the stupidity of quitting your 9-5 to become an influencer

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[timestamps]
introduction - 0:00
what my parents think - 2:02
the paradigm for creators - 5:17
the paradigm for artists - 11:57
artist/creator as entrepreneur - 16:12
the real question - 21:15
[references]
www.buzzfeed.com/natashajokic...
www.bbc.com/worklife/article/...
www.cnbc.com/2019/08/02/forge...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...
www.chicagoreview.org/william...
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🎶 m u s i c 🎵
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www.epidemicsound.com/track/U...
❓ F A Q s ❓
how old are you? 31 ('91 baby)
which schools did you go to? yale (undergrad) and harvard (law school)
what did you major in? economics
what was your gpa and lsat score? 3.86/176
what sign/MBTI/enneagram are you? aries, ENFJ, 3w4
are you sure you're not a virgo? no part of my star chart is virgo or an earth sign, i swear

[@ydavidzhu]

Your videos are so relatable. I left medical school halfway to pursue art & architecture only to find myself back in a healthcare/engineering PhD program about a decade later. However, I find that my life (and career) has become much more enriched because of those spontaneous years of creative pursuit. While I hope you find enduring success as a writer, know that the door to the traditional 9-5 is always open. The true question is: what is a life spent entirely grinding away at the insipidness of being a corporate clog? Our creative breaks, whilst scary and ostensibly “stupid”, is an expression of our humanity and I think shouldn’t be thought of as a “mistake”. ❤ your content!

[@aalegalfocus]

Great commentary!

[@CeceXie]

well-said!!

[@estefaniazila]

I absolutely love this!!!

[@brbinges]

I love this - this was well said. Thank you needed to read this! Really helped me a lot as I'm going through this creative stage of my life after quitting the "big4" accounting firms.

[@ydavidzhu]

Dear all, I'm so grateful for the positive reception to my comment. It seems I've struck a chord with many of Cece's subscribers. I'm not a big social media person and it's very cool to see something I wrote go a little "viral".

[@Bronnybronny]

I believe that if your KZbin channel/influencer platform has had immense success for 6 months - 12 months, it could be a good risk to quit work and do influencing full time for as long as you can. Being an “influencer” is still work, and if you’re making good money - I say milk it. Just Never expect that the success is going to continue forever, and never assume you’re going to “love” it forever, too. Influencing can be really hard on your mental health.

[@aneczka413]

The greatest mistake I have seen and listened to content creators readily admit is "lifestyle creep." The second they find success and money starts rolling in, money is quickly spent. It's truly common in any field. I think making a ton of money as an influencer, treating yourself here and there, and investing/saving the majority of that boom of money makes the most sense. Trying to maintain a crazy lifestyle you've built when viewership/success dies out is terrifying.

[@sandramish2229]

Everyone needs to find what gives true financial freedom and happiness, but friends I'm not asking you to resign from your job or abandon your business but be wise! Making passive income is a real cool

[@gracedaniels6172]

Yes you're right everyone loves making extra money right now because Having a 9_5 is not a dream any longer

[@sandramish2229]

Yeah I'm happy to be able to earn an extra income by investing. I earn about 5k and more in a month or 3 weeks

[@eiraantoinette6793]

@@sandramish2229 wow impressive you're making quite a fortune how did you do that I would like to learn?

[@sandramish2229]

@@eiraantoinette6793 I started during the COVID pandemic and I put some money from my salary to invest. I have a professional who guides me in building a good investment portfolio

[@eiraantoinette6793]

Fantastic idea I need a reliable professional i’d like to start soon

[@aalegalfocus]

Love your speaking style! It definitely is a LOT of hard work and pretty unlikely that most people will be able to make a living as an influencer/youtuber. I would advise people to pay off all debt, have at least a year's worth of living expenses saved up, and continue having some sort of regular employment before even trying. It's been 2.5 years since I started doing KZbin, and it pays but a smidgen of what I can make as a practicing attorney (granted, I am not an Ivy League grad, young and articulate like you are :)). 90% of the people I started KZbin with and met from different support groups have long since quit. It is a great hobby, but financial success is very rare.

[@CeceXie]

agreed! that's the right attitude to take :)

[@randomsarcasm2022]

Influencers just seem to become so boring with worsening mental health once they quit their 9-5.

[@juliemorrow174]

I feel spoiled getting content this longform. I really enjoyed this and all the research you put into it

[@CeceXie]

thank you! more to come :)

[@terenaworld]

😭 this got me at the right time... really questioning my decision to put my law school aspirations behind to at least attempt to be a digital creator / influencer full time. glad to see im not the only one in this day and age!

[@michaelgrodepiano274]

I’m so happy that you started a podcast. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and insights Cece!

[@chloeshih]

Wow this episode was incredibly thought-provoking. I’m really fascinated by your pov on producerism and how the traditional 9-5 is no longer as stable as people may think. Got a lot to noodle on. I’m all here for Cece’s video essay era!!

[@thea7035]

This was very well explained, and enlightening especially since influencers are seen everywhere on social media. I love your law videos, but I'm growing to love your new content even more!

[@safaaalami3728]

I love the way you explain things like im obsessed. I love this!!

[@illegallyanxious6903]

Hey Cece, I just want to be one of the many people that say please keep going. Like this podcast and the conversations that you brought up and your perspectives is incredibly enriching in a way that is ingenuisely unique. I love these conversations and the angle to take them, everything. I am officially a loyal subscriber and I'll be eagerly looking forward to your upcoming episodes. Thank you for exciting my mind this Sunday morning.😊😁

[@oliviarule5679]

I think that something else that would be interesting to look into or discuss that goes along with this is the saturation of media in this paradigm and how it makes it more difficult to both receive and hold people’s attention. The lowered threshold to make content allowing more people to do so means that there is so much more competition for followers, screen time, and brand recognition, among other things.

[@Christina-uc3gn]

This was soo good Cece! Just want to affirm that you are in fact very good at what you do and I hope you continue making this amazing content. I can’t believe it’s free. The quality of this episode is equivalent to a lecture at a top university where I’d be paying $$$$$$. Thank you and great job!

[@Raraus]

LOVED hearing the take about social media influencer/creator in the digital age from someone who's had such an illustrious and traditional educational and corporate path... Personally, I think it's much more about the individuality you bring as a creator and the audience it strikes a chord in vs. trying to fit a specific mold. Anyone can show their individuality and share their story that's uniquely theirs and thats the beautiful thing about the digital creator space in 2022. there IS room for everyone - think of all the creators whose content you enjoy and can name.

[@ClaireMeri]

I really appreciate not only getting to hear your personal insight, but also feeling a little bit wiser after each time I hear you speak. I love learning new facts from you such as 2/3 of all startups fail/never provide their investors with a return. Looking forward to more!

[@LittleOne330]

Your voice is so soothing! 12 seconds in and I’m hooked 😊😊😊❤❤❤

[@susan6562]

Cece I normally don't like podcasts, so first, thanks for putting it on KZbin lol, and second, I deeply resonate with everything that you said here. Especially the part about parents.

[@leonidgolyadkin9536]

Fantastic and thought-provoking! I love how articulate you are. Excellent delivery!

[@lucyjeong7129]

Omg finally something i can listen to while enjoying some fall weather outside!! Thank you for making these podcasts❤️

[@oliviarule5679]

I greatly appreciate the amount of time, effort, and depth that you put into your research and analysis. Your references are all things that I am interested in, but either haven’t come across in my own life or haven’t had the time to look up specifically. I think that what you do and the content you make is obviously interesting to a lot of people, and it seems that you have a lot of people in your corner hoping that you succeed. I’m looking forward to more podcasts and deep dives from you!

[@CeceXie]

thank you so much, olivia!! i always wondered if what i thought about would be interesting to others, and i'm so glad that the happy accident of tiktok and youtube brought us together :) i'm already excited to research for next week!

[@shilohsacks3809]

you have a fantastic voice and I love your auditory style. so happy I found your channel!

[@rachelm6296]

Best content I've come across in a while, absolutely incredible.

[@anthonyanalytics]

This is quality content! Looking forward to more pods 🔥

[@DrewJoiner]

Definitely adding your podcast to my Apple pod list. This was super insightful and you have a fantastic way of speaking that comes across so clearly. 👏

[@Mjjelly1]

Wow you are so well spoken…this made me excited about your upcoming book!!

[@CeceXie]

eep, me too!! i thought researching and recording the pod would be a good forced exercise for thinking and writing more generally, too :)

[@maggiesu8129]

This was so interesting and well-researched - I don’t think I’ve ever watched a 25-minute video in one sitting before! Looking forward to more!!

[@CeceXie]

i am HONORED

[@bulgaawx]

I really think you can bring in a fresh new spectrum of ideas into podcast with your in depth knowledge of corporate/legal experience as to how it is so for far from reality and current circumstances… in its own world… taking off the molds one at a time. Love your content! Please be different than others! ❤

[@jmw5018]

Loved this - I’m over in England fantasising about being an influencer every time I have a bad day at work and it was great to hear a real deep dive into what the stakes are actually like 😂great video ❤️

[@CeceXie]

thank you! i think so often, it's easy to think that a job is "just do X and make $$" when the reality is much more nuanced. i love thinking about what and how we work, given that we spend so much of our lives working!

[@IvanitaJacq]

Fantastic, Cece! You've packed a LOT into this episode. I still miss your law videos, but I'm realizing I've actually always loved your commentaries even more. 😊 Good luck!

[@CeceXie]

you don't know how happy that makes me

[@loudresviennadeaires]

Really enjoyed this! Looking forward to the next one!

[@docutwenties]

Love this Cece! I’m in my 3rd year of undergrad in Toronto and have been following your content for half a year now - one of my favourite things watching your videos is learning new words/phrases to articulate my own thoughts/ideas. I hope to be as eloquent as you!

[@CeceXie]

this is so sweet, thank you

[@rinuogu]

This was such an excellent episode! Such superb research and analysis, nice job

[@akikomatsuo1704]

I love this, Cece. I love how you are well spoken and yet you are real.

[@CeceXie]

thank you!! i had fun researching it :)

[@awesomeguy2469]

This was really great cece! Very thought provoking. Also love that you mentioned Dom Mazzetti.

[@mitchellclifford5296]

This long form content feels like a good book on a rainy day in the BEST way!

[@leggomyeggo851]

This was done very well! Elaborate, Comprehensive and self reflective on society as a whole. I think the best part about this video is that you kinda have to look at yourself and think about how influencers/hyper-consumerism effects you as an individual via hobbies, ideologies, fashion, ect. ect.

[@1916mookies]

You are so eloquently articulate. Love you.

[@dakotacooperr]

Just stumbled on this video and wow your microphone is amazing your voice is sooooo powerful yet quiet and soothing at the same time. I think you’re a wonderful speaker your speech was so smooth :) thanks for sharing🎃

[@poohbear0805]

You have the prefect podcast voice! Please make more :)

[@jjaredzz]

okay, i've seen your journey and timeline you have given yourself on tik tok, but saw this video from Kimberly Foster and enjoyed this video so much! Automatic subscribe! You explained this so well. Great analysis.

[@Mydesktable]

Love the your take on this topic! Would love to hear more about the misogyny related to this field and the difference on how we view male influencers vs. female influence.

[@jamiejacks5580]

This is so great. Beautifully said 👏👏👏

[@myfatsushi]

Really enjoyed this episode and its essay-like quality. I quit my solo freelancing job to create a startup, but couldn't get any funding and am now closing. Hence me looking into a variety of career shifts, including law. Yet I still would absolutely love to just be a novelist. The commodification of art is a double-edged sword, and I'm still struggling to find out how to approach that without feeling like I'm going against my core values.

[@Olioliviaz]

This is incredible. Thank you ❤

[@Mscursed2]

The title got me. But I stayed for the content

[@julianrodriguez5321]

Your content is so high-quality! Love the honesty, insight, and relatability as a fellow type A personality Keep it up!! btw its very surprising that The Alg hasnt skyrocketed your channel yet...

[@CeceXie]

thank you!! will do :) and one can pray to the algo gods that govern us all, ha

[@sarahecho]

This is one of the most interesting videos I've seen in a long time!

[@briannalmoore]

I love your content and style of speaking!! I selfishly hope that you succeed in this path for the long term 😄👍🏽❤️

[@lifewithpat2535]

Love the content 🙏🏻☺️☺️ keep crushing it !

[@maddie3831]

pls continue making podcasts this was so good

[@brandonwilkins2637]

Happy to be a part of your channel and endeavors 🥰

[@navrajsingh7389]

i love all of your content Cece thank you for spending the time and energy to share your knowledge and wisdom with us. you really resonate with me as a first generation student at an ivy league college :))

[@CeceXie]

that makes me so happy to hear! hope you are enjoying and embracing the weird yet wonderful world of the ivy league :)

[@briantronics]

this is hitting so many topics omg 🤯 and so relevant

[@rickys9388]

amazing how well articulated this podcast is

[@cindyla8760]

So articulate! loved this!

[@tinytina8451]

Beautiful, organized and eloquent. Can't wait for more. New fan :)

[@Clashandclass]

Amazing Podcast! I’m definitely rooting for you and am so happy I subscribed. I just want to encourage you putting energy into these things that fascinate you 👏

[@moniqueeebite]

you'd be a really great video essayist. definitely something to consider!!

[@shanghongsim4290]

I love your podcast! It was very insightful :D

[@breannasanchez5362]

Very happy that you actually took the time to research and prepare informative points. Very eloquent and thought provoking, as well as entertaining. Love this! ❤

[@vuyon5317]

im new. and i was hooked from start to finish. now im wondering how you prepare for these episodes. so amazing. iinformative

[@ilikehotcocoa]

You really do have a great podcast voice! Current lawyer here and love your content :)

[@jaineas]

What an amazing video and i really liked your trade of thought.

[@AnnalisaJ]

I love your eloquence and how you presented this topic! This might date me a bit, but way before Instagram and KZbin being what they are today, there was Friendster and Tumblr, (these were before MySpace and FB), which ended up starting the whole thing of what then became blogs.

[@amberscott4262]

Great insight Cece! Only the person quitting their job can make that call. P.S I’ve learned a new word: Kerfuffle! Best of luck!

[@Lemonsplats]

Just stumbled upon your channel and I really enjoy listening to your voice!

[@poppycalliope]

Great topic and amazingly said Cece! I just subscribed to your podcast ✨️

[@fries6402]

came for a breakdown and got one (a very thoughtful and eloquent one!) on influencing instead. tricked to listen to a podcast episode and loved it

[@BrielleJuliet]

Love love loved this 😊

[@FrootNinja]

Damn, Crisp with the elgato wave 3 🎙️, love the production value, can't wait for more! 😃 Love the quote at the end.

[@CeceXie]

i love that you recognized the mic hehe

[@chelacala7320]

Hi Cece! Loved the video. Don’t really have anything insightful to add because who can compete with a person with two Ivy League degrees. What you said pretty much put into words how I feel about creatives going into making their own businesses. Can’t wait for the next video!

[@nnicollan]

Well done, Cece 👍🏻

[@jcnlaw]

As a fellow lawyer and KZbin creator, wishing you all the best on all of your creative endeavors! Subscribed!

[@oliverlikescheetos]

Great podcast and topic to unravel. You speak very eloquently. I felt like I was in one of my sociology classes at Berkeley haha

[@jaineas]

I wish she dedicated a whole podcast for the marriage situation. I think it's so irresponsible for a parent to treat such important matter as if it was just a random thing that you do on the daily basis. What comes first in that case is her hapiness and well being instead of the appearance of being sucessful in every aspect of life.

[@elanarangel6919]

An interesting and thought provoking topic and discussion, I really appreciated the examples and this way of looking at content and the Marco level of our society and the way we engage with content. One small criticism- because these topics are so thought provoking and you’re so well spoken about it I want to hear and take in what you say but I found the speed of the talking points to be rather fast paced. Maybe more of a lecture style with slides to show the examples in pictures and allow for our brains to keep up and pick up your thoughts while you’re speaking. Great content keep it going!

[@wamyy5]

Thanks so much for this podcast episode, Cece. I recently discovered your channel, and I really relate to your experience with Asian parents (tiger mom). I've been trying to reconcile my passion for helping others online through my growing channel with not "wasting" my Caltech engineering degree. Would love to chat with you in real life sometime

[@CeceXie]

i'd love that! so much of tiger parenting emphasizes "wastes of time," when it's not a totally healthy way to conceive of life. just know that nothing is a waste--everything is happening FOR you, not to you

[@SoLyrical2]

Followed you for law, stuck around because you are incredibly intelligent and interesting. Subscribed!

[@sanchitchawlaa]

Literally just commenting for the algo, love your work

[@trapezius776]

You are as captivating as you are eloquent, Cece.

[@Maddie-rv6sp]

you're SO well spoken! if you don't mind me asking, what was your job before this?? it must have trained you to be so clear, concise, and engaging

[@Self-Duality]

Algorithm-boosting comment 💥💭

[@tashajourneys]

great topic! I have been having this conversation alot since I quit my job. I just want to explore the world and be in a creative space. I don't want to get caught up in producerism because I don't want to not enjoy creating my content. I love documenting my journey for myself and to inspire others. but at this point in time it solely is for my own personal documentation. I am still debating will I really want to pursue this for full-time income.

[@yichenzhuu]

Wow -- this podcast episode was so informative and captivating. I was wondering if you plan out or script out your episode before hand and if you have a Goodreads account or any sort of recommended book list :)

[@iSmellbak0n]

Watched the whole 25 minutes, great vid

[@CeceXie]

i am incredibly honored

[@IanConnor27]

Idk what led me here at 3am, but I’m really enjoying this.

[@Missy2858]

Love this long form content, your voice is very soothing! I know people like seeing people speak but you not looking into the camera was odd. Just some feedback!

[@zachfine3949]

Besides how informative this is, I want to note to any misogynists who ever come across this how articulate, refined, educated and knowledgeable Cece is. Though I am not misogynist, I unfortunately have been around many people who have said women are not capable of authoritative or intellectual roles for myriads of reasons. I personally am in awe of her intelligence and her coherency. Frankly, I haven’t seen many men in my life at her level. Challenge beliefs! And Cece this was incredible! The verbal fluency too is enviable!

[@CeceXie]

wow, zach--that is high praise, indeed. thank you

[@estrellaxtsubasa7409]

I have never heard any man say that in my country. From which country do you come from @Zach Fine ? You dont have to answer in case you dont want to share that sort of info😉

[@shinikyokai8815]

This is great! I'd suggest to do something about the aggressive auto-focus on your camera, you keep blurring in and blurring out and it makes me feel like I have horrible eyesight >

[@MaretteFlora]

Love your points and research. I would say one suggestion is to talk a bit slower to give the listener time to digest. Great episode!

[@notinfluential]

There’s never regret leaving corporate law

[@aalegalfocus]

Totally! I don't know anyone who regrets leaving corporate law firms.

[@AnomalyBelleza]

Great audio! Can you share which mic 🎙 you use? Your sound is excellent!

[@Tsedeniya]

which microphone do you use? it sounds good. Hope you reply 😊

[@Gamezmodz444]

Million subs by next year - nailing relatability

[@joannabusinessaccount7293]

Cecelia, just know that your broadcasting makes such a difference. The corporate salary affords lots of comfy, nice, necessary things, like a house in a happening and safe neighbourhood, great organic foods, retirement savings for medical plans in old age, education for the children, eldercare for the parents, etc.

[@Affalterbach1967]

7:32 That reminds me, rent is due.I ( BroScience, new video every time a bill is due).

[@newworldlord643]

I feel less alone bc of this show... I just started a podcast with my BFF, and it's HARD. Doing KZbin has been super hard for me also.. working a 9-5:feels impossible ALL OF IT IS HARD 😪😔

[@wolfofmainstreet]

What mic do you use? Audio quality is excellent

[@CeceXie]

elgato wave:3! and thank you!! i got some complaints about audio previously so am really glad i'm addressing it!