Shadowing Practice: How To Be a Full Time Creator - Learn English Speaking with Video
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For everybody who says they want to go full -time as a creator, don't actually realize that it's not just about gaining a following and views.
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The algorithm won't build your career.
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You will.
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So today, I'm going to share how you can too.
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The creators who built careers as a full -time creator weren't creating to chase views, attention, or chasing an algorithm.
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They were building a system and a network and a community that outlasted, that lived outside of it.
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This is The Creator's Desk, a show about the process, strategy, and day -to -day reality of building a career as a creator.
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I've lived it, and now I'm sharing everything I've learned.
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For context here, I've worked with brands, musicians, at teams at every level.
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And all of that was built with me starting with my camera in my bedroom.
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You know, it was just an obsession with creating
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and a commitment to treat this like a career before I got paid a single dollar to do this.
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And that mindset is what changed everything for me.
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So let's get into it.
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Number one, build a body of work, not just posts.
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If you want to make a career out of creating content, you have to stop thinking about views or trying to go viral.
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That's a dead end path.
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You need to start thinking like it's a portfolio, somebody who's building a brand because your content isn't just your content anymore.
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It's your legitimate portfolio on your page.
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It represents who you are, what you do, what you stand for.
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It's your resume and your track record.
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When a brand or a client or even a new follower lands on your page, they should immediately understand these things.
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What you do, what makes you unique, and the level that you operate at.
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And that doesn't just happen from one good or viral video.
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That happens by building a body of work.
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So here's how we build that.
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Create content that represents a creator that you're becoming.
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Don't just post what's trending.
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Post what you want to be hired for, what you want to be known for,
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or what you want to be paid for eventually in the future.
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If you want to be hired to shoot cinematic brand stories start posting cinematic brand stories
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and if you don't have the opportunities to do those for any brands go out there
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and shoot specs if you want to teach post yourself doing teaching content
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if it's travel content even
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if you don't have an opportunity like I said go travel on your own dime make your own videos
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you need to show the audience and that yourself
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and to the people who may see your page
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that you have the ability to do this first a lot of people sit on who they want to be
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because they're not being hired by this hotel and they want to be this travel creator and they think,
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well, I want to be this travel creator, but I'm not going to go do this work if I'm not asked to do this work.
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No, stop doing that.
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You need to create the content
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you want to see yourself getting paid for as a career before anybody pays
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you a single dollar to do it because your body of work
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and your page should attract who you want to work with and who you want to be.
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Make your page easily understandable.
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When somebody scrolls through the first few seconds of your profile or your body of work, they should see consistency in tone,
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topic, quality, and what you stand for.
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So when you make posts, think in format, not singular posts that are disconnected, that don't have any cohesiveness between them.
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And this is how you can show
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that you can have repeated results no matter who's hiring you
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and that you don't just get lucky ones from a viral video.
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In so many of my videos, I've always said, if you're interested in more content like this, you can find more here on my page.
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And that's a gateway to get other people invested or interested in the other cohesive videos,
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like the one they just watched that they could find all over my page.
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Show your range inside one lane.
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You don't have to jump through multiple niches to show that you're versatile.
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All you have to do is explore different angles of the same world, the same topic, the same niche.
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So for example, if you're a filmmaker, how else can you show your filmmaking chops other than by showing cinematic images?
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Maybe you can post tutorials, client projects, or behind the scenes of that client project.
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Maybe some storytelling breakdowns and all of that fits within that niche.
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Or if you're a travel creator, don't just show a day in the life vlog.
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Try some cinematic videos like packing your setups or maybe even the food that you ate there or a fitness creator.
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Don't just show yourself working out.
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What's your meal prep, your recovery routine?
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What's the mindset?
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How do you get past showing up to the gym even when you don't want to?
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Because the key here is depth.
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It's not width.
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The range within a lane shows authority, a deep understanding that you understand every angle.
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Because building that kind of body of work that goes deep.
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will do these things for you.
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It's going to build trust with the people who may potentially want to work with you or even your audience and yourself.
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It builds a confidence within yourself because you can literally see a reflection of that on your page.
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The volume of work is going to reflect who you want to be
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because this isn't going to be luck that you just get this opportunity.
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You know, going full time isn't just, I hope somebody finds me.
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It's here is the library of work that I've done, here is proof that I really do this.
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Number two, treat your content like a brand.
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If you want to go full time in this career, you can't just post.
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You need to position.
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And what that means is the moment you treat your content like a brand, everything is going to change because brands don't just post randomly.
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They plan.
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They communicate clearly.
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They know exactly the direction and have clarity and vision, they stand for something.
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Because when people land on your page, they should immediately know who you are and that they've entered your world.
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A world that's recognizable and uniquely yours.
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So here's how to do that.
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Define what you represent.
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What connects everything you make?
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Maybe it's how you simplify complex ideas or your eye for storytelling or your perspective on a creative discipline.
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It can be so many different things, but that through line that connects them all, it becomes your identity.
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For example, when I think of my content, I want them to think cinematic first.
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That's the vessel.
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Then educational storytelling.
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You need to define what you want to be remembered for and then make sure that every video,
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every caption, every thumbnail, all of the tone in who you are in that content shows up cohesively.
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Build a consistent creative experience.
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This goes beyond just visuals.
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This is about feeling.
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How are you making your potential client or your audience feel?
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From your thumbnail to how you speak or the music that you use in your edits,
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your audience and these potential clients should know that this is content that you made immediately.
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So for me, I knew the pillars of how I wanted to present my content every single time.
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It was big, bold, yellow fonts, static wide shots shot on a tripod.
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And I walk in and I present what I'm talking about immediately.
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And I would like to think that over time, people have associated that with the content that I make.
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So whatever it is, you need to own it.
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People trust what feels like it is an ownership of this creator's specific style that is unique to them.
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People want consistency.
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Operate like a studio, not a content creator.
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So stop waking up and deciding what to post that day.
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That's what burns you out, okay?
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Studios run on calendars, concepts, pipelines, meetings, okay?
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Maybe not that, but if you want this to be your job, you have to legitimately treat it like one.
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Whether it's building a weekly or a monthly programming like different formats, planning a series, or different carousels,
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something that your audience or potential clients can look forward to every single time you post.
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It gives your audience structure and familiarity to you.
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And it also gives you the freedom to create within it.
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You can experiment so many different ways within those formats because when your content starts to feel like a brand, people start to engage differently.
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They're not just watching, they buy into what you're saying and not just buy in like purchasing, but you know, it's your style,
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it's the music, it's what you wear.
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They start seeing you as more than just a creator on your screen.
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They see you as a human that they connect with because personal brand is just consistency with purpose, intentional purpose.
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And that's what takes your creativity from something that you just do, to something that people trust.
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And lastly, before we get to number three, let's have a word from our sponsor.
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If you're enjoying this so far and you want to go even deeper
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and build the foundational systems that make all of this possible, I built an online academy called Content College.
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Inside, you'll learn how to plan, write, film, edit, and post with a creative system designed to help you grow without burning out.
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And it's more than just courses.
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You'll also be getting my color grading preset, my sound effects pack, my templates,
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worksheets, and how I film and edit my videos from start to finish.
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And it just starts there because there is so much more inside.
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And I'm not just showing you how I make my videos.
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We'll be working on your videos together every step of the process.
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The skills you need that won't be affected by an algorithm.
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So if you're serious about taking your content to the next level, check out Content College.
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The link is down below in the description.
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Now let's get back to number three.
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Learn to sell through storytelling.
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So here's the honest truth.
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If you want to turn creating into a career, you have to get comfortable with the business side.
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And how you do that matters.
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And you don't need to be salesy to make your money from content.
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You just need to know how to tell a story that shows value.
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Because when you sell through storytelling, you're not pushing a product.
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You're not selling something to your audience.
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You're inviting them into something that makes sense for them.
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You make all this content where people trust that you do this thing.
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And when you get to the business side, it's like, hey, welcome.
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I've opened the doors.
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If you trust me doing this, I also do this here, whether it's a product or a service.
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So here's how to do it.
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Solve a problem.
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Don't pitch a product.
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Think about what your audience may struggle with and show how you may offer help to that.
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If you're selling a course, don't say, I'm selling a course and this will help you do this.
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No, you want to sell the transformation.
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Demonstrate how it works within their daily life or their workflow.
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People want to know what they're going to be before and after they buy any product.
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If you buy shoes, what are you going to feel?
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Cool.
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If you buy a jacket, what are you going to feel?
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Warm.
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If you sell a course, are you selling knowledge or are you selling who you're going to be after you take that course?
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You're not selling the thing.
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You're selling what the thing will do.
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Integrate.
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Don't interrupt.
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The best brand deals and products blend seamlessly with the storytelling of the creator.
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For example, if you're filming a travel video, you want to weave the gear that made that trip easier
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or the hotel that made that trip feel like a true vacation.
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If you're an educational creator and you have a gear placement, show how that specific piece of gear improves your process.
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It should feel like it's part of your world, not just this breakout ad that happens in the middle of your video.
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People can sense that immediately and they'll scroll or they won't watch or even worse, you lose their trust.
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Build your own ecosystem.
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You've heard this before.
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You shouldn't just rely on brand deals.
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While they are great and they are going to be a lot of the biggest sources of income for creators,
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you need to think outside of that.
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Something that you own.
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Create your own products, whether it's merchandise or CPG or presets, guides, courses, anything that you can sell your expertise within.
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For example, if you're a creator known for cinematic visuals, build color grading presets.
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Or if you're a travel creator, you can make travel guides or itinerary templates.
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You want to build things that serve the audience that you already serve for free.
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This is how you go from relying on brand deals to building your own business.
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And, you know, selling, I understand that it's kind of an icky thing, right?
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You feel gross, but it doesn't have to feel like manipulation.
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You have to communicate this clearly though, because when you tell stories that help teach
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or inspire selling becomes an extension of who you are
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and what you serve
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because people aren't just buying the products like I said right
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they buy the trust they buy the emotion they buy the connection
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then built they buy who they are going to be after they buy this service
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or product all right that is everything on today's topic
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but of course as we all know now it's your turn these are all comments
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that have been left to me and picked out
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and sorted by my team so it is the first time I am seeing these for a rapid Q &A.
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Let's go.
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What do you do when you have a job and don't have time to post infinite content?
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You do just enough to not burn yourself out but
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if you want to turn it into a creative career then you're going to have to treat it more like a job.
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It really just depends if you see creating content as a form of expression
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or a lane you actually want to build a career off of.
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If you're going here, then you're going to have to work really, really hard at it.
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If you want to go here and just express yourself
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because these are hobbies that you enjoy and places that you like sharing, don't pressure yourself too hard.
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It's supposed to be fun.
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It's supposed to be a form of expression.
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So don't hold yourself to this standard of, I need to be posting multiple times a week in order to grow.
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None of that matters.
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Post what genuinely feels like you and what will make you happy without burning yourself out.
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Best camera movements.
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My favorite camera movement is this right here.
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Static, on a tripod, setting it up with the right lens, making sure I get the right focal length,
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the right lighting, and just delivering in front of the lens what I want to convey.
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I honestly don't think there is a better or more useful shot than the locked off tripod shot.
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What is the best FPS we should film at and why?
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I don't think there's a best, but I could tell you what I prefer.
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I prefer 24 frames a second because that's what movies.. were shot on
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and I understand that there are 60 frames a second there's 120
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and that's cool for slow -mo
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but for me personally
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I'm choosing 24 over 30 each time even though I know 30 is the social media thing to do
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but in my mid -30s I grew up watching movies shot on film
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and film was shot at 24 frames a second
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and there is a nostalgic aspect as to why I enjoy 24 frames a second.
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Well, that's all the questions we have.
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And if you have any, just leave them down below.
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And if you've made it this far, comment the word raccoon so we can confuse everybody and be like,
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why is there a bunch of raccoon comments?
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Just so I know y 'all are the real ones who stuck around this long.
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And before you leave, make sure you are subscribed to the free APCC newsletter for digestible content creation tips
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that will be sent to you every week, as well as highlighting some of our community's creators.
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And be sure to like and subscribe and turn the notification bell on because it really does matter to me.
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It makes me feel, it makes me feel loved, honestly.
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And lastly, follow me on the other platforms.
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You'll see it down below because I post different content depending on the platform.
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Anyways, I'll see y 'all back here.
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Same time, same place in two weeks.
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Peace.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “How To Be a Full Time Creator”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: content, creator, brand. This video has 241 sentences and 2921 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:24. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| creator noun | /kɹiːˈeɪ̯təː/ | Something or someone which creates or makes something. |
| storytelling noun | The act and skills of presenting stories and tales. | |
| hire verb | /ˈhaɪɹ/ | To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment. |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
| format noun | /ˈfɔːɹ.mæt/ | The layout of a publication or document. |
| gear noun | /ɡɪɚ/ | Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| edit verb | /ˈɛdɪt/ | To change a text, or a document. |
| viral adjective | /ˈvaɪɹəl/ | Of or relating to a biological virus. |
| algorithm noun | /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/ | A collection of ordered steps that solve a mathematical problem. A precise step-by-step plan for a computational procedure that possibly begins with an input… |
| consistency noun | /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/ | Local coherence. |
| niche noun | /nɪt͡ʃ/ | A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament. |
| tone noun | /ˈtəʊn/ | A specific pitch. |
| chase verb | /t͡ʃeɪs/ | To follow at speed. |
| angle noun | /ˈæŋ.ɡəl/ | A figure formed by two rays which start from a common point (a plane angle) or by three planes that intersect (a solid angle). |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| burn out verb | To destroy by fire. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) |
| get past verb | To continue around a blockage; to get around (something); to surpass something that is in the way. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| lock off verb | To keep (someone) out of (something or someplace) using a lock. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- The algorithm won't build your career.
- It's your legitimate portfolio on your page.
- It's your resume and your track record.
- What's your meal prep, your recovery routine?
- What connects everything you make?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've lived · I've worked · have repeated |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was built · be hired · be paid |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who may · ones who stuck |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 80 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: algorithm /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/, width /ˈwɪtθ/, thumbnail /ˈθʌm.neɪl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: extension /ɪkˈstɛnʃən/, ownership /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/, vacation /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, potentially /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/, transformation /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: consistency /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/, communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/, portfolio /pɔːtˈfəʊ.liˌəʊ/, potentially /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/, experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like creator, storytelling, hire.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.