In celebration of Black History Month, Facebook hosted a panel at this year’s virtual-only VidCon Now event which featured Daphnique Springs, Lolo Spencer of Sitting Pretty, and Glen Henry from Beleaf in Fatherhood.
The three opened up about what it’s like being a creator in this moment, and went in on everything from how to build a meaningful career to what it's like creating (and adapting!) during COVID and the ways in which Facebook and Instagram have played a big role in helping them build community.
Daphnique was an excellent moderator who effortlessly created hilarious banter with Lolo and Glen. Scroll on to get to know these incredible Black creators, including a few quick tips for how to invest your time and energy and make a living using Facebook’s monetization tools, and press play to listen back to what they had to say in full.
But first, get to know our panelists
Daphnique Springs is a writer, an actress who’s appeared on How I Met Your Mother, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Comedy Get Down, and a stand-up comedian who recently switched to using Facebook’s paid online events to bring her fans a virtual comedy experience while in-person shows are on hold due to COVID-19.
Lauren “Lolo” Spencer is an actress, model, public speaker and fearless advocate. She’s dedicated her career to making disability “fly af” and has been inspiring the culture as the founder and CEO of Sitting Pretty, a lifestyle brand dedicated to showcasing authentic representation of people with disabilities.
Glen Henry is a musician and a creator who went from documenting all the mistakes and joys of parenting to founding Beleaf in Fatherhood. The company is dedicated to celebrating Black family and Black life, with a mission to help usher men into fatherhood by giving them the tools to be confident, successful and loving role models.
5 key takeaways for making a living on Facebook
1. "Earn your cameras.” You don’t need to go out and buy fancy equipment straight out the gate. Use whatever it is you have to start out and once you’re earning money on the content that resonates with your community, use that to upgrade your set up. Glen started out using two iPhones with cracked screens, but perfectly intact cameras. Everyone starts somewhere!
2. “If you’re a creator or brand looking to collaborate, do your homework.” Lolo illustrated the point with, “if you’re a brand and ask me to do rowing content, I am not the one.” She encouraged brands and creators alike to do their research and make sure there’s creative alignment before reaching out.
3. "Don't get consumed by perfection, focus on consistency." Caring is cool, but don’t let perfectionism keep you from posting your content. Focus on consistency in the beginning and expand from there.
4. “When you put something out, your audience will let you know what they like.” Use your community to help you create content that resonates.
5. "[Understand] the power of the share button, the most amazing button!!!!!!” Daphnique energetically waxed poetic about how epically important this one little button is on Facebook, even getting Lolo and Glen to chime in on its secret powers and tactical applications which you can listen to below.
