How to become DISGUSTINGLY good on CAMERA😭

Disclaimer: this one comes from years of literally talking to a phone with NOBODY on the other end 😭

I keep getting DMs asking if they can grow with a faceless account. Here’s a little truth bomb, GUYSS…

If you want to become a Travel Content Creator, talking on camera is NOT a side skill. It IS the skill. And I KNOW that’s the part that makes most people want to close this email right now hehe 😂

But here’s the thing nobody talks about!!

It’s actually been PROVEN that speaking to camera in the first four to five seconds massively increases the chance your video gets watched. People want to connect. In a world where everything we scroll is starting to feel AI generated and fake, a real face moving in a real way is what works best!! The better you get at this, the more you grow 👀

But before we get into any of that, I need you to hear one thing:

Everyone feels cringe at the start. Literally EVERYONE 😭

You feel lame, you feel awkward, you want to put the phone down forever.
Trust me, I DID TOOOO!! Here’s a screenshot of me dancing awkwardly on camera 4 years ago for this REEL 😊

Nobody is born sounding perfect on camera, all the creators you follow; started CRINGE! But now they’re minting $$$ and traveling the world, because they chose to face the discomfort and get better at this ONE SKILL!

So now are you team, minting $$$ or hiding from the camera?
I hear you screaaaaam number 1. So let’s get you started, step by step watch your confidence grow!

When you’re starting out, just pick up your phone at HOME and practice. Somewhere nobody will ever see those videos. That’s literally the whole point.

Here’s a hack that works SO well: take a book you’re reading, or another creators script and add the lines from a page into a teleprompter app (edits app literally has a teleprompter built in). Now, read it out loud. As animated, exaggerated as you possibly can. You’d never post this. But it warms up the way you talk and you start discovering your natural style without any pressure 😌

The goal is simple. Get comfortable with telling a story on camera. That’s step one!!! DONE!

Okay this is the antidote to feeling self-conscious before you film. And I mean it.

Before you record, put on your favourite song and DANCE. The mini concert you have in the shower when absolutely nobody is watching and you are completely, chaotically yourself. THAT energy on camera? Chefs kiss 🔥

I know I know, it sounds weird, but did you know there is actual SCIENCE behind it?! When you move your body, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the same chemicals that reduce anxiety and boost confidence. The stiff overthinking version of you literally cannot show up after you’ve danced around your room for three minutes 😭

We literally proved this inside Creator Takeoff Academy Batch 3 this weekend. Our mindset coach, ran a full session on camera fear and she started by making EVERYONE dance.

The energy shift was insane 🤯 And then she asked every single person to record a talking head reel and post it on Instagram in under FIVE MINUTES.
GUESS WHAT HAPPENED?

Now it’s your turn to hack your brain into feeling confident! Which song are you thinking of?

First things first: stop looking at yourself while you’re talking to the camera. Talk to the lens instead! Because the second you start watching your own face, your brain goes into full analysis mode: “Is my mouth moving weirdly? Is my hair okay? Why do I look like that?” 😭
PLUS, more importantly: it makes you look directly into the eyes of the person watching. That instantly makes your video feel more personal and connected.
These are the small things that’ll get you into the top 1% of travel creators ;)

Okay this one is BIG and I wish someone had told me earlier.

If you’re someone who uses your hands when you talk in real life, do NOT take that away from yourself on camera. Use it. Lean into it. It’ll take your content relatability a notch higher!

Here’s the trick: imagine a box right in front of you. Keep your gestures inside that box. Natural, visible, alive.

No hands in pockets. No hands behind your back. No crossed arms. That’s closed body language and it makes you look uncomfortable or unapproachable - even when you’re not. That’s a big no no when you’re filming!

Think about going to the gym. If you lay out your clothes the night before, pack your bag and know exactly what workout you’re doing, it becomes SO much easier to actually go.
You don’t have to make a hundred decisions before you even leave the house.

Filming works exactly the same way. Before you sit down, write your hook, decide what you want to film and have your script ready.

Don’t wait until you’re in front of the camera to figure everything out.

The less you have to think about in that moment, the less overwhelmed you’ll feel.

You might feel conscious during the first video, but then you get into it. Suddenly you’re filming the second, then the third, then the fourth, back-to-back, because everything you need is already there. You’re not trying to think, create and perform all at once. You just press record 🧡

I usually film my videos directly in the Edits app because it has a teleprompter built in.
You can add your script, adjust the speed, change the text size and then simply read it out loud while you film. Especially when you’re starting out, this makes everything feel SO much easier. You can focus on how you’re speaking instead of panicking about forgetting what you wanted to say.

One little tip, though: read through your script two or three times before you press record. You don’t need to memorise it word for word, but you should know what’s coming next. That way, you’re not constantly staring at the screen. Look up, move your head, use your hands and speak the way you normally would.

Go try it out right now! It’s such a game changer!!!

I’m going to repeat myself here, no one is born a natural on camera. You learn with every rep!
So start small, just shoot your hook lines face to camera and then go on to slowly film full on scripts.

Every reel you post is a rep. Every time you press record, your brain learns a little more that this is survivable. And then one day it just feels normal!

Tried paramotoring for the first time in Laos! It was INCREDIBLE, we flew through clouds, over mountains, little lagoons, truly one of the BEST flying experiences i’ve had! Now I need to try skydiving next hehe!

Now it’s your turn, share your little secret of feeling more confident on camera! Reply to this email, I read EVERY ONE OF THEM!

Hit reply. I want to know 👇🏽

That’s it for this week’s Unpacked…see you next Wednesday with something new to unpack 👋🏽

Lots of love & sunshine,
Aakanksha

P.S. Go record something today. Literally today. It doesn’t have to be good 🧡