#CreatorStories showcases the honest personal experiences of digital creators who monetize their knowledge of a skill and sell it on Selar.

We share these weekly stories to inspire you to create and sell a product out of your wealth of knowledge and be a part of the digital creator economy.

This week, we turn the lights on Bola Montana, a digital creator and medical student.

Let’s get to know her shall we?

Kindly introduce yourself, Bola the Baller

My name is Bola Montana. I am a creative genius and tutor. I create fashion, beauty, hair, and lifestyle content. I’m also a 5th-year medical student at the University of Lagos. 

How did your love for fashion begin? 

I’ve always been a fashion person since I was in secondary school. And I think I got that from my mom because she’s a fashionista. I’ve always liked the idea of buying clothes and shoes and also styling them. That was why I actually started content creation because I have a lot of clothes and I just needed to put them to good use. Also before that, I always get compliments on my dress whenever I go out. So I decided to turn that hobby into a side hustle. 

How did you get started in the fashion industry and what inspired you to become a digital creator?

Before I started creating content online, I already had over 10k followers on Instagram. Then someone advised me to do something with my platform since I have plenty followers. That was when I decided to take it more seriously. I started paying attention to Instagram content creators and the type of content they put out. And I thought it was something I could do because I was a makeup artist, so I was already good at editing and transitions.

I decided to start officially after my exams in 2020 but that was when the lockdown started. I was at home, waiting for the lockdown to be over because everything I needed was in school. But that did not happen. The lockdown kept on increasing so I decided to start with what I had at home. And that was how it all just started. 

I started taking pictures and trying as much as possible to make them aesthetically pleasing. When I got back to Lagos, I started shooting video content and brands started reaching out to me. That was how the journey started. 

Generally, I’ll say my major inspiration was people. I get inspired by the tiniest of things and when I see people doing great stuff I get inspired and motivated to work. 

How did you know you could leverage your fashion/style knowledge and turn it into income?

Content creation was something I started as a hobby, something I do for fun and free for people until one particular day in 2020 when Lush Hair reached out to me for a collaboration and asked for my rate card. That was when I had to create one. 

Before then, brands would just randomly reach out to me for content in exchange for products and I was fine with it because it was something I enjoy doing. But after I got paid by one brand, I just started sending my rate card to the rest and that was how I started getting paid for putting out content. 

What are some of the most difficult things you’ve had to face as a creator?

Firstly, in Lagos, everything is hard. This country has taken so much from us and gives nothing in return. Transportation is one of such challenges, Next is the location to shoot. 

For example, I like outdoor pictures so I really have to go out and find good spots to take pictures and It doesn’t necessarily have to be a restaurant. But this is an extreme sport because once you bring out your phone they’ll tell you pictures are not allowed.

Let’s not even talk about the traffic to get to this location. Also, Instagram comes with its own wahala. You’ll post content thinking it’s going to hit then it turns out to be another average-performing post. It’s just very discouraging 

What are your 2 cents on style and fashion?

Style and fashion are two different things. Fashion is what you buy and style is what you do with it. Fashion is general and it’s everywhere. But style is very personal. Because I’m wearing it doesn’t mean you can wear it or you should wear it. Different people have their own preferences. I love colors, prints, volumes etc.

But there are other people that like it minimal and neutral which is okay. Fashion becomes a style when you wear it and make it an outfit and that is what separates people who “just dress nice” from the “fashion girlies”. 

What’s an unpopular opinion about fashion and style that you’ll probably get dragged for? 

That you are wearing designer head to toe doesn’t mean you are stylish or you’re doing “high fashion.” 

How can people discover their style and maintain it?

The thing about style is, you really cannot know what your style is until you try it. So be open to trying out different things until you find one that suits your taste. Also, finding your style doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself to one particular thing. You just need to keep exploring and wear what makes you comfortable but don’t make your closet boring. 

Can you share a time when you had to say no to a brand partnership or sponsored post?

The only reason I say no is when the brand does not resonate with my niche. If your brand doesn’t align with what I have on my page, I turn it down. Because I’m not just flexing online, I’m also building a brand.

So I always have to put that into consideration when doing any brand partnerships. Also your budget. If your budget is too low, there’s really nothing that can be done. We struggle a lot in this Lagos so the hustle really has to pay off (laughs).

What’s a typical day in your life like as a student and content creator?

I’m in school from Monday to Friday so I only have weekends or midnights for content creation. To catch up, I batch-create content on weekends and use the weekdays to edit and post. I am very heavy on planning because I believe good planning brings good execution. 

What has been your biggest shock in the creator industry?

I think it’s the perception of people toward female influencers. There’s a whole lot of misconception and people calling you names especially when you start hitting it big. 

Another shocking thing is brands reaching out to you with an extremely low budget when they have celebrities they pay millions. It’s quite unfair because we are the ones that deliver the actual ‘content’. 

Another one is brands not paying for the work or refusing to complete the balance after you deliver. This one has even happened to me before. They just kept posting and posting till I eventually left them. It was part of my learning years. 

What’s the average amount you make being a fashion and beauty influencer?

Content creation is very lucrative but it’s not steady. You can have a month where you work with about four brands and other months where it’s just one brand So it’s not a steady source of income. But when you’re good, your work will speak for you.

Even if you don’t have paid brand collaborations, you can use other things to sustain. It’s always a good idea to monetize your platform so you can have multiple sources of income. You can use your platform to do a lot of things without waiting for brands to pay you to survive. On average, this year alone I’ve made about 3.5 million Naira. 

What’s your advice to fashion influencers inspired by you?

You don’t have to wait till you have it all before you can start content creation. You can start with what you have at the moment. I mentioned earlier that when I started, I was at home during the lockdown and all my things were in school.

I just had to start some way. I started by taking pictures. So you can start with what you have and as time goes on you’ll be able to afford the equipment you need. 

Another on is don’t go broke trying to buy a lot of equipment because there’s really no need for it. Just get the necessary things. You don’t have to buy all the types of tripod or light because you want to create content. Get the basics and don’t go broke spending money on things you don’t need. 

Also, don’t overthink your content. The ones you feel aren’t good enough may eventually turn out to be the ones that will blow up your brand. And as hard as it is, don’t focus on the numbers, that is likes and comments and followers. Don’t let it be the source of your breakdown. Focus on just putting out high-quality content.