What if the career that's paying your bills is actually draining your soul BUT there's a way out that doesn't mean starting over broke?

Host Nate Flake sits down with Sydney Mohni, a UGC creator who spent a decade climbing the network marketing ladder. She finally hit that $10K month everyone talks about, but instead of celebrating, she burned out completely.

Add in a family crisis, mounting debt, and sitting on a curb in Tulum crying over a pizza bill and you've got the breaking point that led her to UGC. Four months of pitching with zero deals. Then one $150 gig changed everything.

Chapters:
00:04:01 - Four Months of Nothing, Then…
00:05:42 - 10K: Burnout Money vs Freedom Money
00:08:15 - Why “Good Money” Still Isn’t Worth It
00:12:22 - Escaping the 5K Ceiling
00:15:16 - TikTok Creative Challenge: Volatile Income
00:18:48 - How Long-Term Brand Relationships Change Everything
00:22:06 - Why Furniture UGC Sorta Sucks
00:25:48 - The Contract Mistake
00:27:22 - Meta Reaches Out
00:34:30 - Her International Retreat Goal
00:38:10 - Why You Don’t Need to Look Perfect to Win in UGC
00:40:25 - The Mentor Moment

Nate and Sydney get real about what it actually takes to build a UGC business that doesn't just pay the bills but gives you your life back. They talk about the scrappy early days, why raising your prices feels scary but works, and how Sydney went from struggling to land any client to working with Meta for thousands of dollars per video.

It's honest, funny, and packed with the kind of advice that only comes from someone who's been in the trenches.

If you're stuck in a career that pays well but leaves you empty, or you're wondering if UGC is actually sustainable long-term, this episode breaks it all down. Sydney's story proves you don't have to choose between making money and being happy but you do have to be willing to go all-in and bet on yourself.

Press play and learn why Sydney's wife talked her out of negotiating with Meta, and the one mindset shift that helped her students quit their jobs and build freedom on their own terms.

Connect with guest: https://www.instagram.com/sydneymohni/

Download FREE GUIDE: 10 Steps to Becoming a UGC Creator from Scratch

Join UGC Creator Connect — March 14, Park City UT → https://ugccreatorconnectevent.com

MORE FROM NATE FLAKE

Nate’s UGC Fiverr Pro Course + Community — use code PODCAST for 15% off: . https://stan.store/nateflakeugc/p/master-ugc-on-fiverr

Connect with Nate
Instagram: @nateflakecreates
YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast

Catch Nate on Youtube

Contact / Collabs
For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries.
https://ugcbynate.com/

Have you ever wondered if you could do UGC while working at a full-time job you actually love?

Host Nate Flake sits down with his good friend Daniel Taylor, a full-time professional who started doing UGC completely under the radar. No UGC social accounts. No public announcement. He intentionally kept it separate from his day job.

Dan came into this space cold, went through Nate’s early training before it was fully polished, and quietly built a repeat client base on Fiverr while showing up to his day job every morning like nothing changed.

He is the guy Nate points to when people ask if you really have to put yourself out there to make this work. The answer is no.

Chapters:
04:20 – Quiet UGC While Working Full Time
11:45 – Getting Past the On-Camera Cringe
15:30 – Corporate Skills That Transfer Shockingly Well
19:10 – Overdelivering Without Burning Out
22:40 – Raising Rates the Right Way
26:30 – When Success Becomes Overwhelming
33:50 – Choosing Efficiency Over Volume
37:40 – Tying UGC Income to Real Life Goals
45:30 – The Long-Term Play for Quiet UGC Creators

Learn how Dan pushed through the awkward early videos, how his corporate communication skills turned out to be a secret weapon with brands, and how he went from taking every gig he could get to being selective about what was actually worth his time.

Nate and Dan also dig into the money side of things. When to raise your rates with repeat clients, why jumping your prices too fast on Fiverr can actually hurt your momentum, and how Dan landed more income by doing less but charging more. These are the kinds of tactical details that make a real difference when you are figuring this out on your own.

And if you have ever felt weird about doing UGC because it seems too out there, too cringe, or just not something a serious professional would do, Dan has something to say about that too.

Press play and learn Dan’s take on why the embarrassment fades fast and what you are really trading when you decide not to try is one of the most honest moments in this episode.

Connect with Guest: https://dantaylorugc.my.canva.site/

Dan's Utah Creator Studio: https://www.instagram.com/the_highland_studio?igsh=b2llYWNuanpxNnhl

Download FREE GUIDE: 10 Steps to Becoming a UGC Creator from Scratch

Join UGC Creator Connect — March 14, Park City UT → https://ugccreatorconnectevent.com

MORE FROM NATE FLAKE

Nate’s UGC Fiverr Pro Course + Community — use code PODCAST for 15% off: . https://stan.store/nateflakeugc/p/master-ugc-on-fiverr

Connect with Nate
Instagram: @nateflakecreates
YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast

Catch Nate on Youtube

Contact / Collabs
For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries.
https://ugcbynate.com/

Ever dreamed about making money with content but kept telling yourself you're not the right type?

Host Nate welcomes Kessa, a full-time UGC creator from Canada who started chasing her content dreams in her early teens. She didn't get here because of a big following or a perfect plan. She got here because she refused to quit, and her story is proof that you don't need either one to make this work.

They break down the moves that actually work, not the fluff you see everywhere else. They talk about how to handle rejection without flinching, why staying open to every niche will make you more money, and how to get brands coming to you instead of chasing them down. Kessa also shares her exact approach to pricing and whitelisting that keeps everything simple and profitable.

Chapters:
04:30 – Grinding on Gifted Collabs With No Pay
07:55 – Betting on UGC and Making the First $2K
11:20 – Why Canada Is an Underrated UGC Market
14:30 – Turning DMs Into a Coaching Business
17:10 – The Biggest Fears New Creators Have
19:55 – Why Faceless UGC Doesn’t Scale
22:30 – Filming in Public Without Caring
25:10 – Embarrassing Brand Deals Everyone Starts With
28:20 – Niches, Acne, and Why Flaws Sell
31:40 – Posting to Attract Brands Not Followers
35:10 – Whitelisting, Usage Rights, and Real Money
39:00 – Negotiation Mistakes That Cost Creators Thousands

This one hits different if you've been on the fence about starting. Kessa doesn't hide the hard parts. She talks about the goofy early gigs, the fear of hitting record, and why the things that feel scary right now are way smaller than they actually look.

Listen and learn the one thing Kessa says about being on camera that's so simple you'll wonder why nobody told you sooner. It completely flips the script on how you think about showing up.

Her UGC guide: https://stan.store/contentbykessa/p/ugc-guide-65j1b

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contentbykessa?_t=8ZNqcZif522&_r=1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contentbykessa?igsh=MWVyb281dGx0amRnYw==

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Contentbykessa

Download FREE GUIDE: 10 Steps to Becoming a UGC Creator from Scratch

Join UGC Creator Connect — March 14, Park City UT → https://ugccreatorconnectevent.com

MORE FROM NATE FLAKE

Nate’s UGC Fiverr Pro Course + Community — use code PODCAST for 15% off: . https://stan.store/nateflakeugc/p/master-ugc-on-fiverr

Connect with Nate
Instagram: @nateflakecreates
YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast

Catch Nate on Youtube

Contact / Collabs
For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries.
https://ugcbynate.com/