As smartphones and social media transform entertainment, UK-based performer Tamara Bustos discovered an unexpected second act that transformed her perspectives on performing. Her path from stage performer (and synchronized swimmer) to content creator demonstrates how traditional artists can build new audiences through online platforms.

“I can’t dance forever,” Tamara reflects candidly. “As I get older, I realize my body becomes a lot more tired, and this isn’t something I can do as an ongoing career…” While teaching dance provided one potential path forward, something was missing. “You have all these students looking at you, and it’s lovely, but it doesn’t fulfill you [like performing does].”

This search for fulfillment led Tamara to experiment with vlogging, initially approaching it as a hobby. “I brought myself a camera and started vlogging for fun on YouTube. I didn’t think much of it,” she shares. “I wanted to keep that feeling and fire inside me alive. And it worked because I loved it.”

The shift from hobby to career happened organically as she witnessed her digital presence grow. “My Instagram just blew up, and people were messaging me, ‘Oh, we’ve seen your YouTube videos.’ And I’m like, ‘What? This is just fun.” Soon, brands began reaching out with partnership opportunities, surprising Tamara. “When people start offering you work, you feel like they’re trying to scam you, especially online.”

Learning New Skills

The transition from stage performer to content creator required developing entirely new skills. “Everything I was relying on was online,” Tamara explains, describing her early days of self-education. “I had to learn how to edit. I wasn’t into any of this at school or any of my career.”

Even the most fundamental aspects of content creation require study and practice. “When I first picked up that vlogging camera, I didn’t know how it worked. I was on YouTube immediately, figuring it out on the fly; that was the first step.”

The learning extended beyond technical skills. “Even writing and responding to brands, I’ve had to learn formal emails, negotiation tactics, etc.,” she reveals. “I’ve never sent my CV for job offers before. So, going from an open world of performing into a closed world on a computer screen was different.”

Yet Tamara discovered a passion in these new fields. “I didn’t even realize that I would love editing. I could sit and edit all day,” she shares. “I haven’t struggled in the sense of being exhausted all the time because I’ve enjoyed it and found a new love for it.”

From Live Performance to Online Connection

One significant adjustment for Tamara has been adapting to a different audience feedback dynamic. “When I’m live, it’s an audience. When it’s online, it’s just me and a camera,” she explains. “Everything’s still the same, but you don’t get the applause straight away. You have to wait… That’s what I struggled to adapt with the timing.”

Creating content for social platforms requires a fundamental shift in audience connection. “In my real world dancer [experience], they’re engaged in you straight away,” Tamara reflects. “As soon as you walk on stage, if they’re not liking what you’re doing, they’re liking what you’re wearing. They’ve paid a ticket to watch this show. If it’s not dancing, it’s swimming. It’s a skill.”

Despite these differences, Tamara finds similar satisfaction in online engagement. “I kind of get the same feeling. When you get so many likes and views, it feels like you’re still under the spotlight.” The key difference, she notes, is in the delayed gratification: “You have to put the work in the edits. It’s a different kind of work. Once you do, the feeling is there.”

Interestingly, Tamara shares that certain aspects of her experience as a performer have prepared her for the rigors of content creation. “That bit I have found easier because even if I felt ill before dancing in shows, I still had to do my hair and makeup, go on that stage, and smile to an audience,” she shares. “When I speak to other content creators at events, they always say how hard it is, and I think I’m quite lucky in a way. I didn’t realize my whole life before was preparing me for this job.”

Echoing what many creators have said about success, Tamara says that regular posting proves essential for maintaining audience engagement. “When I’m doing my shows, there’s not much time left in the day for me to put some time into social media as much as I’d like to,” Tamara explains. “I notice a massive fall in my insights if I’m not posting consistently. When my shows finish, we normally have three or four weeks off. That’s when I start posting consistently, and my insights go straight up. That’s the absolute key but no one told me that. The whole step is a learning process.”

A Fashion-Forward Presence

Rather than focusing solely on dance content, Tamara has established herself in fashion content, drawing on her performance background. 

“I’m used to wearing such nice, lovely clothes and sparkles and dresses, and everything’s always been glitz and glamour in my life,” she explains. “Moving forward, I still want to look and dress nice, and I want to let people know that this is not the end of the road.”

Her aesthetic choices reflect her personality. “I’m quite an aesthetically pleasing person,” Tamara shares. “I’m not a massive party girl. I like to stay home, light a candle, and have a bath. That’s what makes me happy.” This genuine approach resonates with her audience. “With my content, I like to have coffee, have cozy vibes with candles, and let others know it’s okay to be like this.”

Her natural appreciation for aesthetics shapes her content strategy, though she is flexible. “I’m not a massive planner,” she admits. “Girls I speak to in this industry plan content and know what and when they’re posting, whereas I post when I want.”

Her content philosophy is personal: “I’m not just posting because a brand has asked me to. I am posting it because I want to, and it’s part of my life.” 

When followers engage with her content, Tamara prioritizes genuine connection: “As soon as people write to me asking, ‘Where’s this from?’ I reply and send them a link to where they can buy it. I try to be a helpful and kind person.”

Her content quality has improved through experience. “The only thing I would probably say is my lighting,” she reflects on her growth. “I also didn’t realize that lighting is such a big thing. So I’d say my posts have probably improved because of lighting, but it’s all part of learning and growing.”

Community Connections

A notable reward of Tamara’s online career has been finding a supportive community of fellow creators. “It’s so bizarre that a group of girls can feel like family straight away,” she says. “The girls I’ve met through influence are more supportive and accepting than my real friends sometimes.”

Reality defied her expectations. “Going into an event in this world, I expected the girls to fight for the job because that’s how it is in a dance audition. It’s not like that at all. It’s a completely different world.”

This support proves valuable as Tamara manages the business aspects of content creation. Her partnership with Sintillate Talent, a leading creator management agency, has helped her understand and navigate the professional side of the industry. “From day one, they have been there,” Tamara shares. “Within a month, they immediately got me a collab with my dream brand, PrettyLittleThing. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so new to this.'”

The agency provides comprehensive support to Tamara 24/7. “They have a whole support system for you,” she explains, emphasizing creator well-being and mental health support. “It’s so nice for them to let you know it’s here and ready.” Their guidance helps her handle content creation complexities. “I didn’t know about the legal things you must do and what you must write when you post. You don’t learn that in school.”

Keeping the Passion Alive

As Tamara develops her online career, she maintains a focus on genuine connection and enjoyment. Her advice to other performers considering a similar path? “Stay real, do it for fun. Because it’s a lot of work if you don’t enjoy it, and it’s not going to be the job for you at all.”

When it comes to personal development, Tamara plans to return to her content creation roots. “Another goal of mine is to go back on YouTube where it started for me,” she shares. “I just have to keep remembering that the whole reason I started doing this is to keep the passion inside me alive. I don’t want that to die.”

“There is a whole new world here that I didn’t even know about,” she reflects, “and I’ve just kind of fallen into this world, and it does exist.”