We recently connected with Chidi Ezemma and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Chidi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I can proudly say I am a full time content producer for over 5 years. This is a title I didn’t even know existed a couple years ago. Creating content was something I enjoyed doing. It was never about the money… in the beginning. Mostly because I didn’t think you could make a career out of content creation.
When my content caught the attention of brands, initially, l did a lot of work in exchange for products or little to no pay. This period ended up being beneficial in that I had created a massive portfolio of social media campaigns. And with that portfolio I would later pitch to bigger brands for paid opportunities.
The majority of my first couple years as a content producer I had jobs doing something else. Everything from assistant, receptionist to a nanny. Any time not spent at work was dedicated to creating concepts, shooting or editing. As long as I was working on projects that I loved I didn’t mind having a regular job as a side hustle.
I treated every campaign like they were my biggest client. I would sometimes put in my own money to fund projects. I never saw it as a loss. I looked at it as an investment in my future. Which, again, later paid off. The more campaigns I did the bigger the budgets got. Eventually I was making more doing what I loved than I was with the other jobs.
Entering entrepreneurship taught me the highs and lows that come with operating a business. I had some profitable years, some less. One thing people don’t mention is as an entrepreneur you have to constantly push your brand in order to grow. I am blessed to say I have reached a stage in my career where I am comfortable and have full-time clients that allow me to create what I love.
I wouldn’t trade my journey with anybody else. I’m a strong believer in destiny and God’s timing. I feel like I was able to learn and grow at a pace that made me prepared for each, and every step of the way. Every lesson became a blessing. It’s only going to get bigger and better from here.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a content producer and social media manager. I have been developing content for brands and businesses for over 8 years. I create everything from commercials to TikToks. Producing content started off as a passion project that became a career. Happiness has always been #1 in my life. So from the beginning I knew I wanted to wake up every day and enjoy every aspect of my life, including my career.
I started my journey in front of the camera. Modeling for brands such as BoohooMAN, Novamen and Stacy Adams. My interest for producing was sparked from spending long hours on sets and being intrigued by the workings of a camera and the development process of a photoshoot.
I enjoyed the thrill of imagining, developing and producing campaigns. I later began creating my own campaigns. I would gather my friends and shoot over the top concepts for my portfolio. Shooting a high end editorial campaign on a Saturday was the definition of the perfect day for me.
I showcased my work heavily on social media and my work caught the attention of brands such H&M, Gillette and Amazon. I have created campaigns for over 75 brands and counting. As well as produced shows for New York and Los Angeles Fashion Week.
When I am creating, my goal is to establish a safe space where you can be bold and feel beautiful in front of the camera. I like my sets to feel euphoric. I want you to leave and feel like you have unlocked your main character energy.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I first became a content producer I made a good amount of money some months, and made nothing other months. At this time I was completely freelance so I didn’t have the financial backing of a side job.
I had recently heard about Airbnb from a friend. I did my research on it and realized I could take the money I had made and invest it into a rental property. This property became my financial backbone that funded my content producer career. I was the check in person, maid and maintenance man. Real estate wasn’t something I saw in my journey but the pivot saved me financially. This gave me the opportunity to focus on my career with a financial backing.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Being a content producer is an expensive field to work in. There’s camera equipment, sets, models and editors that all come in play when creating a campaign. When I started off I knew I wanted to create big campaigns but didn’t have the budget for it.
I would do any and everything I could to achieve the look I was going for. I taught myself how to shoot and edit. I learned how to do simple hair and makeup as well as styling. I would shoot outside to save money and borrow camera equipment.
My issue is when I see a concept in my head I want it to come out exactly how I envisioned it. This one time I created a concept for Absolut Juice. This project is still one of my favorites to date. It was an all pink theme with a 70’s luxe vibe. I had little to no money to my name but there was a silk baby pink dress that matched my set perfectly from Victoria’s Secret. I needed this dress for my model. It cost the same amount as I had left in my account. I skipped dinner a couple days to purchase the dress and the shoot was a success. At that time the only thing that mattered was producing the best work for my client. My happiness comes from seeing my projects come alive and I was willing to risk it all for great content.
Contact Info:
- Website: Sirchidi.tv
- Instagram: Sir.Chidi