160. Meet the creator who got paid 70k to quit his job forever ft. Karl Shakur

The 10 Minute Personal Brand Kickstart (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/personalbrandkickstart Check out Motion Array here: https://motionarray.com/?artlist_aid=the505podcast_2970&utm_source=affiliate_p&utm_medium=the505podcast_2970&utm_campaign=the505podcast_2970 What’s up, Rock Nation! Today we welcome the elusive and ultra talented Karl Shakur - a creator who went from sleeping in his car to shooting campaigns for Bugatti, hitting a million followers, and building one of the most distinct visual styles on Instagram. Karl takes us deep into how he turned a $70K brand deal into proof-of-concept for his entire career, why he left architecture behind, and how he now approaches content like a business - with a 6-pillar strategy built to grow depth, not just followers. We talk about the balance between personal and commercial work, how to build longevity as a creative, and why injecting yourself into your work is the ultimate differentiator. If you’re a photographer, filmmaker, or content creator trying to turn your art into a full-time career - this is the blueprint. Check out Karl here: https://www.instagram.com/karl_shakur/ https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@KarlShakur⁩  SUSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: https://the505podcast.ac-page.com/rock-report The Creator Pricing Guide - The No BS Guide to Pricing Your Creative Services Coupon Code: ROCKNATION10 gets you $10 off at checkout for the boulders https://courses.the505podcast.com/pricing-guide Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/xgEAzkqAvs More Free Products: Our 5 Positioning Tips to Land Bigger Clients (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/5positioningtips 6 Questions to ask on Every Sales Call (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/6questionsfordiscoverycall COP THE BFIGGY "ESSENTIALS" SFX PACK HERE: https://courses.thecreatorcoach.com/BFIGGYSFXPACK KG Presets Vol. 1 https://www.kostasgarcia.com/store-1/p/kglightroompresets Kostas’ Amazon Storefront: https://amzn.to/3GhId25 15% OFF Prism Lens FX with code: KOSTAS15 https://bit.ly/42sNdej Timestamps: 0:00 - Trailer 0:36 - Intro 1:25 - The $70,000 brand deal that changed his life 3:04 - How he used the money 4:15 - Proving his parents wrong 7:53 - Why brands pay Karl so much 11:54 - Where Karl’s love for storytelling came from 13:32 - Motion Array 14:19 - Karl’s creative strategy 18:35 - Does gear matter? 20:05 - How Karl pushes his creative limits 22:05 - Karl’s insane instagram growth 25:28 - Karl’s 6 pillars of content 29:32 - Building depth with your audience 30:53 - Karl is hyper competitive with content 34:21 - Why You Have to Keep Reinventing as a Creator 35:13 - Karl’s fitness routine 38:10 - Tips for Instagram success 40:41 - Why Showing You Is the Key to Standing Out 42:35 - Brands Want You, Not Just Your Art 44:48 - How Karl Lands & Delivers High-End Brand Deals 47:00 - The importance of collaboration 48:37 - The misconception about being a full time creator 50:02 - Karl’s favorite piece of creative work 53:19 - Karl’s new project - The Shkr.club 1:00:53 - Perfectionism is a creative killer 1:03:38 - The Hidden Cost of Chasing Your Dream 1:05:46 - Advice to your 18 year old self If you liked this episode please send it to a friend and take a screenshot for your story! And as always, we'd love to hear from you guys on what you'd like to hear us talk about or potential guests we should have on. DM US ON IG: (Our DM's are always open!) Bfiggy: https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.instagram.com/kostasg95/ TikTok: Bfiggy: https://www.tiktok.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.tiktok.com/kostasgarcia/