As a content creator who wants to achieve success, you have a responsibility to do a little bit every day. I was writing an article for Caribbean Content Creators when my four-year-old daughter walked in and picked up a novella I wrote in 2007. Her name is Anna. She’s a little taller than the table, with plump cheeks and two ponytails. Flipping through the pages, Anna remarked that the book had no pictures. Then she asked me if I wrote all “these words”. I stopped typing and looked at Anna. Smiled. Said yes. Her next sentence stunned me.
“Did you get tired?”
“No, I didn’t get tired.”
She wasn’t satisfied. “But how did you write all these words?”
I thought about it for a moment then said, “I did a little bit every day.”
She wasn’t done. “Why is your name at the top of every page?”
“Because that’s the way books are usually formatted.” It felt like a dumb uninspiring answer.
She left the book on the table and disappeared.
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Since 2008, I’ve published 12 books and published almost 700 YouTube videos. How did I do it? By doing a little bit every single day. It took about 6 months to write Boy Days: Short Stories about Trini Men; and another two years to edit the book.
Later, in the cool of the afternoon, Anna appeared with a plush journal. On the cover is a rainbow-coloured unicorn.
“I’m working on a story called The Explosion,” she said.
I was editing a video. I stopped, turned my chair, and looked at her.
“What’s it about?”
“It’s a story about a girl walking on the beach and a bomb falls right next to her.”
“What if the bomb falls on top of her?”
Anna laughed tee-hee. “She’ll die. I don’t want her to die.”
“Can I help you write the story?” I asked.
“Yes.” Anna is precise with her words. “You can help spell words. But,” she warned, “there aren’t any pictures.”
Anna knows what she wants. We went outside. Surrounded by mountains we sat under the clear blue sky. She dictated the story, I wrote the words. It wasn’t smooth sailing. There was scratching, and some crying, I wasn’t doing it the way she wanted it. We had to start over. But we did it. After the last sentence, she pointed and told me to write “The End”. Then she signed her name at the top of the page; because that’s how books are formatted.
“We’ll write another story tomorrow,” she said.
A little bit every day. It goes a long way.
As a content creator, what does your daily schedule look like? Let me know in the comments.
It’s 9:00 AM. I committed to publishing two articles per week; one at 8:00 AM on a Monday and another at 8:00 AM Thursday. I’m late. Why? Because although I wrote an article I forgot to schedule it for release. Automation is wonderful if you remember to automate. I’m sorry. Please forgive me for being late. I can’t believe I put myself in a position where I’m starting the year with an apology. Very unprofessional.
I’ve learned a lot since setting 11 content creator goals for 2024. And it’s only been two days since I’ve set those goals. Another ambitious goal is to publish one YouTube Shorts every single day. Publish one podcast episode every Tuesday at 8:00 AM. I haven’t edited the episode yet. By setting “concrete goals” I already have a clear picture of what I need to do and where I’m falling short or, to put it bluntly, failing. Along with the goals I’ve established time management is a top priority. And better systems. I can’t be writing an article the night before it’s due. As a content creator, how can I become a professional?
Time: I need a schedule. Besides content creation, I have a job. I have a young family. Ideally, I want to spend time with my wife and children on weekends. if I have to work on Saturdays I will, but I nah work on a Sunday. There. I know my boundaries. It’s important to know your boundaries. I need a schedule. One that involves writing, batch recording and editing every week; despite the “monotony”. Do what I need to do without complaining. Repeating tasks. Google Calendar will help.
Focus: My focus is writing. As I write ideas spring up. I’ve chosen to focus on YouTube because it’s the only platform where I earn revenue as a Caribbean Content Creator. I’ve uninstalled Tik Tok, Facebook Pages and Instagram from my phone, and I’m already reaping the benefits. I’m a solo creator. To maintain focus I’m going to have to back off
Understand what drives you. As a content creator I work fluidly when I share grassroots stories. Stories of hardworking people who are easily overlooked. Stories of people who are quietly working, quietly doing what they do without recognition. Recognition is important. When we recognise people and their work we lift something inside them that may not have moved in years. This drives me, and
There’s so much more to being a professional. As a content creator, what does being a professional mean to you? Let me know in the comments.
As a Caribbean writer, YouTuber and podcaster I’m not in the habit of setting goals. I trust my instinct. For the most part, I wing it. Since 2008 I’ve been winging it as a self-published writer and a YouTuber. I write when I feel like it; record when I feel like it; publish when I feel I like it. Not accountable to anyone, including myself. I guess that makes me an amateur. Right?
I want to approach 2024 differently. Set goals. Consistent posting schedules. Commit. Hit them. As you read the goals I’ve outlined please bear in mind that, for the most part, instinct is driving me, and the knowledge of my audience. Hopefully, some of the items can help you on your journey.
Understand my audience and genre more. I’m a lifestyle vlogger from Trinidad. I like dark humour, human interest stories and political satire. Through surveys, comments and offline interactions I’m building a clearer picture of what I like versus what my audience wants. Are you considering your audience?
Learn more. Read more. Listen to more useful podcasts. Learn from and engage my peers more. Peers like Juma Bannister from Trinidad who produces an extremely useful podcast named Useful Content.
Write more. Publish 2 blog posts every week. One on Monday and Thursday at 8:00 AM sharp. Writing is the foundation on which EVERYTHING else is based. Here’s my thinking. If I write more, I’ll generate more ideas. By publishing 2 articles weekly I’ll keep the website fresh. And each article is a potential podcast episode.
Select 2 social media platforms and stick to them. I’m hedging my bets on YouTube and… X formerly Twitter. YouTube for video: shorts, long-form and live streams. Although YouTube is a powerful search engine, I know it’s going to be hard to stick to one platform for video. Here’s why: on my Tik Tok and Facebook page, my videos often achieve viral success. But here’s the thing. As a solo creator, it’s impossible to engage with followers in multiple places. Plus my Tik Tok isn’t monetised; neither is Facebook. As a content creator from the Caribbean I haven’t figured out how to monetise either, and there’s little evidence that suggests viewers who discovered my videos on Tik Tok and Facebook jumped across to my YouTube channel which is monetised. Why X? So I can stay abreast of conversations specific to my genre.
Publish AT LEAST one YouTube shorts every day. I love creating videos that are under a minute long. Whether it’s political satire, a segment from a podcast, or a family vlog with a voiceover. When it comes to building an audience my most popular short has so far brought in 147 subscribers. More importantly though the time constraint challenges my writing and editing skills.
Publish at least one long-form video every week. While shorts help build an audience they don’t generate a lot of revenue on my channel. This may surprise you but, without a consistent sponsor, every time I film a video I lose money. I love what I do, and I do it, but as I do it I lose money. Real talk.
Publish one podcast episode per week: every Tuesday at 8:00 AM. In 2022 I started a podcast called Caribbean Content Creators. Then my wife and I launched Life, Love and Trinidad. In 2023 I published episodes when I felt like it. Sometimes months passed before a new release. Remember those 3 articles I’m committing to publishing every week. I plan to batch-write and subsequently record episodes.
Speak to 2 Caribbean Content Creators every month. Learn about their backstory, the tools they use and tips they have for other content creators. If you’re a content creator and you’d like to chat on the podcast feel free to message me on Instagram. Does anyone know how I can get in touch with David Rudder? I’d love to have him on as a guest.
The mission to send Farmer Harry to Antigua
Raise money to send Farmer Harry to Antigua. Farmer Harry is a farmer who lives off-grid in Trinidad. When we met in 2021 two things surprised me: it surprised me that there were people in Trinidad who still lived without electricity and water; it surprised me that Farmer Harry was 61 and didn’t have a birth paper or national identification card. Back then, he didn’t have a passport. He still does not have a passport. While I was on a family vacation in Tobago it suddenly dawned on me that despite years of long toilings, Farmer Harry never left Trinidad. Subsequently, I asked him if he could choose one Caribbean island where would he visit? He replied, “I’d go to Antigua?” I raised an eyebrow. “Why Antigua?” He watched me. “Because Antigua has a beach for every day of the year”. In December 2023, after months of runaround, Farmer Harry got his national identification card. In January 2024, we begin work on getting his passport. Through sponsors and donations, we’ve so far raised around TTD $7,000. The target is TTD $17,500. If you’d like to sponsor a video or donate to Farmer Harry’s trip to Antigua, please fill out this contact form.
Work for a company as an In-house creator. This sounds crazy. But rather than find multiple sponsors for multiple videos I’d love to work for one company in 2024. One good company. One that’s willing to bring me to help build their business and generate leads with the skills I have as a videographer, writer, programmer and podcaster. If you own a business and you’re interested in talking, contact me at (868)487-9115.
Offer coaching services. Over the years I’ve gained experience as a writer and YouTuber. My strengths are storytelling and using humour to enhance stories. In 2023 I’ve helped aspiring YouTubers and writers. For free. In 2024 I’m offering coaching services to businesses and content creators who want to use storytelling and humour to create better content and generate more leads. If you own a business and you’d like to chat, feel free to book a consultation here.
Are you a content creator? What are your goals for 2024? I’d love to hear them. Feel free to let me know in the comments.
As a Caribbean Content Creator, I’ve worked for free for a very long time. Since 2008 I’ve steadily created content. I wrote a book. Published two for Michael Cozier. Helped more than 25 Caribbean writers get published for the first time. In 2018 I stumbled back into video content to promote my books. Inspired by Jon Stewart and The Daily Show, I started RedwallNews. The point isn’t to boast but to show a commitment to process. To doing. I did it because I love it but… oh yeah, there’s a but.
Somewhere in 2022 I got distracted from the process and started focusing on business and money that wasn’t coming in from content creation. It happened when I started working with Mr Bat and Farmer Harry. Something inside me broke when Mr Bat died. I felt like he had contributed so much of his time, skill and energy; and although he constantly reassured me that he wasn’t doing it for the money I felt bad that he wasn’t able to benefit more than he did financially. Maybe I’m wrong to feel this way. I’m merely telling you how I feel. I said it early: as a Caribbean Content Creator I’ve worked for free for a very long time, and while that’s ok I’d love to be in a position to do more for the people I’m privileged to work with on an ongoing basis.
After Mr Bat died, everything became hard for me. I stopped focusing on the process and concentrated on outcomes and rewards that weren’t forthcoming. This goes all the way back to my early days as a self-published writer. What’s it called? Burnout? By shifting my focus to rewards and outcomes I crashed. Simple processes became hard. When you’re deflated do you know how hard it is to take a memory card out of a camera and plug it into a computer to transfer files?
As a new or experienced content creator there’s a possibility you’re going to work for free for a long time. At any point in your journey, if you prioritize the outcome or rewards over your creative process you’re going to become an unhappy creator. Then you’re going to become useless to yourself and your audience.
As I look forward to 2024 my mission is to reclaim the joy of the creative process, focus on the people I serve and build a business I’m proud of.
Recognition is nice. Powerful. Recently, while chatting with Christophe Pierre from Design By Spirit, he recognized Rendelina Reviews, and the importance of their work as Caribbean food bloggers from Trinidad and Tobago.
Rendel and Melina Robinson from Rendelina Reviews
Rendelina Reviews is a husband and wife team from Trinidad and Tobago. Rendel is the husband, Melina is the wife. Since 2017 they’ve grown their Social media presence to over 200,000 followers and subscribers.
Rendel listened to that episode. Heard Christophe’s positive comment. Rendel and I connected, chatted on the telephone trying to put things in place. It took time but in December 2024 we sat down to chat. There’s a lot more but here are 3 takeaways for content creators
It takes time to make a breakthrough. Rendel and Melina have a production company called Render Vision. Before Rendelina Reviews they were filming events like weddings. Food vlogs were a passion project, something they did because they enjoyed doing it. After 5 years, the food vlogs published through Rendelina Reviews got bigger and attracted more attention and profit than Render Vision. Through their work with Rendelina Reviews, they’d eventually connect with Mobil, their first major sponsor.
Create content because you love it. It’s not about a payday or a side hustle. Focus on what you know. Rendel expressed that he creates videos for fun. He does it because he loves it. One of his driving goals is to make a Hollywood movie. Producing content allows him to create short documentaries and flex the muscles that could one day lead him to a Hollywood movie.
How to make better food videos. Focus on your niche. Focus on what you’re good at. Be consistent. Know your strong suit. For example in Rendelina’s their emphasis is on production quality and they’ve invested on equipment that allows them to walk the talk. Make sure your audio is crisp. Be relatable, consider where your target audience is and the equipment you use, in some cases it may mean choosing a phone versus cinema camera.
If you’re a content creator, there’s a lot in the episode. For your convenience, I’ve included the YouTube video.
