Troy Hallahan
- Alex Mars transitioned from tech marketing to full-time content creation after a layoff.Mars gained traction on TikTok with a series called 'Best, Worst, Fave' reviewing vinyl albums.Financial instability and lack of traditional career benefits are challenges in Mars' new career.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alex Mars, a 28-year-old music content creator based in New York, about leaving a career in tech marketing to pursue content creation full-time. It's been edited for length and clarity.
I always said that I would become a full-time content creator when my income from content creation outdid my salary at my corporate job in fintech. I ultimately didn't get to that point because I was laid off before I could quit.
Since my layoff in April, I've been creating content full-time. I have the algorithm kind of figured out, but I don't have a consistent way of making sure that it delivers views each month so I can pay my rent.
At my last job, I had constant stress and anxiety about pretending that I was invested in the corporate world when I wasn't. I'm really happy with my decision to pursue content creation full time, but I'm on edge every single day.
My layoff gave me the push I needed
I studied business administration, marketing, and consulting, with a specific concentration in film and media management. I've always dreamed about how I could work in music.
My last corporate role was doing business-to-business marketing in the content creation world.
I started posting vinyl album reviews on TikTok in 2021, and they picked up traction. The CMO at my company thought it brought a unique perspective to the marketing department. Those I worked closely with knew I made content on the side. My final manager knew I did content as well and appreciated the hustle, as she had a side passion project of her own.
When I was laid off, I was already signed with a content creator management company. I decided to take six months and prioritize making content full time, and I'm three months into that.
I started a TikTok series that grew my platform
During my first year as a creator, I posted completely anonymously. I didn't even use my voice until probably nine months in because I was terrified of people I knew finding it. In June 2022, I filmed the first video with myself in it. I remember shaking and being so nervous, but things just completely catapulted from there.
I started a series called "Best, Worst, Fave," where I would say what I think is the best song, the worst song, and my personal favorite song from an album that I had on vinyl. In a matter of days, the series blew up. My 'Best, Worst, Fave' videos started to get around 200,000 views, with some of them getting close to 1M views.
The TikTok Creator Fund basically pays my rent
The success of "Best, Worst, Fave" allowed me to branch out. I could do more commentary rather than just vinyl content. The more I was posting reviews and sharing music news, the more the vinyl stuff stopped doing well.
Now that I'm a few years in, I can tell what will perform best based on the audience I've built. The TikTok Creator Rewards Program only pays for videos that are longer than one minute, and the viewer must see the video on their For You page.
There are a lot of guardrails there, but I feel I have enough of a grasp on what works and what doesn't to continue to build this out.
The biggest challenge is the financial instability
Some brands pay close to five figures for a single video promoting their product or artist, but I'm not in control of how many deals I get. I live in a very expensive city, and I completely support myself. I don't want to get in a position where I can't do that.
At my first agency, fewer than 10 deals came through in six months, but with new management, that number increased in weeks. I joined my current management agency, Solace Talent, in August 2024.
In the beginning, I didn't care as much about who I was promoting because it was extra money. I've now been focusing on making sure that the brand I'm building for myself right now will last me five, 10, 15, or 20 years down the line. I turn down deals I don't think align with my brand or audience now. I'm looking at this as a business that I'm the CEO of.
It's not a traditional career path, at least right now
I don't get promoted from content creator to senior content creator to get a raise and a new sense of responsibility. It can be a little lonely and isolating, especially when I don't have so many content creator friends who can relate to the struggles that I'm dealing with and the anxieties that I have about my new career.
Healthcare is a huge issue that I don't think people talk about enough. When you're working for a corporation, you get benefits. I'm on my own now, and that's a huge expense to take on.
I'm really looking to take this to a place where I don't have to rely on an algorithm that I can't control to make this career possible for me.
I know that I want to stay in the music industry
I want to continue to be a presence in the music world, whether upfront as a public figure or behind the scenes, sharing my expertise.
Although it's scary and a huge risk, I'm just chugging forward and giving myself the time and space to make it happen.
If you can connect your passion with your work, you'll always be happy, and I've never been happier in a job than I am now.
Do you have a career pivot or content creator story that you would like to share? Contact this reporter at aapplegate@businessinsider.com.
