We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jake Berg a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jake, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I was in college studying to be a psychology major. In my spare time I would teach myself how to edit videos. It was a process of dreaming up an idea and then watching youtube video after youtube video till I could achieve my vision. There came a point where I realized time I spent in class felt like a waste because it took away from the time I got being creative. I utilized all the recourses I could, and would constantly be in the my colleges computer lab so I could use softwares I couldn’t at the time afford. The main thing I realized that holds people back is the fear of starting and need for perfection. Once I stopped letting that get in the way, I started posting videos on instagram that eventually gained traction. Once I realized I could make a living following my dreams, I ended up dropping out to pursue video editing full time, and haven’t looked back since.
Jake, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am Jake and I have worked professionally in many creative fields full time for about 7 years. Over that time I have worked in video editing, visual effects, animation, and AR development. Most recently I am on a journey to become a professional magician, and although very different than my previous endeavors, the business building skillsets I have learned along the way have helped tremendously. I initially broke into the editing industry after a branding agency stumbled upon my instagram page, where I would post surreal and whimsical VFX videos. After working for a couple agencies, I amassed my own client base including Meta, Virgin Voyages, and several other large brands and worked for myself as an independent contractor. My main ethos is always say yes, then figure it out later. This belief that I could figure out any task in front of me, as well as a drive to learn as much as possible equipped me with a wide range of skills and turned me into a valuable asset. Recently, burned out from working from home and the rapidly changing landscape of AI, I have been turning my lifelong hobby of magic into my new source of income.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I built my social media audience from posting original content that was true to me and unique to my perspective on the world. In a landscape of over saturation, and unoriginality, I firmly believe the best way to thrive as a CREATOR is to find a niche that is true to yourself. For me that was visual effects videos, and the drive to share with people things I saw in my head. I think that the goal should never be views or fame, but authenticity and a love of what you are doing. Don’t try and create for an algorithm, create for you. When I first started on instagram, I just needed somewhere to put my art, not expecting to get any attention. Millions of views later and I still try to stay authentic to what I am interested in creating that day. Another thing is to try your best to ignore perfection. It is ALWAYS better to just finish and post than to let something sit around cause it’s not perfect. You never know what is going to pop off so don’t be afraid to just throw things at the wall and see what sicks.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I am constantly pivoting as a creator, and I think it is a necessary skill to thrive in a creative landscape. When platforms, tools, and algorithms are constantly changing, creators need to be hyper adaptable and never keep your eggs in one basket. Recently meta removed their AR filter platform, so I had to learn how to make filters for TikTok in order to keep up that revenue stream. It is also necessary to pivot to keep up with your passions and interests. Spending too much time in front of a computer has been draining for my mental health, so I pivoted to performing magic full time. This has been imperative for my mental health, and also has been a good way of future proofing myself against the rise of AI taking digital jobs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jakebergmagic.com
- Instagram: @itsjakeberg
