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Trending short videosEmotional 7-year life journey carousel from struggle to success
O

@omgadrian

Instagram · Carousel

@omgadrian It’s been 7 years since I’ve moved to LA with a handful of trash bags of clothes, a laptop, a camera & a dream. 7 years, 6 living spaces later. Here’s a dump of the journey so far. It’s endurance, not a sprint 😌 EDIT 2: I would like to clarify, it was not my mom that passed. It was my grandma. EDIT: I posted this not being aware of Kanye’s foolish and disgusting behavior. In no way did I mean to offend anyone with my song choice to accompany this post. If I did, I truly am sorry.

View original on Instagram

The edit1 shot · 22 text
Shots Text

Performance

Views
393.9K
Likes
26.3K
Comments
921
Engagement
6.9%
Outlier
1.4×

Video #9540 · Carousel

Emotional 7-year life journey carousel from struggle to successfrom @omgadrian

[01]

Overview

A 22-slide narrative carousel documenting the creator's 7-year journey in Los Angeles, moving from financial struggle and debt to professional success as a director. The post balances career milestones with personal hardships like grief and mental health, using a chronological format to show resilience and growth.

[02]

Simple outline

  1. 1Establish humble beginnings
  2. 2Show the grind and ascent
  3. 3Introduce unexpected tragedy
  4. 4Reveal the transformative pivot
  5. 5Conclude with philosophical acceptance

[03]

Related videos

[04]

Classification

Format
Concepts
Origin Story CarouselJourney DocumentationVulnerable Monologue
Elements
Text OverlaySplit Screen

[05]

Hook analysis

What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds

Title hook · 25%

2025 - NOW WE'RE HERE

Verbal hook · 60%

It’s been 7 years since I’ve moved to LA with a handful of trash bags of clothes, a laptop, a camera & a dream.

Visual hook · 15%

High-quality, aspirational interior shot of a modern loft apartment with a Shiba Inu dog, establishing the 'success' end-state of the journey immediately.

[06]

Hook template

Steal this for your own video

It's been [timeframe] since I [humble starting point] — and now [success milestone].

  • — It's been 5 years since I left my hometown with $200 and a backpack — and now I run a six-figure consulting firm.
  • — It's been 3 years since I failed my licensing exam for the second time — and now I lead a team of 12 agents.
  • — It's been 10 years since I was eating ramen in a studio apartment with no clients — and now my design studio has worked with Fortune 500 brands.

[07]

Hook and payoff

The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back

Hook

Establish the creator's vulnerable starting point (low resources, high ambition) on the opening slides to immediately ground the story in relatability and invite the viewer into the journey.

Payoff

Anchor the narrative in the present day on the final slide, demonstrating survival, growth, and a quiet readiness for the future, leaving the viewer with a sense of closure and inspiration.

[08]

Narrative framework

The structural pattern this video runs on

Framework

The Vulnerable Timeline Arc

A multi-year autobiographical sequence that builds deep parasocial connection by contrasting extreme professional highs with devastating personal lows, ultimately delivering a universal philosophical lesson on resilience.

  1. 1

    The Hustle & The Gamble

    Detail the unglamorous grunt work required to survive, followed by a high-stakes risk or investment that yields the first major taste of success, proving the creator's dedication.

  2. 2

    The False Peak

    Present a rapid sequence of slides showcasing wins, material success, and feelings of invincibility to create a stark emotional contrast for the impending narrative drop.

  3. 3

    The Devastating Drop

    Abruptly introduce severe, unexpected personal adversity that shatters the previous momentum, forcing the narrative into a period of darkness, loss, and necessary coping mechanisms.

  4. 4

    The Epiphany & Pivot

    Introduce a piece of profound advice from a mentor or a deep internal realization that triggers a fundamental shift in direction, moving the creator from seeking external validation to finding internal purpose.

  5. 5

    The Philosophical Synthesis

    Extract a universal truth or mindset shift learned from the rollercoaster of events, transitioning the carousel from a personal anecdote into relatable, shareable wisdom for the audience.

Themes

  • Resilience
  • Growth
  • Grief
  • Success
  • Authenticity

Techniques

  • Chronological sequencing
  • Text-based storytelling
  • Contrast between past and present
  • Emotional vulnerability

Trends

  • Photo dump storytelling
  • Vulnerable entrepreneurship
  • How it started vs How it's going

Post caption

It’s been 7 years since I’ve moved to LA with a handful of trash bags of clothes, a laptop, a camera & a dream. 7 years, 6 living spaces later. Here’s a dump of the journey so far. It’s endurance, not a sprint 😌 EDIT 2: I would like to clarify, it was not my mom that passed. It was my grandma. EDIT: I posted this not being aware of Kanye’s foolish and disgusting behavior. In no way did I mean to offend anyone with my song choice to accompany this post. If I did, I truly am sorry.

Text overlays

  • contextual · photo_1

    FIRST TIME LIVING AWAY FROM MY PARENTS. SHARED A HOUSE WITH 2 OTHER ROOMMATES

  • contextual · photo_2

    2018 - MOVED TO LA WITH A HANDFUL OF TRASHBAGS OF CLOTHES, A LAPTOP, A CAMERA, AND A DREAM

  • contextual · photo_3

    WAS UBER DRIVING & DELIVERING FOOD TO MAKE ENDS MEET ON THE SIDE BC BEING AN ASPIRING DIRECTOR PAID ME PENNIES LMAO

  • contextual · photo_4

    BY THE END OF THE YEAR, SAVED UP ENOUGH TO PUT SOME MONEY DOWN ON A RED CAMERA & FINANCE THE REST ($52K) WENT IN TO DEBT, TOOK A GAMBLE ON MY HUSTLE & IN 6MO IT SOMEHOW PAID ITSELF OFF

  • contextual · photo_5

    OK, SO ROOMATES SCREWED ME OVER & OWED $$ ON BILLS I FRONTED, SO I GTFO THERE. 2020, FIRST TIME ACTUALLY LIVING BY MYSELF

  • contextual · photo_6

    GOT AN OFFICE IN DTLA FOR A YEAR. THAT WAS FUN.

  • contextual · photo_6

    GOT A PRODUCTION VAN & STARTED A GRIP + LIGHTING RENTAL BUSINESS W SOME PRODUCTION FRIENDS

  • contextual · photo_7

    SURPRISED MY MOM WITH THE CAR SHE ALWAYS WANTED IN HER FAVORITE COLOR FOR HER BDAY

  • contextual · photo_8

    FEELING INVINCIBLE, AT THE TOP OF MY GAME, DIRECTING FOR EVERY BRAND & ARTIST I COULD ONLY HAVE EVER DREAMED OF A FEW YEARS AGO

  • contextual · photo_9

    THEN LIFE HIT ME. AND HARD <3 U MAMA

  • contextual · photo_10

    BECAME A DOG DAD. IT HELPED WITH THE DEPRESSION.

  • contextual · photo_11

    2021 - 3RD PLACE IN LA, HAD TO GET BOBA A BIGGER PLACE

  • contextual · photo_12

    MET THE LOML

  • contextual · photo_13

    2021 - 4TH PLACE IN LA. GUY/GIRL APT.

  • contextual · photo_14

    2022 - ONE OF THE MOST ADVERSE YEARS OF MY LIFE. <3 U FOREVER DAD

  • contextual · photo_15

    IT KEPT HAPPENING. SEB, I WILL ALWAYS BE INSPIRED BY YOUR ART.

  • contextual · photo_16

    SEBASTIAN ALWAYS TOLD ME, THE BEST ART WILL COME FROM WHAT I KNOW BEST, WHAT I HAVE INSIDE ME, SOMETHING THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN MAKE BUT ME. SO I DID JUST THAT. I WENT FROM CREATING ART FOR OTHERS, TO CREATING ART FOR ME. TELLING MY STORIES. MY CONTENT CREATION JOURNEY BEGAN

  • contextual · photo_17

    HE WAS RIGHT. IT CHANGED MY LIFE. TOOK ME PLACES I WOULDVE NEVER THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE. CONNECTING ME WITH ALL OF YOU, ALLOWING TO BE INSPIRED BY CREATIVES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

  • contextual · photo_18

    2023 - MOVED TO DTLA. CONTINUED TO MOVE TOWARDS MAKING MY OWN CONTENT. ALSO, DONT MOVE TO DTLA

  • contextual · photo_19

    LIFE CONTINUES TO LIFE. IT IS A DAMN UNFAIR ROLLERCOASTER SOMETIMES.

  • contextual · photo_20

    I'VE JUST HAD TO SUBMIT & ACCEPT THAT I CANT CHANGE THE UNIVERSE'S DIVINE TIMING. WHATS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IS MEANT TO HAPPEN. (IDK IF THIS IS A COPING MECHANISM OR GASLIGHTING MYSELF BUT IT WORKS.) THATS JUST LIFE. & NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF MY CONTROL, I CAN ONLY CONTROL MY OUTLOOK ON IT.

  • title · photo_21

    2025 - NOW WE'RE HERE

Emotional 7-year life journey carousel from struggle to success | Viral Hooks