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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
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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.
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