why most students will never escape the corporate trap (and the 3 habits that will set you free)
Sep 4, 2025
you're being programmed for someone else's dream
another school year. another cycle of sitting in lectures, cramming for exams, and pretending to care about assignments that have zero connection to what you actually want to do with your life. and at the end of it all? a degree that qualifies you to sit in a cubicle, taking orders from someone else, building their empire while your own dreams collect dust.
here's the truth nobody's telling you: 15.9% of content creators dropped out or postponed their higher education for content creation in 2025—nearly twice as many as in 2023. they figured out what you're starting to suspect: the traditional path is broken.
but here's what's not broken: your ability to build something meaningful while you're still in school. i did it. i scaled my online business as a student without sacrificing my social life or academics. hell, i did it while maintaining a 3.95 gpa.
the difference? three specific habits that 99% of students never develop.
the numbers don't lie: small audiences, big money
before we dive into the habits, let's destroy the biggest myth keeping you stuck: that you need massive follower counts to make real money.
nano-influencers with 1,000–10,000 followers earn $7–145 per post. but here's where it gets interesting: some of the most profitable coaching businesses are built on audiences of fewer than 1,000 followers.
why? engagement rates. instagram engagement rates have plummeted below 1% for accounts with over 100,000 followers, while micro-influencers enjoy engagement rates up to 60% higher than their larger counterparts.
translation: you don't need to be famous. you need to be trusted.
habit 1: consume less (but do it smart)
you already know you spend too much time on social media. what you don't know is how to break free without going cold turkey and relapsing within a week.
here's the framework that actually works:
delete apps gradually, not all at once. first week: tiktok. second week: snapchat. third week: instagram. you can still access them on your laptop or tablet, but the experience is clunky enough to make you question why you care so much about scrolling.
the psychology behind this: when you're on the bus wanting to check instagram, you pull out your phone and remember you deleted it. if you really want instagram, you'd have to get out your laptop, connect to hotspot, balance it on your legs while the bus shakes—and suddenly you realize how ridiculous this is.
this creates space for something more valuable: thinking.
habit 2: think more (this is literally working)
most people think work requires output. they're wrong.
thinking is working, especially when you're building something you care about. while your classmates are mindlessly consuming, you're building your empire in your mind first.
remember the movie 8 mile? eminem's character is on the bus, not performing, but mentally rehearsing his verses, visualizing himself on stage. when he finally gets on stage, he has that manufactured experience. he's prepared.
your assignment: during those boring classes, instead of scrolling through social media you deleted, start building your content empire in your mind:
who do you want to serve?
what problems can you solve?
how will you position yourself?
what does your first 10 videos look like?
the secret advantage: you can spend 20 hours a week "working" on your content business even if you only have 10 hours of free time. every commute, every boring lecture, every mundane moment becomes productive.
habit 3: birth your creator identity (your secret youtube channel)
this is your homework, and it will change everything: create a secret youtube channel and post whatever you want.
your love life. something cool you learned. advice for other people. a video diary of your thoughts. the topic doesn't matter—the habit does.
here's what this accomplishes:
camera confidence: you'll never be a stranger to recording when you decide to get serious about content creation
communication skills: you learn to take complex thoughts and make them digestible for viewers
creator identity formation: you start seeing yourself as a content creator, not just someone who "wants to be one someday"
nearly 65% of gen z considers themselves video content creators, but most never actually create. this secret channel bridges that gap.
start simple: record a one-minute video. "hi, my name is [x]. i like [y, z]. here's what i learned today." post it to zero subscribers. what it does is reaffirm in your mind who you are and what you want to do.
the real success formula: audience alignment over audience size
while you're building these habits, remember this: you don't need a five-figure audience to make real money. under 1,000 followers, you're playing a different game—higher intent, tighter feedback loops, stronger conversion per view.
the secret isn't audience size. it's audience alignment.
example: if 1,000 true fans each spend $100 annually on your offerings, you generate $100,000 in revenue. that's more than most college graduates make in their first job.
the path forward:
build consistent content around one specific problem you can solve
focus on engagement rate, not follower count
create premium offerings for your aligned audience
scale revenue, not just audience size
what happens next
unfortunately, many schools teach you to work for someone else's dream. these three habits teach you to build your own.
your next 30 days:
delete one social media app this week
start "thinking work" during dead time—commutes, boring classes, waiting in lines
create your secret youtube channel and post your first video
most students will graduate and wonder where their dreams went. you don't have to be most students.
ready to escape the corporate trap?
if you made it this far, you're serious about building something real. you're not here for entertainment. you're here for transformation.
the three habits i've shared will separate you from the 99% of students who graduate into corporate servitude, but implementation is everything.
want personalized guidance on turning these habits into income streams? i help students build content monetization systems that work with school schedules, not against them. book a consultation to discover how to turn your passion into profit while you're still studying for finals.
your empire starts in your mind. these three habits make it real.
what's your biggest obstacle to starting a content creation business while in school? share your thoughts in the comments of the attached youtube video (i read them all).