Who are you and what kind of content do you create?

I'm Rex Alba, and I go by Bisdak Chef on my Facebook page and Youtube channel. I am a part-time content creator and a full-time Physical Therapist in Columbus, Ohio, USA. I am originally from Bohol, Philippines and moved to the US 16 yrs ago. With regards to my cooking channel, I have been working on my channel for almost 2 yrs now. I use my own recipe and my imagination on making mostly Filipino food fun and exciting. I do the cooking, filming and editing myself. If I get too busy, I outsource my editing to save me time.

I decided to use Bisdak, since I am from the Visayas and we call ourselves Bisdak meaning “Bisayang Dako” or a legit Visayan. 

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Let's go down memory lane, tell us your backstory! 

I had a small cafeteria back in 2005 in Bohol, and our specialty was dinuguan, paklay and crispy chicken. I did have a cook then but every time he didn't show up, I ended up cooking our menu for that day. I have to wake up at 4:30AM to be able to get the pork blood for my dinuguan, and have to close the store by 10PM. It was a daily routine, but I was happy doing it. 

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So, when I decided to make a Youtube channel, I didn't think twice but to go ahead with a cooking channel. I started uploading on Youtube then worked on my Facebook page. I always motivate myself by listening and watching motivational speakers such as Jim Rohn, Les Brown and Steve Harvey.

How do you brainstorm ideas for your content and your advice in getting the creative juice flowing.

There are a lot of Filipino recipes out there but as a content creator, you want to produce quality cooking videos that your subscribers want. So, I use search engine optimization tools such as Tube Buddy, Google or Youtube itself. All you need to do is type a certain recipe on the search box and whatever shows up first is the most searched recipe. I sometimes go by it or make a twist on that recipe.

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What are the tools and platforms you use to help with your brand?

I typically use Cyberlink Video Editor or Adobe Pro for my video editing and use Epidemic sound for my non- CPR audio needs.

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I mainly focus on my Youtube channel and Facebook page but I do have Instagram and Tiktok accounts. As much as I would like to be visible on all social media platforms, I don’t have the luxury of time.

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What were your fears starting out? How did you handle it? 

I always believe that fear is false evidence appearing real. I have been through a lot of failures in my life, so I am lucky to use those learning experiences on every new endeavor I get myself into.

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Prior to having Bisdak Chef, being an extra or a background actor on films and commercials here in the US helped build my confidence facing the camera. 

How did you build your brand to where it is now, take us through your process.

Building a brand takes time, it's not easy but possible. Depending on the platform, there are recommended frequencies on posting your content. Let's say on Youtube, posting twice a  week is ideal. On the other hand on Instagram, posting multiple times a day is recommended. As much as I would like to post regularly, having a regular job can also be challenging.

I started having a video editor and social media manager but it can be costly, you are looking at $400/month. So, I have to learn editing to take that financial burden. And at the same time, learning editing helps me show how I want my content to be.

For someone who wants to get into content creation, what is your advice?

Pursue content which you can sustain. A content that you love and can be done regularly. A clear example is, a travel channel, it might be a lucrative or enticing niche but if you are working a 7-5pm job, ask yourself if you can film and publish a travel video regularly. If not, consider a niche that would probably be related to your job. 

A big mistake is combining a niche in the early part of your career as a content creator. It not only gives confusion to your viewers but also to the Youtube algorithm for instance.

It is also important to collaborate with creators of your same niche.

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How did you finally commit to X platform rather than your regular day job?

At this point, I am still keeping my regular job as a Physical Therapist.

Tell us your biggest obstacles you have experienced in your content creation journey. And how did you bounce back?

At any point of your career as a content creator, you will never have a smooth sail, it is always expected to have some rough current. 

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Having difficulty getting viewers on your content can be discouraging especially if you invested all your resources and your heart on your content, but always remember to be grounded. 

"Humility and Commitment is staying true to what you said you were gonna do long after the mood that you have set it in has left. "

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Stay with it! Go back to what brought you there and why you are doing this in the first place.

Tell us your best milestones in being a content creator

Reaching 10.000  subscribers on Youtube and 15,000 on Facebook is my best milestone in being a content creator.

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What are your marketing strategies to grow your brand?

Regardless of how good your content is, somebody out there is always gonna be better than you, it's just a fact. But don't get intimidated by it, embrace it, learn from those people, collaborate with other successful people in your niche.

How do you handle brand deals and sponsorships? 

In our current social media world, scammers are everywhere to prey on anybody making a name on any platform. Just be cautious on dealing with sponsors, do your due diligence, don't jump right in regardless of how tempting their offers are.

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I have received several products for free and in return, have reviewed and made a video of their products.  I did two seasons of Bisdak Chef Live and received monetary sponsorship for those episodes. We always start by making sure you have a quality product or brand that your sponsors can be proud of.

What is your monthly earning from content creation? 

Doing this part-time, I can make between $100 - $1,200 per month. Most of them come from passive income, videos I have published months or years ago.