We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zvestly Plantin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Zvestly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I have not yet gotten to the point where I would say I am earning a full-time living from being a content creator. However, a big portion of my income does come from there. I didn’t realize how much money I could really make until February of 2022. I started taking things more seriously back in September of 2021. I was working full time at the time and enrolled in grad school full time as well. I had to take a step back from work as school became more demanding. However, I was only able to do so because I knew I had my content creator income to rely on. Around that time, I also saw an increase in income, brand partnerships, engagements, and more. Some months are definitely better than others and that could be a little stressful because of the inconsistency. I never know how much I have coming in for the month until it’s actually coming in.
I’ve learned that being consistent is the key tho to ensuring that I earn what I want from my creative work.
Zvestly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Zvestly Plantin, I’m 25 years old. I’m from Florida and currently live in Texas. I’m from the beautiful island of Haiti and speak both French and creole. I own a small candle business and I’m a 2nd year graduate student. XYZee Candles is temporarily closed to allow myself time to focus on school and come back to it bigger and better. I felt like I was not giving it the effort it deserved so I decided to take a step back from it. I started getting into content creating because I enjoyed making content. It really is as simple as that. I’d post videos and picture recommendations and tips and hacks then I realized that it was something that I could monetize so that was a plus for me. My main focus is fashion and lifestyle. I post hauls, vlogs, unboxing videos and sooo much more. I help my audience find cute and affordable clothes, accessories, decor, makeup and basically anything I would come across myself.
I think the thing that sets me apart the most and that I would love for potential followers to know about me and my work is that I have no desire to fit in. I don’t try to copy and paste what everyone is doing. I stick to what feels good to me and what is true to me. If I don’t like it, I won’t force it just because it is liked by everyone else. If I do like it, I won’t try hide that part because everyone else may not. I think that is very important; stay true to you and what you love.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to learn that it is okay to ask for help. That is something that I generally struggle with. Being a content creator taught me that it’s okay to ask for help, ask for feedback, ask for suggestions. This isn’t something that is easy to do on your own, especially with no guidance. I ask my friends all the time now and they probably get tired of me.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Honestly, I learn so much from Tiktok and Pinterest in terms of content creation and how to monetize your content. I even learned how to properly file my taxes as a content creator from Tiktok. So many people are doing the same thing you are and learning as they go, just like you so find your niche!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://direct.me/zealxt
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zealxt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zee-krystelle-a14547233/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/zealxt
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGLKD51etWZ1i8Y_v4St31w
- Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zealxt