On June 15, I attended the Seoul Women's Entertainment Summit. Born and raised i

🎙 When I first got a job as a reporter eight years ago, when I first joined the start-up team four years ago, and when I first became unemployed two years ago due to burnout

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On June 15, I attended the Seoul Women's Entertainment Summit. Born and raised in Korea, speaking mainly Korean, it was not an easy decision for me to make an English presentation in front of startup workers and founders from various cultures.

But I wanted to hear some inspirational stories from other women, and I wanted to challenge myself, so I gladly accepted the invitation to the [Creative Empires] panel talk. (Thank you again Valeria for offering me a panel position.)

Thanks to receiving the questionnaire in advance, I was able to write my answers in Korean and translate them into English. (Thank you, ChatGPT!) Of course, I couldn't go by memorizing all the contents on the spot, and even if I memorized, there was no other way than to fully equip my original thoughts and perspectives (even if it is not perfect broken English).

Thanks to having prepared the questionnaire answers in advance, I would like to share them here. If you are interested in content creation, creativity, content/media business, single-person start-ups, or start-ups, it is worth reading!

*Translate English into Korean so there may be some awkward parts. Please understand. 🙏

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Q. Introduce yourself

Kim Ji-yoon, who now founded a content marketing agency called 'Stellers,' produces various kinds of content and helps individuals or companies run their own media.

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Q. Stellers란?

Stellers started out as a B2B agency where independent creators work on a project-by-project basis. Each creator can be viewed as a storyteller. It originated from the name Stellers.

Currently, Stellus is in charge of several small projects, including five B2B projects.

The first is managing publishing and blogging websites with startup media called Eoplanet.

Secondly, it is working with a corporate education company called Underdogs to create a global entrepreneurial story platform called Asia Tomorrow.

Third, he is working on a mini project to build a content-based community with an IT media company called Outstanding, and he is spending time as a media partner for NSEW2050, an ESG conference in Singapore.

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Q. Career journey

As you can see, Stellus is involved in various forms of content and media projects. This has to do with my background.

I started my career in media in 2014 when I happened to work as a student reporter. Since then, I have worked as a digital content producer at the Korean Broadcasting Corporation (YTN Plus) and as an IT reporter at the aforementioned Outstanding.

Then, while working as a reporter specializing in blockchain, he co-founded a short-form video production company called "NEWZ" in 2019. News has since expanded into an MCN and content production company called Major Network. Therefore, my career can be described as "an omnivore" (translated into the word "versatile" in English) with various experiences ranging from newspapers, paid/premium media, short-form videos, and starting a business.

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Q. What drives my entrepreneurial spirit, and how do I combine it with my ability to write and create content?

Originally, I did not intend to start a business. I was just fascinated by writing, spreading ideas, receiving empathy and influencing. So, I continued my career as a pay worker creator (= reporter). Then, as the TikTok channel, which started as a side project, grew rapidly, I got an opportunity to become an entrepreneur with the identity of a creator.

Content is directly linked to influence, and influence makes us think about differentiation. Since differentiation is essential for business to survive, I think entrepreneurship is naturally connected to creativity.

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Q. How has your journalist career helped you prepare for your content business?

My experience working for a media company has taught me two important lessons in the world of content production.

First, while working for a media company, I learned about content production in various ways. You not only learn to write, but also experience the entire process from information collection to production and distribution.

Throughout this process, you will think about "why" you are reporting. Is it to increase viewership or to influence stakeholders? It was a training to think about the entire content production process and the ultimate purpose.

Second, while working as a journalist, I realized the importance of networking. I joined a media company because I wanted to write, but I soon found that production was only a small part of the whole. Journalists find that the ability to gather and negotiate information is very important.

In other words, they learned the difficulty and importance of creating powerful and influential content, as well as the importance of building relationships and delivering messages. This can be seen as not only writing attractive feature articles, but also writing "mutually mutually beneficial" content that helps someone and eventually benefits them.

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Q. What are the biggest challenges facing today's media environment?

The variety and complexity of content and media types are growing. Individuals and businesses are now considering whether to create a blog, start a newsletter, create short-form videos, or open a YouTube channel.

It would be ideal to try everything, but resources are always limited. Concentrating limited time and energy on the right content format and media is critical to achieving the desired results. The complexity of media today makes this even more difficult.

Paradoxically, this complexity highlights the importance of 'operational capability'.
People often believe that if you have the ability to create blockbuster content, you can build a successful media channel.

But hitting a home run is difficult for everyone