Dre Fox on Her Creatorpreneur Journey

Welcome to the second installment of Creators Unlocked! As we speak, we now have Dre Fox on the docket. Dre, also called Time of Dre, is a content material creator and social media coach who focuses on serving to others enhance their private branding and create revenue streams via their on-line presence.

She is thought for her entertaining but informative content material and has a devoted following of practically 20,000 artistic people seeking to succeed on-line. On this interview, we speak concerning the many hats she wears as a creatorpreneur.

Q: What impressed you to begin creating content material on social media?

Earlier than I turned a solopreneur, I labored for a social media software program firm instantly with the social media groups of Fortune 500 corporations like ESPN and L’Oreal. I used to be all the time too busy working to begin my very own social media, but it surely was a recurring query.

I knew the ability of it, although, so I took the plunge and began with the superior information I had discovered from working with all the massive accounts. Due to my experience, it took off shortly and it was simply so enjoyable to lastly really feel artistic and like I had my very own nook of the web.

Q: What’s in your present instrument stack for content material creation, and what instrument would you say is an important a part of your content material creation?

A lot of my revenue comes from promoting digital services and products like programs and training, so I take advantage of barely completely different instruments than a full-blown creator. On the enterprise facet, I take advantage of Dubsado for shopper administration and Kajabi to host all of my programs and training packages. On the creator facet, two instruments which were invaluable to me are for repurposing.

One, repurpose.io to create video content material on one platform and ship it over to a number of platforms in a single click on has saved me numerous time. And two, ChatGPT, which I’ve been utilizing to show sure outdated posts into microblogs, so I haven’t got to rewrite the entire thing. I additionally use Lightroom for photographs and CapCut for movies.

Q: What’s your favourite platform for creating content material?

I’m a loyal fan of Instagram as a result of it’s a nurturing platform. I can have deep conversations within the DMs and on Tales and in my feedback with those that I’ve seen and identified for years. I really feel like platforms like TikTok are rather more visibility and traffic-driven platforms. And folks may be imply as a result of they’re strangers and never nurtured in your group.

Q: Why did you select to go the creatorpreneur route?

There’s a basic drawback while you depend on affect or model offers to construct your revenue: each month, you start again at zero since you do a deal that is not promised the following month.

When you’re actually attempting to go full-time on-line or construct wealth as a creator, you want month-to-month recurring income – a assured baseline of cash coming in each month. So after I was influencing, some months can be $5000, others can be $800 and I noticed that I might by no means really feel secure counting on that.

I knew that I had this Harvard-level social media information from my nine-to-five, and folks had been all the time asking how I put collectively this superior web page with nice content material. So little by little, I began educating others and turned that right into a full-fledged enterprise in below 8 months which allowed me to stop my full-time job.

Had I completed that on model offers alone, I might have waited two or three years earlier than I may get sufficient constant revenue to make that occur.

Q: How do you set targets as a content material creator?

I function alone and so to keep away from tunnel imaginative and prescient, I spend money on a enterprise coach yearly. It’s invaluable to be coached by those that have gone the place I need to go or have the information that I am attempting to faucet into, and talking to them actually helps me outline my targets.

I attempt to set targets round growing my impression on my college students, nurturing, and group constructing. I additionally set financially-driven targets like growing revenue and diversifying revenue streams. Then towards the top of the 12 months. I am normally analytics and measuring the impression that I had that 12 months and actually seeing if I moved the needle ahead.

Q: What function does social media play in your private {and professional} life? How do you create boundaries?

Creating content material has change into built-in into my life, so I haven’t got separate content material creation occasions or solo actions. It is part of my on a regular basis existence which permits me to seamlessly movie and create with out it being a giant manufacturing. And it doesn’t interrupt my actual life – I discover refined methods to movie that permit me to create content material with out impacting my experiences.

Nonetheless, I’ll admit that after I was within the development part of my enterprise and actually attempting to get issues going, I used to be on Instagram for as much as 5 hours a day. And as soon as it received to the purpose of bodily penalties like carpal tunnel, I noticed I used to be doing an excessive amount of. I began to reevaluate what I used to be truly doing after I had my cellphone open. As you mature into your online business, you do notice that generally much less can truly be extra

Q: What do you at present do to monetize your presence on social media?

From the highest incomes to the bottom incomes would begin with programs and training about content material creator subjects like private branding, entering into the trade launching and promoting your merchandise.

Second to that’s consulting, the place manufacturers come to me for assist determining easy methods to enhance their social media. Third is user-generated content material – making content material for manufacturers you do not see on my platform. And eventually, the bottom is conventional influencing – sponsored posts and model offers.

Q: How do you resolve easy methods to cost to your services and products? Do you use as a solopreneur or as a enterprise with a workforce?

I’ve just a few those that assist me in my enterprise however they don’t seem to be like full-time salaried staff as a result of I’m going via waves the place issues are tremendous busy and different occasions the place it isn’t as busy.

In the case of pricing my services and products, I’m pricing primarily based on the transformation that I am creating and the information that I am bringing. With that in thoughts, I attempt to discover a value or an funding degree for my programs and training that helps maintain folks to their dedication and accountability but additionally honors the information, expertise, and investments that I’ve made to assist them be capable to do the identical.

Q: What recommendation do you will have for dealing with private and enterprise finance as a creator?

The primary can be to avoid wasting 35 p.c for taxes as a common rule of thumb and pay quarterly if doable so you are not stunned on the finish of the 12 months with an enormous invoice. Second, in the event you’re making substantial revenue, it’s best to completely be working with a tax skilled who is aware of the scenario of being a content material creator. Third, think about reinvesting a few of your revenue into mentorship to speed up your development.

You would not consider what number of occasions I’ve talked to a creator who’s making nice cash or being actually profitable. And we talked about some choices and issues they may do in a different way or ought to have been doing in a different way. They usually have a second the place they notice they’ve been underpricing. When you will have steerage, it may possibly actually open your eyes to all the pathways to income that you could be not have thought of.

Q: How do you steadiness the necessity to make a residing with the need to create content material that’s true to the imaginative and prescient you will have to your firm, to your social media, and to your viewers?

That is truly been my greatest problem in enterprise as a result of I’m a real artistic at coronary heart. Should you handed me a cellphone and mentioned to create something, I might in all probability create extra whimsical content material than I do proper now. However there’s this dance you do in terms of having a enterprise and being a creator.

I function below a 60-40 rule the place 60 p.c of my content material is tremendous worth and training pushed. After which 40 p.c is extra personality-driven, like life-style content material or humor concerning the content material creation house. For many individuals, the perceived lack of creativity from turning into an actual enterprise is the largest resistance to going the creatorpreneur route.

Q: What’s the greatest problem you face as a creator on social media?

It’s positively navigating burnout. You put on many hats as a creator, and while you attempt to delegate by hiring assist, you’re now chargeable for somebody’s livelihood. So when issues are good, it is actually good, however when issues are tough, and you are not getting the visibility or folks aren’t becoming a member of your program, or manufacturers aren’t coming via like they used to, it may possibly really feel like full-blown panic mode. The strain to publish increasingly more in that scenario may be exhausting to maintain.

When you’ve matured as a creator and have routines and techniques, it’s simpler, however while you’re early, it’s a continuing grind that may be exhausting to maintain up with and drive you to burnout.

Q: What steps are you taking to arrange for the way forward for social media because it evolves?

I will take this from two completely different angles. First, from a platform standpoint, folks will optimize for YouTube due to its highly effective website positioning and historical past. I can seek for a time period and get a video from 13 years in the past as a result of it’s nonetheless related – that doesn’t but occur on different video-oriented platforms.

Should you begin on YouTube with a long-form video, you may simply repurpose that for short-form video platforms like YouTube’s personal Shorts, TikTok, and Reels and even flip it right into a carousel for Instagram.

I additionally suppose we’re gonna see much more podcasts from creators as nicely as a result of they are going to change into leaders of armies of communities. They’ll dwell exterior of simply their social media display, they are going to be constructing one thing much more deep and impactful throughout the social sphere.

In the case of tendencies that I see within the influencer content material creator trade, I consider conventional influencing goes to fade and we’ll see extra creatorpreneurs in 2023 and past. Creators, as a substitute of promoting merchandise for anyone else, are going to develop their very own programs, skincare manufacturers, jewellery strains and begin to change into enterprise house owners in a extra conventional sense fairly than simply seeing themselves as content material creators.

I additionally suppose that AI can have a big impression on content material creation. Instruments like ChatGPT will edge out creators who aren’t being authentic or placing their character into their content material.

Q: What recommendation would you give to beginner creators?

Usually, the primary query that individuals searching for my recommendation ask is, “how do I acquire followers?” – however that is the fallacious query. First, you must know your private model and decide 4 to 5 core values that you simply’re attempting to convey to the web house. Whether or not that’s that you simply need to weblog about one thing tangible, like getting wholesome, otherwise you need to weblog about one thing enjoyable, like creating cool movies or life-style stuff. And the market is simply saturated in the event you’re doing the identical factor as everyone else. Should you’re bringing a novel perspective, you’re already certainly one of one – however you may solely talk that perspective in the event you perceive your private model and values.

The second piece is gaining visibility. So turning into a content material creator is about a few issues. When you consider a model investing cash into you, they’re on the lookout for a dependable associate who seems to be like somebody who’s constant of their content material creation, high quality, and message.

In case you are throwing spaghetti on the wall and your posts seem like numerous completely different content material at any given time, you would possibly come off as perhaps anyone with a private account who’s simply on social media for enjoyable. The constant look, message and really feel helps the model see your profile and say, “we may give this particular person cash,” and really feel assured about what they’ll get in return. 9 occasions out of ten, creators who aren’t getting a model deal simply aren’t cohesive sufficient.

Third, I’d advise staying away from tendencies. Everybody on social media preaches hopping on tendencies to remain forward of the sport, but it surely makes us all fall in the identical footsteps and repeat the identical factor. You would possibly get just a few laughs and followers, however you will not construct model recognition by copying tendencies. I like to recommend specializing in creating authentic content material that can assist you stand out.

Takeaways

Listed below are the highest takeaways from Dre’s interview:

• Investing in your self isn’t only for folks pursuing conventional careers – creators, particularly in the event you’re an aspiring enterprise proprietor – must be investing in enhancing their abilities. Dre avoids tunnel imaginative and prescient as a creatorpreneur by investing in a enterprise coach to outline her targets.
• Dre turned her viewers right into a paid supply of revenue in 8 months, not via model offers or sponsorships, however via programs. Taking management of your viewers with a platform that you simply personal is important as algorithms change and social media evolves.
• You want to have a transparent private model and distinctive perspective to draw and maintain the eye of an viewers. Signature branding will even assist give manufacturers confidence about investing in you for sponsorships.
• Don’t give in to the pattern cycle. Whereas they are often enjoyable to start with, it finally ends up being repetitive. Dre recommends specializing in authentic content material if you wish to stand out on-line. Should you’re stumped for concepts, check out Dre’s technique for producing artistic content material known as the Content material Tree that she shared with us on this article.
• If you wish to monetize your content material however are nervous about dropping creativity, Dre recommends balancing what you must do and what you need to do. For her, that’s a 60-40 break up between instructional and enjoyable content material.