Transcription
This is Richard. And 90 days ago, when he joined my Discord community, he had just quit his job and wanted to go all-in on content creation full-time, but he had zero experience. But after 90 days of grinding in our community, posting daily, he went from no followers and basically no videos posted to, in just 90 days, hitting 10,000 followers on two accounts. And he's on track to make $10,000 this month from UGC content. So today, we sat down with him, and he broke down exactly how he speed-ran his Instagram growth during a time where most people say that content and UGC are too saturated.
"How many months ago did you start content creation?"
"Three. Yeah, three months ago. I joined, I joined your community actually, like a week into me creating content and like I never..."
"How many videos in your life?"
"Um, I'm like 100 videos straight now. 100 days straight of posting, I think."
"Yeah. That's awesome. So, within 3 months and 100 days straight of posting, you went from pretty much like zero experience and you've grown now two accounts to over 10,000 followers. One of which you've grown to 30,000 followers in what is it, like two weeks or three weeks?"
"Well, I started less than a month ago, but all the growth happened in two weeks."
"Holy [ __ ] So 50 to 30,000 followers within two weeks?"
"Two weeks. Yeah. And it's still... And the thing is, like, you know, like when the growth is like isn't tapering off, like every time I refresh the app, it's like 100 at the top. And so I know I'm like, oh, it's not going to be at 30K for a while. Like, even today, it's already grown like 2K."
"Oh my gosh."
"Yeah."
"Wait. If I refresh too right now."
"Yeah."
"Oh my gosh. I see the view numbers going up."
"Yeah. It's crazy. It's crazy."
"Dude, that's awesome. And how much have you made from UGC so far?"
"Um, I think in total, I've probably made like six grand so far. But my first month of doing it was in August. And like, I wasn't putting in like any effort, really. So I think I made like a thousand that month, probably just doing like, I don't know, maybe like three to four hours a week. And then last month, I did, you know, I quit my full-time job to do this. And probably spending like anywhere between like 10 to 12 hours a day for three weeks straight, and I made 5 grand. Um, and then this month, I'm on the way to making at least 10 grand. Like, I don't know yet, 'cause like, again, like the views haven't clicked yet. So, um, I'll have a number at the end of the month and I'll, like, I actually make a video about how much I make at the end of this month, like, through my personal brand."
"Dude, that's that's freaking crazy hearing though that you put in like 10 to 12 hours. It really shows, like, I don't know many UGC creators who have put that level of dedication. And I think it shows why like you've been able to stand out so quickly."
"Yeah. I think, um, the reason why I say 10, 12 hours is 'cause I was working for three startups and also, you know, doing my personal brand. And also, I've, I've been trying to help, um, this other guy, like, this like really older dude, like starting social media, um, and like pitching to consumer companies. So, I'm not actually spending like 12 hours a day making these UGC videos. I think out of a day, it's probably like maybe five or six for, like, spread across three different startups. But this month, I'm taking a much different approach. And I'm just going to focus on this one account now since it's, it's so hot right now."
"That makes sense. So, you were doing three different UGC accounts last month, right? And posting, I guess, like once a day on each."
"Yeah, I was doing, um, once a day for one startup, about twice a day for another, and then for Whisper, uh, Whisper Flow, I was doing anywhere between like three to six videos a day for them."
"I see. Yeah. Oh, so I guess real quick, to take a step back, I've noticed a lot of people are starting to hear a lot about UGC online. And I, I think there's now a lot of stories like yours where it's like, yo, I went from pretty much zero experience to within like 90 days hitting like a 5K month with UGC and probably like scaling even up to like a 10K month probably by the end of this month. Um, but how did you even get started in finding out about this opportunity and like even learning about like how to essentially make money from content like this?"
"Yeah, honestly, like, I think the first time I learned about UGC was when I joined Content Academy and I saw like the, the paid opportunities channel. And actually, I think it was Andrew, like, I think my first week, Andrew, um, who worked for Cluey, was saying like, 'I hit a 10K month.' And I was just seeing like, damn, like, you can make 10 grand off of content in a month. And then I went to his account and looked at, I was like, he was just like, [ __ ] posting memes and like also like some talking heads too. But I was just thinking like, dang, this is like a really good opportunity. So I ended up joining, um, a startup, I think like my second month of making content. Um, and then honestly, like growing my personal brand was the biggest hack to unlocking a lot of UGC opportunities. 'Cause when people see you're doing talking heads every day and like, you know, hitting like good views on certain videos in the formats that they want, they just like already know like, oh, he's a creator, like he knows how to make videos. Um, and so I had a lot of inbounds. Like, at one point, I had like maybe like 10 to 15 companies like startups saying like, 'Oh, like come join my startup. We'll pay you to do UGC.' So I had to be like, really selective about which ones I picked. Um, because like, I really think like UGC comes down to pitching a product that like you truly believe would like help you or like someone else. Um, and so I was like selective about joining companies that I felt like aligned with like what I wanted to do."
"Interesting. I, I feel like you have a lot of like very specific sauce on how to like go about finding which company, like how to actually stand out with like a specific company. I guess like real quick, for anybody who wants to essentially get started like right now, but they're like, very lost. I've gotten a lot of people ask me, and I'm sure like a lot of people have asked you, like, 'Bro, like where do I, like, what do I do?' Like, um, what would you give as like, uh, just like, yo, like, I haven't posted any videos, Richard, like, help me, bro. Like, what do I do? I want to start making money with this."
"Like, I think honestly, like, you should create an Instagram and a TikTok that is just like a portfolio. Like, it's not, you're not meant to, it's not meant to grow. It's not meant to go viral. It's just supposed to be out there so that when you pitch to brands and companies, they will already see like, oh, he's already uploaded like five to 10 videos. And then if you don't know what kind of videos to make, um, just go to like really famous UGC creators, like, you know, Allegarns, Clue Mags. You can even copy me if you want. Uh, but just like, you know, take a video right that like has gotten millions of views and just recreate it. Um, maybe add like your own personality into it. And then have five to 10 of those. I promise, like, at a certain point, people will just start reaching out to you if you're posting consistently enough. But even if you aren't, like, I know like every single startup is like fiending for creators. As long as you have some, some sort of group, as in like, literally five to 10 videos up, I think most startups would take you in as like a creator."
"Wow. Five to 10 videos. I guess to even double down on that question, like, yo, like, I'm scared to to make those first five to 10 videos. Like, where, how did you get over that hump of even starting? Um, or just like making content in general."
"I, I guess, yeah, I, um, yeah, I think that's a good question. I think like, honestly, you just have to have a really good reason for why you're posting content. Like, I see this a lot. I think a lot of people create content. They think like, 'Oh, I'm going to go viral and like I want to get views and whatever.' But I don't think they, like, their, their why behind why they're creating content is very clear. Like, for me, um, I wasn't very happy with my job and like, I kind of saw creating content as an outlet at the time. And then at one point, I was just like, 'Wait, I low-key enjoy making content more than my actual job and I know that there's opportunities here.' So my why behind creating content and doing UGC was it's like a means, um, for me to pivot to something else more meaningful in my career. But also, like, I feel like another big reason why I really liked these startup UGC deals and retainer deals is because, um, if you want to be good at it, you have to like obtain a viral sense. So, I feel like the past month of me working these like really long hours and making like a [ __ ] ton of videos every day has really honed in my viral sense where I can look at videos now and I can instantly tell you why like this will perform well, this won't perform well, and also like understand what videos I can steal for my own content and whatnot."
"I see. I, I guess quick question there, like, when you say you had like a really strong why, or I guess, could you describe your situation when you were first starting content?"
"Yeah, 100%. Um, so I've never created content, uh, before, like, like, I think was it June of this year? June, like, at the end of June was the first time I ever created video and like, post on the internet. Um, and like the month before that, I became friends with one of my friend's dad who was doing e-commerce and he's selling these like, uh, coasters and golf bag tags. And I was just trying to help him market because he's like, really old and doesn't understand social media. Um, at a certain point, like, we had like, you know, done his website and like, re-optimized everything. I realized that like, the only way to get him more traffic at that point was either to run ads or to get into marketing like by just creating short-form. And so I was like, 'Well, running ads costs a lot of money, so I can just make videos.' So I started growing a personal brand because I was like, um, the fastest way to like, know what to do is just by like, experimenting and trying and learning. Um, and so through that, I was able to, I guess, I guess that's my why. It's like, I wanted to learn how to make good content so I could help market, but then it also expanded to more other reasons down the road for me."
"I see. Were you in like marketing before content?"
"No, I've literally never done marketing before in my life. I was, um, you know, I studied computer science at Berkeley for the past four years. And then I was a software engineer for a year, um, before like, I decided to just get into it. I don't know, like, it's, it's really random. I would like, I don't really have a good reason for why it happened, but it just happened one day and then I've kind of gone down this road now."
"Was there a reason why you want to get out of like software engineering specifically?"
"Yeah, 100%. I think, like, going to college, I didn't have a very clear reason behind like, what major I picked. So, I just kind of picked one that I knew would probably pay dividends in the future. And like, you know, I graduated and I was making six figures working a software engineering job in New York City. Um, but like, a few months in, I just realized like, you know, I don't really enjoy this job. And then I thought, 'Oh, maybe like if I get like a higher company or like more prestige or like a better pay, like, it'll work out.' Um, but honestly, the more I thought about it, the more I just realized like, I just don't think I was made to be a software engineer. Like, it doesn't really play to my strengths. I'm a very, like, I feel like I'm a pretty social person. I like, you know, a lot of other things besides coding. In fact, like, I, I would get like, really nervous having to code a lot of stuff 'cause I just realized like, it didn't, I didn't have this drive to want to be the best at it. And so I just kind of realized like, 'Oh, I need to, I need to do something else that like, I really, that will actually consume me and will actually make me motivated to try every single day.'"
"Mhm. What would you say your goals are now after having like 3 months under your belt, starting to make pretty much like a full-time income now from content?"
"Yeah. Um, that's a good question. I think, I don't know. It's, I feel like making money is somehow somewhat like, not the priority for me right now. Like, I think I'm really prioritizing like learning. Um, and part of that is through, you know, like growing my personal brand. Other part of it is, you know, learning how to make good UGC content. And then the third aspect, like, this is like the one I'm most excited to work on, is, uh, marketing for this guy that, um, you know, like, kind of motivated me to start creating content in the first place 'cause I moved to Austin 'cause that's where he lived, because I wanted to work with him and like, um, help scale his e-commerce business 'cause I just, I just thought it was really cool. And I realized like, you can really do anything you want as long as you're just like, making some money. So once I hit, um, I guess like, for people who are watching this and don't know, I've set a goal to hit $20,000 a month through making UGC by the end of this year. Uh, and once I've hit that goal, I think I'm probably going to scale back the amount of time I spend on trying to make money through UGC and spend more time like trying to scale his brand and like figuring out how I can kind of do that 'cause like, I, it just sounds really interesting to me. And I think like, it's another really great way for me to learn. Um, and eventually down the road, like, the reason I'm doing all this is because I think I think marketing is really important. And especially like the content creation business is going to double in the next five years. So, I think like learning the skill now will probably serve me pretty well if I ever want to start a company or, uh, whatnot. But also, I've started to realize like, there's even more opportunities since I started creating content. Like, um, I've been offered a CMO position for a startup that paid six figures in like my second month of creating content. Um, and then now, like, you know, after, you know, doing really well with this UGC company, I'm pretty sure like I could get a lot of growth positions at different startups if I wanted to. Uh, so I think the doors are kind of open for me to do a lot of different things now. And I'm honestly not really even sure where my life will be a year from now, but, um, at least for like, the foreseeable future, I will just be trying to scale this guy's e-commerce business."
"Dude, that's awesome, bro. It, it's like you're suffering from success at how many opportunities have opened up."
"Yeah, that's that's one way to put it. Yeah, that's great."
"Did any part of you imagine this was going to happen like as quickly as it did or like, like I guess as explosively as it did?"
"Honestly, not really. And the reason I say that is 'cause when I started creating content, I actually like, um, wrote on a sheet of paper like, 'By January 1st, 2026, my goals are to have,' I think it's 5,000 followers was number one. And number two is to make $3,000 a month from content.' And like, going from that in January, like, I hit that goal last month already. Like, I've already exceeded those goals. And so now, like, I don't know. It's, I, I don't think I, I definitely did not think I was going to be this successful, but I also did not think like I was going to be a failure doing this. But it was hard to predict, like, I guess it's hard, it's always hard to predict like when are you going to become successful or when you're going to like, blow up overnight."
"That's true. I, I feel like the most important thing that you did right is that you were just showing up daily and like just putting in the reps consistently. And I feel like over time, it's like, it might happen 30 days in, it could happen like 180 days in, but like, you put in the daily work anyways."
"Yeah, definitely. I think the, like, the first two weeks when I moved to Austin, like, after quitting my job and, you know, like, no money was coming in, um, every day I would wake up with like, a lot of anxiety thinking like, you know, did I make the right choice quitting my job to do content? Um, am I like, even able to do this for like, 10 hours a day non-stop, even if I didn't see progress? And for like, the first two weeks, it was like, mental warfare every day 'cause it was like, I didn't really want to make videos and I was scared to make videos. Um, but I was still like, showing up and doing the work, just because I knew like, you know, if you want, 'cause I was anxious about, you know, making money and knowing this would work out. And I'm like, 'Well, the only way it is, is if you like, do the work every single day.' So even though there wasn't progress for, you know, two to three weeks, I showed up. And then, you know, it's all about like, taking advantage of the opportunities and chances you're given. And I feel grateful to say like, I got an opportunity like week three or four of me doing this, and I was able to capitalize on it. Um, but, you know, the first two weeks were just like, it was like, genuinely hell. Like, every single morning I woke up and it was just like, I don't know if I can do this and keep going."
"Dang. How did you deal with that anxiety and pressure early on?"
"My sister lives out here, so I think, you know, I was able to see her like, every other day. Um, and that was good to some degree 'cause it's like having family. Um, but I think the other aspect of it is, it's honestly just having stuff that can help you relieve the stress and then also just like, believing in your ultimate vision. Um, and so like, you know, my vision was just, 'You're going to make $20,000 a month.' Like, I would hammer in my head every morning, wake up, like, 'You're going to make $20,000 a month.' I even like, have a sign on like, my door. So when I wake up in the morning, it's the first thing I see. It's like, 'You're going to make 20 grand a month by the end of this year.' And then, um, I'm a big advocate of like, the gym. So like, I feel like just like working out for an hour every day takes off the stress. And then it's really just like, having this belief that it'll work out even when you're like, not seeing anything. And like, it's what you said, like, showing up even when like, it's hard, showing up even when you're tired. Um, and over time, you get these small wins that kind of stack into something more monumental."
"Mhm. I remember a lot of your earlier personal brand videos were about like how working like with your parents like when you were younger at the restaurant like really built a lot of discipline. Like, do, do you think that helped a lot in content discipline as well?"
"Yeah, definitely. I think I'm just in general, like, kind of an obsessive person where if I find something that like, I really do care about, I will spend all of my like, time just thinking about it. Um, and I think like, that, it, it's kind of related to that work ethic of, um, growing up. So like, when I was a kid, my parents owned a restaurant. I would, I started helping at the restaurant like, 8 years old all the way up through high school. Um, you know, so like, as like, a 10-year-old working like, 12-hour shifts and like, senior friends outside playing. It's like, 'Oh, this sucks. I hate this.' So I had like, a lot of motivation as a kid to just try really hard in school so I could get out of that situation. But I think it's also translated to other aspects of my life now where if I see something, like, if I see a goal that's worth chasing, I'm willing to like, put in a lot of time and effort to get there."
"That's awesome, dude. Like, does any part of you want to start like a company? 'Cause I feel like the skill sets now that you've built of like, you have the CS background and now you're building the growth and marketing part."
"Yeah, it's a good question. I actually, um, this might be a controversial take, but I really hate startups. Like, I hate like the, the whole, like, people around them where they're like, 'Oh yeah, I'm a founder and like, I'm doing this and that.' And I think part of it just stems from my, like, I don't really enjoy coding very much or like CS in general. And so I really hate like, especially in college, I hate it when people like, 'Oh, he's a CS major.' Like, it, it really annoyed me. So I don't really have like, a desire to be like, a startup founder, I think. But I think I do have a desire someday to like, own a company and like, do something more entrepreneurial. Um, I think like, you know, seeing my parents own a small business at a, you know, like, they started that when they were in their 20s. It's kind of like made me realize like, 'Oh, like, I could do the same thing too. It doesn't need to be a restaurant, but it could be something else.'"
"Yeah, dude. Genuinely, like, if you've already built this much of a skill set of growing startups, like, it's, yeah, like you have that option now too. I feel like it's, it's like, options are the only one. But yeah, like, I would also, I don't know how much you've talked to Gabe about this, um, in the academy, like, but he kind of had a similar sit, like, story where a year ago when he joined the academy, like, he basically just like, started building this, the skill set of content posting daily and he was trying a bunch of different things with like, the digital product space, like selling like ebooks, like trying faceless pages, and then eventually he turned it into like, what he has now, which is a marketing agency. And he was able to like, scale that marketing agency to up to like, dude, his peak month, it was like, high like, [ __ ] yeah. And I feel like he could probably give a lot of insight on like, you know, like next steps to parlay that skill set into like, the highest leverage possible opportunity."
"Yeah, definitely. Honestly, it's, I know I should think about this a lot more, but, um, like, this is really only like, my first or second month doing content full-time, so I haven't really put a lot of thought and effort into it 'cause, you know, even three weeks ago, I was like, thinking about like, 'How am I going to pay the bills?' Um, so it's, I'm grateful now, like, you know, to be able to sit here and say like, 'Yeah, I have a lot of options going forward.' Um, but yeah, I think definitely need to think about it and like, talk to other people to get advice on where to go going from here."
"Yeah, I, it's like, at the end of the day, like, you're, you're doing all the right moves and you're, like, you're like, crushing it. So, I'm sure you're going to find like, you know, what aligns with you the most as well. Like, it's, it's, it's awesome to see like, whenever I see people go from like, okay, like, I'm starting out this, like, posting daily thing, like, and they actually dog through it, and then suddenly it just, and then it goes from like, bro, like, I, like, I'm like, just starting out, like, I, I don't know, like, kind of unsure about this, and then boom, like, all the options are just coming to you. And you're like, right, like, I, I don't know if you remember this, but like, um, at the first meetup, like, in New York, Uh, I don't know if you remember this, but I came up to you and I asked you for advice. Like, at that point, I was like, I think like, 15 days into posting and I was like, 'Oh, Mino, like, what do I do?' Like, I, I feel like I, I don't really know, uh, my niche and whatnot.' You're like, 'Oh, like, it's all good. Just make sure like, you, you know, show, keep showing consistently and whatnot.' And I think like, going from that point where I was like, so lost and confused to now, like, having said like, I've successfully grown two accounts to over 10K is like, it's kind of insane, you know, like, how fast your life can really change in like, span of like, a couple months."
"Dude, that's that's fire. I, I love how the advice was so stupid. It was like, 'Yeah, man. Just post daily.'"
"Yeah. No, but I was like asking you like, 'Oh, like, what, um, format or niche should I go into because like, I feel like I don't have a very clear reason behind it right now.' And you were just saying, 'Well, I, I wish I wrote this down, but it was like, you're basically saying like, 'Oh, like, I switched niches so many times and, you know, my format changed a lot, but like, what's important is that like, you just keep showing up and like, you know, you, like, keep working at it every single day,' which, you know, it sounds like, sounds like you were like, pushing me like, 'Don't bother me,' but genuinely, like, that is the best advice. Like, if you just keep showing up and like, keep working at it, like, I feel like eventually you will figure it out."
"Yeah, it's, it's interesting because I feel like here's my take on that. I feel like a lot of times I've like, tried to over-intellectualize it because it's really fun to think about like, yeah, let's like, let's theory craft here, like, so what do you do on a day-to-day, like, you know, let's like, really get this, like, really in-depth content strategy. And I feel like a lot of times it's actually like, it creates like, this like, perfectionist, like, over, like, over input. And I've received that too, a lot of times where it's like, 'Hey man, you should do this, you should do, you should do this,' and then suddenly I like, I get more lost rather than just like, 'Well, at the end of the day, it's like, just post, bro.' Like, that's like, the number one. But then you think about, 'Wait, but like, brand, like, what about branding? Like, what, like, what about the, you know, I want to like, build the audience and the niche?' And like, and it's just like, and then suddenly you're, you're two weeks without posting and you're like, 'All right, like, I've just lost all my momentum now internally.' And then it turns into this like, internal slump. That's what happened to me before. So I try to just make sure I don't like, over, like, over-intellectualize it to people to the point where it's like, ah, like, Yeah."
"Yeah, definitely. Dude, that's that's awesome. What do you think is one piece of advice that like, most people trying to get into UGC and content are doing wrong?"
"Um, that's a really good question. I think I'll answer from the UGC side because I feel like content is like, a lot harder to judge, but I think from the UGC side, I've even seen this with people within like, my current startup, but I think a lot of people, like, so the strategy for people who aren't aware of like, how you make viral UGC videos is you just have to scroll on TikTok until you find like, million-view videos and then you steal the hook and steal the idea and like, you spin it into your own startup. And so I think a lot of people, they kind of skip that step and they just go straight into like, making video based on an idea that they think is good. And, you know, sometimes, you know, it'll work out, but like, 99% of the time it'll fail. Um, and then the other thing I've seen a lot is people will steal my content and they will never like, repurpose it to themselves and the video will just absolutely flop because like, they don't understand fundamentally that like, I saw a different idea and I like, repurposed it into like, what my vision of like, a good video was. And I feel like if you want to get into UGC and become like, really good at it, you need to like, start thinking for yourself, like, why did this video do well and like, how can I fit my personality or like, my, um, acting or my input into here so that it's a twist off of that idea and not a direct copy, because copies don't work well. Like, you need to innovate on top of an idea."
"What did that distinction look like for you between like, you found the inspo video and then you added your own personal choice? How did you go about that?"
"Yeah, that's actually a good question. So, the video that went viral for me, um, and it wasn't even that viral, I think it has like 150,000 views on TikTok right now, is, um, the original inspiration was this, uh, this another UGC account where this girl was like, 'Oh, I caught my merry professor on Hinge and attached the screenshot onto this rewrite.' Um, and it had 6 million views. So I saw that and I was like, 'Okay, wait. This is, you know, 6 million view video. That means like, there's the idea is there, right?' But she just did it like, in, like, pasted a text on the screen and put some music overlay over it and filmed some B-roll. So there was no talking involved. It was only text. So I was like, 'Okay, so this idea works. What if I just flipped it to a talking head and added like, my own like, twist to it?' So, literally what I did was I just took the exact same hook, like, text hook that she had, said it out loud, like, but like, with like, an inquisitive face, and then showed, um, the document that I created, like, of a different guy. And then, you know, that was it. Uh, literally 12 seconds. Like, I, I made it that day and it wasn't even a video that was like, 'Yeah, this is going to go mega viral and like, start a series and whatnot.' I was just, at that point, I was just making videos to see like, which ideas were going to stick. A day later, 100K views. And then from there, I was like, 'Okay, well, now we know like, this, this series works, so I just need to write out a plot line.' And so every day, I would write out like, a small plot line and add on to it. Um, and I think like, when I make my videos, they're, I don't really know like, what my style is, but I think like, to some extent, I've really built up a storytelling skill set. Like, I feel like, um, like creators who I've met have always told me like, 'Oh, like, your storytelling is really good.' And like, they, that's like, that's always the first question they ask me. It's like, 'How did you print views with a storytelling format?' So I was like, 'I'm going to lean into my strengths here and do like, a storytelling video with a lot of B-roll, like, a lot of really quick B-roll.' And then, um, accounts actually that I've like, studied from, like, UGC accounts specifically, is this guy named Side Quest with Jason. I don't know if you, you've seen his videos. He, he works for Turbo. Um, but he has this series where it's like, 'Is it possible to get rejected from a college with a 100%?'"
"Yeah. So I've seen him before."
"Yeah. Yeah. So I was looking at his account and I was like, studying his content thinking like, 'Why did this million view video like, get, you know, like, why did it go so viral?' And he does a really good job of like, clip stitching B-roll together along with talking head. And then, you know, I noticed that he, he would do like, really quick text as well. So I literally mimicked that exact style. Um, but like, shot it from like, my perspective and like, how I make content. Um, but the format is like, almost identical. Like, if you compare videos side by side, it's like, you can kind of see like, where I get inspiration from. And then yeah, it's just, it's kind of popped off since there. Um, yeah, I guess that's how that's how I got my videos to go go viral."
"Do you have any specific hacks for researching and then for like, hooks, or or any part of the video creation process that you haven't really seen people talk about?"
"I think honestly, I think all the information is kind of out there. And this, this sounds like the worst advice ever, but it's really just like, you just got to go out there and do it and then like, find what works for you because like, um, at the beginning when I was creating these videos, what they wanted me to double down on was like, entertaining videos and funny memes. And so if you go back to my UGC account, like, the first 30 videos or so are all just memes and like, entertaining videos. Um, and like, if you know your niche and you know your format, finding inspiration hooks are actually really easy because all you need to do is find million-view videos that have that are within your niche and like, you think relate to your product. So for me, like, um, I still do this every day where like, for an hour in the morning, I will go on TikTok and I will just scroll and scroll until I find, um, a million-view video that's within my niche and format, which is like memes for me. And then I'll save them to a collection. And then at the end of the hour, I'll look back on the collection and think like, 'How can I spin this into my startup idea? Like, how, like, how can I like, plug my startup here?' Um, and so I think that's really the only advice I can give to how you can create viral videos, like ideation-wise, but it's, it sounds like really bad advice, but it's, it's genuinely you just have to put in like, an unbelievable amount of volume because like, what works for me is not going to work for someone else."
"Yeah. I, I feel like the, the interesting part about UGC is I feel like it's a lot of the menial research part, like the research component is what I'm hearing."
"Interesting. Um, do you have any hacks for like, maybe the way that you scroll or like, curate your for you page, or like, if you utilize the search engines at all, or is it just like, scrolling until you see it?"
"For the meme format, like, I've gotten it down so my for you page only outputs study memes now. And I'm just like, so selective like, when I go through and scroll. Like, you have to be so disciplined when you're just scrolling. I'm sure like, this has happened to you where like, you'll see these memes and you're like, 'Wow, these are actually so funny.' And you'll stalk the guy's account and you're like, 'Oh, wait. No, I have to go back to scrolling memes again.' So I think just, yeah, just like, a lot of disappointment you're scrolling and understanding like, you're researching right now. You're not like, having fun. And then something I've been trying out recently, um, and this isn't really proven yet, but like, I'll write down like, an idea. So like, we're trying to double down on more conversion videos now. And so I've been trying to figure out like, what are like, hooks that I could start using for conversion video because that's more talking head. So another thing I've been doing right now is just like, if I have like, an idea. So like, let's say, um, like the other day I was thinking like, something along the lines of like, a girl best friend, like, how can we craft a hook around that? I'll, I'll search it up and then I'll look at the, the top performing videos in that category and see like, what hooks are they using? Why did that perform video perform well? What not. Um, but honestly, it's like, if you can research really well, creating videos is, creating videos is kind of the easy part. Like, researching a viral idea and like, formatting it to your startup is the harder part."
"Do you have any tips then to for essentially CTAs and adding in the startup component for UGC videos?"
"Yeah, CTA. Um, oh, that's a, that's a tough question. I feel like I'm like, every day I'm still like, pondering this too. I don't know. It's like, sometimes I've, I feel like I've done it so subtly that people don't even realize that like, I'm plugging my startup. Um, but another thing I've been seeing a lot of is engagement baiting where you have like, your friends comment like, 'Oh, what is that tool you're using?' And then you just respond like, 'Oh, it's, it's called Whisper Flow.' Um, so that's one way I've seen like, people bring more attention. But otherwise, like, yeah, I don't know. I haven't really had a, like, a, I would say I've gone very viral on top funnel and I'm trying to figure out how I can go viral on bottom funnel 'cause I think that's really like, the harder, the harder type of UGC to do well."
"The thing is though, it's like, I, I feel like it's a, you, you've danced the line really well without making it feel so much like an ad to the point where it's like, oh, like, I don't, like, it kills retention, you know? Like, that's the harder part that you've solved is that you've gotten like, talking head, like, with retention. Like, my, I've almost thought like, huh, how have you almost like, not forgotten to put the plug in there, you know? Or like, well, what was your thought when you, when you saw my video, like, the one that you commented on, like, 'This is a great UGC example.' Like, what were you thinking when you watched it?"
"I did not expect it to be UGC. So at first, I was like, 'Well, this happened to Richard. What the [ __ ]? Like, I'm watch, I'm I'm locked in. Like, what, what the?' And then I see Whisper Flow. I was like, 'Oh no, I just got caught.' And I was like, 'This is [ __ ] genius.' Like, I fully did not. I was so caught off guard by that. But that's like, I, as in like, I wouldn't even picked up the Whisper Flow plug if not for the fact that like, I'm super conscious of when I see like, a product demo, you know? So I was like, I was shocked because usually the product demos are also very obvious though. It's like, 'I made a website called blah blah blah dot com.' It's like, 'Okay, like, all right, scroll.' Like, I'll study it, but I won't like, feel like, 'This is good. This is good.' Like, I was so locked into the video. I was like, I was so retained, bro."
"Yeah. No, I think for, okay, for that series, um, for me, I was like, there's like, three different touch points I could use. One was like, text messages, one was emails, and the other was like, asking questions at ChatGPT. And I feel like these are like, everyday tasks that are really easy. And like, I was switching up the shots a lot. Like, if you, if you watch on the videos, I don't think I repeat the same shot or angle, um, ever, or like, if I do, it's maybe like, once. So for me, like, switching to the product demo feels very natural because I've already switched up the shot so many times that when you see the product demo, you're like, 'Oh, this is some of the shot that he's using. Oh, interesting. I, I see it now.'"
"Yeah, the shots are really well done. Like, they're constantly like, high and then close up and then like, the side angle."
"Yeah, definitely. Yeah, 'cause I think I think, um, you know, these are all like, the micro hacks that, like, this is not the reason why it goes viral, but like, when you have a good idea and like, you can execute the micro hacks, that's what takes it from like, let's say 100K to like, a million views. Yeah."
"I, I feel like these do all the fundamentals really well on top of being a really good idea. Like, the lighting is really good, too."
"Yeah. I know the, the lighting is super, like, I'm so conscious when I'm filming these videos of what lighting I'm using. Um, like, 'cause like, you know, it's the color theory, like, certain colors convey certain meanings and whatnot. Um, and yeah, it's like, again, like, I don't want the takeaway from this video to be like, 'You need to use good lighting in multiple shot, like, shot types.' Like, that's not what made this video go viral. What made the video go viral is that it's a really good idea and you, I knew how to execute the hook well, and then everything after that is kind of like the cherry on top that makes it go mega viral."
"Yeah, it's, I do think it's like, creators should definitely at least practice the basics. So it's like, practicing the same shot in like, basketball, like, a hundred times. Like, it's not necessarily going to, let's say, like, make you win a game, but like, when you need to pull it out, you already have it in your, in your arsenal of moves that you can just instantly, like, 'Oh, like, B-roll.' Like, you're like, 'Okay, this is a storytime video. I need to represent. I need a really hooking hook, like, visual hook to represent how my professor just texted me.' And then you've already, exactly what the shot looks like that would like, really feel captivating. And it's like, the, like, looking at the phone while, like, doing the facial expression. It's like, okay. And then all the, like, little Lego pieces added together makes it a really compelling video altogether too."
"Yeah. I, I also want to credit like, um, there was like, the phase in the beginning when I was building my personal brand. I think I made like, 18 videos in a row, the exact same format. I think like, we talk about, I'd start super close to my face. I put the camera down and it just transitioned to like, a [ __ ] ton of B-roll. And I think like, that two to three week span where I was only making those videos has really honed it in for me so that like, when I got to this, I was like, 'Oh, like, pull it out the bag. Like, we, we're ready to go. Like, we already know exactly how to do it and it doesn't take you like, four hours.' 'Cause, you know, when I first started making those videos, genuinely, every night it would take me like, three to four hours to make one of them. But now it's like, it's kind of like second nature because I put in so many reps in the past."
"Yeah, that that's such a great lesson too that I, I think a lot of people miss about content is like, 'Oh, like, I, it's not working right now. This is useless. Like, I'm, I've wasted my effort here spending 5 hours making a video that didn't like, blow up.' Why, why shouldn't I just spend 30 minutes making a [ __ ] and just like, you know?"
"Yeah. But you stack, it's it's all stacked learning. And like, I remember Prosper was telling me this when we were in person once when he..."
was starting content too, like this was before boyfriend maxing, before he even started making polish stuff. He was like, he watched me spend 12 straight hours on a video. I was like, he was literally like, saw me with the tism. I was like, bro, I see the vision, bro, trust, bro. Like, it was, we were mid-con conversation. I was like, wait, wait, wait, wait. And then he saw me spend an hour on one B-roll shot and he was like, "You're allowed to do that." Like, he almost felt like it was like wrong, you know? It's like, you need permission to spend that much effort on a video. And then like, once you see like, "Oh, it's normal to spend a good amount of effort on content because it's like taking a risk. You know, you spend a lot of time and it's okay even if it doesn't work out 'cause you like, you understand that it's okay."
And I think that's so important because a lot of people are just like, well, like, how do I min-max this, you know? How do I get maximum views for minimum effort? And I like, yeah, that's kind of sometimes a good like mindset so you're like more efficient. But when you're learning a new skill, I think it's just like, do whatever possible to to make the best quality video and eventually you'll be rewarded for it, but you won't see how, how it'll pan out at the beginning.
Yeah, I think the, the prime example of that is actually on my account. If you scroll back to the, the very beginning, I had two videos back to back that was like, how to rile up like my professor on LinkedIn. And I, I think I spent like two hours each on each of those videos just for them to get like 2k views. Um, but like, that's like a prime example of what you said where it's like, I tried it in the beginning and I realized like, oh, this is like, I can make a video like this and it's, I actually enjoyed making it and watching it afterwards, but it didn't go viral per se. So then when the professor series started, I was like, "Oh, okay." Like, you know, it's the same exact thing. You just got to remake it in a different way. Now, is it, is it possible to go on a date with my professor? Is it that? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I think it's a good video, but it, it doesn't have viral potential, you know? And that's like, you know, that's like this, this part that sucks. Like, sometimes you will make a video and you'll think it's like the best video in the world, but like, it won't go viral. Like, that's, you just kind of would be okay with that.
I think you said it once too in like your coaching calls where it was like, um, you know, at the end of the day, like, we make videos for fun and it's not because like, you know, like, not every video will go viral. And I think for me, like, when you said, I was like, yeah, he's so right. Like, you know, you have to make videos with like, no expectations because like, not every video is going to go viral. Yeah. And it's going to feel like a gut punch every single day if you're like, if it hurts that much every time it flops because it's like, let's say an average hit rate, especially if you're starting out, is like one out of 30. Like, you're going to take 29 like punches to the gut. And if you can't learn to like, take it with grace, then like, nobody's going to sit through 29 days of like, feeling like [ __ ]. Like, we're going to, we're going to stop on like, day 16 and be like, ah, like, this sucks. Like, it didn't work. But it's like, yeah, I think that's such a good point. It's part of it. 100%.
So, I guess last question here, and this is a subtle plug, uh, and you, you can answer this like however you want, but how, how has the content academy helped you like, and how have you like best utilized content academy like when starting out? Honestly, I feel like nowadays I don't use content academy as much as I, I used to. Um, and it's honestly because my first two months I was really active in content academy. Like, I went to like, basically every coaching calls. I was doing the content reviews. I was pretty active in the chat and like, you know, 'cause I was only really growing my personal brand. Um, but I think after a certain point, I learned what format worked best for me and I learned what video types I like to do. And I think what content academy does really well is really, it teaches you like from a first principles perspective, like why videos do well and why videos do bad. And then also taking you from like, not knowing how to make a video to making your very first video. And then just that feedback loop, like going to these coaching calls. I remember the first couple times I went, I just get my videos torn to shreds and I would just be like, be so sad after the call being like, I thought that was such a good video, like, like what, like they hated it. Um, but that's kind of part of the process. It's like, you need someone to tell you like, "Yeah, your stuff sucks and here's how to improve it." Um, 'cause like, that's, that is the best advice. Like, that's the advice that you need to hear in the beginning. Um, and kind of just going through that, that cycle we were just talking about where it's like, you can go, like, your first 30 videos. I remember like, I tell this story all the time. My first 28 videos, 27 videos didn't even break 2K views. Like, it was like a couple hundred, maybe a thousand sometimes. The 28th video. And I remember like, when I created the video, I was thinking like, I really like this video. I think it's going to be a good one. I really hope it does well. It's, it's at like 1 million views now. Um, but like, there was a point, there was genuinely a point in the, when I was creating the first 27 videos, where I thought like, maybe I'm not cut out for this. Like, maybe this isn't for me. Um, but like, every day I'd like, like, I'd wake up the next morning, like, no, I'm going to try one more time. I'm going to try one more time. And then I'd say, like, once you taste the success once, um, you realize like, low key, it's like more, even more pressure after that because then you're like, now I have to recreate this, like, I have to like, do as well again. But it, like, finally validates like all the hard work you did. And I think, yeah, content academy, I, I, I tell this to people all the time. You know, I think Content Academy was probably like, one of the best thousand investments I made in my life. Like, it, it did single-handedly like change the course of my life and what I thought was possible, um, just because I started making content and like, you know, it, I think it does a really good job of creating a community that like holds each other accountable. And I've met a lot of really cool people through it. And, you know, I look forward to being part of the community in the future and like, coming to, I don't know when the next in-person events are, but like, I look forward to like, coming out to those as well.
Yeah, next one, it's going to be in, uh, December in New York again. So if you're back in the area, pull up. Fire. Yeah, I'll definitely, I'll probably fly out because I've been telling my friends I got to go visit them. So make it two birds of one stone. Dude, that's awesome. I, I really hear, I really appreciate hearing that, dude. I think like, that's the whole goal is like, get everybody to that first point of like, proof. 'Cause once you get proof on your own, you don't need to necessarily like, hear it constantly that it's possible, like, it's possible from other people. See that it's possible from other people, 'cause now you have your own data set. But until then, I think that's the power of like, a community is like, it, it doesn't feel real until like, you see it yourself. So you kind of need to see real examples of other people. And I think that's what you're doing now. It's like, so many like, Andrew to you, when you saw, holy [ __ ], this dude went from, like, first month 10k, like, what, what, like $10,000 the first month of UGC? Like, that doesn't sound real until you see like, no, this guy, Andrew, a college student, went and did that. And then now, like, you're probably that example to a lot of people in the community where like, wait, what, like, Richard just grew it from 50 followers to 20,000 in 10 days? Like, huh? And, and now there's so many people who are probably like, "Okay, like, bet. If he can do it, bro, I can, dude." And I think that's the, like, that's the epic feedback loop that happens when like, everyone else there is like, so dialed into. Yeah, definitely.
I also really like, um, like, actually shout out, shout out to Henry. When I was first starting, like, he used to give me so much feedback. And he had like, I think he was like 20k followers at that point. I was just thinking like, wow, like, that's kind of crazy. Like, there's people who are like, experienced, like, giving me feedback and and whatnot. And like, I've been doing a bad job of this, but like, every once in a while, I'll go into the content reviews channel and I'll just like, dissect videos for like, half an hour straight. And like, I think like, there are a lot of people, I think, who like, try to give back to the community, which I think is like, it's, you know, that's a really good thing that the community is active. And every time I come back, like, um, you know, I've gotten a lot of people actually like DM me like asking like, oh, can, can we talk? Like, I've seen your videos do well. And like, I feel like I'm starting to establish like, I guess, the social proof now, uh, where like, people actually like want to hear my thoughts and like, what I have to say about content. Dude, that's awesome, bro. I, I genuinely hope like, uh, I, I hope you know that you're, you're probably like, right now inspiring so many people to like, go after it and like, keep going, dude. Yeah, I really, I really hope so. Um, yeah, thank you so much for that. Yeah, dude. I'm excited for this to go up on, uh, on YouTube and in the academy as well. Like, dude, there's like, good sauce here. I, I think especially the research component for a lot of people doing UGC. It's like, I, I think it's really, I've seen it firsthand. Like, a lot of people view UGC with like, a, ah, like, I'm just going to like, copy the format, like, you know, like, oh, like, it doesn't work, like, ah, you know, the account's dead, like, I need to warm up my account more. Like, I hear that all the time. It's like, oh, my account's not warm enough. I'm like, no, dude, you just got to make more videos. Like, what are you doing? My account's not warming up. Dude, that's so funny, bro. Like, I never heard about this until UGC. And I think what makes it like, a, a valid excuse now is that because people are making multiple accounts. But like, this was never a thing in personal branding. Like, yeah, like, it might take a little bit, but like, that's not the reason why the videos aren't dead for a month straight. Like, yeah, 100%.
Dude, that, that's awesome. Like, I guess my final question here is to, to somebody who's like, looking to start, they're, they're like, man, like, if, I guess, if you talk to your former self when he was on the cusp of of starting or or whenever it was most difficult, honestly, and you had one piece of advice, what would you give him? That's really hard. I actually, um, I really recently saw this clip of Daniel Mint, actually, your friend, um, and it's like, what's the one secret sauce to going viral every time? And he's like, oh, there's no secret sauce. And actually, like, it's really hard and difficult. But if it was easy, then everyone would be doing it. And I feel like that is what you need to keep reminding yourself. Like, if you're, if you keep flopping your videos, keep flopping, and it's hard, um, that's part of the process. And I actually think it's like, a disservice if you, if you go viral on your second or third video because now you've like, just kind of thought like, oh, it's so easy. Like, I've already gained like, 20,000, 30,000 views. But like, I think people who are like, able to stomach like, 30, 40, 50, 60 videos straight of flops and then get successful, end up being a lot more, um, like prominent, successful over time because they understand that pain. And so I guess the best advice I'd give to my former self is like, if it gets hard, just know that like, um, you know, it's, it's supposed to be, it's supposed to be this way. And also like, everybody around you probably has quit at this point. So every day that you keep going forward is like, you're beating out the competition by like, one more day. And so like, the longer you can go and the longer you can stomach this failure, the more successful you'll actually be. Quote from the great Daniel Vin. Bro, I like that a lot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
No, I, I think that's like, honestly, the best piece of advice you ever need when you're creating content. It's like, it's genuinely, it's just how long can you sustain failure for, um, before like, you give up? 'Cause content is like, it's kind of like life. Like, it's an infinite game. As long as you keep trying, like, you can win with content. Yeah. Wow. It's. And it, I, I know there's going to be somebody out there being like, man, like, ah, like, bro, like, oh, brother. But it's true, dude. It's. And how many, how many examples are there where you see like, like, I saw this with Daniel, I saw this with Prosper, I saw this with myself. It's like, it was always around like, 60 to 90 days of like, actually putting in effort. I think that's the distinction too. A lot of people hear me say, "Yo, 90 days is usually when it takes to like, really start seeing like, exponential growth in content," but they'll like, won't actually try. They'll just be like, waiting, okay, around 90 days of me just putting in five out of 10 effort every single day. Oh, where, where is it? It's, it's, it's like, it has to feel painful almost because that's what makes it rare. That's what makes success rare to genuinely put your full 100% creative effort and love into a video and then see the algorithm [ __ ] slap it in the face and be like, "Yo, this was not good." Yeah, dude. That was like the first month of me creating content, just felt like that. It's like, I would pour, I'd come home from like, a workday, like 9 to 5, and I think from like, 6:00 PM until like, 11:00, right? Like, four to five hours straight, like scripting, ideating, filming the video, filming the B-roll, editing, and all of that. And then I put it out there, like, 400 views. And I'm just like, "Oh my god." Like, "Am I going to do this again tomorrow? Like, am I going to wake up and like, put up another stinker?" Um, but yeah, it's like, I feel like everybody, everyone who's ever made content and like, has become really successful has gone through that phase. Like, I'm so confident. Like, no one's ever like, picked up the camera and instantly like, became like, million, million view videos every single day. Like, I refuse to believe that that's true. Yeah.
And and I actually noticed too, people who don't do that usually struggle to pivot. And usually like, the first sign of like, okay, like, this content strategy I was doing earlier on isn't working anymore. A lot of times I'll notice like, like people falling off like after they've gotten really quick early success too. I don't know, maybe I'm just like hating or something, but like, it's like, I, I feel like pivoting also kind of exposes that where the people who understand that actual grueling process of starting again, like, will be able to pivot better too. And I think that's what makes like, you or somebody like Daniel, like, like, I have so much faith that like, whatever avenue you take, this, it'll work because it's not just a factor of like, oh, you got lucky or anything. Like, it, it, it was a matter of like, the character that you built and how that like, built you the discipline to actually stick through any kind of long period of drought. Yeah, 100%. Yeah, that is really the defining factor. I feel like it's like, just pushing through when there's no success and when there's no promise of success, even. That's awesome, bro. I, I think that's a great way to like, finish the, the pod, dude. I, I really appreciate your time.