Full Transcript for Stop Undervaluing Your Work: Creator Pricing and Sustainable Income with AyChristene

next time we're gonna get it. We're gonna, we're gonna do this. They did not want to hear that. The other people on the minds did not like that. Andréa Jones: That's funny. AyChristene: but yeah, that's kind of how we started. And from there we branched to reactions and now it's global domination. I have a lifestyle channel, I vlog and do talking head videos, I have the gaming channel, I have a reaction channel, I have a Patreon, I stream, I also do the creator advocacy, advocating for creators to make more money or make money period is one of the things, advocate for mental health. and work a lot with YouTube as well, like at not just putting stuff on YouTube, but actually YouTube as a as a company. So it's been an amazing journey. Andréa Jones: that's so fun. It just honestly, it's one of those things where we get to create what we want our life AyChristene: Mm-hmm. Yes. Andréa Jones: to look like. And I love that you did that by gaming. I love playing Call of Duty. Like it is the one my go-to game. If I had a frustrating day, I I'm playing the game. I I'm a PS5 girl, so I have my PS5. I I just play that one game to I don't play anything else. And I just love it. I love it so much. It's so fun. AyChristene: I miss it. It's been a while, but I miss it, yeah. Andréa Jones: If we get back into it. okay, so you mentioned this advocacy that you do for creators. When did that start? Like when did you start seeing the need for creators to turn their content into a business? AyChristene: I would say pretty early on, I didn't have the confidence in the know-how at the time. But early on, I realized, okay, you know, filing taxes helped me realize, okay, this is this is more than just something fun to do. There's you gotta pay the government a per a percentage and learning about deductions and things like that. And then like creating an LLC and like learning more about. business side of things. And especially, I I want to say it's a lot better and easier now, but I've been doing this for like 11 years. And back then, like going to HR Block, they're like, what do you do? What do we put this as for taxes and whatnot? so it was one of those things where I'm like, okay, a lot of people don't know. Cause I would ask a lot of people, like a lot of other creators in the space, hey What is this? What explain this to me? And no one had a clear answer. And Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: as far as the business side of content creation, it is still not really talked about as much as it should be. I think on the more side, we talk about, hey, get what camera to get, what gear to get, what tech to get, and always, you know, consistency, consistency, consistency, but it's not really talked about, hey, how can you make this profitable? How can you live off of this? How do you protect yourself financially? and how can you walk into rooms with that confidence? And one of the things that showed me the, you know, the like for me to step into the role of advocacy was I was in

a program with YouTube where they'll have, they'll get like feedback from creators. And it was one of the things I was talking about, like how, you know, it It was at the time my my stance was on gaming and how they need to take gaming creators seriously. Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: and when you're doing that talk, you're talking to execs at YouTube, you're talking about heads of a bunch of different departments and things like that. And it I was like, you know what, this is something I've always wanted to do. I always love to help people. I've always loved to be there for people, stand up for people when they weren't able to or didn't know how to. Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: And I'm like, this is something that I currently do. And it's like, like kind of what I said at the beginning, like past experiences led me to where where I am now. And that includes advocating for people at and once I knew and had the confidence, because I think I knew before I had the confidence to. And I do want to shout out XMiraMira. She created a collective that was for black femme gamers. And In that conversation, she sat me down and was like, Hey, Christene, you you need to like how you approach in brand spaces, you this Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: is how you should construct. And it was a couple of other creators at the time as well. And that's when Andréa Jones: Hm. AyChristene: I was like, that really gave me like the you know, like the clear, the Andréa Jones: Ha ha AyChristene: the electric, vibe that I needed. Yeah, the jolt, Andréa Jones: jolt. Yeah. AyChristene: thank you, to have the confidence that I needed. And after that, it was like. Research, research, research. What is the market saying? What do creators need? What is the how do people survive? You know? So it really Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: kind of became this whole thing. Andréa Jones: Yeah, why do you think there's a hesitation from creators to start, putting a price to their efforts? why do you think creators are hesitant to even do that initially? AyChristene: I think on one hand, it is still a newer industry. And on the Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: second hand, I think because it is so attainable, there's this mindset and this misunderstanding that if you make money from it, then you're not authentic, which is not Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: true, you know? And I always like to zero this back to Beyonce. Okay. Because if Beyonce was doing concerts and she was charging a dollar a concert, that's crazy, you know. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: I'm not saying she should charge $10,000. that's between you and her. Okay. But in Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: in the realm of like being able to do something that you love and make money off of it does not make it does it's not mutually exclusive, right? It's this thing that can feed each other. And I think that some people, when it's not the traditional workspace, you know, go a nine to five or whatnot, people have a hard time kind of adjusting that mindset. And Andréa Jones: Yeah. Yeah. AyChristene: There was a time around, I want to say around the time of Adpocalypse, if everybody everybody's like old enough to remember that on YouTube, there were Andréa Jones: Mm. Mm. AyChristene: a lot of creators, and I hated when they said this. I don't do this for the money or the views, I do this for you. And it created this misunderstanding for other people to understand what authenticity was. And they would Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: frame it as hey, I'm if I'm. Not doing this for views and money, then I'm authentic. Well, that's not the case. You can be authentic, you can be you, and you can be strategic with SEO and brand deals and whatnot. And that does not take away from your authenticity. When you drink coffee and if you drink a certain brand, just because you the camera's not on, then you're authentic. But if the camera's on, you are, that doesn't make any sense. And I feel like a lot of people just have to readjust their mindset with how they look at it. And there are a lot of people that look at making money as a bad thing, but yet Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: they understand that they have to use money to buy, to buy food, Andréa Jones: Bye, thanks. AyChristene: to buy to pay your bills, to do all those things that you even need to do. So Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: I feel like it's definitely a mindset that needs to shift and adjust for sure. Andréa Jones: yeah. Okay. I'm definitely sending this episode to my mom. I hope she doesn't mind that I'm calling her out because she's exactly what you're talking about. So for those AyChristene: Mm. Andréa Jones: of you listening who haven't heard me talk about her yet, so she's a travel agent, right? That's her job. Is she a travel agent? She travels to all AyChristene: Cool. Andréa Jones: these places. But when I tell you she's a fashionista. I went on a cruise with her recently. She told me I needed to have a minimum of two outfits every day. And I didn't realize what she meant until I was traveling with her on this cruise. That woman changes, there's a day outfit, and then her night outfit is like full glam, right? she AyChristene: Mm. Okay. Okay. Andréa Jones: has three closets and there's a strategy behind it. And I'm like, mom, we need to get you out here filming this because the AyChristene: Right. Andréa Jones: tell the people they want to know, and then maybe you can get a brand deal. So If my mom were coming to the collective for advice or coming to you for advice, what's one thing you would tell her to start with when it comes to thinking about brand deals? how do they prepare before we even get to the brand deal, what are the things they should prepare for? AyChristene: Say preparing your audience with being who you are and allowing them to see your authenticity, you know, being authentic, being who you are. If you're the type of person that is like loud and colorful as far as a

personality, show that. Okay. Show who you are. Because one of the things that you definitely want to keep in mind when it comes to brand deals is that no no brand deals black and white. That's one thing. There's a lot of gray, a lot of gray. So you'll have I've I've worked with Sargento before, for cheese. And I and that's when I in Andréa Jones: Okay. AyChristene: the gaming space. So even if you don't think it makes sense, there might be a way for it to make sense, you know? So Andréa Jones: Right, right. AyChristene: kind of have the audience meet you where you're at. And I would say, like on the back end or the front end, excuse me, think about what brands do you want to work with and how you can work with them. How can you fit them into the videos that you're creating? but I I feel like that's a that's fun for me. That's fun for me to sit down, I could work with this brand in this manner, or I could do this, This is how I can apply this brand into my brand, The that's the other thing I would say. Remember that you are a brand. I don't care how distasteful you may find that word. If you're like, I'm an influencer, Content creator. people shiver, ugh, I don't want to Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: be called that. That is the title. A doctor is a doctor, content creator is a content creator, you know? So that's the title you have. Own it, embrace it, and show all of the bits of you. And I would be so excited to see, like, I and mind you, I find I follow like women that especially. I'm peeking at 40. So looking at women who are who dress colorfully and like This past year I've been reintroducing color into my wardrobe because before it was just like t-shirts and sweats. It was a little out of no color. So I feel like something like that type of content that if she were to do that, I'll say that to Hi mom, it's needed. Andréa Jones: Yeah, that's what I'm telling her. Like, you know, so she turned 60 last year. She's not afraid AyChristene: Mm. Andréa Jones: to talk about her age. And being like AyChristene: That's good. Andréa Jones: a single black woman traveling, I'm like, that also is kind like your content is everywhere. So I she started AyChristene: Mm-hmm. Yes. Mm-hmm. Andréa Jones: posting more about it, which is great. so AyChristene: Yay. Andréa Jones: that leads me to my next question. As creators are, you know, starting to post about things and getting more traction, at what what point do you start seeking out brand deals? AyChristene: Say start as early as you can. And not to say that because it's like it's a two-fold thing. At any level, you can get a brand deal, right? There is no like, you can't, apply for brand deals or reach out for brand deals until you reach this amount of followers or subscribers. There's that does not exist. So I would say start as early as you can, even if for anything, a practice, because When you do get to the point where you have the confidence or you look at your numbers and you're like, hey, these numbers are they garner a good amount for a brand, you Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: wanna walk in the room like you know what you're doing. Even if you don't, you wanna walk in like you know what you're doing. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: and that's very important because there are a lot of at the end of the day, for the brands, it's about money, you know? So Any opportunity they can to hold on to as much as they can, depending on because some brands aren't like that. Some brands are like, this is the budget. Let's use the whole budget, and let's see who we can get. Some brands, especially if they use a third-party agency, that third-party agency is looking at, okay, how can I make this dollar stretch? So, how many people can I get with this amount of money? And they will use whatever reasons they can to tell you that you are worth something that potentially is less than you are, than you deserve, And if you don't know how to navigate those conversations, then you're you're at a point where it's like, hey, do I just take this deal at this lower amount and keep reinforcing this mindset for this brand and this third party agency? Or do I step away? You know? So you want to have that confidence and know how to navigate that space. And I would say Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: practice as early as you can. Andréa Jones: Okay, so that brings me to another question then. Cause a lot of people say, charge your worth, know your worth. How do we know what our worth is? How do we how do we ni figure that number out and then feel confident to talk about the the the price? AyChristene: I would say for me, what I had to do, I did a lot of research, right? Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: because it it's something that's not talked about. There are not a lot of videos. I'm like, hey, if you make this amount of following, if you have this level of following on this platform, then this is how much you should charge. there are so many other factors when it comes to brand deals. There's deliverables. What is the brand asking you? You know, what is it that they want? What platform do they want it for? How many followers and what's your engagement on that platform? usage. Usage is one of the things that people forget about the most. okay, how long is this brand gonna use the content that you create for them? So I would say that one of the things to know what you should charge is to do your research, especially with the brand, asking them those like important questions at the front end. It's a lot easier to negotiate up on the front end versus. After you've said, hey, this is my number. And then when they come back with, all right, well, we need you to do all this other stuff. And Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: it's now it's an awkward situation because it's like now you have to say, hey, this is what I charge for this. And I've had that happen a few times to me, which Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: is very uncomfortable. So it's better on the front

end to be diligent. You can ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask the brand. Okay, please tell me all the deliverables. What is the usage? Just so I can give you the proper rate. That's one of the things that I like to say. In order for me to give you the proper rate, I would Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: like to know all the information about about this campaign so I can properly price. Andréa Jones: Okay. But okay, so brand deals, that's one way to build income as a creator, but there are other AyChristene: Mm-hmm. Andréa Jones: ways. Can you talk to us about some of the other ways that creators and influencers can make money? AyChristene: Yes. So there's the platform monetization, depending on the platform that you prefer. there's TikTok has a monetization program, Instagram has one, Facebook has one, or Meta, excuse me, and YouTube has one. Twitch, I think like almost all of them have some type of monetization system. So that's one thing. That's one way. Another way is to create something that's membership-wise. So YouTube has YouTube memberships. You you can have Patreon. and there are more third party sites. I think Beacons has one, Forthwall has one. There are a few of other sites that allow you, Stan, stan dot store, I Andréa Jones: yeah. AyChristene: believe, where you can set up a a membership like thing, right? Where you can say for this amount, this is the monthly offering that I give for whatever. And you have to think about how that works for you and your content, because it varies from creator to creator. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: but that's another way. Selling merch is another way. Consulting. I think Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: this one's slept on the most. I would say that that's one of my biggest pots is from consulting with like platforms and things like that, or coaching other creators. also selling digital products is another thing. I know that's like growing in in popularity now. Andréa Jones: Yeah. Yeah. AyChristene: cool to see. but yeah. podcasts. Andréa Jones: Okay. AyChristene: Podcast is another way as well. Andréa Jones: yeah. Another avenue. I love this too because it's all about being strategic with your content that you create and maximizing how much you can earn from this by being on various platforms and kind of taking advantage of all the opportunities. But one of the things that comes up a lot of times when I get to this point with someone, aka my mom, they're like, okay, Andrea, this is a lot of work. I don't have time for this. Can you talk a little bit about time management when it comes to this world of creating content? Because I know for me too, some days it feels like I'm online twenty-four seven and that can be exhausting. So what are some of the things that you AyChristene: Mm-hmm, mm hmm. Yes. Andréa Jones: do to kind of like structure your time, your boundaries, all of that? AyChristene: Scheduling. I had to schedule, schedule, schedule because I my daughter does school from home. She's in second grade. So Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. Okay. AyChristene: since it's like public school, but it's from home, you have to be very involved in it. and so she's learning from home. And then there's I'm, you know, you got I have my wifely duties, I have my household duties, you know, cleaning and cooking and things like that. And not to say I do it all by myself. That's the other thing. My Andréa Jones: Hm. AyChristene: husband helps with the channel. We work on it together as a team. So when it comes to well, I think for every channel except for my vlog lifestyle channel, that he just lets me run wild. I can do whatever I want over there. Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: but he's a producer on the channel. So he helps with planning, okay, this is the content that you'll make. And it's not to say that I'll never get overwhelmed, because I do often get overwhelmed, Andréa Jones: Right. AyChristene: but I do have, I do have a good support system. I wanna say, because having my husband, he is my rock, he is my partner. He like is very, he's right there with me in the trenches, you know. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: like right now. He wanted to take a nap. Little one needs to eat lunch. I'm like, hey, I gotta go. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: So he's taking care of, you know, his daughter at in the Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: in the time that I'm I'm doing this right now. And Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: I also do therapy. That's the other thing. Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. Yes. AyChristene: therapy is very, very much needed. like you said, this is it it's very easy to be a twenty four or seven type of journey. And if you're not careful, you you leave yourself out of the situation. Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: You know, can show up for everybody else, show up for everything else, but not yourself. And then you might come to moments where your health is like, Hey, hello. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: You know, so I would say those are the things, but I did have to play around with my schedule a lot because times change, especially school starts summer, all this other stuff. But yeah, sit down, look at realistically what works, try it. And if it doesn't work, switch. Tweak. Don't be Andréa Jones: Mm. Yeah. AyChristene: afraid to tweak. Experiment. We do a lot of experimenting, hey, let's try this, this, until we see what what works. And whatever works now may not work in a few months. So we have to Andréa Jones: That's true. AyChristene: shift and change again. Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. So one of the things that really stands out to me as you're talking is you are a very confident person and you have a big personality. So I'm wondering if AyChristene: Thank you. thank you. Andréa Jones: for those people, yeah, it's like it's it's you're you're very warm, like the way that you speak. And I know there are people out there that are maybe a little bit shyer or a little less confident. what AyChristene: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Andréa Jones: do you

think can help them kind of build that confidence to put themselves out there? AyChristene: Would say give yourself grace. and what's funny is because I do coaching for a few creators, and that's one of the things, like pushing them, you know. Hey, I I don't know, I love pushing someone out of their comfort zone, Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: which is something that I had to kind of do for myself, you know, in regards to doing this. But I would say if you're trying to navigate, find a col a collaborative community that you can join. I started the indie game collaborative. As a way for smaller gaming creators to network with each other, to network with devs, to build together. One of the things that I that I think we need to keep in mind is you do need help at times, right? And networking is a great, great way to help build and broaden your brand. Also to have other creators that you can Discuss the things that you're going through and they also go through those things. There's so much peace you can find in finding Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: other people in the trenches with you. So do not be afraid to collaborate. In this space, it is normal to ask for a collaboration. It's not cringe. It's not weird. It's only don't say no follow-to-follow stuff. Don't do that. Don't say, hey, follow for follow, sub for sub. No, don't do that. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: Genuinely strike up a conversation. Say, hey, I would love to play a game for you. have a or not for you, with you. Or, Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: you know, if you're doing a fashion thing, like, hey, I'd love to style you or whatever you can think of as a way to collaborate with other creators. but take that time, you know, and give yourself grace. Not everybody's gonna be annoyed by every little single thing you do. Okay. Sometimes they have their own things they're dealing with, that they're not even thinking Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: about how you're actually annoying them. It's more so like, Andréa Jones: Right. AyChristene: my tech, a lot of people are in their own bubbles and they Really think that this other bubble is a annoyed by their bubble, but that person is dealing with their own thing. So yeah. Andréa Jones: Yeah. I love this so much. I hope y'all are taking notes because this is great. okay, AyChristene: Ha ha. Andréa Jones: last question for you before we wrap up. I'm very curious about what you see trending either now or or into twenty twenty seven. because I'm starting to see some shifts in kind of like the creator economy space. And so I'm curious AyChristene: Mm-hmm. Andréa Jones: to get your thoughts on those things. AyChristene: I think right now it the word maxing is trending like crazy. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: Like fiber maxing, protein maxing, hygiene maxing, health maxing, scent Andréa Jones: Yes. AyChristene: ma maxing, that's the other one. people love, brain maxing. That's one I saw the other day. I was like, okay, that's Andréa Jones: Okay. AyChristene: a new one, you know. but this mindset of maximizing any, you know, insert word here, potential, Andréa Jones: Mm. AyChristene: right? So I definitely, especially. Through the closing of the year to the beginning of the year, there's gonna Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: be, I'm gonna say in the next month or so, we're gonna see some goal maxing for 2027. You know? Andréa Jones: Yeah, yep. AyChristene: Like how to maximize your goals for 2027. and I definitely see that increasing. And then obviously there's like the the winter arc, which I'm not gonna lie, Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: I am a fan of the winter arc whenever that I think it started like a couple of years ago, but it's I I feel it coming hard because I'm already seeing a lot of people post their things, we got three more months in the year. Let's start our winter arc. And Andréa Jones: Yeah. yeah. AyChristene: I am a fan of the winter arc. but yeah, I see that. And then like health and weight loss, that's gonna continue, but around the new year, it's like a gives an extra bump because of resolutions and whatnot. Andréa Jones: Yeah, I love that. Totally see that happening. And I think I love that this shift towards video. Like I started my YouTube channel in 2007. This was before it was cool. This was before the even the people were using the word influencer, right? And so it's AyChristene: Mm-hmm. Andréa Jones: been interesting to see how this has developed over the years and how quality has gone up and how people take AyChristene: Mm-hmm. Andréa Jones: it seriously. It's a beautiful thing. So for those people who are like, okay, I'm bought in. I need more. You have a pricing guide for creators. Can you tell us more about it? AyChristene: Yes. So empower your worth, the ultimate pricing guide for creators, was something I created. I did a lot of research on what was the market amount that people were, you know, that other sites were suggesting for brands. And then it's like, what is realistic? What are some of the prices that I've charged? What are some of the prices that other creators? I also talked to a bunch of creators to get feedback as well. So I compiled a very detailed list. Bro broken down by platform, following, and deliverable. So Andréa Jones: Hm. AyChristene: the price for a YouTube video when you have 5,000 subscribers is different than the price for like a TikTok when you have 35,000 followers. You know, everything is different. I also broke down in there what I think people should charge for usage. also some glossary terms because I feel like a lot of creators, especially when it comes to brand deals. Don't really know what these certain words mean, And Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: I get asked, hey, what does this mean? What does this mean? So it includes a glossary, it includes a platform breakdown for X, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, for streaming, videos, short form content, long form content, live streaming. So I definitely, it's a very comprehensive, detailed breakdown on what you should charge. And it is broken up by your following. Andréa Jones: Okay. I love this. I'm gonna get it. Y'all get it too. It's in the show notes. Christene, where else can people find you online? AyChristene: everywhere global domination everywhere. Andréa Jones: Yes. AyChristene: I'm on TikTok, Instagram, X. I still almost always say Twitter, but Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: and YouTube at AyChristene. I also have a Patreon where I do reactions to TV shows, movies, anime, and the scary season has started and I'll Andréa Jones: Mm-hmm. AyChristene: be doing a scary movie binge-a-thon. My audience loves to see me terrified. Okay. I don't love the horror. They love to see me Horrified. Okay. So they are so excited for it. Andréa Jones: That's commitment. AyChristene: It is. I do for them. They support me, you know, especially Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: when they be like us like patrons, my members, things like that. I'm gonna I'm gonna take some screams for you, you know. Andréa Jones: Yeah. AyChristene: and I love you guys. I did send a picture where I was like grumpy face, but you know, I'll do it for you. Okay. but yeah, you Andréa Jones: That's fine. AyChristene: can see me everywhere at AyChristene. Andréa Jones: Awesome. Thank you so much for being on the show. This was such a great conversation. AyChristene: Thank you for having me. Andréa Jones: Yay. And thank you, dear listener, for tuning into another episode of the Mindful Marketing Podcast. Make sure you check us out on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Give us a five star rating if you love the show. It helps keep us in the top one hundred marketing podcasts. And that's all because of your support. I'll see you next week on a new episode, but that's all for today. Bye for now.