Uploaded and Unfiltered: Real Talk on Healing, Creativity, and Mindset for Black Creators
Creative journeys. Real struggles. Honest growth.
Hosted by Jermaine, Uploaded and Unfiltered is where Black creators talk real about what it takes to create in public—and stay sane doing it. You’ll hear from YouTubers, streamers, podcasters, musicians, and other digital creatives on how they built their platforms, overcame burnout, dealt with self-doubt, and found their voice.
This isn’t fluff or “how I got famous” talk. We dig into the messy middle—impostor syndrome, grief, perfectionism, procrastination, and the pressure to perform.
Every episode is packed with truth and tools to help you:
- Build your creative presence online (without faking it)
- Move through mental blocks that keep you stuck
- Learn from the wins and fails of other Black creators
🎧 This podcast is for you if:
- You’re a BIPOC content creator or want to be
- You’ve got ideas but keep overthinking or procrastinating
- You want honest convos, mindset shifts, and real strategies
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Uploaded and Unfiltered: Real Talk on Healing, Creativity, and Mindset for Black Creators
The Evolution of Social Media and Its Impact
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In this episode of Uploaded and Unfiltered, host Jermaine interviews social media marketer and content creator Dannielle Jay. They discuss Dannielle's unique journey into content creation, her experiences with hacking social media platforms, and the evolution of digital engagement. The conversation delves into the importance of storytelling, community building, and the challenges faced by content creators in a saturated market. Dannielle shares valuable lessons learned throughout her career and offers advice for both new and veteran creators, emphasizing the need for authenticity and resilience in the ever-changing landscape of social media.
Welcome. Welcome back to another episode of Uploaded and Unfiltered, the podcast in which I, your host Jermaine, interviews another content creator in regards to their journey thus far. Today, I have a special guest. I've been wanting to talk to this guest since the first time that I've seen a few of their Instagram reels. I was like yo, this person knows the fuck they're talking about. I need them on the show. And guess what it happened? Because I intended to. It happened. It is it. Anyways, I'm going to read her bio before we get around, get a little bit of information about her and then we're going to have an amazing conversation. Danielle J is a social media marketer, data strategist and producer who loves to dive into the world of technology. She has over 10 years of experience in media and technology through the avenue of social media, radio and video production, and with that, I'd like to introduce my guest for the evening. Danielle, welcome to the show. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2:Yay, thank you for having me. I'm doing good. How are you?
Speaker 1:I am excellent. I'm glad we were able to get this on the books. We were having some you know scheduling issues, but luckily we're both flexible as hell. So here we are. Yeah, here we are. So, Danielle, I'm going to start this the way that I start every episode, because I'm nosy. How did you get started in content creation?
Speaker 2:Oh my God, I got started before it was called content creation. Okay, this is going to be fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So the way I like originally, originally got started was that I, uh, I was a hacker. I would do unethical hacking.
Speaker 1:Okay, didn't see that coming.
Speaker 2:This is crazy. Okay, so back in the day when MySpace first rolled out right Damn, all right, right and Black Planet.
Speaker 1:Okay, we're not going to talk about Black Planet.
Speaker 2:Take it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's crazy. Does that still exist? No, okay, that's crazy. Rip to a real one. Yeah, for real.
Speaker 2:Black. Planet was everything back then I learned how to make pages look dope, right, and I was just like cool, if you want the songs on there, you want the glitter exactly I didn't know that that skill set was called web development because it was html and css. Right, didn't know, just a, you know, black girl from the ghetto. Exactly Making cute MySpace pages and black pages.
Speaker 2:So that turned into an interest, into like well, how does this thing actually work? Because I've always been that person of, like you know, I want to see the sausage being made, for, you know, lack of better analogy.
Speaker 2:Right and I really started getting into like creating posts that got engagement and then from there was like, how do they know that this is engaging? How does this platform understand what I'm putting out there? What's the ones and zeros behind it? Like the matrix? And yeah, I actually end up hacking Facebook in this early iterations, got a cease and desist letter from them which I have framed at my mama house, and I hacked Twitter because back then they were small enough to where the security just was not there. You know Right, and I'm sure you could still hack it. I mean the way that I did not necessarily. You know the way people hack it now. I think it's just lazy hacking. They're like oh we, we're gonna get your email address, they're gonna get your login and we're gonna ask you.
Speaker 1:Right, I was behind the scenes on their computers like I'm looking at what they're looking at. Okay, okay, man it was.
Speaker 2:It was a wild time, but yeah, that's how I got into this whole social media content creation ordeal was because I was making pages for other people and I just thought it was really cool, fun, artistic outlet.
Speaker 2:My mom is from a third world country, so you got to be a doctor or a lawyer or some type of like high caliber something with math and science. Well, I was always good at math, good at science, but my mom just didn't have faith in it. So she kind of put me into like the arts and stuff right, and then, as soon as I came home, was like I want to be an artist, you know, I just want to go make art. She was like, no, you're going to be a starving artist. So then she switched it up on me again and then it went to, uh, psychology. So then at that point social media really was like the things I was learning in the books as far as like seeing people's behavior and seeing like what actually got people to tick and you know all this stuff like that. And then when I started hacking, it is when I really started realizing like, oh, we are easily manipulated.
Speaker 2:This is crazy we're believing a little bit too much of this stuff, oh no that's crazy, holy, that's insane.
Speaker 1:Like so early on you were able, you were in a position because you had psychology to see it like in real time, like how it was working it's yeah it's interesting too, because it's like people have always been um hesitant about the internet, right?
Speaker 2:like since its early inception, we know that people are like what? No, I don't want to use the internet for x, y and z, but if you think about some of the first social engagements on the internet, like aol chat, Like AIM. Asl was like the most First thing. Man, that's a hacker's dream.
Speaker 1:Yeah right.
Speaker 2:ASX location for those who don't know who are listening who are like what's ASL?
Speaker 1:What's that ASX location?
Speaker 2:And folks lying.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 2:I lied, I'm like, yeah, I'm 25 years old and I'm in Florida, because that sounded cool, Right. But you know, it's like this idea of privacy has always been a top of the mind thing. But because we're humans, we kind of fall into the same patterns of like being gullible when it comes to like certain things and how people present online.
Speaker 2:And that's why now we're seeing like this huge shift happen, where everybody's questioning everything. Yeah, and while it's good on one hand, on the other hand, it's also very dangerous, because now it's like if you are a reputable source, or if you have done the research or you have put in the, the sweat equity, so that you can say like hey, I know what I'm talking about. Right, you have to fight 10 times harder just to get your content in front of people, to let them know. Like hey, I'm actually a verified source. Like I'll say, even with your content of the what to get me for Father's Day.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:The great angle on that is comedy, because you're actually, you know, poking fun at things, but you're also being serious, like, hey, these things are dope right.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:You found an Achilles heel with that, because people are so gullible. There are people in your comments I saw it where they were just like. Well, I mean, if you like, upset.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 2:If this is what you want for Father's Day, then just say that or whatever, and it's just like gotcha.
Speaker 1:Hold on, man. Thanks for the engagement.
Speaker 2:Yeah, appreciate y'all. And trolls are at an all-time high too, which I don't like.
Speaker 1:Yes, they are yes. So, from as far as, like the avenues from social media to radio, to video, did, were you doing, at what point did you call it, content creation, I guess?
Speaker 2:I didn't call it content creation until the person who wrote the check called it content creation. Like honestly, yeah, like I didn't call myself an influencer until Amazon cut me a check, you know, and they called me an influencer.
Speaker 2:Then I was like okay, I'm an influencer, but I think I am one of those people who is really, really in denial about what my actual title is on this internet landscape. Because I do so much? Right, because I know that the back end side and the front end side in technology, which is the industry that I've worked in for many, many years I would be considered a full stack developer. I could accept that. But in this content creation realm, what do you call it when somebody knows both sides of the coin? I know how to do the data analysis.
Speaker 2:I know how to break down the things on like a psychological level. I know how to create and design and do all these things. So what do you call yourself? Content creator was like the best way of putting it at one point, but now that it's so saturated, I don't even know if that fits anymore. You know.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, because I think when I think content creator, now it doesn't have a lot of the data analysis or like they don't know the back end of everything that's happening, the psychology, so it's definitely ripe for a new term, but like, yeah, what would that term be? I feel like you're about to make up a new word at some point and you're like, hey, this is what I am.
Speaker 2:Well, you know what's interesting is my on my podcast last season, first episode, I said let's throw away the word influencer, let's get rid of this ideology that you need to be an influencer and influence people and start becoming disruptors, because to be disruptive in an industry means that you are literally a thought leader. You are like carving out the conversation, making things like actually relevant, you know, or how, how else would it be said like a trendsetter or somebody who you know it starts the thing.
Speaker 2:Let's start being like that, as opposed to this idea of like an influencer or a content creator. I think, unfortunately, with content creation, because it's such a vast net, it means that you could do everything and nothing at the same time. Exactly yes, unfortunately vast net, it means that you could do everything and nothing at the same time. Right, exactly, yes, unfortunately, somebody reposts um me all day. They'll be considered a content creator a person who edits 100 hours a week so that they can have, like these, really crisp, beautifully produced pieces of content.
Speaker 1:As a content creator, I don't think that's fair right, yeah, oh my god, I never thought about that till now. Listen, I'm already learning stuff. Holy pieces of content. As a content creator, I don't think that's fair, right, yeah, oh my God, I never thought about that till now. Listen, I'm already learning stuff. Holy crap, danielle. Before we stay on this subject for the rest of the night because I could, this is exactly the stuff that my brain starts just triggering like hmm, yeah.
Speaker 1:But before we do that, I want to know let's change it up a bit and talk about what you're doing in your content journey right now as far as the content you're creating. Yeah, um, including what's your mindset like, what's your confidence level like and where do you see yourself in like three to six months as far as your content goes oh man, I'm so glad you asked this, because I literally just drew this out the other day.
Speaker 2:Yes, perfect, let's, let's go.
Speaker 1:Let's see if you remember it. Okay, you know, when it's new you'll be like oh, hold on, let me grab my notebook. I want to do a? Hey, it's cool as long as you get it out.
Speaker 2:I want to do Dungeons Dragons content.
Speaker 1:Wait, hey, listen, okay, am I going to go down that rabbit hole? It was baked, it was baked. I was like no Okay.
Speaker 2:So for real then, Almost. I'm like the clown from it. I just say like certain keywords to get you going yeah. Yeah, I don't like this. That's so funny.
Speaker 1:No but.
Speaker 2:I think the biggest thing for me right now because I'm back on the radio I had taken a hiatus and now I'm back on the radio, but I've been doing podcasting this whole time right Is to become a better storyteller through my content, and I've done a bunch of research on what that looks like for myself, because you know, everybody's way of telling stories is different and I used my actual stories on Instagram to be like my focus group.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:What kind of stories are people interested in hearing from me this and the third or whatever and how can I really, you know, get those stories to resonate and hit home for myself and for anybody who's, you know, participating in that content? So what content creation looks like for me right now? I am just piecing together all of the things that I'm doing, because I'm doing a lot, yes, yes, and really just kind of showing like the behind the scenes, the personality side, a lot of the stuff that I'm doing, but adding like the fun elements to it, because in the past what has happened is like it'd be like too much lifestyle stuff.
Speaker 2:And it's really from like a reality TV show kind of angle. Nobody gives a damn about your life, that much you know what I'm saying, unless you're like Will Smith or somebody Exactly.
Speaker 1:Somebody who's already been right. Yes, Agreed.
Speaker 2:That in and of itself was problematic, or it was too technical, okay, and where you know, people want to see the how-tos and all those things like that. There has to be a happy balance between these two and for me it's storytelling, so the content right now is slowly making that shift so that these two worlds can kind of meld together and be that new voice for myself.
Speaker 2:In about three to six months I see myself being able to do more like hits on the street type content where I can go out and talk to people about the different types of things that I want to have on my page, Like in tech, because I'm going to like Afrotech.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've been to.
Speaker 2:CES a few times. Okay, I've been to different type of conferences. I'm like yo, it'd be really dope to go talk to people bring their story to my page and you know, get that out there and stuff. For sure yeah, and three to six months being more like a correspondent at these events and then bringing that storytelling element back, to excuse me, my page.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that sounds dope. It's been a while since I've been to CES, but I always enjoy not so much the recaps of this all the technology there. But I and this is going to sound weird, but this is what I would do Like, specifically like this guy, I know a little bit about tech. I want to see the most random stuff here, Like the stuff that, like, everybody's not talking about, and there's some gems that come out of that. So I'm looking forward to that. That'll be dope.
Speaker 2:Yeah or like why is this important? Right Like you can go talk to a guy who's a programmer or developer on something and be like hey, I see y'all over here cooking, why?
Speaker 1:Why yes, excite me or inform me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, give me the real scoop, like what's your hot take on your thing that you're doing and why is it better than X, y and Z? You know.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:We don't have enough of those type of hot takes.
Speaker 2:That would be dope no-transcript approach, you start realizing like stories are being told all the time. It's just a matter of like if you're seeing it as a story or if you're just kind of being numb and getting it as just information, right. So I started looking at a lot of the comedians, the way that they're telling their stories to make you laugh, and I'm just like that's really clever, like I really like the way that they chose to not tell you this piece of the story yet or to, like you know, kind of misdirect you just long enough so that when they do tell you what it is, it's like a huge surprise, you know.
Speaker 2:And I started really looking at these stories that I like hearing about, and from there I started looking at YouTube channels of like writers, because they are always talking about storytelling. It's like the hero's journey or like all these different ways to tell stories. Right, okay, cool. Then I started asking my friends, hey, what's, what's something I told you about that? You said just, I was ridiculous. Yeah, something that you just, and they'll retell a story that I told them, and then I'll start piecing it together like you know what I see, I remember how I told that story.
Speaker 2:Okay, I get it okay, oh yeah it's just really that work of like reframing it because, unfortunately, because there's so much content out there and there's so many different ways that you receive information, sometimes it can feel like just a whole bunch of white noise. We don't even know that we're listening to a story, or we're listening to the news, or we're listening to X, y and Z.
Speaker 2:We're just kind of in the mix of it. But if you reframe yourself that way when you sit in it, you're like wait, okay, I can see a beginning, a middle and end to this, or I can see, see this person's voice opposed to this other person like the, the mystery, the crime, mystery channels on tiktok. Yeah, they're telling the story about, like, what happened. They're retelling of what happened in these cases and stuff.
Speaker 2:Really listen to how they're telling these stories, true and you'll start seeing like okay, I like that they did that. Okay, I could do something like that, yeah nice.
Speaker 1:That is, though, one thing that, uh, as I'm listening to you and I'm just gonna point this out for the people who are not as amazing as I am is listening, but, essentially, like you need to define what worked for you. Like you did your research to see what kind of different flavors are out there, and again, you said you looked at the creators who you enjoy, but ultimately, that story from your friend, or remembering how you tell stories like that, is what I think most of us should be chasing. It's like all right, well, how does this work for me? And then go with that.
Speaker 2:So that's awesome, yay, yay.
Speaker 1:Thank you, you pass Congratulations. All right, we're going to switch it up now Again. Lessons learned. This was one of my favorite questions in which I asked my guest of the evening what lesson have you learned specifically because you started creating content? Questions in which I asked my guest of the evening what lesson have you learned specifically because you started creating content?
Speaker 2:This one's really big and just happened honestly, wow, okay, yeah, so I feel like I might be Jamaican because I got like 17 different lives that I've lived, but I used to be an athlete, right, and when you play sports, you learn how to go numb.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Numb to the pain, numb to the criticism, numb to all the things. The only thing that matters is winning and like putting yourself in a position to win, right? So I carried that energy over into content creation and my career and everything else. The problem with that mentality when you're creating content is that when things don't work, or when these algorithms change, or when these platforms switch up on you, you're really at a loss, right? Because your identity is so tied to winning that you start looking at the analytics and you start really bogging down your creative process and you I mean you don't even create anymore, Like I got to the point where I stopped making content altogether. I was just like I can't I can't win at this Right.
Speaker 2:Well, what I learned recently about that is that I have always hated being bad at something. So, therefore, if I'm going to be bad at it, I'm not going to do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But that stemmed back into like another psychological thing that we could probably talk about on a whole different episode, whole different day. But what I learned about myself is that I have to give myself the grace to be bad at something, because being bad at it is actually how you get started in anything Like. Even when I've played sports. It's hard for me to remember when I was bad at it because I started when I was so young, but I sucked. I remember my mom. My mom literally pulled me out of my first basketball game because I jammed my finger and it was the first time I ever jammed my finger and I'm screaming at the top of my lungs. She yanked me out of there so fast. When I tell you, she's like you're not about to embarrass me, Come back when you're ready.
Speaker 2:At your old how am I supposed to know?
Speaker 1:when I'm ready.
Speaker 2:But thanks, mom. But the truth of the matter is you are going to suck at the thing before you get good at it.
Speaker 2:Speaking in this format, you probably had to practice by speaking to your friends first, or talking, you know, at work or wherever, and then you transfer those skills into this Right, but you have 10,000 plus hours of practice of speaking so that you can do this podcast, you know? Yeah, true, so it's like for somebody to just buy a microphone off of Amazon. I think they're going to have this grade. A podcast is insane.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Now without a podcast, minus this one of mine.
Speaker 1:He's like come on now. Yeah, I think that's important. Like you forget that you need to. There's a level, not a level. There's a time period where things are going to be shaky, you're going to suck. It's not going to be at the quality you want it to be, but if you remember, like this is where I want to end up. Like all this part is fun. Like my first 10 episodes were like up and down, but I was like no, I'm going until I hit a certain number, so these are just cannon fodder. Like this is me learning the process. So I love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you got to be bad to be good, and unfortunately, when you and this is me learning the process, so I love that. Yeah, you got to be bad to be good. And unfortunately, when you and this is going to sound cocky, but when you're good at things, naturally it's even worse for you, because Right. To be bad at something is almost like a spit in the face. Like Me, yes, I'm bad. Like that's crazy.
Speaker 1:So, as someone because my daughter is like they, like if there's something that she's bad at, she's like I'm not doing that shit, like it's not happening what made you chat so okay? I guess here's the question what was it that you were quote, unquote bad at that? You were like I'm not doing this, and what made you push past that feeling and be like I'm doing it?
Speaker 2:man. So I was. I was making videos that were very much coded in, like the early 2000s feel. When I came back from my hiatus, yeah Right, I'm introducing myself right away. I'm doing all this stuff. Like my whole order was just jumbled up because the way that I knew to make content, I was still doing it that way. Right but because everything has shifted. You can't do it that way anymore you know, but I just wasn't picking up on the new way.
Speaker 1:And I'm like.
Speaker 2:I suck at this, bro, like I'm just I'm not good. This is trash and I'm not getting better and the views are trash like I don't. I don't want, you know, I just want to do this, no more. How about?
Speaker 1:that? How about I?
Speaker 2:just stick to stories and and keep it pushing. But what happened was like well, first of all, I'm competitive, just naturally. So I'm looking at other people who are not the best and they're doing good and I'm just like I could do that shit. Like why am I limiting myself when this person had absolutely no fear in putting that raggedy ass video out there and get these million views? You know what I'm saying. Like yes, why am I limiting myself when this person is limitless?
Speaker 2:and what they're putting out is not even that great and I got a message and I have a. I have a really clear message and I have a thing that I'm really trying to do with it you know exactly, once I got to that, that part of it it was like all right, look, you can either, as my mom would say, you can shit or get off the pot which one we're doing.
Speaker 2:Hey, go ahead and take that take that dump, you gotta do it. You gotta shit on people. Come on, shit on them, and I mean that's the. That's the lowest form of motivation, right, like that is the lowliest form of of motivation shit on people, right yeah, but if that, if that's what gets the job done yes on people until you get to that point where you're like oh, I don't have to shit on them no more, I can now shit on older versions of myself right.
Speaker 1:Yes, hell yeah. Oh, my God, that was All right. We got the quote of the podcast because 100% yes, like older versions of me, I'm like man, you were scared to do this. Look at what happened when you did it. Like that's crazy powerful. Yeah, I agree with that.
Speaker 2:It's always so much better than what we make it up in our minds to be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Like it's this.
Speaker 2:Goliath-sized thing that we're looking at when we first want to get to that thing, but then, when you do it, you're like fam, that was the size of a goddamn paperclip. Yeah, yes I. And when you do it, you're like fam that was the size of a goddamn paperclip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, I was scared of this Mm-hmm, exactly.
Speaker 2:That's crazy, like editing, for example, when I started editing video because I'm not even like a consistent editor now, but when I first started looking at editing I was like, oh no, I can't do that. Y'all want me to do what you want me to make the text pop up on the screen. Right, it's like yeah, no, okay. When I first saw tiktok and people making no, take it even further back when I saw vine.
Speaker 1:And Are you funny in seven seconds.
Speaker 2:You told a whole story in seven seconds, fam. Yeah, we literally have our cliffhanger and an ending in seven seconds.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you want me to do that? No, yeah, my brain don't work like that it's still, though, and I appreciate those vines like top, like OK. The positive thing I took from those vines is anything is possible. Like somebody made a whole ass story in seven seconds. There's a whole movie in like four or five vines.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like I remember the guy.
Speaker 2:There was this guy who was so on hand. She was in the woods, it was him and his cousin and he would just talk like just crazy, Like these stories that he would tell it'd be like him as a pimp getting women and they're obviously just not true, they're just him talking crazy to his cousin and yeah this is them, just, you know, acting a fool.
Speaker 2:But in seven seconds he would get I mean, we would know the woman's name, we would know where they was at, we knew, like, what the next thing was, and then he would always end with something ridiculous, and then he would like state that he was like the man in these streets, and that was the whole seven seconds. But you know, when you look at the editing tools and you look at all the things and it's overwhelming and you're just like, oh, man I couldn't do that.
Speaker 2:You, you, you specifically, I know could tell a really good story in seven seconds. Think of any hook that you've done for any of your videos that's your video done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like when you sit there and think about it and break it down 100, like I think with that, with anything like editing, and sitting there, you want me to do what. But once you get in there and start doing it, you're like oh, that's all y'all be doing. Yeah, all right. All right, what's next?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I had to check myself the other day because I was playing Call of Duty and I'm trying to get this freaking skin for my gun right.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to you know, get this camo.
Speaker 2:And then it's like, oh, you got to use these guns, but you got to get 100 headshots on each one of them and I'm like 100 headshots, 100?.
Speaker 1:A hundred.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got it in three games.
Speaker 1:Hold on hold on hold on hold on hold on. You said three games, three games Wow you were just like all right. So if I need, to be carried in Call of Duty. I'm coming.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be like Danielle I need, I need, I need to carry. I'm going to be jumping that backpack. Listen, my back is strong from allrier and I do. Hell yeah, that is amazing. So while we're on the subject of streaming, I know we kind of went away from current mindset in regards to the content you're making. How do you and how are you implementing streaming into your overall package? Is it right now for funsies or what are you looking to do with it?
Speaker 2:So with streaming, I use that for community right. It's like the diehard Danielle people Well, I wouldn't even say Danielle people the people who like the vibes yes, so, my community is called the fam, and the fam don't play about Danielle. That's one thing I noticed really early on. When the trolls would come through, I had folks they were just really good about moderating before I even assigned moderators, right.
Speaker 1:That's dope, hell yeah.
Speaker 2:With streaming specifically, even like when I do the live broadcasts from TikTok or from Instagram or whatever that's really for the community, where they get to ask questions or we get to just talk or whatever, and I think that it's a great place for me to just continue to double down on my personality and my ethos.
Speaker 2:Because, every brand has an ethos and if you're, the better you get about showing your ethos and sharing your ethos with your community, the deeper the ties and the bonds get with your community. And that's how, like kai sanat and mike druski and all these other cats, are really winning is that people really rock with the things that they stand for?
Speaker 1:You know, that's true, yeah.
Speaker 2:Even if they don't like they don't inherently say it that way they are literally like oh no, we rock with all these things and we're trying to help these folks get to that next part in their career, because we're a part of it. Now, right, True hit now, right, true, so that's how I treat streaming, as you know, really just like that, that piece of community that is so free form that it doesn't need anything like I have like graphics on the screen, but we're not doing all the extra stuff, you know.
Speaker 2:We're not doing like the popping up and all no distractions, it's just us and then, we play games or I make work dates so like I'll be working on stuff from a radio show and people start asking questions about, like, how I'm doing certain things because I'm a technical person, so I'm using AI for different parts, or I'm using, like, different tools that they may not have seen, like different things inside of Canva that they're like what? I didn't know, canva can even do that and I'm like I got you fam Like what I didn't know Kevin could even do that and I'm like, I got you, fam Like let's talk about it, you know.
Speaker 1:So yeah, hell yeah. That's how streaming adds to the pot. I like it, keeping it nice and low-key and, like you said, spreading your ethos of your personality. I think a lot more people need to move towards that with this stream.
Speaker 2:But that's a different story, for, you know, different time we'll get into that later though that's real, because I think they're getting everybody's getting kind of caught up right now. Yes, they don't see the bigger picture just yet and you know where? I saw this guy talk about it on somebody else's podcast and he was just like you know, gaming streamers are a thing of the past and you got to be a IRL streamer and this thing and I'm like you can do whatever you want to on streaming, as long as your goal is community. Yeah, for sure I like watching people play video games. I do that just for shits and gigs.
Speaker 2:You know Exactly That'll be on in the background while I'm programming stuff for work or I'm working with a client or something like yeah so it's not really that those things are dying, it's just that your focus has has to shift from this idea of being this billboard to actually being like a community leader yes and a lot of people are not making that jump because it's a scary thing, like to be a leader in general.
Speaker 2:It's very scary. That's why a lot of people are not making that jump because it's a scary thing, like to be a leader in general. It's very scary. That's why a lot of people started streaming because it was like it's a one person sport. You don't have to worry about anybody else. You don't have to. You know, go too far outside of your own comfort to be in this sport, but what we're seeing is, if you want longevity in anything, there's a really, really great saying that I've been telling my team and just people in general and that is, if you want to go fast, go alone.
Speaker 1:If you want to go far, you have to go together true, yeah, that's, that's it it's like sorry, so I want to argue with you, but nah, nah, I've seen it too many times. Yeah, that is dope. Uh, we're gonna go ahead and switch over to words of advice, because throughout the podcast, you've been dropping gems, and I appreciate it. I'm gonna give you opportunity to talk to whoever you want. Give it whatever advice you want.
Speaker 2:The floor is yours thank you it's all yours I'm like where's my little? Here we go. I just want to say thank you so much to everybody who has been rocking with me. No, I'm just kidding, just kidding. No, but advice that I want to give let's talk to both the newbie and the veteran, because I feel like there is something that they have in common.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And that is this will to want to do this. You know it's like, oh God, it gets so unnerving and it's so hard to stay motivated, right, mm-hmm. So I would dare say, to just keep it simple, right? I made a post the other day, and it was a looped video of me holding a cup of coffee with a prompt on the screen that just said that this is your sign to keep creating content, and the caption of that is the advice that I'm about to give.
Speaker 2:And that is when it feels overwhelming, when it feels like you don't want to do it anymore, when it feels like just turning on the camera is just too much. I want you to know that you are not alone. Number one. Number two I know for a fact that in your phone you have thousands and thousands and thousands of video that did not make the cut, whether it's B-roll, whether it's you talking about something else, whatever. Keep it simple, even if you just have it as a video of yourself doing what we're doing right now muted POV, something If you absolutely feel like you have to post, you know what.
Speaker 2:I'm saying Don't beat yourself up about these trends. They always change these algorithms, they always change. But if you can stay true to self and if self is saying you need to rest, you need to rest. If self is saying that it's too much to do something new, listen, because you probably already have something that you can put out. There's just so many different ways that you can repurpose content and there's a lot of old shit that you put out that didn't get any numbers because you wasn'turpose content. And there's a lot of old shit that you put out that didn't get any numbers because you wasn't popping yet. Repost that. I've been reposting my old Facebook stuff and it's been going crazy and I'm like that's dope Because it was popping back then.
Speaker 1:You fools just didn't do it Right. I need a sound alert for claps because, yes, it was hot, y'all just didn't realize it.
Speaker 2:Man, I've been hot in these streets. Yes, y'all just showed up to the block.
Speaker 1:Like, what are we talking about? And honestly, I've been saying the same thing. That is always my thought on any content that you put out, even if it's like some of your first content you put out, like after you're done, you have a sense of it's out. I did it my ideas out of my head. It's high. You just need to wait for the people to find it, to find it and it will happen.
Speaker 2:You just got to be consistent sometimes, and sometimes you got to force it on people. Let me tell you yes, I did. I did something like this recently, so I could speak to it.
Speaker 2:I had. There was this video of this man crying in his car after he got done sparring with this dude, because he put on. But he put on the captions. Like you know, when you do something and you have that moment of like damn, should I even be doing this? Like I'm not, I'm not good, you know, yes, yes. So I literally wrote in his comment section. I said, hey, if you took this video and you added the music from, set it off when Quilatipo's about to die and there comes a time and I said do that. He didn't do it, bet I did it. So I did it the first time. Okay, no love, none, you hear me. None, five likes, yeah, yeah, 100 views, dead in the water. I said y'all tripping. This is funny, this is great content. They're not going to tell me it's not great. So what did I do? I repurposed it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I put it back up.
Speaker 2:Same audio, same clip, everything changed audio, same clip. Everything changed. One word on the screen yeah, pop, are you serious? I'm serious when I when like there's only a few pieces of content, that will not do that, and that's just like if it's absolutely trash and we know trash content- I'm so sorry there's people that be like there's no such.
Speaker 2:There is a such thing as trash content and that's okay. Yeah, there's only a few times that that does not work, but if it's, if it's a good idea, I promise you, fam, you can repurpose it and it will pop.
Speaker 1:I was wild, it's.
Speaker 2:I knew it, though that's the thing that's to have that faith in you. I've been in the game, yeah.
Speaker 1:She's like no man, I've been out here, jamaica, are you right? You right, okay, I like that. Now did you circle around and go back to homie and was like hey, man, I told you, or you just let him, you just let him live and when he see it, he see it.
Speaker 2:But yeah, for sure you know he had he. The song that he chose was good because he did the same. You know concept. Yeah, he has a bunch of followers, so it doesn't matter what he does. If he put freaking the theme to bambi on there, he would have people that would just that's true, that is true this is great, this is amazing trash and that's fine. I love that for him.
Speaker 2:I love that he has his community I love that it works in that way, because some of my content is that way too if I don't show my face on a piece of content. Sometimes my followers get mad Like yo where you at I'm like. Can I take a break?
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:I got sleep in my eyes. I don't want to be on camera.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, we need to see it, sorry.
Speaker 2:It's wild, but sometimes like and this is where it gets tricky too because, like, when you're being inspired by other creators, right, make sure that it's actual inspiration, where you can actually like, derive off of it and not just swagger jack the creator which I sound old when I say swagger jack, because that was a time 2005 I didn't feel that, but I'm old, so I I was like, oh yeah, you are.
Speaker 2:Don't be a culture vulture and just take a person's thing verbatim and that's why I get really, really weird, Weirded out when people do that type of stuff. So like, make sure that you're infusing your own swag into it or your own you know style or whatever. Again, if it don't pop the first time and you feel in your heart of hearts that it did good, that it was supposed to do good, yeah. And again Aaliyah told us if at first it does not succeed, dust yourself off and try again. Amen, amen.
Speaker 1:But the congregation ain't no way. Oh my God, what is this happening now? We just that was dope the book of Aaliyah.
Speaker 1:Aaliyah, this is not happening right now. Danielle, first, before we get to this part, thank you for dropping all of the knowledge you dropped and being entertaining. Like what the fuck? Like, I always have fun doing this, but laughing and getting out information that is needed for people to hear is always a fun thing. So, before we end it for the day, I want to give you a chance to do a call to action, and you know what a call to action is. I'm not even going to explain it to you. Go ahead.
Speaker 2:You know we got a couple of call to actions. Well, if you're at all interested in this voice telling you this information, I share a lot of this type of information on my social media platforms. At the Danielle J, danielle spelled with two N's, in case you know. Anybody's like oh, I couldn't find you. Nah, fam, you probably spelled it wrong and it's okay, we'll get you right. So at the Danielle J Also, I have a radio show that goes live every Saturday at 12 pm, pacific Standard Time, called Donuts Coffee and Tech, where we talk about the current happenings in technology news. I give you really dope tips for the week so that you can improve your presence online. We share all kinds of tools and resources, we have interviews with people in technology, we do all kinds of fun stuff over there and we're actually going to get Jermaine to come on as a guest at some point.
Speaker 1:But you know we'll talk about that later.
Speaker 2:So yeah, make sure you check that out every Saturday and follow me on all the social media platforms. I have a YouTube channel, everything so we'll do all that and, as always, I have a YouTube channel, everything.
Speaker 1:So we'll do all that and, as always, all of her links will be in the show notes of this episode and if you haven't already, why haven't you shared the podcast with your friends, uploaded and unfiltered? We talk to at least one content creator a month. It's more like three or four, but I am going to say this now, implementing more knowledge episodes for me, just about mindsets and procrastination and imposter syndrome and all kinds of stuff like that, just because I feel like it's my duty to remind people that, uh, fear is fake. I mean, it's real, we feel it, but we're feeling it the wrong times. You know what I'm saying. Like, before we go live, we should not feel fear because we're safe, everything's good, and we're about to fear because we're safe, everything's good, and we're about to do what we do and entertain people. So that's my goal to get everybody back in a good mindset. They say I don't know where that voice came from, but anyway, as it were, as it were.
Speaker 1:I'm telling you and before we get off, I'm going to say this as of right now, there's this random ass video that I put up in regards to my collection. It is going crazy. I think it's like 90,000 views on TikTok and it all it was was me being my damn self talking about stuff that I liked, and that's it. Like I didn't have a script, I was just like, yeah, this is going to be fun. So what I want to say is, if you have something that you are passionate about, that you are excited about, just get in front of a camera, talk about it and just upload it. You never know what's going to happen.
Speaker 2:Never know.
Speaker 1:Danielle, thank you, I appreciate this, can't wait to see it. I told everybody I was going to be on the radio. I didn't even know if that was official and you was like, oh, you want to be on the radio. I'm like great, hell, yeah, and I will be. I'm not even joking about call of duty, I'm reaching out. We gotta do something on stream. I feel like that'd be a fun time. Maybe we make you play repo. I don't know, we'll see.
Speaker 2:She's a hell, no, I'm down, no, I'm down all right, dope, dope.
Speaker 1:Well, other than that, everyone, thank you for listening. I appreciate y'all and, as always, protect your mental, keep creating content and I'll talk to you in the next one. Peace.