Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Concepcion.
Hi Jesse, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Hey! Before we start, I would like to thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my journey with others.
As someone who was born in 1999, I grew up in an era where videos on the internet have taken off. I remember huddling around with my older brother and his friends, watching viral YouTube videos on the computer in our basement. Like many others in my generation, we continue to entertain ourselves with online videos and some of us decided to jump aboard and start making them.
In 2013, I was talking to my best friend at the time and we both decided to start up a channel on YouTube. Originally, it was called “WolfensProductions” and we took a low-quality $20 camera and just vlogged our adventures. Even though the videos were terrible, I was glad that I was able to capture fond childhood memories. However, after about a month, his mom found out we were posting videos on YouTube and he had to stop appearing in them. But I decided to keep making videos by myself and with other friends.
I continued to keep creating fun vlogs and skits with my close friends all the way up to high school. Various friends over the years help support me, whether it’s appearing in skits, or helping me on the technical side. I’ll always be grateful for their help, and I’m proud that I’m able to retain fun memories through the videos we created.
Over time the quality of the videos, my knowledge of producing videos, and my viewership have risen. It was no longer just people in my school watching, it was others around the world. During high school, I started to create more complex videos in order to meet the new demand. I started to get more stressed about producing videos up to a point where it wasn’t fun anymore. I started to upload less, and shortly after I graduated high school I got burned out and completely stopped. I still wanted to make videos, but I worried too much about engagement and views that I get incredibly disappointed if it doesn’t perform well.
Eventually, a new app came along called TikTok. After seeing a lot of ads advertising the app, I decided to try it out. In early 2019, I downloaded the app and started posting. I used my knowledge of creating videos on YouTube and applied it to how I make my TikToks. Within the first week, I already reached a large audience and surpassed the number of followers I gained on YouTube in the past 6 years. I finally found a new platform to “restart” and post fun videos again. I continued to keep building the community and gained a sizeable audience.
While I gained a sizeable audience, I always remind myself to not fall into the same trap I did with YouTube. And I’ll be very honest, it’s hard not to do so. Many other creators on the platform including the friends I had made through TikTok all struggle through this. It’s easy to look at a drop in views, and think to yourself that you did something wrong. However, most of us start on the platform with the intention to have fun. We just have to keep reminding ourselves why we started making videos.
The opportunities that I gained from TikTok were unimaginable. From working with big brands, and music artists to getting an invite to participate in a game show. The past support I received from friends and their belief in me helped me gain these opportunities. And in turn, I use the platform I was given to help others. Whether it’s making a video to help benefit another person’s aspirations, or creating a personal happy birthday video for a supporter in Australia, I want to use my platform to support people and will continue to do so wherever the future takes me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh most definitely not. Over the years as viewership has risen, I started to get more stressed about creating videos. Like many other online creators, we start to worry about how well a video is performing. We worry about engagement, views, and a host of other factors. This, in turn, can make producing a video stressful and unpleasant. It’s not just a huge problem with me, it’s with every single creator online. I always have to remind myself of the reason why I post. While I mostly got over worrying about how well a video is going to perform, I still time to time struggle with this.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As I mentioned before, when I first started off, I created mainly vlogs and skits with friends. When I made the transition over to TikTok, I started to create relatable comedy videos and even outrageous storytime videos. I’m definitely proud of the community and the memories I built up over the years. I also stay true to myself. There are certain activities that an online creator can do to build an audience. Some creators who decide to pursue these actions usually bring negativity to a platform. I don’t want to be a “fake person” and bring negativity to someone’s life. I am well aware of what I can do to quickly build an audience. However, I always remind myself to be myself.
As I further progress, I hope to implement other goals. I’m still currently in the planning phase and I can’t say much about it yet, but when it does come out, it’ll be big to me personally.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If anyone reading this decides to start creating content online, here’s some advice. Whatever your ultimate goal is, remember to have fun and enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy what you make, you will definitely burn out. Also, stay true to yourself. Don’t try to be somebody you’re not just because you think it will do well with viewers. And lastly, consistency is key. I’ll admit, I struggle with this. However, in the months I was consistent with posting videos on TikTok, I experienced my greatest growth in viewership. Find a posting schedule that works with you, and be persistent. Not every video will do well, and that’s okay.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supitsjesse_/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SupItsJesse
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcKxFsq6EQybo_FAoggQ7Wg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@supitsjesse
