Lights, Camera— Social Media! ✨🎥 Shop My Faerie Tech Recommendations
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items We ALWAYS want to create to 1. Serve (and serve ✨), but also 2. Serve ourselves which means MONETIZE. You must have a plan to make money if this is a full time gig plan. When you start making money, think about business structures to protect yourself legally, get tax benefits, and have small business insurance.
Other creators with recommendations I took research from include Ali Abdaal, however, I'm not a fan of his recommendations as he puts you on an expensive non-4k camera at lower budgets, when it's better to just be using your phone at that point.
Tier 1: $0-$50 Gear, Software & Legal
[Click here for advice] All you need is your phone, lights, and maybe a few add-ons. And maybe a matcha ✨
Make sure to adjust your phone to “4k” setting and look how to optimize online.
I got held back for years for not having the “right” gear (and cursing my cheap $100 Chromebook) when really you can start where you are easily and for free or low cost!
Phones for filming: I'm really partial to Google Pixel. Something about the way they record has been very cinematic for me, and they have $0 for 24 months financing options. Apple however, runs the world. If your phone quality is a poo potato, consid... You don't need a lot to be great.
Basically you have a Wordpress, install themes (designs), and then different plug-ins to make the website do different things (like collect emails via MailPoet).
Tyler Moore is my favorite creator to walk through creating a more complex Wordpress process step by step:
Create a Wordpress store: youtube.com/watch?v=facMcbWB0jI.
Create Wordpress Blog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-YCczLx3mk
These will require paid subscriptions like Elementor (for design) or Wordpress Business (for more advanced site use), so use these more complex themes when you're ready to invest.
You can also now design Wordpress designs in vibe coding like Lovable and install into Wordpress.
When you want analytics to track visitors, look into Meta's pixel, a free resource for business pages to track.
Other options for selling include:
- Gumroad
- Shopify (more complex, in my opinion)
- Stanstore (also has linked email list which is great)
For linking products, we want to look into Benable and Shopmy when established. if you already have a social media presence, consider the Amazon influencer. Really think about what people need or what you know is useful though rather than sell to sel...
Contrapoints is one of the creators I've seen build more complex, longer Youtube videos without advertisements because of Patreon.
$50-500 Gear, Software & Legal
[Click here for advice] Ok, we're putting a little money in. Your phone is still the best you can get for 4k video. We're looking for lighting & sound quality as well as getting set up to build communities and earn/sell. Use the below to enhance!
Make sure to adjust your phone to “4k” setting and look how to optimize online.
Phones for filming: I'm really partial to Google Pixel, even the older models. Something about the way they record has been very cinematic for me, and they have $0 for 24 months financing options. Apple however, runs the world. If your phone quality ...
Aluminum is great for being lightweight.
Everyone should have one of these. It's my number one purchase in the world. I know it's more expensive ($30?!!)- the price has somehow *magically* doubled since four years ago- but it's well worth the money and saved carpal tunnel.
For linking products, we want to look into Benable. Shopmy if you already have a social media presence, and the Amazon influencer. For products, look into .
$500-$1,000 Gear, Software & Legal
[Click here for advice] Ok, we have a little gas in this pan. Let's see how we can up lights, sound, software, storage, and potentially a better camera. If you really want a better quality camera, consider the buy-now pay-later options. We don't want...
Get our tech stack up with CANVA (a lady's best friend). This really does everything so well for social media and can even do ANIMATION and video editing.
If we're still filming via phone: make sure to adjust your phone to “4k” setting and look how to optimize online.
Phones for filming: I'm really partial to Google Pixel. Something about the way they record has been very cinematic for me, and they have $0 for 24 months financing options. Apple however, runs the world. If your phone quality is a poo potato, consid...
You'll also want to look into:
- Forming a legal business entity for legal protection and potential tax deductions as money ramps up. In the U.S., this is usually an LLC. Think about formations like an S-Corp when making over one hundred thousand dollars. You can easily do this yourself for a few hundred dollars. For safety, look into anonymous LLCs
- Buying small business insurance.
- Have legal forms for any
- If you're booking clients, look into Software like Calendly to book and Zoom (or others) for video meetings.
- Consider scheduling social media posts with software like Later or Hootsuite.
If you pay yourself or employees, look into software like Gusto to meet legal requirements.
They keep making this better and the matcha-fueled women on TikTok keep making more and more useful tutorials.
Kajabi also has two-factor authentication while others don't which means you could lose the site to hackers.
Another alternative is Thinkific which is a similar Teachable platform in similar pricing. If someone suggests “Whop”, tell them to get lost. Because they hate you and themselves, and you will get lost using this platform.
My cheap recommendation? If you're just starting with a course, create on Teachable to be cheaper, then transition to Kajabi once it's live.
Circle is another alternative, but I'm not in love. Too
$1,000+ Gear, Software & Legal
[Click here for advice] Now we can look into 4k cameras. We recommend looking into buy-now, pay later if these are out of reach. Never take on debt that doesn't feel comfortable though. I keep two cameras on hand ever since I had one be destroyed and...
You'll also look into:
- Forming a legal business entity for legal protection and potential tax deductions as money ramps up. In the U.S., this is usually an LLC. Think about formations like an S-Corp when making over one hundred thousand dollars. You can easily do this yourself for a few hundred dollars. For safety, look into anonymous LLCs - Buying small business insurance. - Have legal forms for any - If you're booking clients, look into Software like Calendly to book and Zoom (or others) for video meetings. - Consider scheduling social media posts with software like Later or Hootsui...
I'm a fan of this kit (more expensive than others) because you're not buying individual lenses but have different options.
You'll also want a mounted, off-camera mic for really effective sound for some content creators, but honestly I haven't ventured into these grounds, so I wouldn't have a recommendation. Ali Abdaal has some:
Better for negotiating brand deals (or posing as your own personal assistant Dave to not have to deal with weird disrespect).
Internet Security 🔒
Yeah, we're not getting hacked. Here's security tips everyone should know and use.
Certain banks allow FIDO keys, and being these are so difficult to hack (around $11,000 per key), they offer specialized security. I recommend securing your social media platforms like instagram with as well. It's all fun and games till you try to co...
This is expensive ($50). Find alternatives around $12 on Amazon under “Security key”. However this is considered the most secure, reliable option.
Better yet, you can choose VPN's around the world. For example, if you travel, hook back into a VPN in your home country to be able to access what you can't ourside country borders (You will NOT stop me from my show).
Other ones people recommend, and I've also used include ExpressVPN and NordVPN. They're all pretty comparable. Mullvad is a really anonymous one, but you have to make sure to not lose the security key.
Not only do you feel cool and hacky with a “proton.me” or “pm.me” address, but you also know your emails are encrypted with greater protection than Gmail. Security keys and wiping your IP addresses are also allowed. Also secure VPN and Drive bundles.
Also low, price, good ethics, makes you feel very hackery. I've used Proton for convenience (and it can be good to have two), but Mullvad is the most offline, no one can hack me internet activity disguise. Like their logo, you're now an invisible mol...
For a low cost of 12 euros (a little more than $1 a month), you can have an ad-free, green-energy run email inbox. Remember, while we love our Gmail, if you're not paying, you're the product.
Anti-Tech Neck
We'e bending down, looking at screens all day. That's anti-hotness. Let's fix that! Before we pay chiropractors down the road.