135. How to Make Money as a UGC Creator in 2026 | Brand Deals, User-Generated Content + Social Media Income with Sydney Mohni

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "How to Make Money as a UGC Creator in 2026 | Brand Deals, User-Generated Content + Social Media Income"

Podcast: Call Her Creator with Katelyn Rhoades
Guest: Sydney Moni
Host: Katelyn Rhoades
Date: March 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Call Her Creator explores the world of User-Generated Content (UGC) through the lens of full-time creator and coach Sydney Moni. Sydney shares her journey from network marketing to UGC stardom, breaking down how anyone—regardless of follower count—can monetize content creation for brands. The discussion provides actionable guidance on landing brand deals, building a UGC portfolio, pricing, pitching strategies, and overcoming common challenges. The tone is unfiltered, honest, and full of practical wisdom for ambitious women ready to step confidently into the creator economy.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Sydney's Backstory and Entry into UGC ([03:06]–[06:40])

• Sydney spent a decade in network marketing, finally hitting her first $10k month after seven years but felt burnt out and unfulfilled.
• Personal hardships—including losing her dog and financial stress—pushed her to reevaluate her path.
• She discovered UGC on TikTok: “What do you mean, I can work with brands without having a following? This is crazy. I think this is going to change my life.” ([05:06] Sydney).
• It took four months of unpaid trial before landing her first UGC deal, requiring resilience, "14 hours a day" of effort, and faith.

2. What is UGC? Who Can Do It? ([08:05]–[09:41])

• UGC = User Generated Content—content created by everyday consumers, not necessarily posted on the creator's own profile, but for brands to use in ads or social media.
• “They want their target audience…like, you don’t gotta have your makeup perfect.” ([09:41] Host)
• Key message: Anyone can do UGC; brands are seeking diversity and authenticity, not perfection or influencer status.

3. Turning Insecurities & Passions into Marketable Content ([10:09]–[11:51])

• “Your biggest insecurity becomes your biggest moneymaker.” ([10:09] Sydney)
• Sydney and Katelyn discuss how personal journeys (e.g., weight loss, skin struggles, autoimmune issues) can become lucrative niches in UGC.

4. Niche and Opportunity ([11:05]–[13:24])

• Sydney's niche found her: started in home/interior, but landed tech/app deals which paid best.
• “Apps, tech, AI…their budgets typically end up being a lot higher.” ([35:07] Sydney)
• Don’t stress about the niche at first—opportunities can open unexpectedly.

5. From Side Hustle to Legit Career ([13:24]–[14:04])

• Sydney always believed in online income but found her true “calling” and confidence in UGC rather than network marketing.
• Katelyn highlights the difference in effort vs. reward between MLM and UGC: “I would work my freaking ass off to sell freaking kits and make pennies…but with a big brand deal I got paid $10,000 versus pennies when I was posting every single day.” ([13:27] Host)

6. Early Challenges and Overcoming Them ([16:24]–[18:19])

• The early days involved a lot of self-teaching, trial and error, and collecting—then implementing—as much knowledge as possible.
• “Most people get lost in between. But that was the biggest struggle I had…all trial and error.” ([17:44] Sydney)
• First deal: $150 for a video. "I actually cried when I got the deal." ([17:50] Sydney)

7. Process for Scaling: Pitching, Networking, Compound Effect ([19:07]–[20:48])

• Consistent pitching: It’s a numbers game. Treat pitching like networking; the "compound effect" creates momentum.
• “It’s like nothing, nothing, nothing…Holy crap, I'm so overwhelmed.” ([18:33] Sydney)
• Brands often reply to pitches months later—keep the effort up even with no immediate response.

8. Essential Tools and Systems ([21:06]–[22:25])

• Portfolio creation: Canva is simple and effective, even at $20k/month.
• Pitching: Sydney now uses OnBento.com (a pitching and CRM platform for creators).
• “I'd love—That's why I love UGC. The barrier to entry is so low. Anybody can do it.” ([21:06] Sydney)
• Fiverr is effective for some, but pricing can start low ($30–$80/video).

9. Video Creation & Editing Skillset ([24:04]–[25:46])

• Most common UGC: short-form, vertical video for Meta or TikTok; can also be photo and horizontal video for ads.
• Editing is the most important skill to develop—Sydney self-taught using CapCut desktop.

10. Sydney’s UGC Mastery Academy ([25:58]–[26:47])

• A 90-day, all-levels comprehensive coaching program: 160 video modules, scripting, filming, editing, assignments, group, and 1:1 coaching.
• “I've had students that have never created a piece of content before and by the end of the 90 days they're making $5,000 a month.” ([27:00] Sydney)

11. UGC Income Potential & Getting Paid ([27:54]–[28:56])

• Beginners should expect $150–$200/video, scaling up to $500/video (some get $2,000/video).
• Sydney caps her own UGC at $10k/month to remain active and credible for her students.

12. Multiple Streams of Income & Business Growth ([30:38]–[31:51])

• Initially juggled 7 content-related streams but now focuses on UGC + academy, leveraging “current credibility.”
• The UGC Mastery Academy team grew from 16 to 50 in just 4 months via consistent masterclasses.

13. Action Steps for Aspiring UGC Creators ([33:44]–[34:55])

1. Educate Yourself: Truly understand what UGC is (sales/marketing psychology, video style variety).
2. Create a Portfolio: Make 5 diverse video samples using products around your house.
   • “Look around you. I have like a Chobani thing. I got an expo marker. Like, just pick some five products around your house and make videos. It’s not that hard.” ([34:27] Sydney)
3. Start Pitching: Use platforms like Bento or Fiverr; don’t count the pitches—just keep going to get a “yes.”

14. Rookie Mistakes & Best Practices ([36:02]–[36:36], [35:58])

• Biggest rookie mistake: focusing portfolios on unboxing/ASMR, not the sales psychology of the product/story.
• “You have to really dig into what's the pain point that this product solves and how can I communicate that effectively and in an entertaining way?” ([36:15] Sydney)

15. Lifestyle and Mindset of a UGC Creator ([36:43]–[39:16])

• “Describe your life as a UGC person in one word”—Sydney: “Chaotic.” ([36:43])
• Organization, time-blocking, and discipline are key to juggling multiple responsibilities—Sydney schedules by the minute during “90-day runs.”
• High achiever tendencies can mean long work hours and conflating self-worth with success.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Your biggest insecurity becomes your biggest moneymaker.”
  — Sydney Moni [10:09]
• “If you don't continue the action while you're waiting for the result, then you never end up getting the result.”
  — Sydney Moni [19:16]
• “I actually cried when I got the deal…It was a breaking point in the other direction.”
  — Sydney Moni [17:50]
• “Most people would have given up. Four months with no brand deals?…But it was continuing to put in that action and continuing to have faith that built up. It just broke open.”
  — Sydney Moni [20:18]
• “It's not that hard…Look around you. I have like a Chobani thing. I got an expo marker. Like, just pick some five products around your house and make videos.”
  — Sydney Moni [34:27]
• “Apps, tech, AI—there’s no product to eat into their budget. Their budgets typically end up being a lot higher.”
  — Sydney Moni [35:07]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Sydney’s origin story: [03:06]–[06:33]
• What is UGC? [08:05]–[09:41]
• Turning insecurity into opportunity: [10:09]–[11:51]
• Finding your niche: [11:05]–[13:24]
• Pitching & scaling up: [16:24]–[20:48]
• First brand deal details: [17:50]
• Portfolio building and tools: [21:06]–[22:25]
• Editing skills: [24:04]–[25:46]
• What to put in your UGC portfolio: [34:27]
• Rates and earning potential: [27:54]–[28:56]
• Rookie mistakes to avoid: [36:02]
• Actionable steps for starting: [33:44]–[34:55]
• Best niches for 2026: [35:07]

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How to Connect and Learn More

• Sydney’s Instagram: @sydney.moni
• TikTok: @sydneynicole.ugc
• UGC Mastery Academy: UGC Mastery Academy by Sydney Moni (link referenced in-show)
• Weekly Free Masterclasses: Linked in show notes—packed with actionable info to start your UGC journey even on a budget.

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Rapid Fire Advice & Closing Thoughts

• Best-paying niches: Apps, tech, AI.
• Best platform for pitching: Bento and Fiverr.
• Don't let the first few months of no’s stop you—persistence creates the “compound effect.”
• Don’t build a portfolio entirely of unboxing videos—focus on marketing psychology.
• Schedule and discipline are critical for creators balancing multiple roles.
• “All you have to do is decide that you want to do it.” ([41:08] Host)

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For more unfiltered strategy and support, follow Call Her Creator on Instagram (@callhercreator) and check out the show for weekly episodes!

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Transcript

[Host A]

This episode is sponsored by Brevo, Collective and Shopify. Brevo is your all in one marketing and CRM platform that helps you turn attention into actual revenue. From email marketing to automation to CRM tools, Brevo keeps your audience warm without you manually following up 24. Seven and Collective helps you handle the business side of being a creator or an entrepreneur. From bookkeeping to taxes to compliance, they make sure you're structured correctly and not leaving money on the table. And Shopify your commerce engine, it's how you actually sell the thing.

[Host B]

Whether that's digital products, physical products, or services.

[Host A]

Shopify gives you the tools to build, market and scale your store all in one place. And if you're serious about building a real business, not just posting the content, these are the tools behind the scenes. Get started today with [e-mail] creator save with [e-mail] CHC and launch with Shopify. Shopify.com CHC what's up everybody? Welcome to call her creator.

[Host B]

I am so excited for today's episode because it's going to open your eyes to a whole side of the creator economy that most people don't even realize exists. What's funny about this is my guest today. I actually found her just scrolling through Instagram and we briefly connected and she was like, heck yeah, I'll come on. And I was like, heck yeah, I can't wait to meet you. So when we think about making money on social, most people assume it just happens if you have this huge, massive following or if you're reaching out to brands and they're paying you to post and you gotta have 50,000 followers, a hundred thousand followers, brand deals, affiliate links. But what if I told you that there's an entire industry where you can make multiple six figures creating content for brands without even needing a big audience at all? And. And that's exactly what happened with Sydney. So Sydney, Moni, she's a full time UGC creator, which we're gonna get all into. And she's a coach who went from zero to six figures in just one year by creating content for brands. And now she gets to help others learn how to turn that content creation into a legitimate career. So Sydney, welcome to call her creator.

[Sydney Moni]

Hi. Thank you so much. And thank you for that intro. That's good.

[Host B]

You're good. So like I said, I was just scrolling through Instagram. Maybe you were like talking. I think maybe you were talking about how you created a career. And I was like, oh my God, I want to follow this girl. Because y' all I've been doing this like full time for the last five years. But I actually don't do ugc. Like I'll do influencer campaigns and get paid to post on my profiles. But UGC is like user generated content. Like you create it and you don't have to necessarily post it on your profiles. You can just give it over to the brand, right?

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, yeah. It's like crazy.

[Host B]

Crazy, right? And so before I got on this call with you, I was signing up for a bunch of UGC stuff just because I want to make a little extra cash. So tell me, how did you even fall into this? Like I like to start off by, were you working in corporate or did you have a job first? Like tell us all the things.

[Sydney Moni]

So I got started my network or I started my social media career in network marketing. So I was in network marketing for a decade. I did party plan, I did like supplements, I did all kinds of stuff. And the first like goal you have when you create something online is like the first 10k month, right? Like everybody's like 10k, 10k. And so that was my goal. And it took me 7 years in network marketing to get to my first 10k month. And I thought that I would feel amazing and incredible and like I could take on the world. But I was so burnt out and I absolutely hated the career that I had built. And I was. At the same time my dog had gotten sick. This is like, it's, it's like everything's divine timing, right? So my dog had gotten sick. We had spent eight weeks and 18, 000 trying to save her life and she passed away anyway. At the same time I was burnt out from my career. Uh, I was eight months behind on my credit cards, I deferred my car payment, my wife lost her job, we were paying for our wedding. Like it was, it was brutal. And losing my dog was like the straw that broke the camel's back. I just was, I was so depressed and I was so like, I couldn't get off the couch. I remember like weeks and weeks of like, I feel like a piece of me is gone. Like I don't know what to do. And I lost my faith because I just kind of had this faith that like if I continue to pour into her that she would live. And she did it. And so I went to my bachelorette party in Tulum, Mexico with my wife, my now wife. She wasn't my wife then, but we went to our bachelorette party in Tulum, Mexico and all my friends were sitting inside this Pizza restaurant, eating. And I was outside on the curb crying about money. And that was kind of like my breaking point. I was like, I have to figure something else out. This is not. This is not working. I'm not happy. I'm. I'm miserable. I don't know how to get out of bed in the morning. So I was scrolling on TikTok one day and I saw this girl. She has no idea who I am, but she changed my life.

[Host B]

Oh my God.

[Sydney Moni]

It's crazy. So I saw this girl talking on TikTok and she's like, I made $10,000 doing my. Doing my. Doing UGC for the first. And I was like, BS, like, that's. You're full of crap. And because I've been in the make money space for a really long time, I kind of. I got a BS meter, right? And I was like, I was like, whatever. And so I like, I scrolled three scrolls past her thing and I was like, what if it's not fake, but what if it's real? And so I like scrolled my three scrolls back and I remember it was like two o' clock in the morning and I had watched like hours of this girl's content, like, bingeing. What was ugc? How do I start this? Like, what is this? What do you mean? I can work with brands without having a following. This is crazy. I think this is going to change my life. And I started ugc. I was like, you know what? I'm at rock bottom anyway. Why not? I decided to get into it. I remember telling my wife, I was like, I'm going to change our life. Like, I'm going to make $10,000 this month. And she was like. She's like, okay, go on with your bad self. And it actually took me four months to land my first paid collaboration. So four months of getting paid nothing. Four months of trying to figure it out. Four months of not doing anything remotely. Like, I just was pouring like 14 hours a day into this and getting nothing out of it. Uh, but I just, like, had this gut pull that it was gonna change my life. And I landed my first paid collaboration four months after I started. And then after that, it just kind of like spiraled. It took me like 12 months to make my first 10k. And it just like blew up from there.

[Host B]

Okay, wait.

[Host A]

In the first.

[Host B]

Let's back up for a minute. In the first four months, you said you just put it all in. What were you doing exactly?

[Sydney Moni]

So I found UGC in 2022 when, like, nobody was doing It. So it was basically like a couple people were like, yeah, try this UGC thing. And I'm like, I don't even understand what UGC is, but okay, sure. And so I started creating videos for brands that I could like send to them and use as a portfolio or like example videos I was pitching.

[Host B]

Were you posting those on your account or just saving them and pitching them?

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, yeah, I was. Well, both. So I was posting them on my accounts. I was pitching thousands of brands with like, I would love to work with you, we should work together. But like no value for the brand. Right. I was getting on all these like up and coming UGC apps and trying to like land paid collaborations that way. I did land a couple gifted things. Like I got a free mattress from Lowell, which was really cool.

[Host B]

Okay, that's very cool. Aren't those expensive?

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, like a king. A king size mattress and a whole bedding bundle, which I'm obsessed with their bedding bundles. But this is not a point.

[Host B]

Well, I'm gonna have to look into that because we need a new bed.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. So then I started landing a couple like gifted things. I was doing stuff with like, like drunk elephant and stuff like that, but like all gifted, which is really cool. But I was broke, so. Yeah, it's exactly so I was like, I don't know what to do. But I just kept pitching and pitching and pitching and pitching. My wife's like, is this ever gonna take off? I'm like, I don't know, but I think it is. I think it is.

[Host B]

What?

[Sydney Moni]

What?

[Host B]

Okay, so you're okay, so just to lay the land out, you decide to do it. I always tell people there's a breaking moment first, which was the same for me. You have your breaking moment and then you're like, okay, I have no choice but to do the thing. So the first step you did was you educated yourself on what exactly UGC meant. Correct. And can you just tell people that are just getting started with this too? What, like dumb it down for us? What does that mean? What does UGC mean?

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, so UGC stands for user generated content, which probably still means nothing to you, but it's basically like where you see these advertisements pop up, that the brands are running on their own social media that are created by normal people. So brands are looking for people that look like their audience, whether it's a 55 year old women or like, you know, men or women with children or whatever. Like people that look exactly like their real audience. Which is what I love about UGC is that it's for very normal people. And essentially what you're doing is you're creating content for these brands and then they post it on their social media or use it in paid advertisements that they run on their own social media so you don't have to have any followers. In fact, most of my students are making like $10,000 a month with less than 500 followers.

[Host B]

Shut up.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Host B]

That is so amazing. And what I love too is what you're saying is anyone.

[Host A]

It does not matter what you look like, guys.

[Host B]

Because some of these videos can even be like faceless.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. So I mean, I'm kind of a stickler for faceless. But yes, it can be faceless. I think, you know, user generated content. Like you have to have the user in there somewhere.

[Host B]

I like faces. Humanize it. And the thing is like they're not looking for the most beautiful person. Like they want their target audience like Sydney said. And guess what? Their target audience is Joe Schmo. We Joe Schmo over here. Like, you don't gotta have your makeup perfect. Like, and that's what I love about too UGC is like, I don't have to look perfect. Which social media makes you feel like that? Like, no, I can wear my trucker hat, which I have on right now with my messy hair and just do the thing. As long as I'm being genuine about the product.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, yeah. And it's like the coolest thing about UGC is like your biggest insecurity becomes your biggest moneymaker. Like I've heard people talking about like their weight loss, they use their weight loss journey and they work with a ton of different supplements or like their acne healing journey and they work with a ton of like skin care. It becomes your biggest insecurity. Or your biggest differentiator becomes your biggest moneymaker.

[Host B]

That really speaks to me because with my. So I'm struggling with Hashimoto's right now and like it's become my whole life and now I'm at the like, okay, Caitlin, you're always thinking about what's your niche? Because social media is hard to be a niche sometimes for me because like, yeah, I can work with all these tech companies, but like Hashimoto's, I can do supplements, I can do skincare, I can do hormone stuff, all the things. So would you say for someone that's thinking about doing this is so they need to figure out what makes you uniquely you, what's something that you're passionate about? Like do you, do you tell people to niche down and pick a niche or do you say just go for whatever.

[Sydney Moni]

So when I started ugc, I wanted to work with home brands because I wanted to like furnish my house. I really like like interior design and stuff. I'm not formally trained at all but like you know, I'm formally trained by social media and I really wanted to work in home care or in home. And that's. I always say your niche finds you. And so I ended up working with like one of my very first brand deals was a tech company. It was like an AI calendar thing, motion for anybody that's ever heard of it. And from there it like just snowballed into like so much tech. I work with like apps, AI websites, all kinds of stuff like that. And I never expected that. However, they pay better than most industries. So.

[Host B]

Okay, good to know. What made you believe? Was it that that fourth month that made you believe like, oh, I can actually really make income from this. This isn't just a side hustle or like how long did it take you to get to that point?

[Sydney Moni]

I've been in the online space for over a decade now. Like I've been self employed since, I've been self employed since 2028 and I've been in the online space for 10 years. And so I've always believed that I could make money online. I've always believed that like I was not meant. I always say I'm, I'm unemployable. Like I have always believed that I'm like meant for not a traditional life.

[Host B]

Yep. It's an entrepreneur.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. And so when I, I just like, I feel like there was just something in my gut. I don't know what it was because I never felt that way with network marketing. I always felt like with network marketing that I, I was like good but like not great. I was, I was okay. I was always like just, just below what I, what I was really desiring to be. And as I started starting ugc, something just was like, you're good at this. Like this is your calling. This is where you're supposed to be. You're supposed to be doing this. And I don't, even when no money was coming in my gut was just like, keep going. This is going to change your life. It's going to change your life. And I have been in, like I said, like I've been in this space for 10 years and for 10 years I believed that my life would look like this. I thought originally it was gonna be network marketing that made it, made it look the way that it looks now. But it wasn't and that's fine. I don't. I'm not married to a process.

[Host B]

Right.

[Sydney Moni]

But I've just always believed it.

[Host B]

I feel you and I think there's just people that know in their hearts when something is meant for them. I did network marketing too, but I guess it was an mlm. I did like the oils thing, but I would work my freaking ass off to sell freaking kits and make pennies when I just had a deal with a very big brand and it was the biggest brand I ever had. And it was like I got paid $10,000 versus pennies where I was posting literally every single day. Like there is so much more that you can make in UGC and well, just on social media marketing I feel like,

[Host A]

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[Host B]

what were some. Let's talk about the challenges in the beginning. Like, were you not confident enough? Were you having problems pitching and, like, pricing yourself, finding clients? Like, what were some of the biggest obstacles?

[Sydney Moni]

I think the biggest obstacle was that I had no idea what I was doing. I had no clue. And nobody teaching it at the time. Like, there wasn't coaches, there wasn't mentors. There was just people, like, posting little snippets of. Of what they were doing on social media. And so I became, I became, and I say this very lightly because this can be dangerous. I became an income. I mean, a knowledge collecting machine, but also an implementing machine. And that's what I mean by it can be dangerous because people will start collecting knowledge and, like, never implement anything. And so I would learn, implement, learn, implement, learn, implement. And my wife always says my biggest skill is that I am able to self teach myself anything.

[Host B]

Ooh, I love that.

[Sydney Moni]

But it's hours, right? It's hours of, like, pouring over information and then having the courage to implement it. And I think some. Most people get lost in between. But that was the biggest struggle I had was like, I had no idea what I was doing. So it was all trial and error. It was like, let me send 10 pitches, see if anybody answers me. Nobody's answering. I don't know what to do. Okay, let me adjust this. Like, it just was all, like, learning and teaching myself.

[Host B]

Okay, I love that. Are you able to tell us, like, on average, how much did you make your first deal?

[Sydney Moni]

My very first deal was $150 for one video. It was not that much money, but it was one of those, like, little astronaut lights that you see on TikTok that, like, project the sky into the room. Yeah, it was one video and video. And I actually cried when I got the deal. My God. Because I was, like, holding out. When I lost my dog, I lost my faith. And I'm not a religious person, but I am, like, a spiritual person. And that kind of, like, restored faith in me. Like, trust in myself again.

[Host B]

Okay. Okay.

[Sydney Moni]

And so I was like a. It was a breaking point in the other direction.

[Host B]

Did that first deal help you secure other deals? Like, did you learn something from that? First deal that you think helped, like, tell us about that.

[Sydney Moni]

I always say that like when you finally open the floodgates with ugc, it just like, it's crazy. It's literally like, it's like nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. Holy crap. I'm so overwhelmed.

[Host B]

Wow.

[Sydney Moni]

And so it went from like that 150 deal to like, I was working with an agency that was sending me dog products like three times a week. And I was working with them three times a week. And then it was like I started working with Motion and they were, they were sending. It was like my first four figure deal. And then I started working with another app company that like started hiring me every single month. And I was like, holy crap.

[Host B]

Yes. Okay, okay, then let's get into this growth phase. What changed? Or what was your process like that allowed you to scale quickly like that? What'd you have to do?

[Sydney Moni]

I think that most people when they start UGC, they think that like if I send 10 pitches and nobody answers, I'm doing something wrong. And I think that it's very much like casting a net and building up like this, this, it's like building, building up the floodgate, right? Like you're, you're kind of like. I think of pitching as like networking. And so when you network, you network, you like, you don't necessarily have a goal in mind when you meet people, you just are like meeting people. And maybe eventually down the way, you're like, like that connection actually I really need now. And I think that's where pitching comes in. And it's like you're just, you're sending, sending, sending, sending, sending, sending, sending. And finally somebody's ready and then somebody else is ready and somebody else is ready. But if you don't continue the action while you're waiting for the result, then you never end up getting the result. And so I really do think it was like a matter of all of this action that I was putting in for four months and not seeing any results, which by the way, most people would have given up. Realistically. Most people would have been like, okay, four months with no brand deals, like,

[Host B]

this is not working. Wow.

[Sydney Moni]

But it was continuing to put in that action and continuing to have faith that built up. And all of a sudden it just kind of broke open. And realistically that's what happened. It was like, oh, you reached out to us two months ago. Oh, you reached out to us. Whatever. Like, we saw you on whatever you've been posting for so long and we've been seeing it and it just like, it really was a compound effect. That's the word I've been looking for, a compound effect of all the action that I put in with no inkling of a result or like no idea that anything was even gonna happen.

[Host B]

Wow, this is incredible to hear. Me too, Me too. Over here. As I will pitch to brands all the time and like, never hear back when it comes to pitching. Use ChatGPT to come up with your pitches or Canva to make a portfolio. Like, what are some of the tools that you were using for that?

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, so I use Canva to put my portfolio together. I still to this day, like, I make $20,000 a month with brands and I still use canvas, my portfolio. It's so simple. I'd love. That's why I love ugc. The barrier to entry is so low. Anybody can do it. And so, yeah, I use Canva to pitch when I first or to make my portfolio. When I first started pitching, I was writing a lot of my pitches by myself. I wasn't really into like the ChatGPT thing yet. It wasn't really quite that big yet either.

[Host B]

Yeah, it's really taken off within like the last year.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. And so it was really like handwriting all of my pitches. I created some templates and like, just kind of plugged and played. Now I use a platform called On Bento. Well, it's on bento.com, which is the absolute goat for pitching. They are like an entire platform that houses like hundreds of thousands of brand contacts. They help you write your pitches, they help you respond to them, they, they set up automated follow ups. They, like, you can pitch, you can set up campaigns with them where like, you select 200 brands that you want them to reach out to over like a span of 10 days and it will automatically send the emails every single day. It's made becoming a UGC creator so easy. It's sickening.

[Host B]

You have an affiliate link for that?

[Sydney Moni]

I do, yeah.

[Host B]

Okay, let's make sure we put that in the show notes and send it to me too, because I really do want to get into more UGC because I love creating videos. I love it, I love it, I love it. It's like I own an agency, I got the podcast. But you know what I do most of the time, like 90% of my time is making reels and videos because that's what makes me happy.

[Host A]

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[Host B]

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[Host B]

were you, were you a video creator to begin with like before all of this or did you self teach yourself?

[Sydney Moni]

I had, well both. I had some experience in network marketing where I was doing videos at the time though TikTok was very much. TikTok was big, it's still big but it was bigger in my life and I was doing very much like the record one sentence stop record one sentence stop record on like in the TikTok platform.

[Host B]

Wow.

[Sydney Moni]

And that was most of my experience was like either short videos where we were doing like trends or some of that record the video stop, record the video stop, record the video stop and posting it that way. When it came to ugc, the biggest skill set that I had to learn was editing because I had no experience whatsoever editing. But that's where my self teaching comes in so handy. I'm just somebody that's like very curious and I'll just kind of like click around and like I want. I have a vision in my head. Let me just click around until I figure out how to get it done.

[Host B]

Do you use app like Capcut, Instagram edits TikTok. What do you use?

[Sydney Moni]

I use Capcut on my desktop. Everybody thinks I'm crazy but I can't edit on my phone.

[Host B]

My God, I love that. That might help my own editing. Yeah, I. Editing is so time consuming. Do you do any like. Do you teach anything about editing videos and like what brands are looking for?

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. Inside of our program there's like an entire module on. While there's three modules on this, there's one module on like how to Write scripts and how to create content that brands are looking for using sales and marketing psychology. Then the second module is like how to film because a lot of my students have never filmed a single video before. Right. And the third one is how to edit which is like click by click. I show people how to edit on, on capcut on my computer.

[Host B]

Amazing.

[Sydney Moni]

And I don't know, I'm the type, I'm the type of person like if I'm making a big purchase it's gotta be on my computer. So it definitely has to be on my computer.

[Host B]

Yeah, no, I get that. What is your purp program called?

[Sydney Moni]

UGC Mastery Academy.

[Host B]

I love this. And it's. Is it like hybrid like you teach and they take a course or is it a course? Tell me about it.

[Sydney Moni]

So it's the first academy in the UGC space that we've ever done. It's crazy. It's so like a lot of. It's, it's everything rolled into one. Like I think a lot of education opportunities in the space right now are like a PDF in a group or like a group whatever. So we do all of it. It's one on one coaching. You're handheld, you're paired with a coach and then handheld the entire. There's a 160 video module or video course that goes along with it. We have assignments along the way. So it breaks down step by step. Like we go through scripting and then we go through filming and editing and then making your portfolio and it breaks it down into bite sized pieces. Cause I think that's the most attainable way to learn the skill set.

[Host B]

Yeah.

[Sydney Moni]

And then there's group coaching and then there's one on one coaching calls and then like it's, it's the whole whole package. So everything from point A to point B. It's, it's intense because it's 90 days. Right.

[Host B]

But any skill level can do it.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. And yeah, any skill level can do it. I have, I've had students that have never created a piece of content before and by the end of the 90 days they're making $5,000 a month.

[Host B]

Shut your mouth. That's amazing. Are some of these, is it typically only video or are there some of that are like photo dumps or stuff like that? Tell us what different types of UGC you can create.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. So you can create ugc. Like most common is going to be short form video that's optimized for Meta or TikTok.

[Host B]

Okay.

[Sydney Moni]

I have been hired for horizontal video for YouTube like ads and then there's also photo. So photos, typically this is where people get messed up a little bit. Is that when you're creating UGC photos, people think of product photos, so they try to set up this, like, really cool background or whatever. But, like, literally what a UGC photo is is like, like me holding up this product and smiling. Like, it's so easy.

[Host A]

Oh, my gosh.

[Host B]

I just don't think people understand how easy this is and how much money you can make. Which brings me to the next part. I want to talk about getting paid. So what are typical rates, like, for a beginner versus an experience? Could you give us some kind of average on what people can expect to make doing ugc?

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, so it depends on how you get started. A lot of people start on apps or like, or Fiverr, and they do gigs on Fiverr. If you start that route, it can typically start you at like 30 to 50 to $80 a video, which is really low in my opinion. My students usually start anywhere between like, 150 to $200 a video, and by the end of the program, they're averaging about $500 a video.

[Host B]

I've been on average, like 500. If you're just getting for and that you to create a video and not post it on your own account, you just give it to them.

[Sydney Moni]

Right? You literally just make the video. And then I've been paid anywhere, like, up to $2,000 for one video.

[Host B]

Girl, who are some of the best brands to work with?

[Sydney Moni]

The work with.

[Host B]

Yeah, you don't have to see what they pay or anything, but, like, who do you like?

[Sydney Moni]

I've worked with Keeper Tax for the last couple of years, and I really like working with them because they like to do, like, fun, creative, different types of videos. So I get to do a lot of, like, trends and like, fun, different stuff. It's like, it's always keeping me on my toes. So that one's really fun to work with. I've worked with motion. I've worked with a bunch. They do a lot of fun ads too. The coolest brand that I worked with was probably Meta. They literally found me and reached out to me and worked with me or and asked me to make content for them.

[Host B]

Meta pays good.

[Sydney Moni]

They do pay good. Yeah, they pay really good.

[Host B]

I got to collab with them on the creator's profile, and I was very surprised. Like, they were doing me a favor by collabing with my account, and I got paid thousands of dollars. And I was like, okay, can we work again together? But it's so hard. It's hard to land with them too, by the way. I've been reached out to several times and I've only been able to close on one.

[Sydney Moni]

Really? Yeah. But how? Yeah, they reached out to me. I still remember when I got the email, I was like, oh my God, is this fake? And I literally looked the girl up on LinkedIn. I'm like, this is real. Holy crap.

[Host B]

Yeah. Yeah. And it's like, you should feel really good for getting picked by them because like I said that they don't, they don't take their choosing wisely. So that's really, really cool. What about what income streams? Sorry, Money is just so fickle and funny and you never know what. I don't ever want to make people feel uncomfortable. What income streams? Make up your multiple six figures. Like, are they all ugc or like, are they all video? Like, could you give us any. You don't have to like, tell me too much, but talk to me about what your income streams look like.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. So when I first started ugc, I was trying a ton of stuff at the same time. I had seven streams of income. Yeah, it was, it was exhausting. And it was a mix of. They were all content related. So it was like I still was doing my network marketing business. I had ugc, I was doing Amazon affiliate, I was doing, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

[Host B]

Okay.

[Sydney Moni]

When I started UGC Mastery Academy, I made the decision to get rid of everything except for UGC and the academy.

[Host B]

Okay.

[Sydney Moni]

That way I could focus on my students and I could focus on. I'm really big on like current credibility. And so I will never be one of those coaches that like, isn't doing what I'm teaching. So it's extremely important to me to have like at least a small amount of bandwidth to be continuing to do ugc. Because how am I supposed to teach this industry if I mean, it's social media? It's changing so quickly all the time. So I'm really big on current credibility. So my income streams right now are UGC, which is probably like, I cap it around like 10k a month. And then coaching is. I lead a team of, of 50 people with our academy. We have 50 employees. It's crazy.

[Host B]

I'm so proud of you to have built this. Like, that's a lot.

[Sydney Moni]

Thank you.

[Host B]

To do content creation, guys, like, for one, content creation is just such a burnout freaking thing that you can do, like just get so burnout and then managing 50 people. I cry about managing three other employees, so I can't imagine 50.

[Sydney Moni]

I have a really, really great team that helps me and my co founder also, he's our CEO, so I have a lot of support. But yeah, we grew from. We started UGC Mastery Academy in September 2024 and grew. I mean, realistically, most of our growth happened in the last four months. We went from 16 people to 50 people in four months.

[Host B]

What changed? Like, why have you been promoting the crap out of it? Or like what?

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, we, we started doing weekly master classes and so then all of a sudden like now we have over 600 students and it's crazy.

[Host B]

Were your master classes like free master classes or did they have to pay to get in?

[Sydney Moni]

No, they're free master classes and I do give a ton of value, so I'm again, I'm really big on like service. I spirit of service. I understand that most people that are starting UGC probably can't afford an academy because that's why they're starting ugc.

[Host B]

You're right.

[Sydney Moni]

And so the masterclass is packed with a ton of really valuable information. And they could start their UGC journey just from the masterclass. It's really like they come into the academy if they want the hand holding, they want the step by step, they want the like insider information they want. But I, I give out so much free information on my social media, it's insane.

[Host B]

I mean, you're giving out a ton of information right now. We're gonna have to link the masterclasses in the show notes too though, for people to jump on those. I might even come to one.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah.

[Host B]

To wrap us up, let's get some actionable steps for listeners. So if someone listening wants to start UGC this month, what are the first three steps that they should take?

[Sydney Moni]

First step is gonna be figuring out what UGC is. Because of you. A lot of people think that UGC is like, hey, I'm gonna review this product and no, that's not ugc. Like there is some sales and marketing psychology that goes into it. That's the marketable skill that you're learning. It's a high paying skill. So anyway, learn exactly what UGC is and figure out like what kind of stuff you're interested in. Like there's different skits, there's like problem, problem, solution videos. There's testimonial style videos. There's all kinds of different videos you can create. So learning a little bit about like the lay of the land is important. Second thing, you want to create five videos that you're gonna put in a portfolio. And a lot of people are like, well, I don'. I don't have a brand deal. Okay, boo, Go pick something around your house and make a video. Like, come on.

[Host B]

I love you.

[Sydney Moni]

I love you. So I say this all the time. I'm like, literally, look around you. I have like a Chobani thing. I got an expo worker. Like, just pick some five products around your house and make videos. It's not that hard.

[Host B]

Okay.

[Sydney Moni]

And then. And put those together in a portfolio and then get on Bento and start pitching like crazy. Just start pitching like crazy. And stop. Don't look at how many pitches you've sent.

[Host B]

Okay.

[Sydney Moni]

Like, just keep going until you get a yes.

[Host B]

Okay. Okay. I love this. You are so. You're so full of knowledge. Okay. Rapid fire. And then we'll talk about how people can work with you. What's the most profitable content niche that you think is out there right now?

[Sydney Moni]

Apps. A hundred percent. I mean, apps, tech, AI. Like, there's no. There's no product to like eat into their budget. Right? So like, their budgets typically end up being a lot higher.

[Host B]

Okay, good to know. What about best platform for finding clients? I'm assuming Bento.

[Sydney Moni]

Bento, yeah. So that's like a. It's like almost a pitching CRM if you're looking for. I actually am not a big advocate for apps, but one of my. We just launched a second version of UGC Mastery Academy with another front leader, front mentor, and he grew his entire business on fiverr. I mean, $100,000 makes $100,000. Quit his full time job, tech job on Fiverr. Okay, so Fiverr is definitely a way to grow your business. And then I really, like, I'm not a big app person. Bento and Fiverr are probably the biggest ones.

[Host B]

Okay, we'll go with that. We'll go with that. Biggest rookie mistake.

[Sydney Moni]

Biggest rookie mistake is making a portfolio of unboxing videos. This is something I did. So when I first started, I was like, I was like, you know, the.

[Host B]

The tapping. Not the tapping.

[Sydney Moni]

The unboxing ASMR videos. And like, they sound really good to your ears, but you have to start thinking like a sales and marketing strategist. And those videos are not telling you why somebody should buy that product. So you have to really dig into what's the pain point that this product solves and how can I communicate that effectively and in an entertaining way?

[Host B]

I just love this so much. Okay, Describe your life as a UGC person in one word.

[Sydney Moni]

Chaotic. I knew.

[Host B]

I said it in My head. Chaotic. Literally. Like your day is really never the same, right?

[Sydney Moni]

No. Well, and balance between balancing leading the business and being a UGC creator, I never know what my day is going to look like. But I love that I'm kind of a tornado. My wife calls me that all the time. I've become an organized tornado. So I'm very like type A about my work, but I'm all over the place.

[Host B]

We really need to be friends because I'm struggling so bad right now, like managing my social media agency but then trying to do my own thing with content creation. It's just, it's a lot. Do you, do you dedicate certain days to whichever business or do you mix them both every day?

[Sydney Moni]

So I did this 90 day run a few years ago and basically what I did during the 90 day run was I scheduled every minute of every day for 90 days. I scheduled my breaks, I scheduled my food, I scheduled, I mean I scheduled everything. And as a tornado, like it was my worst nightmare. It was worst nightmare. But it forced me to learn discipline, it forced me to learn structure. And that approach is like very extreme. But I'm kind of an extreme person, so whatever. And then now at this point, like that taught me time blocking and that taught me how to like squeeze things into the cracks of the day and also get things done in a shorter timeframe because a lot of times we're dawdling, we're like, yeah, dreading the task more than we're actually doing the task.

[Host B]

Oh, I'll wait till like the very last hour to do the task.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah, me too. So I like that taught me so many skill sets that I've now implemented into, into my schedule and I basically live by my calendar.

[Host B]

Do you work like nine to five?

[Sydney Moni]

Oh no, I work more than that.

[Host B]

What are your hours? Like?

[Sydney Moni]

Some days I work 14 hours, some days I work eight, some days I work 10. Some days. It all depends.

[Host B]

I'm very like. You're doing, it's not work. Yeah.

[Sydney Moni]

And I'm also just like, I have really high standards for myself and so I feel you, you know, when you're a high achiever, sometimes your schedule gets a, gets away from you.

[Host B]

Do you find self worth through your success?

[Sydney Moni]

Yes.

[Host B]

I mean that was a serious question, I think. Yeah, we do. And it's. Oh, it's such a double edged sword. Edged sword. Okay, tell us like if you have any exciting plans coming up this year that you want people to, you know, research on or your program. How can people work with you, Sydney? Because You've given us so much, like, plug yourself, girl.

[Sydney Moni]

Thank you. Yeah. So UGC Mastery Academy is obviously the direct line to working with me. That's the easiest way to get, get it, get into my brain. And so UGC Mastery Academy and then, I don't know, like, what's exciting about this year? I. This year's been actually crazy. In the first three months of the year, I've been invited onto like three podcasts, onto a stage, and I have a billboard coming out in Times Square. Like, wild, wild, wild. First first quarter.

[Host B]

Amazing. I'm so, seriously, I'm so proud of you. Woman to woman. Like, that is incredible.

[Sydney Moni]

Thank you.

[Host B]

Incredible.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah. So the easiest way to work with me is UGC Master Academy or getting on one of the master classes. I also like, like I said, I love giving free value online. So even if somebody can't afford to work with you, it's, it's a height, it's a, it's a premium product. So it's, it's a high ticket product, obviously, but it's worth it. I mean, our students come out of it making $10,000 a month and like, you know, 100xing their freaking investment, which is right wild. And that's like where my joy is. Where my, where my happiness is right now is watching the lives after being in network marketing for so long and you know, you body drag the same people for, for years and years and years and years and years and you're like, God, why won't, like, can I shake you? Why are you not changing your life? Yeah, the, the difference coming into this is like, we work with people for 90 days and I watch people, like, blow up their lives in the best way possible in 90 days and go from like, completely broke, miserable, in debt to like, holy crap, I'm making $10,000 a month and I'm now buying a house. It's wild. That, and it's like, it brings me so much joy.

[Host B]

So much joy that it truly brings me so much joy too. Because this is just such an incredible, like, industry to work in. And if all you have to do is decide that you want to do it.

[Sydney Moni]

Yeah.

[Host B]

Well, if you guys love today's episode, make sure you go follow Sydney. Sydney, what's your Instagram handle?

[Sydney Moni]

Sydney? Moni. It's really easy.

[Host B]

Is that the same on TikTok too?

[Sydney Moni]

I think it's Sydney nicole. UGC on TikTok. It's all the same content, though. So if you like TikTok better, you can find me there. But it's all the same content.

[Host B]

Okay, I love that. I love that. And if you guys want more real, honest conversations about growing or monetizing and navigating this crazy, chaotic creator economy, you can follow me too on Instagram at. Call her creator for daily creator tips, behind the scene insights and strategies. Sydney, thank you so much. You are amazing, and I just can't wait to dive into all of your stuff.

[Sydney Moni]

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.