Uploaded and Unfiltered: Conversations about Personal Growth, Mindsets, and Advice with BIPOC Creators for Creators

Breaking Free: Why Mindset Matters for Black Creators

• Jermaine Pulliam • Season 1 • Episode 96

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Ever wondered why certain voices remain unheard despite having powerful stories to tell? This deeply personal episode explores my mission to help Black creators overcome the mental barriers that keep their authentic content from reaching the world.

The media has long portrayed Black people through harmful stereotypes – men as criminals or absent fathers, women as angry or hypersexualized. These portrayals go beyond mere disrespect; they actively shape how we perceive ourselves. When we only see ourselves in handcuffs or hashtags, it subconsciously limits our vision of what's possible. This is exactly why I've dedicated myself to helping Black creators transform their mindsets.

Content creation offers something revolutionary – the power to reclaim our narratives without permission from traditional gatekeepers. When creators like Issa Rae couldn't find roles that represented them authentically, they created their own platforms. When TikTok trends created by Black creators went viral without proper credit, it revealed both our cultural influence and the systems still working against us. By helping clear mental blocks like fear, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome, I'm enabling creators to move from "I don't know where to start" to confidently sharing their authentic voice with the world.

The journey toward mindset mastery extends far beyond content creation – it becomes a superpower applicable to every area of life. When you can respond to challenges with clarity rather than reactive emotion, you unlock an entirely new level of personal freedom. Are you ready to tell your story without waiting for permission? Connect with me through the link in the description to learn how mindset coaching can transform your creative journey.

https://stan.store/CoachJermaine

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Speaker 1:

Welcome, welcome back to another episode of uploaded and unfiltered. The podcast in which I, your host, remain, interviews another content creator in regards to their journey. Thus far and just over the last few years, I've come to the realization that helping Black creators is what I want to do with part of my life, and today I want to tell you exactly why I help Black creators with their mindsets. It's not just about content. It's about clearing mental blocks like fear, shame, self-doubt that we were installed with by systems that weren't built for us to thrive. So in today's episode I don't know how long it's going to be, but we are going to dive into that specific subject matter and hopefully you come away with some information that maybe you've never heard of or a better understanding of why I do what I do. So, without further delays, if you haven't already, I'm going to, at the top of the podcast subscribe to the podcast.

Speaker 1:

Upload and unfilter. There's a lot of garbage-ass content out there and I am thriving and attempting to inject some positivity, some content that is actually helpful, that is actually nurturing rather than destroying. Oh, why did I decide to help Black creators with their mindset? The first point and it's probably my biggest point is. I want to challenge harmful stereotypes in the media. I know you've all been witness to this and I think I learned at a younger age that the media portrays Black people crazily in a way that is not truly representative of who we are as peoples. Black men are painted as horrible fathers, as criminals. You often see black men dressed up in other attire. Black women are usually portrayed as angry, over-sexualized or some other broken trope that they decide to put on our people and, unfortunately, the culture as a whole. If you were to look at the way a white director or someone not of color would portray a black person, the whole culture boils down to struggle or spectacle. We're here to be looked at and ostracized, not embraced. It's deeper than disrespect. It wires how we see ourselves. For example, when mainstream news shows us only in handcuffs or hashtags, it tells the world and our kids that that's the only way that we are, and we see it repeatedly. The same crime can happen between a white man and a black man, and the way that the black man is portrayed is evil or angry or violent or savage Shit like that. They don't even try to hide it anymore. It's very like it's blatantly obvious that this is their agenda and this is the way that they see the world, that they see us.

Speaker 1:

Example number two is even in TV and films, finding black joy is rare. That's why I am so enthralled with thrillers, because it is unapologetically black. Like. You have no doubt in your mind who created that movie, who the movie was created for, like don't get me wrong, everybody can enjoy it. But there was definitely a set of people in mind when that movie was created and you can tell throughout the whole whole time of that movie.

Speaker 1:

So when we don't see ourselves winning or healing or leading in media, it's easy to believe that that's not for us. So one reason that I want to help Black creators is to interrupt that programming. Healing is for us, winning is for us. Leading in media is for us. Healing is for us, winning is for us, leading in media is for us. And again, I keep going back to Ryan.

Speaker 1:

But what he did with his movie showed so many young black inspiring directors or writers or producers that it is possible. Right now, centers is sitting at like what? 250 billion worldwide, which is huge. That's a huge number for a piece of content that back in the day, I almost guarantee you, studios would be like no, that's that's, it's too black, we don't, there's no audience for it. Like we showed up, like we always do, what every movie that we do, and like we keep seeing examples of this. That's why it's so I don't want to say frustrating, that's not the word it's so disheartening to see so many Black creators doubting their skills, sitting on ideas that would be so amazing to see in the flesh, in real life. But they're doubting themselves because too much of the world's influence has affected their brains, is what I feel. So let's go ahead and move on to point two.

Speaker 1:

It took me a while to realize this, but the power of content creation is immense. It's massive If you look at creation. Content creation is a tool. We can use it to reclaim our narratives, we can use it to represent ourselves accurately, and also, content allows us to empower others by being fully ourselves. When we create content that is wholesome or that is positive or that is educational or that is just simply truly who you are as a person, authentically showing up as yourself, not trying to be a trope or trying to be the latest meme, people who align with you, that rock with you, that have that same energy are going to feed off of that. And the crazy thing is, content creation is so powerful that we can start building our own businesses out of these endeavors, of these endeavors.

Speaker 1:

So when I see black women talking openly about anxiety or imposter syndrome, that is therapy and activism. It's saying hey, you're not alone and you're not broken. There's so many young black girls who go out there, who are out there not sharing their feelings, not going out their way to find people who align with what they think. And having someone create that content and being able to put it out there and reach potentially million people is very useful. Another example is creators like Tabitha Brown, kevonstage, tony Tone and Mecca Woods didn't wait for a network to validate them, and Mecca Woods didn't wait for a network to validate them. They built their own platforms that uplift, educate and heal by authentic, by being authentic, like that's what it's about, like they had nothing and now they have their own network, they have their own infrastructure, they have their own pipelines to get their content out to the people they want to, and that shit is inspiring.

Speaker 1:

Creating your own content is not just self-expression, it's cultural correction. Yeah, I'm saying it here first. This is why I focus on mindset. If you're blocked by fear of perfectionism, your content never leaves your head, and unfortunately, that is a loss that I don't think we can afford anymore, especially in the times that we're in right now. And that brings me to my third point.

Speaker 1:

Taking creative control of our narrative is vital. We've been doing that, we've been making strides in that arena, and I am happy and I'm glad about it. But as I look across the vast sea of content creation and I see the content that is marketed towards young black men and black women and I see the conversations that they're having, those conversations are not I don't want to say, ideal. What's the word I'm looking for? Yeah, they're not useful. They don't grow the soul, they're not helping lift mindsets and not helping get people to think differently. They're keeping people stuck. We spent too long letting other people tell our stories.

Speaker 1:

When we take control of our own narrative, or ways that we can control our own narrative, is speak for yourself, not just defend yourself, not just defend yourself. So what I mean by that is we need to speak up and say things that we are loving, we are gracious for having, we have gratitudes towards, talk about how amazing your life is going or talk about the struggles that you are having, but don't get on these apps and just defend your points, especially if they're trifling points like try to bring some positivity into the world. So that's part of controlling our narrative. The other part is creating without permission. A lot of people think that they need to gain permission from society, like from the public masses, before they can start creating content, and this is why I think we see a lot of people who are procrastinating, calling perfectionism like their downfall. Where it's really. They're just scared. They do not want to be judged by people and it's wild to me, especially as black creators. If you think about this, if you're a black person in america, you can almost guarantee there's a group of people in this world that hates you. It's like it's not funny, but like it is what it is. And if you don't allow that to stop you from living your life, to stop you from going to school, from going to the supermarket, from living your life, then you should not have any issues with showing up in front of a camera and saying what you need to say.

Speaker 1:

I guess I'm so far removed from it that I no longer remember what was my hesitation from showing up on camera? What was my hesitation from talking about mindsets? What was my hesitation about talking about how most men are over masculine and violent as fuck and it's just something that I don't subscribe to? Or what was I thinking about when I was afraid to say that I don't eat steak? That was a real thing. There was a while there that I said I was not. Yeah, I was afraid to say that I don't eat steak because eating steak was associated with that's what men do do or that's a manly thing.

Speaker 1:

There was a point in time in my life, not afraid to admit it, that these stereotypes, these categories, these perspectives used to I don't want to say guide my life, but they used to make me hesitate before making certain decisions. And I do remember that feeling of holding back. It was definitely keeping me from being my authentic self. It was definitely keeping me from exploring new territories in life, new experiences and new just thought processes, because I was allowing other perspectives to dictate my brainwaves, dictate how I was thinking, dictate what my next move would be. And once I let all that shit go, life has become so much more beautiful, so much more full and enriching, because now I'm chasing things that I want to do. I'm chasing things that I believe are vital and important to bring up in conversations. I'm no longer beholden to just showing up in a room and listening and letting the vibe take me where it wants to take me. I now shift that vibe where I want it to go.

Speaker 1:

Showing up as you are on camera, in writing, in your art, is the most powerful thing you can do as a human being. I feel Showing up for yourself on paper for most people terrifying, crazy. Nobody's doing that. But when you do, people can't deny your greatness. They can't deny who you are as a person. An example of taking control of your narrative is when Issa Rae started Awkward Black Girl. She didn't fit in Hollywood's image of a leading lady, so she wrote herself in and now she runs her own studio. The entire world was telling Issa hey, you don't belong here, you should not be here. And she ten tones down. It was like, nah, I'm doing this and started her own studio. And now look where she is today. If you need another example of our greatness and why we're so amazing, just look at fucking TikTok. Black TikTok creators created most of the viral trends, but they were rarely credited on TikTok.

Speaker 1:

Now most people hear that and they're like well, why am I doing all this work for free? You need to first set an intention. Why are you creating content? And I feel like people who set monetary goals for their aspirations are setting themselves up for failure. It has to be deeper than that. Money unfortunately does not solve all problems. Now you can intend to be compensated greatly for the content that you put out, but what is the root cause or root reason of why you're creating content? It could be anything. I know people who create content because they really want to teach people how to do math. So guess what? They create content around math. I really want to give people a space and oasis to just live in positivity, to not have to worry about the crazy shit that's going on in the world, to give yourself a break. So that's why I create the content I do.

Speaker 1:

I also believe in helping black creators capture and control their mindset, because once you control what your brain thinks, what your brain reacts to, it's a fucking superpower. Nothing can stop you from achieving your goals at that point, because, I again, everything that has to do with achieving your goals, moving to the next level, all have to do with mindset, all of it. So here's what I do I help black creators clear mental blocks, procrastination, grief, shame, imposter syndrome. Using mindset coaching and rapid clearing tools like RRT, I help you move from I don't know where to start to actually uploading, actually pressing, publish. I also help you trust your voice and show up consistently and clear. When you're consistent and we'll get into why consistency matters so much and you're clear on your message, that's all you have to worry about. The people who are aligned with that or are curious about that or want to know more about that subject matter are going to gravitate towards you. Those motherfuckers who are haters, who are just going to do what they do be the distraction that they are meant to be, are going to be that distraction. And guess what? Because you are consistent, because you are clear, because you got control of your mind, those distractions no longer stop you from being amazing. So if you're ready to create the content you want to see, if you're tired of waiting for confidence to show up, let's talk. You can DM me, book a session or check the link in the show description. I have a store set up, has different plans and sessions to cater to people's needs and meet them where they are.

Speaker 1:

Mindset is, to me, has become one of the biggest things in my life that allows me to be happy on a consistent basis, no longer be angry for no apparent reason. When anger shows up in my life, because I feel anger is one of those emotions that is unnecessary, I identify the source of that anger and I start to go to work. Is this reasoning happening to me right now? Is my life in danger? And if it's a no to all of those, then I'm like all right, we're done with this. Then we move on.

Speaker 1:

I want to get black creators to the point where they can do that on their own, without any assistance, and it is quite possible. You already have the story that you want to tell the world. I help you tell it. I hope your brain gets to a point where it knows it's safe, it knows it needs to do this and there's nothing else to do but to do the thing. Last but not least, before I get out of here, the reason why I ultimately landed on Black Creators, because if you hear me talk and you understand what I'm saying, you would think that I would just become a therapist for all black people in general. That's daunting to me and I don't. That doesn't sound fun.

Speaker 1:

I love the brain of someone who goes from an idea to a video, to a piece of art, to music, to a piece of clay statue. I love that mindset. I love those people. Creators to me are the most exciting people in the world and I think it's because I'm a creator. We think differently we see the world. And I think it's because I'm a creator, we think differently, we see the world differently, and because I'm on the other side of this mindset journey that I put myself through, know that creators are like the ultimate manifestors in the world, the ultimate mindset shifters.

Speaker 1:

Because we create, we are creative motherfuckers and part of being happy, part of growing, part of being successful and part of just being content with where you are in this world, you will be in this life and that's because anything that pops up in life we get a choice to how we react to it. The more aware of that that you are, the more practice you are in those skills, the easier it is to do, to a point where I envision never getting mad at anything. I'm always going to meet problems or things that would potentially piss me off with. Is this life-threatening? And if it is, that doesn't mean I'm going to get angry. I'm very alert at that point I'm in neutral mode. So now I have all of my brain power to decide how I react to this situation. They want us terrified, they want us scared, they want us confused. They want us not in community, because when you are in that fight or flight mode it is easier to deter you, it is easier to confuse the masses, it is easier to keep you from becoming great.

Speaker 1:

So with that, thank you for listening. I appreciate it. If you know any other creators out there who can get some value from information like this, please share the podcast with them, uploading and unfiltered. We're in the 90s, almost to 100. I've been consistent with this podcast for almost two years. I have uploaded every week since I started it. I'm telling you consistency is key. I'll be dropping a few videos this week to dive into why consistency is key. So if you don't follow me on the socials, hit me up at at radiant reflection on TikTok and get yourself some dose daily dose of mindset juice. Other than that, I appreciate y'all for listening. Thank you. Thank you as always, and, yeah, until next time. Protect your mental, keep creating content and I'll see you in the next one. Peace.