We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Niya Elan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Niya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

The first real money I saw as a creative was unexpected. I was approached via DM by a representative for a relatively unknown song creation service and they told me I should apply to be a part of their artist team. At first, this was something extremely unfamiliar to me and, to be honest, I wasn’t too hopeful that I would make any money at all or see any results. I applied to the opportunity and was brought on as an artist but didn’t make a full-time living or get many orders. I pursued other 9-5 opportunities in the meantime, all of which were pretty unfulfilling.

Fast forward two years and I was unfortunately laid off from my job. This sent me into full-fledged panic mode but soon I realized that it was a blessing in disguise. The website that I’d joined as an artist had undergone a lot of growth over the years, and brought me on as a full-time verified artist. Within two weeks of me being let go from my previous position, I’d 3x my salary from my last position but instead, I was doing something that I truly love. Now I get to make a living while also making people smile. The company I partner with is called Songfinch and if I hadn’t been approached by a representative all those years ago, who knows where I’d be on my creative journey now!

Niya, 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 originally hail from upstate New York but spent most of my time growing up in South Florida. From a young age, I loved singing and writing poems, and I attended a performing arts school for some time in middle school. In high school I learned how to record my music myself on my mom’s Chromebook and the rest is history. Ever since then, I’ve been creating music, and two years ago I began offering custom songs to clients.

My clients request custom songs for various reasons, whether it’s to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, wedding, graduation, or any other holiday like Father’s Day or Valentine’s Day, I’ve created songs for all different types of occasions. The best part is I offer quick turnarounds, so from start to finish the song is available within 4 days from the request.

I’m extremely proud to be in a field where I can be my most authentic self and bring joy to others. I love giving a “WOW” moment to people and their loved ones. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’ve never hidden who I am, and I love that this is a career path where I can inspire others to be proud to be themselves. I love it when others from my community reach out for custom songs, they always radiate so much love and appreciation and that is so rewarding to me. I feel like the services I provide transcend all differences and bring people together. Music has always been something that people from all different backgrounds can enjoy and I’m honored to be a part of this industry.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Every action has to have an immediate monetary return and if you’re not making money you’re not making progress. That’s simply not true. Although there always seems to be this pressure to make money and make it fast, a lot of growth and learning happens behind the scenes and it takes time to see real money sometimes. For me, I felt like if I focused just on making money, I wasn’t making authentic music and I wasn’t providing the most value that I could.

Once I unlearned that money is the motive, and learned that the value is in learning and growing as a creative, the money came easier. Sometimes it takes a while to learn a new skill, build a social media following, etc. and that time spent is not time wasted!

How did you build your audience on social media?

I was consistently posting on Instagram and TikTok for months before I saw any real growth. It takes time, dedication, and strategy to grow. The most important thing is consistency when it comes to social media. You have to foster a community that feels seen and heard, especially if you are offering services. When you reply to comments, strategically follow people back, and reply to DMs, it shows that you are a real person and you are approachable as a brand. I know sometimes that may sound exhausting, and for some people it is exhausting, but it is well worth the effort in the long haul.

Everything you need to know about growing is out there online whether it’s from TikTok videos, blogs, or YouTube tutorials, all it takes it a little time and effort. If one strategy is working, it’s okay to move on to a different strategy. It’s also important to know your audience and act accordingly. If you’re not sure what you’re audience is then your content won’t efficiently target them and your efforts may be for naught.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/NiyaElan
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niyaelan
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@niyaelan