クリエイターの生活
This is ReinaMoto's podcast, The Creative Mindset.
Hi everyone. Welcome to The Creative Mindset,
a podcast about what the future holds at the intersection of creativity and technology.
I'm ReinaMoto, the founding partner of I&CO,
a global innovation firm based in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore.
Today's guest is Angela Noha, a Dutch slash Nigerian trichologist based in Amsterdam,
who creates content about hair and scalp care for women around the world.
In part one of my conversation with Angela,
I asked her about her journey to becoming a full-time creator.
If you haven't listened to it, please do have a listen.
In part two, we get into the nuts and bolts of her day-to-day,
a day in the life of a creator.
So let's get started.
So tell us about what your day is like.
Is it nine to six, nine to five?
Is it Monday through Friday?
What is it like?
Gosh.
Yeah, tell us about your day and tell us about your week.
What I normally do is actually my week starts on Sunday,
where I kind of plan out the week.
What am I doing?
Are there any meetings planned?
Check those out because I do still have meetings.
Even though I have an agency, I do still have meetings
with certain brands that I really have personal contact with,
but also with my management.
So I look at those things.
Then I pinpoint the content that I've already made when I'm going to post that,
because there is a structure in when I post what.
Normally on Monday or Tuesday, I do like a trichology based video.
A lot of the times a response video to content that I've seen on TikTok
or like myth busting halfway throughout the week.
I talk about skincare or about an ingredient.
So there is a kind of a structure in the content that I post.
So I plan that out and then I plan out what I'm going to film during that week.
And a lot of the times Mondays and Wednesdays
and sometimes Saturdays are like filming days for me.
Because like throughout the week, sometimes a trend pops up
or something online pops up that I'm like,
I need to respond on that right now.
I need to make a video right now.
So that's why I put it throughout the week,
like these filming blocks, I would say.
I also still do trichology consultations.
I do them online and I don't do them as frequent anymore
just because of the time, honestly, that I have.
But I always look at do I have any trichology consultations planned
in so to work around that.
And yeah, then Monday, as mentioned, filming day.
So I film a bunch of content.
If I still have some time left, I start editing.
But a lot of the times the editing will come the day after.
I have hired a content assistant for 16 hours to help me out with that.
So I edit the day after.
Then Wednesdays, a lot of the times I have meetings with my management.
So we have bi-weekly looking at what we're doing right now,
which opportunities we have in the loop when it comes to collaborations
or anything of that matter.
We discuss then.
And Thursday and Fridays, honestly, really I keep them as open as possible
because anything can pop up during the week.
So those are the days that I kind of freestyle.
So for example, today it's perfect.
So today we're going to have this podcast.
That's where I'm most flexible.
Because in this industry, everything can shift within a couple of days.
So I would say that's what my week looks like.
投稿戦略の見直し
But I have to be honest, I work during the weekends a lot as well
because during the weekend, I don't know why,
but I feel more inspired to create some content,
maybe because I feel like it's my day off,
even though it ends up not being my day off.
Yeah, so now you've been doing this for about four years, you said?
Yeah, yeah, full-time for four years, yeah.
Are you posting every day?
It sounds like you have a fairly schedule-structured weekly calendar.
But yeah, what's your posting schedule like?
So it used to be every day, but I also have noticed that,
especially in the beginning, it used to be every day,
but I've noticed that there's also like online,
like fewer fatigue where people also get sick of you.
So for Instagram, I post like every other day,
sometimes a little bit more, nevertheless,
it's always every other day to give them kind of a breather of a day.
And also for the app to even let it show up in feed
because that also is a little bit slower nowadays.
On TikTok, I am supposed to post every day
because I do feel like since it's such a new app still,
you still have opportunity to show up on people's pages
that are not following you yet.
So I'm getting more into the daily posting,
but for now, that's also every other day,
but that should be daily.
And I feel like at the start of every new app,
you should post daily just because of that algorithm
and showing up and there's such a new audience.
But like for an app like Instagram, I post like every other day.
And I feel like that's the sweet spot
where I feel like people really enjoy watching it
and they're not sick of me like popping up every day.
And for TikTok, it should be daily.
Yeah, yeah.
So I'm working on that.
Yeah.
Are you being specific with certain platforms?
Are you focused on Instagram?
Do you still keep your YouTube channel?
ソーシャルメディア戦略
How are you using TikTok?
Like how do you differentiate different platforms?
Yeah, for now, the focus definitely is Instagram,
but I'm doing more on TikTok now as well
because there's obviously also a shift.
So you also need to adjust to that.
For now, I'm mainly reposting the same content,
but I do want to differentiate like TikTok form content
to like Instagram.
I want TikTok to be a little bit more short form,
a little bit more snappy,
but I do need help with that.
And I eventually also want to go back on YouTube,
but I still need to figure out in what way, shape and form
to make it also sustainable for me to do.
And that's also why I got a part-time content assistant
to also really help me out with that,
that I have space to also think about that and do that.
Yeah, yeah.
How do you engage with your audience?
I'm sure you get hundreds of messages.
What's your typical procedure like?
Yeah.
So what I normally like to do is
I have 30 minutes blocked every morning
to respond to things.
So it could be comments,
but a lot of the times it's DMs.
I also get a lot of direct messages.
So I would say that I try to interact during
in my Instagram stories.
So sometimes I have that they could pop in a question
or I show them what my week looks like.
And then I'm asking like,
what is your highlight of the week?
Or what is the most important thing
you're going to do during the week?
I do have to say that's still something that I'm working on.
And that's the thing that I'm working on this year
because my content is so educational
that sometimes in my personal opinion,
it lacks personality in a sense of
I don't show my private life too much.
That's a personal decision, by the way.
I do that on purpose.
But I do want to show a little bit of me more.
So that is still something that I'm working on.
And I think that I could be better at.
But there's so many messages.
Honestly, it's a lot.
And the sucky part is that's something
that I really need to do.
I cannot hire people to answer for me
because I'm the only one that can answer them.
You know what I mean?
Yeah. But are you responding to all of them?
Or are you choosing certain ones to respond?
I try.
But in reality, I'm not able to.
Back in the days, I could.
Like I was able to answer everyone.
But now I would say I'm able to answer like 70%.
And it depends on...
Still pretty good though.
Yeah. I don't know.
Sometimes I still feel like it's not enough.
But it's really because I block it.
If I don't block that time to do it,
it would maybe only be 30.
Because it's just...
It's so much.
It's really a lot.
I would assume that there are people
who may try to mimic you
or who may try to copy what you do.
So my question is, how do you differentiate yourself?
I think the uniqueness is that I can simplify science.
And I think that now that's also
where the cosmetic chemistry comes in.
That I used to do the styling part.
I know how a product can perform.
But a lot of people also want to know
the science behind a product.
So for example, how can a product repair hair damage?
So I can simplify the science
and the technologies of those products
and what they can do to achieve that.
I think that the thing that makes me different
is me as a person.
And I think that everyone should view it as that.
The wheel's already invented.
So you end up always copying each other.
There's always something that you get inspired by
that you low-key copy.
But I think that me as a person,
I make the difference.
And I think that also what makes a difference
because next to everything online,
I also work on a consultancy base for brands offline.
Sometimes they ask me for...
If for example, there is a new product launch for hair care.
They want me to talk about certain subject.
Like for example, hair damage.
I give a little workshop about that.
So I think that also what makes me different
and maybe it's a generational thing
is that I'm the same in person as well.
I love to interact with people.
I think that sometimes there is a difference
in online creator.
And when you meet them in person,
I love talking to people in person as well.
So I think that's what makes me different.
Other than that, I think everything,
you can copy everything from everyone.
But at the end of the day,
what you can't really copy is a personality.
It's who you are.
Yeah, yeah.
I think that's the thing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Speaking of copying though,
I noticed there are numerous,
unlimited amount of how-tos on growing your audience
on Instagram and things like that.
And some of them are very myopic.
Oh, go into the setting on the browser,
not on your mobile and turn this on
and turn this off and write this
or don't write this.
Post on to stories, but don't repost.
Like numerous how-tos.
Yeah.
Do you obsess about those little algorithmic details
or do you purely focus on the content,
the nature of the content?
Yeah, to be super honest, I don't.
I sometimes think I should.
コンテンツ制作における戦略
There is really no strategy.
I think that's the thing.
Yeah.
Obviously, I do try to look into
if there's a video that I see going viral on TikTok
with a myth or something that I'm like,
oh, that needs some explanation.
I hop on that.
That might be a strategy.
But I think for me personally,
I think that the only strategy is
sharing the right knowledge
and backing that up with certain studies
and stuff like that.
But I'm not that strategic.
No.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think the only thing is that
there was a little period in time
that I was doing too many different things.
So I was also showing me working out
and things that weren't relatable to beauty.
And that was a strategy to see how that would work.
And it ended up not really working out too well.
So it was like, you know what?
You can show yourself working out,
but put it on your stories.
It's not working within a video post.
We sometimes do look at certain things.
But for now, I feel like I know what's working.
And obviously, if the industry changes,
I'll shift as well.
But for now, that's the strategy.
Yeah.
I do have quarterly meetings with my agency
to really discuss certain things,
like how certain content has been going
and what made that so successful.
That helps.
But to be super honest,
I think that as soon as you start to obsess over that,
you take the fun out of it.
As a creator, if you really want to make a living out of it,
you really need to think about sustainability of what you do.
And you need to enjoy what you do.
So you need to find whatever the subject
or the niche or whatever it is that you want to do
that is sustainable.
If you would only look at statistics,
you will only do things to go viral.
And I don't think that's sustainable
because then you're going to hop on trends
just to continue to be on that wave.
And I don't think that's a sustainable way
of creating personally.
And I think that at the end of the day,
what I really focus on is the quality
of what I'm talking about.
So that's like high quality,
like my filming equipment, the sound,
I really focus on those things.
And I really also have noticed
and got feedback from brands as well
is that they book me for my knowledge
and they book me for the quality of the videos
that I put out.
So like high quality footage, high quality sound,
not even always the views or the likes.
So I think it also depends on the content that you make.
But for me, that's the most important thing.
And I think that the most important thing
クリエイターとしての挑戦
of being a creator is not taking,
you need to keep the fun in it.
So for me, I don't enjoy all of those strategic things.
Instagram doesn't even know how to go viral anymore
because I follow a lot of the experts
when it comes to Instagram,
when there's a Q&A and someone is asking like,
why is this going viral?
And this isn't, the answers that I'm getting
aren't making sense either.
So I sometimes think that the algorithm
has outsmarted the people, even the owners,
and they don't even know anymore.
That's the AI, what we also talked about,
that's like algorithm is outsmarting us.
We don't know anymore.
What's the hardest part
about being a full-time content creator?
Oh gosh, I think that the hardest thing
is having so many ideas
and not having enough time to work all of them out.
That's for me personally,
but I think it also has to do
with the type of content creator that you are.
I'm not the person that just films and posts.
I want it to be perfect.
And I think in general, it's not for me personally,
but sometimes the fear that you're not it anymore,
because there will come a point
where the new generation comes in
or different things are becoming popular
and you'll see that you'll have less opportunities,
less campaigns.
That's always in the back of your mind.
Okay, is this my peak?
Is this my peak?
Is this it?
I think that might be the hardest thing.
And sometimes the app not showcasing you fully
to your audience, so the algorithm,
that can be quite annoying.
Yeah, yeah.
What do you want to accomplish in the next 12 months?
What's your goal?
First, to see how it works with the content assistant,
obviously, what kind of peace of mind
and more opportunities that will give me.
But I think within the upcoming 12 months,
I'm really working on also my presence offline.
So as I shortly mentioned,
I help a couple of brands behind the scenes.
For example, a hairbrush brand, Tangle Teaser,
I'm on their innovation board.
So I help them when it comes to new launches
and advise them on if it's good for every hair type
or for a specific hair type,
like what to look into,
their brush design, et cetera.
I really enjoyed that.
Also speaking at events.
So I loved Cannes,
even though I never moderated a panel
like the impressive panel that you were on
with like big names.
I think that's fun as well.
Yeah.
And it also makes you meet new people,
especially like within the industry.
And I really enjoyed that.
Angelaのブランド構築
What I would love within the 12 months is obviously,
I think that I figured out what I wanna do with YouTube.
That would be fun.
If I'm even gonna do anything with YouTube,
I would love to do something big
with one of the brands that I'm already working with
and big in a sense of, I don't know yet.
Yeah.
Sometimes I get the question that people ask me,
is there like a dream brand
that you wanna work with?
I'm already working with my dream brands.
I'm blessed enough to already work with those brands,
but I really wanna make what I'm doing with them
even bigger and better.
And like really working on that, I would say.
Interesting.
So that was part two of my conversation
with Angelo Noha, a trichologist
and a creator based in Amsterdam.
My takeaway from my conversation with Angelo
was the following,
an image doesn't last long,
but truth does.
What struck me throughout my conversation with Angela
was that she was very diligent
in pursuing what feels right for her.
As I mentioned in part one of my conversation,
trichology wasn't necessarily an occupation
that she wanted to do to make a living.
It was something that she stumbled upon
after starting to create content
based on her own challenges
that she had as a black woman,
specifically around her care and scalp care.
It turned out that even though that may sound like
to some of us, a specific niche category,
there was enough people with the same issue
or similar challenges as she had.
And it turned out that there was enough audience
for her to keep creating this content.
And eventually she pursued that formally
as a field of study to be certified
as an official trichologist
and to have that kind of credibility
to be able to create her own image.
But the important thing is,
is that creating an image,
especially in the age of TikTok,
YouTube and Instagram,
that you might think it's an image,
the surface, the impression
that you project out to the world.
But really what's important
is what's behind that image.
And that's the thing
that you really have to pursue
to make sure that you reflect in that image.
So if you just focus on creating that image,
there will be a point
where that image is not going to last.
But what really lasts
will be the truth behind that image.
And even though Angela
didn't use those specific words
as image, brand or truth,
I really felt that
she was always looking at herself.
She was always objectively assessing
what suits her interest,
her talent and her skill and capability
and try one thing at a time
to create that image
based on the truth that she knows.
One of the questions that I asked her
during the conversation was
if she followed specific techniques
or algorithms of Instagram, TikTok
and other social media platforms
that she's on.
And to my surprise,
that she said that she actually stopped doing it
because it was an endless chase
of little techniques
that might change in six month time.
And what she then decided to focus on
was really creating the content
that's meaningful, that's useful,
that's truthful
so that she is not chasing
techniques and algorithms,
but really speaks to her audience.
And in this age of social media
and algorithms,
yes, you can hack your way
into getting more followers,
but eventually, soon or later,
that following will come to an end
because algorithms move on,
they change
and then you have to chase that again.
And that's just not a very productive way
of building your following.
So my takeaway from my conversation with Anja
was an image doesn't last long,
but truth does.
Creating a brand isn't about creating an image,
but it's about telling the truth that you know
and as truthfully as you can.
If you are listening to this on Spotify,
there's a Q&A field,
so please do send us your questions and comments.
And if you like our podcast,
please give us a five-star rating.
We'll be so grateful.
新しいポッドキャストの紹介
One announcement that I like to make
is that I recently started a new podcast
called Hitmakers.
It is a podcast about
how brands influence culture
and I talk with a good friend of mine,
Ana Angelich, a brand executive,
a sociologist and a published author.
I had Ana as a guest
on the Creative Mindset podcast
and since then,
we've decided to start this podcast together.
It is a bi-weekly show
that gets released every Thursday
on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also watch us on YouTube.
Please do follow the show as well
if you're interested in topics
at the intersection of brands,
business and culture.
I'm Reina Moro
and this is the Creative Mindset.
See you next time.
