I’ve turned my Disney obsession into my livelihood. Here’s how I turned my side hustle into a massive TikTok following with weekly trips to Disneyland.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Blake Silva, a 29-year-old Disney-focused content creator and influencer from Ventura, California. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

Disney isn’t just the love of my life — it’s also my livelihood.

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t obsessed with Disney. I always tell people that I loved Winnie the Pooh before I could talk. And now that I can talk, all I talk about is Winnie the Pooh.

My two siblings and I grew up in a tight-knit, loving family in Southern California, about two hours from Disneyland. My parents would occasionally surprise us when a McDonald’s breakfast run turned into a day at Disney.

At home, we had almost every Disney movie on VHS tapes. I watched them so much that I even memorized the commercials. I loved all of them, though Winnie the Pooh was my favorite. My friends called me Pooh — even in middle school, when I (mistakenly) thought I was too cool for Disney. I also adored classic Pixar films like Toy Story.

Growing up, my parents encouraged me to be creative. So when I went to college at Cal Poly, I chose to study graphic design. When I graduated in 2018, I freelanced for my dad’s company while working a retail job.

The pandemic changed the way I view work

Then, the pandemic hit. Like everyone else, I spent more time online and on social media. I got a full-time job in design in November 2020, working out of my bedroom, which gave me a good work-life balance. That made me rethink how I spent my time.

I began posting more on Instagram, which I’d loved since my early teenage years. I tried to be a lifestyle creator and gained about 13,000 followers.

But constantly comparing myself to others sucked all the energy from me, and I didn’t have a goal. My relationship with social media turned toxic.

During the lockdowns in 2020, I decided to post about my Funko Pop collection. I absolutely love those little figures and probably have about 500 of them.

Unlike what I was doing before, this felt authentically me. I started posting about Disney at that time, too. Before I knew it, I’d created a little community with my Instagram account. I joined TikTok in early 2021, and my follower count ballooned as I found my niche — what I call “fandom lifestyle.” I once gained 5,000 followers overnight.

Influencing grew into more than my side hustle

While my following steadily grew, I still viewed content creation as my hobby — not my career.

That changed in February 2023, when I was laid off from my design job. At that point, I had about 400,000 followers on TikTok and around 20,000 on Instagram. I’d made some money by doing brand deals, but it wasn’t until I was out of work that I fully embraced content creation.

Two years later, I’m making a living as a social-media influencer, which once seemed impossible for me. But I’m actually supporting myself better now than when I was salaried. I still get some graphic-design freelance work on the side, but being an influencer is my main focus.

I post content almost every day to Instagram, TikTok, or both. I average one to two dozen posts per week, not counting my IG stories. For YouTube, it’s every few weeks, but I’m hoping to post there more.

I share photos and videos of myself at Disneyland (rocking Disney merch, of course), unboxing toys, and occasionally hunting for hard-to-find Disney products in stores. Most of my videos are at least a minute long because they are easier to monetize at that length.

As a creator, about two-thirds of my income comes from brand deals, which come with size and consistency — in posts and with my brand. I’ve worked with Mattel, Uniqlo, and even Disney itself. The type of campaign and length vary. For me, the key is making sure that the brands that reach out are a good fit so that partnerships feel organic.

The rest of my money comes from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. My content monetization rate seems to constantly shift, though YouTube has consistently paid me the best.

My day-to-day schedule varies dramatically. I live about 25 miles from Disneyland and usually make it there a few times a week. When I’m not at Disney, I might be editing videos, checking which videos got traction, or catching up on comments, messages, and emails.

I’ve gotten so busy that I just signed with an agency to handle some of those tasks. I hope that will help me focus on my strengths and take my business to the next level.

My advice? Be your authentic self

My life as a creator is extremely fulfilling. I’ve had experiences I never even dreamed of, like getting behind-the-scenes tours of filming locations, invites to new Disney cruise ships, and even meeting Jim Cummings, who voiced my beloved Winnie the Pooh.

Having such a fun job is a huge blessing. But it can be hard to set healthy boundaries with work. I realized recently that I don’t really take days off.

My best advice for aspiring influencers? Don’t try to be like me — or anyone else.

Authentically show up as yourself, like I did. Take time to figure out your niche. The influencer space is saturated, though there’s still room at the table if you can differentiate yourself.

Also, don’t try too hard to be a full-time creator. You’ll stress too much about your followers and views. That inevitably leads to unhealthy comparisons with other creators.

I actually don’t pay much attention to other Disney creators. It doesn’t help me brainstorm, since there’s no point in mimicking anyone. What resonates with one influencer’s audience might not work with mine, so it’s really not a big competition among us.

I love my life as a Disney influencer. There can be weird or silly reactions when I tell people what I do, and some people weaponize the phrase “Disney adult” to make it seem not cool.

At the end of the day, it’s really simple: I love having fun as an adult, and I hope my content helps others do the same.

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