Are you looking for ways to make money from home working on your own schedule?
Have you ever considered becoming a Freelance Content Creator?
If you think you know what this is, you might be wrong.
When I think of freelance, I think of writing, graphic design, or becoming a Virtual Assistant, but there’s another take on freelance that I never heard of before, and it’s all behind the scenes.
I had the pleasure of meeting Shannon Livingston in a Facebook group talking about what she does and I was so intrigued. She makes so much money she was able to retire her husband and continue to be a stay at home mom!
Of course, I was all over this and I wanted to know if this could be duplicated. And she said Yes!
She has a course that teaches others how to do the same but if any of you know my company and I, we need to verify EVERYTHING. Can this really be duplicated and is this legit?
So I found a student that took her course and found out she recently just finished her course and made $4,000 her first month after taking Shannon’s course!
We had to hear more so we asked if we could interview her to see how she was able to do it.
See how she went from being frustrated to earning an awesome new income doing something she enjoys with her kids by her side.
This job is perfect for moms, but even if you’re not a mom your earning potential could be even greater if you have more time.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
How to become a Freelance Content Creator
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started as a Freelance Content Creator?
My name is Sydney Smith and I’m a wife and mom based in the Sacramento area. Back in 2020, I decided to buy my first Sony camera and jump into the world of photography. At the time, my husband had just started his first job out of college and I wanted to bring in some side income to help save for a house. I tried so many different types of photography in an attempt to create a stable side income– senior portraits, real estate photography, even a full-blown wedding videography company! While I did find some success in those endeavors, it was never a constant flow of money, and I had to do a lot of marketing to find clients.
Fast forward to the fall of 2022– I was a new mom and desperately wanted to find a photography job that allowed me to work from home. We also were no closer to buying a house than we were in 2020 and we were super eager to find some way to continue saving for a down payment. So, after praying about it and searching for answers, I stumbled upon an online course that teaches regular moms how to make money taking recipe photos for bloggers (the course is called the Content Creator Lab by Shannon Livingston). Over the course of 6 weeks, I learned the ins and outs of content creation for bloggers, from finding the initial recipe to making the final sale to the blogger.
2. What exactly does a Freelance Content Creator do?
As a freelance content creator, I craft photo packages for food bloggers. I start by finding a recipe that I like and curate it to make it my own. Then I make and photograph that recipe from home! I typically do these photography shoots when my baby boy falls asleep in the evening so that I’m undisturbed for a couple of hours. Then, I edit and post the photo package the next day during his naps. I use an easy preset in Lightroom and post the photo package to my Shopify website and also blogger Facebook groups.
3. How much can you earn as a Freelance Content Creator?
The thing I love about this job is the income potential. I started selling at the very tail end of 2022, with each recipe package selling for about $285. Now, about 2 months later, I’m selling my photos for $420 a recipe. As you develop and refine your craft, you have the ability to charge more, and bloggers are happy and willing to pay extra for nice photos. In my first month alone, I made over $4k which had me hooked instantly. Everyone I talk to about this job wants to know how to get started– because why not work for yourself and make a great income? 🙂
4. How do you find work?
This is also a great perk of the job- you do all of your selling in specific buy-and-sell Facebook groups, which means you don’t have to aimlessly market yourself to everyone and anyone to make a sale. After I finish a photo package, I make a post in the Facebook groups and usually I’m able to sell that package within a couple of days. Nowadays, I’ve been building an email list, which makes the selling process even easier.
5. What type of skills do you think someone needs to possess to be successful in this role?
I think the #1 trait you need is discipline. I’ve been a freelancer for some time now, and I’ll be the first to admit it’s so easy to get sidetracked when you’re working from home and are surrounded by your TV, bed, social media, etc. Discipline is key to getting momentum and finishing everything on your to-do list.
As far as actual skills, having a background in photography is helpful. However, it’s absolutely not necessary. In the Content Creator Lab course, Shannon teaches the very basics of photography and how to get started. And YouTube has SO many awesome resources when it comes to learning about lighting, composition, editing, etc. It all comes back to discipline and how hard you are willing to work to develop new skills!
6. What tools or resources are needed to become a successful Content Creator?
If we’re talking practically, you will need to buy a basic DSLR or mirrorless camera. I was so nervous when I bought my first camera because they are expensive! Please try not to worry though. That piece of equipment is an investment in every sense of the word. You will make back that money quickly and your camera will just continue to help you make money. This also applies to your lens investment. Just do it!
I also use Adobe Lightroom, which is $10/month and Shopify, which I believe is only $1/month for your first 3 months (although Shopify is not necessary to get started).
7. What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a successful Content Creator?
Be persistent! Your photography and recipe ideas will improve and be perfected over time. You’ll also know how to better sell to bloggers once you’ve made your first few sales and see the trend of what’s selling and what’s not. There are other content creators who take mediocre photos and get mediocre sales (not to bash on anyone, it’s just a reality). Which is fine if you just want a bit of side income! But there are so many resources out there that can help you level up your photos and make the income you want and deserve. Keep at it and you can attain your goals.
8. How do you manage your time between your business and your kids (assuming you have kids, if you don’t then can you give us an example of a typical work week)
I feel like I’ve gotten into a nice groove now that my son is napping well. I typically do 3 recipes a week and I work while he’s sleeping, so that would be in the evening right after he goes to bed or during his day naps. I love this schedule because I know I can be 100% there with him when he’s awake– playing, laughing, and exploring all over the place. This job really only requires me to work part-time, and I could work less or more if I want to. So if I were doing 3 recipes a week, my work week would like something like this–
Monday: recipe shoot in the evening (3 hours), Tuesday: editing and posting recipe (2 hours), Wednesday: recipe shoot in the evening (3 hours), Thursday: editing and posting recipe (2 hours), Thursday night: recipe shoot in the evening (3 hours), Friday: editing and posting recipe (2 hours).
I definitely change it up based on my schedule for the week, but it’s very flexible. I just try to make sure I get those 3 recipe shoots done each week. It’s a balancing act, but it’s well worth it!
Thank you so much, Sydney for a wonderful interview! Wasn’t this helpful?
So, what do you think? Is this something you want to try? Shannon put on a wonderful FREE masterclass that helps us further understand how this works, how she’s able to charge $100/hr., and she shares pictures and examples of what this work looks like.
If you want the flexibility to live a life on your own terms, check out the masterclass here.
For additional ways to make money from home, download our free ebook.
