By Erin Rodrigue

Content creator is a job title that didn’t exist a decade ago. Now, 50 million people consider themselves creators, following their passion in a billion-dollar industry.

Thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever to create, share, and monetize content — flipping the “starving artist” trope on its head. And with massive demand for original and engaging content, there’s never been a better time to jump in.

Of course, turning a side hustle into a full-time gig is no easy feat. After all, creating content is just one small part of the equation. You also need to engage in community building, social media promotion, audience research, and networking.

And while the business of content creation seems simple enough — create content, build an audience, then make money — these things take a lot of time. In other words, the dream of recording a video, hitting “upload,” and making millions is exactly that — a dream.

Despite the challenges, there are people who’ve succeeded in becoming full-time content creators. Here, I spoke with three creators to learn their biggest tips for quitting your 9-to-5 and becoming a full-time creator. Let’s dive in.

1. Craft an exit strategy.

“Sometimes, it’s not about knowing exactly what you want. Instead, it’s about uncovering what it is you don’t want any longer,” says Jenna Kutcher, author and host of the Goal Digger Podcast.

Kutcher’s revelation drove her to entrepreneurship, but it didn’t happen overnight. She knew she had to be strategic to get there.

As she puts it, “One day my corporate boss handed me my five-year plan. It felt like my entire life was being planned out for me, without me. While I wanted to put in my two weeks’ notice right there on the spot, I had bills to pay, student loans to get rid of, and a wedding to fund. I had to figure out a way to plan my exit, even if it couldn’t be immediate.”

It’s never easy to leave the security of a steady paycheck, but Kutcher argues that you don’t have to. Instead, you can craft an exit strategy that provides enough security for the transition.

For Kutcher, her exit strategy started with a $300 camera from Craigslist and endless weekends spent building a clientele. In her own words: “Nights and weekends were devoted to starting my photography business, and my 9-to-5 was funding this new dream of mine.”

A year later, Kutcher had booked enough gigs to feel confident leaving her corporate job. “In hindsight, I’m glad I didn’t just abandon my job to go after what I wanted. Instead, I leveraged where I was at to get to where I wanted to go,” she told me.

Everyone’s exit strategy looks different. For instance, one person might keep their 9-to-5 and work on the weekends. Another person might freelance part-time and create content the rest of the week.

Remember that entrepreneurship is a journey, and it takes time and effort to …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron