I’ve been surviving as a full-time actor and creator (or influencer) for one year to the day.

Grateful is an understatement, and I can see a 5-year horizon for my company.

Here’s what I’ve learned as I scaled in the last year to reach 10 million more people, double my revenue, launch and lead two original shows and an international tour, and stay connected to a demanding community.

💙Health Is Non-Negotiable💙

I’ve slept more, cried more and grown more emotionally in the last year than when I was rat racing. I spent so much time alone, confronted with and comforted by myself. I found new hobbies to fill newfound time and have had to invest heavily in protecting my body and voice as an entertainer. While I’ve invested more into my community, it could also be considered the year I was the most self-interested/dedicated: my calendar. My flight. My hair. My family. My partner. My room. My website. My messages. My wins. My expenses. If I don’t maintain that focus, my business could fail.

💙I need at least 3 kinds of content:💙

1) My wildest dream content, untouched by partners/sponsorship,

Because I have to honor Baby Joy and why she started doing it without capitalism coming to crush her spirit.

2) My signature weekly content pillars that I can produce regularly, sometimes for partners/sponsorship,

Because I need to keep the lights on and love what I do regularly. Post or dissappear.

3) My special projects that are replicable with high effort, for extraordinary partners/sponsorships.

Because I need to make big bets, push industry boundaries, invent formats and stay ahead. But only a few times annually.

💙A Safety Net Resuscitates, A Network Boosts, An Audience Charges 🔋💙

Saving up money before launching into this career absolutely kept me safe. But it was my network actively recommending me to gigs and projects that boosted my business, and my audience that regularly charges me up like a battery. Without people watching, my business impact is limited.

💙My Year Before Mattered Deeply💙

I experienced a lot of firsts, but I’m not really new to this. The fact that I was operating my business before I quit for at least one year set me up in a familiar way operationally.

💙AI Can Be a Crutch💙

These tools are cool, and I use many of them, but they can’t foresee what my human hires and I have seen.

💙You Will Hire. I hire:💙

– EBP
– Producer
– Editor
– Financial Accountants (Tax)
– Lawyer or marketing contract acumen
– Financial Advisors
– Manager
– Agents
– Other: social media manager, photographer, film crew, videographer, catering, venue — (could be $8k monthly)

Sample month of costs (USD)

EBP	500
Editor	4,100
Producer	500
CPA	500
Lawyer	166
Advisors	100
Manager	40
Agents	40
Other	2500
Total	8,446

💙You need multiple streams. I have:💙

– Sponcon
– Voiceover Acting
– Speaking and Appearances
– Production (Spon, Buy or AdRev)
– Membership and Digital Tips

Hope this helps you learn from my first year as an independent creator/actor!

Joy