From Security Guard To Financial Freedom | mujiburrahman.com
Imagine having nearly 25,000 followers on TikTok, uploading a video, and struggling to get more than 300 views.
That is exactly where I find myself in November 2026.
I have decided to take my TikTok journey seriously. Not simply by uploading more videos, but by learning how to become a proper content creator who can communicate with an audience, tell interesting stories and eventually earn an income from original content.
The strange thing is that I have already managed to build an audience of around 25,000 followers without knowing much about video creation.
Most of my previous content consisted of AI-generated videos and image posts. I created many of these clips using automated scripts and templates on CapCut. The process was relatively straightforward, even for somebody with very little technical knowledge.
But I have now made a significant decision.
I have deleted my AI-generated videos and image posts and started again with videos featuring myself.
I want people to recognise my face, hear my voice, understand my experiences and follow my journey from Security Guard to Financial Freedom.
Unfortunately, my new videos are struggling to reach even 300 views.
Meanwhile, a simple video I recorded during a break at work, showing a Twix bar, a packet of crisps and a bottle of water, has attracted almost 70,000 views.
How does that happen?
Why does an ordinary video about a few snacks perform so much better than videos where I am trying to deliver an important message?
I clearly have a great deal to learn.
However, this is precisely what my personal development journey is about. Learning new skills, making mistakes, accepting criticism and continuing to move forward.
Why I Deleted My AI-Generated TikTok Videos And Decided To Start Again
Building 25,000 Followers Without Knowing How To Create Videos
When I first started using TikTok to build an audience, I concentrated on producing content that could attract followers.
Artificial intelligence made this relatively easy.
Using CapCut, I could create videos through automated scripts and templates without having to stand in front of a camera.
I did not need to worry about lighting, camera angles, facial expressions or how I sounded when speaking.
The software handled much of the production process.
Over time, I managed to grow my TikTok following to approximately 25,000.
For somebody who had never received any formal training in video production, this felt like a significant achievement.
It also demonstrated something important to me.
You do not necessarily need expensive equipment or professional training to begin creating content on social media.
However, building followers and becoming a skilled content creator are two completely different things.
I had learned how to publish content, but I had not yet learned how to communicate effectively through video.
Why I Wanted To Become The Face Of My Content
My long-term ambition has always been to achieve financial freedom.
I work as a Security Guard, spending long hours at work and travelling between my home in Essex and London.
I want to build online income streams that eventually give me greater control over my time.
My website, mujiburrahman.com, documents this journey.
I write about personal development, financial freedom, wealth creation, blogging, online business and the lessons I learn while trying to improve my circumstances.
I began to realise that TikTok could become another way of sharing my experiences.
But rather than hiding behind AI-generated content, I wanted to become the person delivering the message.
I wanted viewers to hear about my experiences directly from me.
My successes.
My failures.
My financial ambitions.
My struggles with working long hours.
And the lessons I am learning as I try to build a different future.
There is nothing inherently wrong with using artificial intelligence to assist with content creation. I still believe AI is an extremely useful tool.
However, I want my personality and personal experiences to become the main attraction.
Why 25,000 Followers Have Not Guaranteed Thousands Of Views
I initially expected my existing followers to help my new videos reach a reasonable number of viewers.
Unfortunately, that has not happened.
Many of my videos are receiving fewer than 300 views.
It is a frustrating experience when you have already built up such a large following.
However, researching how TikTok recommends content has helped me understand why follower numbers do not guarantee video performance.
According to TikTok’s own explanation of its recommendation system, the For You feed considers various signals, including what people watch, skip, like, share and comment on.
Watching behaviour can be particularly important when the platform decides which videos to recommend.
It is therefore possible to have thousands of followers and still struggle to attract views on a new video.
My previous followers may also have been attracted by a completely different type of content.
Someone who enjoyed my AI-generated videos might not necessarily be interested in watching me talk about personal development or financial freedom.
I am effectively trying to introduce a different version of my channel to an existing audience.
That will require patience.
The Twix Bar Video That Reached Almost 70,000 Views
One of the most surprising experiences on my TikTok journey involved an ordinary video recorded during a break at work.
I showed a Twix bar, a packet of crisps and a bottle of water.
Nothing particularly exciting.
No professional editing.
No expensive camera equipment.
No sophisticated script.
Yet the video attracted almost 70,000 views.
I still do not know exactly why it performed so well.
Perhaps viewers could relate to somebody working a long shift and having a simple snack.
Perhaps the subject was immediately understandable.
Maybe the video appeared more natural than my scripted motivational content.
Or perhaps it reached an audience that was particularly interested in that type of everyday observation.
Without examining the video’s detailed analytics, I cannot know the precise reason.
Nevertheless, the experience has taught me something valuable.
A video does not necessarily need elaborate production to attract attention. It needs to give viewers a reason to watch.
And sometimes the most ordinary experiences can be more interesting than carefully prepared speeches.
Why My TikTok Videos Are Getting Fewer Than 300 Views
Is There Really A 300-View Barrier On TikTok?
Many content creators talk about their videos being stuck in what they call ‘200-view jail’ or ‘300-view jail’.
It can certainly feel that way when several videos receive similar numbers of views.
But TikTok does not describe an official rule that prevents videos from exceeding 300 views.
Its recommendation system evaluates numerous factors when deciding which content might interest viewers.
This means there is no reliable formula that guarantees a particular number of views.
I cannot say whether my next video will receive 200 views, 1,000 views or 10,000 views.
I also cannot predict how many videos I will need to publish before regularly exceeding the 1,000-view barrier.
What I can do is improve the quality of my content and examine how viewers respond.
Rather than treating every video below 300 views as a failure, I need to treat it as information.
Why did viewers stop watching?
Was my opening sentence interesting?
Was my delivery too slow?
Did the subject appeal to the audience?
Was my video too long for the information I was providing?
These are the questions that matter.
The Importance Of Capturing Attention In The First Three Seconds
My cousin has already managed to create some very good TikTok videos.
He has a natural ability to speak confidently without relying on a script.
Some people seem to possess this gift from birth.
They can start talking about almost anything and make it sound interesting.
I am not quite at that level.
My cousin recently explained that the beginning of a video is particularly important.
He told me that I should try to capture the viewer’s attention within the first three seconds.
Content creators call this the hook.
The three-second principle is a useful guideline rather than a guaranteed rule. Nevertheless, TikTok’s own creator advice emphasises the importance of attracting attention early and maintaining viewer interest.
I can now see why this matters.
People scrolling through TikTok have an enormous selection of videos available to them.
If my opening sentence does not give somebody a reason to continue watching, they can move on immediately.
For example, instead of starting a video by saying:
“Hello everyone. Today I want to talk about financial freedom and why it is important.”
I could begin with:
“I earn around £900 a week, but it costs me almost 80 hours of my life. Is that really financial freedom?”
That second introduction gives viewers a specific situation to think about.
It also creates curiosity.
They may want to know why earning £900 requires so much time.
Another example could be:
“I have 25,000 TikTok followers, but my videos cannot even reach 300 views. Here is what I am learning.”
These introductions are more direct and personal.
They immediately tell viewers why the subject might be interesting.
Why Reading From A Script Makes My Videos Look Unnatural
One of the biggest weaknesses in my current videos is the way I deliver my message.
When I watch the recordings, I can see that I look as though I am reading a news bulletin.
My facial expressions are limited.
My voice does not always communicate enough emotion.
There are pauses in places where the conversation should flow naturally.
And sometimes I concentrate so much on remembering the next sentence that I forget about connecting with the viewer.
This is something I need to change.
A successful motivational video should not sound like somebody reading a document aloud.
It should sound like a person talking directly to another person.
If I am discussing the frustration of working long hours, the viewer should be able to hear that frustration.
If I am talking about achieving financial freedom, they should sense my determination.
If I am explaining a mistake, I should sound reflective rather than robotic.
Emotion helps transform information into a story.
What The TikTok Algorithm Can Teach Me
TikTok’s recommendation system is one of the reasons I have chosen to concentrate on this platform.
I personally find its For You feed particularly good at introducing me to videos that match my interests.
It learns from what people watch and how they interact with different types of content.
Other platforms, including YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, also have sophisticated recommendation systems. I cannot objectively say TikTok is better than all of them.
However, its focus on short-form video makes it an attractive place for me to develop my skills.
TikTok’s published guidance identifies viewing behaviour, user interactions and video information among the factors influencing recommendations.
The platform also provides analytics that can help creators understand how their videos perform.
I intend to examine average watch time, audience retention, completion rates and engagement rather than concentrating exclusively on view counts.
My first objective is not to discover a secret algorithm trick.
It is to learn how to create videos that people genuinely want to watch.
Learning Video Editing, Better Presentation And Natural Communication
Why Recording Everything In One Take Is Holding Me Back
At present, I record most of my videos in one continuous take.
I switch on the camera, begin speaking and continue until I have completed the message.
This saves time because I do not need to edit anything.
Unfortunately, it also creates problems.
If I hesitate halfway through a sentence, the hesitation remains in the finished video.
If I make a mistake, I sometimes have to start the entire recording again.
If I speak too slowly, viewers have to sit through the unnecessary pauses.
Professional content creators often record several clips and combine the best sections.
I need to learn this technique.
Being able to remove mistakes, shorten pauses and join clips together would immediately improve my production quality.
It would also reduce the pressure of trying to deliver a perfect speech in one attempt.
TikTok Editing Versus CapCut: Which Should I Learn?
I already have experience using CapCut for automated video creation.
However, I have not properly learned its manual editing features.
Both TikTok and CapCut are associated with ByteDance, although they are separate applications with different editing capabilities.
TikTok provides built-in tools for recording, trimming, splitting and enhancing videos.
For someone beginning to learn video editing, these tools may be sufficient.
CapCut offers additional features, including multitrack editing, transitions, audio adjustments, automatic captions and more advanced control over clips.
My initial plan is to start with the simplest tools available.
I do not need to master professional video editing immediately.
I need to learn how to remove an unwanted sentence, cut out a pause and combine two clips smoothly.
Once I can do those things confidently, I can begin exploring more advanced CapCut features.
My priority will be making the message clearer rather than filling videos with unnecessary visual effects.
Improving My Lighting And Camera Quality Without Buying A New Smartphone
My smartphone is getting old.
Its camera quality is not particularly impressive compared with modern devices.
I also have problems with lighting when recording my videos.
Some recordings look dark, while others lack sharpness.
Naturally, I would like to improve this.
But I have decided not to rush into buying a new smartphone.
I am planning to consider an upgrade in the new year.
Until then, I will work with the equipment I already own.
There are several improvements I can make without spending much money.
Recording while facing a window during daylight could improve the lighting.
Cleaning the camera lens could help the image appear clearer.
Positioning the phone at eye level would create a more natural viewing angle.
Recording in a quieter environment could improve sound quality.
I can also experiment with the phone’s existing camera settings and avoid using digital zoom unnecessarily.
These are relatively simple changes, but together they could make my videos more comfortable to watch.
I do not want to use imperfect equipment as an excuse for delaying my progress.
Learning From My Cousin And Other TikTok Creators
One of the encouraging aspects of my new TikTok journey has been the support I am receiving from other content creators.
Some people I follow have watched my videos and pointed out areas that need improvement.
They have offered suggestions about lighting, delivery, editing and how to capture attention.
I appreciate that feedback.
It is easy to become defensive when someone criticises something you have spent time creating.
However, constructive criticism is extremely valuable when you are learning a new skill.
My cousin has also offered advice, and another TikTok creator has been willing to help me improve.
Unfortunately, we all have busy lives.
Finding a suitable time to meet is not always easy.
I may therefore need to teach myself many of the technical skills through YouTube tutorials.
There are plenty of practical demonstrations explaining how to trim videos, join clips, add captions and improve recordings.
When I encounter a problem, I can ask other creators for advice.
I may not have formal training, but I have access to an enormous amount of educational material.
Learning To Speak Naturally Without Memorising Every Word
My biggest challenge may not be editing.
It may be learning how to speak more naturally.
I am comfortable writing long articles because I can think carefully about every sentence.
Speaking into a camera is different.
There is no opportunity to rewrite a sentence after saying it, unless I record another take.
I currently rely too heavily on scripts.
I intend to experiment with preparing a few important talking points rather than memorising an entire speech word for word.
I can practise explaining the subject aloud before recording.
This should help me become more familiar with the message without sounding rehearsed.
I also want to make greater use of personal stories.
Talking about something I have genuinely experienced should eventually become easier than trying to deliver a perfectly written motivational speech.
Confidence comes through practice.
I may need to record dozens or even hundreds of videos before I begin to feel comfortable.
That is acceptable.
Every recording is another opportunity to improve.
My Lower Back Pain, The Kojak Haircut And The Real Cost Of Working 80 Hours A Week
How A Month Of Illness Changed My Perspective
October 2026 was an extremely difficult period for me.
I developed severe lower back pain that affected my ability to move around normally.
At one stage, even getting out of bed was difficult.
I had to take time away from work while trying to recover.
For somebody who depends on employment income, an extended period of illness creates problems beyond the physical discomfort.
It also affects financial security.
When you cannot work, your normal wages may disappear.
And unfortunately, household bills do not stop arriving simply because you are unwell.
This experience reminded me why I began my financial freedom journey in the first place.
I want to create a situation where my income is not completely dependent on my ability to turn up for long shifts.
Why I Decided To Shave My Head
Something else changed during my illness.
My appearance.
I previously had fairly long hair, which required regular grooming.
But when I was struggling to move around because of my back pain, looking after my hair became another unnecessary task.
I decided to cut it extremely short.
Almost a skin fade.
The result is what I jokingly call my Kojak look.
For anyone unfamiliar with the reference, Kojak was the famously bald television detective portrayed by Telly Savalas.
My new hairstyle requires almost no maintenance.
A quick wash and a little cream are usually enough.
There is no lengthy styling routine.
No need to worry about my hair looking untidy when I wake up.
And one less task to think about while recovering.
I may decide to keep this look for a while.
It is practical, simple and suits my current circumstances.
Perhaps it will even become part of my new TikTok identity.
Why Statutory Sick Pay Is Not Enough To Replace My Wages
One of the most difficult consequences of my illness was the reduction in my income.
My security employer does not provide additional company sick pay to replace my normal wages.
Instead, I have to rely on Statutory Sick Pay where I qualify.
For the 2026–27 tax year, the UK government’s standard Statutory Sick Pay rate is £123.25 per week, or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
This is the maximum standard weekly amount for somebody earning at my usual level.
My normal weekly wages are approximately £900.
That means the difference between a normal £900 week and £123.25 of SSP is roughly £776.75.
That is a substantial loss of income.
And it demonstrates how vulnerable somebody can become when their financial security depends on continuously working.
Even people who earn reasonable wages can experience serious difficulties when illness prevents them from working.
I am now back at work, and my lower back pain has reduced significantly.
It has not completely disappeared, but it is much more manageable.
I am grateful that I can earn my normal wages again.
However, I do not want to forget what this period has taught me.
The Hidden Cost Of Earning £900 A Week
To some people, earning approximately £900 a week might sound like a good income.
But there is another side to the calculation.
I have to work approximately 56 hours to earn that money.
When I include travelling to and from work, the time commitment can approach 80 hours in a week.
That is an enormous amount of time.
Time spent travelling.
Time spent waiting for buses and trains.
Time spent working long security shifts.
Time that cannot be spent resting, learning new skills or enjoying life with my family.
And because I regularly work demanding shifts, proper sleep can become another challenge.
Imagine earning the same £900 by working only 35 hours a week.
I would have considerably more time available for recovery, exercise, family life and personal development.
That difference is what matters to me.
I am not simply trying to earn more money.
I am trying to earn back control of my time.
Why Financial Freedom Means More Than Becoming Wealthy
People often associate financial freedom with luxury cars, expensive houses and enormous bank balances.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying financial success.
But my motivation has become increasingly practical.
I want enough financial security to avoid worrying about losing my income whenever I become ill.
I want to sleep properly.
I want to spend more time with my family.
I want the ability to choose how I spend my working day.
And I want to create income streams that are not entirely dependent on exchanging my time for wages.
TikTok will not automatically provide that freedom.
Creating videos requires effort, and income from social media can fluctuate significantly.
But learning how to create content could help me build an audience, promote my website and develop opportunities for earning online.
It is another skill I can add to my personal development journey.
My Plan To Grow On TikTok, Reach 10,000 Views And Work Towards Financial Freedom
Why I Am Starting With Consistency Rather Than Perfection
My immediate objective is to become more comfortable recording videos.
I would like to publish approximately one original video each day whenever my work schedule and health allow it.
Most of my videos will be around 70 to 90 seconds long.
This is long enough to explain a useful idea while remaining short enough to encourage me to deliver a focused message.
There is also a practical reason for experimenting with videos longer than one minute.
TikTok’s Creator Rewards Programme requires qualifying videos to meet originality, quality and minimum-duration requirements, among other conditions.
However, being longer than one minute does not automatically make a video eligible for payment.
For now, I want to focus on delivering worthwhile content and improving viewer retention.
I do not expect every video to perform well.
Some may receive only 100 or 200 views.
Others may achieve 1,000 views.
Occasionally, I might produce another video that attracts tens of thousands of viewers.
The important thing is to learn from the results.
My First 30 Days Of Improving My TikTok Videos
During my first 30 days, I intend to concentrate on the fundamentals.
My priorities will be:
- Better hooks: Start each video with a strong statement, an interesting question or a personal experience that encourages viewers to continue watching.
- More natural speaking: Reduce my dependence on reading complete scripts and practise speaking directly to the camera.
- Basic editing: Learn how to trim clips, remove mistakes, combine recordings and add readable captions.
- Improved presentation: Experiment with lighting, camera positioning, background noise and facial expressions.
- Analysing results: Review my video analytics to understand which subjects and delivery styles generate the strongest audience response.
I also want to compare different approaches to telling the same story.
For example, I could record one video about the financial consequences of being off sick and another about the emotional frustration of losing several weeks of wages.
Both videos would address the same experience, but from different angles.
This could help me understand which approach connects more strongly with viewers.
What I Want To Achieve After 60 And 90 Days
After approximately 60 days, I hope to have become more confident speaking into the camera.
I would like editing to feel like a normal part of content creation rather than an unfamiliar technical challenge.
By 90 days, I want to have enough videos and analytical information to identify patterns in what my audience enjoys.
I would also like to have produced several videos that comfortably exceed 1,000 views.
My next target would be reaching 10,000 views more consistently.
However, these are ambitions, not promises.
There is no guaranteed number of videos that will make somebody successful on TikTok.
Uploading 30 videos does not guarantee 1,000 views.
Uploading 100 videos does not guarantee 10,000 views.
And having 25,000 followers does not guarantee that an audience will watch everything I publish.
What matters is whether I become better at producing content that people find interesting, helpful or entertaining.
What Type Of Content Will I Be Creating?
I intend to focus mainly on the subjects that connect with my personal journey.
My experiences working long hours as a Security Guard will provide one source of content.
My attempts to build online income streams will provide another.
I also want to discuss personal development, motivation, productivity, success principles, financial freedom and the challenges of learning new skills later in life.
I believe personal experiences can make motivational content more meaningful.
It is easy to tell somebody to work hard, stay consistent and never give up.
It is more useful to explain what those principles look like when you are exhausted after a long shift, recovering from illness or struggling to achieve results.
I do not want to pretend that everything I try will succeed.
I want to share the real experience of somebody working towards a goal.
The setbacks should be part of the story.
Not something to hide.
Can TikTok Eventually Become A Source Of Income?
My long-term ambition is to build several online income streams.
TikTok could potentially contribute towards that objective through qualifying creator rewards, partnerships and opportunities connected with my own website or future digital products.
However, I understand that views do not automatically translate into meaningful income.
A video with 10,000 views might generate very little money.
Some videos may not qualify for platform rewards at all.
Creating a sustainable income requires more than attracting attention.
It requires understanding the audience, building trust, producing valuable content and developing suitable ways to monetise that value.
My website will remain an important part of this strategy.
I want TikTok viewers who are interested in my journey to discover my writing at mujiburrahman.com.
Likewise, readers of my blog may become interested in following my videos.
Over time, I hope these platforms will support one another.
But I am under no illusion that this will happen overnight.
Why I Refuse To Give Up After A Few Low-View Videos
I began my personal development and financial freedom journey on 21 April 2026.
Since then, I have been trying to develop skills that could help me create a better future.
Some things have gone reasonably well.
Others have been frustrating.
My recent illness interrupted my progress and affected my finances.
My attempts to build an online income have required more work than I initially anticipated.
And now I am trying to learn video creation while managing the demands of a full-time security job.
It would be easy to look at my TikTok videos receiving fewer than 300 views and decide that content creation is not for me.
But I am not prepared to reach that conclusion.
I have only just started learning.
I cannot reasonably expect to become a skilled presenter overnight.
Nor should I compare my early attempts with videos produced by creators who have spent years developing their abilities.
My cousin can speak naturally in front of the camera because that is one of his strengths.
I will have to develop that ability through practice.
I may make hundreds of mistakes along the way.
But every mistake gives me something to work on.
The same applies to blogging, entrepreneurship and learning any other worthwhile skill.
Progress is not always immediate.
Sometimes it is difficult to recognise while you are experiencing it.
My Message To Anyone Else Starting From Zero
If you are thinking about creating videos on TikTok, YouTube or another platform, my advice is to begin with whatever equipment and knowledge you already have.
You do not need the latest smartphone to record your first video.
You do not need to be a confident public speaker.
You do not need professional editing software.
And you certainly do not need to understand every detail of a recommendation algorithm before getting started.
You can learn these things gradually.
There is no shame in producing imperfect videos while developing your skills.
The important part is being willing to improve.
I am still learning how to speak naturally.
I still need to improve my lighting and camera positioning.
I still need to learn proper video editing.
And I still need to understand why some of my content performs better than other videos.
But I have finally started doing something that I previously avoided.
I am putting myself in front of the camera.
For me, that represents genuine progress.
Follow My TikTok Journey And Tell Me What You Think
I would genuinely appreciate feedback from people who watch my videos.
You can find my TikTok channel at @mujiburrahman.com.
Please take a look at my videos and tell me what you think.
Do my messages make sense?
Am I speaking too slowly?
Does my delivery sound too scripted?
Are my introductions interesting enough?
Would better editing make the videos more enjoyable?
I am particularly interested in hearing from people who have experience creating successful short-form videos.
Constructive feedback could help me identify weaknesses that I have not noticed myself.
I also want to know whether viewers agree with the central message I am trying to communicate.
That ordinary people can improve their circumstances by learning valuable skills, taking consistent action and working towards greater financial independence.
I am not claiming to have achieved financial freedom.
Far from it.
I am still working long hours as a Security Guard.
I am still learning how to create content.
And I am still figuring out how to build sustainable online income.
But my recent illness has reinforced my determination to change my circumstances.
I do not want to spend the rest of my working life depending entirely on physically demanding shifts.
I want the freedom to rest when I need to.
The freedom to spend time with my family.
And the freedom to pursue opportunities without constantly worrying about my next wage payment.
Today, my TikTok videos might struggle to reach 300 views.
Tomorrow, one might reach 1,000.
Eventually, I hope to reach 10,000 views and beyond.
But the real achievement will not be a particular view count.
It will be the skills, confidence and opportunities I develop along the way.
This is another chapter of my journey.
From Security Guard To Financial Freedom.
Mujibur Rahman
Disclaimer
This blog post reflects my personal experiences, opinions and progress on my journey from Security Guard to Financial Freedom. The information shared is intended for educational, informational and motivational purposes only.
My experiences with Facebook account recovery, blogging, Google AdSense and website monetisation are based on my individual circumstances. Results may vary, and there is no guarantee that following similar strategies will lead to AdSense approval, increased website traffic or financial success.
My goal of monetising another blog within 60 days is a personal challenge, not a prediction or promise of future earnings. Search engine indexing, website rankings, advertising approvals and revenue are influenced by factors outside my control.
This article does not constitute professional financial, business, legal or medical advice. Readers should conduct their own research and seek qualified professional guidance where appropriate.
I am not affiliated with, endorsed by or officially associated with Google, Google AdSense, Facebook or Meta.
At mujiburrahman.com, I document my real experiences, challenges, successes and lessons as I work towards building multiple online income streams and achieving greater financial independence.
From Security Guard To Financial Freedom.