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Gaya

This is a message from Jasmine Ugwoke to every upcoming content creator out there. She says, “The best thing you can do for your career is ensure that you do not lose yourself in the pursuit of <a href="https://aura.ng/herstory/boluwatife-is-what-betting-on-yourself-looks-like">success</a>.”

Trust me, Jasmine knows what it means to want something desperately. According to her, she has always wanted to be a content creator. In fact, after completing her master's degree in architecture, the 9-to-5 job market became the last straw. She knew that if she spent one more day in that world, she would be unhappy. But at the same time, she had bills to pay, so she could not just sit pretty.

Now, tell me why, three years after beginning a career that bloomed exponentially between 2021 and 2024, she deleted her 100,000-follower Instagram account and started afresh from scratch?

“When I started in 2021, I used to do a lot of things that I just knew would give me money and give me numbers so that I could pitch to brands, like, ‘Oh, work with me. I have this many followers and engagements.’ And I’m not generally proud of those things that I did because, to be honest, the personal brand that I wanted for myself was not where I was headed. At that point, I was doing a lot of cheap comedy videos that would just make people laugh and increase my engagements and visibility. I would also take pictures that I knew people were going to like. Pictures that were, you know, enticing to the feed, because I just wanted to make quick money.”

There was absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make money or a name for herself. In fact, Jasmine needed both.

“I needed quick money so that I could buy myself a good phone and other gear to enhance my content creation… like a tripod, because I was stacking books to hold my phone for my videos at the time.”

But what became a problem was that, in chasing visibility, she was rapidly building a personal brand that looked and felt absolutely nothing like her.

“I had grown up to 100,000 followers with my Instagram account by 2024, but I had to delete it and start from zero because I was deeply dissatisfied with what I was doing. I was not being authentic; I was just chasing virality. And the thing is, I talk to myself a lot. I’m a very self-aware person. So, if I talk to myself, I’m not going to be okay until I do what I know I’m meant to do. So, I kept telling myself, ‘Jasmine, you have to start over. Jasmine, you have to delete this account.’”

And eventually, she just could not ignore her gut feeling any longer. Best believe that decision was not easy for her to make. In fact, Jasmine describes it as the most challenging part of her career so far.

“The most challenging part of my journey has been my rebrand, because where I am now is totally different from how I started. I started with a different mentality. Like, I’m always so proud to say, I've always wanted this content creator’s life so badly. So, I was willing to do anything and everything just so that I could make it in the industry. So, when I finally decided to switch up from doing all those things to what I’m doing now, which meant deleting my entire page with up to 100,000 followers, it was very hard for me. I lost visibility and literally started from scratch.”

That is why Jasmine is in such a unique position to advise and mentor younger creatives. She is unafraid to share her story, hoping that others can benefit from the lessons she had to learn the hard way.

“As an upcoming content creator, I’ll advise you to try not to chase virality. Don’t chase the easy way out, because how fast you get it is how fast you’ll lose it. So, try to actually grow authentically. Take the healthy way, albeit slow and steady. And please, I’m not saying that you should not aim for something good, but just ensure that you’re actually being intentional with your journey and that it reflects in whatever you decide to do. Stop settling for quick fixes that will only give you quick dopamine.”

Today, Jasmine believes she is better off two years after starting over. Even with fewer followers, she is many times more satisfied with the empire she is building for herself. Her metrics for success are the community she has and how much she is able to influence and impact them with her authenticity.

“When it comes to growth in terms of numbers, I would say I experienced faster growth with my other page because I was doing things that would just get my numbers up. But with what I’m doing now, I would say my growth is going the healthy way. I believe what I’m doing now is way, way, way better because I feel very accomplished. In fact, I feel like starting over is the best decision I’ve made in my content creation career.

I have also grown to realise that I need to actually own my audience. At the end of the day, I am the CEO of this entire empire. I see my content creation as a business, and I’m the one who calls the shots. This is why, when I need to take a break, I no longer feel guilty for doing so. I trust that I’ve built something that is not just easily going to fade away. And I believe that whenever I come back, I can always pick up from where I left off.”

In Jasmine’s opinion, all the plot twists in her story have only enhanced her character development and improved her sense of security in herself and her own decisions.

“Now, my mantra is ‘I have to do it the Jasmine way.’ Because I’ve detached myself from actually caring about what people think. I might do something a certain way, and people will be like, ‘Oh, I will not do this; it can never be me.’ But I’m not going to feel bad because someone is saying that. It’s just me; that’s what Jasmine wants.

For the same reason, everything I put out is very intentional. Like, I’m doing this content creation thing with intentionality. So, anything I don’t want on the internet is not going to be on the internet.”

As she continues to expand her community, grow her personal brand, and evolve as a creative, Jasmine Ugwoke is looking beyond social media towards building an entire company named “UG Productions”.

Keep <a href="https://aura.ng/culture/david-imogie-telling-stories-that-matter-beyond-the-screen">watching out</a> for Jasmine Ugwoke!

Jasmine Ugwoke opens up about leaving behind 100K followers, unlearning virality, starting over, and building a personal brand on her own terms.


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