"We need to really educate our creators on how to do this sustainably as a business, authentically as a human being, and how to take care of themselves. It's important to draw the line that you as a person are your true value. Your value is not your profile, followers, or business numbers. Your value is you as a human being, and that is the most important thing. Secondly, you must be able to take breaks, just as any job requires 21 or 14 days of leave, to switch off, mentally reset, and be present with things that matter. Next, you need to put your phone away, and go on airplane mode daily, because many of us, not just creators, are scrolling before we sleep if we're not careful." - Karl Mak
"You really need to understand what's going to pay the bills, especially in Asia. The Asia model of being a creator is very different from the US. In the US, tech companies pay $10 to $15 per thousand views. You get a dollar in Indonesia and $3 in Singapore per thousand views. Because of low CPMs in Asia, you need other sources of income, which is why I distill it into multiple revenue streams. The first layer is your CPM, which won't pay the bills. Almost always, you need a second layer, which is often brand deals. Brand deals will form the majority of your income. Working with brands requires a special skill set and a different mindset because you're dealing with professional marketers and advertisers who are always rushing, with tight timelines and high expectations for service delivery, which many young creators cannot provide." - Karl Mak
"At a very extreme level, you can never walk around the mall with your family without being bothered. You can never be unrecognized, like a fly on the wall in a room where nobody knows who you are, which is an interesting feeling they miss. The more unspoken part of this business or being famous is that you lose your sanity because of the constant dopamine hit. You need to keep posting and getting engagement, and over a long period, this leads to burnout. They burn out personally and from a creative side. They spiral into an identity crisis where their real identity blends into their onscreen identity, making them question, ‘Who am I, really?’ It almost becomes a very bad habit where everything needs to be documented. If you go for a meal, a holiday, or your honeymoon, everything is documented." - Karl Mak
In this episode, Jeremy Au speaks on the viral memes founder journey, price of fame, and Hepmil Media evolution.
Keywords: Karl Mak, Viral Memes Founder, Price of Fame, Hepmil Media Evolution, Singapore, Startup, Creators, Founder Story
