The Keri Croft Show
The Keri Croft Show
The Truth About Building a Business on Instagram (And Why I Launched the B-Lab)
If Instagram disappeared tomorrow… would your business?
This week, I’m pulling back the curtain on something I’ve been building behind the scenes for over a year—the B-Lab. She’s finally here, and in true business-birthing fashion, she was a big baby.
We’re talking:
- The messy magic of moving from ideation to execution
- Why social media isn’t a business model (and what to do instead)
- How to create influence with actual infrastructure
- Why the future belongs to real, authentic voices—not bots
If you're tired of hustling for the algorithm, posting for free, or feeling stuck in influencer limbo… this episode is your wake-up call. It's time to take back control, build your own ecosystem, and start making moves that actually pay off.
💥 Plus, I break down who the B-Lab is for, how it works, and why it’s the missing piece for creators, solopreneurs, and anyone ready to stop dabbling and start doing the damn thing.
🔗 Wanna talk it out? Click the link in my bio to book a 15-minute call. No pressure, just real talk.
Three, two, one. Hey, there you beautiful badass. Welcome to the Keri Croft Show. I'm your host, keri Croft, delivering you stories that get you pumped up and feeling like the unstoppable savage that you are. So grab your coffee, put on your game face and let's do this thing, baby. Three, two, one. Hello there, friend, what is good? Hopefully you are out there kicking ass enjoying your summer. I know I am.
Speaker 1:A couple weeks ago, I dropped a solo cast talking about the internal version of yourself currently versus the ideal version of yourself, and I've gotten a lot of great feedback from people who actually took the time to get out a little piece of paper and scribble their current version versus their ideal version, and the feedback we've been getting is fantastic. So if you haven't listened to that solo cast yet, I highly recommend you go back and listen to it, listen to the previous two episodes. There's a lot of good information in there that can help you sort of sift through if something's feeling off in your current environment, kind of helping you dig a little bit and figure out how you can take some steps in the right direction. So today we are going to talk about a couple of exciting things. One, namely, is the B-Lab. We have soft launched this business baby that we've been building behind the scenes. And I'm going to tell you something I am bursting. I'm bursting with excitement and anticipation for what we're building and for what's to come. And let's talk about it a little bit. Let's talk about my own sort of birthing process of this business.
Speaker 1:Because if you're watching me from a 10,000 foot view and you're paying attention here and there, you're probably thinking to yourself what's she doing? Like does she have a show? Is she digging into infertility? Is she a business consultant? Like what is happening here? There's always something happening here. There's just there's always something happening and there's action-packed stuff and it doesn't always all kind of relate to each other. But what?
Speaker 1:What I will tell you is when you are building something and you're really searching for that true, authentic purpose or that thing, it is literally like a birth and you can't push it and while you're not physically carrying a child, you know to term, you are the amount of time that it can take for you, from the moment that seed is planted or that aha moment until you finally kind of figure out how you want to start the thing. It can take a while and it can take some iterations, and if you talk to too many people about it, or if people see you from afar, like they see me, they could they could misinterpret it as like well, what are they? What are they doing? It feels like they're all over the place. Well, in some ways you are all over the place, but in other ways you're just following your authentic path to try to figure out how to get to the starting line of where you're meant to be. So don't you know? If you feel like you're ideating, if you feel like you're stuck in this like torture chamber of a brain, it's all a part of the process. So I am happy to say that I have birthed a baby called the B-Lab and man she was. She weighed about a whopping 11 pounds. It took a lot to birth this one, but I am so excited to feel myself as an entrepreneur, transition from that initial ideation space into sort of okay, we have a framework, we know what we're doing now, so let's build the thing, and so I am really happy to get out of the ideation phase because you will understand if, like you've gone through this before, you can feel like you going crazy. So I've been there long enough, was very patient.
Speaker 1:And now here we are in build mode for the B lab, and we have been testing the B lab for quite a while and what I know to be true now is there is a significant demand for people out there who either are afraid to start something. Who have started something and they don't really know what the hell to do next. Who have started something and they have a specific bottleneck that they can't figure out how to overcome. Have started something and they have a specific bottleneck that they can't figure out how to overcome. They started something that no longer serves them and they want to pivot or make a move. They don't quite know how or what the next step is. And then someone who has actually built something that they love and they want to scale it. We have gotten several case studies through here already of people and clients who we're currently working with that fit within one of those specific personas, entrepreneurial personas, if you will.
Speaker 1:You know what we're doing now, like the goal for the B-Lab is to create and be this engine. That takes a very interesting look at an entrepreneur. So I think on a basic, typical level, you would go to a consultant or a coach and they would dig right in asking like those basic questions, right? So like, steady state of your business, what are your goals, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And those things are important. But the B-Lab. What's cool about it is our approach to taking the input from the client is very holistic and it's different, so there's a whole mindset component to it. There's a comprehensive data collect around the business current state, what you're trying to do with the business. We use your birth date and astrology a little bit and we also do a personality test. So the amount of data that is being collected upfront, before you ever hit this engine, is very significant.
Speaker 1:Because it's my belief that, while there has never been a better time to build a business from, like, an efficiency AI tech perspective, it's so important to front load and make sure that you are diving into, like what makes you different and what makes you real, and like how to showcase life and your life, that you are a human being, living, breathing person, as opposed to this bot, and that those lines are going to be blurred more and more. As you can see, you're probably already starting on Instagram or TikTok to see these awkward-looking people and you're like wait, they sound a little awkward. Is that an AI? Is that real? And so it's never more important to like, get rooted in your authenticity and your superpower. So what the B Lab is gonna do is, you know, really bubble up your why, who you are, what makes you different, and then we're able to use this engine and technology and sort of customize stuff that we're building behind the scenes to help you get to your business goals and through them, more efficient than you could ever do on your own. So it's very, very exciting times and, if you're interested, if any of that sounds interesting to you, we are currently taking clients. We have clients in the B-Lab. We're continuing to refine what this product is. You're going to see more and more of this. You're going to see me sort of shifting and pivoting a little bit more into this B-Lab space while I'm still going to be doing other things. Surrogacy is always a huge part of what I'm doing, and then Maneater Media is the branding component of what we do. So that's all still happening, but the B-Lab is definitely taking center stage and the goal is to really be a value add for entrepreneurs in whatever part of their journey that they're in. So, yeah, schedule a 15 minute call If you're interested in learning more. You can get that from my Instagram bio by clicking the link and then just scheduling a call. If you want all this detailed information, you can always go to CarrieCroftcom and right there there's the ability to subscribe to our email and you won't miss anything. There's a lot of stuff happening behind the scenes via email, so if you're not getting that, make sure you go to kerrycroftcom and put your email in.
Speaker 1:Okay, so today I want to just give a quick kind of what my thoughts are around people who are very dependent on Instagram. They feel like they've kind of built their business hinging on Instagram or like a TikTok situation where you are kind of a, you are at the mercy of the algorithm and it just feels like that's really the focus of what you're doing every day. And if you're an, if you're an influencer and you're happy doing that, there is a complete market for that Like there is nothing wrong with that at all. But if you're someone who you kind of feel like you've been boxed into this influencer model but what you're really trying to do is build a business, that's also a very sweet spot for the B Lab, for us to kind of help you understand. Like okay, you're jumping from like influencer status to actually owning a business. So how do we do that? And the first thing I would say for you, if you are sort of one of the people like, if that sounds familiar to you, and you're like, oh yeah, I am at the mercy of, you know, instagram or TikTok, and I feel kind of out of control, you know what if tomorrow they wake up and they change the algorithm, how do you build a business on that type of shaky ground? And I think there's an illusion that if you just show up online and you post consistently and chase trends, that you're just going to make it.
Speaker 1:I'm here to remind you that Instagram just is not a business model. And there are people out there who are hitting it big on social media yes, but most people aren't. A couple of statistics you know, a recent survey of like I think it was like almost 2000 Instagram influencers showed only 48 and a half percent monetize their accounts at all. Among nano influencers, which is 1000 to 10,000 followers, only 23% are earning anything. The average influencer income is around $2,900 a month. For many, it's way less than that. 26% of influencers make less than $1,000 a year from their accounts. So you're out here, you're hustling, dancing, educating, storytelling no-transcript maybe you're not making a ton of money and you're feeling like there's a huge disconnect, and I just feel like that's not a business model. It's more like free labor for the algorithm, you know. So I think, when you boil it all down, without an actual plan behind your post, you're just building visibility as opposed to viability, and that's what I kind of want to help. I want to help you shift that mindset.
Speaker 1:An influence without infrastructure is a very shaky bet, in my opinion, and it's not one that I would place personally. So what's the strategy? I think, just keeping it simple for today, and at a very high level, people who are actually building businesses and using social media to leverage their business, first of all, they diversify, you know. So they're taking a step back and they're saying, ok, what platforms, yes, am I using, but like, what revenue streams am I pulling in? So, is it sponsored posts, affiliate deals, courses and coaching, digital products, brand collaborations, long term consulting, whatever that thing is that makes the most sense for you to monetize? Have you stepped back to say, okay, you know, here's my it factor, here's my thing, my product, what I'm going to sell? What are the complementary? What paths make the most sense for me to monetize, like have you had that type of conversation? Because if you haven't, you need to have that conversation, like today.
Speaker 1:You know people who are building businesses. They're building real partnerships, not one-off promos that disappear in 24 hours, but consistent relationships that stack trust over time. So, are you networking? Are you spreading the word organically? Are you creating momentum in a community around what it is that you're trying to bring to life? And then, third, these people own their ecosystem. So, again, instagram great, it's one part of the process. I'm talking email lists, websites, lead funnels. You know we're not depending on the algorithm's mood to base all of our.
Speaker 1:So what I want you to do right now if this is you and you're feeling like, okay, this is making some sense to me, I want you to write something down. So get your piece of paper out or do it in your mind. Number one where are you relying on platforms that you can't control? So if you're like, okay, well, that's all I do is a platform that I can't control, but I want to start a business, there's a lot of plotting and planning and strategy that we can bring to bear to help you kind of figure out your way through that. Two if Instagram disappeared tomorrow, what would happen to me? What would I do? Would I just be completely like blackout? And then number three what message or value do I offer beyond a post or a caption?
Speaker 1:Because I will tell you this too if you're relying heavily on the influencing model, where you're just kind of posting inspirational things here and there, or there's really no strategy, I mean some of the statistics out there or the experts are saying, like in the next couple of years, 90% of this content is going to be driven by AI, and so there's never a more important time to like actually showcase your real life, like that's why live streaming is ramping completely up. I mean, people want to know I'm looking at a real human being and not AI. So it's time to pivot. It's time to get a more robust strategy. If you're looking to monetize and build something on your own, like creating your own IP, creating your own ecosystem, your own community that can live and breathe with you, regardless of what trending platform or algorithm is hot that day, week or month. I mean it's so important and it's not. You know it's not a bad like social media isn't bad, but think about it like you're building your dream home on rented land, like you have to own your property. You have to own your shit. So a couple final truth bombs that I want to just lay on you.
Speaker 1:Here is number one final truth bombs that I want to just lay on you. Here is number one viral posts are not a business model. They're just not. Number two your follower count means nothing without connection and conversation, and that is something that you need to jump on the clue bus about real quick Because, again, as AI continues to sort of take over and all of this shit is diluted, because there's millions of people doing the same shit and there's bots out there doing things that humans were doing on social media, your connection and conversion and community that you own is gold. Three the algorithm does not care about your rent. It doesn't care about what you've got going on. It really doesn't. So build something that is yours.
Speaker 1:Number four a business requires more than visibility. It requires structure, strategy and ownership, and if this hits somewhere, like if this hits you in the gut, or if you're like you know what, I kind of feel like maybe there's something there. That's what the B-Lab is for. That's why we exist to help you. Like, where are you now? We diagnose it and then we figure out a way to create a strategy that is going to be aligned with your values, with your belief system, with your work ethic, with your skill set, and we get you on a path that feels clear and, like you know what you need to do to build your dream business and, ultimately, your dream life.
Speaker 1:So don't walk Run to my bio. Click on the 15-minute call and let's have a chat about it. There's no strings, nothing. I've had so many different phone calls of people who you know. I might just end up giving you a 15-minute pep talk, and I'm fine with that. If there's something more that we can do, you know, we'll figure that out too. Okay, short and sweet, just a little bit of advice from little old me to you. So, if any of that resonates, set up a 15-minute call and let's get to know each other a little bit better, shall we? And until next time, keep moving, baby.
