That Feeling When Your Hard Work Starts to Pay Off…Literally.

When we last met, I was tired. Very tired. I was tired of working for free, and I was tired of being tired from staying up too late working for free. I knew that I had to do something: no longer accept unpaid work. I’d created a Media Kit and Rate Card that I posted here on this website. I also linked to my Media Kit through my Link in Bio that I use primarily on Instagram, since they only allow you the one link (for now). Well, it’s turned out to be the absolute best thing that I could’ve possibly done for the progression of my Content Creation journey!

How I have been feeling about working lately.

In that Link in Bio, which brings in lots of collaboration requests from brands and marketing companies each month, I placed the “My Media Kit and Rate Card” link as close to the top of the list as I could while not hiding away links from current or recent collaborations. This past month, since posting my Media Kit and Rate Card, I brought in at least as many jobs as I normally do through my Link in Bio, if not more, but this month was different. Well, it’s the same, but it’s different. The difference? The majority of the offers that I’m getting now either offer a paid rate, or they at least seem to acknowledge that I’ll be expecting the collaboration to be paid, and we move on to negotiations. Sure, a few certainly have no intention of paying for my work, and I move on from those offers. I’ve had to turn down a lot of jobs this month because they were unpaid, and some were just not a good fit. It’s typical for me to have to turn down jobs in any given month for the reasons given, but it’s only increased since I’ve made this promise to myself. I can’t do my best on the pretty big (and also paid) workload I’ve got now if I’m adding on collaborations that don’t pay. I could instead add more paid jobs. You get the idea here.

At the beep, the time will be…

Now, this next part is brand new for me, and boy, is it welcome! Before posting my Media Kit where anyone could access it, I would rarely be offered to be paid for my work. I’ve always had to ask. I’m not talking about negotiating. What I’m referring to is asking something, such as, “Do you have a budget for Creators,” or something to that effect. Sure, I tried and at times succeeded in being paid despite this, but the expectations were mostly that I wouldn’t request compensation. There’s a pretty big reason for this, and I’d like to dedicate a blog post to the topic soon. It’s because there are so many Creators out there that will work for free and all no questions, and this is a pretty big problem for the Creator economy as a whole. (Bookmark this website, and stay tuned for a post about this and more about the Creator economy!) Thankfully, things seem to have changed for me for the good, and I’m hoping they continue to get better. Simply put, I need to be paid for my work if I’m going to work full-time as a Creator, which is the only thing that I want to do and have been working toward for the past 5 years or so. I’m 38 years old, I’m unmarried, and I take care of myself, so there’s no one out here paying my bills. I have to do that myself, and I can’t pay my bills by working pro bono forever. If I knew that things would change so drastically and so quickly by simply posting my Media Kit where it can be accessed by brands for potential collaborations, then I’d have taken it more seriously and done it long ago! That’s alright. I like to think that things happen when they’re supposed to happen, and now is the time!

There’s no time like the present.

A lot of my previous paid work was mostly posted on Instagram. That’s changed. A good bit of the work I’m currently doing seems to be mostly away from Instagram, although that’s generally where I’m being found and contacted by brands or companies. Things seem to be changing a bit more, though. Since my last post, I’ve gotten more paid offers than I can handle. Some of these offers have been really awesome, and some not so great, but that’s totally normal. The point is: they’re paid offers. I’ve still got a few “free posts” that I’m working on, but these were already established relationships. I haven’t taken on any new work that isn’t paid. I honestly don’t have any time in my schedule for any more work at this moment, especially if it’s unpaid work. This is going to be a crazy busy month, and I’m more than ok with that!

The work never ends. That’s why I’m no longer doing work for free.

In addition to my Freelance Creator endeavors, I’ve applied to a few Social Media Creator positions through LinkedIn, one of which I’ve got a seriously good feeling about. My “pre-interview call,” as I call it, was nothing short of great! The person from the company that called me was insanely cool, easy to talk to, and she had lots to talk about. Her outgoing personality successfully removed all nervousness from my mind. Needless to say, we hit it off immediately, and we had a really awesome conversation. I feel good vibes and a good energy about the whole thing, so we’ll see how things go this next week! Wish me luck! I’ll be sure to update you on what happened, so make sure to bookmark my site, so you’ll never miss a thing!

I’ve got my fingers crossed!

This is all one huge step in the right direction, and I couldn’t be happier! I’m happy that I’m finally being paid for my hard work because I decided to make the move toward only paid work. It’s working out greater than I’d expected in this short amount of time, and I’m grateful for that. I’m also feeling great about the job that I had the pre-interview call with! It’s an amazing position. I won’t tell you too much about it now, but let’s just say that if I got this job, it would change my life and my father’s for the best. Here’s to things only getting better!

I’ll talk to you again soon to update you on all of these awesome collaborations that I’m working on, the results of my job interview (hopefully), and anything else that happens between now and then! Until then, come over and hang out with me on my Instagram page! That’s where I always am, and I’d love to talk to you! 🤗❤️

Bookmark my site, so you can easily check out all of my New Posts!

Advertisement

I’m doing Livestreams now, too?

It’s funny how we end up traveling the roads that we didn’t think we’d walk down!

I am now an Official BIGO LIVE Host! Anyone can Livestream on BIGO, but “Hosts” must be recruited by an agency through BIGO, and pass an audition in order to become an Official Host. The difference? Hosts make money, while regular Livestreamers do not, since we technically work for BIGO LIVE. Plus, we have quotas to meet, including a lot of Livestreaming hours, so I’ll be doing a lot of Live Broadcasts that you should totally come watch!

That’s the short version of the story for now!

If you’re reading this, then I’d like to invite you to stop by my Livestream tonight! I’m scheduled to go Live at 6:00 P.M. EST, but I may be on a bit earlier, which would be between 5:30 and 5:45 P.M.

My user name is KateExperience. Come find my profile OR here’s a handy little link that will take you directly to my profile. And don’t worry: signing up is free, so don’t forget to sign up, so you can watch!!!

I hope to see you tonight! If not tonight, then find me, KateExperience, on BIGO LIVE, and my posts will tell you when I’m going Live next!

See you tonight!!!

Watch my Livestream at 6:00 P.M. EST tonight! ——–> https://slink.bigovideo.tv/8cNeG3

Blogging, How I’ve Missed Thee

Have you ever been so interested in something, started to do that something, and got distracted and moved on to something else? That’s exactly what happened to me and blogging.

Writing is and has always been one of my absolute favorite things to do. As a child, I was a huge fan of reading. I can remember the feeling I’d get when I found out we were going to the library to pick out some new reads. It was an intense feeling that I’ve not experienced much as an adult. The rush of dopamine was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. In retrospect, I now know that this wonderful feeling that I was experiencing was passion.

My passion for reading helped to develop an even greater passion: my passion for writing. I used to write a lot. As a kid, I loved to write short stories. As I got older, I started to feel an intense need to write a book. But why? And about what? I still don’t know the answers to these questions. I’ve tried tons of times, but the perfectionist in me would always get stuck on that important first sentence, and without realizing I was abandoning my love, I’d soon find myself moving onto my next interest. Plus, my passion for writing kept taking me in new directions. The intense feeling to write a book that I’d once had eventually developed into an intense need to write articles. I suppose it makes sense, having once been obsessed with writing short stories. I wanted to express myself, but I wanted to get my point across in a more condensed fashion.

Not long ago, I have in to the whole blogging thing and created my own. I didn’t expect anyone to be interested enough to actually want to read what I’ve written. I still don’t. But that doesn’t matter much to me. There’s never been a love for attention to my work attached to my love for writing. I just want to do what I enjoy. If people find it interesting, then that’s just a pretty cool bonus.

After creating my blog, I planned on being consistent and writing at least a few blog posts per week. My plan was successful for about a week or two, but I soon found myself moving on to another activity yet again. It’s disappointing to think about, but if you love something enough, you always come back to it. My love for writing has only grown over time, and it’s brought me back to my blog.

I’ve got plans to continue writing for my blog and being consistent, but I’m doing everything I can to not move on to anything else and neglect my blog again. I’m researching ways to be consistent while still being able to incorporate other passions, likes, and work into my life. Plus, now that I’ve been a Beauty Influencer and Content Creator for a few years, contributing to my blog almost goes hand in hand with my work, which is a total blessing! I’ve got a lot to write about, which has always been a problem for me. I know, I know: that sounds like a great problem to have, right? It’s not. My OCD overloads my brain with so many ideas that it’s nearly impossible to pick only one.

In an attempt to help turn this overwhelming feeling into something that will help me, I’ve begun to find ways to narrow down my ideas. They may have been narrowed down, but there are still more ideas than I know what to do with. Having this many ideas is exactly what causes me (and others) to subconsciously become overwhelmed with the task at hand and subsequently move onto the next idea or task.

Here’s the plan: I’m not going to try to choose the best idea from my list of ideas: I’m going to close my eyes, point my finger, wave it around, and let it drop onto the list. That will be the blog post that I write that day. The only exception will be if there is something pressing that I feel the strong need to write about. Now, this is just an experiment, so I’m not sure how well it will work, but I’m giving it a shot!

I’m excited to get back to blogging! I’ve got so much to write about, and I’d love to share with you my experiences being a Content Creator, because there are a lot of really interesting situations I’ve been in that would make for great reading. No more procrastinating. No more being overwhelmed with my excess of blog post ideas. I’m jumping back into the blog pool head first, and I’m going to make it to the other end without taking a rest on the edge.

I Landed My First Paid Influencer Job!

I Did It!!!

I did it! I just landed my very first PAID Influencer job!

Since my last entry, I’ve been having issues with my video equipment and other technical problems, which led me to invest in a few greatly needed upgrades. This has delayed my first YouTube videos from being recorded.

In the meantime, I’ve been hustling to get more jobs. I’m very happy to say that I’ve landed quite a few jobs. They’re all jobs that require my review and promotion in exchange for their product(s). I’ll have lots of videos on my YouTube Channel and product photos and reviews on my Instagram page. Keep an eye out for all of the new content I’ve got coming. Once I start to post these upcoming product review photos and videos, they’re going to become consistent, so I’ll be pumping them out!

Some of these “product in exchange for review” jobs that I’ve gotten include several skincare products, several haircare products, a couple of fashionable apparel and accessory jobs (I’m very excited to start doing these), hair supplements, CBD products, plus more that I’m surely forgetting off the top of my head. If you’re following me on Instagram and YouTube, then you’ll be seeing a lot of new content from these jobs (and unsponsored content) very soon.

Yesterday, I received an email from one of the Influencer marketing websites that I’m a member of, and they introduced and connected me with the owner of a company that I’ve pitched to recently. When I checked my email this afternoon, I’d recieved an email directly from the owner of this company. They want to work with me, too, which is great. I’ll tell you all about them and my new job in my next entry after we’ve officially sealed the deal!

The job is a lot like all of the other jobs that I have right now: receive a few product, promote the brand and their products, and work for commission. I’ll be working as an affiliate with them, as I do with several of the other companies that I’ll be promoting. Of course, I’ll try my hardest to promote the brands and their products, create the very best content that I can for them, and if I’m lucky, I’ll make some commission. I’m just happy to be getting so much experience!

There’s one difference with this new job: I’m going to be paid for my posts! This may not sound all that exciting to you, and I would understand that. The thing is that I’ve just reached one of my goals! Up until now, I’ve only been receiving products from brands as my payment, which I’m very grateful for, as it gives me lots of experience, and I get to try a lot of new products. Now, I’m on Cloud Nine because I’ve reached one of my goals sooner than I’d expected!

To say that I’m excited would be an understatement. Sure, I’m excited to be paid for my content, but it feels bigger than that. I’ve just reached a goal that I’ve had, and I’ve reached it much sooner that I’d expected. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment. It’s a lot of work just looking for Influencer jobs, and it’s even more work once you get jobs. It can get a little discouraging at times, especially when you’re flat broke. To finally get a paying Influencer job means that all of this hustling that I’ve been doing is really working, and it’s actually paying off – literally. It’s not a lot of money, by any means, but this is just the start of the next chapter in my journey. I’m strapped in for the ride, and I’m ready to go!

Stay tuned, because I’ll certainly be keeping you all updated on my journey! I’ll tell you more about the job itself as soon as I’ve signed my paperwork and made it official! I can’t wait to tell you more, because the product is extremely unique. It’s very cool!

Come back to visit my blog to hear more about this new chapter of my journey! You can also find me (and my upcoming content) on Instagram and YouTube. I hope to see and talk to you soon on my main accounts! ❤

It’s Almost Here!

Get ready, get set, GO!

❤ No More Tech Issues! ❤

I’ve been trying to record these first videos for my YouTube Channel for a while now and telling you that they’re coming. Well, I’ve been having tech issue after tech issue (can you tell how new I am to this lol).

I’m happy to say that I’m 99.9% positive that I’ve fixed everything, propped everything up right, got my settings right, and learned A LOT about making YouTube videos in the process!!

With that being said, I’m gonna record 1 or 2 videos early today. However, I’ve yet to try to tackle video editing software…ever. lol. That’s alright! I WILL get at least 1 video up today if it’s the last thing that I do!!!!

I’ll post again when it’s finally a wrap and recorded, edited, and uploaded onto my brand NEW YouTube Channel!!! Keep an eye out for my next blog entry! Love you all! ❤

Don’t forget: I still have an announcement for you! Tune in to find out what it is! 😘

Subscribe Now! I’ve got a TON of videos on my schedule to be recorded, and I’m constantly adding more. If you enjoy Beauty, Lifestyle, and Wellness content, then this is the YouTube Channel for you! My Channel is going to be highly active, and I’ll be consistently uploading new content! Expect to see at least a few new videos every week! So go ahead and Subscribe! You’re not going to want to miss a thing!

A Big Thanks to Steff & Her Beauty Stash!

I want to give a huge thank you to Steff for this post. She may not have shared her journey with us just to give people hope, but she gave me hope.

Our stories are quite similar, less the doctorate degree and educational work. I’m 36 years old, and I’m just now starting up my own YouTube Channel, which will also focus mainly on beauty of all sorts, and her story just spoke to me. I couldn’t have read this incredibly helpful blog entry at a better time. I’ve been feeling a little nervous, because my journey is so close to beginning, and it’s kind of had me in a funk. The closer I come to recording that first video and writing that first blog entry, the more nervous I become, which often leads me to “put it off” until I shake the jitters off. Well, after reading this entry, I know what I need to do: I need to dive right in and just do it!

The closest I’ve come to recording my first unboxing video was just today. I got showered, got myself ready, and tried setting up the video, all the while becoming more and more nervous. I say “tried” to set up the video because my ring light won’t stand up on its own. It seems I’ve lost a pretty important screw that holds the light up, which is crucial in keeping the ring light from toppling over. Without this screw, the ring light is nothing more than a bright paperweight. I’m just about certain my dog got to the screw. In other words, it’s gone. That’s alright, because I’ll find a way to prop it up! I’m very resilient, and I refuse to give up. I WILL record my first video, and I’ll do it ASAP!

I’m happy to have read this blog entry. It’s given me that extra little push that I needed! Now, thanks to the hope that this entry has instilled in me, I’m ready to roll! Heck, if my father weren’t sleeping in the next room of this small apartment, then I’d be recording videos right now instead of writing! Alas, I must wait just a bit longer.

I’m more than ready to get this YouTube and blogging journey started! I’m also going to begin blogging as I’m beginning to grow my YouTube Channel. I feel like it’s perfect to have their releases on or around the same time. I have so much to say and write about. I’ve esb been accepted into 2 collaborations in which I’ll be guest writing on others’ blogs/communities! I’m really happy about landing those gigs, because I think it’s not only perfect timing but also a great way to gain a bit of exposure. I definitely need more exposure, but I’ll be writing a blog entry specifically about that at another time.

This extra hope that I feel was the virtual kick in the butt that I needed, and I owe that to Steff! Had I not read this post at this very moment, I may not have felt as great about my upcoming journey as I do now.

Check out all of the amazing content that Steff has to offer! You can find all that you need on her website, https://www.steffsbeautystash.com ❤