Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Eating Wild Broke. I'm your host, Colleen Witt, and today we have very special guest actress, model producer John Nate Coleman is in the building. Hi guys, thank you, thank you so much for.
Feeding me today.
So this dish I think has been on our show to a certain degree, but we're gonna watch how you make it. So what are you gonna be cooking for me today on Eating While Broke?
Okay, so today we have hot dogs and baked beans. Okay, traditional eating whild broken meal.
Okay, yes, and yours is a little different because usually when people do hot dogs or baked.
Beans, they combine them.
Okay, but yours is, Yeah, we're cutting We're taking the hot dog, we're cutting down the middle and we're frying it in the pan. And we're also adding some sugar to our big beans.
Okay, Okay, so you're going to you're gonna posss it.
And she did have onions, Guys, I don't know where the onions were gonna be placed, but we got going to be in the pan, like oh, to add like the flavor for the big beans or for the hot dogs. Okay, And Jane said that the she's excriminatory of the red onions.
I'm not like red onions on nothing.
Okay, So it would have been okay if it was white or yellow.
Yeah.
Shout out to the chupper for messing that up. So go ahead again in the kitchen.
Okay.
By the way, I did switch out your hot dogs. Surprised she wanted beef hot dogs.
Yes, switched it out to turkey.
Fine. Yeah.
I was like, oh, she will be okay with this.
How does it get turned on? You're right? Oh, so like this? Okay? Yeah, it's electric. It's electric and not a lot of people are fans of electric.
But unfortunately, guys, we are trick in the studio.
Oh you know what, hold on, let me cut the hot dog first. Yeah, go for it, do that first down the I already washed my hands.
By the way, yes, she went in our bathrooms. But was it an experience?
It's lovely.
I was like, when when we're in the Eating while Broke, just remember the name of the show's Eating while Broke.
So as you prepare this classic dish, when was the last time you had this?
I would say the last time I had this is probably within the last couple of years. Like, even though this is a meal that I've aten while broke, to like the taste of it. It reminds me of home, so sometimes I have a craving for it, so I definitely ate it. I love that the last year or so.
Okay, I love that. So you'll be at home and you'll be like, you know what do I have?
I got to taste the beer.
You know what?
Though, I feel like the baked beans and hot dogs is one of those OG classics because I think people who've had this on the show like still get down. Everyone's different though, some people at brown sugar, some people at white sugar.
Which one do we have to I was thinking it. I was like, dang, should I have to ax for brown or white? But as long as it is sugar, I don't think it's so funny because baked beans are naturally sweet.
But I see guests add sugar to it. I'm like, okay, I guess you don't ask.
You never ask sugar.
I'm not a huge baked beans and hot dog person. I think the most baked beans and hot dogs I've ever had was on eating while broke.
It's like four times.
Okay, So as you get in this Frina of the hot dogs. Why don't you take me back to what was going on in the original og era of baked beans and hot dogs as.
A tool of this is what we do on a typical day.
I would say, just growing up in Philly and living at home having eight siblings and.
Eight siblings, yes eight, So you grew up in the twin bunk with the bunk bed air.
I have my own room, been a princess. Oh okay, you know, no, but I'm my mom's only girl. Oh yeah, but I have two sisters on my dad's side, one of my mom's only girl, and my household. I have my own.
But that's because well, yes, you're the only Yeah exactly. That like she was not going to have you share with a bunch of rambuncious boys. Them boys was probably hot.
Exactly.
How many of your brothers had the share room.
Growing up to my brothers? Yeah, oh, it was just too we didn't. We all didn't live together in the same house. I have eight siblings, but we all didn't live together. At certain points in times we did.
Okay, you're the youngest.
I'm the youngest girl, but I'm not the youngest child brother.
Okay, but your second to the youngest. Yes, he was definitely the princess.
Okay.
I could only imagine having boys, and all of a sudden, you get a girl.
He was in competition on who was the baby? Yeah, because I'm the baby, because I'm the girl.
Yeah, but I guess this thing on? You know what? It looks like both of them are on.
Oh I should be on.
Do you see it red?
No, I don't see this one. Read you said it's this one.
Right, Yeah, I think it is. Yeah, it's red. It's turning around. I see I see the red. Matter of fact, let me turn on my camera.
Okay, So on your dad's side there was sisters or what on your dad's.
Side, Yes, somebody said I have two sisters.
So you said that.
At some points you all lived together. But then at some point you went, are.
They're they're older than me? At some point like when my years that I can remember, they were already starting their lives and their family and stuff like that when I was still in like middle school and high school and stuff.
So your parents did the whole I'm going to parent from my entire life journey.
Yes, and now my mom has a dog and her baby her name was Chicago's, which is hilarious.
Antiter I refuse to be ampty nester.
Still being a parent, could you imagine having that many kids calling you all the time, like you would have a bunch of kids though you do, okay, And my suspect is you don't have any right now?
No, I don't okay, Okay, got to get the right one.
Gotta get through one. Listen. Choosing who you have kids with so important. I almost think it's more important than who you choose to marry. True at this point, leave the marriage because if you do separate, you got a cold parent. Before.
I used to be like, I don't understand when like dudes have they have baby mama before they get married. That doesn't make sense if you're willing to have a kid with them, marry them or whatever.
But I don't know a lot of guys think like that. Man, I don't know why. It's bizarre. Yeah, because it makes no sense.
It makes no sense.
No, I think we're in a we're in the new age where marriage isn't really the priority and everyone's finding a way to avoid it.
Do you feel like that, Yep, they'd rather be a baby mama.
Yeah, I think it boils down to and people are gonna hate me for this, but I don't think they want the full responsibilit Yeah, and I think women this is also going to probably fall weird, rarely placed in words, but I think women at some point thought some women thought, oh, if you have a baby with someone, like trap them.
But like men trapped women, men trap women for sure.
Let me tell you something. Men definitely trap women.
God yeah, men one hundred percent trapped women one hundred percent.
Believe that I've had excess. Tell me, like I knew I should have had a kid with you, like I knew I should have.
Yet to I'm going to catch you? How about that?
Yeah, yeah, I believe that. But no you are, No, you're not. Women are pulling with so much weight right now. They don't they smart now exactly.
But I will say this though, for the women that did think that that's how you trap someone, it's actually backwards because you become the bucket of responsibility. And if a guy is trying to avoid responsibility, you go from fun girls to.
Responsibility and that changes really quickly.
So just in case you're thinking it, don't do it.
No, it's not gonna help your situation. It just makes it worse.
But going back to your story, eight kids, princess in the house, parents, middle class, upper middle class, poor, I.
Will say, what's middle class?
The middle class is you're not qualified for food stamps, but you're getting by. I would say that's class because middle class is like, you're getting by, but you don't qualify for no breaks.
Yeah, honestly, to tell you the truth, my mom worked in school system, okay. And my dad he's retired now, but he was a cop. Okay, so I would probably say middle middle class maybe, yeah, upper middle class, maybe upper upper middle class okay, okay.
Shout outs to your parents.
And they stayed married, they stay may Yeah, they're still married. Yeah, look at them, little non empty I'm still I need all that that I grew up with.
And they had a blended family.
Yes.
So they came and dad came in with how many.
I think four? And then your mom came in with is that four? Because eight?
Yeah?
Yeah? Four? Four or five and three?
Wait they had some kids together.
Yeah, it's four and four. Okay. My dad came in four. My mom didn't come in with four, but then chowing four, Oh, she had four. Yeah, so she.
Basically took on daddy plus four.
Yes, but I'm it's a it's crazy to explain it. Okay, I'm my mom and dad daughter. Then I have two other brothers. That's my mom and dad son, and the three other brothers mom and son, and then my dad came in with his kids.
Yeah. So yeah, so your mom was zero.
Yes, she was a free agent, she said one plus she added five five a team.
Yep.
Okay, Okay, your mom's a trooper. Shout out to your mom for that period. Okay, so now you guys growing up, tell me, are you starting to think about acting, modeling, producing, what's going on.
I've been in dance and acting in theater and all that stuff my whole life. So I've been doing that since I was three years old. My mom had me in every single thing that she could think of. I played tennis, golf, soccer, violin, piano, everything. But what ultimately stuck with me for a while with dance?
Okay.
Yeah, so I've danced all over the world. I danced professionally, and then from there I moved into being a creator.
Okay, yeah, and what made you want to step away from dance to get into being a creator.
I felt like in Philly, I felt like I've reached my peak. And I had been living at home until I was like twenty four. Okay, so I've really had a real sense of responsibilities and bills and all that stuff like that. So I will say my eating while broke really happened for me when I transitioned over to La. Okay, yeah, you left Philly to come all the way over here, my first time moving, my first time paying my own.
Why did you go that far?
I've always wanted to live in LA and I'm like, I'm a risk taker, so I'm like, no, I did not. I went to one of my cousins like own a bar lounge, and I went and I did hosting there. But I'll say that like two thousand dollars and I was like, this is enough to move me to LA.
I didn't last about two weeks listen.
And I booked my flight. I told I was telling my mom. I kept telling her like, I'm moving to LA. I'm moving to LA. And she didn't think that I was erious because he had money. Yeah, but I'm like, I'm moving And I had reached out to friends that I knew that lived out there and whatever, so I knew I had somewhere, I had all my in order, so I thought, this is after dance though, yeah, you're like that said, I'm packing up, packing up now.
It was the money in dance good.
No, I would say dance dancing doesn't really pay your billing and know that until I moved to LA because I went out there to pursue, I was like, I'm going to be Beyonce's back on dancing. Yeah, that was my dream. And then I went to my first audition out there and I forgot. I think it might have been for Usher or for somebody, and it was like so many people, hundreds and hundreds of people, and I
was like, okay. And then when I start seeing like the pay and really being it's not going to make no sense.
And then I've heard different stories. But when you're in dance, the treatment of dancers.
Is all the way great. Either, I'm not really I guess.
It depends on who you're touring with and stuff like that, but I'm not really. I'm not really sure about that, but I just know that as far as payment through trushan.
Nope, but just put it somewhere it's eating while broke.
Okay, I just know that as far as like living stuff, that wasn't gonna work for me. But I also used to take a lot of pictures and stuff like that. So one day I was doing my regular thing like I normally do, posting pictures of myself on social media, and then the brand pre little thing reached out to me and yeah. They were like a fashion over type yes, and they're like, oh, we'll send you free clothes for
you to post, and I'm like clothes. Okay. I had moved to La I had been like staying at like staying with friends, like extra rooms or on the couch or whatever, and in my mind, I was like, I'm not going back. I'm gonna make it work. My mom didn't know. She knows now, but she didn't know any of this. While I was out there. She would call me, how how are they going. I'm like, it's going great, going to Pop pause and getting me two wings in the biscuits, trying to make it work.
But you didn't want to tell her the truth because you know, she would have been like, bring your home.
I'm booking. Oh my mom always had a flight ready for me.
You're her Princess a flight. You ready to know that?
Now she doesn't. It's so funny because for a while she was like you ready to come back. Now she's finally girl, You're good.
But does she come out to visit you?
Yeah? Came out couple of times. But yeah. The brand reached out to me and they sent me clothes. And then from here I was like, oh, okay, I have to spend money on clothes. And then I start looking this might be done. And then I start looking into that world and I was like, oh, you can get paid from posting on social media, and then I really just started diving into that and then came just me
having brand deals with different fashion companies Savage Fente. From there, that's how I started my content grating and started with photos at first.
And then who was negotiating your deals for the brands? Was it just you direct?
Oh yeah, it was just me. It was just me.
Some brands will run off with the money, run off with the money.
Still to this day that happens. That's why it's good to have a team with you.
And what do you mean, like you post a pic the ghosts ghost gone.
Yeah, So that's why it's good to have a team and having people who know leave stuff and having a lawyer and stuff like that so you can get your money, because it still happens to this day, but it's like worse when it happens while broke the hell.
Yeah, I would imagine too.
The payment isn't right away either too, because for a lot of people they have to remember that. Like you could post and then that check may I show up for what thirty sixty ninety days?
Right?
Yeah?
I knew that now, but back then I didn't know all the stuff. I just thought I get my money, But.
Wasn't enough money to sustain That was quick?
Yeah, there was quick, little meal.
Wasn't enough money to sustain you? Though? No.
For a long time in LA, I was, like I said, I was like rooming with people. And then I got into when I was still getting like my free clothes to posts. I was a teacher's assistant when I was working with kids who have autism. So I was doing that for a while, and then the pandemic happened. Hey that's a pay day, listen. And then that check was coming. When was it that check that was.
Coming every that I didn't sign up for it, but I know simulus.
Yeah it was stimulus, but people were people are getting paid more than they had ever got paid, and they hold PPP.
I did PPP, by the way, I did that. I still own money from PvP. Shout out to p PP.
But at that time there were some people that hadn't even made that much. I think they were paying during the pandemic. I want to stay between four and six k a month. People were making.
I think that maybe maybe I'm wrong.
I got the one I got one thousand summer wrong, some one thousand a month something like this. It was enough for me to pay my bills and for me to feel like I was on top of the world.
Yeah, shaped in your apartment, can't go nowhere, but I gas exactly.
There was no traffic.
Do you remember that? No, I was. I was scared to get First of all, I court COVID, I court every strand after the after the lockdown. Ain't that crazy after?
Not even during? That's because you was safe at home the whole time and the door. I was like, I'm no.
I was paranoid at first, and then people were like, I God. I would come out masked up, wash my hands a million times, like I was that person hands hands dry because I used so much hand sanitized and I caught every you're hilarious.
I remember the rest of my costs COVID. They said I looked like death.
Oh. I was like, oh man, oh yeah I was. I'm not a person that takes me sick.
I'm like, oh yeah.
COVID sucks because you can't even get attention while you say you tracked, because nobody want to.
You'd be like, good luck, buddy, what you mean you're not dropping off? No food?
Yeah, it's like the loneliest sickness you ever had. You'd be like, come on, man, it ain't that bad.
They'd be like, I'm good exactly exactly. Yeah. So COVID happened, and then I was able to at that point I had roommates. I have roommates, had got myself together. Whereas though I could be able to afford roommate situation, and that situation was crazy because I lived with two girls whom they were not clean.
And that's the worst. Did you have to share a bathroom? Yes, because let me tell you something. To have a roommate, the key is, don't share a bathroom. Does if you share a bathroom with someone that's not clean.
Oh my gosh, that's the nightmare. Let me when I tell you, this girl will have her pennies on the door knob. Gross the shower it with me clean. And it was at one point where I was like, I'm I literally got like a housekeeper, or when I'm going to come in to come like deep clean this thing,
deep cleaned it. She deep cleaned it. I went in my room to get myself ready for the shot because I should be able to take a shower first, because I didn't want to for the clean you know, she hopped in the bedroom for me and got in a shower. I almost lost it.
I most lost excuse me, miss, excuse me, town and all get on out.
And not only did she do that, she didn't clean the shower when she got out.
So when I went and it was dirty again, I lost dirty that quick? That dirty? That quick? Are you OCD clean? Because how does it get dirty that quick?
Dirty? And at the time I was dating somebody, so I wasn't. Eventually within I was dating somebody, and I would and always stay at my plate and I would come back and it would be on my phone like a footprint. It was just no I had to get a lot of their so I was dealing with that.
I had a roommate situation like that once. I'm still cool with the girl, but it was let's just say a learning lesson.
That's my bathrooms.
Even in my house. When I bought my house, each bedroom has its own on suite and then it has a guest bathroom. And I mainly did that because of my experience.
Is that crazy, No, it's not. I was like, everybody's gonna have their own on suite, so if you little nasty, little nasty, nasty little.
To see it. I also set up camera because I was not always in hilarious my room. I had cameras in my.
Room and I be hilarious coming in my room. What were they your friends?
No, we like have mutual friends.
That's weird because I always thought that if you're not friends with your roommates, they respect. Because I had all my roommates for the most part, exce after the one we weren't friends. So it was like you just knew that part of the house was a no flies on. And I heard that works because you don't know the person.
They'd be in my room, and I saw right on four k in the camera and I just was like And it was to the point where it was just like, who.
Are they going in your room for? They were just looking.
STUPIDO being ozy.
I don't know, that's weird. But yeah, so that friendship is over.
It wasn't a friendship, it was roommates, but with my safety and my personal things became an issue and I'm like, Okay, I don't want to leave this here. I don't want to leave this here, so at my boyfriend house, but it was just like, why am I not leaving stuff in my space? During that time, I started blowing up on social media. I start putting videos out and then my videos started going viral and getting attention and me
going live streaming and stuff. And then from there I was able to get more brand deal more money, and then once I got enough, I got it out of there real quick.
And at this point, you're learning how to manage your money, because I would imagine a check for a post can make the ability to spend money go by a lot faster, right, because you're getting a check and you're like, I'll just do it.
I would say, I'm just now certain really learning how.
To manage money.
Yeah, because, like you said, when you are getting fifteen K for a poll.
Fifteen K, yeah, oh my god, I would love that life for a post. Then you think I can do this up again and I'll run it back the post.
Lo, I got this post coming up, this post? Okay, cool, you start.
Girl math, But but you also had the situations where people with brands would bounce on you. So how do you plan to spend your money when there's a chance.
I'm saying I've learned from that now where I don't spend money that ain't in my count yet. Got it? Because sometimes it'll be like, Okay, I can work, I can do this with this, because I would think I can do this with this amount because I know about a thirty if this is gonna hit, And then the thirtieth coming it don't hit, and you're like, yeah, you can do so, I don't spend moneyny in my account yet.
Yeah, And then you live on a stricter budget. Are you going to feed us today? Oh yes, yeah, yeah?
Do you want to one?
I want all of it.
I want it the way you do it at home. It's interesting on this show where you come on and you're the guests and you're the special guest and then you're cooking for me? Do you feel a little weird about that?
No, I'm a wife, so I do these things okay, practice, yes, I see.
So did you have to learn how to live on a budget?
I definitely did. I had to learn how to grocery shop, like not buying. It's a whole bunch of random.
Eating out all the time, fries and chicken wings.
And steak and all. I had to learn how Okay, don't go crazy, yeah, learn what you need. Don't get a but eating out?
Yeah, eating out. I'm a burrow down really, Yes, Yeah, I had to learn a long time ago.
When I first moved to La it was one of my lessons was like, yo, you can look in your bank account when the bills are doing be like where'd my money go? And you go and you're like I was the younger, it would be like McDonald's Dell time.
This was me in my younger days.
But it would always be spent on money and I'd be like, yo, you can't pay the phone bill. She bought all this name fast food.
Mine definitely was hair too, okay, like I used to even when I like when I first started out I was wearing a synthetic beause I was having me a synthetic wig, and it was like they went for about I would say, like fifty dollars ethetic here the last day lost. I had a new wig every week.
You aren't trying to maintain them or nothing to try to make that longer.
You can try your best, but.
That was like my beans are touching my bun. Okay, I could do the ketchup in the mustard. You could play your place, just play your.
Oh look she's trying to hook it up there, thank you trying to hook it up and.
Must let me shake this. I'm a paper holic person.
I could see you're gonna have a little stack for me. I am here, I'll put it. Okay.
So you're thriving in La, though, say how long did it take for you to get the brands to be more consistent where it's like your only source of income.
This looks great, thank you, I will say, for to be my only source of income, it probably took me about.
Like when I first moved to or you're like just doing brand deals and no side, no like real jobs.
I would say it probably took me about two years. Yeah, yeah, yeah, probably two years once I started doing content creating.
And you're at any point are you reaching out to brands too?
Oh yeah, I used to. I used to sit and I used to email brands like like a crackhead. I used to just sit there and just did you create your own decks and stuff? I created my own Okay, so you became your real owned business person. Okay, so you're a business You're a business owner. Now are you getting checks written directly to you or are you incorporating or Starting off, it was directly too, but as I've been doing it and learn knowledge of it, and then this when I got a team and then I got
my business and stuff like that. But starting off, it was just like, hey, are you going to say they do PayPal like that?
And so you're learning how to deal with the tax situation write off and all that stuff. But I also have I have a lawyer and I have a team now that helps them with because I just feel like, yeah, I just feel like I'm a person that, like even now, I still micromanage.
I'm just that person like I'm OCD like that I have to know every step of the way, but I also do know that I don't know everything. Yeah, so that I do need a professional that knows and stuff. Yeah, not stone checking what you're doing. How did it go? Yeah? Cool?
That's good because it teaches you. I think that when you're an entrepreneur, you should know. I don't think you should be the best at every job, but you should have an idea of what everybody on your team does.
Like even with my show, Like, I know I don't shoot the show guys, but I know how to turn on the cameras and folks.
You know, I like lot, even with the editor software, Like I'll go in and I'll look at the editor software and my editing episodes. Absolutely not my editing clips to know, but I at least try to play around with us. Okay, this is why it even just helps me better understand why I'm paying what I'm paying, because sometimes you could be like I'm paying you too much.
Like exactly you're like, hold on, I can do this, or no, I can't do this.
You need to hire somebody, and how much time it takes?
Exactly?
Now, can we eat Yale? You in your paper towels? I know, Yeah, I got a whole stack for you. Okay, But kitchen, though, I'll tell you this.
This is the thing though, even like even at home growing up, they would be like dang, I would run through run told anything, paper towels, told, paper towel, napkin. I don't know what it is.
Are you a paper towel snop?
Because I am what's the paper towel snob?
So you know, when you go to the store, there's bounty, there's like vivo, oh, and then there's like the cheap stuff.
What do you use?
When I'm on top, it's vivo all the way, that's big cloth, tablecloth, and then it's bounty.
I don't bounty.
I don't ever rarely touch the cheap stuff. But in the studio, guys, if I'm not stealing bounty towels from my house, the good stuff, I will buy the cheap, not like these are the cheap, but if you went to my house, it would be the high quality.
Yeah, this is the cheap I'll tell you right now. You look at it, all right, cheers. Did you push your gr in it? Yes? Okay, now you're questioning because you had bacon in it.
It's a little I didn't taste the bacon, so you can. It tastes good. Though you know, it's like it's like a savory suite. Really, thank you.
Okay, now I'm excited for the dog, guys, And I'm gonna tell you why she fried it.
But she fried it with a little crisp And.
If you know anything about cooking and barbecue or anything, that little burnt crispy in it's not I don't want to say burnt, but yeah, you know what I'm talking about.
That like seared, pan seared, hand seared.
Okay, we got a pants here. If we have so much right on this is this bun so bunny?
Right, I'll just rip mine off. Here we go. I'm gone, I'm blood.
Now do you ever fry the buns?
I never did that before, I don't think, but that might be something to add.
Let me tell you, guys, the reason why I'm unhealthy and sometimes I get up to a lot of weight is because I use a lot of butter. But if you were to open these buns and butter the pan, girl, I'm telling you, it's good.
It's good.
I don't know about what a hot dog, but I would still try because I think it all bread should be buttered in a pan.
But it adds that like extra saltiness to it. My daughter will be like, Mom, go in the kitchen to make me some salty bread and salted butter and bread.
I'm done. Had anybody come on cook the meal that you did not like? Did you say I'm like this? I was trying to. I was trying to see if she really liked it, y'all.
I read it one person, the worst ramen dish in the history of ramen.
They made noodles.
It was like ramen, but right the pack.
It was like the pack of ramen.
But he added onion, way too much onion, and he overcooked the noodles. But you could just like littlely scoop it and swallow all that. Bro No one should ever allow you to make ramen. He was like, Oh, it's not that bad. I was like, it's the worst ramen I've ever had.
And most that I woul put in like we call it noodles, okay, I would put hot sauce and it my niece. She knew how to make her. She knows how to salce hers up there. But I like, I would just maybe hot sauce. If I were to add, you may be the first butter.
I think bone thugs and harmony added hot they also do the big bean?
Who did the big beans?
Honestly, we had country Wayne, we had a lot. We had baked beans at least four times.
Entrepreneurs do it a lot. A couple of entrepreneurs who else bake beans has been on at least four times. I can't remember them all, but I do remember Wayne's because he was particular that his baked beans had to be vegan. And just so you know, I never found a can of baked beans that said vegan on his chairs today.
Did he eat the beans? He was mad?
The second time he said he wouldn't eat it, but the first time he did, but he swore it was a vegan can of baked beans. And I asked everyone, and I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. There's vegetarian baked beans, but there's no vegan bacons.
Yeah, maybe he missed that one.
You know, you never know. They sta a label on things.
Like people always say, like the food that's just organic. I'm like, yo, it has one organic product and they're labeling it organic and everything else.
Even the grocery store meet.
I tell people like, if you want really fresh meat, go to a butcher because the grocery store meat has pink sign in it. You know, it has a lot of filler in it.
Yeah, you're learning here on it eating.
While broke broke. Okay, so how do you go from creator to actress model producer? Guess model is in the creator, but actress producer.
So during the pandemic, I started taking videos on TikTok and I was gaining one hundred thousand followers a month. And from there I met someone that worked at Instagram and they were like, they love my TikTok. So they were like, you need posting my Instagram and I was like, I don't know, Like my Instagram feed has to look a certain way. And that's why I was doing mostly pictures of Malin on air. And then oh bean Cash, oh excuse me. I told her. I was like, okay,
like next time you'll see me. Next time you see me, I'm gonna have a video posted. And I did my face car video, which is what I'm known for a lot on social media. Facecard never declines. So I posted that video on TikTok. It got twenty million views, and I still hadn't posted on Instagram. And one day I was just like, you know what, I'm just gonna do it. So I posted it up on Instagram. The girl it didn't even hit ten kbus. I was like, this is terrible.
I'm so embarrassed because on TikTok I'm at like twenty million on Instagram.
This wow.
And I was just like, I'm taking a video down. I just felt so just yucky about myself.
You felt yucky about yourself because of the numbers, because you had already acquired this certain standard for yourself.
Because because of the numbers, I felt like embarrassed thinking that the whole world's looking at me. So don't remember rout you once I said in that, And I didn't like how it was consuming me. I was like, I'm not taking a video down, like I was like, and I was gathering myself. I'm like, no argue with myself. I'm not taking it down. I'm not gonna let this video define me. Like, how do I feel like less
of a createater went on this other platform it's twenty million? Yeah, So I it's like you're mentally just messing.
Now, isn't this When TikTok already was just starting to do video or Instagram was just starting.
To do video or my tripping.
I'm not sure because I wasn't on the video. I wasn't worried about videos. I was just picturing. But I think it had already had videos off there because this was probably like my first video on Instagram was probably about maybe two years ago. Like I'm very like, I do a lot of work, so it feels like I've been doing it for so long, but I really am like new. I just glew up really fast, so I left the video up. I said, no, I'm leaving it up.
I'm not gonna make this. Let me like, let me feel less of a person a creator that I'm leaving it up. By like day three, it went pure. It went from here all the way down there to Skyrocket.
Didn't pass TikTok and everything.
Yeah, I have that particular video. I'm not sure. I have to look at the views on that particular one if it passed TikTok. But that trend that I was doing, I have multiple videos now on Instagram that has passed the views on TikTok. But it's just like that one moment where I was doubting myself and I was going to delete the video and had I done that, oh my gosh, I would not have accomplished all the things that I've accomplished because that one video changed everything for one.
I trend crazy, My followers grew. Every video that I was posting after that was going bra I was getting noticed on people, more creators, I want to collab with me. I was getting I used that traffic, and I started putting my comedy videos out from that, I have people notice me for acting, and then I was getting booked on different stuff and then brand deals for my face card.
And had I not had somebody, and this is why every time I see her, I just tell her how much I love I appreciate her because she didn't have to be like on me host that video. Actually it was two people at Instagram didn't have to be on me post that video, posted video. But the fact that they saw what I was doing on TikTok, believed in me. It changed everything for me. And that's why it's great to have people around you that pour into you and when you doubt yourself, that can see the things that
you can't see. Yeah, because had they not done had they not done that I wanted to post it, I would not have posted Yeah, I literally if I didn't make that promise and say I'm gonna do it because I'm personally I'm a woman of my word. And if I say I'm gonna do something and.
It was from someone Instagram director, yeah, yeah, from direct.
So yeah, it just changed. It changed everything for me. And in that moment, I was like, I try to be smart about it. I'm like, Okay, I have all this traffic coming, but I excuse it's gonna happen. I don't want to be I don't I'm like, I don't want to just be known as the face card girl. I also have other things that I like. I'm good at acting. I'm very comedic. So when that traffic was coming to my page, I was posting different stuff. Bile the eyes is there. So I was able to build
a platform where people come to watch me for multiple things. Yeah, and not just one. Because I feel like when I started on TikTok, I niche down a bit and it was a it was hard for me to pull myself up out of that one niche. Because TikTok first started, or just social media in general, years ago, it was pickanniche, stay at niche, staying at niche. Now it's the complete opposite. Now everybody's doing everything. They're like multifaceted exactly. It took a while for me to pull myself up out of
that with TikTok. So when the traffics are coming around on Instagram, I was sweart enough to be like, eh, like I need to versify itself. Do face card then comedy, then two face card comedy or comedy comedy face card like picture. I wanted to make sure that like when people were coming, they knew right away what they want to get and they get stuck in his face card world. And then when I dropped a comedy video, it was like girl, what is this? Yeah, yeah, okay.
So then you're starting to do acting, You're just starting to get into acting. Talk about how that morphosis happened.
So I will say with acting, I've done reality TV and acting, so two different things. But with acting, it came along with one of my friends is also from Philly. His name is Jamar. We've known each other for a long time and I've always been I've always will hit him up because he shoots movies. He's a director of producer, and I always him, Hey, I want to act your thing. I want to add when I got something for you and let you know, Hey, I want to act your
name when I got something from let you know. And then one day he called me up and I was like hello, and he was like, remember I sold you when I got something for you. I was like, yeah, I got something four year old like ah. So he brought me on to my project that's named Maya's House that's on Prime and to Be and it's trending right
now that I also executive produced as well. He brought me onto that project with him, and I'm grateful for that because one it's with somebody that's from Philly, with somebody who I've known before I blew up on social media. And also it was just a learning experience. I felt like it was like a advanced producer actors workshop where I learned like the difference between creating content actually being on set and film. Yeah, it was a great experience
with that. And then outside of that with reality TV. My reality TV came about because of social media. So from social media and me being viral, casting directors will see my page and they'll DM me and they will ask me to audition for different shows and yeah, wow, And like I said, started with that face card video.
It started with the face card video. But it seems like there was a lot of determination in there.
Yeah.
Oh, because there's a.
Lot of consistency, there's a lot of follow up on your part, so never given. I think it was like the creator match, but like you had some serious entrepreneur and energy. You follow up with your acquaintance at the time and saying, Okay, there's an opportunity, don't forget I'm here, I'm available.
Now.
How did the executive producer credit come along with that?
He asked me, but one thing that could produce and I said yes. So I also was learning the business side of that as well, which is completely different than the creator and I had to learn that too. It was like, okay, certain things like I had to know that we'll make me be like, oh, well, I had to know it. And because I am a producer, so I had to know, Okay, we've reached out to this person and maybe this person or this company didn't respond,
and then you feel that way. I was the actress, I wouldn't have to know that rejection.
But also now I want to be I would tell you you got to handle the business side, so he must have seen also.
That attribute of your entrepreneurship.
Yeah, yeah, I got to walk aside him with that.
Yeah, that's pretty nice.
That's pretty nice because to add ep to your credit is like a big deal in the industry.
So where do you want to go from here?
Because of that, now, it inspired me to create my own like my own stuff as well. So I'm in the works of creating a show. I can't talk too much about it, but I'm in the works of creating another show, and we're also working on part two of Maya's House. Yeah, I'm just trying to be I'm never going to leave social media because that's my bread and butter, my tunnel, yeah, and my foundation, my tunnel to everything. So I'm never going to stop ever being a content creator.
But my dreams outside of that is to be a list actress, breaking alongside Carrie Washington, Gabrielle Union, Denzel and then also producing my own stuff in which I'm already doing.
Yeah, this big deal. So it's a long run.
Now, how long has your career been, Like if you would say in total from La, just from LA, I.
Will say taking it serious, I will say four years. So all this has happened and that's why. And it's crazy because when I moved out here, there are people that, like in different dynamics. Like when I started off with posting pictures, there were people who were models. It's like, gow she's doing that. I want to be like that. I want to do that when we're with that brand, and I embodied it. I was surround myself with those people and then I turned around I was doing the
same thing as them. Wow. And then I applied that same thing into content creating. And then now it's like people that I looked up to will see me be like, yeah, I'm so proud of you. You inspired me so much. And I'm like, huh, but you don't even know you inspire me, Like what, that's a blessing. So yeah, it's cool. It's like it's it's like I know what's happening, but at the same time, it's like I haven't really fully
taken it in. And that's one thing I do need to work on is that I've constantly like this, yeah, so I don't really get to sit. Even when my billboard we were out at complex kind of my billboard went up and they were like congratulations, and I was like,
what you know? I know, because I'm always like, you're onto the next thing, right, But I need to sit in those moments and appreciate that because these are things that I've like literally cried on my knees, like for God to give me the strength, or like when I felt like I wasn't good enough when I got the nose, because I've gotten plenty, plenty of nose. I got nose from people that I work with now and you have you're ildy. But also knowing not to be bitter because
I know it does not mean you're not good. It just means just in that moment, it's not for you, maybe for somebody else, Maybe maybe that role was for You'll go into audition and you'll think like I killed that audition, and then somebody got over you. But it's because the eyes or their hair remind them of their niece. It literally can be down to that thing. It doesn't even have to be or that person is somebody who's a part of a friend group and relationships and stuff.
So did it take you a long time to view rejection like that?
Yes, it did, because I used to take a like, oh my goodness, I suck, but I from the hard work that I put in, I know that I don't suck.
Yeah, I know yourself made Yeah exactly.
So I'm like, I'm human. So it's still hurts. You'll feel it, But then I have to sweep my mind and be like, this ain't for you. You're gonna look back and something else is going to happen. You'll be like, God, is that I can get that. That's why. So we just got to take those moments and learn from it.
I think it's interesting too, because the industry has definitely shifted to more of a social media slash industry. You have all these mainstream actors, actresses, you'll see them buddy up with content creators. One of the guys I watches, I think his name is something Stallion. He like does the camera and the phone and CALLI Berry, Michael B. Jordan's Why am I messing up? I don't remember his name. I want him on the show too, But Jordan.
Jordan?
But could I want him on the show so bad?
Yes? Remember that John got out the part of me thinking remember that?
But no, But the truth is, you start to see this so I feel like the fact that you mastered the harder one, in my opinion, The harder one is social media because to get past that algorithm, to get past kind of learning what works and what doesn't.
I still have my days though. I still had my days where I put up a video and I was like, oh, I thought this was gold and it ain't doing nothing. And one of my friends, King Batch, I remember one time I had message him and I'm like, I want to I was like, I want to post my face card videos to my own songs I did in my own face card song. I was like, I want to post my face card video to my own song because before I was using a different song. And I was like, but I don't know, like if people I want to
see it again. And he just was like, girl, just post your stuff. An't nobody paying that much attention like this. He's like, just post it and if it don't do well, archive it, delete it whatever. It's not the end of the world, I really think, especially when you get numbers.
Yeah, I see you're definitely paying attention to it. I could see you. You get your highs and your lowers, pressures on pressures.
I posted the video today and I was like, if it don't hit certain my views, I'm an archive it. But then sometimes if.
Even after your three day story, I want to.
Say, sometimes I might really like you could now play I can tell. But sometimes I really like a video and I would let it sit and see what to do. But if it don't, I would say for a video like if it if it's under the hint and k like, I'm okay with it, might love with the views and if it's good content as well, because you and still get brand deals and stuff from videos that aren't viral. And that's the thing when brands come, they don't just look. Yes, analytics do play a part, but also you as a
content creator. And so it might be a good video, it might just didn't go viral, but the brand I look at it, it might still like it.
Okay, yeah, educate us. Yes what am I?
I did a brand deal for a face card and my my video is the concept of the whole pitch deck that they sent out to creators and the video that they use is the one with the least amount of use. I was like, oh, they chose to use this one as the My mom would be like whatever one got the most view. Yeah, but no, they chose to use the one that had the least amount of views as the blueprint to send out to the creators to have them.
That's interesting what the deal is.
Yeah, So that's why now I'm not really too If I really love the video, like it's a great video.
Yeah, I would be like, no, we gotta have a three day rule. Yeah, three days.
Yeah. But like I said, if it don't, if it's like at three thousand and it's, no, it's getting archived.
But I do like that the content creators and seem to support each other, like Badge and Storm and all that whole crew. I feel like you guys really kind of like the artistry and the commoditory, and I think that really helps you guys collectively slash individually. I love that part about content creators.
I learned a lot from Batch when I when I started doing content with him. I came in doing content where there's videos where there's no talking, Like you can get the picture by my movement and the music that I match up. You can fully get the picture. But he does a lot of content where he's talking. Oh it's to be so nervous pulled up to shoot content with him because I was like, he's the top content creator.
So I'm like, I have to be perfect when I'm going here, Like I don't want them looking at me, like I don't want them being like she's flowing us down, Like I'm a perfectionist, So like I have to be perfect, per perfect. And then just filming with him, I just learned one you don't have to be perfect. Two the way to edit certain things like how long something should be in the clip? How long? How long?
Well, yeah, because they but they mastered that six second. They mastered that Vine like they're they're the bad storm Leanne Hannah's whole crew. You gotta remember that whole crew was the Vine, the originals, and those guys were nailing full comedic.
You get the full edits and and six seconds.
And that's the difference I think between when I talk to Wayne is like Wayne shoots a.
Skit like one take. He don't do no edits. You do you take in your post. Yeah, but that crew I know the I know some of them.
I don't know Batch personally. Shout out to Batch because you haven't been on the show. We didn't invite you though, But though that those guys really mastered the art of editing. And really capturing that comedic element. But I think because they came from the six second Life, I can only imagine. But their shoot schedules, from what I remember back in the day, it was like they would pick a day and they would just bang out like as many ideas as possible.
That's how I shoot, Oh, for really, I will pick a day, I'll see what friends are free. I will bang out as many videos as I can until I feel like I can't think no more.
Okay, but yeah, I like that. And are you looking for videos that are more relatable? Because I feel like that's where the comedy lies.
I do stuff that's relatable. I also as far as the collaborate, No, when you create content. Oh yeah, oh I'm all relatable. I do a lot of stuff that's relatable to women, friendship, relationships and stuff like that. So yeah, I'm like, I'm your relatable girl for sure.
Yeah.
Thank you so much for spending time with me, of course and feeding me. I'll tell everybody where they can keep up with you who don't already know, you.
Can follow me on all social media platforms at yan Nay official and snapchat at yan nick Underscore Official. I can check out Maya's House on Prime Number one, Okay, Carrie It and now on twob so let's run it up and you can check out my music on all streaming platforms.
One stop Stop. Thank you guys for tuning in, Peace out
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