In this week’s Creator stories, we have a conversation with Chibuzor Ossai, popularly known as hellochibuzor online. Chibuzor is a digital creator and video storyteller, well known for sharing video filming and editing tips online.

Let’s get to know him, shall we?

Tell us about yourself

I am the firstborn of a family of four, I’m from Delta State. Would I say I am a dropout? (laughs). But yeah I didn’t complete my HND degree – I guess that makes me a dropout (laughs). I was working at the time and school wasn’t just working plus I had other responsibilities (my family). Being a firstborn hit me at a very young age so I had to work to fund my siblings to school.  

How did you cope?

Due to the responsibilities, I had to double my hustle. I started by going to the cybercafe to watch YouTube videos online. Then I told my parents I wanted to learn how to use the computer. I paid for a computer lesson class and started with Microsoft Word and Excel.

After learning, the owner of the Cybercafe asked if I’d like to work with her and that’s how I became a staff. I was typing documents, printing, photocopying, taking passports, etc and from there I started teaching other people how to operate the computer.

Later on, I became interested in design (graphics design), so I started learning with CorelDraw. I also picked up an interest in live sound because I joined a church that didn’t have a sound engineer. I was just the guy who could do “designs” but nobody volunteered to do sound, so I volunteered and they brought someone to teach me for like a month.

Afterward, I went back to YouTube to learn and know how to manage everything. Later on, I came across video editing and ran away because I thought it was boring. I later got a job as an office assistant and worked there for about six years. 

Tell us about the job as an Office Assistant

I worked as an Office Assistant with the church I was with. They just wanted to help me so they gave me the job. I was getting paid 20k per month in 2016/2017. Every year it increased till it was 60k per month by my fourth/fifth year. Though on special events the pay almost doubles because we work more on those days. I spent six years of my life there.

Wow..So how did you go from that into content creation?

I’ve always been a lover of self-development, and in my time working in the office I was doing a lot of learning. Acquiring knowledge on how to handle social media accounts – things like creating a content calendar, copy/captions, SEO, Website management, and taking good pictures as videos (reels) weren’t a thing yet.

In 2019/2020 during COVID period, my content creation journey started. Although, it was driven by a desire to make money quickly because I saw other creators posting fashion content and thought it’d be a walk in the park (laughs). Is it not to post clothes and do transitions? (laughs).

I started to record myself styling my clothes and put them on TikTok and Instagram. Boy! It wasn’t how I envisioned it o (laughs), ko easy raara. One day I went mini viral on TikTok and it felt really good.

Why did you begin with fashion? 

It was because I felt like I could style my clothes properly and dress well. Amongst my friends, I was the one who dressed the most and looked stylish. So I thought since I could put clothes together, I could as well share it on Instagram. In fact, my handle then was @justlookgood (laughs). I just wanted to look good and show people how to look good too.

While you were sharing fashion content, did you have any financial goals in mind?

I wanted to make money but my love for fashion was higher. I just liked it. I liked that I had to plan my outfit for the day, think of the type of content to put out, and where I’d shoot. I also liked taking pictures of myself because to me I always looked good. In fact, I think I had more zeal for content creation, then than now. 

Why do you say so? 

Hmmn (laughs). I remember then my friends almost got tired of me because I was using a crappy phone, an Android phone by the way, while some of my friends had iPhones and I was always borrowing their phones to shoot and snap pictures. 

One of them is a professional photographer. So anytime he’s going for shoots, I always disturb him to carry me along so he could also take pictures of me. One of my other friends had a car so I’d disturb him to drive me to places where I could shoot content. 

I remember I’ll pack all my clothes so when I get there, I’ll just be changing clothes and shooting my content. That was me batch-creating. But now, I don’t batch create anymore. I just wake up, create, and publish. The determination and zeal I had then, e no dey again. I don grow (laughs). 

Also, I think back then it was just sponsored by learning, hustle, and me being razz. Now, I’ve learned and I just want to teach others. There’s no need to be razz anymore. 

So while you were being razz and posting fashion content, did you make money from it?

No oh (laughs) When I started, for many years, I didn’t work with any brand. I was just doing my thing alone with the people I frustrated to help me do stuff (laughs). 

I was even spending money buying clothes and shoes. I was buying thrift clothes but I was still looking good. The first time I made money from content as a solo creator was in late 2022. 

How did it happen?

I had to create a reel for a brand to be used for marketing purposes. Prior to that, I had worked with an agency as a content creator.

How much did they pay?

It was 100k for a short reel. My biggest pay at the time from content. 

How did you go from posting fashion content to working with brands? 

When I resigned from my office assistant job, I applied for another job. That was the first time I applied for a job in my life and was selected. 

What was the role?

It was a graphics design role I think. But because I could also do video, I headed both the graphics and video departments making me a content creator. It was a start-up agency then. Now, they’ve grown. I left in April this year. 

How long did you work for? 

I worked there for two years. After my first year, I became the Creative Director for the brand. I was suggesting how different shoots and media assets should look for the various brands we worked with. After my second year, I resigned and became a full-time solo content creator.

How much did you earn working at the agency?

The first year, I was earning 60k but it came with other benefits and it was remote. I joined in November 2021, and by January 2022, my salary became 100k. By the middle of the same year, it became 150k with a promise to increase. 

Okay, so let’s talk about your content creation process. How do you create your content?

When I started, I would always make a list of all the content I wanted to make that day. I’d just plan ahead and gather inspiration from other creators. Then, I’ll batch-create and post them when I want. 

Now, I’ve made things easier for myself. I plan my content according to my goals. For example, I can say that for the next two months, I want to help people be better at creating better content. So for the next two months, my content will be centered around that. It can be one lighting or setup tip or anything around filming. I make sure each of my content addresses an issue and I keep it very simple.

I also make sure it’s not too long or has too much grammar. Just something short and direct to the point. Also, because I’ve made it very simple for myself, I don’t batch-create anymore. I like that I can wake up, have an idea, write my script, shoot, edit, and publish the same day. Since this year, I’ve just been shooting daily and so far it has worked for me.

Would you also say that the reason you don’t batch create anymore is because it’s now your full-time role?

I’d like to say that’s it. Also, I think batch creation is stressful, and I don’t like stress (laughs). It was fun when I started, but also stressful. I remember packing bags of clothes in a day because I was batch-creating. Not again. 

Today, I only teach batch creation in my online classes but I don’t practice it. I like waking up with ideas and executing them immediately. 

SEE: Surviving in Nigeria as a Newbie Creator: Your Location Girl’s Story

Speaking about classes. How did that begin? 

The first time I taught was in 2020 when I was still doing fashion content. I taught people how to use InShot because I used it a lot to edit my content and got a lot of requests for what I used for my videos. It was my first class ever and it was free. 

This year, I had my first paid class.  I have gone from being the “Inshot guy” to teaching people how to “shoot from different angles”. And I was getting lots of requests from my audience to host a class where I’d teach them everything in detail. 

So I decided to put the class together, and so far I’ve done three streams already. I think it will become a monthly thing now. Plus it’s an extra source of income, so why not? (laughs). 

Ahh God when?

(laughs) Abeg oh. But yeah, everything started because there was a need. There was a demand so I just gave the supply. And thanks to Selar for making the process very easy. 

Did you have a number goal in mind?

Yes oh, I was thinking 5 or 10. I wasn’t expecting the number I got.  I had about 15 people in the first class, 9 in the second class, which I didn’t really promote, and 20 people in the third class. I was very surprised.

That’s amazing. Congratulations

Thanks. 

How much do you make on average now? 

It depends on the brand and my deliverables. But the base price is between 150 – 180k per video. And it goes higher from there. 

Again, God when

(Laughs)

So what’s your favorite thing about being a creator?

I think my favorite thing is the fact that I can help people, that I can wake up and solve a problem for somebody. That’s just it for me. 

Finally, do you have any advice for people who are inspired by you?

This may sound cliche but the honest truth is “just start”. If I had not started when I started, I’d most likely not be here today. So the first thing is to just start. Next is don’t put your eyes on things you can’t control. Focus on things you can control and on delivering value every time. Avoid comparison and don’t allow the metrics to drive you crazy. When you’re starting out, just do you. Explore and try everything. Life no hard!