Elevathers
Hosted by entertainment pros Amanda Booz and Krystal Vega, each episode dives into the real stories behind modern womanhood, from the highs of entrepreneurship and personal wins to the lows of heartbreak and self-doubt.
They break down trending topics, relationship dynamics, career pivots, and everything in between, all with honesty, humor, and a dose of sisterhood. Whether you're chasing your next level or rebuilding from scratch, this is your space to feel seen, supported and inspired.
El·e·vat·hers: /ˈeləˌvāt/hers/ Women who continue to transcend through the peaks and valleys of life's journey while maintaining authenticity and grace.
Elevathers
S2 | E11: Being Likable Will Get You Far ft. TyreakToldYou
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You don’t need a million followers to build a real creator career—you need a voice people trust. We invited our friend Tyreek, who we go way back with from our BET days, to share how he went from a hot, off-the-cuff TikTok rant to a full-time creator stacking income streams across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. He doesn’t sugarcoat the money talk: his first brand deal rate, the surprising power of Facebook Creator Rewards, TikTok Lives and contests, and why YouTube still pays best when you’re ready to play the long game.
We dig into the week’s pop culture swirl—Saweetie rumors, the glossy reboot of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and Debbie Allen’s well-earned Barbie—while unpacking how attention, nostalgia, and “diversity as distraction” shape what we click and buy. The throughline is media literacy and boundaries: how to stay fair, keep receipts, and protect your private life without faking an aesthetic. Tyreek’s take on storytelling lands hard: follow your curiosity and ship consistently. The anime videos he posted on a whim opened new lanes, features, and fans who show up for his voice, not just the topic.
We also get personal about resilience. Are you better as the lesson or the learner? Would you choose a public failure or a private comeback? We share how to keep it real without handing the internet your peace, why likability compounds into opportunity, and how to future-proof your business beyond bonuses—think merch, live events, and community touchpoints no algorithm can throttle. If you’re building a platform, this is your field guide: speak plainly, post more than you plan, price higher than you think, and diversify while the window is open.
Share this with a friend who’s building their voice, hit follow for more unfiltered conversations, and drop a review to tell us which platform you’re betting on next.
Welcoming Tyreek And Origins
SPEAKER_03I think I barely had like 5,000 followers at the time. So don't get caught up in the numbers. If the people like you, they like you. Being likable will take you farther than the numbers. The numbers do count, but they're not everything. I promise you that.
SPEAKER_00We have a very, very, very special guest joining us. Somebody I go way back with and I'm so excited to reconnect with. Y'all might know him on social media as Tyreek Toju because he really be telling you, okay? He really be telling us. I'm so excited to have Tyreek join us on Elevator's Podcast today. You are the first male guest to be on our show. So welcome.
SPEAKER_03Welcome, Tyreek. Little dose of misogyny. I'm happy to be here.
SPEAKER_01That's right. Listen, we and Crystal have been talking about we wanting us wanting to get a male whole male guest to join us on the podcast. She mentioned you and like literally, she was like, We don't go way back at BET. And I'm like, you know what? That's so crazy because I I don't remember us like probably working together closely, but I'm like, that is so dope because it's like a reunion moment for all of us.
SPEAKER_02Like I love it.
SPEAKER_00It is, it is. We always talk on the podcast about how Amanda and I worked together at BET and like how we, you know, met and and just really so saw each other grow. And you know, watching your growth on social media has been just so beautiful and amazing to see, and as well as like how authentic you are. Like when I ran into your videos, I'm like, I instantly know I'm like, oh, I feel tired. And this is just because you're so like so authentic and through and through, like who you are on social media is really who you are, and what you say really be coming out your mouth. So very excited to have you and very excited to see your growth. Like, you've been killing it.
SPEAKER_01Yes, thank you so much for joining us on the show. For the people who do not know who are not aware of who Tyreek is, how would you describe yourself for our guests who are listening to the podcast?
SPEAKER_03Well, in my TikTok bio, it just says, I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. I'm just a person with opinions, and you know, I grew a platform sharing those opinions. So that's pretty much it. You know, I'm from Brooklyn, um, and I make videos. Take with that what you will.
SPEAKER_01Right. That's right. Brooklyn stand up. Where's where's everybody from New York that is listening to the podcast? Make sure you guys tap in on the comments. Ty, like, when was like your first video or when did you know that you first wanted to
First Viral Moment And Early Brand Deals
SPEAKER_01like get into this social media space? Like, what was what was that? When was the first Tyreek told you moment for you?
SPEAKER_03All right, so there's a long version of this story and there's a short version. Which one do y'all want?
SPEAKER_02We want the long one.
SPEAKER_03All right, all right. So, like, for years, since maybe my senior year in college, all my friends had been telling me, oh, Tyreek, you should start a podcast, start a podcast. And this was like the early days of podcasts and before like the video components, and it was like literally just audio. And I was like, eh, I take it too seriously. When I tell you, like, people have been telling me this for a dead ass 10 years straight. Now let's fast forward to about 2023. I went to my um school's homecoming, shout outs to Hampton University, and I was just with some old friends, and the podcast conversation came up again, and I said, you know what? I would like to, but I don't really have an established social media presence, so I would like have to build that up first and then launch the podcast. And then my friend Jasmine said, Well, Sarah, just post on TikTok. Everybody's on TikTok. Now, at this time, I was like super anti-Tik tock. Like, I'm not getting on that Chinese approval TikTok. But I got on the Chinese app and I would like post here and there or whatever. And I remember the first time I went viral on TikTok, it was in either June or July. But I was leaving work and I'm just waiting in the train station and it was hot as hell down there. I don't know what came over me, but I just pulled out that phone and I said, Oh my god, it's so hot down here. You could bake a ham in this train station. I post a video, didn't think about it, opened the app like maybe five hours later, and it's just like all these numbers and comments and likes. Like, I'm not used to all that. I was like, okay, maybe I can do something with this. So then for 2024, I set a New Year's resolution. I said I'm gonna post consistently on TikTok, and I gave myself like a goal of reaching 10,000 followers by March. I think at the time I was like barely over a thousand. I hit 10,000 followers in three weeks. Period. And I said, well, maybe I should post on Instagram too. So I started posting on Instagram. That blew up pretty much overnight. Got my first brand deal through Instagram. Shout out to Courtney. It was like um a whip shots brand deal. They were like, yes, like what's your rate? I'm texting my friends, like, y'all, they want to pay me. Like, I don't have rates.
unknownWhat's my rate?
SPEAKER_00Well, what was your rate? Because I know it's not your rate anymore. What was your rate when you first started?
SPEAKER_03I told them 500. I panicked. I should have said more, but you know, we all start somewhere.
SPEAKER_01This is true.
SPEAKER_03You can't get a handshake out of me for $500 now, but hey, I was ready for it. It was a lesson learned. And yeah, now here we are.
SPEAKER_01That's such an amazing journey.
SPEAKER_00Definitely start your own podcast. You have so many people who love to hear like what you have to say and your perspective on things. And like, I think you've definitely built your social media following enough for people to transl for that to translate into a podcast for sure. So make sure y'all keep a lookout for um Tyreek's podcast coming soon at some point.
SPEAKER_01Yes, we're claiming that on the podcast here. And also, you said something I feel like would really resonate with people because I've been trying to do better at that myself. Post your content because you don't know how well it's gonna do, y'all. Like, literally, like I hear that so many times from creators that you just don't know what's gonna happen when you go viral. So you're literally like betting on a lottery ticket. So just post it because that's amazing to hear you grow from those numbers like in such a short period of time. That's really good.
SPEAKER_03Also, another thing with um that web shot still on Instagram. I think I barely had like 5,000 followers at the time. So don't get caught up in the numbers. If the people like you, they like you. Being likable will take you farther than the numbers. The numbers do count, but they're not everything. I promise you that.
SPEAKER_01Period. Love that. Well, you know what? I think this is perfect because Tyreek, you are here. You like to give your opinions on just different hot topics, and we love to open up our show with unfiltered moments of just the week and just different things going on. And I know Crystal and I have been talking about just things that have been happening in the news cycle. So let's just jump right into it.
SPEAKER_00Yes, there's so much happening in pop culture, and I know you got your finger on the pulse, Ty. So we were seeing this week so many things happen, like sweetie, um, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which was gorgeous. I would love to see you hosting
Post Consistently And Ignore Follower Counts
SPEAKER_00a red carpet, um, by the way, at like a Victoria's Secret Fashion show and like just talking to the girls. I would love to see that too.
SPEAKER_03Go ahead and manifest that.
SPEAKER_00Yes. That's right. Um, and then what was the other hot topic that that was happening this week, Amanda, that we were thinking about?
SPEAKER_01Oof, it's so much. Um, Debbie Allen got a Barbie, which I think is incredible. Such a legend. Like, that's incredible. So many things happened. We um unfortunately lost D'Angelo this past week um to cancer, which was huge. I know it rocked so many people, especially if you are a Neo Soul RB person. Um, that was something that was going on this week. So it's just been a lot going on.
SPEAKER_00It's a lot going on this week. So wait, what's going on with Sweetie? Yeah, let's go. Yeah, I was gonna say, let's start with the hotest topic. What's going on with Sweetie? Tell us, Ty, because I know you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so um, there's this woman named Maybach May, and apparently Saweetie owes her some money. Now, according to Maybach May, Saweetie is a high-end escort. And Maybach, so I call her Maybach, or should I call her May? I don't know. But, you know, her role is connecting these like celebrity women with high net worth men, be it investment bankers, athletes, celebrities, you know, stuff like that. And Saweetie was one of her clients. Maybach May said she was flying Saweetie out to London, Dubai, Lagos, just everywhere, meeting all these rich men. And I guess Saweet didn't give her her fee. Because she's allegedly dating this um soccer player or football player for the Europeans. He makes like $13 million a year. So, you know, she secured the bag and didn't share the bag with Maybach, so now she's crashing out. My only concern is if Saweetie does sue her, she's gonna have to like go to court and admit to being a madam and possibly a human trafficker. You can't be flying women out across the country to different countries across borders to meet men. Like that doesn't sound right. So maybe she didn't think this all the way through. I don't know. Oh gosh.
SPEAKER_00Who wait? Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_03Maybe back May, because she's the one who exposed it. So Weedy's been quiet up until yesterday.
SPEAKER_00But wouldn't they both get in trouble? Like, because doesn't everything come out? So, like, if you were, I mean, that's what Diddy just got in trouble for, right? Like flying people back and forth.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but I think the trafficker gets in more trouble.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, she's openly saying she's a human trafficker. That sounds crazy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's kind of silly. And by the way, you know who was real you know what?
SPEAKER_01What? Wait, talk about it. What happened?
SPEAKER_00No, it just clicked to me that like Sweetie used to be around Diddy a lot because she dated his son.
SPEAKER_01Which son is not.
SPEAKER_00But you know
Pop Culture Rundown: Saweetie Allegations
SPEAKER_00what?
SPEAKER_01A lot of people, yeah, but a lot of people have been quiet in that situation because honestly, love Lori, but Lori has been quiet too. But Lori really doesn't.
SPEAKER_02Lori Harvey.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Lori dated Diddy for a second too. Did she really Lori, Joy, all of them? Yes.
SPEAKER_03I think like a lot of these entertainers, both male and female, dabble in a little sex work here and there. That I've always felt that way. And I'm not judging them, but the music ain't selling. You haven't had a movie in how many years. Like, come where's the money coming from? Let me know.
SPEAKER_01Listen, and I haven't heard I mean, Sweetie had a song come out recently. Was it Rich Tivides? I don't even know how long that came out. Maybe it's not a new song, but I haven't really been hearing about her. She's been really quiet. So I'm just like, what has she really been going over there doing that?
SPEAKER_00I mean, let me tell you something. Her team at one point was killing it with her brand deals, like the McDonald's um meal. Like, they were really on it. Like, I don't know what happened in terms of like her partnerships, but I I agree very much. Like when the music slows down, especially as an artist, like they don't make as much money as a lot of people think they are. And I also think that people don't realize how common sex work is. Even in a day-to-day, like with people talking about, oh, like, you know, they're dealing with this guy, that guy, they're buying them this purse, that purse, that's sex work.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. But people don't want to label it as that. But yeah, I agree. And you know what's crazy? I love sweetie, so I hate this for her. Like, I really think this is not the type of press and publicity that she needs right now. Um, so this is this is this is crazy.
SPEAKER_03Do you guys believe the rumor?
SPEAKER_01I always want to say I believe, like, I'll take, I don't know. I don't know. Cause here's the thing it's another woman coming out and saying this about Sweetie, but it's like, I don't know, I don't know. I don't know, y'all. What do you guys think? I don't know. Oh, child, this is a filter for real.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, like that's a really serious claim, and Sweetie has publicly denied it. So I'm I'm gonna stop with her until we get some more information, but you know, yeah, I don't put it past nobody.
SPEAKER_01That part I don't put nothing past nobody. Yeah, that part, that part. Like, I'm gonna take your word for it.
SPEAKER_03By all means, keep doing it. Girl, I'm not paying your bills, so shoot.
SPEAKER_00That part.
SPEAKER_03I'm missing.
SPEAKER_00I think anything is possible for real, for real.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and Ty, like you said, we're gonna believe her until anything else comes out and says otherwise. But look, you never know these days. Listen, times are hard. That girl is really mad about some sort of money. How much money did she say? How much did she say? I don't know.
SPEAKER_03I don't know. I don't know. She's like a matchmaker. It's always in quotes. You know, we always find fancy words for pimp. But she's a matchmaker, and I guess she matched Saweetie with this soccer player and she didn't get her fee. I don't know what the fee was. I don't know if Saweet was supposed to pay it. Maybe the guy was supposed to pay it. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Maybe the guy was supposed to pay it, and he, him and Sweetie ran off together, and the girl was like, Oh, y'all think y'all gonna X me out of this and y'all not gonna give me my money? Absolutely not. Um, and I think that's what spiraled the whole like crazy conversation.
SPEAKER_01Dang, the dating pool is so bad over here that we gotta go to Europe is crazy.
SPEAKER_00That's crazy. And no, Shane, no T, but for 13 million, that's not that's not all that. Yeah. If you know money, that's not you find a Europe for 13Ms, absolutely not. You could find that in Los Angeles, like what?
SPEAKER_03She really could, but the rumor is that she done already been, you know, around the block in the state, she's exhausted all her resources, allegedly, allegedly. So that's why you gotta go to different countries.
SPEAKER_00Ooh, got it, got it, got it, got it.
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness, that is crazy. Oof.
SPEAKER_00Well, on a lighter note, the Victoria's Secret fashion show was gorgeous, yeah, which is crazy because if you if you were paying attention, what was it like last year or the year before that? Victoria's Secret had this whole like documentary come out about them. How they were basically um like marketing to really young girls, and it was like a weird crossover between like Jeffrey Epstein. Y'all remember that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think I remember reading stuff about like just the extreme things that they had to do as far as like eating and workouts and to just prep and get ready for being on the runway. But what I will say is I I I remember Crystal, I remember that story coming out. I love that this year it's like a completely different Victoria's Secret fashion show. I feel like there was so much like minority and diversity. There were so many black girls and just like multicultural like representation on the runway. Love that. Love seeing Angel Reese, love seeing the girls with the curves. Like I loved seeing all of that represented, like, because that's what women really look like. Like, I want to see somebody on the runway that looks like me when I take my clothes off.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the girl, the girls ate, but Victoria's Secret also did a really good job of making us forget that that documentary involved them in some sort of way. Like that shit went out the window when this um event happened. We were all like, oh my god, these girls look amazing. This is beautiful, completely forgetting that they were in a hot mess a couple years ago.
SPEAKER_01That's crazy.
SPEAKER_00I gotta go back and we'll couple years ago.
SPEAKER_03Victoria's Secret like had a rough, I'd say five, six, seven years because I remember they got like some pushback around 2017, 2018 about the lack of diversity, the lack of different body types. They ignored it. And then Rihanna started doing her Fenty uh fashion shows, which completely blew Victoria's Secret out of the water. And they were clicking down for a long time. And I'm I'm happy to see them finally getting it together. Like it's not the 90s anymore. Things are different now. You gotta adjust to the times. So I agree, and you know what?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I was gonna say, I think Crystal and I have mentioned this before on the show. Like, I love when I see brands get with the times. Like, you can't be marketing us the same way you were marketing us back in the day. I haven't worn pink since high school. Like, you have to get with the girls as we're growing and elevating throughout our lives. Like, we're not wearing the same styles and designs. So, like, I think when Rihanna came in the fold with Fenty and Savage X X Fenty, like literally changed the game. And I think brands just started trying to catch up after the fact. So, yeah, I agree with that five to seven mark because Victoria's Secret has definitely probably been struggling for a while.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, like the boosters don't even sell from the pink store anymore. Nobody wants that.
SPEAKER_01Listen, we don't be going in there like that. Every time I walk past Victoria's Secret, it is empty. Semi-annual sale, yes.
SPEAKER_00Outside of the key word, well past. Well past.
SPEAKER_03She doesn't stop, she just keeps going.
SPEAKER_00Right, keeps going. I'm I'm on my savage, okay. Rihanna came through and blew them out of water, and I'm just I might stick beside her. Because you know what? You know what it is for me about brands? It's that I could never tell. It takes some time to really see if their diversity um efforts are authentic and not just marketing, especially coming out like after COVID and George Floyd, we've seen a lot of brands talking about this pledge, that pledge, 20%, 50%, having more people of color and and dedicating all this time. And then a year later, once COVID, you know, went away and people stopped paying attention to things like that, like important things, real things, the brands were like, Okay, nobody's looking anymore. And this feels like one of those things to me. I feel like every time a brand wants to distract us from something that they, you know,
Victoria’s Secret Reset And Brand Trust
SPEAKER_00that they were in hot water about, they just like diversity, diversity, inclusion, inclusion. And then we forget that whatever they did even existed.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And it works every time, too. It works every time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03We might have like we might have to do some self-reflection about that. Like, why do we keep letting these brands play with us?
SPEAKER_00Well, I know one brand that hasn't played in a while, Target. Which is crazy. I think people really realize how much they don't need Target, and that small like window of opportunity has really closed for them. I think they're done. That's just my opinion.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think that honestly, that Target situation really showed that our dollars matter. Like these brands feel it. Like they are hurt when we don't want to spend money. And when I say me, I'm talking about black and brown people. Like, we when we stop spending money places, yeah, they feel it for sure. They feel it. Listen, I think we can shift gears for a second because I want to talk about this Barbie Mattel collab that they just gave our girl Debbie Allen. She became a Barbie at um 75 years old. And if you know Debbie Allen, you know that she has her dance academy, and also she is a Golden Globe winner from her series in fame, from her role in fame. And I just think this is incredible that she's now getting honored for being a Barbie and just getting her flowers while she's still here to smell it. So I just I love Debbie Allen. So I just love her and Felicia Rash, Felicia Rashawn. Like they are like literally my faves legends in the game for sure. What do you guys think about the Barbie?
SPEAKER_00Barbie is one of the most like beautiful ways to honor um women in general, like a Barbie collab because it's really a collectible. I have Barbies from when I was like first grade in the first grade, you know, like that's something we keep. So I think that's beautiful. And I agree with you. Like, let's let's continue to give people their their flowers while they can smell them. Let's not wait until they pass. And then we're like, oh my god, she was my fave. Like, yeah. No, let's sell them now, let's show them now. So I love I love a good Barbie collab. Same, same.
SPEAKER_03Would you want a Barbie doll, like your own cocktail, your own hot sauce? How would we remember Crystal and Amanda?
SPEAKER_01That's a great question. Oh, I like that. Um, ooh, you're putting us in a hot seat. Let me see. Okay. Um, you know what? I love when people have days. Like, I love like national holidays, or like when you like people get keys to their city. Like, I love like those type of like commemorative things because I feel like it's like bigger than you in that sense, especially like when somebody gets like a keys to like where they're from or like just that city like recognizes them for like all of their hard work. I think that's like really dope. And off also, like just getting just different recognitions in life, but I think that's like dope to have like your own day, like your own national day.
SPEAKER_00That would be fun. I mean, I'm I mean, I think for me, maybe like a coffee or something, something that you know is a little addictive but gives you energy, something that you look forward to every morning, like a real good coffee recipe that everybody just like goes to. And you're definitely a coffee. Yeah, and you're a coffee. I am. How about you, Ty?
SPEAKER_03I was gonna do a coffee. Like my coffee order is an iced vanilla red eye with oat milk. So, like, you know, that extra espresso shot, like to add that supercharge for you. Or what the Tyree told you.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yes, I love that. No, we here, we here for sure. That's a good question, though.
SPEAKER_01That's a really good question.
SPEAKER_00Look, y'all picking food items. I'm like, let me think. Let me think. No, a national day is is dope too. Like, it's amazing. That's cute.
SPEAKER_03The thing is, like, if I got a day though, what has to be a federally recognized holiday? Like, you don't go to work on that day. Don't give me some BS Twitter holiday.
SPEAKER_01That part.
SPEAKER_03Like, no, I want a real holiday. Everybody got a museum or something.
SPEAKER_00Is there any other pop culture news though? That I mean, I feel like pop culture is like every three hours is something new that we could talk about. Is there anything that we're missing that may have came up between last night and this morning? What y'all think?
SPEAKER_03Um, I know Tasha Kay and Ra Ali are beefing right now. What? Yeah. Um, I don't think Nicki Minaj is friends with Ra Ali anymore, but she's still cool with Tasha Kay. Um, Nikki accused her ex-stylist, DeAndre Tristan, of stealing her American Express card and like buying stuff with it. Tasha Kay reported the story. Tristan sent her a receipt and desist. She did the story anyway. You know, she doesn't mind playing in court no matter how much she loses. So yeah. This mess is. It's like in the Nicki Minaj web of mess, if you will. And I like Nikki to associate to her. But you know.
SPEAKER_01I was gonna ask you, Ty, are you Team Nikki or Team Cardi? Because you know, that's that's a New York, I feel like ongoing development.
SPEAKER_03I'm Team Tyreek. I think they both got their own issues, so I'm gonna stay out of that. But yeah, I like watching the drama from afar. I'm not in it though.
SPEAKER_00That's fair. Yeah, man. I I'm not gonna lie, I think Cardi is the drama like she says she is. Because how did all of this spiral from Cardi dropping her album? That's crazy.
SPEAKER_03I just think she should have been like as far as the
Debbie Allen Barbie And Legacy
SPEAKER_03album goes, she didn't even mention Nikki Minaj in the album. She came for Bia, JT. I think Ice Spice caught a little jab in there too, but you know, Nikki, she don't need much of a reason. She just jumped out the window and did what she had to do. Not once all people's kids and yeah, it was messy and yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00There was definitely lines crossed that I was like very surprised about coming from everybody, like all parties. It was kind of wild.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Anyway, that's this been drama drama, but child.
SPEAKER_03Anyways, oh Nikki's also at risk of losing her um her mansion in Hidden Hills.
SPEAKER_01Really?
SPEAKER_03Yes. So a few years ago, her husband assaulted a security guard, broke his jaw, and all this. He sued them for like half a million dollars, and they never paid. So now I think the state of California like put in some type of order where they may have to use her house as leverage. So now she's at risk of losing the home.
SPEAKER_00Yikes so crazy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a fortune.
SPEAKER_00You gotta you gotta know that people are gonna bait you to do that sort of stuff. Like, and the real root of everything around it is like coming for your money. Like, you just gotta know better. But you know, that's what happens when you take people out the hood, but they got the hood in them still, they can't let it go. A lot of times, people be of the hood instead of from the hood.
SPEAKER_03Chal. I done heard so much stuff about Kenny and that relationship with Nikki. I won't say too much, but chalice. I done heard a few things from several sources, so everybody's not lying, but it ain't all features and frame over there.
SPEAKER_01I would hate to be a celebrity and everybody's like, you know, just all up in it. Cause that's crazy. Like, especially something so personal, like losing that.
SPEAKER_03That's that's that's honestly like the worst part of fame. Like, I just want the money. I don't want people in my business. Yeah. Just every single thing you do is like scrutinized under a microscope. Like, leave me alone, bitch. Like, that's why my goal is like, I want y'all to have the lowest expectations of me possible so that way I can't disappoint anybody. Don't put me on that pedestal because I don't deserve it. Okay, just treat me like the worst person you know. Thank you. Ain't no crazy. Exactly. Exactly. No surprises.
SPEAKER_01Listen, I'm with you on that. Yeah. We want want to make the money, but not have to have any type of like controversy surrounding it. Let me just go be quiet in my little mansion off on the side where you guys don't know anything going on with me, and I'm good. I need the peace. I feel like you can never pay for enough peace. Like, exactly.
SPEAKER_00No, but but also
What Would Your Tribute Be
SPEAKER_00the way you're doing it, Ty, I think is just so dope because to your point, like you're like, what you see is what you get, what you heard is what you heard, you know. And I think that that is also very similar to like Cardi B sentiments, where it's like, no matter what she does, nobody's like clutching their pearls at her because she's risen through her fame from that, which is very similar to like you and your social platform and and your growth. And I just think that's so beautiful because the authenticity in that, like, to your point, you can never be disappointed. A brand could never be mad that you said something because duh, what did you expect them to say? You get what I'm saying? Like, and that's just so dope to like not have those guardrails when you're posting on social media. I think me and Amanda struggle with that all the time because we're like, I mean, even when we're talking about sweetie, like no shade, no tea, but like it's like, oh, you can't really say you're real for me at least. Personally, I'm like, mm-hmm, try light, try light, girl. Try light, you know. But it's it's I really admire like people who are able to just say what's on a mind because you know, like you just there's just so much authenticity there, and like so many people could resonate with what you're thinking. It really be like you was thinking it, but I mean we were thinking it, but you said it, you know.
SPEAKER_03I really appreciate that. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think this is also perfect, Ty, because like I was looking at your page and seeing your content, and I just love like your POV on just hot topics and just in general, just different things that you mentioned on your page. And it made it made me think about talking about storytelling as it relates to being a content creator, because in order for people to like really want to know what you gotta say, you gotta be engaging. So when it comes to like you picking what you want to talk about and storytelling, what do you feel like is like your secret sauce when you're like trying to, you know, get your point across or to get your tie toe opinion across to like anybody that's like receiving your content?
SPEAKER_03I love that you asked that because I was have like a little epiphany. I'm slowly realizing that people are gonna listen to me talk regardless of like what the topic is. So again, when I first started posting, I read somewhere and it said, if you want to grow on TikTok specifically, you have to post every day three to four times a day. And I'm like, well, that sounds like a lot. What am I gonna talk about three to four times a day? Then it hit me like Tariq, just freaking talk. They like you for you. So, um, it's really like if it's just all my spirit to talk about it, I'm gonna talk about it. There is no secret sauce. Like, I've been doing anime content lately. When I first started, I was not gonna be doing that. I didn't want to show that much of my personality. But I was on Twitter and I saw like an interesting anime post, and I just brought it to TikTok. It went viral overnight. Crunchyroll, which is like this huge anime publication in North America. They did like a feature piece on me. And now, like, I have people saying, Oh, I follow you because like I like your Pokemon opinions, I like your Naruto stuff, your Dragon Ball Z
Bullying, Boundaries, And Parenting Phones
SPEAKER_03stuff. Like, that's crazy. Oh my god, I love that. I just did it. Like, so it if it's on you to say it, just say it. That's the secret sauce. If it's in your brain, say it out loud.
SPEAKER_01Ty, you're diversifying these checks. Listen, anime money is different too now. You diversifying. I love that.
SPEAKER_03I want a piece of everybody's money. So, like, that's what you need to do.
SPEAKER_01Period. You love that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I need to do like a sneaker of the day that I saw. People keep telling me to bring back the sneaker content. So, like, just be you and don't ignore any elements of your personality. Like, all of that makes you you. So just tap into all of it.
SPEAKER_01Wait, Ty, you said sneakers. Are you a sneakerhead? Mm-hmm. Hey, honey, we from New York. Yes, sir. Wait a minute, okay. This is my group, this is my people, this is my tribe. I love this. I am like a uh former sneakerhead, and I just love people who are into sneakers. Like, that's that's what's your favorite sneaker? If you had to pick one sneaker to wear for the rest of your life, what would be what would it be?
SPEAKER_03Period. I wanted these since 2016, 2015, but like I couldn't get my hands on them. The price kept going up and up and up and up and up. Then I finally bought them like maybe a few months ago, and then Nike just re-released them. But this is like the original pair. I didn't get the the re-release, but that's like my crown jewel of sneakers. But yeah.
SPEAKER_01Crystal, what about you? What would you say?
SPEAKER_00I recently got the Travis Scott yellow and blue um ones, and I love those. But if I had to pick like a favorite sneaker, I think um it's the off-white fours. Which one is so beautiful? The cream ones. Those are nice, beautiful. They're just sitting on a shelf, though. I really need to wear them more. There's like the those are like a sneaker for me that I love to look at, but I don't like wear often. But that's one of my favorite, or any sort of like Jordan 1s. I feel like growing up in New York, you really didn't have an option. You had to either get fly or get bullied. So of course we like sneakers.
SPEAKER_03I feel like bullying has a really bad stigma. Like, yeah, it's not all good, but it's not all bad either. I do think that there is productive bullying because you're just so nice to everybody.
SPEAKER_01This is true. This is true.
SPEAKER_00I think I I do think that there's like obviously like a line, just something about bullying. It's like you learn how to I think it forces you, and not saying like some kids like really you know, commit suicide from bullying, which is just so crazy to me and so sad. But I think like like teaching your kids how to navigate those situations is so important beyond just like that moment in time for them because those are traits that you develop, like you know, standing up for yourself and and things like that when it comes to bullying, those are traits that you develop and you have to take into the real world, like even into your workplace, like you really gotta stand up for yourselves and it yourself in different ways. So I just think it's hilarious that you say that because there is some things like that. You I got bullied, I got bullied in the first frame, yeah, and I never get bullied again. I ain't gonna be able to do that.
SPEAKER_03I would say there were attempts at bullying to me, but it was just certain stuff I wasn't going for. So we want to bully, we're gonna disrespect each other. How does that sound to you?
SPEAKER_00Listen, once I found my power, that one moment, I said, Oh yeah, no, I ain't going back. I ain't going back.
SPEAKER_01I think I've experienced my fair share of bullying too, y'all. Like, I feel like I experienced it in like elementary school. And then in high school was like a different level. I wasn't bullied, but I feel like in high school there was like different levels when it came to like bullying. We had, I don't know if you guys had this in New York, but we had a something called like superlatives. Like, you know how they have superlatives like in the yearbook and stuff like that. But our classes. I'm from Miami. Oh. Yeah, from I'm from South Florida.
SPEAKER_03Okay, Day County. All right. She's a city girl.
SPEAKER_01But we had these superlatives that like the yearbook came out, but then people created their own versions. And if you know what I'm like trying to hint at, it was like off-the-wall type things, like talked about girls doing the mean girls' book. Yes, it was like a burn book. But it was a flyer, and they would post it everywhere in the high school. Like everyone seen it. Like this person stole their clothes from here. This person was sleeping with this person. Like it was that type of superlatives. Like they went next level. It was really bad. It's horrible. So what's that? But I feel like this generation can't handle it the way we could. I say all that to say, I feel like bullying for us back then, it was more or less like character building. I think now kids see it as my world is ending because they're posting this. And it's like, you got so much life ahead of you. Like, yeah, the people that used to bully me back then are probably trying to beg to be my friend now. Like that.
SPEAKER_00Well, a thousand percent. But also it's different because they're taking it home with them and their cell phones. I didn't have that. Once I left school, I was like, ooh, I got peace of mind. Now they're taking it back with their cell phones and stuff like that. And that's why I said when I have kids, I don't play that. I give me that phone. I want to see what's in your phone. I want to see what's in the phone. I want to see what people sending you, what y'all talking about. I'm gonna be that mom. Helicopter on 10.
SPEAKER_01Same.
SPEAKER_03That's just common sense parenting to me. I don't think you should let a kid have a cell phone and do not check it. Be all types of stuff in there. You gotta protect your kids from the world.
SPEAKER_00No, for real. The world is at the world is at their hands so much more now with these cell phones. It's crazy. It's scary. It's scary from suicide, how to commit suicide to how to hurt other kids. Like all that stuff is in the palm of their hands now, which we did not have access to, unless you was going to the library to use the public computer. And at that point you were scared because you knew they could find whatever you were looking for on their on their computers in the history. Like it was it was just a different, it's a different ball game. But yeah, it was that it was definitely productive back in the day.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I don't know how my build character. I don't think my kids are getting a cell phone. And I seen a creator post on the internet, and she was saying, Well, when I have kids, she was saying that she went and got landlines. She's like, We're getting rid of the phones, we're getting landlines. And I was thinking, I was like, I remember having a landline and having to hide to go on the phone and talk late at night to my friends. Like, I missed that. The kids need to experience that. They don't need the phones, in my opinion, right now. Like at a certain age, yes. But like kids are in elementary school and like sixth grade and younger with phones. Like older, I could understand. But like, what are you doing in elementary school with an iPhone
Be The Lesson Or Learn It
SPEAKER_0117 pro max? Like, what do you need it for?
SPEAKER_03Yo, I had a friend tell me recently, she went through her daughter's phone and saw she was in like um a group chat for like baddies, like on the Zeus network. It's like, why is my child watching this? You don't even fight. Like, what are you doing in here? She took the phone away. So you gotta check them phones. No, because you may be raising your kids right, but then the kids they meet at school, it's no telling what they're coming from. And then they bring that with them and corrupt your child. No.
SPEAKER_00Heavy on the corrupt your child for sure.
SPEAKER_01That's crazy. Yeah, that's why you gotta you gotta get ahead of the curve and teach your kids everything at home. I feel like these days sometimes parents are afraid to tell them their kids things and they're already learning it from their friends. I feel like the worst things that I've ever learned were from like people that were my friends or peers in school. Like, you gotta teach your kids and get ahead of it.
SPEAKER_00Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00On this podcast, we always love to sort of like talk about elevating um and like self-help and what that looks like. So I have a couple of questions for you guys, and I would love to know, it's kind of like a this or that game, which this or that would you select? So, in terms of like reflecting on authenticity and sort of like elevation, if you had to pick between being the lesson or learning the lesson, which one would you pick?
SPEAKER_03Being the lesson or learning the lesson, what does being the lesson mean?
SPEAKER_00So being the lesson is kind of like going through something and then like publicly talking about it, or like you know, learning the lesson from somebody else's experience and like hearing them talk about it.
SPEAKER_02Ooh, okay.
SPEAKER_03This is good. I have an interesting answer to this. I feel this like one of live's uncomfortable truths, for me at least. I hate to say this, but I have learned way more from the lessons that I learned the hard way and the stuff I learned the easy way. And like, yes, avoid certain mistakes as much as you can, but I would be lying if I said I didn't get anything from those bad experiences. So I don't mind being the lesson within reason, I guess.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm gonna take Ty, I'm gonna take Ty's um Thai's stance on this too. I feel like it's a lot different when you feel it. Like, yeah, you can you can be an empath and feel other people's feelings if they've gone through something that was like, ooh, oh my gosh, girl, I feel like I was going through that with you, or vice versa. But when you are the example and you're the person that went through it, you just feel it way more. And you learn to not repeat it or you've experienced it. So you're just like, okay, been there, done that, let's shift. But I think it's one thing to learn the lesson, and I think it's even bigger when you're able to share it publicly because it just shows transparency and that you want other people to also gain something from something that you learned. So I would definitely say I'd like to be the lesson. Not all the time, but I'd like to be the best.
SPEAKER_03Not all the time. Not all the time. But some stuff.
SPEAKER_00I ain't gonna lie, we some we some hard-headed people on this on this episode because I think we all want to learn the be the lesson versus learning the lesson from somebody else's experience. You know what it is for me? It's really about like so um, I am so critical of everybody's perspective. Not because I think that I'm smarter than people, but because I think I just think critically, where somebody's like, yeah, no, you shouldn't do that. I'm like, it didn't work for you, but I'm gonna go try it out. So it's not necessarily, it's like I if somebody tell me the stove is hot, I gotta go see the if the stove is hot myself because I wasn't there to be able to tell and I didn't touch it, so I need to be the one to go touch it. So it's not necessarily for me about like learning the lessons, it's more so about like everybody's experience is different in my eyes, and how they perceive something could be very different for me. So I wanted I would prefer to be the lesson and and and try said thing myself.
SPEAKER_01I love that. That makes sense that makes perfect sense. Yeah, we all want to learn a hard lesson over here, clearly. Wait, I think I got I got one for y'all. Would you rather be a public failure or a private comeback? Which this is a private comeback means for sure.
SPEAKER_03I would rather be a private comeback, yeah. Is a success for me or is it for you? You know? So a private comeback, like I'm doing this for me. Like, I don't need y'all to to see that. And then also fail them publicly. People don't let you live that down. They want to bring it up every chance they get. It could be 25 years later. They still want to bring up the time when you knock the juice over at the lunch table. Like, girl, leave me alone.
SPEAKER_00Yes, thousand percent.
SPEAKER_01I feel like I would want to do okay, so I would twofold. I would want to be a private comeback, but I would love to publicly fail. Yeah, but here's here's here's my thoughts, right? Let's take like perfect example, social media, a Risa Tisa situation,
Public Failure Vs Private Comeback
SPEAKER_01right? She went on the internet and told her traumatic story on the internet, which a lot of people have been like, dang, girl, why are you telling us all of this information? Which is her, you know, for lack of a better word, publicly failing in relationships and what happened. But she gained so much from that. So I feel like sometimes public failures can also catapult you to opportunities that you may not even realize. In the landscape of like social media, I feel like a lot of times people are sharing things that are like their worst moments ever and getting brand deals off of it or getting like things to help them in in that and that aspect. So I feel like it depends. I feel like in certain aspects, publicly failing, but sharing it with your community to be transparent to help people, I'm okay with. What do you guys think?
SPEAKER_00You know what? I think it it's it's a very like great area for me because especially when it comes to like social media and sharing your business on social media, it is interesting to see how low people are willing to go about their business to have their Risa Tisa moment.
SPEAKER_01This is true.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like there'd be some things that people say online where I'm like, mm, you couldn't you couldn't waterboard that out of me in a way. Like, and we need to go back to that era where it's like certain things I don't know if you really want to tell that story online. Like, I don't know if anybody really needs to know that because where's really the motivation in that? You get what I'm saying? Like the Risa Tisa moment, it was like okay, like you probably learned from her, like you should probably see red flags as red flags and not six flags. We don't need to know that you had diarrhea on the black.
SPEAKER_01Not six flags.
SPEAKER_00You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Also with um the Reese Tisa situation, there were like other elements at play. Because one, that story was embarrassing and there were a lot of things that she missed. But with Risa, one, she's a likable person. And two, she's an excellent storyteller. Like she really has a skill with that. I think she should be doing voiceover work, she should be doing narrations. And I feel like that was what kept up. Well, that's what that's what kept me engaged. I just like listening to her talk. You had an interesting story to tell, and you told it very well. So I mm-s some people just embarrass themselves just for the sake of embarrassing themselves. Like everybody's not a Risa Tisa.
SPEAKER_01This is true. This is true.
SPEAKER_03And shout out to Risa, because she's still out here working. So is she?
SPEAKER_00I was gonna say, where where's she been?
SPEAKER_03She um she her story's being adapted into like a TV, uh, a TV series for Netflix, I believe. The woman who played Kelly from Insecure is gonna play Reesa. So like that's happening. Um, she has like a ton of brand deals, she travels a lot. She's actually contemplating if she should quit her job. It's like it's just becoming too much to juggle.
SPEAKER_00So hey, she can't do the bag.
SPEAKER_01Okay. We love that.
SPEAKER_00Shout out to her for really contemplating that because going 100% digital is very hard. Like pouring your entire life or putting your entire life um in the hands of you know, the digital industry and like content creator industry is very scary to do. Um, which I'm sure, you know, we us three can talk about that for hours. However, I have another one for you guys. Would you say, would you pick between romanticizing your life or keeping it real?
SPEAKER_03Keeping it real.
SPEAKER_00Keep it real, Amanda. Keep it real. I could tell you over there pondering. Wait, what do you mean by romanticizing though? Like for the internet. Like, think about how you, you know, project your life, whether it's on social media or to other people, are you like a romanticize your life kind of person, or are you like a keep it real person? I tether the line. It's hard for me. Some days on Mondays I do that one and on Fridays I do another. Same.
SPEAKER_01Cause I was gonna say, because it kind of it kind of double backs to the last part we were talking about with like the public stuff. It's like I on the internet, like my private life is my private life, but I'm keeping it real with my friends, and my friends are keeping it real with me. You know what I mean? So I feel like it depends on what it is I'm keeping it real about, but like as it relates to like family and like loved ones and things that are intimate to me, like I'm not really sharing that. You know what I mean? I'm being private about that online,
Storytelling As A Creator’s Edge
SPEAKER_01but I'm keeping it real about everything else. Like, if I'm going to a restaurant, I didn't like something, I'm gonna say I don't like something. If I go somewhere and I experience something and I like it, I'll say I like it. Um, so I am keeping it real with the things I feel like that matter to me that I want to share online, and then just in general, keeping it real, period, like in life off the internet.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, um definitely have discernment. Like I don't put every single thing on the internet. I think that some things are like for the group chat, some things are for the timeline. Because the way me and my friends talk when we're just amongst each other, it may not translate well to the internet. You might get canceled. So you gotta, you know, some self-awareness could take you very far. But I'm never gonna come online and just fake it either. Because I feel like if you're just being real, when the highlights do come, the highlights feel that much more impactful because you're not pretending. Like I really worked my way up to this point. So yeah, like I have good days and bad days just like everybody else. Right.
SPEAKER_00All right. Have you sat down, Ty, and like really reflected on starting as an intern at BT to now where you are?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So it's funny, people like will say stuff like, Oh my god, Tyreek, you should go to school for journalism, you should work at this place, you should do that, you should consider this. And I'm like, child, y'all be suggesting stuff that I did five, six, seven, eight years ago. Like, I don't really I don't get on the I don't get online and like brag about my resume and stuff like that. Cause it's I don't like stuff like that. But it does feel good that y'all are y'all are seeing the effort with without knowing that it's there, you know? It's kind of reaffirming in a way.
SPEAKER_01And I will say I love hearing stuff like that because a lot of people, I feel like get on the internet, open their phones and start recording. But listen, y'all could call me old school or whatever it is you want to say. I love hearing stories about like us three on here going to school for communications, going to school for journalism. Like we went to school for this. We didn't just open our phone, which is why to a certain extent we have media training and you know, we don't just get on the internet. And I think that goes a long way. I think people don't realize, like, you need that sometimes. Like, you can't just live here just and go off the wall all the time. Like, you need a little, like, like I said, decorum, or you need like a little, you know, self-awareness before you just like pop the camera open. I feel like that's something that stuff that school does teach you, but it doesn't at the same time. But like, I love hearing stuff like that.
SPEAKER_03I know, like, in my experience, I can always tell the difference every time. Like, I can tell, oh, you you got some type of background over there, or just a person who's like just winging it, and no shade to them at all. Do what works for you. But I can always tell the person, like, there's like just a discipline there that that stands out, if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely a thousand percent. Are there ever times where you guys are like, Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna do this thing anymore? And like, or like dark times where you're like, damn, like this just isn't the the pieces aren't falling on the on the board the way I expected them to, and like, how do you navigate through that and like push through those sort of moments?
SPEAKER_03Um, for me, I've noticed the pieces may not fall where you want them to fall, but the pieces do fall. I look at it, I look at it like a giant puzzle. You gotta put it together yourself, and your image may be different from the next person's. But like once you find out what works for you, there really is no limit to what you can't do at all. And then, like, when you see the stuff work in real time,
Sneakers, Identity, And New York Roots
SPEAKER_03the the motivation you get can't even be described. Like putting your mind to something and accomplishing it by yourself, no words. So I don't get discouraged. Like, it's not always a walk in the park, but I don't get discouraged. Also, a little exclusive. I quit my job back in May, so I'm like a full-time content creator now. So I ain't got no choice but to make it work.
SPEAKER_01Congratulations on your entrepreneurial journey.
SPEAKER_03Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm nervous about these taxes, but it is what it is.
SPEAKER_00No, you're fine. Get you a good CPA. Um, that's all you need. You're gonna be all right. Yeah, you're gonna be all right. Matter of fact, I'll send you one that I'm working with.
SPEAKER_03Please and thank you.
SPEAKER_00Send it to me too. I need one too. Um, because I know I know you I know you get money from TikTok at least.
SPEAKER_03TikTok, Facebook, you know, brand the the Facebook check, that's the real money over there over there on Facebook. So can we talk about it? I didn't know that. Yes. Um, Facebook doesn't like explain how their monetization works. All I know is I make more money from Facebook than I do from TikTok right now. Like they have all of the money. There's people like making 20 and 30k a month on Facebook.
SPEAKER_01Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Is this like a page? Like, how wait, break this, yeah, break this down to us. Break this down.
SPEAKER_03All right, so um I was original uh I originally had my Instagram stuff cross-posting to Facebook. And then um around April, I just get an email from Meta like, Welcome to the Creator Rewards Bonus Program. And I'm like, okay, like they just gave me like a little $500 every month. But then like the number kept growing and growing and growing and growing, and like a little bit into my business so far this month. I've made like I think $2,700 on Facebook alone, and the month is over.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for that transparency and congratulations on that. That's amazing, that's amazing. So is this like a Facebook page? Not your per because you know how Facebook, you have like your friends and family page, it's just like your whatever page. But this is like a page one, right? Like a pages, I think they're called.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, they told me to like make a um a page to be to act as a companion for my Instagram. So it's like the Tyreek told you fan page kind of thing. And like all my stuff goes through there and I get paid for it. And they pay you for everything, like your regular person.
SPEAKER_00Amanda and I finna shut this laptop so hard and get on Facebook. No, but it's crazy.
SPEAKER_01I have one, and I didn't realize that people were getting paid for. I have we you already have one too. When you have an Instagram and you have a business page, you have to create a Facebook. So we all have one.
SPEAKER_03Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's money over there. Listen, you know where else there's money? There's money in Snapchat. So we need to be snapping every day. Yes. There's a I hear a lot of people are making money on Snapchat, and I'm glad Snapchat is back because I loved Snapchat. Like I was a Snapchat girly.
SPEAKER_00Well, okay, here, you know, I'm telling y'all, I'm so critical. I always feel like, I feel a couple of things. I feel like A, once you join those programs, they all stunt your view intentionally so that they don't pay you. B, I also feel like a lot of times I feel like I feel like a bunch of content creators are paid actors to say that they're making money on these platforms, but are not really making money on these platforms, but are just saying it. Maybe they're paid like under, you know, under the table by the platform just to encourage people to get on the platform and keep striving to make money. But I'm just like, I'm such a conspiracist with things in general. So I'm like, are you really making money or are you just telling me that so I could get on this app and and drive myself crazy to try to make money? That's how I try to tick to make money, right?
SPEAKER_03Well, TikTok, you you you make a lot of money on TikTok. The creative rewards program, it's not paying like it did last year, but like there's 12 different monetization programs on TikTok. TikTok live, I'm not exaggerating. There's people making six figures a month going live on TikTok.
SPEAKER_01Because they're like streaming, it's like a streaming, like people are on there like all day.
SPEAKER_03And people like just send gifts and those gifts translate into money. Wait, how much did you send?
Staying Real While Protecting Privacy
SPEAKER_03Well, um, there's people making six figures a month. I haven't gotten that high yet, but I do know I was live streaming Flavor of Love on TikTok, and I was like making $200 a day from that. So wow, not bad.
SPEAKER_00And then you probably could repost that same content on Facebook.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. So like small. These platforms give out money like Halloween candy. You just gotta come with your bucket and fill your little bucket up.
SPEAKER_00So okay, wait. So if you had to put put it from like most to least in terms of what platforms are giving you the most money, between Facebook, do you do YouTube? Because YouTube shorts, you I heard you can make money.
SPEAKER_03I have a YouTube, but um, I'm not as consistent with it. YouTube is like the final boss of social media to me. YouTube requires a whole lot of work, but the reward is way bigger. Like YouTube pays the most out of everybody. So give it to us.
SPEAKER_00Like put it in like most to least amount of money in terms of platforms you personally experience on like who gives, you know, or what platform you make the most money on.
SPEAKER_03I'll probably still make more money on TikTok because I'm in so many different monetization programs with them. Like they're doing this thing called post-contests, where they'll give you like a theme to post around, and you can win like up to $5,000 for it. So last month it was astronomy, and I started like a whole astronomy series on TikTok where I'm just like roasting the planets. I won $2,000 from that. Mind you, the I was I came in fourth place. The top three people were all like astrophysicists, they have PhDs in physics and maths. So I'm okay with that. So I'm like in um a history one right now. I'm in like a science one right now, so I get money from that. The creator rewards program on a bad month, I could like make 2,000 from that.
SPEAKER_01And this, okay, so this I was gonna ask you that. So it's in the creative rewards that they give you these different, I guess, topics and things that you could talk about to get money from.
SPEAKER_03No, that's the um the post-contest. That's a different monetization program.
SPEAKER_01Got it.
SPEAKER_03The creator rewards program is like where you just get paid to post videos, you get paid for your views. And there's TikTok live, that's a different program. They have this new one called TikTok one, where like you'll get commissions for reviewing restaurants and hotels and stuff. They have something else called um TikTok classroom or something. It's like a whole bunch of stuff they have. Like if you like just go into that app and like explore it a little bit, you can make you some money through TikTok.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so you say TikTok, right? That's your number one.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think Facebook is going to replace them though in like the next couple months.
SPEAKER_00Okay, but those are like my two main things. TikTok.
SPEAKER_03And then like I get brand deals and stuff too. That's something different. Um I'm trying to monetize my YouTube, but I'm just not consistent on it enough. And then, like, I've been doing Snapchat here and there, but I just can't get back into Snapchat like I was before. But once I clear my head and like really take this stuff seriously, I can make more money than I'm making right now.
SPEAKER_00So um honey,
From BET Intern To Creator Confidence
SPEAKER_00you you you better get to it. You full-time creator now.
SPEAKER_03That's right. All I have is time, right?
SPEAKER_00Oh, you got time.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you got time, and you are also like I love that you're saying this to everyone that's listening to the podcast. I'm sure you guys are feeling inspired. Like, we are like literally, I love to hear that you're making all these coins on all these different apps. So it's it's possible it can happen. Liter Tyreek told you literally that it can happen. Hello. Um, but I love that you're just being transparent about this because like people need to know like there's real money out here to be made as a content creator. You just have to keep being consistent.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01That's it.
SPEAKER_00And also tell me again. So you said Facebook and then TikTok, and then what? What would you say is in third place?
SPEAKER_03Well, for me, those are like my only two monetized platforms. My other money comes with like brand deals and like just outside stuff. But from what I've heard, YouTube is like above everybody, and then Facebook and then TikTok, and then Snapchat, depending on like how big your following is. Because to get monetized on Snapchat, you need 50,000 followers. So, like, if I really promote promoted my Snapchat, I could get that monetized too. It's just like, what am I going to post on Snapchat that I'm not already posting everywhere else, you know?
SPEAKER_00Ciao. But I'll figure it out. As soon as we're done filming this, I'm I'm gonna go get on my Zoom. Every time I talk to a social media creator, I'm like, oh my god, let me get on my Zoom, please.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I will say this though. Don't rely on those platforms because they will change their rules at like the snap of a finger. I will say, once you build your platform, start trying to like really sell stuff, be at some merch, maybe like put together like a little like a party or something. Like get active in your city and really make you some money because it's out there. And if people fuck with you, they're gonna spend that money.
SPEAKER_01Okay, agree.
SPEAKER_03I'm designing some t-shirts right now.
SPEAKER_01So look, Ty will send send us some shirts so we can have them on the podcast. I absolutely will. We would love that. And honestly, this was such a refreshing conversation. And I love that you are our first male guest host on our podcast. Congratulations on everything that you are working on and everything that you have going on. We support you. Listen, this is our this is our our former BET intern, BET work community that um that we all you know mutually share. But yeah, I really think that this was really dope and very, very, very inspiring. So thank you for joining us today. This was amazing.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. And I'm really proud of both of you again, starting at BET. You both got your own platforms now. You're hosting me for crying out loud. So hey, keep doing what you want to do.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, Ty.
SPEAKER_00Thank you, man. We appreciate it. And whenever you want to come back on elevators, feel free to. If you got like an unfiltered conversation you want to have with us, join us. We'd love to have you. We love your perspective on things, and we love how authentic you are. So, yeah, like Amanda said, thank you for joining us. And listen, make sure you guys follow Ty on every social platform possible. You heard my man, he is 100% a content creator now. So make sure you go over, you support him, you send gifts, you like, comment, repost, all that good stuff on what Instagram, TikTok, um, Facebook at Tyreek Told You, okay?
SPEAKER_03Yes, and if you're just Google Tyreek Told you and click every link and follow, I'm at like 199k on Instagram. I'm gonna hit 200 by today, hopefully. So maybe you could be that 200,000th person. I don't know.
SPEAKER_01And if this episode touched you in any way or you liked anything about this show, make sure that you share it with anybody. That's how the podcast continues to be discovered on all platforms and always. We love and appreciate you guys for the support, comments, likes, reshares, reposts, and all that. And until next time, thank you for joining us here on elevators. Bye, y'all.
SPEAKER_03We had a lot of fun here, y'all.
SPEAKER_01We had fun with you too.