9 Things You Must Sacrifice to Be a Full-time Content Creator
When freelancing gets real
If you’re dreaming about transitioning from your day job to a career as a full-time content creator, you must know that it isn’t a walk in the park.
More like a slow barefoot jog across a sea of Legos.
It demands not only a significant investment of time and effort but also a series of personal sacrifices. In other words, it’s gonna cost you. Are you ready to give up these nine things?
Let’s find out.
1. Steady Income
One of the biggest sacrifices for becoming a full-time content creator is letting go of a regular paycheck.
Unlike traditional jobs, content creation doesn’t guarantee a fixed monthly income. Instead, your earnings will depend on a bevy of factors such as ad revenue, sponsorship deals, and the number of views or clicks your content receives.
Not all of these factors are in your direct control.
For instance, as a budding YouTuber, you might go through months of low income until your channel gains substantial followers and views.
It’s a gamble, and success isn’t guaranteed. However, those willing to face this uncertainty and invest their time and energy into creating quality content often find the payoff is (eventually) worth the risk.
2. Job Security
The world of content creation is constantly changing, and what worked yesterday might not work today.
Trends come and go, and the platforms that are popular today might be overshadowed by new ones tomorrow. This uncertainty translates into a lack of job security.
Almost every month, a Google algorithm update tanks multiple blogs. Platforms come and go. Rules change. Affiliate programs end.
Successful content creators continuously adapt to these changes, staying up-to-date with the latest trends, and always learning and growing. In this field, stagnation can lead to obsolescence, and being a content creator means accepting this reality.
“Adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation.” — Mahatma Gandhi
3. Personal Time
As a content creator, you may have to give up a substantial amount of your personal time.
The process of creating, editing, and promoting content can consume a lot of hours. It’s not just a nine-to-five job. You’ll likely find yourself working early mornings, late nights, and even weekends.
Of course, it’s essential to find balance or you’ll burn out.
Streamers on platforms like Twitch often work far beyond a standard eight-hour day. To keep up with the demands of their audience, they may spend over 10 hours a day on camera, and even more time off-camera preparing content and engaging with their communities.
I run multiple blogs all by myself.
To keep up with everything, I often work 6 days a week with few breaks for vacations and holidays. I love what I do but it can get exhausting.
4. Consistent Schedule
Along with personal time, you might also have to sacrifice a consistent schedule. Content creation is an ongoing process, and depending on your niche and audience, you might need to be available at odd hours.
For instance, if you’re running a global podcast, you might have to record at different times to accommodate guests from various time zones.
Or, as an Instagram influencer, you may have to post content when your audience is most active, which may not align with your preferred work hours.
5. Privacy
The line between your personal and professional life can blur as a full-time content creator.
Your audience often expects a certain level of personal interaction and sharing. Consequently, your privacy may take a hit, and maintaining boundaries can become challenging.
Some successful creators such as the YouTuber PewDiePie have shared their struggles with privacy, noting how challenging it can be to balance personal life with the demands of an online audience.
I just watched a YouTube video by Pinely about smaller YouTubers stalking bigger YouTubers like Logan Paul and Mr. Beast.
6. Instant Success
As a full-time content creator, you have to relinquish the expectation of instant success.
Building a loyal audience takes time and consistent effort. It’s not uncommon for creators to take months, if not years, to gain substantial recognition.
I started blogging 5–10 years ago.
It wasn’t until 2020 that I finally went full-time. It took a long time and lot of grueling hard work.
This journey requires patience and persistence. You must be willing to invest time and energy without immediate return. As Steve Jobs famously said, “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”
7. Traditional Career Progression
Content creation doesn’t follow the traditional career path with its clear ladder of progression. Your growth as a creator is often not linear, and the metrics of success can be subjective and varied.
For example, one creator’s success could be measured by their follower count, while another might prioritize community engagement or sponsorship deals.
In this career, you must define your own success and be comfortable with an unorthodox progression.
I made nothing (zip, zero, nada) for a very long time. When I did start making money, my paychecks came in single or double digits. Eventually, I hit my stride and my income increased.
While I’m still not rich, I am more than happy with my income.
8. Control Over Audience Reception
Content creators can control the quality of their content but how it is received is entirely up to the audience. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your work may not get the engagement or response you anticipated.
You must be prepared to face criticism and rejection, understanding it’s part of the process. While challenging, these experiences can also provide valuable feedback for improvement and innovation.
9. Comfort Zone
Stepping into full-time content creation means stepping out of your comfort zone.
Whether it’s learning new skills, adapting to technology changes, or exploring unfamiliar platforms, this career constantly pushes your boundaries.
As a content creator, you will face new challenges regularly. It’s these challenges that fuel your growth and enable you to produce unique and engaging content.
Summary of Key Takeaways
Becoming a full-time content creator is an enticing journey of passion and creativity, but it also involves a series of sacrifices.
Here’s a brief summary of the key takeaways:
- Steady Income — Be prepared to give up the assurance of a regular paycheck, as your earnings will fluctuate based on various factors.
- Job Security — Accept that this path lacks traditional job security due to the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of content creation.
- Personal Time — Understand that content creation can consume significant personal time, often extending beyond the usual nine-to-five job hours.
- Consistent Schedule — You may need to adapt to a more fluid schedule to meet your audience’s needs and engagement patterns.
- Privacy — Recognize that your personal and professional life can blur, which may affect your privacy.
- Instant Success — Let go of expectations for immediate success, as building a loyal audience requires time and consistent effort.
- Traditional Career Progression — Embrace an unconventional career path where growth is not linear and success metrics are subjective.
- Control Over Audience Reception — Remember, while you control your content, audience reception and engagement can vary.
- Comfort Zone — Expect to frequently leave what’s familiar, tackle new problems, and pick up new abilities.
Final Thoughts
Despite all this hoopla over sacrifices, I still say that being a content creator (especially a full-time one) is worth it. Every job path (or money-making venture) comes with upsides and downsides.
Get a 9–5 job and you get security but you become beholden to the company. Go into the military and you get tons of benefits but you might be sent off to war or worse — get stationed in Idaho.
Rob a train on horseback and you get a quick influx of cash but then you spend 3–5 years in federal prison. Ok, that one might not be worth it.
This is to say: “It’s all hard. Choose your hard.”
