Creating Viral Content for Instagram and TikTok #shorts
Published on: December 5 2022 by Social Media Examiner
Creating Viral Content for Instagram and TikTok #shorts
Table of Contents
Creating Viral Content for Instagram and TikTok #shorts
| startTime | durationTime | text |
| 00:00:00 | 00:00:01 | - By combining those things, |
| 00:00:01 | 00:00:02 | having those elements of polarity |
| 00:00:02 | 00:00:05 | is what sparked the conversation |
| 00:00:05 | 00:00:06 | that got my videos off the grounds |
| 00:00:06 | 00:00:08 | and into the algorithms ultimately. |
| 00:00:08 | 00:00:11 | (bright music) |
| 00:00:11 | 00:00:13 | - Today, I'm very excited to be joined by Kat Norton. |
| 00:00:13 | 00:00:14 | If you don't know who Kat is, you need to know who she is. |
| 00:00:14 | 00:00:17 | She's a content strategist and coach |
| 00:00:17 | 00:00:21 | who helps businesses effortlessly scale their business. |
| 00:00:21 | 00:00:24 | She's also the Founder and Chief Excel Officer |
| 00:00:24 | 00:00:25 | at Miss Excel. |
| 00:00:25 | 00:00:26 | Kat, welcome to the show. |
| 00:00:26 | 00:00:27 | How are you doing today? |
| 00:00:27 | 00:00:30 | - Thank you so much for having me, I'm doing great. |
| 00:00:30 | 00:00:31 | - I'm super excited that you're here today. |
| 00:00:31 | 00:00:33 | And what we're gonna explore today |
| 00:00:33 | 00:00:38 | is how to create viral content on TikTok and Instagram. |
| 00:00:38 | 00:00:41 | My notes said virtual, I'm glad I didn't say virtual, |
| 00:00:41 | 00:00:43 | but I'm going to say viral, |
| 00:00:43 | 00:00:44 | and we're gonna keep that in there. |
| 00:00:44 | 00:00:47 | So Kat before we go down the fascinating trails |
| 00:00:47 | 00:00:49 | that I know are gonna be absolutely amazing |
| 00:00:49 | 00:00:51 | when people hear everything you've been doing. |
| 00:00:51 | 00:00:54 | I wanna back up a little bit and tok about your story, |
| 00:00:54 | 00:00:55 | 'cause I think your story in its own right |
| 00:00:55 | 00:00:57 | is absolutely amazing. |
| 00:00:57 | 00:01:00 | So tell everybody how you got into TikTok, |
| 00:01:00 | 00:01:04 | start wherever you wanna start, I can't wait to hear it. |
| 00:01:04 | 00:01:05 | - Absolutely. |
| 00:01:05 | 00:01:08 | So this is my favorite story to tok about |
| 00:01:08 | 00:01:12 | and it really begins back in March of 2020. |
| 00:01:12 | 00:01:14 | So with the start of the pandemic, |
| 00:01:14 | 00:01:18 | I found myself no longer traveling |
| 00:01:18 | 00:01:20 | every week for work with my day job |
| 00:01:20 | 00:01:23 | and I was really back in my parents' house |
| 00:01:23 | 00:01:26 | and questioning what I was doing with my life, |
| 00:01:26 | 00:01:29 | what's my purpose, what lights me up. |
| 00:01:29 | 00:01:31 | And since I was no longer traveling, |
| 00:01:31 | 00:01:32 | I had all this extra time on my hand. |
| 00:01:32 | 00:01:35 | So I went deep into a rabbit hole |
| 00:01:35 | 00:01:39 | of improving myself, reading books, doing meditations |
| 00:01:39 | 00:01:41 | and all different things to try to eventually |
| 00:01:41 | 00:01:43 | reach a higher version of myself. |
| 00:01:43 | 00:01:45 | So I'm down this rabbit hole. |
| 00:01:45 | 00:01:48 | It's March, April, May. |
| 00:01:48 | 00:01:51 | And all of a sudden I start getting these intuitive hits |
| 00:01:51 | 00:01:53 | for business ideas. |
| 00:01:53 | 00:01:55 | And I'll never forget I was on the phone |
| 00:01:55 | 00:01:57 | with one of my best friends, Anna |
| 00:01:57 | 00:01:59 | and we were toking about different business ideas, |
| 00:01:59 | 00:02:01 | things I could do to take on a side hustle |
| 00:02:01 | 00:02:04 | now that I had some more time on my hands. |
| 00:02:04 | 00:02:06 | And I remember her being like, |
| 00:02:06 | 00:02:09 | what if you put the Excel tips on TikTok. |
| 00:02:09 | 00:02:11 | 'Cause backstory at my day job |
| 00:02:11 | 00:02:14 | on top of doing the securitization reviews for banks, |
| 00:02:14 | 00:02:17 | I was also hosting Excel trainings internally |
| 00:02:17 | 00:02:19 | for the company because it was something |
| 00:02:19 | 00:02:20 | I had always loved to do. |
| 00:02:21 | 00:02:24 | So she was like, what if he put the tips on TikTok? |
| 00:02:24 | 00:02:27 | And initially I had a lot of resistance. |
| 00:02:27 | 00:02:31 | I was like, TikTok, I'm 27 with a corporate job |
| 00:02:31 | 00:02:34 | I can't just start dancing on TikTok. |
| 00:02:34 | 00:02:39 | But my gut was like, make the TikTok. |
| 00:02:39 | 00:02:41 | So for the next like 48 hours, |
| 00:02:41 | 00:02:44 | I remember my brain and my gut were at war. |
| 00:02:44 | 00:02:46 | It was like my brain being like, |
| 00:02:46 | 00:02:48 | you absolutely cannot do this. |
| 00:02:48 | 00:02:51 | And my gut was like, you must do this. |
| 00:02:51 | 00:02:54 | And I'll never forget it was a Friday afternoon, |
| 00:02:54 | 00:02:57 | my schedule magically clears like three o'clock, |
| 00:02:57 | 00:02:59 | calendar invites fallen off. |
| 00:02:59 | 00:03:01 | And I was like, all right, I'm going to do |
| 00:03:01 | 00:03:04 | a dry run of this whole TikTok thing. |
| 00:03:04 | 00:03:05 | And this is early stage pandemic. |
| 00:03:05 | 00:03:08 | So I was not doing my hair or makeup for anything |
| 00:03:08 | 00:03:08 | at that point. |
| 00:03:08 | 00:03:11 | So I'm like, all right, I'm just gonna do a test run. |
| 00:03:11 | 00:03:12 | I'm in my childhood bedroom, |
| 00:03:12 | 00:03:14 | I move the furniture out of the way. |
| 00:03:14 | 00:03:18 | And I film myself to this vision that I had, |
| 00:03:18 | 00:03:21 | which was me teaching the left and right functions |
| 00:03:21 | 00:03:24 | in Excel to that Drake song, the "Toosie Slide". |
| 00:03:24 | 00:03:26 | Left foot up, right slide, |
| 00:03:26 | 00:03:27 | to the left and the right function. |
| 00:03:27 | 00:03:32 | So I record this video and I look back and I'm like, |
| 00:03:32 | 00:03:35 | oh, this is actually really cool. |
| 00:03:35 | 00:03:37 | And if you haven't seen my content before |
| 00:03:37 | 00:03:39 | the typical style or least way it started out |
| 00:03:39 | 00:03:41 | was me dancing to a trending song |
| 00:03:41 | 00:03:44 | with the Excel screen above my head |
| 00:03:44 | 00:03:46 | and step by step showing what it is, |
| 00:03:46 | 00:03:49 | kinda tapping into that type of content. |
| 00:03:50 | 00:03:53 | So I love the video I made and I'm like, |
| 00:03:53 | 00:03:55 | you know what, I'm just gonna make 10 more |
| 00:03:55 | 00:03:56 | right here right now. |
| 00:03:56 | 00:03:59 | So I go in the bathroom, I do my hair, my makeup, |
| 00:03:59 | 00:04:03 | I run back in my room and I film these 10 videos |
| 00:04:03 | 00:04:05 | and start editing them till late in the night |
| 00:04:05 | 00:04:08 | 'cause at this point I was so lit up by what I was doing. |
| 00:04:08 | 00:04:10 | Something in me was just pushing me to keep going, |
| 00:04:10 | 00:04:13 | keep doing this, Friday night activities. |
| 00:04:15 | 00:04:19 | So I decide, it was like a day or two later |
| 00:04:19 | 00:04:20 | to post that video. |
| 00:04:20 | 00:04:22 | And it was actually, it was the next morning. |
| 00:04:22 | 00:04:25 | I was half asleep it's like six o'clock in the morning |
| 00:04:25 | 00:04:29 | and something wakes me up and I turn to Mike, and I'm like, |
| 00:04:29 | 00:04:34 | my boyfriend, and I'm like, "Miss Excel, that's the name. |
| 00:04:34 | 00:04:35 | "Miss Excel." |
| 00:04:35 | 00:04:36 | And he's like, "What?" |
| 00:04:36 | 00:04:37 | And I'm like, "Miss Excel." |
| 00:04:37 | 00:04:40 | And I like grab my phone and I check the handles |
| 00:04:40 | 00:04:43 | and they were available on TikTok, Instagram. |
| 00:04:43 | 00:04:45 | And the cool thing about the TikTok space too |
| 00:04:45 | 00:04:47 | was when I first started this, |
| 00:04:47 | 00:04:50 | there was no one else really teaching Excel on TikTok, |
| 00:04:50 | 00:04:52 | which was in my evaluation process. |
| 00:04:52 | 00:04:53 | But I'm like, do I do this? |
| 00:04:53 | 00:04:54 | Do I not? |
| 00:04:54 | 00:04:56 | That was a key factor, I was like, okay, |
| 00:04:56 | 00:04:57 | either the audience on TikTok |
| 00:04:57 | 00:04:59 | is just not interested in Excel |
| 00:04:59 | 00:05:01 | or it just has not been done before. |
| 00:05:01 | 00:05:05 | So I grabbed the handle and I started posting |
| 00:05:05 | 00:05:09 | on June 7th, 2020, my first video. |
| 00:05:09 | 00:05:12 | And by my 4th video, I was doing one per day |
| 00:05:12 | 00:05:15 | it reaches a hundred thousand views |
| 00:05:15 | 00:05:17 | and it was this one to the X look up |
| 00:05:17 | 00:05:20 | to that song by DMX, "X Gon' Give It To Ya". |
| 00:05:20 | 00:05:22 | And all over a sudden it hits a hundred thousand views. |
| 00:05:22 | 00:05:25 | So at this point I'm just like, whoa, my phone's blowing up. |
| 00:05:25 | 00:05:30 | And by my 6th video, the CEO of an IT company reaches out |
| 00:05:30 | 00:05:33 | and is like, "Hey, I love your teaching style. |
| 00:05:33 | 00:05:36 | "I'm looking to create trainings in G suite products," |
| 00:05:36 | 00:05:38 | so the Google version of everything I was doing, |
| 00:05:38 | 00:05:40 | "For students, parents and teachers." |
| 00:05:40 | 00:05:42 | Because this is when the schools |
| 00:05:42 | 00:05:44 | were all starting to go digital. |
| 00:05:44 | 00:05:48 | And I was like, okay, clearly I'm a Microsoft gal, |
| 00:05:48 | 00:05:51 | but the products are similar, I can teach myself. |
| 00:05:51 | 00:05:54 | So I formed an LLC, bought a green screen and a ring light. |
| 00:05:54 | 00:05:57 | I moved my childhood bedroom furniture |
| 00:05:57 | 00:05:58 | into all the corners out of the way, |
| 00:05:58 | 00:06:00 | I had a little 12 by 12 room. |
| 00:06:00 | 00:06:03 | And I started filming this content |
| 00:06:03 | 00:06:05 | and selling it back to this guy. |
| 00:06:05 | 00:06:07 | So by my six day on TikTok, |
| 00:06:07 | 00:06:10 | I had a paying side hustle. |
| 00:06:10 | 00:06:11 | I was still working my day job, |
| 00:06:11 | 00:06:13 | like 40, 50 hours a week. |
| 00:06:13 | 00:06:16 | And then I was also creating the Miss Excel content |
| 00:06:16 | 00:06:17 | because at this point I'm like, |
| 00:06:17 | 00:06:19 | well, it's helping a lot of people, |
| 00:06:19 | 00:06:21 | it's an opportunity magnet. |
| 00:06:21 | 00:06:24 | So I kept pushing the content out. |
| 00:06:24 | 00:06:26 | And then it was around the third week |
| 00:06:26 | 00:06:29 | where I had my first video go viral |
| 00:06:29 | 00:06:31 | and it reached 3.7 million views |
| 00:06:31 | 00:06:33 | over a span of a few days. |
| 00:06:33 | 00:06:34 | And I'll never forget the feeling |
| 00:06:34 | 00:06:36 | of picking up my phone |
| 00:06:36 | 00:06:38 | and just seeing all these notifications. |
| 00:06:38 | 00:06:41 | Every time I would pull down and hit refresh, |
| 00:06:41 | 00:06:43 | it would be 15 new followers, 15 new followers, |
| 00:06:43 | 00:06:45 | like the whole screen was filling up. |
| 00:06:45 | 00:06:48 | And by the end of that time period, |
| 00:06:48 | 00:06:49 | I looked down and I had |
| 00:06:49 | 00:06:52 | a hundred thousand followers on TikTok. |
| 00:06:52 | 00:06:55 | And I was like, whoa, like now what do I do? |
| 00:06:55 | 00:06:57 | 'Cause I was never the influencer type. |
| 00:06:57 | 00:06:59 | If you looked at my personal Instagram account, |
| 00:06:59 | 00:07:00 | you'd be like, all right, |
| 00:07:00 | 00:07:03 | this girl does not know what she's doing. |
| 00:07:03 | 00:07:05 | So at this point I'm like, okay, I need to learn, |
| 00:07:05 | 00:07:06 | I need to learn more about these platforms |
| 00:07:06 | 00:07:08 | 'cause I'd been editing everything |
| 00:07:08 | 00:07:09 | off the apps as well. |
| 00:07:09 | 00:07:12 | And this was all around the time where TikTok |
| 00:07:12 | 00:07:14 | was potentially getting banned in the United States. |
| 00:07:14 | 00:07:15 | So... |
| 00:07:15 | 00:07:17 | Yeah. |
| 00:07:17 | 00:07:17 | So, I had a lot of people being like, |
| 00:07:17 | 00:07:20 | TikTok, good luck with that, |
| 00:07:20 | 00:07:21 | your whole thing's about to go away. |
| 00:07:21 | 00:07:24 | And I'm just like, best to hedge my risk |
| 00:07:24 | 00:07:26 | and create an Instagram then. |
| 00:07:26 | 00:07:30 | So I create an Instagram account and to my surprise, |
| 00:07:30 | 00:07:32 | only 2000 people pulled over. |
| 00:07:32 | 00:07:35 | So very different audiences, a lot of them didn't convert. |
| 00:07:35 | 00:07:37 | So I was like, okay, I'm going to need |
| 00:07:37 | 00:07:39 | to go viral on Instagram. |
| 00:07:39 | 00:07:41 | So this was around the time when Instagram reels |
| 00:07:41 | 00:07:42 | were coming out. |
| 00:07:42 | 00:07:44 | So I started transferring |
| 00:07:44 | 00:07:46 | the content from TikTok, pre-watermark. |
| 00:07:46 | 00:07:48 | So I was editing everything off the platforms |
| 00:07:48 | 00:07:51 | and posting them on Instagram reels as well. |
| 00:07:51 | 00:07:54 | And within a few weeks on that platform, |
| 00:07:54 | 00:07:57 | it went viral as well and I grew 50,000 people in a week. |
| 00:07:57 | 00:08:00 | And then I just kinda kept going viral on both platforms |
| 00:08:00 | 00:08:03 | for the next few months and just growing a following. |
| 00:08:03 | 00:08:06 | So now at this point I had probably around |
| 00:08:06 | 00:08:09 | like three, 400,000 followers across the platforms. |
| 00:08:09 | 00:08:13 | It's October of 2020 and Miss Excel, |
| 00:08:13 | 00:08:14 | isn't making any money yet, |
| 00:08:14 | 00:08:16 | I still just had my side hustle and my day job, |
| 00:08:16 | 00:08:19 | but the actual Miss Excel accounts weren't. |
| 00:08:19 | 00:08:22 | And so many people had been asking me |
| 00:08:22 | 00:08:24 | to create an Excel course. |
| 00:08:24 | 00:08:26 | And I didn't know the first thing about course making. |
| 00:08:26 | 00:08:30 | So I'm googling around I'm just like, okay, |
| 00:08:30 | 00:08:34 | easiest course platform, easiest video editors, |
| 00:08:34 | 00:08:35 | trying to kinda learn the ropes. |
| 00:08:35 | 00:08:39 | So I'd be at night I was teaching myself these things. |
| 00:08:39 | 00:08:42 | And around October, I was like, you know what, |
| 00:08:42 | 00:08:44 | I need to make this course. |
| 00:08:44 | 00:08:46 | Everyone's asking for it, it would serve the community, |
| 00:08:46 | 00:08:48 | it could also create an income stream |
| 00:08:48 | 00:08:50 | where I could potentially leave my day job |
| 00:08:50 | 00:08:52 | and run my own day and my own business. |
| 00:08:52 | 00:08:54 | So I took two weeks off from my day job |
| 00:08:54 | 00:08:57 | on a vacation in my living room |
| 00:08:57 | 00:09:02 | and I mapped out the most fun, creative course on Excel |
| 00:09:03 | 00:09:04 | that I possibly muster up. |
| 00:09:04 | 00:09:06 | I sat there with that outline, |
| 00:09:06 | 00:09:09 | just infusing it with as much creativity |
| 00:09:09 | 00:09:12 | in every video as I could, because I was like, |
| 00:09:12 | 00:09:14 | this has to be on brand for Miss Excel, right. |
| 00:09:14 | 00:09:16 | I cannot have a boring course |
| 00:09:16 | 00:09:18 | after having the type of videos that I have, |
| 00:09:18 | 00:09:21 | where we're mixing dancing and music and fun. |
| 00:09:21 | 00:09:24 | So I sat there, mapped out the course, |
| 00:09:24 | 00:09:26 | was a hundred training videos. |
| 00:09:26 | 00:09:29 | And then I filmed all hundred videos |
| 00:09:29 | 00:09:31 | and edited them all myself as well. |
| 00:09:31 | 00:09:34 | And then I started selling it. |
| 00:09:34 | 00:09:37 | Before it was ready, which is a nice, |
| 00:09:37 | 00:09:38 | fun, anxiety, inducing method |
| 00:09:38 | 00:09:41 | to make you get your courses done, highly recommend. |
| 00:09:42 | 00:09:45 | And so I started selling them Black Friday. |
| 00:09:45 | 00:09:48 | So it was November of 2020. |
| 00:09:48 | 00:09:51 | I started selling my Excel course |
| 00:09:51 | 00:09:55 | and by January of 2021, two months later, |
| 00:09:55 | 00:09:58 | the passive income from the course sales every month |
| 00:09:58 | 00:10:01 | was greater than what I was making per month at my day job. |
| 00:10:01 | 00:10:03 | So at that point I was like, all right, |
| 00:10:03 | 00:10:05 | I need to rethink about priorities |
| 00:10:05 | 00:10:09 | because my day job was getting 40 hours a week, 50. |
| 00:10:09 | 00:10:12 | And Miss Excel took me like 10, 15 |
| 00:10:12 | 00:10:13 | once the courses were done. |
| 00:10:13 | 00:10:15 | So I was like, I would be dangerous |
| 00:10:15 | 00:10:18 | if I freed up 40 more hours in my week again. |
| 00:10:18 | 00:10:21 | Like I could scale this thing, I could go off. |
| 00:10:21 | 00:10:26 | So in January of 2021, I put in my two weeks notike, |
| 00:10:26 | 00:10:28 | which was an amazing and wild time |
| 00:10:28 | 00:10:32 | because half the company knew about my TikTok, |
| 00:10:32 | 00:10:34 | my securitizations group |
| 00:10:34 | 00:10:37 | and they're just like, oh, cute TikTok. |
| 00:10:37 | 00:10:40 | And then the other half had no idea. |
| 00:10:40 | 00:10:42 | So it was a really fun day actually |
| 00:10:42 | 00:10:43 | like kinda coming clean, |
| 00:10:43 | 00:10:45 | it was kinda like my in Montana moment. |
| 00:10:45 | 00:10:47 | I feel like I had a secret life on the internet |
| 00:10:47 | 00:10:48 | that no one knew about. |
| 00:10:48 | 00:10:51 | So I was able to come out and tell everybody, |
| 00:10:51 | 00:10:53 | here's what I'm doing and it's working |
| 00:10:53 | 00:10:54 | and I'm gonna pursue it full time, |
| 00:10:54 | 00:10:57 | and they were so incredibly supportive. |
| 00:10:57 | 00:10:59 | The company actually hired me back now as a vendor |
| 00:10:59 | 00:11:01 | where I teach Excel routinely to their employees, |
| 00:11:01 | 00:11:02 | which has been awesome. |
| 00:11:02 | 00:11:04 | But everyone was super supportive, |
| 00:11:04 | 00:11:06 | they're like, get your dreams. |
| 00:11:06 | 00:11:07 | And I left. |
| 00:11:07 | 00:11:10 | So by February of 2021, |
| 00:11:10 | 00:11:12 | I was on my own running this business. |
| 00:11:12 | 00:11:16 | We had barely made our first six figures, |
| 00:11:16 | 00:11:18 | still in the baby phases. |
| 00:11:18 | 00:11:22 | And I was like, okay, everyone wants more courses. |
| 00:11:22 | 00:11:24 | They want advanced Excel courses, |
| 00:11:24 | 00:11:25 | they want PowerPoint, Word, |
| 00:11:25 | 00:11:28 | Outlook, OneNote, Teams, Google Sheets, a kid's course. |
| 00:11:28 | 00:11:31 | So over the next few months in that span, |
| 00:11:31 | 00:11:35 | I proceeded to start whipping out all these other courses. |
| 00:11:35 | 00:11:38 | And now in April, that was another pretty big milestone, |
| 00:11:38 | 00:11:42 | 2021 was when I got my first press artikle. |
| 00:11:42 | 00:11:45 | So this was Business Insider reached out, and side note, |
| 00:11:45 | 00:11:46 | all the press that I've received, |
| 00:11:46 | 00:11:48 | I've never worked with a PR firm, |
| 00:11:48 | 00:11:50 | it's all just been organic traction |
| 00:11:50 | 00:11:53 | like writers will reach out to me and we do the stories. |
| 00:11:53 | 00:11:56 | 'Cause I honestly, I had no idea how press worked. |
| 00:11:56 | 00:11:58 | I didn't realize people work with PR firms |
| 00:11:58 | 00:11:59 | and things like that. |
| 00:11:59 | 00:12:01 | I was kinda just flying by the seat of my pants |
| 00:12:01 | 00:12:03 | and creating and doing what lit me up. |
| 00:12:04 | 00:12:08 | So I had my first big artikle on Business Insider |
| 00:12:08 | 00:12:10 | and then that started trending. |
| 00:12:11 | 00:12:14 | So I created more courses, the business starts scaling. |
| 00:12:14 | 00:12:16 | I did partnerships with Microsoft. |
| 00:12:16 | 00:12:19 | All these things start coming into play. |
| 00:12:19 | 00:12:22 | And at that point I had three courses going |
| 00:12:22 | 00:12:27 | and October is when it really, of 2021, started lighting up. |
| 00:12:27 | 00:12:30 | So around October I did a podcast |
| 00:12:30 | 00:12:32 | with the "Verge" with Nilay Patel. |
| 00:12:32 | 00:12:36 | And that episode ended up being turned into an artikle. |
| 00:12:36 | 00:12:38 | And then the artikle blasted out |
| 00:12:38 | 00:12:41 | to like 50 different outlets across the globe. |
| 00:12:41 | 00:12:43 | All this press was coming in. |
| 00:12:43 | 00:12:44 | So many more people were finding the accounts. |
| 00:12:44 | 00:12:47 | I was still going viral about every month or so |
| 00:12:47 | 00:12:49 | between the press and TikTok and Instagram. |
| 00:12:49 | 00:12:51 | So I just kinda kept growing the audience. |
| 00:12:51 | 00:12:52 | And at the same time, |
| 00:12:52 | 00:12:55 | I also introduced webinars into my ecosystem. |
| 00:12:55 | 00:12:58 | So I started doing these hour long |
| 00:12:58 | 00:13:00 | power packed Excel classes. |
| 00:13:00 | 00:13:03 | And at the end I would offer an awesome discount |
| 00:13:03 | 00:13:06 | on my courses if people wanted to keep learning with me. |
| 00:13:06 | 00:13:07 | And that's how I was able to create |
| 00:13:07 | 00:13:10 | those occasional six figure days |
| 00:13:10 | 00:13:11 | was through the webinar process. |
| 00:13:11 | 00:13:13 | So I really started honing in on that craft. |
| 00:13:13 | 00:13:15 | I built out seven more courses, |
| 00:13:15 | 00:13:17 | so I now have 10 across the Microsoft Suite, |
| 00:13:17 | 00:13:20 | Google Sheets and a student course as well |
| 00:13:20 | 00:13:22 | and bundling the courses together |
| 00:13:22 | 00:13:24 | to get up to a little higher price point. |
| 00:13:24 | 00:13:26 | And that's how the business really |
| 00:13:26 | 00:13:30 | went from six figures to seven figures in about a year. |
| 00:13:30 | 00:13:32 | And the whole thing has been just |
| 00:13:32 | 00:13:34 | the absolute time of my life. |
| 00:13:34 | 00:13:36 | It has been so much fun to now start |
| 00:13:36 | 00:13:38 | to like take on new projects. |
| 00:13:38 | 00:13:41 | I finally started hiring people which helped. |
| 00:13:41 | 00:13:45 | So I hired a virtual assistant, I have a graphic designer. |
| 00:13:45 | 00:13:47 | I hired my boyfriend as my VP of sales and CFO. |
| 00:13:47 | 00:13:49 | So he's been doing all my corporate deals |
| 00:13:49 | 00:13:51 | 'cause I also do corporate training. |
| 00:13:51 | 00:13:54 | So live virtual custom Excel sessions |
| 00:13:54 | 00:13:58 | and we do bulk sales and I also retire hired my mom. |
| 00:13:58 | 00:14:01 | So she's officially my mama-ger now. |
| 00:14:01 | 00:14:03 | So I retired her from her day job. |
| 00:14:03 | 00:14:05 | So she's kinda on call for things like that. |
| 00:14:05 | 00:14:08 | And yeah, it has been the time of my life over here. |
| 00:14:08 | 00:14:11 | - I love that, mama-ger, I've never heard that before, |
| 00:14:11 | 00:14:12 | but that is so cool. |
| 00:14:12 | 00:14:14 | So Kat there's so much there |
| 00:14:14 | 00:14:17 | so fascinating to see how you went from |
| 00:14:17 | 00:14:20 | just a crazy idea to creating short videos, |
| 00:14:20 | 00:14:22 | to ultimately building an incredible business |
| 00:14:22 | 00:14:24 | specifically on the back of short form video, |
| 00:14:24 | 00:14:26 | TikTok and Instagram. |
| 00:14:26 | 00:14:30 | So there are some people listening right now |
| 00:14:30 | 00:14:34 | who maybe are thinking to themselves, all right, |
| 00:14:34 | 00:14:36 | maybe I've got something inside of me |
| 00:14:36 | 00:14:38 | that I can teach people or maybe someone inside |
| 00:14:38 | 00:14:40 | of the business could teach people. |
| 00:14:40 | 00:14:43 | And it's fascinating how Kat took something |
| 00:14:43 | 00:14:44 | that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, |
| 00:14:44 | 00:14:48 | which is Excel, right. |
| 00:14:48 | 00:14:51 | And TikTok and combine them together |
| 00:14:51 | 00:14:54 | and it just shows you that you can do some amazing things. |
| 00:14:54 | 00:14:57 | But what do you wanna say to people that are not sure, |
| 00:14:57 | 00:14:58 | even though they heard your story, |
| 00:14:58 | 00:15:00 | why should they consider short form video |
| 00:15:00 | 00:15:02 | on TikTok and/or Instagram? |
| 00:15:02 | 00:15:05 | What's your thoughts to tell them if they're skeptikal? |
| 00:15:05 | 00:15:07 | - It's so easy to get into. |
| 00:15:07 | 00:15:08 | That's the first big part. |
| 00:15:08 | 00:15:10 | I knew nothing about the platforms. |
| 00:15:10 | 00:15:13 | All of the information is really at our fingertips |
| 00:15:13 | 00:15:15 | and that's incredibly empowering, right. |
| 00:15:15 | 00:15:18 | So I remember literally sitting in my childhood bedroom |
| 00:15:18 | 00:15:19 | being like, what do I wanna do with my life? |
| 00:15:19 | 00:15:21 | How can I create things? |
| 00:15:21 | 00:15:23 | How can I get things out of my head |
| 00:15:23 | 00:15:25 | and get them into a cool piece of content? |
| 00:15:25 | 00:15:26 | And that's really the amazing thing |
| 00:15:26 | 00:15:28 | about short form video, right? |
| 00:15:28 | 00:15:30 | We can also go in and test lots of things. |
| 00:15:30 | 00:15:31 | So it's not like you have to create |
| 00:15:31 | 00:15:35 | an hour long YouTube video explaining all these concepts. |
| 00:15:35 | 00:15:37 | These shorter videos allow you to hop onto trends |
| 00:15:37 | 00:15:39 | to get creative, to try new things |
| 00:15:39 | 00:15:41 | because it's less of an investment in, |
| 00:15:41 | 00:15:43 | okay, I need to map out this whole video |
| 00:15:43 | 00:15:46 | and then edit the whole thing and all that. |
| 00:15:46 | 00:15:49 | It just really allows you to be so much more nimble |
| 00:15:49 | 00:15:51 | and it really helps you play into the algorithms too, |
| 00:15:51 | 00:15:55 | in terms of TikTok, it's a lot easier to go viral |
| 00:15:55 | 00:15:57 | and Instagram and things like that. |
| 00:15:57 | 00:16:00 | So for me, it's just the way I was framing it. |
| 00:16:00 | 00:16:04 | So I really just look at it as an outlet for my creativity |
| 00:16:04 | 00:16:08 | and then go in there and create things and that's bam. |
| 00:16:08 | 00:16:08 | - Fascinating. |
| 00:16:08 | 00:16:10 | And for folks that are here in the ambiance, |
| 00:16:10 | 00:16:11 | in the background, |
| 00:16:11 | 00:16:14 | there's a little storm going on where Kat is, |
| 00:16:14 | 00:16:16 | which is kinda cool to hear it |
| 00:16:16 | 00:16:18 | 'cause where I am, we don't get those kinda storms. |
| 00:16:18 | 00:16:21 | Okay, so one of the questions I've got is, |
| 00:16:21 | 00:16:23 | are you finding that some of the very first videos |
| 00:16:23 | 00:16:25 | you've done are still being watched today? |
| 00:16:25 | 00:16:26 | - Oh yeah. |
| 00:16:26 | 00:16:28 | So especially through press artikles, |
| 00:16:28 | 00:16:29 | a lot of them get linked up again |
| 00:16:29 | 00:16:32 | or we created a whole new product, |
| 00:16:32 | 00:16:36 | this amazing newsletter with life tips and tactiks. |
| 00:16:36 | 00:16:38 | And in that we are linking on occasion |
| 00:16:38 | 00:16:41 | like certain videos where I'm demonstrating the tik tips. |
| 00:16:41 | 00:16:44 | So some of those end up back in the algorithm again. |
| 00:16:44 | 00:16:45 | - Very cool, okay. |
| 00:16:45 | 00:16:49 | So a lot of people wanna know, what is your strategy? |
| 00:16:49 | 00:16:51 | How is it... |
| 00:16:51 | 00:16:52 | And let's start at a macro level, |
| 00:16:52 | 00:16:54 | how is it that you go about creating this content? |
| 00:16:54 | 00:16:57 | Because my guess is someone else |
| 00:16:57 | 00:17:01 | could go create a video with the exact same words |
| 00:17:01 | 00:17:02 | that you created, right, |
| 00:17:02 | 00:17:05 | and maybe even with the Excel thing behind it, |
| 00:17:05 | 00:17:07 | but it might not be the same as what you do. |
| 00:17:07 | 00:17:10 | So what is it about the way you do videos |
| 00:17:10 | 00:17:14 | that we can learn from like at a macro level? |
| 00:17:14 | 00:17:16 | - Yeah, so I mean, with my strategy, |
| 00:17:16 | 00:17:17 | there are three main pillars. |
| 00:17:17 | 00:17:21 | There is polarity, creativity and energy management. |
| 00:17:21 | 00:17:24 | Which polarity is more so having content |
| 00:17:24 | 00:17:28 | that has that duality to it that sparks conversation. |
| 00:17:28 | 00:17:30 | Creativity obviously is having things |
| 00:17:30 | 00:17:32 | that are cool and different |
| 00:17:32 | 00:17:34 | and an authentik expression of you. |
| 00:17:34 | 00:17:36 | And then energy management |
| 00:17:36 | 00:17:37 | is how we are showing up in the world. |
| 00:17:37 | 00:17:40 | And that is just what has allowed my business |
| 00:17:40 | 00:17:43 | to flow and grow so effortlessly |
| 00:17:43 | 00:17:45 | versus having that like hustle mentality, |
| 00:17:45 | 00:17:49 | because I've been able to manage my energy. |
| 00:17:49 | 00:17:50 | - So let's dig in on every one of these, |
| 00:17:50 | 00:17:52 | let's start with polarity. |
| 00:17:52 | 00:17:55 | Let's start with defining what you mean by polarity |
| 00:17:55 | 00:17:58 | and why you feel like this is important, |
| 00:17:58 | 00:18:00 | then we'll get into like the how side of it. |
| 00:18:00 | 00:18:03 | - Yeah, so I love to have videos that have a healthy, |
| 00:18:03 | 00:18:07 | I like to go a healthy element to polarity to them, right. |
| 00:18:07 | 00:18:10 | 'Cause polarity kind of a negative connotation at times. |
| 00:18:10 | 00:18:12 | But for me, the polarity in my content for example, |
| 00:18:12 | 00:18:16 | was when I combined two things that were traditionally |
| 00:18:16 | 00:18:19 | never combined like Excel and dancing, |
| 00:18:19 | 00:18:21 | by combining those things, |
| 00:18:21 | 00:18:22 | having those elements of polarity |
| 00:18:22 | 00:18:24 | is what sparked the conversation |
| 00:18:24 | 00:18:26 | that got my videos off the grounds |
| 00:18:26 | 00:18:28 | and into the algorithms ultimately. |
| 00:18:28 | 00:18:30 | Because if you were just scrolling through TikTok |
| 00:18:30 | 00:18:33 | and saw a plain Excel screen early on before |
| 00:18:33 | 00:18:35 | being an Excel influencer was a thing. |
| 00:18:35 | 00:18:37 | If you were scrolling through and it didn't apply to you, |
| 00:18:37 | 00:18:40 | you weren't gonna comment like, oh, an Excel tip, |
| 00:18:40 | 00:18:42 | you would just scroll on by, right. |
| 00:18:42 | 00:18:43 | You wouldn't have anything to say. |
| 00:18:43 | 00:18:46 | And if it applied to you, you may comment on it. |
| 00:18:46 | 00:18:48 | When it has the element of polarity to it, |
| 00:18:48 | 00:18:50 | that's what really sparks a conversation. |
| 00:18:50 | 00:18:53 | So I had people who absolutely loved what I was doing. |
| 00:18:53 | 00:18:55 | They were like, wow, I would've never thought |
| 00:18:55 | 00:18:57 | to combine Excel and dancing and music. |
| 00:18:57 | 00:19:00 | And then you had people who, hey, what you're doing? |
| 00:19:00 | 00:19:02 | And they're just like, what is this girl doing? |
| 00:19:02 | 00:19:04 | And then you have these people in between |
| 00:19:04 | 00:19:08 | who are just so like, what is happening here? |
| 00:19:08 | 00:19:10 | And so it just kinda generates |
| 00:19:10 | 00:19:12 | this whole other level of emotion |
| 00:19:12 | 00:19:13 | yet it's in a healthy way, right. |
| 00:19:13 | 00:19:14 | It's just by combining two things |
| 00:19:14 | 00:19:16 | that aren't traditionally combined, |
| 00:19:16 | 00:19:18 | but it's something people have never seen. |
| 00:19:18 | 00:19:20 | And by having that element to it, |
| 00:19:20 | 00:19:23 | is what allowed it to really pick up in the algorithms. |
| 00:19:23 | 00:19:25 | Because people were toking about my videos, |
| 00:19:25 | 00:19:27 | my videos were getting press, |
| 00:19:27 | 00:19:28 | people were sharing them. |
| 00:19:28 | 00:19:29 | People were like, whoa, |
| 00:19:29 | 00:19:30 | did you know about this trick? |
| 00:19:30 | 00:19:32 | Whoa, did you know what she's doing? |
| 00:19:32 | 00:19:33 | Whoa, I never thought to do something like that. |
| 00:19:33 | 00:19:36 | Like there were so many elements to it |
| 00:19:36 | 00:19:38 | verse a more traditional format. |
| 00:19:38 | 00:19:40 | And the key with polarity as well |
| 00:19:40 | 00:19:43 | that I like to mention is it has to be things |
| 00:19:43 | 00:19:45 | that are authentik to you, right. |
| 00:19:45 | 00:19:46 | Because if you hate dancing |
| 00:19:46 | 00:19:49 | and you post yourself dancing to a left function, |
| 00:19:49 | 00:19:51 | it most likely will not go viral |
| 00:19:51 | 00:19:53 | because you are not in your authentik self. |
| 00:19:53 | 00:19:55 | So for me personally, if you knew me like growing up, |
| 00:19:55 | 00:19:57 | I'm obsessed with dancing, |
| 00:19:57 | 00:19:59 | I'm always just dancing around, that is my thing. |
| 00:19:59 | 00:20:01 | I worked on my high school radio station. |
| 00:20:01 | 00:20:04 | I've always loved music, all different genres. |
| 00:20:04 | 00:20:05 | So that was always my thing. |
| 00:20:05 | 00:20:07 | And then Excel is something |
| 00:20:07 | 00:20:08 | that I've been incredibly passionate about |
| 00:20:08 | 00:20:10 | and I've been teaching on the side of my day job. |
| 00:20:10 | 00:20:13 | So it was kinda just things that I loved already |
| 00:20:13 | 00:20:15 | and that were also authentik to me, |
| 00:20:15 | 00:20:17 | so that way when I showed up on camera, |
| 00:20:17 | 00:20:20 | I was in my full authentik self verse being |
| 00:20:20 | 00:20:23 | kind of a shell of myself or forcing myself to do it, |
| 00:20:23 | 00:20:24 | or just feeling kinda uncomfortable |
| 00:20:24 | 00:20:26 | because the reader is really able |
| 00:20:26 | 00:20:27 | to see through that, right. |
| 00:20:27 | 00:20:30 | So like the person, the recipient of your video, |
| 00:20:30 | 00:20:33 | if you look slightly uncomfortable, they can tell, |
| 00:20:33 | 00:20:35 | even if it's on a subconscious level |
| 00:20:35 | 00:20:37 | and it won't resonate with them as much. |
| 00:20:37 | 00:20:39 | So it's really important to find things |
| 00:20:39 | 00:20:41 | that are authentik to you and not force them |
| 00:20:41 | 00:20:45 | if you are looking to create that polarity in your videos. |
| 00:20:45 | 00:20:46 | - I'd love to... |
| 00:20:46 | 00:20:48 | I think I understand what you're saying |
| 00:20:48 | 00:20:49 | and lemme echo back to you. |
| 00:20:49 | 00:20:51 | Polarity is when two things |
| 00:20:51 | 00:20:53 | that don't normally go together are used together |
| 00:20:53 | 00:20:54 | and it kinda stop... |
| 00:20:54 | 00:20:55 | And the reason why it works |
| 00:20:55 | 00:20:57 | is because it stops people that's strange |
| 00:20:57 | 00:20:58 | you know what I mean, |
| 00:20:58 | 00:20:59 | there's something different about that, |
| 00:20:59 | 00:21:00 | I wasn't expecting that. |
| 00:21:01 | 00:21:04 | I would love to tok about some examples |
| 00:21:04 | 00:21:06 | that maybe don't involve dancing, |
| 00:21:06 | 00:21:08 | just 'cause I know so many people |
| 00:21:08 | 00:21:10 | are not just dancing on TikTok. |
| 00:21:10 | 00:21:12 | What are some examples of polarity |
| 00:21:12 | 00:21:15 | that we could be thinking about on Instagram or TikTok |
| 00:21:15 | 00:21:17 | that could somehow accomplish the very same things? |
| 00:21:17 | 00:21:19 | Do you have any thoughts on that? |
| 00:21:19 | 00:21:22 | - I think it really just depends on what you love, right. |
| 00:21:22 | 00:21:24 | And just being able to combine things |
| 00:21:24 | 00:21:28 | and think outside the box from a creative perspective. |
| 00:21:28 | 00:21:31 | Like if you love golf and real estate, |
| 00:21:31 | 00:21:33 | you can find a cool creative way |
| 00:21:33 | 00:21:34 | to combine both of those, right. |
| 00:21:34 | 00:21:37 | Like maybe hitting the golf swings, |
| 00:21:37 | 00:21:40 | you're like popping out, you're hitting a real estate tip |
| 00:21:40 | 00:21:43 | or just like having something creative to it. |
| 00:21:43 | 00:21:45 | No matter what the subjects are, |
| 00:21:45 | 00:21:47 | it's really a matter of tapping into that creativity |
| 00:21:47 | 00:21:50 | and finding ways that these things |
| 00:21:50 | 00:21:51 | that you love kinda locks. |
| 00:21:51 | 00:21:53 | 'Cause for me, if I was designing my dream job, |
| 00:21:53 | 00:21:55 | I'm like, okay, what are all the things I love? |
| 00:21:55 | 00:22:00 | I love to help people, I love Excel and I love to dance. |
| 00:22:00 | 00:22:03 | So that just went in and I essentially created my dream job |
| 00:22:03 | 00:22:05 | and threw it on a platform and built it up from there. |
| 00:22:05 | 00:22:08 | So if you were at the ground level |
| 00:22:08 | 00:22:10 | and you are creating your dream scenario, |
| 00:22:10 | 00:22:12 | what do you want included in that scenario? |
| 00:22:12 | 00:22:14 | And it's interesting to try to challenge |
| 00:22:14 | 00:22:16 | the traditional norms in that space |
| 00:22:16 | 00:22:18 | because your conscious mind may be like, |
| 00:22:18 | 00:22:20 | oh, you can't do that, you can't have it all, |
| 00:22:20 | 00:22:22 | you can't combine all these things, |
| 00:22:22 | 00:22:23 | but I would challenge that notion |
| 00:22:23 | 00:22:26 | and have you really tap into your creativity |
| 00:22:26 | 00:22:28 | to figure out ways that there can be overlay |
| 00:22:28 | 00:22:30 | because most likely when you are playing |
| 00:22:30 | 00:22:32 | in that polarity realm, you are creating things |
| 00:22:32 | 00:22:34 | that people have not seen before. |
| 00:22:34 | 00:22:36 | And that's what creates the polarity, right. |
| 00:22:36 | 00:22:38 | Because if people have traditionally seen it together, |
| 00:22:38 | 00:22:39 | like peanut butter and jelly, |
| 00:22:39 | 00:22:41 | you are not creating that polarity. |
| 00:22:41 | 00:22:44 | So it's really important to kinda take a step back, |
| 00:22:44 | 00:22:46 | consciously understand that it is probably something |
| 00:22:46 | 00:22:48 | you have not seen before, right. |
| 00:22:48 | 00:22:51 | And then have that confidence in yourself |
| 00:22:51 | 00:22:53 | and self worth to be able to go in and give the go. |
| 00:22:55 | 00:22:58 | - I'm thinking about myself as I'm listening to |
| 00:22:58 | 00:23:02 | and what I really love toking about is marketing |
| 00:23:02 | 00:23:04 | and entrepreneurship and business. |
| 00:23:04 | 00:23:06 | These are things that I absolutely fascinated by, |
| 00:23:06 | 00:23:09 | but I'm also into NFTs and crypto, right. |
| 00:23:09 | 00:23:12 | So I started this new show |
| 00:23:12 | 00:23:14 | called the "Crypto Business" podcast. |
| 00:23:14 | 00:23:16 | I took crypto and business and combined them together |
| 00:23:16 | 00:23:18 | because not many people are toking about business |
| 00:23:18 | 00:23:19 | in the world of crypto. |
| 00:23:19 | 00:23:20 | They're toking about finance |
| 00:23:20 | 00:23:21 | and they're toking about tik. |
| 00:23:21 | 00:23:25 | So I would imagine that that's an example. |
| 00:23:25 | 00:23:28 | And if I was to apply that to short form videos |
| 00:23:28 | 00:23:30 | where everybody else is toking about finance, |
| 00:23:30 | 00:23:33 | when it comes to crypto and I'm toking about business, |
| 00:23:33 | 00:23:35 | all of a sudden, that's kinda what you're toking about, |
| 00:23:35 | 00:23:36 | isn't it? |
| 00:23:36 | 00:23:39 | - Absolutely and I absolutely love that podcast. |
| 00:23:39 | 00:23:41 | I was binge listening to it over the weekend. |
| 00:23:41 | 00:23:43 | And I just love that you bring that angle |
| 00:23:43 | 00:23:44 | to the crypto space. |
| 00:23:44 | 00:23:46 | 'Cause for me being in business, |
| 00:23:46 | 00:23:47 | not partikularly finance |
| 00:23:47 | 00:23:49 | is something that opened a lot of doors for me. |
| 00:23:49 | 00:23:50 | Like seeing the different ways that blockchain |
| 00:23:50 | 00:23:52 | could be applied in different business scenarios, |
| 00:23:52 | 00:23:53 | I thought that was really eye opening. |
| 00:23:53 | 00:23:55 | - Very cool. |
| 00:23:55 | 00:23:56 | All right, so we toked about polarity, |
| 00:23:56 | 00:23:58 | let's tok about the other second one |
| 00:23:58 | 00:24:00 | and I don't have it in front... |
| 00:24:00 | 00:24:01 | Oh creativity. |
| 00:24:01 | 00:24:02 | - Yes. |
| 00:24:02 | 00:24:03 | - Clearly you are very creative, |
| 00:24:03 | 00:24:05 | but let's tok about some... |
| 00:24:05 | 00:24:06 | Let's tok about, |
| 00:24:06 | 00:24:07 | you've got something to your process |
| 00:24:07 | 00:24:11 | when it comes to creativity, so let's share what it is. |
| 00:24:11 | 00:24:13 | - So when it comes to creativity, |
| 00:24:13 | 00:24:15 | I find that a lot of people get held up |
| 00:24:15 | 00:24:17 | in limiting beliefs around the subject |
| 00:24:17 | 00:24:19 | with the notion that like, I am not creative, |
| 00:24:19 | 00:24:21 | and I would argue that and think |
| 00:24:21 | 00:24:23 | that we all have a creative element to ourselves, |
| 00:24:23 | 00:24:26 | but it's just a matter of unlayering the conditioning |
| 00:24:26 | 00:24:29 | to allow that creativity to flow through |
| 00:24:29 | 00:24:31 | and providing an outlet for that creativity |
| 00:24:31 | 00:24:32 | to be applied on. |
| 00:24:32 | 00:24:34 | So for example, I was a very creative child. |
| 00:24:34 | 00:24:36 | I was always drawing and I was dreaming |
| 00:24:36 | 00:24:39 | of having like an art studio in my backyard, |
| 00:24:39 | 00:24:41 | and like all these different things. |
| 00:24:41 | 00:24:43 | And then I hopped into corporate |
| 00:24:43 | 00:24:45 | and the extent of my creativity |
| 00:24:45 | 00:24:48 | was making beautiful corporate PowerPoints |
| 00:24:48 | 00:24:50 | that were just, love my PowerPoint. |
| 00:24:50 | 00:24:53 | But I had to play in the corporate box with that one, right. |
| 00:24:53 | 00:24:56 | So I really never had an outlet |
| 00:24:56 | 00:24:58 | from the start of my career |
| 00:24:58 | 00:25:00 | for that creativity to come through |
| 00:25:00 | 00:25:01 | in a setting that would make me money, right. |
| 00:25:01 | 00:25:05 | Like I could go to a sip and paint class on the weekends, |
| 00:25:05 | 00:25:08 | but it wasn't something that was ultimately contributing |
| 00:25:08 | 00:25:10 | toward the life I'd wanted to create. |
| 00:25:10 | 00:25:12 | So with creativity, I think a big part of it |
| 00:25:12 | 00:25:13 | is if you're sitting here |
| 00:25:13 | 00:25:15 | and you're like, but I'm not creative. |
| 00:25:15 | 00:25:16 | I would challenge that thought |
| 00:25:16 | 00:25:19 | and dig in and try to tap into why, |
| 00:25:19 | 00:25:23 | because it might not actually be that you are not creative, |
| 00:25:23 | 00:25:24 | most likely it is that you just either |
| 00:25:24 | 00:25:26 | don't have an outlet for the creativity |
| 00:25:26 | 00:25:30 | or just something you haven't practiked or ingrained |
| 00:25:30 | 00:25:32 | or have used in so long. |
| 00:25:32 | 00:25:34 | Like for me, I was just like, am I still that creative? |
| 00:25:34 | 00:25:36 | 'Cause I haven't done anything with it |
| 00:25:36 | 00:25:37 | since really like college. |
| 00:25:37 | 00:25:40 | I was making like high waisted tie dye shorts |
| 00:25:40 | 00:25:42 | and selling them on Etsy, like that was my outlet. |
| 00:25:42 | 00:25:44 | I would always kind of been creating |
| 00:25:44 | 00:25:45 | these different outlets. |
| 00:25:45 | 00:25:46 | So first is just one, |
| 00:25:46 | 00:25:48 | accepting that you are a creative being |
| 00:25:48 | 00:25:50 | and you came on the planet to create something |
| 00:25:50 | 00:25:51 | no matter what it is |
| 00:25:51 | 00:25:54 | and kinda going in and tapping into that mentality. |
| 00:25:54 | 00:25:57 | So that's like a big first step with the creativity. |
| 00:25:57 | 00:25:59 | And then another step is really learning |
| 00:25:59 | 00:26:02 | how to get into your own creative flow state. |
| 00:26:02 | 00:26:05 | So this process looks different for everybody. |
| 00:26:05 | 00:26:08 | And for me, what I've learned is I really needed to one, |
| 00:26:08 | 00:26:11 | understand how the mind works, right. |
| 00:26:11 | 00:26:13 | Because coming into these topics, |
| 00:26:13 | 00:26:15 | it may seem a little esoteric, |
| 00:26:15 | 00:26:15 | it may seem a little like, |
| 00:26:15 | 00:26:20 | okay, creative, flow state, meditate, close your eye, say, |
| 00:26:20 | 00:26:22 | what am I gonna do here? |
| 00:26:22 | 00:26:24 | And for me, I really needed to... |
| 00:26:24 | 00:26:26 | Logical excel thinker over here. |
| 00:26:26 | 00:26:27 | I needed to understand the mind. |
| 00:26:27 | 00:26:30 | So I dove into quantum physics, I dove into the brain, |
| 00:26:30 | 00:26:32 | different studies on the mind |
| 00:26:32 | 00:26:36 | and really trying to reverse engineer myself |
| 00:26:36 | 00:26:38 | and figure out how I would come up |
| 00:26:38 | 00:26:40 | with those viral ideas for TikTok, right. |
| 00:26:40 | 00:26:41 | I'd sit there and look at my content |
| 00:26:41 | 00:26:43 | and be like, okay, I'm going viral once a month. |
| 00:26:43 | 00:26:45 | Like what is in those ideas? |
| 00:26:45 | 00:26:46 | How did those come to me? |
| 00:26:46 | 00:26:48 | How did this happen? |
| 00:26:48 | 00:26:50 | And a lot of times it would be like 6:00 a.m. |
| 00:26:50 | 00:26:53 | I sit up and I'm like, bam, there's the idea. |
| 00:26:53 | 00:26:54 | And then trying to reverse engineer, |
| 00:26:54 | 00:26:56 | how I'm getting into a flow state. |
| 00:26:56 | 00:26:58 | And then other times I would come with a bunch at once |
| 00:26:58 | 00:27:00 | 'cause I'd be in this flowy state. |
| 00:27:00 | 00:27:02 | So in the process of trying to reverse engineer, |
| 00:27:02 | 00:27:05 | my own systems for creating viral content |
| 00:27:06 | 00:27:07 | kinda came up with these different ways |
| 00:27:07 | 00:27:09 | to tap into a creative flow state, |
| 00:27:09 | 00:27:12 | which the biggest one is really tapping |
| 00:27:12 | 00:27:14 | into the right side of the brain |
| 00:27:14 | 00:27:15 | and understanding how that works. |
| 00:27:15 | 00:27:18 | So left side of the brain is the analytikal side. |
| 00:27:18 | 00:27:20 | And then the right side of the brain |
| 00:27:20 | 00:27:22 | is the more creative side. |
| 00:27:22 | 00:27:24 | And a lot of people throughout their day, |
| 00:27:24 | 00:27:26 | try to flip back and forth, |
| 00:27:26 | 00:27:27 | which we'll tok more about this |
| 00:27:27 | 00:27:31 | in the energy management third piece of my structure here. |
| 00:27:31 | 00:27:33 | But really on tapping into the creative side, |
| 00:27:33 | 00:27:35 | I learned that a hack for this |
| 00:27:35 | 00:27:37 | is to do creative activities |
| 00:27:37 | 00:27:41 | before you step into that creative ideation process. |
| 00:27:41 | 00:27:44 | So for example, I will go out in nature and walk, |
| 00:27:44 | 00:27:46 | I will meditate. |
| 00:27:46 | 00:27:47 | I will dance. |
| 00:27:47 | 00:27:49 | I will do things that are tapping |
| 00:27:49 | 00:27:51 | into that right side of my mind |
| 00:27:51 | 00:27:54 | to more easily flow into an ideation state |
| 00:27:54 | 00:27:56 | versus trying to come off a crazy hectik meeting |
| 00:27:56 | 00:27:58 | or hectik day and then sit down and be like, |
| 00:27:58 | 00:28:01 | okay, where's my million dollar idea, right? |
| 00:28:01 | 00:28:05 | So allowing yourself that space for creativity |
| 00:28:05 | 00:28:07 | I have found has been a huge aspect |
| 00:28:07 | 00:28:08 | of coming up with the ideas. |
| 00:28:08 | 00:28:10 | So first is really unblocking your own mind |
| 00:28:10 | 00:28:12 | and losing the thought form |
| 00:28:12 | 00:28:15 | that you are not a creative being and just understanding... |
| 00:28:15 | 00:28:17 | 'Cause a lot of people I see are just like, |
| 00:28:17 | 00:28:18 | I'm just not that creative. |
| 00:28:18 | 00:28:19 | But giving yourself that chance |
| 00:28:19 | 00:28:22 | and helping yourself find your ideal outlet, |
| 00:28:22 | 00:28:23 | you'll be surprised, right? |
| 00:28:23 | 00:28:25 | And it's also a great self-reflection activity |
| 00:28:25 | 00:28:27 | to kinda look at your different processes, |
| 00:28:27 | 00:28:29 | 'cause you might be creative in ways |
| 00:28:29 | 00:28:31 | that aren't the traditional box of creativity, |
| 00:28:31 | 00:28:32 | but you're doing it. |
| 00:28:32 | 00:28:34 | Like for example, cooking in the kitchen, |
| 00:28:34 | 00:28:36 | a lot of people like be making new recipes |
| 00:28:36 | 00:28:38 | and doing new things and that could be |
| 00:28:38 | 00:28:41 | a creative activity or it could be something you do at work. |
| 00:28:41 | 00:28:43 | Maybe you're an engineer and you're coming up |
| 00:28:43 | 00:28:44 | with all these different ideas |
| 00:28:44 | 00:28:47 | on how to find solutions to problems, right. |
| 00:28:47 | 00:28:49 | So really just kinda challenging your notion |
| 00:28:49 | 00:28:53 | of creativity as a whole can help unblock that belief |
| 00:28:53 | 00:28:54 | that you're not creative |
| 00:28:54 | 00:28:56 | and then just kinda finding your ideal outlets |
| 00:28:56 | 00:28:58 | and then leaving that space |
| 00:28:58 | 00:29:00 | to tap into the right side of the brain. |
| 00:29:00 | 00:29:02 | - This is such a fascinating dialogue |
| 00:29:02 | 00:29:04 | 'cause for folks that are listening, |
| 00:29:04 | 00:29:06 | next week, we have a guy named Jesse Cole coming on, |
| 00:29:06 | 00:29:08 | who is the head of Savannah Bananas. |
| 00:29:08 | 00:29:11 | And he was inspired by "Saturday Night Live" |
| 00:29:11 | 00:29:13 | and they have this very creative process |
| 00:29:13 | 00:29:16 | that they go through to try to essentially get ideas |
| 00:29:16 | 00:29:18 | that will work and then they do skits and they do testing |
| 00:29:18 | 00:29:19 | and then they ultimately, |
| 00:29:19 | 00:29:22 | whatever makes it to the live show. |
| 00:29:22 | 00:29:24 | And I found for me and everybody's a little bit different, |
| 00:29:24 | 00:29:27 | but for me, my creative ideas tend to come |
| 00:29:27 | 00:29:30 | when I'm in the shower or when I'm driving to work. |
| 00:29:30 | 00:29:34 | And sometimes they also come when I'm listening to podcast. |
| 00:29:35 | 00:29:37 | There's a nice loud thunder there. |
| 00:29:37 | 00:29:39 | They come when I'm doing things |
| 00:29:39 | 00:29:41 | that are not my normal daily activities, |
| 00:29:41 | 00:29:44 | like the boring things, |
| 00:29:44 | 00:29:45 | you know what I mean? |
| 00:29:45 | 00:29:46 | Like driving to work, doing the dishes. |
| 00:29:46 | 00:29:48 | Have you found that you have to like |
| 00:29:48 | 00:29:50 | kinda separate yourself |
| 00:29:50 | 00:29:51 | from the distractions of the world a little bit |
| 00:29:51 | 00:29:53 | for the creative ideas to come? |
| 00:29:53 | 00:29:54 | - Absolutely. |
| 00:29:54 | 00:29:56 | So when you're in those states too, |
| 00:29:56 | 00:29:57 | you are typically on autopilot. |
| 00:29:57 | 00:30:00 | So the subconscious mind is the one at the forefront |
| 00:30:00 | 00:30:01 | taking care of those activities |
| 00:30:01 | 00:30:04 | because there are things you've done so many times, right. |
| 00:30:04 | 00:30:07 | So with this, it's great to kinda step into that space. |
| 00:30:07 | 00:30:09 | That's why like maybe in the shower, out walking |
| 00:30:09 | 00:30:13 | or doing these different activities, our mind quiets a bit, |
| 00:30:13 | 00:30:15 | and that allows the creativity to come through |
| 00:30:15 | 00:30:17 | versus your left side of the brain |
| 00:30:17 | 00:30:19 | that would be analyzing everything. |
| 00:30:19 | 00:30:20 | Right. |
| 00:30:20 | 00:30:21 | And like living in the future, living in the past, |
| 00:30:21 | 00:30:23 | analyzing different scenarios. |
| 00:30:23 | 00:30:25 | When we quiet that and we have our subconscious on |
| 00:30:25 | 00:30:28 | and we are doing these automated activities |
| 00:30:28 | 00:30:30 | that we've done so many times before |
| 00:30:30 | 00:30:32 | it allows that side to quiet a little bit, |
| 00:30:32 | 00:30:33 | so the right side start kicking up |
| 00:30:33 | 00:30:36 | and shooting out those ideas. |
| 00:30:36 | 00:30:37 | - What do you do with the ideas? |
| 00:30:37 | 00:30:38 | Because I would imagine you could lose them |
| 00:30:38 | 00:30:40 | if you don't do something with them, right. |
| 00:30:40 | 00:30:41 | - A lot write 'em down. |
| 00:30:41 | 00:30:42 | Yeah. |
| 00:30:42 | 00:30:43 | I call them my little pings. |
| 00:30:43 | 00:30:44 | I have like notes in my phone. |
| 00:30:44 | 00:30:46 | I'm writing things on paper. |
| 00:30:46 | 00:30:47 | I'm always just... |
| 00:30:47 | 00:30:49 | I have a viral ideas note in my phone |
| 00:30:49 | 00:30:51 | to kinda just capture that mindset |
| 00:30:51 | 00:30:52 | when I'm writing them in there. |
| 00:30:52 | 00:30:54 | So that's another spur I do. |
| 00:30:54 | 00:30:56 | - And I would imagine you come back to that |
| 00:30:56 | 00:30:58 | when you're looking for ideas to create content |
| 00:30:58 | 00:31:01 | and then it spurs the idea, is that generally how it works? |
| 00:31:01 | 00:31:02 | - Yeah, absolutely. |
| 00:31:02 | 00:31:05 | So the occasional ones that come, I just add to the list. |
| 00:31:05 | 00:31:07 | And then I also put myself in that creative flow state, |
| 00:31:07 | 00:31:10 | which usually takes me about three hours to tap into that. |
| 00:31:10 | 00:31:14 | And then I'll spend an hour like looking at content |
| 00:31:14 | 00:31:15 | and seeing what's trending on the platforms, |
| 00:31:15 | 00:31:18 | listening to trending songs and then the ideas start to hit. |
| 00:31:18 | 00:31:21 | Like the Excel tips will come in that match the song. |
| 00:31:21 | 00:31:23 | And I map that out and then I use a whole separate day |
| 00:31:23 | 00:31:25 | to go in and create the content. |
| 00:31:25 | 00:31:27 | - Fascinating. |
| 00:31:27 | 00:31:29 | Well, let's tok about energy management |
| 00:31:29 | 00:31:31 | because I think there's a connection here |
| 00:31:31 | 00:31:33 | between this creativity flow state |
| 00:31:33 | 00:31:34 | and obviously the energy management. |
| 00:31:34 | 00:31:36 | Because I would imagine, |
| 00:31:36 | 00:31:37 | if you're not managing your energy, |
| 00:31:37 | 00:31:38 | you're not gonna have any time |
| 00:31:38 | 00:31:40 | to be able to do these kinda things, right. |
| 00:31:40 | 00:31:42 | So tok to us a little bit about what is energy management |
| 00:31:42 | 00:31:45 | and why is it so important and how do we do it? |
| 00:31:45 | 00:31:46 | - Exactly. |
| 00:31:46 | 00:31:50 | So with energy management, let's back up a little bit. |
| 00:31:50 | 00:31:53 | A lot of people typically tok about time management |
| 00:31:53 | 00:31:55 | and that's always like a hot topic, time management. |
| 00:31:55 | 00:31:58 | But in reality, time is finite, right, is a finite resource. |
| 00:31:58 | 00:31:59 | It's our sets of time. |
| 00:31:59 | 00:32:01 | We have 24 hours in a day, |
| 00:32:01 | 00:32:03 | everyone's got the same 24 hours in the day, right. |
| 00:32:03 | 00:32:05 | But then when it comes to energy management, |
| 00:32:05 | 00:32:09 | that is how you are showing up in that time block |
| 00:32:09 | 00:32:10 | and in the state of mind |
| 00:32:10 | 00:32:12 | and frame of mind in that time block |
| 00:32:12 | 00:32:15 | to actually be able to increase your productivity |
| 00:32:15 | 00:32:17 | within the constraints of the finite time. |
| 00:32:17 | 00:32:19 | So for me, a big hack with this |
| 00:32:19 | 00:32:21 | has been learning how to work |
| 00:32:21 | 00:32:23 | with the left and right sides of the mind. |
| 00:32:23 | 00:32:26 | So for example, I will separate out my entire day, |
| 00:32:26 | 00:32:29 | which if that seems like a wild concept, |
| 00:32:29 | 00:32:31 | maybe with your current job situation, |
| 00:32:31 | 00:32:33 | even just doing like three hour blocks |
| 00:32:33 | 00:32:35 | where you are in one state of mind |
| 00:32:35 | 00:32:37 | versus the right side of mind, |
| 00:32:37 | 00:32:38 | so left or right. |
| 00:32:38 | 00:32:40 | And by grouping the activities that way |
| 00:32:40 | 00:32:43 | I've been able to be so much more productive |
| 00:32:43 | 00:32:45 | in those activities and thereby increasing |
| 00:32:45 | 00:32:47 | the amount of things I could get done |
| 00:32:47 | 00:32:48 | in a certain set of time. |
| 00:32:48 | 00:32:51 | So for example, I will have entire creative days |
| 00:32:51 | 00:32:53 | where I roll outta bed, |
| 00:32:53 | 00:32:54 | hiking out in the red rocks, |
| 00:32:54 | 00:32:57 | I'm drinking coffee, just kinda staying |
| 00:32:57 | 00:32:59 | in this right side of mind, |
| 00:32:59 | 00:33:01 | the flowy feminine energy, |
| 00:33:01 | 00:33:03 | and tapped into that state. |
| 00:33:03 | 00:33:05 | So when I go to sit down and come with the creative ideas, |
| 00:33:05 | 00:33:07 | they will just flow out. |
| 00:33:07 | 00:33:09 | Versus what a lot of people do |
| 00:33:09 | 00:33:11 | and what I see happen a lot in corporate is, |
| 00:33:11 | 00:33:12 | you'll have this whole packed day |
| 00:33:12 | 00:33:15 | and someone's gonna put 30 minute brainstorming session |
| 00:33:15 | 00:33:17 | on your calendar. |
| 00:33:17 | 00:33:18 | It's a lot more difficult |
| 00:33:18 | 00:33:20 | to come up with that million dollar idea |
| 00:33:20 | 00:33:22 | when you just came off a meeting |
| 00:33:22 | 00:33:23 | and you were all riled up |
| 00:33:23 | 00:33:25 | and debates in the office and you sit down, |
| 00:33:25 | 00:33:28 | you're like, "Okay, where's my idea." |
| 00:33:28 | 00:33:28 | Right. |
| 00:33:28 | 00:33:30 | It's a lot harder to come up with that |
| 00:33:30 | 00:33:32 | because you are in your left side of the brain, |
| 00:33:32 | 00:33:34 | you're in that analytikal state, |
| 00:33:34 | 00:33:35 | thinking about the future, |
| 00:33:35 | 00:33:36 | thinking about the past. |
| 00:33:36 | 00:33:38 | Right side of the mind is in the now, |
| 00:33:38 | 00:33:41 | it's in the present, ties into the meditating, right. |
| 00:33:41 | 00:33:44 | So it's for me separating out my calendar |
| 00:33:44 | 00:33:46 | in that way has been huge |
| 00:33:46 | 00:33:48 | for increasing the productivity in that state. |
| 00:33:48 | 00:33:51 | It also helps me overall manage my physical energy. |
| 00:33:51 | 00:33:53 | Like I'm feeling so much better |
| 00:33:53 | 00:33:55 | about what I'm doing 'cause I know for example, |
| 00:33:55 | 00:33:57 | I look forward to my creative days, right. |
| 00:33:57 | 00:33:59 | I'm like I have this nice relaxing day |
| 00:33:59 | 00:34:01 | and I'm gonna come up with these ideas. |
| 00:34:01 | 00:34:05 | And then I also feel really good about my left brain days |
| 00:34:05 | 00:34:06 | 'cause I'm like, okay, this is my power day. |
| 00:34:06 | 00:34:09 | I'm gonna have my ice coffee, a huge to-do list, |
| 00:34:09 | 00:34:11 | I'm gonna knock things out, feel really good. |
| 00:34:11 | 00:34:13 | So it's kinda changed the way that I show up |
| 00:34:13 | 00:34:16 | in those states and even the activities |
| 00:34:16 | 00:34:17 | I do around them align. |
| 00:34:17 | 00:34:20 | So I'm just full of so much more physical energy as well |
| 00:34:20 | 00:34:21 | when showing up versus like |
| 00:34:21 | 00:34:24 | needing that third cup of coffee in the afternoon. |
| 00:34:24 | 00:34:26 | I'm coming up to my activities |
| 00:34:26 | 00:34:28 | with more physical energy as well. |
| 00:34:28 | 00:34:31 | - You know, this is really fascinating. |
| 00:34:31 | 00:34:33 | I've toked about this in various different settings |
| 00:34:33 | 00:34:34 | over the years. |
| 00:34:35 | 00:34:38 | The way I do it is similar to the way you do it, |
| 00:34:38 | 00:34:40 | except I break my day into chunks. |
| 00:34:40 | 00:34:44 | So what I've done, and I'm in a position |
| 00:34:44 | 00:34:45 | where I'm the CEO and Founder of this company |
| 00:34:45 | 00:34:46 | and I got a lot of people that work for me. |
| 00:34:46 | 00:34:48 | And some of you listening may not have this luxury, |
| 00:34:48 | 00:34:52 | but you can try to ask your boss or your clients or whatever |
| 00:34:52 | 00:34:53 | and block these times. |
| 00:34:53 | 00:34:56 | But generally speaking, my assistant knows |
| 00:34:56 | 00:35:01 | that I never take a call before 11:00 a.m. in the morning. |
| 00:35:01 | 00:35:03 | And the reason why I do this is, |
| 00:35:03 | 00:35:05 | I've determined over many, many years |
| 00:35:05 | 00:35:06 | that my strategy mind, |
| 00:35:06 | 00:35:09 | which strategy is like puzzle solving |
| 00:35:09 | 00:35:12 | and creative solutions to problems |
| 00:35:12 | 00:35:15 | is kind of on high alert at that time. |
| 00:35:15 | 00:35:17 | It's the best time of the day for me |
| 00:35:17 | 00:35:19 | to be able to do this kind of work. |
| 00:35:19 | 00:35:21 | If I try to do it in the afternoons, |
| 00:35:21 | 00:35:24 | it takes me three to four times as long. |
| 00:35:24 | 00:35:26 | So this is kind of what you're toking about, right. |
| 00:35:26 | 00:35:29 | Like being aware of when you are most able |
| 00:35:29 | 00:35:33 | to do the kind of work in this case, creative work, |
| 00:35:33 | 00:35:35 | in my case, it's also a very creative problem solving |
| 00:35:35 | 00:35:39 | similar kinda thing and guarding it |
| 00:35:39 | 00:35:41 | and blocking it and protecting it. |
| 00:35:41 | 00:35:43 | Do you agree that that's really critikal? |
| 00:35:43 | 00:35:44 | - Absolutely. |
| 00:35:44 | 00:35:46 | You're channeling and harnessing that energy |
| 00:35:46 | 00:35:49 | and applying it where it matters most to you in your day. |
| 00:35:49 | 00:35:51 | And that's so important. |
| 00:35:51 | 00:35:53 | Very, very similar concepts. |
| 00:35:53 | 00:35:54 | - Yeah. |
| 00:35:54 | 00:35:57 | So when we combine all three of these together, right, |
| 00:35:57 | 00:35:59 | we've got energy management, |
| 00:35:59 | 00:36:01 | which is being aware of your energy |
| 00:36:01 | 00:36:04 | and using some sort of a system |
| 00:36:04 | 00:36:08 | to get yourself to the point where you've got enough energy. |
| 00:36:08 | 00:36:09 | And I would imagine in your case, |
| 00:36:09 | 00:36:10 | are you recording your videos |
| 00:36:10 | 00:36:12 | when you are in your highest form of energy? |
| 00:36:12 | 00:36:14 | 'Cause you have a lot of energy right now |
| 00:36:14 | 00:36:16 | or is this just generally how you are? |
| 00:36:16 | 00:36:17 | You're very full of excitement |
| 00:36:17 | 00:36:19 | and is that something different than energy? |
| 00:36:19 | 00:36:20 | - Yeah, so I mean, |
| 00:36:20 | 00:36:24 | typically I'm very just happy person in general, |
| 00:36:24 | 00:36:26 | so that will typically shine through. |
| 00:36:26 | 00:36:28 | But in partikular situations, |
| 00:36:28 | 00:36:29 | like if I'm creating a video |
| 00:36:29 | 00:36:31 | or an advertisement or something, |
| 00:36:31 | 00:36:33 | I will do things to get myself hyped up |
| 00:36:33 | 00:36:36 | and to get my energy into a high flowy state |
| 00:36:36 | 00:36:37 | before I show up on camera. |
| 00:36:37 | 00:36:39 | Because if you look miserable on camera, |
| 00:36:39 | 00:36:41 | no one's going to want to interact with you, right. |
| 00:36:41 | 00:36:43 | So for me, it's more of, |
| 00:36:43 | 00:36:45 | I will do things that make me happy in that moment. |
| 00:36:45 | 00:36:47 | So if I wanna like have a dance party, |
| 00:36:47 | 00:36:48 | if I wanna eat some chocolate, |
| 00:36:48 | 00:36:51 | if I wanna run around, I get myself hyped up. |
| 00:36:51 | 00:36:52 | So that way when I hit the screen, |
| 00:36:52 | 00:36:55 | I will literally just like blast through the camera, right. |
| 00:36:55 | 00:36:58 | And people feel that burst of energy because, |
| 00:36:58 | 00:36:59 | yes, I love teaching Excel, |
| 00:36:59 | 00:37:01 | but I also love making people smile |
| 00:37:01 | 00:37:03 | on the other side of the screen. |
| 00:37:03 | 00:37:04 | And my job here on the planet |
| 00:37:04 | 00:37:06 | is to just bring that high vibrational energy. |
| 00:37:06 | 00:37:08 | So when people see my content, |
| 00:37:08 | 00:37:11 | I want to make them happier in the end and help them learn. |
| 00:37:12 | 00:37:15 | - So if we combine all this together, the polarity, |
| 00:37:15 | 00:37:17 | which is combining things that don't seem |
| 00:37:17 | 00:37:18 | to naturally go together. |
| 00:37:18 | 00:37:23 | The creativity, which is getting into that right state |
| 00:37:24 | 00:37:28 | and figuring out how to really come up with great ideas |
| 00:37:28 | 00:37:29 | and then the energy management, |
| 00:37:29 | 00:37:34 | which is knowing when to do the various steps. |
| 00:37:34 | 00:37:36 | Like bring it all together as far as how that |
| 00:37:36 | 00:37:39 | ultimately impacts the kind of content you're creating. |
| 00:37:39 | 00:37:41 | Like when you do this right, your strategy, |
| 00:37:43 | 00:37:46 | tell us how long does it really take you? |
| 00:37:46 | 00:37:48 | How long does it take you to go from... |
| 00:37:48 | 00:37:49 | How many TikToks are you recording today? |
| 00:37:49 | 00:37:51 | And how long does it actually take you |
| 00:37:51 | 00:37:53 | from beginning to end to do all this |
| 00:37:53 | 00:37:54 | now that you've got this process? |
| 00:37:54 | 00:37:55 | - Yeah. |
| 00:37:55 | 00:37:58 | So, I mean, typically I'll take one day a week |
| 00:37:58 | 00:37:59 | and go into a creative flow state. |
| 00:37:59 | 00:38:01 | So I map out the ideas, |
| 00:38:01 | 00:38:03 | that's where the element of polarity comes in. |
| 00:38:03 | 00:38:05 | We play with that, we play with the creativity, |
| 00:38:05 | 00:38:06 | and this all really falls |
| 00:38:06 | 00:38:08 | under the umbrella of energy management. |
| 00:38:08 | 00:38:11 | And I will go through and map out my ideas. |
| 00:38:11 | 00:38:12 | And then typically on a separate day |
| 00:38:12 | 00:38:16 | I will do hair, makeup and I will batch create |
| 00:38:16 | 00:38:17 | all of those videos. |
| 00:38:17 | 00:38:20 | And then prior to hiring a video editor, |
| 00:38:20 | 00:38:22 | I would have a separate day where it's like, |
| 00:38:22 | 00:38:26 | hair's up in a bun, looking rogue, face mask on |
| 00:38:26 | 00:38:29 | going in and just like editing for hours on end. |
| 00:38:29 | 00:38:31 | And just in that more systematik state |
| 00:38:31 | 00:38:33 | while still like kinda tapping into the creativity |
| 00:38:33 | 00:38:34 | of like the elements I put in the video. |
| 00:38:34 | 00:38:36 | But typically I'll see that on the front end |
| 00:38:36 | 00:38:37 | when I'm designing it. |
| 00:38:37 | 00:38:40 | So that's more of like the execution day. |
| 00:38:40 | 00:38:41 | - So how many are you recording when you batch, |
| 00:38:41 | 00:38:42 | I'm just curious. |
| 00:38:42 | 00:38:43 | - Usually about 10. |
| 00:38:44 | 00:38:45 | - Is that enough to get you through |
| 00:38:45 | 00:38:47 | like a week or two weeks? |
| 00:38:47 | 00:38:48 | Or how often do you have to do this? |
| 00:38:48 | 00:38:49 | - Oh yeah. |
| 00:38:49 | 00:38:50 | So, I mean, I really just view it |
| 00:38:50 | 00:38:52 | as like how much do I want to do this? |
| 00:38:52 | 00:38:55 | So it's like viewing it through the lens of abundance |
| 00:38:55 | 00:38:56 | versus the lens of scarcity. |
| 00:38:56 | 00:38:58 | And that's kinda the way I've treated social media |
| 00:38:58 | 00:38:59 | is actually... |
| 00:38:59 | 00:39:00 | It was funny, Nilay Patel was like, |
| 00:39:00 | 00:39:02 | "You have the healthiest relationship |
| 00:39:02 | 00:39:04 | "with social media I've ever seen." |
| 00:39:04 | 00:39:07 | 'Cause I do what feels good for me |
| 00:39:07 | 00:39:08 | and because it's authentik to me, |
| 00:39:08 | 00:39:09 | that's what will go viral, right? |
| 00:39:09 | 00:39:12 | Like I could go a week without posting |
| 00:39:12 | 00:39:13 | then post something and it blows up |
| 00:39:13 | 00:39:16 | versus being like I have to post every single day |
| 00:39:16 | 00:39:18 | and like slaving to the algorithm. |
| 00:39:18 | 00:39:20 | For me, it's really how I show up |
| 00:39:20 | 00:39:23 | and the quality versus the quantity in those scenarios. |
| 00:39:23 | 00:39:26 | So for me, I love these 10 pieces of content, |
| 00:39:26 | 00:39:28 | I'm gonna give it my full out. |
| 00:39:28 | 00:39:31 | And then when I feel the time is right, it's posting them, |
| 00:39:31 | 00:39:33 | placing them, doing things. |
| 00:39:33 | 00:39:35 | - Let's tok about Instagram versus TikTok. |
| 00:39:35 | 00:39:36 | Have you notiked any differences |
| 00:39:36 | 00:39:39 | since you're pretty active on both of the platforms |
| 00:39:39 | 00:39:40 | as far as the kinds of content |
| 00:39:40 | 00:39:42 | that seem to work on one versus the other? |
| 00:39:42 | 00:39:45 | - Yeah, I mean, it's typically pretty similar |
| 00:39:45 | 00:39:47 | between the two. |
| 00:39:47 | 00:39:49 | I feel like Instagram has traditionally |
| 00:39:49 | 00:39:53 | had a slower role in the algorithm process, |
| 00:39:53 | 00:39:54 | like when you're going viral. |
| 00:39:54 | 00:39:56 | Like sometimes I'll go viral on Instagram, |
| 00:39:56 | 00:39:59 | but it'll be like slowmo versus TikTok is a lot faster. |
| 00:39:59 | 00:40:01 | Like I'll know within a day or two |
| 00:40:01 | 00:40:02 | if this is hitting or not, |
| 00:40:02 | 00:40:06 | versus Instagram can sometimes be a slower roll with it. |
| 00:40:06 | 00:40:07 | But really with both of them, |
| 00:40:07 | 00:40:08 | the types of content that for me |
| 00:40:08 | 00:40:11 | has been working lately has been, one, storytelling. |
| 00:40:11 | 00:40:14 | So I will act as different characters |
| 00:40:14 | 00:40:15 | when I am teaching these Excel tips. |
| 00:40:15 | 00:40:17 | So at some point I'll be the boss, |
| 00:40:17 | 00:40:19 | then I'm the coworker, then I'm Kat, |
| 00:40:19 | 00:40:21 | and having those elements to it, |
| 00:40:21 | 00:40:23 | still using the trending songs and music has been a hit. |
| 00:40:23 | 00:40:26 | I started integrating some toking to the camera videos, |
| 00:40:26 | 00:40:27 | which my current audience loves, |
| 00:40:27 | 00:40:30 | but from an algorithm perspective, |
| 00:40:30 | 00:40:32 | having the music has really helped me |
| 00:40:32 | 00:40:34 | in those videos though. |
| 00:40:34 | 00:40:35 | - So when you're playing these different characters |
| 00:40:35 | 00:40:37 | is all on one video? |
| 00:40:37 | 00:40:37 | - Oh yeah. |
| 00:40:37 | 00:40:39 | - So like you've got a hat on and one |
| 00:40:39 | 00:40:41 | and no hat on the other or something like that? |
| 00:40:42 | 00:40:44 | I seem to see that a lot. |
| 00:40:44 | 00:40:46 | I'm not on TikTok, I'm on Instagram, |
| 00:40:46 | 00:40:47 | but I see it a lot on Instagram. |
| 00:40:47 | 00:40:48 | Is it work on both of the platforms |
| 00:40:48 | 00:40:51 | with people acting in different |
| 00:40:51 | 00:40:52 | kinda characters kinda thing? |
| 00:40:52 | 00:40:53 | - Yeah. |
| 00:40:53 | 00:40:54 | I mean, it keeps it really entertaining |
| 00:40:54 | 00:40:56 | 'cause yes, we're teaching something, |
| 00:40:56 | 00:40:58 | but we're also keeping the recipients attention, right. |
| 00:40:58 | 00:41:00 | Because we need them engaged |
| 00:41:00 | 00:41:02 | in order for them to actually be learning the content |
| 00:41:02 | 00:41:03 | and not dazing off. |
| 00:41:03 | 00:41:05 | So my goal is to keep people paying attention |
| 00:41:05 | 00:41:06 | so they actually learn. |
| 00:41:06 | 00:41:09 | And so I will have outfit swaps. |
| 00:41:09 | 00:41:10 | I do like my hair different, |
| 00:41:10 | 00:41:12 | glasses on when I'm the boss. |
| 00:41:12 | 00:41:14 | And a lot of the time too, |
| 00:41:14 | 00:41:18 | the story element has this layer of relatability to it, |
| 00:41:18 | 00:41:20 | where even if you're not toking about the Excel tip, |
| 00:41:20 | 00:41:22 | you might be like, oh, my boss did that to me once |
| 00:41:22 | 00:41:23 | or things like that, |
| 00:41:23 | 00:41:25 | where it adds in that element of relatability, |
| 00:41:25 | 00:41:28 | that drives more comments in the algorithm too. |
| 00:41:28 | 00:41:32 | - How long are your videos typically, as far as duration? |
| 00:41:32 | 00:41:35 | - I like the 15 second mark for my typical one, |
| 00:41:35 | 00:41:38 | showing an Excel tip, which like can't seem daunting, |
| 00:41:38 | 00:41:42 | trying to teach like data validation in 15 seconds |
| 00:41:42 | 00:41:43 | or things like that. |
| 00:41:43 | 00:41:44 | A lot of people are like, how do you do that? |
| 00:41:44 | 00:41:47 | Which is really where in the editing process |
| 00:41:47 | 00:41:49 | or now directing my editor with this process is like, |
| 00:41:49 | 00:41:52 | I will watch a video over and over and over |
| 00:41:52 | 00:41:55 | to make sure that I have it amount, |
| 00:41:55 | 00:41:57 | the exact right of seconds for someone |
| 00:41:57 | 00:41:59 | to be able to capture that content. |
| 00:41:59 | 00:42:01 | Because you're teaching these complex things |
| 00:42:01 | 00:42:02 | in such a short amount of time. |
| 00:42:02 | 00:42:05 | So I really like that, like 15, 17 second range. |
| 00:42:05 | 00:42:07 | And then for my toking videos though, |
| 00:42:07 | 00:42:10 | I typically will explain things more slowly |
| 00:42:10 | 00:42:12 | and then just keep my energy flowing throughout |
| 00:42:12 | 00:42:15 | and those will be usually like under a minute. |
| 00:42:15 | 00:42:17 | - Have you notiked you have to start your videos |
| 00:42:17 | 00:42:19 | in a certain kinda way to keep people engaged? |
| 00:42:19 | 00:42:21 | Is there any tips or tikniques you have |
| 00:42:21 | 00:42:23 | on the first couple seconds of what you do in your videos? |
| 00:42:23 | 00:42:25 | - Yeah, those first couple seconds are critikal. |
| 00:42:25 | 00:42:28 | So it's having that energy, |
| 00:42:28 | 00:42:30 | having the hook right off the bat. |
| 00:42:30 | 00:42:32 | I typically don't do like the cheesy things. |
| 00:42:32 | 00:42:34 | Like you have to see this or something like that. |
| 00:42:34 | 00:42:37 | But what I like to do is show them |
| 00:42:37 | 00:42:38 | sometimes the end of the video, |
| 00:42:38 | 00:42:41 | like what the result is or like have you had this problem, |
| 00:42:41 | 00:42:43 | like showing something where they start |
| 00:42:43 | 00:42:45 | and where they finish to hook them in on, |
| 00:42:45 | 00:42:47 | okay, here's the solution, right. |
| 00:42:47 | 00:42:49 | Because if you start slowly explaining a solution |
| 00:42:49 | 00:42:50 | and they don't know the problem, |
| 00:42:50 | 00:42:52 | then it's harder to hook people into the content. |
| 00:42:52 | 00:42:55 | So I will typically show the end of the video |
| 00:42:55 | 00:42:56 | or the solution or like what |
| 00:42:56 | 00:42:59 | we're actually trying to do in the beginning |
| 00:42:59 | 00:43:01 | to have them stay through to the end. |
| 00:43:01 | 00:43:03 | - Well, and I would imagine that gets them looping |
| 00:43:03 | 00:43:05 | sometimes too, doesn't it? |
| 00:43:05 | 00:43:06 | - Absolutely. |
| 00:43:06 | 00:43:09 | - So Kat first of all, this has been really fascinating. |
| 00:43:09 | 00:43:10 | Thank you so much for deep diving |
| 00:43:10 | 00:43:11 | into your creative process |
| 00:43:11 | 00:43:13 | 'cause so many people, first of all, |
| 00:43:13 | 00:43:15 | don't feel like they have a creative... |
| 00:43:15 | 00:43:17 | Well maybe they used to be creative |
| 00:43:17 | 00:43:18 | and they don't feel like they have it anymore |
| 00:43:18 | 00:43:19 | and you've kinda given them |
| 00:43:19 | 00:43:21 | a really cool formula that they can follow |
| 00:43:21 | 00:43:23 | to kinda bring back some of that creativity |
| 00:43:23 | 00:43:25 | to be able to create some of the content maybe |
| 00:43:25 | 00:43:28 | that they've always wanted to create but haven't known how. |
| 00:43:28 | 00:43:31 | If people wanna check you out on the socials, |
| 00:43:31 | 00:43:34 | where do they find you? |
| 00:43:34 | 00:43:35 | And if you have a website you wanna send 'em to, |
| 00:43:35 | 00:43:36 | where do you wanna send them? |
| 00:43:36 | 00:43:37 | - Absolutely. |
| 00:43:37 | 00:43:40 | So my main platforms are Instagram and TikTok |
| 00:43:40 | 00:43:45 | where I am at miss M-I-S-S .excel E-X-C-E-L |
| 00:43:45 | 00:43:50 | and then my website is miss M-I-S-S -excel, E-X-C-E-L.com. |
| 00:43:51 | 00:43:51 | - Awesome. |
| 00:43:51 | 00:43:53 | Thank you Kat so much for coming on |
| 00:43:53 | 00:43:56 | and bringing the energy and answering all my questions. |
| 00:43:56 | 00:43:58 | We are so much better because of it. |
| 00:43:58 | 00:43:59 | - Thank you so much for having me. |
| 00:43:59 | 00:44:00 | This was awesome. |
