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.

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.

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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.