Part-time Work, Travel Nursing, and Creating w/ Jerine Nicole

I met Jerine during a writing cohort last year and she's one of my favorite creators to follow.

She's branded herself as "multi-passionate" which has resonated with a lot of her following because so much of the advice out there makes it sound like niching down is the only path to success as a creator.

Her essays & articles are both thoughtful and packed with valuable perspectives, and her YouTube channel is a reflection of the journey.

This week's Money Matters:

What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to get started on YouTube?

Create videos on what you’re excited about. Video is an interesting format because you can tell a lot about a person even if you’ve never met them.

You can tell when they’re passionate about their topic, if they’re genuine about wanting to help others or they’re only here to make money.

Consciously or subconsciously, viewers will be able to tell what you’re up to so make sure that you’re excited about the videos you’re creating. And also, videos take at least 4 hours to edit, and it’s not fun to edit videos that aren’t exciting for you.

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Why has a part-time job been important to finding success and fulfillment in creating?

I love this question. For me, it’s because I wanted to create for the sake of it. I didn’t want to attach money into what I create. When I became a freelance writer for big names like Sahil Lavignia, Matt D’Avella or Nicolas Cole, I thought I’d feel fulfilled. But it turns out, I was still creating content for other people’s businesses.

But when I write for myself, I feel fulfilled even if I’m getting $0 for it. So I had to go back to find a job that can sustain the creative life that I want to pursue.

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How has being a travel nurse & creator changed your relationship with money?

My first paycheque as a travel nurse was $2,800 CAD working 3 days per week and I was ecstatic. Most recently, I earned about $10K CAD working full-time (and a bit of overtime) for 2 weeks. This whole experience made me feel that I can earn a lot of money without working too hard or working a lot. I recognize this as an unfair advantage as there’s a shortage of nurses everywhere.

As a creator, I feel equally proud even if I’m not making money. My $0 email course template on Gumroad gives me the same, if not more, giddy feeling when I make tons from my nursing job.

This happens because I personally made the product with the intent to help others. As long as the product is getting out there, I don’t really care if it makes me money. It would be nice to make money, but because I have my part-time job, I have the luxury to create from the heart.

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(Bonus) What’s your favorite thing to spend money on?

I love spending money on courses. I (almost) never hesitate to buy a subscription or an online course if it’s going to shorten the learning curve. In 2021, I spent about $10K on self-education. Although I recognize that learning can be procrastination for the thing that you really have to do.

As Naval says, “Reading is faster than listening. Doing is faster than watching.” If you want to invest in yourself, make sure you give yourself the time and space to actually apply what you learn. Otherwise, there’s no point.

​Connect with Jerine on Twitter

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