Why I’d Rather Have a Million Dollars Than a Million Followers

Someone Called Me Up…

Someone called me earlier this year. I told them I had incorporated my company, raising capital the way real businesses do, and was tightening my day trading playbook to improve my accuracy and acquire more funded trading accounts.

You know what they told me? “Forget all that. You doing too much, all you have to do is focus on social media.” That was the last time we spoke and I never called them back.

This is why you can’t talk to everybody about your plans. Most people can’t see beyond followers. They think visibility equals success. They think if it’s not trending, it’s not working. But that mindset will have you broke with a blue check. The one thing a lot of people don’t know about me is I’ve been self-employed since 2018, standing on my own and taking care of my family. I’ve been making money from things I created and other businesses I have. I’ve achieved a 1300% ROI on one of my own films. So if you’ve never stepped into this realm, if you don’t generate income from your own ideas, and haven’t built anything with actual returns how are you giving me advice?

That conversation reminded me why so many people stay stuck. Everyone’s obsessed with clout. But they don’t understand the work that goes into building real income, real freedom, and real longevity.

I’ve Seen Real Money Made Quietly

I’ve seen people with less than 1,000 followers making $10K to $20K a month—quietly. No viral moment. Just execution and skill.

I met one of the producers of the Oscar-winning film Moonlight at a Sundance event. You’d think she’d have a massive platform, right? She had only 500 followers at the time—and yet, she was part of an Oscar-winning movie. That told me everything I needed to know.

And look at Ryan Coogler—one of the most powerful directors in the game right now. He’s been building quietly without a personal social media presence this whole time. Even his media company’s Instagram only has 20K followers. Yet the films he’s directed have grossed over $2.3 billion worldwide.

That’s power without clout. So why would I chase social media numbers over ownership and results?

The Algorithm Trap

Everyone is so focused on getting attention that they’ll do anything for it instead of taking the time to create something worth the attention. A lot of y’all are working harder to feed the algorithm than to build something that lasts. You’re stressing over what to post, when to post, how to go viral but what happens when that platform changes the rules? One tweak in the algorithm and boom—your whole business is gone. That’s not freedom. That’s digital servitude.

Mental Health & the Clout Chase

And let’s not ignore the mental toll. Trying to be “seen” all the time is exhausting. The pressure to stay relevant, post constantly, and always be “on” will wear your soul out. I seen a woman on Facebook by the name of LeLe Brown post that: “Booked and busy” is cute, but she’s working towards “invested and rested." Now I don’t know her personally, but I do agree and I hope she doesn’t mind me putting this quote into this blog. That right there? That’s the energy I’m on. I’d rather be low-key and paid than popular and burnt out. I’m focused on peace, progress, and building something I can pass down—not just something I can post.

Strategic Influence: I’ll Hire the Followers

Here’s what most people don’t understand: I don’t need to be the influencer. I just need to be the owner.

If I’ve got the capital, I can hire the people with the followers to push my product, my vision, my film, my brand. I don’t need to play the algorithm I just need to control the moves behind it. Because once I’ve built the foundation, I can buy attention whenever I want. The truth is, I don’t want to be seen. I want to be paid. And from there I’ll control the narrative.

Clout fades. Ownership lasts