UGC 101 - Build Your Content Creation Business

Nate Flake - UGC Creator & Coach
  • 5.0 (55)
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The podcast about all things User Generated Content! Whether you are a seasoned UGC pro or just starting UGC for the first time, this podcast is for you! You will learn from the best in the business as the guests are all UGC pros. 

  1. 2D AGO

    Creator Taxes Explained: How to Keep an Extra $9,200 a Year | EP 43

    Are you keeping more of the money you're earning, or are you accidentally giving it away every April? Most UGC creators are so focused on landing the next brand deal that taxes become an afterthought. But that could be costing you thousands.  Host Nate sits down with Steven Harward and Tommy Thornburgh, the CEO and President of Prime Corporate Services to break down what self-employed creators actually need to know about taxes, business structure, and protecting the income they've worked hard to build. These guys have filed over 40,000 tax returns and helped entrepreneurs save an average of $9,200 more when they start properly tracking expenses. That number hits different when it's your money. Chapters: 00:04:18 — How Creators Can Legally Lower Their Taxes 00:06:00 — Expenses Creators Can Deduct Right Away 00:08:22 — Why Many Creators Are Afraid of Tax Season 00:09:40 — The Simplest Way to Track Business Expenses 00:11:05 — How to Reduce Your Tax Bill 00:12:32 — What Counts as a Legit Business Write-Off 00:15:50 — Costly Tax Mistakes New Creators Make 00:18:10 — How Understanding Taxes Increases Your Profit 00:20:48 — The 6 Financial Areas Every Creator Should Manage 00:24:08 — Choosing Between an LLC or S-Corp 00:36:20 — Networking Strategies That Lead to Opportunities Steven and Tommy cut through the fear with advice on tracking expenses, choosing the right business entity, and why the fourth quarter might be the most important season of your creator year. Press play to learn how to keep more of what you earn while building your creator business the right way. To book your FREE Prime tax consultation for UGC 101 listeners only, visit their site here: https://primepartner.info/ugc-podcast MORE FROM NATE FLAKE FREE Call: Discover how to start UGC and land brand deals (even with 0 experience): Book a Call Now Connect with Nate Instagram: @nateflakecreates YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast Catch Nate on Youtube Contact / Collabs For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries. https://ugcbynate.com/

    41 min

  2. MAR 4

    The REAL Way to Land UGC Brand Deals ($5K) as a Beginner | EP 43

    What if you could land your first UGC deal this week with nothing but your phone and 20 minutes a day? Host Nate Flake gets honest about what a real day in the UGC life actually looks like, and what he'd do if he were starting from scratch today. He quit corporate in July and he's not here to make it sound glamorous. Some days are messy. But the work is his, the schedule is his, and that changes everything. Then mid-recording, a +$5K Fiverr deal lands in his lap and he walks you through the whole thing start to finish so you know exactly what to do when your moment comes. Chapters: 04:10 - The One Video You Need 07:30 - Write Scripts Faster Without Sounding Generic 08:50 - Pick 3 Platforms and Start Applying 10:17 - The X Strategy for Staying Low-Key 13:53 - How to Stand Out in a Sea of Portfolio Drops 16:21 - Why Old Replies Turn Into New Deals 18:58 - Fiverr Deal Walkthrough From Ping to Paid 27:00 - Inbound Deals and How to Price Higher 31:30 - What a Full-Time UGC Day Really Looks Like 37:10 - Involving Kids and Charging More 41:55 - Two Tactics to Land More Deals This Week  He's watched hundreds of creators sit on the sidelines overthinking gear, portfolios, and the "right time" to start while other people are out there landing $500 deals with nothing but a phone and a Canva template.  You must stay until the end to hear the two pitch strategies Nate just started using himself. One of them involves sending a screenshot to a brand's actual marketing person. Sounds weird. Works like crazy. Press play and take the first step toward doing UGC on your own terms. Download FREE GUIDE: 10 Steps to Becoming a UGC Creator from Scratch Platforms Mentioned: Insense https://insense.pro Influee https://influee.co UGC Shop (UGC Shop Marketplace) https://ugc-shop.com/ Nate’s UGC Fiverr Pro Course + Community — use code PODCAST for 15% off: .  https://stan.store/nateflakeugc/p/master-ugc-on-fiverr  Billo https://billo.app JoinBrands https://joinbrands.com Canva (for building your portfolio) https://www.canva.com X (formerly Twitter, for sourcing opportunities) https://x.com MORE FROM NATE FLAKE FREE Call: Discover how to start UGC and land brand deals (even with 0 experience): Book a Call Now Connect with Nate Instagram: @nateflakecreates YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast Catch Nate on Youtube Contact / Collabs For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries. https://ugcbynate.com/

    48 min

  3. FEB 25

    Manager MOM Builds a UGC Business (While Getting Her Masters Degree) ft. Anna - @TheHOLLANDEdit | EP 42

    Anna has a newborn, a corporate job, a master's degree at Penn State, and a growing UGC business… So what's stopping you? Nate sits down with Anna, one of his students who found UGC while on maternity leave. She broke into the space in a matter of weeks by using her corporate project management experience that actually makes the chaos of content creation feel manageable.  Anna gets into the weeds on how she prioritizes her days when everything feels urgent. She explains why she doesn’t rely on batching. She talks about how building a simple B-roll library on her phone changed the game for her turnaround time. Chapters: 00:06:00 – Stop Sounding Robotic on Camera 00:07:20 – Comparison Trap: Seeing Only Other Creators’ “Best Clips” 00:08:00 – Cultural Pressure: Looking Polished vs “Messy” UGC Style 00:10:00 – Portfolio Build + Reddit/X Outreach Grind 00:12:30 – Corporate Frameworks, Simply: Waterfall vs Agile 00:14:45 – How She Runs Her Days 00:16:20 – The Moscow Method 00:21:35 – Build a B-Roll Library to Buy Back Time 00:24:50 – Revisions Don’t Mean You Failed 00:27:15 – Going From Corporate Expert to UGC Beginner 00:37:20 – Avoiding Conflict of Interest With Corporate 00:38:00 – No Sundays and Create More Than Consume She also gets refreshingly honest about the imposter syndrome she had to push through. About the rude client she had to keep her cool with. And about what it actually felt like to go from being a senior manager in corporate to being the newbie all over again. That part alone is worth the listen. Here is the thing though. Anna is not some productivity robot. She is a new mom running on limited sleep, figuring it out one day at a time, just like you. What makes her story land is that she is not pretending it was easy. She is showing you it was worth it anyway. Listen and learn the moment Anna stopped treating revision requests like failures and started treating them like proof she was growing. That one reframe changes everything. Connect with Anna: https://thehollandedit.com/ MORE FROM NATE FLAKE FREE Call: Discover how to start UGC and land brand deals (even with 0 experience): Book a Call Now Connect with Nate Instagram: @nateflakecreates YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast Catch Nate on Youtube Contact / Collabs For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries. https://ugcbynate.com/

    41 min

  4. FEB 18

    From Buried in Debt and Suffering Burnout to $20K Months with Sydney Mohni, UGC Creator and Coach | EP 41

    What if the career that's paying your bills is actually draining your soul BUT there's a way out that doesn't mean starting over broke? Host Nate Flake sits down with Sydney Mohni, a UGC creator who spent a decade climbing the network marketing ladder. She finally hit that $10K month everyone talks about, but instead of celebrating, she burned out completely.  Add in a family crisis, mounting debt, and sitting on a curb in Tulum crying over a pizza bill and you've got the breaking point that led her to UGC. Four months of pitching with zero deals. Then one $150 gig changed everything. Chapters: 00:04:01 - Four Months of Nothing, Then… 00:05:42 - 10K: Burnout Money vs Freedom Money 00:08:15 - Why “Good Money” Still Isn’t Worth It 00:12:22 - Escaping the 5K Ceiling 00:15:16 - TikTok Creative Challenge: Volatile Income 00:18:48 - How Long-Term Brand Relationships Change Everything 00:22:06 - Why Furniture UGC Sorta Sucks 00:25:48 - The Contract Mistake 00:27:22 - Meta Reaches Out 00:34:30 - Her International Retreat Goal 00:38:10 - Why You Don’t Need to Look Perfect to Win in UGC 00:40:25 - The Mentor Moment Nate and Sydney get real about what it actually takes to build a UGC business that doesn't just pay the bills but gives you your life back. They talk about the scrappy early days, why raising your prices feels scary but works, and how Sydney went from struggling to land any client to working with Meta for thousands of dollars per video.  It's honest, funny, and packed with the kind of advice that only comes from someone who's been in the trenches. If you're stuck in a career that pays well but leaves you empty, or you're wondering if UGC is actually sustainable long-term, this episode breaks it all down. Sydney's story proves you don't have to choose between making money and being happy but you do have to be willing to go all-in and bet on yourself. Press play and learn why Sydney's wife talked her out of negotiating with Meta, and the one mindset shift that helped her students quit their jobs and build freedom on their own terms. Connect with guest: https://www.instagram.com/sydneymohni/ MORE FROM NATE FLAKE FREE Call: Discover how to start UGC and land brand deals (even with 0 experience): Book a Call Now Connect with Nate Instagram: @nateflakecreates YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast Catch Nate on Youtube Contact / Collabs For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries. https://ugcbynate.com/

    49 min

  5. FEB 11

    Why UGC Is the Most Lucrative Side Hustle for Full Time Professionals Right Now | EP 40

    Have you ever wondered if you could do UGC while working at a full-time job you actually love? Host Nate Flake sits down with his good friend Daniel Taylor, a full-time professional who started doing UGC completely under the radar. No UGC social accounts. No public announcement. He intentionally kept it separate from his day job. Dan came into this space cold, went through Nate’s early training before it was fully polished, and quietly built a repeat client base on Fiverr while showing up to his day job every morning like nothing changed.  He is the guy Nate points to when people ask if you really have to put yourself out there to make this work. The answer is no. Chapters: 04:20 – Quiet UGC While Working Full Time 11:45 – Getting Past the On-Camera Cringe 15:30 – Corporate Skills That Transfer Shockingly Well 19:10 – Overdelivering Without Burning Out 22:40 – Raising Rates the Right Way 26:30 – When Success Becomes Overwhelming 33:50 – Choosing Efficiency Over Volume 37:40 – Tying UGC Income to Real Life Goals 45:30 – The Long-Term Play for Quiet UGC Creators Learn how Dan pushed through the awkward early videos, how his corporate communication skills turned out to be a secret weapon with brands, and how he went from taking every gig he could get to being selective about what was actually worth his time. Nate and Dan also dig into the money side of things. When to raise your rates with repeat clients, why jumping your prices too fast on Fiverr can actually hurt your momentum, and how Dan landed more income by doing less but charging more. These are the kinds of tactical details that make a real difference when you are figuring this out on your own. And if you have ever felt weird about doing UGC because it seems too out there, too cringe, or just not something a serious professional would do, Dan has something to say about that too. Press play and learn Dan’s take on why the embarrassment fades fast and what you are really trading when you decide not to try is one of the most honest moments in this episode.  Connect with Guest: https://dantaylorugc.my.canva.site/ Dan's Utah Creator Studio: https://www.instagram.com/the_highland_studio?igsh=b2llYWNuanpxNnhl MORE FROM NATE FLAKE FREE Call: Discover how to start UGC and land brand deals (even with 0 experience): Book a Call Now Connect with Nate Instagram: @nateflakecreates YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast Catch Nate on Youtube Contact / Collabs For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries. https://ugcbynate.com/

    49 min

  6. FEB 4

    From "I Can't Do This" to Brands Begging to Work With You with Kessa from @ContentByKessa, UGC Creator & Coach | EP 39

    Ever dreamed about making money with content but kept telling yourself you're not the right type? Host Nate welcomes Kessa, a full-time UGC creator from Canada who started chasing her content dreams in her early teens. She didn't get here because of a big following or a perfect plan. She got here because she refused to quit, and her story is proof that you don't need either one to make this work. They break down the moves that actually work, not the fluff you see everywhere else. They talk about how to handle rejection without flinching, why staying open to every niche will make you more money, and how to get brands coming to you instead of chasing them down. Kessa also shares her exact approach to pricing and whitelisting that keeps everything simple and profitable. Chapters: 04:30 – Grinding on Gifted Collabs With No Pay 07:55 – Betting on UGC and Making the First $2K 11:20 – Why Canada Is an Underrated UGC Market 14:30 – Turning DMs Into a Coaching Business 17:10 – The Biggest Fears New Creators Have 19:55 – Why Faceless UGC Doesn’t Scale 22:30 – Filming in Public Without Caring 25:10 – Embarrassing Brand Deals Everyone Starts With 28:20 – Niches, Acne, and Why Flaws Sell 31:40 – Posting to Attract Brands Not Followers 35:10 – Whitelisting, Usage Rights, and Real Money 39:00 – Negotiation Mistakes That Cost Creators Thousands This one hits different if you've been on the fence about starting. Kessa doesn't hide the hard parts. She talks about the goofy early gigs, the fear of hitting record, and why the things that feel scary right now are way smaller than they actually look.  Listen and learn the one thing Kessa says about being on camera that's so simple you'll wonder why nobody told you sooner. It completely flips the script on how you think about showing up.   Her UGC guide: https://stan.store/contentbykessa/p/ugc-guide-65j1b TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contentbykessa?_t=8ZNqcZif522&_r=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contentbykessa?igsh=MWVyb281dGx0amRnYw== YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Contentbykessa MORE FROM NATE FLAKE FREE Call: Discover how to start UGC and land brand deals (even with 0 experience): Book a Call Now Connect with Nate Instagram: @nateflakecreates YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast Catch Nate on Youtube Contact / Collabs For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries. https://ugcbynate.com/

    44 min

  7. JAN 28

    The UGC Strategy to Turn Every Brand Into Long-Term Clients with Comedian Alex Gettlin | EP 38

    What if your "side hustle survival skills" were actually the exact training you needed to crush it in UGC? Host Nate Flake sits down with Alex Gettlin, a standup comedian and podcaster who went from touring comedy clubs and hustling through DoorDash shifts to building a thriving UGC business.  Alex didn't come from the typical nine-to-five burnout story. He came from a world where every gig was uncertain, every paycheck was inconsistent, and learning to perform under pressure was just part of the deal. That background turned out to be his secret weapon. Chapters: 04:45 – Losing Everything Overnight to COVID 07:10 – The Podcast That Changed Everything 09:30 – Discovering UGC Was a Real Business 11:55 – Why Most Creators Quit Too Early 14:10 – Spending Money to Make Money 16:25 – The Power of Creator Meetups 19:05 – Trading Free UGC for Real Opportunities 21:40 – Why Talking Head Videos Win 24:55 – When UGC Goes Wrong Fast 29:10 – Turning Small Gigs Into Big Retainers 34:20 – Comedy Skills as a UGC Superpower 41:15 – How Consistency Creates Long-Term Income If you've ever felt stuck in the "feast or famine" cycle, or you'r If you've ever felt stuck in the "feast or famine" cycle, or you're wondering how to turn your creative skills into steady income without losing your authenticity, Nate and Alex break it all down.  Alex shares how he built his first portfolio, why he treats every client like a long-term relationship, and the mindset shifts that helped him go from $100 gigs to retainer deals that actually pay the bills.  Plus, he gets real about the importance of community, why over-delivering early creates momentum, and how thinking like an entertainer (not just a creator) can set you apart. By the end, you'll understand why your first gig matters way more than the paycheck, how to find opportunities hiding in plain sight, and what it actually takes to build a UGC business that works for you, not the other way around.  Press play and learn how Alex landed his first podcast deal, turning a $100 Ball Buddy ad into a major retainer, and why he tells his students there's no "one right way" to do this. Alex's Atlanta Studio: https://www.skewedorbitstudios.com/ Alex's podcast Highly Unlikely: https://open.spotify.com/show/2iMdab3eZjUQNV2zyIPZe0?si=rjNW8iX8RT2jrFegBrtAQQ Alex's Portfolio: http://www.alexgettlin.com/ MORE FROM NATE FLAKE FREE Call: Discover how to start UGC and land brand deals (even with 0 experience): Book a Call Now Connect with Nate Instagram: @nateflakecreates YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast Catch Nate on Youtube Contact / Collabs For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries. https://ugcbynate.com/

    52 min

  8. JAN 21

    From $20 to $20K Per Month: Her Fiverr Strategy with Musician Turned Creator @TheUGCCreatorOlivia (Olivia Castriota) | EP 37

    What if the skills you already have are exactly what you need to build a UGC business, you just haven't connected the dots yet? Host Nate Flake sits down with Olivia Castriota to break down how she went from being new to UGC to consistently making $20,000 a month by leveraging skills she already had. She didn't start as a UGC creator. She was a musician writing songs for TV shows, stuck in an industry where getting paid took eight months or longer.  When she saw a TikTok about UGC, she realized her years of making music videos had already taught her everything she needed: how to be comfortable on camera, understand lighting, and tell a story visually.  Within two weeks, she bought a course, set up her Fiverr gigs, and started landing clients at $20 a video. Chapters: 00:04:45 - The Fiverr Switch That Skyrocketed Orders 00:05:32 - 100 Reviews in 2 Months   00:06:00 - The $20 to $125 Rate Jump Panic 00:06:31 - Ad Fees Changed Everything 00:09:19 - The “Pitch 10 Brands” Myth Gets Called Out 00:15:34 - Fiverr’s Biggest Problem: Zero Search, Too Much Chaos 00:18:18 - Scam Reality Check and Why New Sellers Get Targeted 00:24:38 - Camera Confidence 00:34:05 - Why X Became Her Best Lead Source 00:42:19 - Worst Gig vs Best Gig  She doesn't sugarcoat it. She talks about doing a hundred videos in two months to build reviews, raising her rates even when it felt terrifying, and why your first three months are basically paid training.  Olivia shares the production secrets most creators never think about like how matching your clothing to both the product and your skin tone can make or break a video, or why breaking a script into single-line takes with action beats makes everything easier.  Press play and learn how tiny shifts that separate okay content from work that brands want to pay for again and again. Course she took (Use code OLIVIA for $100 off):  https://freelancebigsis.com/ugcfiverracademy-1220?am_id=olivia2330 Olivia's music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5VdTraeHBTaJhW9OZPnrPm?si=yXo-BLoORYCqP5snb-qOxg Olivia's portfolio: https://oliviacastriota.my.canva.site/ MORE FROM NATE FLAKE FREE Call: Discover how to start UGC and land brand deals (even with 0 experience): Book a Call Now Connect with Nate Instagram: @nateflakecreates YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast Catch Nate on Youtube Contact / Collabs For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries. https://ugcbynate.com/

    49 min
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About

The podcast about all things User Generated Content! Whether you are a seasoned UGC pro or just starting UGC for the first time, this podcast is for you! You will learn from the best in the business as the guests are all UGC pros. 

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