Marlene | UK UGC Creator

And yes, I made some of these mistakes more than once 🥴

1️⃣ Accepting a gift card as payment.

Unfortunately store credit doesn’t pay the bills. This was when I was building my portfolio however so I guess at the time it was ok 🙆‍♀️

2️⃣ Sending final content without a watermark before payment.

Yes… I did this twice 🤦‍♀️

The first time, I waited and chased up for weeks before I got paid.

The second time, the brand approved the video, I sent clean files and invoiced… then they came back asking for changes.
Once I sent the final content, I lost leverage. Now everything stays watermarked until the invoice is paid, even if my contact person seems trustworthy and professional.

3️⃣ Not filming multiple takes of a product application.

One take means no options when revisions come in, and a reshoot costs time you’re not paid for. Now I film every step at least 2–3 times.

Which one have you done? Tell me I’m not the only one 🫣😅 or have you made other mistakes?

Don’t forget to follow me @marlene.odegaard for my real UGC journey, from beginner creator to paid and booked 🌸✨

And if you need a UGC portfolio template click the link in my bio 💞