Quick story: It was Super Bowl Sunday and my family was upstairs just about to watch the game on TV. I was downstairs trying a couple of new things, experimenting with capcut, some Ai tools, and my phone. Trying for the first time something totally new and exciting - filming myself in front of the camera for a headshot video… I had created many videos before but this was the first one with my face looking straight to the camera. I had just launched a fresh Instagram account all about creative marketing for luxury real estate, using 3D images and campaigns. As the commercials played during breaks I got inspired with an idea for a video. So there I was, scripting out my concept on my phone, and I started recording, with a green backdrop hung up on the wall. Nothing fancy, but I was determined to make it work! By the end of that Sunday night, I had shot and roughly edited my first headshot video. With a huge sense of accomplishment, I posted that first headshot video on that almost new Instagram account, and wrote the caption and details. I waited. The views started trickling in slowly...and today with a total of 25 to be exact. Then the very next day, luxury real estate Broker Ryan Serhant dropped a quick car video covering essentially the same topic I had just posted the day before. Unsurprisingly, his video had thousands of views. But rather than get discouraged, it motivated me even more. The lesson for me: Having a solid message is crucial, but building an actual audience of engaged followers is what really creates success. From that moment, I committed myself to consistently creating valuable video content that would gradually grow my voice and personal brand. In the months that followed, that's exactly what I have been doing - experimenting with diverse formats, using video techniques and editing styles, sometimes even simpler and complex videos. It has been a slow process to start gaining traction in that niche, but stick-with-it persistence paid off.