07:26I've been able to build a brand off of anything that I do now,
07:29because it's like whatever journey I decide to take, people now trust me.
07:33And so strategically, I often think about like, what are the things that nobody else is saying
07:39or nobody's willing to tell you about that I could offer up and that I wish I knew before I started?
07:47That's kind of my, my strategy is just transparency.
07:51I love that. And I kind of flip it a little bit too, because you kind of just sparked another thought.
07:57So with all these trends, especially on a platform like TikTok,
08:01I feel like a lot of people, because it's such a platform that you have to grow,
08:04so that you're able to lean into the trends and get these massive eyeballs
08:07and specific pieces of content.
08:09There's this rush to blow up.
08:11Justine, what do you think is the biggest mistake you see a lot of new creators,
08:16especially getting on that platform for me in this rush to blow up?
08:20I think the goal really matters. If your, if your only goal is to go viral,
08:26then you do all the trends that you want.
08:28But hop on every single trend, every single trending sound, do that.
08:32I think if your goal is longevity, if your goal is to have this to be a career, as a job,
08:38you have to think a little bit deeper than that.
08:40It does have to go like a little bit beyond, you know, just the trend.
08:46And I think the mistake that people make is that they hop on trends,
08:50and you'll start blowing up, you'll do really good with numbers,
08:53but then your thought is like, well, now you're performing for everybody else.
08:57You're just doing things to get the views.
08:59You're not doing what's really fueling you.
09:01And you will burn out from that.
09:03If you're not creating content that feels good and fuels your soul,
09:07and it's just to achieve or just to get the number, it's hard work.
09:13I see you take the glasses off.
09:18I know we've got to get real right now.
09:21What would you say is the biggest mistake that you see people making when it comes to,
09:26even just when you were a content creator,
09:28and people say that they want to build this into a career,
09:32they want to have long-term success,
09:34but what would you say is something that's holding them back?
09:38I actually know this all the time.
09:40It's so funny when I hear people in my life say,
09:44I want to get into content, I want to do this,
09:46but I don't have this, or I don't have this kind of camera,
09:48I don't have that kind of camera on.
09:50So many reasons as to why they're not.
09:52But also, if they are, I oftentimes see upcoming creators doing the exact thing that this 50 other girls,
10:02that are huge doing, it's like, for example, a beauty girl, right?
10:07Or if someone wants to get started in beauty,
10:10and they're copying, you know, the Any Given Sundays or the Aliyah Jays of it all.
10:16And it's like, I feel like most human beings have enough personality to make their platform their own.
10:27And I think it's great to get inspiration and to be inspired by somebody.
10:31But as a human, you must, must, must turn it into your own brand.
10:36You must turn it into your own juice.
10:38Because when we were watching Aliyah Jays, there was already Jackie Ann out,
10:43but Aliyah brought this like real hood Brooklyn.
10:47And she did, sauce to her.
10:54Now come on now, Aliyah got on camera talking crazy.
10:58And we fell in love with her because she wasn't trying to be Jackie Ann out.
11:02But they were both doing makeup, but it was so different.
11:06And I see a lot of content creators, sometimes like I just said, just copying exactly what they see.
11:12And I think at first it's normal to do that because you don't, it's very normal to do that at first.
11:17Very, very, very.
11:18You see a formula that's working.
11:19Yeah.
11:20I can see why that's the first.
11:21Absolutely.
11:22But again, as if you, like you said before, if you want this to be a brand, if you want this to be a career,
11:27you must find why people like you, because people are not going to like you for your, the quality camera you use.
11:33They're not going to like you for the lighting you use.
11:36They're not going to like you because of the makeup products you use or any of the surface stuff.
11:42They're going to like you for your personality and your own personal juice, as I like to say.
11:47And I think that is the brand.
11:49If you turn it into your own, then you will absolutely have a career.
11:52Absolutely.
11:53I love that.
11:54I agree.
11:55Um, I kind of want to pivot the conversation a little bit and Justin, I'm going to start with you for this question.
12:03Um, because obviously being a part of the role that you guys are in and as black creators as well,
12:10just in the inclusive space, I'm curious about when it comes to working with a brand,
12:15the conversation to now being outside of this, you know, your own strategy, your own, your own platforms,
12:20but now starting to work with brands, how are you staying true to yourself and staying true to your brands
12:27while bringing in the outside voices of partners?
12:32Because obviously to scale is a really simple where you need to be able to leverage partnerships.
12:38What's been your, like, for staying true to your brand and keeping that first star true to yourself?
12:45Um, communication is everything.
12:48You know, I know me and I know my people.
12:51I know why they're like me.
12:52I know why they're connected.
12:53I know why they're here and I know why they're checking for me.
12:56And I think, you know, sometime a brand knows you in a very surface level way.
13:00Sometimes people are reaching out to you.
13:01They don't follow you, but they see the following.
13:03Um, they don't follow you, but they've seen a few videos pop up and you came up in a meeting
13:08and they put your name in the ad and they said, oh yeah, we really like that boy.
13:11Let's work with him.
13:12Um, but they don't really know.
13:14And so the communication key is really important.
13:18And, you know, to shift this into also a black like that conversation, because we are essence.
13:24Um, we have to have nerve the same way a lot of our white counterparts have nerve.
13:30The nerve to say, oh, I'm not doing that.
13:32I'm not saying that that price is a little too low.
13:35I don't go to that neighborhood.
13:36I don't ride in that type of car.
13:38I don't sit in that row on the plane.
13:43Have the nerve.
13:45Have the nerve because the minute that you say that the conversation shifts and there's a level of respect that is given to you because you just had the gut to at least say it.
13:55And even though they may not be able to provide what you have asked the second that they come around, they know what to expect from you.
14:02So now when you call me to fly me out to the spot, you know, my bro, you wouldn't have known had I not told you speak up communication.
14:12No, I love that. Just seeing what, what do you, what do you think about, um, taking into account the brands and partnerships and now getting into the world where you have to creatively figure out how to fit them in.
14:24What is your method?
14:25What, what has been your route to, um, be able to expand the amount of partnerships that you're able to do as well as staying true for content and what you have said for yourself?
14:37Yeah, I think when I started making content, um, I was like not a social media girl at all. Like I was very anti-social media. I did not have Instagram on my phone. So I was really consuming a lot of other things. So when I started making content, I was really just being myself and like, I really like me. Like, I think I'm cute and funny. I look back at my own videos and I smile.
15:01You are. You are. You are, Tifa. You are.
15:04Um, and yeah, I look back at the stuff that I do and I like it. And so I think that I, every time I feel like I'm trying to be something that I'm not, it's tiring. Like I just like to be myself anyway. Um, and I think brands see that and they appreciate that. And I think the audience will see that and appreciate that. They, when any time a brand has kind of tried to make me be something that I'm not, I will get the comment that's like,
15:30did you write this script or did the brand make you do this? Like, are you okay? Blink twice if you're okay. Like, and, um, I think, I just think it's evident.
15:40So I think just continuing to, to be myself, say no for the things that I don't want to have with my managers and things like that.
15:47I think brands see that and recognize that and they come to me for that.
15:52So.
15:53Yeah.
15:54Because you guys both spoke about like how to do it with yourself. I think once you have figured out, um, as an individual, how to stay true to yourself and, um, maintain like what we're like before and all that jazz.
16:09I think once you find management, once you get the agency, once you have the manager, it's so, so, so, so, so, so important that they understand you.
16:18Like it's beyond important that they understand you, your brand, what you're talking about, why you're talking about it.
16:23Like Justin said, who's watching you, who's your community.
16:25It's beyond important because when this agency or your manager is pitching you for opportunities and you're getting opportunities that do not allow with their brand at all.
16:33It's because there's a disconnect and there's a misunderstanding. Someone's not understanding something.
16:37And it's probably the agency or the manager not understanding your platform and why you have a platform.
16:41And so, a big part of staying true to your platform is having a team that really understands you.
16:47Everybody in your camp must understand why you do content and what's your reason.
16:52That's another good reason.
16:53Yeah.
16:54And I hope you guys were paying attention to the question that you have brought up early adjusting.
16:58In order for other people to understand you, you also need to understand yourself.
17:03You need to understand what your brand is, what you stand for, what you don't stand for, etc.
17:07You don't know what to speak about.
17:09You sound like me. Go on.
17:11We're learning. We're soaking it all in.
17:14Justine, I'm going to come back to you.
17:18Okay.
17:19Your journey, specifically, to becoming an influencer has been very transparent with your audience.
17:26We've always been very transparent.
17:28We've watched you grow.
17:29We've watched you, you know, become, blossom and just be more confident and edit savvy.
17:34The way that you can position your content and develop your content.
17:37What has been the most transformative part of that evolution, not just in your skills,
17:43but how you see yourself and what you feel is your purpose with the content you create?
17:49I would say that the most transformative part of this entire experience is realizing what's possible for myself.
17:59I think a lot of the times we put ourselves in a box and also the people around us.
18:05If you don't see anybody who's doing what you want to do or who's made it in this career when you want to make it, it seems so hard.
18:14But the moment that you get that little thing, I'm really surprised at how I really took it and I ran with it.
18:22I feel like I've always been pretty ambitious, but I'm shocking myself.
18:26Like, I'm like, wait, girl, I didn't know you had all this in you.
18:30Like, okay.
18:31Like, I'm really impressed with the way that I've been able to, like, take these little things that I thought everyone knew how to edit.
18:43Like, I genuinely had no idea that, I was like, this is the simplest thing.
18:48Like, adding fonts and, like, a little sound.
18:51Like, oh, everybody can do this.
18:53I never, I think once I started seeing myself as, like, a creative and I was like, oh, like, let me share some of these, like, simple things that feel, like, normal to me.
19:04Even though I think it's boring and I think everybody already knows it.
19:07Like, let me just share it.
19:08I was really surprised at how, like, once I stepped into that role coming from, like, a tech background that's not creative at all.
19:14How much my creativity really blossomed.
19:17How much I was able to turn that into a business.
19:20And I am also really impressed with the ability to, like, make it a strategy and actually, like, make it my job.
19:31Because you don't go to school for something like this.
19:34Yeah.
19:35You have to just take it in time.
19:37It sounds like you've also got to just play around with.
19:40You just got to get into, I think a lot of people spend too much time trying to be perfect.
19:45They miss how to play.
19:46I always say, like, the enemy of action is perfection.
19:51Like, if you try to be perfect, if you want the video to be perfect, you'll never put the video out.
19:56You have to.
19:57Well, speaking to my soul right now.
19:58You have to.
19:59You literally, like, if the video is bad, you still post the video.
20:04You can make the video another time.
20:05Make it again in a month.
20:06Improve your skills a little bit more.
20:08But it doesn't matter.
20:09Like, you have to.
20:10And most of us have an execution problem.
20:13Like, we just are scared to make it be seen.
20:17And the messier you are, people gravitate towards that.
20:22Like, that is your superpower more than likely.
20:26It's like, it's okay if you don't have the best camera, the best lighting.
20:31Put the video out anyway.
20:32Those are always the videos that do so well in your life.
20:35So, I would just say, yeah, go for it.
20:39I want to add another point to that.
20:42I'm sorry.
20:43But also, I think it's like, piggybacking off for you, I think it's so important to record your life.
20:49Like, record your real life.
20:51Because your real life is not on the Canon G7.
20:54Your real life is not in the best lighting, like we're saying.
20:56If your real life is a messy bedroom, record your messy bedroom.
20:59Like, I think a lot of people say TikTok loves mess and drama.
21:03They engage with, like, people looking to mess on camera often.
21:06And I don't think it's necessarily that we engage with the mess.
21:10I think we engage with real.
21:12And if it's real that you don't get on camera with your face being hair done all the time, then we live for it.
21:18If that's authentically you, then we live for it.
21:20I think it's so important to record what is your real life and what's easy to do.
21:24Because it's not easy to get on camera being put together all the time if that is not you.
21:29If you don't already live like that, you cannot bring that to the camera and expect to have a long career.
21:34Because that's not sustainable for you.
21:36And if it helps, when I started, my first videos, if you scroll back, are in a bright blue bedroom with mattress on the wall.
21:45Like, it is so crazy.
21:48So, I promise you, whatever your room looks like, whatever color it is, it's better than what I had going on.
21:56So, you'll be okay. Just post the video.
21:59Just do it. Just do it.
22:01Just.
22:02You are young.
22:03You are poised.
22:04You are doing it all.
22:06Thanks.
22:07A lot of your content, you know, is rooted in relation and mindset.
22:17I want you to give us all a reminder.
22:19What's the reminder that keeps you grounded?
22:21What's that mantra that you tell yourself that we need to pick up on?
22:31This you trying to make me preach today?
22:33Yes.
22:34I know.
22:35Yes.
22:36I could feel it.
22:37I could feel that that was the goal there.
22:38I think when you do content, when you're doing anything, anything that you hope shifts your life, you're asking to be the exception.
22:53You know, in this thing, this is a stage of people who are the exception.
22:58There's people in this audience who are doing major things in their life and career.
23:01You are the exception.
23:03And when you are moving through the world being the outlier, that comes with stress, that comes with uncertainty, that comes with expectation, that comes with responsibility.
23:13And that's going to come with a level of stress that many will not understand, but some will get it.
23:20So I think to really piggyback off of that question, I understand that I'm asking to be the exception.
23:26So I lean on community.
23:29I lean on my folks who get it.
23:31I lean on those who maybe don't get it, but I know they're going to give me some words that's going to bring me peace.
23:37You know, I lean on the people who I know that I'm talking to.
23:41You know, there's some of you in this room who might know me.
23:44And sometime I'll go to those DMs and I'll have conversations with them because they see me and they understand what I'm trying to do here.
23:53And so I might be overwhelmed because the contract was not how I wanted it to look and life might not be how I want it to be.
23:58And I thought I'd be 10 times further by now, but I'm doing it for my folks.
24:04I'm centered.
24:05You are the exception.
24:07The exception to the rule of 2025.
24:10Yes, the answer is not no, it's just not you.
24:13It's just not yet.
24:14That is my, that's about to be my new mantra.
24:19I am the exception.
24:22And I want to continue to be the exception as I continue to approach.
24:27Chiari, for you, you've been able to pivot now.
24:31You're talking a lot about content.
24:33But as we know, we mentioned this to each other in the back.
24:38In order to really be successful and build a career, we need to be able to speak beyond and we need to be able to, to leverage content, leverage your platforms to be able to build something that is yours.
24:52You, Chiari, have been able to pivot now to music with your latest release, Odyssey.
24:58Wow.
24:59I'm curious and I want to know how adding this layer has changed the way that you connect now with your audience.
25:09What, what's been the shift that has occurred now that's taking you away on, you know, the content creation before versus how you're losing value?
25:18To keep it real, it's honestly, it's really tough.
25:21It is really tough because what people do not realize is when people fall in love with people, they kind of want you to stay in.
25:26And it's like, oh my God, y'all like, this is a mistake.
25:30I didn't mean to be a content creator.
25:31I go, I go to school for music.
25:33Like I studied music in college.
25:34I've been for four years of notes for three years.
25:38Um, but the end goal for me was always, always, always, always, always, always music content creation.
25:43I accidentally fell into, and I love it very beyond great before this life that it brought me.
25:48But the goal was always, always, always music.
25:52Um, I do think that being on this journey has taught me so much about people.
26:00Um, and, and myself, I think I forgot that people enjoy me.
26:07And so whatever I'll produce, there will be some people that will just follow me to every, you know, sector of industry that I want to be a part of.
26:17And I'm forgetting that because I think as a content creator, you're so, we put pressure on ourselves.
26:23Like nobody else gets insane because we're in front of the camera.
26:26We have these numbers and numbers don't last forever, you know?
26:30And, and we kind of live off of these videos that do well.
26:34And if the video's all going to do well, if no one's engaging with what you're now putting out,
26:38the money's drying up and dah, dah, dah, dah, and we're assigned to agencies.
26:41And now we're thinking about, well, am I going to get dropped out of the agencies?
26:43I'm not going to get money.
26:44And there's so many thoughts that no one's probably thinking about.
26:46But.
26:47The shift.
26:48The pivot.
26:49Right.
26:50There's a transition.
26:51There we go.
26:52But there's a major transition going on right now in my life personally.
26:53And I'm just, I'm trying to remember that who it's for, it will find.
27:09Um, that's really overwhelming to think about because it's like, I want, I want people to
27:16find it now.
27:17Yeah.
27:18But it does take time.
27:19Um, and again, I have to give grace because I've shown up on the internet doing one thing
27:24for a very long time.
27:26But I also remember that I transitioned before I started on social media and strictly comedy.
27:32And then I transitioned to fashion.
27:34And now it's just fashion, which brings some comedy.
27:37So I did it once I can do it again.
27:38Yeah.
27:39Um, but I, I do love the journey that I'm on 100%.
27:42And it's again, teaching me a lot about people and how they interact with you.
27:45And I think the in-person connections when I'm out in real life, and someone's like, Oh my
27:50God, I love you so much.
27:51And your song, by the way, I'm always gagged.
27:54Cause I'm like, wait a minute, y'all be tuning in for real.
27:57Um, so I love that.
27:58And I think it definitely does change how you show up on social media.
28:01Um, because now you're thinking like, well, if I'm doing this, but I started in this,
28:07they'll still love this.
28:08So it's definitely hard.
28:10It is absolutely not easy.
28:12Um, I'm going through, I think the toughest part of it right now.
28:14I'm trying to fix it to music.
28:16But, um, I think the end result is going to be the absolute most rewarding thing on the
28:21planet.
28:22So I'm trying to stay strong.
28:24And we're excited for you.
28:25We're so excited for you.
28:27I know we're going to be wrapping up soon.
28:30So I have a last question that I want to get in.
28:33I'm going to sneak in this last question because I, once I saw it on the list, I was
28:37like, this is, this is where the conversation also has opportunity to get real.
28:41I'm going to know a little bit of the inside.
28:44You're going to hear it in a second because you're going to be the first one.
28:49It's a two part question.
28:52Can you all remember the first check, your first check by a brand?
28:59And realistically just gives us, we got to set the tone, but just what it really takes
29:04to be a creator, what it really takes to make this a career.
29:08How much posting did it take before you got to your big break?
29:13I'll do the second part first because I think that's more interesting.
29:28I don't know.
29:29I'm curious about the first one too.
29:30Oh no, we're going to talk coin.
29:31We're going to talk coin.
29:32I'll do the second part first.
29:35How much it took.
29:36One, I want to preface by saying it's a case by case basis.
29:40Yeah.
29:41We cannot all be the Tony Bravos of the world because baby girl put that camera on.
29:45It was booked from the start.
29:47And some of us, we got to do a bit more yapping to get the job.
29:50Me included.
29:52So it took, but my story is very unique.
29:56I will say, I'll never forget.
29:58I was walking down the street.
29:59It was November.
30:00My nose was running.
30:01I had on a Yankee hat.
30:02It might've been the Mets.
30:03I don't know which one it was.
30:04And I started a rant.
30:05My very first video, it went viral.
30:07I've been doing it since.
30:09So my journey of doing content, I performed once I started.
30:13And I know we're supposed to make somebody an influencer in real time.
30:17Before we do that, I just want to say it's in you.
30:19It's not on you.
30:20So if you're not connected to the within and the people, it's in you.
30:24It's in you, it's not on you.
30:26So it took me, I want to say maybe six months or so.
30:35And that check was 10.
30:40Okay.
30:41That check was 10.
30:42That's nice.
30:43Yes.
30:44That's really nice.
30:45We command more today.
30:47We command more today.
30:49But the start was a 10.
30:52I love that.
30:55Justine, give us the real.
30:58Like realistically, what does it take?
31:01How much time did it take for you?
31:03What was the big break?
31:04I know that you mentioned you transitioned to being full time.
31:09How long was it until you got there?
31:11So my path, I think was expedited to be fair.
31:18I don't think that this should be the expectation, but my first offer was $500.
31:27I was so ecstatic.
31:29I thought that was the most amount of money ever.
31:34So it was $500.
31:35I negotiated.
31:36From the beginning, I was always, I was always a business woman from the jump.
31:40I can't, it was under $1,000 by the end for sure.
31:44So it took me a month to get to 10,000 followers on TikTok.
31:50And then it took me a year after starting to go full time.
32:00I was posting every single day for the first eight months, like every day with a full time job.
32:11And consistency is like, you will be successful one way or another if you just keep going.
32:19Like it's a time game.
32:21It's like a numbers game.
32:23It will happen.
32:24But yeah, I think that's like a very expedited.
32:27Like if you don't have 10,000 followers in the first month, that is the normal speed.
32:32It's like you will be fine.
32:34Yara, you get it.
32:36You get it.
32:37Just give us some, just give us some real advice.
32:41Staying into the steps.
32:43Yeah.
32:44And not that.
32:45Yes, for sure.
32:46Consistency, first of all, it doesn't mean posting every day.
32:48Consistency just means doing what people like you for and showing up.
32:52Whatever you're talking about that does well for you, show up in that.
32:57I remember my first deal.
32:59OMG.
33:00My first deal was with this racist wax brand called...
33:05Say their names.
33:06Say their names.
33:07Oh, I thought about the name last night.
33:09They're called Fresh Night.
33:10They were so nice to me because I had this video go like ashen on people like on Instagram,
33:15everything.
33:16And they said, we love you so much.
33:18Here's $300.
33:19And I was like, okay, I'll take it.
33:21The thing is, I always knew that wasn't like the big thing.
33:25Because I looked at like Victor Kunda and so many big creators and I knew this is not the end.
33:30Like I'll take this now, but I know there's so much bigger.
33:33But that was my first ever brand deal for $300.
33:35Some racist wax.
33:36They were so sweet though.
33:38But for me, it's actually really funny.
33:41Like Justin said, everyone's journey is extremely different because I had a video do really well.
33:46I was getting deals.
33:47Then it dried up, like dried up.
33:49And then I would get brand deals here and there, here and there.
33:52It didn't get really consistent money wise where I can like quit it.
33:55Okay.
33:56Well, I kind of quit my job after my first viral video, but do not follow me.
34:01Follow me.
34:02Do not follow me.
34:03You're still young.
34:04Very young.
34:05Very young.
34:06Very young.
34:07Very young.
34:08So it's fine.
34:09It's fine.
34:10It's fine.
34:11It's fine.
34:12But I had like ebbs and flows.
34:13It was like really good sometimes, like a nice deal and then nothing for months.
34:17And then one thing and then nothing.
34:19And then brands were late.
34:21So it was nothing.
34:22I think it didn't consistent for me until kind of recently.
34:26If I'm being honest, like in like the last year with the help of my agency, Kensington Gray, I think we both have helped create this consistent money flow.
34:36Now I'm like booked for things because I used to go to fashion week, but just like, just to go.
34:41Now with Kensington, I'm going for job opportunities.
34:43I'm here at Essence for job opportunities.
34:45So again, back to my point earlier, it's really important to have a team and an agency or a manager who really understand your bread and wants you to be paid.
34:52That's what's important.
34:54Really important.
34:55Thank you guys.
34:56Thank you guys.
34:57I have gotten so much from each of you.
35:00I told you we're going to have a cool conversation up here and I hope you guys have enjoyed it as much as I have.
35:05Before we exit and leave the stage and close out the session today, please let everyone know where they can find you.
35:15We'd love to make sure that we all can stay connected and follow and contact us.
35:20From what we heard today, I'm tapped in.
35:24Justin, where can we find you?
35:27Justin, you can follow me and find me.
35:30You know what?
35:31I'm at a place in my life where you know what I can say.
35:32Google me.
35:33Justin.
35:34F-R-E-T-T.
35:35We can find you in seat 1A.
35:37How did you know?
35:40Did I tell you my phone?
35:42Justine.
35:44I'm Justine's camera roll on everything and then Justine's camera roll with an underscore on Instagram.
35:51I'm Kiari.
35:52So that's K-H-I-I dot A-R-I-I on everything.
35:57So you can find me everywhere through that.
35:59But I'm also dropping a song July 14th on Title Web of Destruction.
36:04So tune in to that.
36:06Yeah.
36:07Thank you guys so so so much.
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