Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Hublitz
Hi Josh, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Born and raised in Northern Virginia, I played competitive tennis my entire life before competing at the D1 level at UNC Wilmington where I studied Finance and Spanish. I got my masters in Finance immediately after and started my career in Investment Banking, where I worked for ~4 years between 2 firms in Los Angeles. I played a few tennis tournaments in SoCal growing up, and since then I had my sights set on living in SoCal. I came from a very “non-target” school concerning Investment Banking recruiting, however, I knew if I applied myself and networked harder than the next guy, I’d land a gig, and I did. Ironically, I never wanted to work in Investment Banking. I’ve always thought of myself as a creative. I painted and drew growing up, and I taught myself to play several instruments and produce music before writing and releasing my music on Spotify shortly after college. I quickly realized Investment Banking was not for me. I felt like an outsider every day. And just because I could do the work well, doesn’t mean I should continue. I downloaded TikTok in 2021 for 2 purposes: 1) it provided me with an outlet, often comedic, from Investment Banking, and 2) I wanted to promote my music. I even began making “finance meme” type videos and sharing my experience (day in the life) as an Investment Banker. I developed a knack for storytelling through short-form videos, and a love for it as well. As my platforms grew, I started to create content more meaningful to me, and showcase my lifestyle and incorporate more vulnerable and honest storytelling. With burnout quickly approaching, I eventually bailed out of Investment Banking abruptly and spent around 6 months deciding whether or not I was going to go back to a corporate job. I’ve always wanted to run my own business, and I strongly believe as a tennis player (a lonesome sport), I’ve often succeeded when I alone am under pressure, with my back up against the wall. So I decided to give myself 2 months of taking content seriously, treating it like a full-time business, and tracking every dollar I made. I wanted to put it all on paper and see if it was viable, or if I should start looking for jobs again. By month 3, I made $10K in a month through UGC, and various other income streams like the TikTok creator fund through my own content. It turns out when I started treating it like a business, it became a business. I now spend every day creating content for brands, and my personal platforms, and building my brand through different growth vectors. I’ve launched a newsletter, I’m working on a startup called “Creator Outlet'” with my girlfriend which allows influencers and content creators to resell overflow PR products from brand deals and reduce product gifting waste. I’m also starting to advise and build a community of other UGC creators and share my journey, what works for me, how to negotiate with brands, which agencies I work with, and other tidbits and UGC hacks to building a 6-figure income as a micro-influencer / content creator. I mentioned earlier I never felt like I “belonged” in Investment Banking. I can honestly say, I truly feel I belong in this creator economy, and I’m happy to both be having some level of success and also being able to give back and provide advice to others looking to do the same.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. Nothing but smooth. While enduring 4 years of investment banking I unfortunately developed an auto-immune disease called Ulcerative Colitis due to the stress. It put me in the hospital at times over the past few years, and I’ve only recently (this summer) started to get things under control after being out of investment banking for over a year. Physically and emotionally, it was incredibly difficult transitioning from a career as an investment banker, one of the most sought-after, high-paying corporate jobs, to being a content creator. I always followed the playbook that was laid out for me. Play D1 tennis on a scholarship, get a high-paying corporate job, and be secure in my career, that is until I flipped my world upside down by choosing content. Over the course of 6 months post-investment banking, I experienced what I can only describe as a major identity crisis. Emotionally and spiritually I had to figure out “Who am I as an adult without this job?”. It was so rooted in my identity that I felt a lot of guilt and doubt turning my back on banking, even though I hated many aspects of the job and I knew it was detrimental to my health. It was almost a toxic relationship of sorts. And so, it took a long time to fully disassociate from “being a banker”. Similarly, it took perhaps more time to fully be comfortable with “being a content creator”, and being proud of what I am working towards. 90% of my friend group and the people in my life follow the traditional corporate job trajectory, and so whether or not they passed judgment on my decisions it absolutely felt awkward at times choosing the pass less taken. I think for many people it came as a major shock or surprise that I made this decision, but I’m super fortunate that those closest to me, family included, have been incredibly supportive and also believe in what I am doing. I’m grateful for my time as an investment banker because it taught me an incredible amount of skills that I have used to be a successful content creator. I’ve applied everything I learned from finance to running my own business as a content creator, and it’s paying off. I truly believe in the notion of 10,000 hours and repetition. If I put all of my efforts towards content, I have no doubt in my mind I’ll see rewards from my efforts. Like tennis, I’ve learned when my back is up against the wall (or if I can make it feel that way), I’ll perform and I’ll figure it out, every time. I trust myself and I trust my ability to apply myself to new challenges, industries, careers…you name it. I think my self-belief has been there from the start.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I do three things, primarily. I’m a full-time UGC Creator, I create my own content and work towards building my personal brand, and I’m working on a startup called “Creator Outlet”.
1) UGC Creator:
I create UGC ads (social media ads) and organic content (TikToks and Reels) for brands and companies. This is a rather new occupancy in the creator world. My work includes anything from ideation, script writing, filming and acting, and editing, plus general creative strategy when it comes to creating an ad from start to finish for a brand. Having worked with over 200 brands, I love incorporating storytelling elements to create compelling ads that connect with a brand’s audience.
2) Content Creator & Personal Brand
I create various types of content to build my personal brand through social media (@joshhublitz: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube). I create many narrated videos sharing my story and transition from a corporate job to full-time content creator. I share the struggles I encountered while working in Investment Banking, having failed and toxic interview processes in a difficult job market, what it’s like running my own business and being financial insecure at times, and much more. I share my interests in the form of content, how I’m still competing in tennis tournaments, surfing in SoCal and working out daily, and my love for travel. I spent 3 months last summer traveling around the world after quitting finance, and I continue to travel throughout the year documenting my trips and creating content along the way. I’ve also launched a newsletter expressing all of my thoughts, emotions, and my story in the form of a blog. I want the newsletter to be another outlet for my followers to connect and learn about my story, and hopefully relate to it on some level. It’s called the Creator Corner newsletter, and I keep all of my newsletters posted on Creator Outlet: https://creatoroutlet.shop/blogs/news
3) Creator Outlet
Creator Outlet is a startup I’m working on with my girlfriend. It’s a marketplace for influencers and content creators to resell overflow PR products from brand deals. As a full-time UGC creator, I’ve experienced first-hand the incredible waste from product gifting. Unfortunately over 50% of product gifting from companies to influencers and content creators goes to waste, and I want to create a marketplace to utilize excess products while allowing brands to gain additional customers. Resale exists, eBay and Poshmark exist, we just think we can do it better from an influencer/content creator standpoint. Product gifting is also on the rise with UGC taking off, so we’re looking to tackle this problem while providing an additional revenue stream for creators.
How do you define success?
I define success differently than I used to define success. If you asked me five years ago, my honest answer would probably be monetary. I often define success now through the output of my daily efforts, mentally and physically being extremely healthy, and nourishing relationships with those that I care about in my life. I think the past few years have been pivotal in reshaping my definition of success, and I truly these 3 aspects of my life over money: health (both physical and mental), relationships, and my daily efforts and output.
Pricing:
- 1 UGC Video: $500
- 3 UGC Videos: $1200
- Creative Strategy Consulting: Flexible rates depending on your brand / company needs
- One-on-one UGC coaching call: $100/hour
- Creator Outlet: see market place for item prices
Contact Info:
- Website: https://joshhublitz-portfolio.my.canva.site/ and https://creatoroutlet.shop/blogs/news
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshhublitz/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnCYgQmV7FoPtpK3qMmEIw
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joshhublitz
