The response to my post two weeks ago, Why I Left a Well-Paying Corporate Job Before Making a Penny From Content Creation, inspired many of you to either reach out to me personally or leave a comment about how you, too, are dreaming of moving away from what you’re doing now and jumping into something that feels more aligned with your passions and lifestyle.
Olivia!! You sweet angel. I started a budgeting/wellness IG back in July and just hit 500 followers last week. I am so focused on my vision to help people and trust themselves enough to dream bigger for themselves. Your story is so inspiring and gives me hope! I think of you constantly when I feel defeated or that I still haven't had a video go viral yet. I am working with a social media strategist now and that is already helping with my commitment and confidence. Thank you!!
I am beyond honored to be a source of inspiration!! ❤️ Congrats to you for taking the leap and STARTING! That is so often the hardest part, but now you have momentum! Also, a vision to truly help people is the best place to start in my opinion. Plug your IG handle so people reading the comments know where to find you!
You are so kind to respond!! I love your story and it's so encouraging- you give me hope! IG is @_baddiewithabudget
BUT....I will say, after 8 months of doing this, I want to rebrand the name to speak more to my pillars of money, mindset and wellness so brainstorming on that update now!
This was such a great post! Thank you! I think one big factor that can keep people feeling like they don’t have the tools to compete in this space is video editing skills. Of course, we are lucky to have the basic skills of Reels or TikTok editing, but what seems to grab and keep an audience are fast-paced videos, multiple angles, zoom in, voice overlays, etc. How did you go about building these skills and/or how did you know which direction to go for outsourcing this help?
Video editing is definitely a useful skill in today’s content landscape! When it came to short form (Instagram and TikTok) I gradually built my style and refined my skills through a ton of reps. Sometimes I would edit videos I didn’t plan to post just because I knew I needed the practice. For long form (YouTube) I hired an editor because it’s a different skillset and there is a higher bar on platforms like YouTube when it comes to production quality. I film on a Sony camera for YouTube for this reason. For IG and TikTok, I use my iPhone, which I would recommend because it’s much more user-friendly. I shoot my videos in 4k 60fps, edit my videos in the Splice app (I add voiceover in Splice too), and export them at 1080p 30fps. When it comes to pacing of videos, that really comes down to your personal style. Mine, though still fast-paced, have gotten slower as content consumers have become more fatigued by short form videos that are too fast and overstimulating. Different platforms also respond better to different pacing — TikTok tends to favor slower, less produced content, whereas the Instagram algorithm still seems to push out a bit faster, more polished content. I hope this helps!!
I’m so glad you did, I can actually cook because of you haha I would have no idea where to even come up with a recipe that is healthy and tastes good .
This is such an inspiring post, thank you for sharing it! I've shared this with you before, I think on social last year, but I started my health journey back in 2020 when I was told I needed to be gluten-free. I found you in 2022 when you only had 100k followers. You changed my outlook on food, how to improve my own cooking/baking skills, and finding delicious alternatives to meet my needs. Even my husband now raves over my cooking and especially when I make one of your recipes. I also had a massive shift in my career (I left SaaS product development at large companies in the ATL area in 2022) when I needed to care for an ailing family member. I found that I could not manage everything that had been thrown my way, so I took a step back to re-assess! I then created Ingredient Gal (my entrepreneur hubby came up with the name back in 2022 and it just stuck). I spent last year at IIN getting my Health Coach certification and have continued cooking. You've inspired me in so many ways and how you've shown up the last few years in my life, through a little app, helped shift my entire life. So thank you for that. At Ingredient Gal, I focus on helping women thrive in life, managing life, career, family, etc. Getting them to find balance through it all while also prioritizing themselves. I find so much joy in this work. And as an introvert, I usually get drained very quickly, but this work energizes me. And as a bonus, I've shared some free content for easy high-protein ideas along with some other items to help fuel their days. My recent hyper-fixation has been variants of high-protein yogurt bowls. I've found the video content fun and as a creative outlet, but I'm currently struggling on managing it all (building my coaching business, refining my brand, website, programs, etc. while trying to develop content). So...after my essay, this leads me to my question. How do you manage it all? From what I can tell on social, we are very similar creatures and I have a hard time finding my own balance during this season. Any words of advice? Thank you in advance! :)
Ahhh the myth of doing it all! Haha. I will get into tips but first just want to congratulate you on the incredible momentum you have in your entrepreneurial journey and for turning your passion to help others into a career that is energy-giving! I am humbled to have been a source of inspiration in your journey 🤍
Some tips for managing the often overwhelming to-do list of an entrepreneur:
1. Really good systems! For me this looks like structuring my week in a way that will reduce context switching. I batch film my recipes, batch my calls, and batch my admin. So I film 1-2 days/week, test recipes 1-2 days/week, schedule all my calls 1 day per week, and do all my admin during set windows. When I have to switch between filming, answering emails, testing a recipe, and taking calls, I'm so much less productive, so blocking my days has really helped!
2. Getting really strong in my "no" to opportunities that sound like a good idea but don't fit into my short-term capacity or long-term vision. This required me to get really clear on what my vision was for my brand 6 months, 1 year, 5+ years out. There are a lot of events, opportunities, and collaborations that I turn down not because they aren't good opportunities but because I am so precious about protecting my time for what is going to move the needle the most.
3. Once I was able to, I started hiring for positions that would allow me to do what only I could do (be in front of the camera and make/film delicious recipes) and less of what I didn't need to be doing (web development and maintenance, blog post copywriting, grocery runs, long form editing, etc.). I actually have a Substack post coming out in the next month addressing my "Who not How" mentality when it comes to my business, which basically means I am more interested in finding the right expert/candidate for a position than learning how to meet that need in my business. For example, I used to spend HOURS every week on my blog, which I had built on Wordpress. Once I finally hired a team to develop a professional blog and hired a girl to manage the blog, my capacity expanded.
4. Hiring a business coach!! Having a third party help me craft my long-term vision and evaluate all the areas of my business + where I was spending my time and whether or not they were contributing to or taking away from that vision was super helpful. Sometimes entrepreneurship becomes this insatiable monster that wants to do everything because the path to success is less clear than in a corporate environment. Knowing where not to be spending your time is as valuable as where TO spend your time. An example for me: I actually dropped IIN because I realized that though it was personally fulfilling, it wasn't professionally applicable.
Okay hopefully this is helpful! I feel like I could write an entire Substack post on this topic.
Wow, thank you so so much for this extremely well thought out response, Olivia! I screenshot this to keep it so I can always refer back to it when I'm in need of direction/support. Your presence is so appreciated and helpful to so many of us and I, personally, cannot thank you enough! I have a plan- though I love content creation, I need to take a step back to re-focus on what is most important for social. And I need to focus on the part of my business that brings the most fulfillment which is the wellness coaching! And I just signed on another client yesterday! :) I am so thankful to be helping women and it was affirmed yesterday how much joy that area of the business brings me. Thank you again for everything!
Olivia!! You sweet angel. I started a budgeting/wellness IG back in July and just hit 500 followers last week. I am so focused on my vision to help people and trust themselves enough to dream bigger for themselves. Your story is so inspiring and gives me hope! I think of you constantly when I feel defeated or that I still haven't had a video go viral yet. I am working with a social media strategist now and that is already helping with my commitment and confidence. Thank you!!
I am beyond honored to be a source of inspiration!! ❤️ Congrats to you for taking the leap and STARTING! That is so often the hardest part, but now you have momentum! Also, a vision to truly help people is the best place to start in my opinion. Plug your IG handle so people reading the comments know where to find you!
You are so kind to respond!! I love your story and it's so encouraging- you give me hope! IG is @_baddiewithabudget
BUT....I will say, after 8 months of doing this, I want to rebrand the name to speak more to my pillars of money, mindset and wellness so brainstorming on that update now!
I love this!!! So proud and grateful to have you and the community you’ve created!❤️
😭😭 thank you for being here!!
Dream about the life you want, envision it … then find a way to make it happen.
Love you!!
Grateful to be raised by dreamers!❤️
This was such a great post! Thank you! I think one big factor that can keep people feeling like they don’t have the tools to compete in this space is video editing skills. Of course, we are lucky to have the basic skills of Reels or TikTok editing, but what seems to grab and keep an audience are fast-paced videos, multiple angles, zoom in, voice overlays, etc. How did you go about building these skills and/or how did you know which direction to go for outsourcing this help?
Video editing is definitely a useful skill in today’s content landscape! When it came to short form (Instagram and TikTok) I gradually built my style and refined my skills through a ton of reps. Sometimes I would edit videos I didn’t plan to post just because I knew I needed the practice. For long form (YouTube) I hired an editor because it’s a different skillset and there is a higher bar on platforms like YouTube when it comes to production quality. I film on a Sony camera for YouTube for this reason. For IG and TikTok, I use my iPhone, which I would recommend because it’s much more user-friendly. I shoot my videos in 4k 60fps, edit my videos in the Splice app (I add voiceover in Splice too), and export them at 1080p 30fps. When it comes to pacing of videos, that really comes down to your personal style. Mine, though still fast-paced, have gotten slower as content consumers have become more fatigued by short form videos that are too fast and overstimulating. Different platforms also respond better to different pacing — TikTok tends to favor slower, less produced content, whereas the Instagram algorithm still seems to push out a bit faster, more polished content. I hope this helps!!
I’m so glad you did, I can actually cook because of you haha I would have no idea where to even come up with a recipe that is healthy and tastes good .
I'm honored!! So happy to be a resource in helping bring out your inner chef!
This is such an inspiring post, thank you for sharing it! I've shared this with you before, I think on social last year, but I started my health journey back in 2020 when I was told I needed to be gluten-free. I found you in 2022 when you only had 100k followers. You changed my outlook on food, how to improve my own cooking/baking skills, and finding delicious alternatives to meet my needs. Even my husband now raves over my cooking and especially when I make one of your recipes. I also had a massive shift in my career (I left SaaS product development at large companies in the ATL area in 2022) when I needed to care for an ailing family member. I found that I could not manage everything that had been thrown my way, so I took a step back to re-assess! I then created Ingredient Gal (my entrepreneur hubby came up with the name back in 2022 and it just stuck). I spent last year at IIN getting my Health Coach certification and have continued cooking. You've inspired me in so many ways and how you've shown up the last few years in my life, through a little app, helped shift my entire life. So thank you for that. At Ingredient Gal, I focus on helping women thrive in life, managing life, career, family, etc. Getting them to find balance through it all while also prioritizing themselves. I find so much joy in this work. And as an introvert, I usually get drained very quickly, but this work energizes me. And as a bonus, I've shared some free content for easy high-protein ideas along with some other items to help fuel their days. My recent hyper-fixation has been variants of high-protein yogurt bowls. I've found the video content fun and as a creative outlet, but I'm currently struggling on managing it all (building my coaching business, refining my brand, website, programs, etc. while trying to develop content). So...after my essay, this leads me to my question. How do you manage it all? From what I can tell on social, we are very similar creatures and I have a hard time finding my own balance during this season. Any words of advice? Thank you in advance! :)
Ahhh the myth of doing it all! Haha. I will get into tips but first just want to congratulate you on the incredible momentum you have in your entrepreneurial journey and for turning your passion to help others into a career that is energy-giving! I am humbled to have been a source of inspiration in your journey 🤍
Some tips for managing the often overwhelming to-do list of an entrepreneur:
1. Really good systems! For me this looks like structuring my week in a way that will reduce context switching. I batch film my recipes, batch my calls, and batch my admin. So I film 1-2 days/week, test recipes 1-2 days/week, schedule all my calls 1 day per week, and do all my admin during set windows. When I have to switch between filming, answering emails, testing a recipe, and taking calls, I'm so much less productive, so blocking my days has really helped!
2. Getting really strong in my "no" to opportunities that sound like a good idea but don't fit into my short-term capacity or long-term vision. This required me to get really clear on what my vision was for my brand 6 months, 1 year, 5+ years out. There are a lot of events, opportunities, and collaborations that I turn down not because they aren't good opportunities but because I am so precious about protecting my time for what is going to move the needle the most.
3. Once I was able to, I started hiring for positions that would allow me to do what only I could do (be in front of the camera and make/film delicious recipes) and less of what I didn't need to be doing (web development and maintenance, blog post copywriting, grocery runs, long form editing, etc.). I actually have a Substack post coming out in the next month addressing my "Who not How" mentality when it comes to my business, which basically means I am more interested in finding the right expert/candidate for a position than learning how to meet that need in my business. For example, I used to spend HOURS every week on my blog, which I had built on Wordpress. Once I finally hired a team to develop a professional blog and hired a girl to manage the blog, my capacity expanded.
4. Hiring a business coach!! Having a third party help me craft my long-term vision and evaluate all the areas of my business + where I was spending my time and whether or not they were contributing to or taking away from that vision was super helpful. Sometimes entrepreneurship becomes this insatiable monster that wants to do everything because the path to success is less clear than in a corporate environment. Knowing where not to be spending your time is as valuable as where TO spend your time. An example for me: I actually dropped IIN because I realized that though it was personally fulfilling, it wasn't professionally applicable.
Okay hopefully this is helpful! I feel like I could write an entire Substack post on this topic.
Wow, thank you so so much for this extremely well thought out response, Olivia! I screenshot this to keep it so I can always refer back to it when I'm in need of direction/support. Your presence is so appreciated and helpful to so many of us and I, personally, cannot thank you enough! I have a plan- though I love content creation, I need to take a step back to re-focus on what is most important for social. And I need to focus on the part of my business that brings the most fulfillment which is the wellness coaching! And I just signed on another client yesterday! :) I am so thankful to be helping women and it was affirmed yesterday how much joy that area of the business brings me. Thank you again for everything!