Dre Fox on Her Creatorpreneur Journey

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

She is understood for her entertaining but informative content material and has a devoted following of almost 20,000 inventive people seeking to succeed on-line. On this interview, we discuss 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 straight with the social media groups of Fortune 500 corporations like ESPN and L’Oreal. I used to be at all times too busy working to begin my very own social media, nevertheless it 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 large accounts. Due to my experience, it took off rapidly and it was simply so enjoyable to lastly really feel inventive and like I had my very own nook of the web.

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

A lot of my revenue comes from promoting digital services like programs and training, so I exploit barely completely different instruments than a full-blown creator. On the enterprise aspect, I exploit Dubsado for shopper administration and Kajabi to host all of my programs and training packages. On the creator aspect, 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 a number of time. And two, ChatGPT, which I’ve been utilizing to show sure previous 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 recognized for years. I really feel like platforms like TikTok are rather more visibility and traffic-driven platforms. And folks might 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 once 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 find yourself 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’d 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 have been at all times asking how I put collectively this superior web page with nice content material. So little by little, I began instructing others and turned that right into a full-fledged enterprise in underneath 8 months which allowed me to stop my full-time job.

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

Q: How do you set objectives 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 chatting with them actually helps me outline my objectives.

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

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

Creating content material has turn into built-in into my life, so I haven’t got separate content material creation instances 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 delicate methods to movie that permit me to create content material with out impacting my experiences.

Nevertheless, I’ll admit that after I was within the development section 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 acquired 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 what you are promoting, you do understand that typically 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 matters like private branding, moving into the business launching and promoting your merchandise.

Second to that’s consulting, the place manufacturers come to me for assist determining how you can 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 how you can cost to your services? 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 are not like full-time salaried workers as a result of I’m going by way of waves the place issues are tremendous busy and different instances the place it is not as busy.

Relating to pricing my services, I’m pricing based mostly 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 stage for my programs and training that helps maintain folks to their dedication and accountability but in addition honors the information, expertise, and investments that I’ve made to assist them have the ability to do the identical.

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

The primary can be to save lots of 35 % for taxes as a common rule of thumb and pay quarterly if potential so you are not shocked on the finish of the 12 months with an enormous invoice. Second, if you happen to’re making substantial revenue, it’s best to completely be working with a tax skilled who is aware of the state of affairs 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 imagine what number of instances 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 another way or ought to have been doing in another way. And so they have a second the place they understand they’ve been underpricing. When you may have steering, it might probably actually open your eyes to the entire pathways to income that you could be not have thought of.

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

That is truly been my largest problem in enterprise as a result of I’m a real inventive at coronary heart. If you happen to 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 on the subject of having a enterprise and being a creator.

I function underneath a 60-40 rule the place 60 % of my content material is tremendous worth and schooling pushed. After which 40 % is extra personality-driven, like way of life content material or humor concerning the content material creation area. 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 largest problem you face as a creator on social media?

It’s undoubtedly navigating burnout. You put on many hats as a creator, and once you attempt to delegate by hiring help, you’re now liable 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 by way of like they used to, it might probably really feel like full-blown panic mode. The stress to put up an increasing number of in that state of affairs might be exhausting to maintain.

When you’ve matured as a creator and have routines and programs, it’s simpler, however once 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 organize 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 search engine optimization 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.

If you happen to begin on YouTube with a long-form video, you possibly can 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 assume we’re gonna see much more podcasts from creators as effectively as a result of they will turn into leaders of armies of communities. They’ll dwell exterior of simply their social media display, they will be constructing one thing much more deep and impactful throughout the social sphere.

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

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

Q: What recommendation would you give to beginner creators?

Usually, the primary query that folks looking for my recommendation ask is, “how do I acquire followers?” – however that is the mistaken query. First, it’s a must to know your private model and decide 4 to 5 core values that you just’re attempting to carry to the web area. Whether or not that’s that you just need to weblog about one thing tangible, like getting wholesome, otherwise you need to weblog about one thing enjoyable, like creating cool movies or way of life stuff. And the market is barely saturated if you happen to’re doing the identical factor as everyone else. If you happen to’re bringing a novel perspective, you’re already one in all one – however you possibly can solely talk that perspective if you happen to 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 concentrate on a model investing cash into you, they’re on the lookout for a dependable associate who appears like somebody who’s constant of their content material creation, high quality, and message.

If you’re throwing spaghetti on the wall and your posts seem like a number of completely different content material at any given time, you may come off as perhaps any person 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 might give this individual cash,” and really feel assured about what they’ll get in return. 9 instances 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, nevertheless it makes us all fall in the identical footsteps and repeat the identical factor. You may get just a few laughs and followers, however you will not construct model recognition by copying tendencies. I like to recommend specializing in creating unique 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 if you happen to’re an aspiring enterprise proprietor – ought to be investing in bettering their expertise. Dre avoids tunnel imaginative and prescient as a creatorpreneur by investing in a enterprise coach to outline her objectives.
• Dre turned her viewers right into a paid supply of revenue in 8 months, not by way of model offers or sponsorships, however by way of programs. Taking management of your viewers with a platform that you just personal is significant as algorithms change and social media evolves.
• It is advisable have a transparent private model and distinctive perspective to draw and maintain the eye of an viewers. Signature branding can even assist give manufacturers confidence about investing in you for sponsorships.
• Don’t give in to the pattern cycle. Whereas they are often enjoyable at first, it finally ends up being repetitive. Dre recommends specializing in unique content material if you wish to stand out on-line. If you happen to’re stumped for concepts, check out Dre’s methodology for producing inventive 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 apprehensive about dropping creativity, Dre recommends balancing what it’s a must to do and what you need to do. For her, that’s a 60-40 cut up between academic and enjoyable content material.