In my discussion with Aash, you may have noticed me referring to him as a content creator and some of you may be wondering what exactly a content creator is. A content creator can be simply defined as “someone who creates entertaining or educational material to be expressed through any medium or channel”. In this day and age, there are more and more content creators as people are finding ways to express their creativity - be it through TikTok, Youtube or Instagram to name a few platforms. The prospect of being a content creator is getting more and more popular, particularly amongst Gen Z, especially as 77% of brands want to work with micro-influencers (between 5,000 to 100,000 followers). I think it is worth mentioning a few companies doing some cool things in the content creation and Gen Z space, you should definitely check them out:

• XPO - Invoices, Taxes and Accounting for Content Creators
• TapIn - Trusted Career Advice for Gen Z
• Imagen Insights - Brutally Honest Global Gen Z Insights
• FanBytes - Social Media and Influencer Marketing Agency

If you’re thinking of becoming a content creator, I would strongly advise you share content that aligns with your passions or what you genuinely want people to know. That can be ways to stay productive, fashion blogging, how to get shredded or personal finance like Aash. There is already a large amount of content out there so don’t worry if it is not 100% unique. With time you will find your niche and add your own spin to it where people will be flocking to hear from YOU. Aash touched upon a significant barrier for many which is “analysis paralysis” which basically describes the situation where you get so obsessed with minor details that you become paralyzed and don't take action nor make progress. Don’t let this get in the way of making content Aash said, just start.

GaryVee the social media mogul

One person who advocates this “just start” mantra is Gary Vee. Gary Vee is a prolific entrepreneur who has had an impact on both me and Aash. His projects, such as VeeFriends - which is an NFT community-building initiative - are always cutting edge. Gary is also a very successful content creator and his content model provides a brilliant blueprint for content creators at any stage.

TikTok Pays

While it may not be a career in itself, TikTok certainly pays. Aash was kind enough to share how to earn on TikTok. The TikTok creator fund is available to creators with over 10k followers where TikTok pays you per 1000 views. Brand partnerships are more lucrative though and you’re able to negotiate with them. Prominent TikTokers can charge from £1000 per 100k followers to promote a good or service to their mass following. Finally, you can monetise your audience by selling your own products which Aash did with his valuable monthly budgeting template.

Imposter Syndrome

When I asked whether Aash feels like a fraud, that was not a malicious dig at him whatsoever. Rather, I wanted to address a prevalent issue in the world of content creation, where many might come across you and question your credibility to speak on topics such as finance, especially as you become more popular. Sometimes this may lead to imposter syndrome, which describes a feeling of being unwelcome in a space and feel like an intruder. This is not easy to overcome but here are some tips on how to do so:

Knowing your value

In life, you have to be your own biggest fan. Know what you bring to the table and how it helps others and keep track of your successes as proof to refer to when your confidence is low.

Be confident, don't let people knock it.

Similar to the last point, it’s important to be self-assured because people may try to knock your confidence but as long as you know your worth, you’ll be fine.

Always be ready to learn and remain humble

The most intelligent people in life acknowledge how little they know, so it’s important to keep humble no matter how successful you are because you can learn from anyone.

Top five valuable books you’ve read that helped with finance?

Rich Dad Poor Dad, Cashflow Quadrant, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, The Little Book Of Common Sense Investing and Think and Grow Rich

Three valuable videos you’ve watched that you consider life-changing?

Tai Lopez's Garage video ad 🤣

None other than thar really stick out but always watched a bunch of motivational videos from the popular speakers and interviews like Tony Robbins, Jim Quik, Impact Theory, Gary Vee, etc.

How did you save your first £1000?

Chip has been a great app so far, but that's just a personal opinion, saves for you automatically depending on how much you have in your account. But in terms of doing it manually, depending on your situation, every time you get paid or have some sort of money comes into your account, put a certain percentage of it into your savings account straight away.

How to get started as a content creator on TikTok

Avoid analysis paralysis. All you really need is something to shoot a video with. Just choose a niche that you're passionate about or interested in and just document your journey or teach people what you've learned / learning or even entertainment.

Listen to the full episode on a platform of your choice: https://linktr.ee/valuablepodcast