Influencer Wahala

My name is Pascal. I’m a 22-year-old content creator.

On the internet, I appear to have my life together. If you check my page on any random Tuesday afternoon, you’ll see me in a well-ironed blazer, sitting in a fancy restaurant, holding an iced coffee. The caption will say something motivational like “Soft life is a mindset.”

You may double-tap on the post. Some people will comment, “Omo see enjoyment.” Someone might even ask if I’m married yet.

And just like that, another day in the life of a Nigerian lifestyle influencer looks… well, like a lifestyle.

But what most people don’t realise is that lifestyle content is expensive to maintain. Looking effortless takes work and money.

You might see a photo of me in a luxury restaurant, sitting peacefully, holding a cappuccino, looking like a man reflecting on wealth and wellness. What you don’t see is the small calculation happening behind that picture.

I glance through the menu and order the cheapest thing on it, a cappuccino. I take fourteen photos holding it from different angles, and make sure the ₦8,520 I spent produces enough content.

Then the caption will say something like:

“Slow mornings. Intentional living.”

But the real pressure is not the photo. It’s the financial aspect of it.

A lot of people assume lifestyle influencers are rich. The truth is, money does come in, but it also goes out very quickly.

Some weeks, I might get paid up to 500 thousand naira by two or three brands. For a brief moment, it looks like a lot of money.

But the same day, I’m planning how to get new outfits for upcoming shoots, better lighting equipment, tripods and microphones, subscriptions for editing tools, router subscription, and transport to locations for photoshoots/videoshoots.

I have to upgrade my camera because my audience expects great quality content, I buy new clothes because repeating outfits will affect my brand’s image, and I invest in better production because brands prefer polished content.

After sorting all these, I realise that the same money I thought would last some weeks has already been reinvested into the… lifestyle. Smh.

And then there’s the timing of getting paid. A brand might message you today: “Hi Pascal, we love your content!”

They make a part payment. I shoot the video, edit the content, post it, promote it and even engage in the comment section.

Then the remaining part of the payment arrives weeks later, usually after a few reminders and emails that start polite but slowly become less polite.

Regardless of all these, you need to keep populating your feed; nobody wants to know if you have money or not. Because if you stop posting, people forget you.

If people forget you, brands forget you too.

So behind the ring light, the real work is not just creating content.

It’s figuring out how to keep the business running while keeping your money organised.

Dearest reader, you should know that Pascal’s situation is a very common one. Many creators appear successful online, but behind the scenes, they are typically running small businesses with irregular income and constant reinvestment costs.

Content creation may look like a lifestyle, but financially, it functions like a business, one that needs structure, planning, and proper financial management.

That’s where Open Space comes in.

The Open Space platform is also built for creators, entrepreneurs, and digital hustlers who need better ways to manage their earnings, track their finances, and sustain the work that keeps their platforms growing.

Behind every ring light isn’t just content; it’s a business trying to stay profitable.