NEED TO KNOW
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Brandon Edelman, known online as Bran Flakezz, built his platform by sharing personal stories and promoting authenticity in his interactions with his audience.
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He says that as his platform has grown and he's worked with larger teams and brands, it's become more challenging to balance transparency and visibility.
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Edelman reflects on his journey from working in retail to building a successful career as a content creator while giving back to his family and community.
Brandon Edelman—or Bran Flakezz, as he's known online—has learned a lot about the importance of transparency in his three years as a content creator.
The 29-year-old has built an online brand discussing everything from advice in his native Philadelphia to finance and relationships. In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, Edelman emphasizes that "vulnerability and authenticity are part of my brand.".
«"I will always share stories from my personal life, and I think that's really important," he says.
However, he admits that «being transparent becomes more difficult as you progress in your career because you have a larger team, bigger brand partnerships, and more people watching you.».
The content creator, who now has more than 1.3 million followers on TikTok, says the "bigger, more growing platform" comes with "a little red tape.".
Bran Flakezz (Photo: Bran Flakezz/Instagram)
«"Now I have a PR team, I have a team of agents, I'm not just the Bran of three years ago, hanging out with a street manager who did what I wanted, you know?" he says. "There are a lot more people now who don't tell you what to do, but talk about the consequences of your actions.".
He confirms that «transparency will always be there,» but «in a more subdued form than it would have been in 2022, when I first started my transparency series.».
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Like much of his content, Edelman's video series on marketing transparency is humorous but also takes a step back from the mystery surrounding this type of marketing. In the videos, he reveals exactly how much money he makes from each video, which In fact happens during trips with brand representatives and much more.
He says that "people just love to hear the truth and gain new knowledge," and it's important to publish content that "makes your audience feel like, 'Wow, I'm about to learn something new,' or 'Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know that.'".
Bran Flakezz (Photo: Bran Flakezz/Instagram)
«"A lot of my videos about content creation get comments like, 'Am I interested in being a content creator? No. Did I watch this video to the end? Yes.' I love it because people are interested, regardless of the topic, because it's a really interesting topic.".
Ultimately, though, content creation and community building are what Edelman enjoys most about having a large platform.
He also notes that «seeing that little kid in me who lacked self-confidence come out» was incredibly rewarding.
«"Ten years ago, I was working in a Forever 21 fitting room, making $8.25 an hour. Now I can afford to live in Los Angeles, in Philadelphia, support my parents, and do things I never dreamed of doing—it's incredible and incredibly fulfilling," he told PEOPLE.
He says where he is now feels like "the completion of a cycle, sometimes it's just an incredible event, and sometimes I just have to stop and think, 'Wow, you did it. There were no intermediate steps, you did it all yourself.'".
«"I have to remind myself of that when I'm having a tough day and say, 'No, be proud of yourself,'" Edelman adds.
Read the original article on People.