vol 17 | Dec 16th, 2024
"I never wanted to be a full-time content creator"
On Friday, I was invited to a holiday party thrown by TikTok in NYC.
Hundreds of top creators from across the country flew in for a night celebrating our growth and influence on the app (and getting some last hurrahs in before the app is likely banned in the United States in January).
There was tons of free swag (mostly from the TikTok Shop) and there were also fun activities posted throughout the space.
One of these was an "intention wall", where creators could write their intentions and goals for 2025.
As I approached the wall, I started to read some of the goals:
"get a starring role in a Netflix show"
"direct my first film"
"launch my own beauty brand"
Don't get me wrong - these are excellent goals to shoot for! But reading them I almost felt out of place as I started to reflect on my own goals for 2025.
I ended up writing: "Continue to grow my platform and provide resources for the next generations of firsts"
Then I took a step back and saw that I wrote this intention right above someone's goal of putting a down payment on a private island (I'm clearly not thinking big enough).
I had a wonderful evening, but I couldn't shake the uneasiness around the terms "influencer" or "content creator".
I have a degree in information systems and worked as a management consultant in NYC. My videos are on how to get better at networking or managing your relationship with your manager, so I sometimes feel I stick out like a sore thumb in a room of models, actors, and comedians vying for serious on-screen roles.
But, to be fair, I do make content. Over the years I've started to master the art of composing a decent shot, writing a script that flows, and editing out the dreaded "millennial pause".
But my goals go far beyond placing my face in front of a camera.
The goal is to create a platform, and a system of resources, events, and mentors to create the environment I never had entering my career. And to teach others how they can truly own their career and use these platforms to create their own unique spaces and communities.
Like I said in the post above:
I never wanted to be a content creator.
I just wanted to share my story because I thought it could help others.
