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Episode 12

Izzy Zapata

Join us as we discuss self-love and resilience with Izzy Zapata — Love is Blind and Perfect Match star turned content creator. In this episode, Izzy shares his journey of maintaining morale amid the relentless hustle of social media and the occasional challenge of online trolls. He reveals his strategies for knowing your worth and not selling yourself short — all while learning to make fun of yourself along the way. Tune in for a candid discussion filled with humor, practical tips, and inspiring stories that will empower you to embrace your true self on social. Follow Izzy across social @izzyzapata_.

Later Beyond Influence Podcast with Izzy Zapata

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Transcript

Oops! Our video transcriptions might have a few quirks since they’re hot off the press. Rest assured, the good stuff is all there, even if the occasional typo slips through. Thanks for understanding!

Kwame

Hello, everybody. Welcome to today's episode of Beyond Influence.

Scott

Hey, everyone. Scott Sutton here. Let's get into it.

Kwame

Today we are very lucky to be graced by one of America's sweethearts. Ever since his most recent experience on Perfect Match, we have seen it all over his walls. People are saying we love this guy, so we're very happy to have him. Welcome to Beyond Influence, Izzy Zapata.

Izzy

Thank you all so much for having me.

Kwame

We are very excited, man. I just want to start with something easy. How's your week been so far?

Izzy

Honestly, man, attention has been good. I mean, I have no complaints. I got a lot of support from everybody. Compared to a lot of my other cast mates, I love them, but now they're seeing some drama going on that I didn't even know about. To say the least, I'm doing a lot better than most.

Kwame

Funny story about how I met Izzy. We both ended up in the same hotel for the Love is Blind season six reunion. But we didn't know that until the next morning. We're both at Target. I'm coming down one aisle, he's coming down another, and I hear from one side of the aisle, "Oh, you two."

Izzy

It was like a starstruck moment because me and my girlfriend are walking through Target, and you see Kwami Holland as you like, watching from afar. And I was like, man, I think that's Kwami.

Scott

That's amazing. So how's life post-show?

Izzy

Post-show life has been good. Obviously, it's kind of like how Love is Blind. They drop the episodes every week. So, the first week was very cringing and embarrassing, but it's been almost a year now since we filmed that show.

Two weeks later, Love Is Blind aired. So I got blown up. You know I was dealing with that. You know how it is, just exhaustion mentally from filming, and then you get back and boom, having to deal with a whole different beast of being in the public eye and, you know, social media and trolls and people that love you.

So that's a lot. But, I mean, it was a fun ride for sure.

Kwame

It is so funny, man. I don't think a lot of people are conscious of the fact that Perfect Match was filmed way back in the day. So for everyone to know, usually some people end up filming Perfect Match before the actual season of their actual show comes out. So there's a whole lot of twisty-turny timelines that create just a really funny dialogue, man.

Izzy

Some of my favorite things, honestly, was just getting to experience different personalities from different shows. It was crazy and cool, also off camera to kind of pick everybody's brains and, you know, I got a lot of good advice from some people.

Scott

That's awesome. And contrasting the two experiences and kind of the way stuff came out, what was your experience post-airing of Love Is Blind, and that kind of wave of social versus now as Perfect Match is coming out?

Izzy

Obviously, Love is Blind is one of the, if not the best reality TV Show on Netflix and the most popular. It rocked my world. you're not used to it. And so just dealing, you know, and like Kwame said, you have your ups and downs in the show.

And so again, it came in waves as the episodes aired in different weeks. At the beginning, the first week was great. Second-week boom. I had one bad moment and everybody made sure to let me know I had that bad moment. So like one day you're an asshole. Then the next day they love you.

And then at the end of it, you can't win. You know, people love you, you light you. And it was just it took a lot, man. It's emotionally and mentally exhausting because at the end of the day, we are human. We are normal people. And I think people don't really realize that when they're sitting behind a keyboard, you know?

But I think I'm very grateful for the experience just because it gave me thicker skin. It helped me learn how to process my emotions better, how to manage them. And so when Perfect Match came out, you know, I'm a lot more light-hearted. I think it's a lot easier to make fun of myself and just have fun with it, you know, interact with the public.

Kwame

Yeah, I think the trolls, transitioning to understanding like trolls are just trolls. I was going to actually do a reel about this the other day. Like a big maturing moment for anyone in social media is when they realize, like, trolls are really just like lonely, miserable people who have nothing better to do, right? And it kind of sucks.

And I hate to be so direct about it, but sometimes, like, you notice that because trolls are usually people who have created a fake account and are just like typing for me, like they don't, they aren't even bold enough to show their own face. They just want to in some way create chaos. And I just had a recent post about Tolu, about like her name, and that one went, you know, a little bit more viral.

Viral than usual. And in that post talking about something else, people were in there talking about me and my experience with my name, blah, blah, and they started like they were pouring it on. And what I realized in that moment, I was like, you know what? They're giving me engagement, I don't care.

Scott

Yeah, it's funny, I saw you post that and I just saw Kwami and I was like, oh, here we go. All right, let's bring it.

I'm curious, you know, on the social media front, definitely coming out of the first season, you get hit by the trolls, the notoriety, you know, all these people reacting each week as things come out. You mentioned this slip-up moment, you know, what was that journey like, getting used to that public exposure, getting used to dealing with the trolls like you talked about, that evolution, that growing thicker skin.

Izzy
Personally, I would say, man, when it first started trolling, I didn't know how to handle it right away, like the first day or two, I was taking it so personal. It kind of ruins your self-esteem a little bit because you can easily just read the comments over and over and let yourself just fall into this hole, and you spiral and then, you know, luckily, I just had friends and, you know, family and a support system that kind of, like, bring you back to reality and remind you who you really are.

And so after that, I kind of snapped out of it, and I just stopped reading the comments. I was like, one in a time where I kind of just shut off my notifications because, like, I just didn't care to see them. I knew they just knew it was best for me. but then after a while, you kind of just have, like, again, you grow that thick skin and then you kind of just, like, have fun with it at this point.

And that's what I've learned and that's what I would do. And I make the content, the TikToks, just kind of have fun. And I think a lot of people have more respect for you when you take accountability and you can laugh at yourself about it. and now I have a lot more respect for you, you know, after you do that.

And that's kind of what I did. And after that, I just kind of had thick skin. I would laugh at some of the stuff people today, and then obviously if I just knew it was a chore burner account, you know, you just learn to ignore it. but yeah, I mean, I have fun with that at the end of it.

Kwame
Yeah. And I see, like, you are a lot more active now. I was going to, you know, kind of mention that after Love Is Blind and I, I was the same way. I think I actually missed out on a lot of opportunities like brand partnerships and, and deals because I actually like to silence a lot of my notifications.

I didn't check my Instagram like DMs, you know, like the secret portal, right? Because I think we both know this. I think we talked about this before. But like when you're Instagram, there are your standard DMs. People who DM you, you know, people who you know and are connected with. And then there is a request folder. Right.

And in that request folder I think, I don't know what the exact like, categories that filter people on to just to.

Izzy

Get that out. I've always wondered.

Kwame

Exactly. Yeah. Because there's also a request. Request.

It just goes like, you know, I forget which one I was talking to, but he calls it the Twilight Zone, right? Like it's.

Or Pandora's box or whatever. Like it's just this extra crazy hidden folder. And so it was funny because some brands, for some reason, you know, you would wish all the brands come to just the request folder where some brands do get logged into that, like a secret hidden request folder. And so and I and I also know that that's usually where a lot of the negativity comes as well.

Izzy

Exactly.

Kwame

You know, so it's like playing with fire. It's like I want to see these brand deals. But I also don't want to see the, you know, ten negative comments I'm going to see in between every random, you know, so it is a weird thing to deal with trying to figure out how to still, you know, be involved in your social media and take advantage of it.

But at the same time, protect your mental health and be smart about how you go about it. So I feel you, man. And as you're going through this, I've noticed you've been very active on TikTok as well. I'd love to ask, like an intro question here for like, yeah, how you're going about selecting like, what do you prefer, do you prefer TikTok or do you prefer Instagram?

Izzy

So I'm kind of, I mean, I, I'm, I've noticed TikTok is a lot more kind of harsh than, than Instagram was for me as far as with the trolls and When Love Is Blind came out, I absolutely never hop on TikTok because it's one thing to record it, but it's another thing when you got to see a video of someone like roasting, like actually roasting you pictures.

Yeah. Oh, that stuff like that hurts. So I would avoid it. but now, I kind of feel like obviously Instagram is a good platform to monetize and brand deals and stuff like that. But also TikTok is like, I feel like, cam, if you have a big enough following, could probably be better than Instagram at a point in time.

But I'm just kind of having fun with that. More than anything. I have been getting more of a following there. So how I determine what kind of content I make, I just try to make it very relatable to myself. And I kind of just go in and find anything that's happened on the show with me, that I can make fun of and, and make it relatable to, to people, to kind of feel that I am normal.

Because if you go in and you try to do fake content and do something that doesn't resemble you, it just comes off fake. Nobody can really no one will, you know, appreciate it. but I think what I've learned from love is blind to perfect matches. You look just like you said. Like you, I did not take advantage of the opportunity to be consistent with my cost, content posting.

And it's hard. It's exhausting. It's hard. Like, it does take some work, especially. I didn't really know how to work TikTok or make TikTok, and even then, the ones I make are very basic, like compared to some people that get some really great editing and effects in there and stuff. But I don't know, I kind of get the hang of it and I'm having fun with it.

So as of now, I'm just kind of finding little things that have happened through the show that I can make fun of myself about, but.

Scott

I love that it's, you know, it's funny, we talk with a lot of folks who have gone through, you know, different shows or different kinds of experiences. And it's funny, they all kind of come on, love is Blind or Bachelor. These are the shows and they're kind of looking. They haven't found success in relationships. They are looking for the next thing.

And it's almost funny between the experience of the show itself, but then also this, this social media experience, I feel like it's accelerating people's ability to like, break down their own walls of pride, of ego, of taking themselves too seriously, of being resilient, able to deal with, you know, all that life throws at you and in a relationship.

You have to be self-assured, but not in an arrogant way. You have to be able to laugh at yourself. You know, I've had so many moments personally where, you know, you just defend yourself out of pride and then you're like, I'm wrong. Why am I not laughing at myself too? And these set me back like I'm dumb.

I should have just laughed the whole time. I think social media is like this gauntlet of fire. And if you emerge from the other side, you know you have this newfound confidence where you don't have to defend yourself. You can just let yourself be you and laugh. And I think that's a huge lesson for creators, for anyone in life is just the faster you can kind of accept who you are, idiosyncrasies and all, and just laugh about it and be able to be real about it, you're going to find a lot more happiness and success.

Izzy

Exactly. I agree with you there.

Kwame

I think being kind of breaking down those walls, like I agree with you 100% and I've noticed that that in my content, when I'm more jovial and take myself less seriously. And we talked about this before, it's like the less I stuck to just this rubric of content that I wanted to push out, like it had to be edited in a, you know, certain way.

I had to edit it through Lightroom, or it had to be done on my professional camera. And it was just like, nah, I'm just going to set my phone up on a stand, click record and see what comes out of it. And, you know, I think the best example of that was my most recent rule about tattoos.

Well, I mean, I think for a number of reasons, but like with that one, I was just I woke up in the morning and I was like, I thought this was really strange that they did this. I'm just going to put something out there. And I genuinely thought, like, I was like, okay, maybe a few people will be into it.

Kwame

Maybe a few people will get it. But the way that it took off, it felt like it hit me and I learned a lesson from that. I was like, when you feel something and you're like, you know what? I feel like a lot of people feel this way too. I'm just going to share it, dude, I'm going to set up my phone.

Yeah. It took me five minutes to do that.

Izzy

That's all I could ask. And that's how. Yeah, that's not good for me. I, I just, I think, but I just kind of think on the fly, I never really, never really kind of, like to strategize like that. But honestly, you just do it set up real quick, throw it out there and be surprised, that's for sure. that's.

Scott

Great. So as far as creating content and now, you know, you're working with different brands, what was the transition to try and okay, I'm going to make something of this. I'm going to gauge brands. Did you go out and pursue a management company like how did you approach starting to, you know, to turn this into a living?

Izzy

Luckily I had a really good support system. I had my manager before I was. She still worked for the same people, but it was like, a little bit of, like a smaller agency. She had managed, like a couple other people on some Netflix shows there, like Carousel in Michigan, but it wasn't like a huge agency.

But she really coached me and luckily she did it all, like, for free. Because I know you get with these bigger agencies and, you know, sometimes you have to hire people. They got to make you your little like portfolio and I forget what they're called. but anyways, you send that over like stuffed over to brand deals and, you know, all that stuff.

But she was just on me and was just like, you gotta keep making content. You need to try to post three TikToks a day, try to post almost every day or every other day on Instagram. And I honestly like I would do it for a little bit past like, man, like I kind of felt like this is who I am.

I'm not always the guy that's on Facebook like, wait, let me stop and take a picture kind of thing. And then after a while I was like, you know, I just want to be present and, like, not be the social media dude. But then, once the brand deals and stuff started coming, it's like, wow, I'm really, like, missing out on a good opportunity.

I really need to stay on top of it. So and that's the thing with the show is like it comes in waves and you're relevant right now and you'll be irrelevant in like three weeks, you know what I mean? So you really have to take advantage of that time frame when your show is trending in order to try to do your best to stay consistent.

So because you can't not do it, and then out of nowhere, try to come and do it later, because no one's going to know either who you are or really give a shit, to be honest. So, that's why now that perfect match has come on. I've learned from that. And so all the advice that she's giving me, I've used and we've actually gone to a bigger agency now, she got a job with them, brought me over with them.

And honestly, they have a really good team and they do a lot of, like, outreach and for me, a lot of negotiating for me. I just really have to make the content and that's it. you know, we're just counting the blessings and reaping the benefits, you know, bless that baby that.

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Kwame

I love that for you, man. you know, you've obviously been through a whole lot with China, you know, just like all of us. So you know, I think one thing that I sometimes fear as, somebody who wants to be more heavily involved as a creator, and I used to say this and begin in the beginning of the influence when I first started with later, I wanted to become a better influencer.

And I'm starting to realize, like, the little things that are helping me to get there. So I do feel like I'm becoming a better creator and a better influencer as time goes on. There's a lot of things that come with it. But you're right, there's a certain trajectory that you hit when it comes to really peaking with being able to gain followers right?

Your ability to gain followers like it almost feels like this massive ramp that goes up as your show is on. And then at the end of your show, when the finale, you know, shows, that's when you gain your most. Right after my finale, I probably gained about 25 to 30% of my followers then and then after then it slows down and starts going down very quickly.

Right. And so, you know, you're one your relevance, but also your ability to gain followers, you know, it stops significantly because if you can capitalize while it's on this up, you don't just gain at the trajectory of the show, you're also gaining at the trajectory of everyone who was watching the show, then sharing the things that you're sharing and then their audience seeing it as well.

So it's a really, really, really important way to like, make sure that it's not just staying relevant, but also like growing your audience as you are, and is most relevant. So it was definitely something that I had to learn a lot about. And right now I'm back on this journey of trying to figure out how to gain followers outside of the peak of my own show, and really gaining my own audience because I'm still learning to like, create my own little niches as a creator and, you know, trying to find where I fit into.

And so as I can really mold those aspects, hopefully I can bring followers in there, like as I become more of a fashion creator, hopefully I can bring people from, you know, fashion followers in a fashion community. and then a little bit more from photography and a little bit more from lifestyle. So yeah, it's an interesting bounce.

And as someone who has now been in the creator world, you've worked with a decent amount of brands. I know you mentioned having worked with Jimmy John's early on in your creative journey, but I'd love to know what your favorite partnership so far has been.

Izzy

Honestly, man, I would say Jimmy John's Jimmy John's was fun. I think that was the first time I actually had to, like, try and act, like on scene. And, yeah, that was a fun one. They did it because they twisted it up with Love Is Blind and took what actually happened, the parts that happened to us in the show, and it just kind of made fun of it, you know, it's a really fun one.

And also, I got to meet some of the others, like Love Is Blind alumni that I never got to meet before, and which was a really cool experience. so I think that one was pretty fun. I did one with time, and now one was pretty funny. Just because I have to tell you, I'm glad that credit at the time and, I thought that was pretty funny, but that one was more like they just came over like, this is what we need you to say, which is like very black and white, like advertising versus, you know, Jimmy John's was just like it was more personal, you know, more personal for me.

So. So yeah, I think that was my favorite one so far.

Kwame

Yeah. What we love to dive into like what was so special about it. I know you said it was, like, more personal, but I think you said, like, they flew you out to New York and stuff like that.

Izzy

Yeah. What was and what was that experience? Your. That was my first time in New York. It was beautiful. It was like it was snowing. It was cold, it was snowing. It was beautiful. They put us in a really nice, cool looking industrial modern hotel. And, obviously we got to, like, hang out with all their, their alumni and then everyone from Jimmy John's and we all, you know, go out for drinks and martinis and then, you know, filming and all that stuff.

And you have and it was just overall good. They gave us some swaggy merch, see. And Jimmy John's merch, these like dope, like champion jackets. So it was, it was like, you know, it was a good time. I mean, that was by far my favorite one so far.

Scott

That's awesome. It was funny watching, watching that back because it's like, you know, that you're it's like you're trying to hold it in the hole the whole time, and it's like. But I'm thinking about velvet, you know? And they're just like, you're trying to like and laughing. And I'm just like, oh, it's so funny because you, you know, you're acting and you're trying to hold it together.

I think that was what I was like. Like he was.

Izzy

The dude that puts the eyedrops in his eyes.

Kwame

Oh, no. It was the season before mine.

Izzy

And they had me see, because, like, obviously I've cried like I cry like twice in my season of love Is Blind and, they had me cry because, Natalie, like, this is me for a cookie. And they made me like them, but they didn't show us for I thought it would be hilarious. And then like.

And then we put the drops in my eyes. I don't know. I was like, it's, they made some, some good content that didn't fully make it to the commercial, but. Yeah, by far my favorite one so far.

Scott

So it's interesting you talked about, you know, creating content and saying, oh, this isn't me. I'm not the guy to stop and take a picture. And now kind of finding your own way. And I think for me in there, there's this lesson of like, if you can bring together these two disciplines or whatever and make it your own and your own representation of how you want to create content, how you want to engage an audience, what you find meaningful to share, like how did how did you bring that together to a point where you're at today, where you're like, you are successful, you're you enjoy creating content.

I, you know, at least it looks that way. Yeah. And, you know, you've kind of found your own way. What was that journey like? And for creators who do want to share their passion, their, you know, their skills, whatever it might be, but don't feel like an influencer. You don't feel like taking pictures all the time. How do you encourage them to, like bridges that divide and make it their own?

Izzy

I mean, I will say now I'm a lot more comfortable. I think I was just always so worried to be like, oh, where people are going to think of me when I'm in the middle of, like at a restaurant or at a game or something, I got to snap a picture, like, I don't want to look like that.

Cringing. Do you know what I mean? You got to hit a point where you're just like, all right, like I'm doing it. It gets me paid. You know what I mean? Like, it's good for my numbers. and then also, I think you just kind of find the niche after a while, like you said, we're now coming into the media.

You kind of find what you're getting good at. And the more you keep doing it, the better at it you get and the ideas just start coming more. But I think for me, I've always done my best in both shows that I've done to just be my genuine self. And so the content that I make is kind of just realistic to my day to day life and my personality, which makes it so much easier.

So I think you just gotta make it very relatable and relatable to, you know, to your audience as well. look at who your audience is, make it relatable to them. Make it funny to them. because if you have an audience full of women in your, you know, trying to advertise, like men's clothing or something like that, like, yeah.

And you might get like a little bit of, oh, I might get this from my boyfriend, but realistically, you know, coming from, like, Love Is Blind, like 95% of our following is majority women. So it's you got to find, like, what fits the crowd. So you have to keep all of those things in mind. But I think for me, what's just helped is just make it realistic and relatable.

Kwame

Yeah, I agree with that. It's funny because we do our analyses and figure out what percentages of our audience and the way that we can sell to women is very different, obviously, from the way we can sell to men, but we can sell some. We can almost sell to men through women. Right? It's like there's a specific way to do that.

Like if I'm selling to guys because obviously, like I'm a big fashion guy. Like I said, I have to show that the stuff that I have is really cool because my wife likes it.

You know, so I could be selling to that 5% of guys that follow me, or I could be selling to their wives to encourage them, to encourage their husbands or boyfriends. Yeah. So it is really cool how that all comes together. And, you know, now that you've done a few partnerships, have had, you know, some ups and some downs, do those would you say that there's any, you know, partnership that you went through that you thought to yourself, maybe you don't have to name drop, but like, do you remember an experience where you're like, I didn't really enjoy this partnership.

Izzy

Yes. yeah. It was kind of one reason. And, and just because, like, also like, that's one thing you learn to do and it's hard to make that transition because, like, we are just normal people before we ever did any shows, working a normal job that, you know, now, I don't mean that in like a cocky way, but it's like now you have to realize your worth, like, hey, you are, you know, like people should be lucky to to be able to hang out with you or do the content with you.

So, like, don't settle for less. and I think you know what, you go to these contracts and stuff, like I think you realize you're worth it, like, you know how much you should get paid. Like I used to be very grateful just for anybody to even send me $500 for a deal. You know what I mean?

Yeah, or $300 when it's, you know, way up there. You sure you should sell yourself for more? And so it's like, I would get some that I think I would recently. It was just like it was an amount that wasn't very much at all. And they kept us for way longer for content filming and stuff like, and I don't know, just it wasn't very professional following the contract, I would say.

So at least that for what we got paid. yeah. I think that that was it. I honestly think, but.

Kwame

So aka paid them more. Right. make sure that they understand their value and stick within the contract. Yeah. Come on, brands, we can do better.

Izzy

Like, you can ask him to do so much stuff. Like for not much. You know what I mean? So, like, know your worth. Know your worth for sure.

Scott

Yeah, I think that's interesting. We've heard that from a lot of folks. I think there's two different pieces at play. It's one's understanding of what products, what services that you want to support, that you want to share with your audience, believing that you can be authentic. And then, you know, having a good viewpoint on the value that you bring and the value of your time and you know, the value of your support for a brand.

And being really clear and transparent, is going to lead to a good partnership in a lot of different ways. And so I think, you know, when we work with brands, we always encourage, you know, to, to pay fairly to, understand the value that you're getting to have really great creator relationships. And I think over time, brands do get reputations with creators, and creators get reputation with brands.

And so we want to, you know, build both sides of the ecosystem and make sure that it's a really healthy, like, great relationship for both sides. Because for you, if you're just feeling like you're getting taken advantage of all the time and pushing products you don't believe and you're not going to hang around, you're not going to continue to do that.

And in the same way, you're not going to work with brands if you feel like you're being treated poorly. And I think a lot of, you know, younger creators or new creators, they don't have good guidance or an understanding of what it is that they're worth. And, and, so getting the right guidance is pretty helpful.

Izzy 

Yeah, definitely.

Scott

So I'm curious, we asked this question to a lot of folks, but if there was one brand that if they came knocking on your door, you'd be completely stoked to work with them. What's one brand deal that you would love to have?

Izzy

Honestly, man. Malik. Melon hats. I fucking love their hats. Their hats are not cheap. They're like a $75 hat. You know, I'm a big hat guy. just because obviously these are actors that, like, they're good for the job. I'm over here advertising for them, but when I'm out in the sun, I'm like, my head is involved.

It gets it. So you get to burn. So, like, I have to wear a hat sometimes, you know? And so, Yeah, I definitely would love them. 100%. I mean, I've tried, honestly, but they try to do like an affiliate marketing thing. I'm like, no, I want, I want it like, look at my profile. I'm in.

I'm worried about your hat and my picture. I'd be perfect for this, but, yeah, I think the camera, like, Tito's, gloves. Tito's like, clearly I'm known for, you know, being a party to the Jager. I felt like it fit exactly as if you're watching a shout. Hit your boy up.

Kwame

We'll try to package. Is that something we're working on right now? And I want to try to get these creators ' desired partnerships packaged up and sent to a bunch of these brands and see if it works out. So hopefully, hopefully we got you. Oh, yeah. For sure. So, you know, as you think back now, with everything that you've done and where you've gotten to, do you think that you would do anything differently?

Right, if you could give yourself any advice as you were starting out, is there something you wish you did differently as a creator?

Izzy

Yeah, I wish honestly, I would have maximized a lot when Love Is Blind came out. As far as posting content more consistently, that's something I definitely wish I would have taken advantage of a lot more. any more engaging with people like in the comments and stuff to raise my engagement numbers and stuff like that.

Like those little minute things make a big difference. And I honestly wish I would have just done that.

Scott 

Yeah, I love that. I think opportunity, you know, is limited and fleeting and, and anything in life like, you know, jumping on the opportunities is as they're presented. And in this case, you know, the release of Love Is Blind is is a huge opportunity. So I think it's, you know, reflecting I would call me hard to say also, I think, there are these waves and kind of ebbs and flows of a piece of content or hit, you know, a reunion show will happen and some other thing will happen.

And capitalizing on those moments to drive, engagement, to drive, that new engagement with people who are not in your core audience today. you know, it's being really thoughtful about, capitalizing on those moments is.

Izzy

What's helped a lot. kind of in between shows, I started doing TikTok live. and that's a good way to monetize off the minute. I had obviously become friends with some of the cast for Perfect Match. So between that and someone actually doing that, they were kind of part of an agency that would do TikTok lives and they kind of guided you on how to be like a good, like a TikTok live creator.

And they would, they would send us, like, a video every day, on how to do it. And I would just, I would do TikTok live for a while, man, and people would double pay, you know? but a day from doing that was, was also you just gain a following. Like I would gain like a thousand followers in a night by doing, like, an hour and a half live because you pop up people for your pages.

They see you, you know, you do some fun, like play some music, you know, do something, play a game. I don't know anything. But you engage them, they follow you. And then actually you go, you have a thousand new followers, you know, by the next day. So that was something I kind of did that helped out a lot.

The tech kind of helped me get followers because like you said, you do hit that point where no one's really following you anymore. So that did help a lot.

Scott

I'm curious about the lives, you know, of the format. You said you would just hop on and get on with it. You're kind to your followers. Did you get like, how did you approach the TikTok live piece? Like, did you just kind of no plan or did you start to plan.

Certain things that worked?

Izzy

Kind of found my niche for it's kind of the same thing. I kind of got like David Sanders those videos, and it was like, if you do these things for 14 days straight, you'll get a following, like a consistent following kind of thing. And I to be honest, I didn't watch like all the media guys. I only watched probably about the first two to just get me going.

So what I would do is obviously see the crowd that I get into. So I would like to chill Monday nights. What Would I do? what's love got to do with that kind of thing, you know? And I would have like, my core audience that I got when I did when I was on Love Is Blind and again, the following I was getting from that I would do, you know, advice like, let's do like it's majority girl.

So like, you know, ask me a question, I'll give you a guy, you know, a guy's perspective, and I'll be playing like music in the background, you know, lightly. And some people would be like, oh, play this song, play that song. And, you know, they have like little gifts that they send you. So I'd be like, oh, like, my season of love is Blind.

I was getting roasted for having paper plates and, so I would get creative with it and be like, oh, do you want a special request for a song? Send a gift and I'll write your name on this paper plate and I'll have, you know, ups of your names on the screen. And I'll play your song of choice.

And people will just start, you know, doing that. And. And then I'm also just giving them love advice. And then the girls start chatting in the comments like, no girl leaves his ass or he she never, you know, do that. So I would do that. I would do Thirsty Thursdays. Like if someone sent me a huge gift, I would obviously not like to show alcohol on TikTok, but I would like to take a shot or take a sip of something.

And sometimes I would just, you know, just put this on here, but it'd be like water. It was an actual vodka, and I took a shot, but they would send money, you know, you just gotta find your niche. And that's what I did. So. And that's what helped me gain a lot of a following for a while. But that was fun, you know, engaging with them in life, you know man.

And that was pretty fun.

Kwame

Wow. Strategic.

Izzy

It is strategic. And they taught me that in those videos. Like you got to like all about your background. You have to think like what catches the eye when you know someone comes up for it. I was like, put cool lights, lights and candles and, you know, set the mood kind of things. and I have fun with it.

Scott

I think it's cool. Like, I mean, we see a lot of, like, cameos, a good example, other things where there's the personalization and the ability to interact as well. Be on the comment section, like being able to see someone who you've watched on TV or, or, you know, admired, interact with you, respond to your comment, and, there's just something unique about that experience.

So, yeah, definitely understand the engagement piece, but it's cool thinking about ways that brands could capitalize on life. Again, there's such an interactive element to it that I think brands can really position themselves well while, you know, engaging with an audience in a meaningful way, you know, without making it, like infomercials or you know.

Izzy

Exactly.

Scott

Like, watch me cook dinner with.

Kwame

Yeah. I actually hadn't ever done a lot of. So I've joined other people's lives before, but I'd never had a life of my own until, I think it was two days ago, actually. Chelsea was a little bit slower to get out of bed for the day, and so I decided I was going to make us breakfast. And so I went into the kitchen, I put on some, like I put on some, I think, oh, who was it?

It was Enrique Iglesias or somebody.

And I was just. I was making eggs and bagels, and I was interacting, and I was dancing to the music, and it was like, the most random. Like it just came to me as I was, as I was pulling the pan out, I was like, you know what? I'm about to have about 15 minutes of just, like, actually enjoying life.

Yeah. Let me see how that translates to doing live. So I do think that's a really cool way to connect with your audience. And I would encourage anybody to do it.

Scott

Yeah. Hopefully some new ideas for creators out there to engage in different ways. And I think like following this formulaic plan of you know, just post this many stories a day. This is a day like, you know, it just makes you one of a crowd. And I think doing things like live, like the first Twitch streamers, I think about like YouTube live now, there's so many different ways to engage.

And being the first on some of these formats, like I've talked about them before, but there's like a guy who does shoe drops all day and he's got 7000 people on his YouTube live just all talking about the shoe drop. And he's got a huge audience and it's his landing. It's a really cool way to engage with folks and, yeah, it's pretty cool.

Kwame

Yeah. So as we get close to wrapping up here, is he I think one last, you know, question to take us away for the days, you know, what's what's next for Izzy? Do you have any future plans either? Hey, it could be tomorrow. Could be a week from now, month from now or year from now. But we'd love to know what's going on with you.

Izzy

Yeah, man. honestly, now there's this all done, I think. Just ready to kind of get. I mean, I'm not thinking I'll ever be, you know, fully normal, but I'm ready just to kind of get back to normal life. I'm about to go get my real estate license. That's something I really want to pursue. And I never thought I would say this, but I do miss, like, a normal 9 to 5 job.

And I'll still be doing, you know, the content stuff and all that and trying to be active with it. But now, I think I might take a whole nother avenue, maybe tying it in with real estate and stuff like that. yeah. I never want to do that. And, and I think I, you know, I'm getting more serious in my relationship, you know, it's regressing to where I like it.

It's time to, you know, pop that question, Oh, I think.

Kwame

That you heard it here first. You heard it here first, people.

Izzy

I thought, yeah, I think that's something I really want to do. Just kind of like, just. I think I'm ready to just be present, attack the real estate stuff and just kind of travel with my lady. You know, she's been doing it with me for two shows now for the ride. And, you know, I give props to her and she's been my biggest support system.

And now I just want to kind of give back and just enjoy life with her, you know what I mean? And see what's next. Are, you know, trying to get a house to like you guys and this all that stuff is exciting, man. But I think that's it. Yeah, it's ready to be somewhat normal. Yeah. I can get my life going outside of the reality TV world.

Scott

Was awesome research for you. Glad to see you having all the success like love the the growth story and am super happy through both the shows. Now you've, you know, you've found your perfect match. Yeah. no, but, now super happy for you. And yeah, I wish you guys luck and all of it. And, yeah, keep creating the content.

We love to see it.

Izzy

Yeah, we have for sure. Thank you all so much.

Kwame

For sure, man. Thank you for joining us, Izzy. Thank you, everybody for being here with us today. That is the conclusion of today's episode of Beyond Influence. We will see you all next week.

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