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

Hi Juan, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I began my career in marketing at a large corporation in 2014, but I always harbored the ambition to be my own boss. Inspired by ordinary people who grew massive audiences on Instagram, became influencers, and traveled the globe, I launched my first IG account between 2014 and 2015 aiming to become a lifestyle influencer. At that time, however, there were no social media coaches or courses available to guide me, leading to several mistakes that ultimately hindered my account’s success.

In 2018, I started a second account with aspirations of becoming a travel creator and earning a living through travel. Although the account grew, monetizing it proved difficult. The landscape shifted in 2020, post-COVID, as I noticed a surge of new online entrepreneurs teaching social media marketing. This observation sparked a realization: instead of focusing solely on my lifestyle, I could leverage my marketing expertise and my experiences on Instagram to assist others. Thus, I launched a third account dedicated to educating others on what I had learned.

My teaching platform quickly garnered attention, and people began seeking my help. I started coaching them on how to succeed on Instagram, and simultaneously, brands approached me to promote their products and services. Before I knew it, I was operating a six-figure business, aiding new creators and entrepreneurs.

However, in 2023, my business faced significant challenges that nearly led me to consider quitting. That’s when I discovered the potential of AI. By integrating AI tools, I was able to pivot my entire business model, expand my digital presence, and boost sales. This transformative experience led to the creation of the AI Creator Academy, a culmination of my journey navigating business, social media, and AI technology.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hey there, I’m Juan Galán! I started my journey working in marketing for corporate and startup companies in different industries like hospitality, tech, and tourism, and Instagram was my side hustle.

I always knew I wanted to make a full-time income from Instagram, but I didn’t know how. After 4 years of juggling between jobs and companies, I realized the conventional path was not for me. Luckily, I got furloughed and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to take the leap of fate and become a full-time creator-preneur & start my own business.

I started pitching to businesses to run their social media while doing photography gigs on the side and I started to make a decent income from this, but still not enough. Then, COVID hit, I lost two of my main social media clients and all my photography gigs were canceled.

​I knew I needed to do something otherwise I’d have to go back to a full-time job. So I started sharing my social media knowledge and experience with other creators in my community on Instagram.

Surprisingly, people started reaching out more and more and I got my first coaching clients using Instagram Marketing & Email. This is when it all clicked.

In September 2021, I embraced my role as CEO & Online Educator fully by founding IG Creator Academy. In under a year, our community grew to over 120k, and we established a thriving 6-figure online business. This success came through coaching, courses, memberships, and brand sponsorships.

My goal now is to guide creator-preneurs in building and monetizing impactful personal brands on social media. This journey is about turning your passion into a profitable venture and achieving the lifestyle of your dreams.

A pivotal moment in this journey was integrating AI into our strategy in 2023. AI’s role in understanding audience preferences, optimizing content, and streamlining marketing efforts has been instrumental in scaling our business and enhancing our offerings. This technological edge is something I’m eager to share with fellow creator-preneurs.

At the end of 2023, I launched my new program, The AI Creator Academy, a comprehensive program that guides entrepreneurs through the complex world of AI by simplifying it. It includes 1:1 sessions with me, group calls, and a wealth of resources to help them thrive!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the most transformative times in my career came shortly after I experienced significant setbacks in my business during 2023. After enjoying a period of what seemed like effortless success in 2022, I found myself grappling with financial difficulties as the new year began. My business was not only struggling to maintain its revenue but was actively losing money. Despite my best efforts to revitalize my offerings through various marketing campaigns, nothing seemed to work, and I was close to feeling defeated.

As I navigated through this challenging period, the realization that I needed a drastic change became apparent. That’s when I encountered the field of artificial intelligence, particularly the capabilities of tools like ChatGPT. Initially, I was skeptical and hesitant to follow the trend of using AI in business operations, as I’ve always aimed to stand out and do things differently. However, given the dire circumstances, my usual methods were no longer sufficient.

With a blend of desperation and curiosity, I decided to dive deep into the world of AI. I began to educate myself, signing up for training and workshops to better understand how AI could enhance my business operations. As my knowledge expanded, so did my appreciation for the technology. I learned how AI could not only streamline content creation but also enhance creativity and innovation, turning the tedious task of content production into an efficient process.

Embracing this new approach, I launched my first AI-powered product—the Ai Creator Academy. By utilizing AI tools to assist with content writing, video scripts, and marketing materials, I was able to develop and launch a comprehensive training program in just three months—a task that could have otherwise taken half a year. This pivot not only saved my business but also propelled it to a new level of success, generating five figures in sales and receiving tremendous feedback from participants.

This pivotal moment taught me the importance of flexibility and innovation in entrepreneurship. By embracing AI, I not only salvaged my business but also discovered a new path to growth and profitability. It was a reminder that sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something completely different can lead to the most rewarding outcomes.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Funny story, I’ve been trying to grow my audience on IG since about 2015 and I’ve tried EVERYTHING. It wasn’t until 2021 that I discovered the power of short-form video and that’s when my audience growth exploded. I grew 120k followers in one year and recently I’ve started a new account that is almost at 5k followers in less than 6 weeks.

Here’s my top advice for anyone looking to grow an online audience:

1. The content you create is not about yourself, it’s about your audience, their pain-points, struggles, goals, and desires.
2. Pay close attention to the type of content that is trending in the platform where you want to grow your audience. By trends I don’t mean audio, I mean the style of content. For example, right now on IG the type of content that is bringing lots of growth is short, aesthetic reels with a scroll-stopping hook and a value-driven caption.
3. Create a plan and stick to it with consistency. Social media tools want you to be consistent with your content to train their algorithms and gain momentum. That’s why having a plan is key.
4. Experiment with different styles of content. If you have no idea about what types of content you should experiment with, check out what your competitors are doing.
5. Once something works for you, double down on this.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.igcreatoracademy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ig.creatoracademy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juangalanpoliti/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@igcreatoracademy