08/02/2024
✨HEY FRIENDS✨
It’s ya boy Eli. Long time, no see. Sorry I haven’t been active on here.
I’ve been very busy on this entrepreneurial journey and things have changed… a lot.
Last year, I took a wild shot in the dark. I left my position in clinical research to build my own business.
The year before, I made $10,000 from my photography services - working only 5 hours a week.
I saw the potential to make more money on my own than working the full-time position I held.
I hadn’t had a raise in 3 years and I was buried in debt. (I still am in debt, but I’m climbing out on my own).
I decided to jump ship and take a chance with my camera.
Luckily, I had spent a good amount of time building complementary skills around photography.
🎯 Becoming a Content Creator
I didn’t want to just be another photographer.
I wanted to be a content creator and a general asset wherever I went.
Growing up on the Internet, I saw how creating quality content can unlock unprecedented levels of personal and financial freedom.
🥼 The Counseling Detour
Pursuing a master’s education in Mental Health Counseling was something I wanted to do for several reasons.
One of those reasons was it would allow me the credibility to write and create content online.
No one on the Internet would listen to a random guy’s ideas about life and navigating personal struggle.
But if I was a licensed counselor…
That was the rationale.
I had a vision of having a small practice of my own and devoting time to writing and sharing online, earning revenue from digital products and consulting opportunities arisen from building an audience.
But it never happened. I dropped out of school.
Spending my whole life in academia had burnt me out - plus I had figured out how to learn things quickly and efficiently on the Internet.
Between YouTube and real-world experience, school had become more of a chore - even a joke in some cases.
I may never have obtained a graduate degree, but I can confidently say I’ve learned more in the past 2 years on my own than I ever did in nearly a decade as a college student.
📚 Skill Stacking Success
My plan of stacking skills around photography paid off.
Since last November, I’ve been working regularly with the Oxford Performing Arts Center Marketing department.
Many people think I’m just a photographer there - not true. Over the last 6 months, I’ve:
- Managed the theater’s social media pages
- Created over 150 videos with footage sourced from performer marketing teams (starting a content ecosystem)
- Successfully implemented 6-figure budget Facebook & Instagram Ads
- Created various graphics for placements online, for print, and on billboards
All while taking ~15,000 Concert/Event Photos that display on websites, press, digital signs, and print
🥷 Non-Traditional Path
I don’t have a marketing degree.
I don’t have a photography degree.
I have a degree in exercise science.
But this is what I do nowadays.
👇 What to Expect
If you’re interested in how I got to this point in my life, stick around.
I’m attempting to build a life where I love my work. It seems to be working. I want to help you do the same.
I'll be sharing:
- Ideas that shape my perspective (talent stacking, solopreneurship)
- Tools I use to run a one-man show (Notion, ConvertKit)
- Content Creation Guides (Including photography and videography how-to guides, behind the scenes)
- The occasional narrative and updates on my journey (Like this one 😁)
Thanks for sticking around and supporting my journey.
Here are some of my recent and older shots to showcase what I've been up to.
Eli Pruett
Weston Pixel
