The NEW Way to Win As A Content Creator in 2026

Do you feel like when you post, you just cross your fingers and hope? Or are you afraid to post videos content online because you you lack the confidence of what it can do for you? Chances are you are missing the content creation secret, which I have discovered after amassing over 3,000,000 subscribers online, getting hundreds of thousands of views a day, and really not changing what I've been doing this whole time. And if we've never met before, my name is Omar Al Takrori. Welcome to the department. I am met with my bro, art dot m p four. What it do, baby boo? Let's go. We are actually live right now. And at the time of recording or capturing this and what we have, we have AI switching for us. If you like how this looks and sounds, uh, we actually put all our gear in the description below. But But so glad that you're here, and I really wanna just jump straight into it because I I've been creating content for two decades, and I really haven't changed what I'm about to share with you right now. But the biggest thing I've discovered is the first level of confidence truly comes from how you decide on how you wanna show up online. So question for you is, do you like Mexican food? No. Not really, honestly. You're Mexican. I'm just kidding. Yes. Yes. Who doesn't like Mexican food? If you if if you like Mexican food, you probably have a Samsung Galaxy. Just kidding. Uh, people just got offended. Okay. Here's here's why I asked you this question. I asked you this question because I think a lot of our overthinking when it comes to showing up online, when it comes to posting online is because we don't have confidence in the content format in which we're showing up online. And I bring up Mexican food because something I've discovered about Mexican food specifically in The United States, not in actual Mexico. Yes. Specifically, Americanized. Americanized Mexican food is simply this right here and that is all Mexican food is the same. It doesn't matter if you have a burrito, it doesn't matter if you have a taco, it doesn't matter if you have an enchilada, and it doesn't matter if you have a salad. All Mexican dishes in The United States are made from the same ingredients. At me, fight me, I don't care what you think about. That's just the truth. K? Now here's the thing. We still go back and we always get Mexican food. If you're like me, every day you eat Mexican food or almost every day, and I switch between all those things. But the expectation of what I'm getting is is the same. It's the same expectation. It's why Chipotle can just have a bar that never changes or or Cafe Rio can have a bar that never changes or shout out to Roberto's. It it the ingredients never change. I say that to say content formats are the same way. And if you're somebody who wants to make money online with the content you're creating, I have boiled down the content formats into four. There are four kinds of content formats, and what's crazy is we're actually doing two out of the four literally right now. But the first content format that you can decide on how you show up on is a vlog style or a vlog content format. The next kind of content format you can show up on is talking head. The third is live stream, and the fourth is video podcast. Vlogging, talking head, live streaming, and video podcasting. When I say those things, I want you to consider which one do you enjoy looking or consuming at the most? Like, what do you actually enjoy consuming online? And I would ask you. I know. I mean, you're not crazy on YouTube. You're Gen Z, so you're crazy on TikTok. TikTok. But But, I mean, I consume YouTube sometimes. Yeah. So, like, you're when you think about the creators you like to follow, who do you like to follow? Or what? On YouTube. Yeah. What kind of format? What kind of format do you enjoy consuming? I wonder if this is a valid answer. But right now, it's interest based, so it kinda changes. So I wouldn't say I'm, like, specific on podcast. I'm specific on, like, vlog style creators. It's kinda whatever comes with my interest. So Sure. If it's a podcast talking about the thing I like, then I will consume it. But which proves my point. Yeah. The interest is the ingredient. Yes. The format is the vehicle. It's the plate. So I don't I I mean, you you're you're you're agreeing with the point that it doesn't matter the information, but I I wanna know just from your standpoint, like, do which one do you enjoy watching or consuming? Or what do you find yourself doing more often? And if you're watching live or listening live, throw in the chat which one do you consider you find yourself clicking on the most when you open up the YouTube app. I guess it would be considered vlog I would agree. Style content. Well, because, like Even if the content isn't, like, inherently, like, named a vlog. No. You know? And and I'll break this down in just a moment, but I am the same way. I enjoy YouTube golf. What is YouTube golf? YouTube golf is a vlog. Uh, I enjoy Matt Armstrong. He's a he has a car YouTube channel, but he vlogs. And but then I'll go on YouTube, and I also watch video podcasts. So I would say I'm almost like on the vlog side and the video podcast side. Would love to know, you know, when you think about the types of content that really you enjoy watching, whether it's educational value or entertainment value. But I I bring this up because these all they they are important because they align with how you show up, but they're also very important because if you're if you if you try go and do a a video podcast, even though you're the type of person that should probably have a talking head YouTube channel or a a vlogging YouTube channel, then you could literally you're doing the right thing by showing up online, but you're showing up the wrong way. And so I think it's so important that we consider you usually decide on your content format based on the kind of content you like to consume. Got it. And I found, like, the reason why I went all in with video podcasting, this was after years of making the same kind of video in different content formats. I used to make this video every so often, maybe two, three times a year. It's called the best camera for YouTube. I made that video in talking head format. I've made that video in livestream format. I made that video in video podcast format, and I made that video in vlogging format. And you were in that like, I remember you came with me to the park when I tested those cameras. And so I I learned I learned myself in showing up with this variety of ways of showing up. But the reason why I decided on a video podcast because I realized I was a conversationalist. Like, I I'd rather deliver the information in a conversational manner as opposed to a polished manner. Right. You know, scripted manner. What's interesting is other outlets that you deliver information in, like different contexts, you're still that way. Like, it still bleeds through the context of how you deliver something. No. Just pure, like, conversationalist. I John Maxwell, leadership expert, would say there are speakers who write, and then there's also writers who speak. There's people who, like, love to sit down. I mean, Annabelle, who's on the team, she likes to write and then speak. Right. Me, I'll I'll speak. And then from what I've spoken, it it'll create content from what I said because and yeah, it takes some time to, like, put some stuff down, but it really is just, uh, I'm a speaker who writes. You're a yapper. I'm a yap. I'm a professional yapper. Okay. So real quick, let's go pros and cons. What's pros and cons of each one? Because you're considering, alright. I'm gonna I'm gonna lock in. I'm gonna pick one of these. Pros and cons of vlogging. Uh, let's start with the pros and then we'll go cons. The pro for vlogging is it probably is the easiest way to show up because it requires the least amount of tech. It requires the least amount of production value. The production value in vlogging, a lot of it is just you using the natural light, the sun, uh, or whatever lights you have available to you in your space. And then, uh, the the the change of scenery reengages the audience. These are all pros. You could just use your phone. Phone does a great job. Go outside and you you talk to your phone. And then when you when you create vlogs, when I say vlogs, I don't mean random vlogs. I don't mean vlogmas in December. I don't mean just showing your day and that's all you're doing. No. I'm saying you could you could take the information you wanna deliver and you could you're using the vehicle or the plate. The style. The style, the content format. And so vlogs are cool because if you deliver it chronological, there's very minimal editing. Right? You're you're, like, you're literally just delivering what you have mapped out in a chronological manner, changing the scene, using whatever space in place or outside to film, which is really good. Now what's the con for vlogging? I actually think the con for vlogging is it's not systemized. You don't there when you have a setup, you have a system, and you have to create a system within your calendar or system with how you create. Uh, also, you know, you have the pro of your background constantly changing. It's good, but then it's also a bad thing because you can't control airplanes flying, whatever, AC turning on. I don't know. Like, whatever. If the space isn't conducive for you to film, it can be a distraction. Yeah. But, yeah, there's no system in place like the other three. And that some people need if you wanna batch record content, you just wanna just, like if that's you, if you're like, dude, if I just had a space where I can just just, like, sit at a chair and then it and it's ready to go, then you would probably wanna consider the other three. So that's a con, is not being able to control your environment totally. Uh, the time of day, you can only record at a certain time of day that that messes with things, uh, for vlogs. And then and then honestly, it's the I think on a consumption on a consumption standpoint, the person watching you as a vlogger, I just think I take vloggers more casually than I do podcasters. 100. I take vloggers more casually than talking head YouTube videos because Yeah. Because it's just like it's it's very what is it? I mean, it's not a bad thing to be relatable. It's just super casual. Like, Casey Neissat is a giant and a very influential human being and super smart dude. But watching his vlog, I feel close to him. And because you feel close to somebody, you can feel a level of, you know, familiarity. Yeah. So naturally, it's It creates a celebrity factor Yeah. But it might not create a high conversion factor. It's really good. Because if if Kate see, I speak and then write. I need to write that down. And we AI, catch that. No. But you're you're right. I love Casey Neistat, bro. And he he's still he's still doing the thing because he realized this is the way I love showing up. He's a great storyteller, but he doesn't create the feeling in me that I want to buy something from him, which that's not his objective either. And he's getting brand deals and all that stuff. So he does other things. Okay. So I was vlogging. Talking head. Pros of talking head, showing up talking head. Number one is having a stationary setup, which I'll get to in just a moment. I'm gonna break this is about to your mind's about to explode once we get through this portion. Yeah. Wait. Hold on. Pause. What? Someone said art Art's mic is good, but Omar Mike is different. How so? I don't know. I just wanna make sure it's good. Yeah. Or is it the back? Are we good with the the back? Is it good? Oh, I see. Is that was it too high? Yeah. Alright. So we should be good. This is why livestream hey. Shout out to you. Who was that? That was Jessica. Thanks, Jessica. Thanks for saying something, Jessica. Yeah. Is it good now? We can It should be good now. Says Omar's mic sounds like an echo. Okay. Not as condemned. This dude's typing funny. How about now? Does it sound good now? Go ahead ahead and throw it in the chat if it sounds good now. Alright. Cool. Let's go. This is amazing. Let's go. This is live. Live. And so talking head is great because you can have a setup where all you do is sit and deliver. I'm seeing a lot of CEOs blow up online or blow up on YouTube, and their choice of format is talking head. Most high level people need a system to do a repeated task. A lot of creatives don't need necessarily a system. You could just, you know, turn on cameras and go. But this is what's cool about having a talking headset. The pro of it is it's consistent. You can control the the quality, the great audio, great lighting, things like that. What's the downside to having talking head videos be your content format? Well, your words better be strong. Your delivery better be great. You your content needs to be more rich because your words carry the video. And with less things changing on screen, a lot of people will probably argue that if you go talking head, you're gonna want some production value. You're gonna want some good editing and maybe some visual elements in your edit, um, motion graphics and things like that. It's kinda hard to, like, crush it talking head and just and just yap. Okay? So that's the pro and con for Talking Head. We'll go livestream. Livestream, number one pro is that you're done when you're done. Like, when this podcast ends, the podcast production ends. Yes. Which if you're someone who feels like editing is an obstacle, consider just going live because you can do all the preparation and then deliver. And then when you're done, you're done. That's the pro of livestreaming. I mean, now, I'm gonna just give you a real quick livestream framework. If you wanna go live, the framework that I'm implementing literally right now is number one, treat your livestream like a normal video. Don't treat it like a livestream. The biggest mistake people who go live make is they treat it like a livestream. The the reason why I say this is because the replay value of your livestream will get more views if you do what I say. If you treat it like a regular video. So what do you how do you treat something like a regular video? You come prepared. You have a hook. You have a title. You have a thumbnail. Like, before we turned on cameras, we packaged this conversation and then we went live. Most people will will just go live and then try to figure it out later or they'll just leave it. But if you go live and you don't start strong, you don't get right into the information, people who click on it later will just swipe away. And so that's why your livestreams don't perform well is because you don't do the first thing and that is treat it like a regular video, not like a livestream. Now you can engage in your chat, but do that throughout the delivery, not at the beginning of your delivery. Right. Like, we got that chat in here. We got 57 people on. Let's go. So there's that. Uh, what's what's a con? The con to the livestream is that if the tech ain't techin If it's not techin. So, like, I actually wonder if this is gonna tank because, like, my audio wasn't good. But we'll find out later, and that's okay. I know that at least the audio experience will be good. But yeah. I mean, if something goes wrong in the middle of the thing, obviously, we're live. But there that sometimes is a a pro too because there it shows the realness of the person. Like, the the levels of consumption is intermittent, immersive, and intimate. Intermittent, which is like short form, immersive, which is like long form, and intimate. When thing when I sneeze or if you cough or if we're like, hold up, what's happening? That actually deepens trust, as weird as it sounds. So it it kinda plays in your favor. And then same with, like, the talking head. You can have a setup to go live. Like, my desk setup, I mean, I can just I can go live like that. We're using a Rode switcher right now. Like, we we can go live. And it's auto switching right now. And so that's really cool. And then the last thing is video podcast. I chose video podcast to show up online as my content format because number one, like I mentioned, I'm a conversationalist. And number two, after testing all of these versions of formats with the same kind of information, I found not only do I enjoy it more, I realized that it retains longer attention. Uh, I realized that there are people who position themselves psychologic psychologically to consume a podcast are a higher level human being. And I say that because not all viewers are created equal. Some people are doom scrolling. Some people are vegging out. But usually, you're not vegging out if you're listening to a podcast to become better. Right. So what what's the what's the con to a podcast? I guess a con could be the guest factor. You're probably wondering, like, where do I get guests? The production factor because you do want it to sound good and look good. You know, the what do I talk about for a long period of time? So, like, if if if you struggle with those things, then maybe talking head's the the way for you to go. But I was mentioning before I broke these down that we're doing two at once right now, which I guess you could say kinda three. What's the third one? Well, I mean, this is kind of Talking Head. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's just yeah. Okay. But it's podcast because you're here. Right. By the way, it's not podcast because we have these mics. Some people were like, oh I mean I mean, because we could have labs right now and Yeah. Just talk. So I think some people feel like they need these mics or something. But we're live streaming. I'm delivering a teaching like I would if I was a talking head, but this is a video podcast. Yes. It will be a vlog because we'll cut to the vlog camera right now. No. Hey, I'm not guys. Welcome back to the channel. Like, subscribe. By the way, if you're not subscribed to the channel, subscribe. A lot of people watch this podcast, and they they're not subscribers. 73% of you. Is that really Yes. Dang. 73% of those who watch this channel are not subscribed, so I'm looking forward to jumping. Now that that is the content format. I want you to think about, man, have I been showing up the wrong way? I want you to think about have is there another way I could show up? And the the thing about starting a video podcast like a pro, just go rent a studio. Go go pay for an hour or two hours. They already have the cameras. They already have the mics. They might even include the editing. Then all you have to do is focus on the content. All you have to do is focus on getting the guests. All you have do is focus on and I I I'm biased. I do love podcasting for a myriad of reasons, how it's changed my my life to even have one. But I even think about someone who's winning in our coaching program like crazy right now, Jasmine Mays, who she's just like, I wanna I think I wanna start a podcast. And it's like, amazing. What do I do? I invite people to my house, and they're like, what gear do I buy? I said, go to a studio. Here's here's one that I know. Use them, and you could look at her podcast. It's single and saved. She has about 16 episodes or so at the time of filming this, and she has 8,000 subscribers. She's had a few podcasts or a podcast go over a 100,000 views. And it's so cool because she's not only building this community, but she's also the creator expect or the the audience expectation. I think some people undermine the expectation you create for your audience through your consistency. And you, as the creator, as the CEO of your content, create the expectation the audience has from your content. And so another reason why I chose video podcasting was because I wanted to create the expectation that when people click on these videos on YouTube that you are maybe you have your notepad out. Maybe you feel like you're gonna come come back and watch this video again. I personally haven't watched too many talking head videos back over again, but I have consumed podcasts multiple times because it's so rich. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's cool that you freed her up with not needing, like, the gear because that is a pretty big part and a stressful part for most people and sometimes not always accessible either. But she really locked in with a a local studio here in Vegas, and because she did that, she unlocked consistency for herself and also unlocked a level of, like, what's the word? Like, professionalism, or she just looks the part because the set is just, like, it's just dialed. Yeah. Which which kinda goes to, like, the framework I was really gonna get to. That was the intro. But what? I know. Bro, we're done, bro. That was the intro. You can't bottle me in, bro. You're trying to bottle me in, You can't stop a yapping, bro. You can't stop a yapping from yapping. But I through all the years I've created content, both in high school to as a agency owner to working at a church to then creating on Think Media to, like, the department and this channel now, I have been implementing this framework from the scriptures, and I am still doing that. And it still works. It's a framework from Genesis one, and it actually is looking at when God created the heavens and the earth. When when, like, God created. And if if God if we if God is the creator, we can look at how he created and draw principles from it. Now I came up with this framework before I even arrived to this. Someone in my program was like, bro, you didn't realize, but your framework on creating is from Genesis one. So shout out to Kirk Nugent. Kirk Kirk Nugent Yes. Who who made this connection. But the secret to content creation is found in Genesis one, and we'll start and I'll wait. Should I just list it all out for the type a's, or should I, like, go live my longest cliffhanger I'm on right now. I know. Isn't that good? I'm such a marketer. Start with type a's. So for the type a's, it says in Genesis one it says, in the beginning, God created, and this is how he created. It says, and God said, let there be light. And there was light. And then it says, God saw the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. So here are three, and it order matters here. This is how you unlock content no matter what format you decide on. Your audio, your lighting, and your visuals. Your audio, your lighting, your visuals. Now when I say that, you probably go, okay. What microphone? Okay. What light? Like, Amaran light, whatever, Viltrox or whatever. Ulanzi. When I say visual, you're probably like camera and lens. No. Audio lighting visual is so much more principally when it comes to your content than you realize. So the first thing is how is my audio? Did you realize you cannot spell the word audience without the word audio? Art was like, yeah. No. You can't even spell the word community without communication. The both of those words have the same prefix because the way you get the masses is by what you're saying. And I think this is a very underrated thing because you if you're not happy with where you are in life, chances are is the things coming out of your mouth in all capacity in in all context, but in this content, the the what's coming out of your mouth in your content has a direct correlation to the quality of life you're experiencing. I used to say that audio is 50% of the video viewing experience. I actually believe audio is like 93% of the video viewing experience Because it's actually your words that create the thoughts and the pictures in a person's mind. And if you influence what people see differently because of the words you said in your video, that is most important. I've I've just learned that it really is audio that creates intimacy with your viewers. Your audio and when I I keep coming back to, like, what comes out of your mouth, but it's also yeah. Also, technically. Like Yeah. If if people have to work to hear your videos that's why I'm kinda bummed about the podcast. Hopefully, it's, like, not too bad. But, like, if somebody had to work to start listening to this thing, that's why they clicked off. Yeah. And so Art's like, great, dude. I'm out of a job. No. Yeah, it is interesting that, like, yeah, the first thing people had to say was like, oh, like, Art's mic is a little louder or Omar's a little quiet. Yeah. So, like, it you if you know how important audio is, you would take it serious. Yeah. And this is why, like, I think it's both it's both in what you say and how it's heard. What you say and how it's heard. You could say something profound, but if the audio is peaking, it doesn't matter. Have you ever watched a crispy video and the audio just wasn't good? Have you ever watched a pretty bad video, but the audio was good? Well, people are building audiences online right now in their cars because the audio is great in a car. And then what they're saying is great. So like, I used to teach this and I go very technical, but the the reality is is how are you if you were to evaluate yourself as a communicator? The communicator of your concepts, do you even have concepts to communicate? Are you communicating concepts in your videos? Are you getting frameworks in front of people so that they can see whatever you're trying to talk about clearly, more approachable, more accessible? Like, I started this conversation with an illustration so I can connect everybody on the same page. Who here likes Mexican food? Like, that that is a that that that's because I'm a communicator. Yeah. And I know this isn't a communication podcast or episode, but, I mean, what's, like, a, like, a simple piece of advice for someone to, like, get there to get to that level? Yeah. If you wanna become a better communicator Mhmm. Just care. If if if you care more about who you're talking to, it will influence how you talk to them. That's good. So, I mean, what's I would I mean, maybe another way to ask your question is, what's the number one goal of communication? The number one goal of communication is connection. Yep. And if I'm just trying to project on you what I believe and I want and I like and I and the me me me, it's never gonna it's gonna be a very hard time to connect. Yeah. But if I could find a connection point, like and this is why speaking in frameworks or having shapes or formulas and blueprints and, like, having these things help people understand it more. But another here's a practical thing. If you wanna get a if you wanna get better as a communicator, listen to your videos without watching them. Listen to your videos without watching them. So turn your phone upside down and listen. Here's what's gonna happen. You're going to find all your filler words like, um, like, like. Yeah. This is a really fast way to get better. It'll be like Immediately. It'll hurt you, but you'll really wanna make the change quick. Or maybe you talk too stinking fast. Yeah. And you don't realize it because when you're watching you talk, you're including your hands, and it's like your hands moving at the speed of your sound makes it seem slower. And I think a lot of a lot of experts speak so fast, and it's because a lot of experts are poor communicators. You don't have to be a great communicator to be an expert. But experts who know how to communicate make a lot of money. A lot of money. If you're an expert and you are discouraged at your current financial situation, get better at talking. Warren Buffett says, if you increase your ability to communicate, you can increase your value 50%. That singular skill can increase you 50% of value. And and this is not just communicate on camera even though that's important. It's just communicate in general. Like, people who suck at talking, like, they don't have value in any room, in any space, at the dinner table, at at Thanksgiving, at, like, at a mastermind. If if you're just if you're awkward and you don't know what to and and by the way, just because you consider yourself an introvert doesn't mean you that gives you an excuse to be a poor communicator. All an introvert is, by the way let me just make this plain for all my introverts and extroverts. All an introvert is is somebody who gets more energy from being alone than being around people. All an extrovert is is a person who gets more energy being around people than being alone. That's the only thing. Introverts aren't just weird, or introverts aren't, like, kept to them no. It just means where you get your energy from, bro. So stop saying, like, I'm weird because I'm an introvert, and that that makes me be operate in mediocrity. Seems like the word introvert became a mask for the word social anxiety. I think that's what happened. Potentially. But then, no, that's just people skills. That's communication skills. That's you know, you're still human. Would you say and we'll, like, get off this tangent in a second, but would you say you sucked at some point at talking? For sure. Everyone sucked. Everyone who starts talking sucks at talking. Or they don't talk enough. Like, the first episode, you're you're trying to get us to talk more on the pod. For sure. But being like, I mean, just and that talk about a benefit for having not only a a podcast, but a benefit from giving myself the not not giving myself the excuse to just not show up weekly, but me me showing up weekly in long form content Mhmm. Has made me a better communicator. Yeah. Why? Because I'm listening to it back. Yes. And I'm like, wow. And and what's funny is now people tell me I'm really good at communicating, and I think a lot of it is because I have good cadence. Mhmm. I know when to say something and just, like, let it sit. I'm okay with pausing. But no one who's great at communicating is a natural great communicator. It took work. It took repetition, and it it is the most important thing about your content is how you communicate, how you talk, how you sound. Here here's another here's just like, I know people want tactics and stuff. Here's a here's a tactic on how do I know if my audio sounds good? Well, you can do what I mentioned. Flip your phone or your camera, turn it off, but listen. Uh, the other thing is to do a test. If you just do a test recording, you you will prevent yourself from potentially wasting time. There are people literally watching or listening to this right now. I know it. You recorded a video, and you either weren't recording or you weren't recording audio or the audio wasn't connected or the audio was was bad. Like, that literally happened. But that could be prevented by just doing a a genuine test. Before you go and create, hit record and do a valid test, a valid test so that you you could watch twenty seconds back and be like, hey. It looks good. It sounds good. It's good. So this is a this is God's content creation framework from how he created the world in the heavens. It said, in the beginning, God said so the first thing is, how is your audio? Second, it says, let there be light. Let there be light. Number two is, how is your lighting? Mhmm. How is your lighting? When I say lighting, I'm not just meaning your actual light. I'm also meaning what you choose to focus on. But let's go let's go actual lighting. I'll tell you right now. If you get a good light for your videos, you don't have to buy a new camera. If you get a good light or if you use your windows and you have a large light hitting your face, it'll make your phone the amount of times I get comments or DMs like, what camera is that? It's my iPhone. Why? Because I understand where the source of light is coming from is what needs to hit my face. If you sit at a desk and you have windows behind you and you show up on Zoom calls, shame on you. You should probably just have a Galaxy Samsung. I'm just gonna add to that something. But consider what's lighting your face. You should be the brightest thing in the image. And great lighting, ladies. Great lighting will make you look your best no matter what kinda camera you have. So don't don't upgrade your camera. I would consider upgrade your lighting. And it's funny. We were actually one of the first podcasts we did was with Chalene Johnson, and she didn't approve of the shot. We didn't ask her if she wanted to approve. And we released the podcast, and she, like, low key wanted us to take it down even though it was cooking. It was the best performing podcast ever at the time. Yeah. It was, like, the first banger that went out. Yeah. But, yeah, we did it wrong. Which I I Not on purpose, but No. Yeah. And I realized that lighting could make you look really good or really bad. Like and here's what here's what's crazy about lighting. It people judge before you open up your mouth. So even just like the snapshot of what your image looks like, uh, it's really lighting. I I I I think I figured it out over the years. I know that was a little, uh, hump in the road, but, like, the reason why my stuff is crispy, the reason why I'm the crispiest dude on your screen consistently, constantly, no matter what camera I'm using is because I understand the two things I just brought up. I understand audio, and I understand lighting. Those proceed the actual cameras that you're using. Now I also understand cameras. So that that gives me the opportunity to checkmate anybody trying to be as crispy as as me. But I'm always looking for the light. Yeah. And that's why cars are great. Which is funny because someone just said, who knew lighting was so important? And it's wild. Like, for you, for me, it's second nature to, like, know it's important. But for some some people genuinely don't know. You don't think about it. Yeah. You're you're you are cons which is not there's nothing wrong with that. But if if you care about looking your best, just find a large light. Find where the light's coming from. Get in front of the window. Don't put the window behind you. Get in front of the light. Don't put the light behind you. And for whatever it's worth, if you want what we use here at the department, both my desk setup, all setups, this setup, there's a link in the description to my gear guide or my gear list. Literally, it's everything I use. People used to pay me $30,000 a day to prescribe what I use for their stuff. So just go grab it. There's no cost to it. Now Rian said, I'm a throw something at you. What? This is wisdom. Okay. Cool. I like that. Now when it comes to lighting, it's also what you choose to focus on. And in in in the scriptures, another meaning for the word revelation is the word light or illumination. Like, when when you when you become, uh, awakened to something, when when some when you get a revelation about something, it's it's like a light went on. Now as a creator, if number one, you're not in a position to get new revelation about what you teach, about what you care about, about what you help people with, if you don't get fresh revelation, your content will be stale. I'm thinking about real estate folks. Like, are you able to create new revelation from the times we're in right now? Sons of Issachar, in the scriptures, they understood the times, and they knew what to do. Do you understand the times? And so, like, here's here's here's a great example about this. What I'm noticing in the business world that we're in is that it was big personal brand. The last three, five, eight years, it's like content creation, personal branding. Content creation, personal branding. And now, like, the new the new thing that people are starting to like, oh, is AI. Mhmm. And the thing is is, like, they all stack on each other, but AI is the thing that's illuminate. If you wanna win right now, how is what you do integrating with AI and then you representing that to the people that you serve? Like, you know, it's what if if and here here's why I say this. This is oh my gosh. I feel it right now. Here we go. Omar hit flow state. Here we go. If people don't see you as the light source, chances are is that you are drawing from the wrong light source. Your job is not to be the resource. You're you yourself, you're not a resource. You're a human being. Your job is to be the source of resource. Maybe I'll say it this way. You're not the revelation. Your job is to be the source of revelation. So good. Now here's where I get this. Jesus has seven I am statements. I'll say some of them because I don't know them all. I'm just kidding. It's I am the doorkeeper. I am the good shepherd. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. I am I think well, okay. Doorkeeper, shep good shepherd, way the truth and the life. I am okay. But then then he tells the disciples this one. Look at the look. He tells the disciples, I am the light of the world. And then shortly after he tells his disciples, I am the light of the world, he tells the disciples, you are the light of the world. So that the transference of revelation is from where you're getting it from. I am biased to get revelation from the Bible Because that source, it never runs dry. That source, the principles don't matter the person. That source so I get a lot of what I teach right now in both business and marketing and personal branding and content and AI from that source, and then I then I represent that revelation to you. How's my lighting? It's lit. And then the third thing that we get from Genesis, we we God said audio, let there be light. Light. And then it says, then God saw. Then he then he saw. And he separated the light from the darkness. Number three is, how are you visually? How are your visuals? No. I don't think I'm not saying your motion graphics. I'm saying, what do people think to themselves before you open up your mouth? I don't I'm not saying buy a brand new camera. I'm saying, are you dressed for success? I'm saying is your space clean? Is the shot clean? Excellence is felt more than it's seen. And if you are a person of excellence, people feel that. And, man, excellence demands money. Excellence demands premium. So the and here's what here's what's crazy about the visual aspect of content creation is your space is a reflection of who you are. Your your fashion is a reflection of who you are or the lack of fashion. Ayo. It's a reflection of who you are. And so literally by me looking at your content on Instagram or me looking at your content on TikTok or me looking at your content on YouTube, it will speak volumes, which goes to show, here's here's a tactic tactic tip. And Omar, give me the tactics. Here you go. Watch yourself on video without listening to the audio. Do you talk like you believe in what you're talking about? If you believe in what you're talking about, it's it shows more than in your face. It shows in your hands. It shows in your expressions. It shows like you just get excited. And Ed Mylett would say, people don't know people don't need to know you believe in them. They need to know that you believe in what you believe. If you if people can feel that. And sales, what is sales? Sales is a transference of enthusiasm. Now I could this could be a whole podcast and here's why. Because I literally on my way to California this last week, I listened to an hour long podcast on high converting fashion, and it was so good. And I and I and it's funny. It's like, I'm so grateful that I I realized how I showed up every day was important to me. Shout out to Kanye West when I was in seventh when I was in seventh grade, college dropout. Polos and backpacks, popped collars, and gold chains. Like, I just how I looked mattered to me Because one would say is some of some people say this stupid quote, bro. You can't judge a book by its cover. Yeah. My dog. That's the only way you could judge a book. That is the only way you can judge a book is by its cover. And so what most people people who believe that, by the way, you don't understand how human nature works. You you want you want me to tell you how human nature works? Here's how human nature work. First Samuel sixteen seven. Men look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Okay. So God's not looking for your book cover, but people Yeah. Are looking at your book cover. Men look at the outward. What do have to say about that? And it's for those who don't know, book covers are very expensive to get designed. If you want to. If you best selling book covers Yes. Are very expensive. Yes. But this is a great I thank you for bringing this up. Yeah. Because, you know, Ryan Leek, who's a great communicator in the space, he tells this story about how he had a a design for his latest book cover, and it costed him a couple grand or maybe a couple $100. And he had this and he was like, dude, this this works. Yeah. Your phone does work. Your your wardrobe currently, it works. You could wear it and you could do it. Right? But he said I he worked with a marketing company Mhmm. And their cost he's he called it a mortgage. So, like, I think it was around 250 to $300,000 for them to design the cover of his book. And then, you know, it's funny when he tells that story is he says, when it comes down to it and there's an chief executive officer, a CEO, and there are two books on their desk, and they're thinking about bringing in a speaker to speak to their Fortune 500 company, what book do you want them to grab? In that moment, would that moment that would lead to the the opportunities be worth the investment of a of of the mortgage book cover? And that's where he that's where he talks about it's a game of inches. Yeah. When it really comes down to it, it's a game of inches. Like, there's a you know, honestly, there's been so much studies done with color psychology. Whenever if you ever see me give an offer in any context, I will be always wearing blue because blue is comforting. I'll I'll never give an offer wearing red. Omar, you're getting a little bit too okay. If you don't wanna if you don't wanna adhere to this way of thought, then keep doing you, and that's totally fine. But if you're still here, you're still listening, you're still watching, it's probably because you you feel a connection to what I'm saying. And I'm not saying be who you're not because you can't just rip somebody's style. You can't just rip somebody's frameworks. You can't just rip but there is a way for you to show up. Now what's cool about this podcast I heard, shout and by the way, it it was the sales girls, Macy McNeely on her podcast, School of Sales. It's so good. It's also on her YouTube channel. She paid somebody $40,000 to to hook up her wardrobe that, like, aligned with who she was. And it was funny because she was like, the girl who actually was helping her was like, I could never wear what you wanna wear. What what what works for you? Like, you you have this, like, presence when you walk into a room, Macy. And there's something about because your height, your the way you carry yourself, you can wear these, like, glam stuff. Like, if I wear that glam stuff, it'd be like a it looks like a costume. Yeah. But knowing knowing your the vibe you're trying to communicate, the the person you really are. But I even think when, you know, we're talking about, like, how people see you is also how people perceive you. But it starts with how you see yourself. And so one reason I like having nice watches is because is what it communicates to the people around me, but it also when I hear this, when I hear that click that you can only get with one brand, it's game over. Brian Tracy, sales expert would say, sales starts with your self-concept. And if you see yourself as someone premium, if you see yourself as someone serious for about around what they do, like, you serious about what you do? Then you should be serious about how people see you. See serious about how people perceive you. And if that means to level up your content, like, quality, then do it. If that means to, like, consider what you wear every day, then consider what you wear every day. You don't realize that we have the power to architect the thoughts in a person's mind about us before we open up our mouth. If you stood on a stage, what are people thinking? Yeah. If you were on somebody else's platform, what are people thinking? And you know what's crazy about this? Macy even all the way down to her dentist, she's like, I don't like how jeans make me feel. When she throws on a pair of jeans, she's just like, ugh. Wow. Not because of how it fits Yeah. Because of how it makes her feel. That's interesting. Isn't it? Yeah. And I I was thinking about that. I feel the same way when when I put on sneakers. That's why I've been I've been wearing penny loafers for a while now. Even though I've always had penny loafers Or but I dress shoes in general. Used to be a sneakerhead. Yeah. And I also bro, it's so funny because even, like, super oversized box, like, when I throw on my old stuff before I lost heck of weight Mhmm. It I'm like, I don't know if it's because it's like an old me. Maybe there's a little bit of that. Yeah. But even down bro she said even down to what she wears when she takes off her clothes. That can be scary. I know you're like, no. Mean you mean like loungewear. She's leveled up her pajamas. That's fire. Which I've I was like, how I wanna think of myself like like I'm taking off my superhero thing, but I'm still not checked out. Yeah. I I'm I'm still Macy. I'm like, dang, dude. I literally Macy. That's why you caught me in, like, new sweats. I get I I bought I literally was like, dude, I need some, like, matching pajama sets. Yeah. Now, Omar, what the heck does this have to do with and this has to do with the human print the human nature principle that people are watching you and people are judging because you judge, bro. A thousand percent. We're always judging. It's human nature to have an opinion about something you see right away. It is. It's human nature. It's not even like a flaw. No. It's just it's how we how God created us. Yeah. Because, like, you see a nice car or you see because men look at the outward appearance. But, like, you see a nice car, you see a bad car, your brain is gonna recognize it Yes. Like, immediately. The first I mean, dude, Sophie's here. She's, like, doing an event for someone here at the studio. And the first thing I did, I was like, oh, she's, like, on her, like, athleisure tip right now. That's, like, literally, like Yeah. Because she's getting her fitness dialed. Like, I had a whole conversation in my mind before she said, hey. Good morning. I had a whole conversation in my mind. Oh, she's yeah. She's on a, like that's a that's like a a new thing she's wearing in this season that she's currently in. I'm like, literally, all this is happening. But, like, this this happened for me, and it will forever be cemented in my brain now. But we went on a business trip, and typically, I used to dress on these business trips more like BTS, like, black, simple pants, simple shirt just because I was working. I was, like, running around and stuff. But this new trip, I actually took effort into even though I'm working behind the scenes, I was still dressed up in a way. Mhmm. And I just did it because I like the way it made me feel, and I wanted to feel good. Yep. And it's crazy. The people that I knew or saw previously and who know me, who love me for who I am, they noticed a difference and they said something. You just couldn't stop the compliments, bro. Dude, it literally Was uncomfortable. It was yeah. It it was blowing my mind and even people I knew, but people that I didn't know, like strangers were saying something and it just that that will forever be in my brain like, wow. It does matter. You get it does matter and you get to control it. Yes. It's not and but you get to control what people think about you. Yes. Now there it gets to a point, obviously To a level. To a level. Yeah. Because people will think what they wanna think. But I'll ask you the question before we wrap this up. Would you rather have people think great thoughts about you or think nothing about you? Not even negative. Think nothing about you. I would say thinking nothing about you is a negative disposition. So 100. Think about how you look. These are the content secret cheat codes. And I'm telling you right now, I've been doing this for over twenty years, and I'm still like, even in this world of AI, it still it still it still matters how you sound, what you choose to talk about, what you illuminate your revelations, what you bring that you'll even find kinda backtrack a little bit, but the the people winning the fastest online right now with their YouTube channels, they're bringing revelation they've gotten based on their experiences. And people who don't know what to talk about, you don't have revelation. So I think maybe I'm arriving to a place of like, Omar, so what's where do we go? Where do we go from here? Number one, I want you to pick a content format that really does resonate with you. Test it. Literally test the content formats. Take one video idea that you have, and here's your next video idea by the way, make a video that only you can make. Make a video only you can make. What is something you've accomplished through your failures and experiences and your successes? Make that video. K? Now I would say go make that video in a vlog form if you want to try it, or make that video and shoot it, deliver it without editing it in either talking head or in a live stream format. And or then test it in a conversational manner. Go find a podcast studio or you can have one angle, by the way, for a a podcast and get those those wireless mics from Hollyland and, like, have a two person conversation with a wide shot. You can do that. I promise you, if you commit to these principles for a year, your life not only will your life not be the same, you won't be the same. You will be a different human being. You'll you'll communicate better. You'll know more about yourself. You'll be more comfortable in your skin. You'll be more confident. And all those things will have a ripple effect in more than just your money, of course, your money, but also in the people around you and who you show up for and how you show up. And so thanks for the sponsor of this show and podcast, which is the content to cast challenge. Get on the wait list. Don't miss the next one. The last one we just did was absolutely insane. By the way, the content to cash challenge is just simply a five day live coaching experience with myself helping you through a lot of these things that you learn here on the podcast, whether that's your content, your marketing, your offers. And we just I I literally literally we just had someone finish the content workshop or the content to cash challenge. Her name is Tori. This is a real human being. She took the challenge as a VIP plus, implemented what she got from the challenge, and made a $108,000. Now the VIP plus ticket is $497. $3.97. Dang it. It's $397. Would you trade $397 for a $108,000 and then unlimited use case of what you just got an unlock for? The answer is yes. Get on the wait list, and we'll see you on the next challenge. Thanks for being here. Thanks, Art. Let's go. Let's go golf, Saint George. We're going to Saint George right now, and we're gonna play Sand Hollow. Sand Hollow. Championship eighteen. Let's go. Peace out. Subscribe if you're not subscribed. Love you all. — full transcript