Podcast Summary
Building a business on YouTube through sharing skills and knowledge.: Starting with a simple idea and consistent content creation, YouTube can provide opportunities for growth, unexpected success, and the establishment of a successful business.
YouTube can be a valuable platform for building a business by sharing skills and knowledge. The Sorry Girls, Kelsey McDermott and Becky Wright, started their YouTube channel as film students, simply wanting to create a video on making Halloween costumes. They made highlighter costumes and uploaded the video, which gained some traction. Despite not initially planning to continue making videos, they decided to create more content the following year. As they continued creating DIY and home improvement videos, their channel grew in popularity, eventually reaching over 2 million subscribers. This unexpected success led to the formation of their own media company and the employment of 10 full-time employees. Through YouTube, they were able to leverage their skills and build a successful business.
From Halloween tutorials to YouTube success: How passion, experimentation, and seizing opportunities led to Kelsey and Becky's rise.: Pursue your interests, be open to experimenting, and seize opportunities to turn your passion into a successful venture.
Kelsey and Becky's YouTube success stemmed from their passion for production and organization, combined with their willingness to experiment and create their own content. Starting with a Halloween costume tutorial, they tapped into a popular movie trend and capitalized on the lack of readily available costumes in stores. By uploading their DIY video, they filled a gap in the market and garnered significant views. This success, coupled with their approval for the YouTube partner program, led to a realization that they could continue making videos and even earn money from it. Their journey highlights the importance of pursuing one's interests, embracing experimentation, and seizing opportunities that arise along the way.
From Small Beginnings to DIY Success: Kelsey and Becky's journey demonstrates how passion, creativity, and a willingness to learn can lead to success in DIY projects, even without formal training.
Kelsey and Becky's DIY home decor journey started with a simple request from their audience for more video and content ideas. They began by answering questions and showing their small apartment, which led to a focus on budget-friendly crafts and projects. Mason jars became a huge hit, and they started creating various items using them. The evolution of their content was organic, driven by reading comments and responding to popular trends. They had no initial plan or schedule, just a passion for sharing their knowledge and having fun. Despite not having any formal training, they taught themselves through a combination of watching tutorials and trial and error. Their DIY skills gradually improved over time, showcasing their determination and willingness to learn.
Making DIY projects relatable and inspiring viewers to take risks and try new things.: Emphasizing relatability, commitment, and dedication can help pursue a passion successfully and inspire others to do the same.
Becky and Kelsey's success on their YouTube channel, The Sorry Girls, stemmed from their ability to make DIY projects feel accessible and less intimidating to their viewers. They started by showcasing their own learning process and emphasizing that they were beginners too, which made their content relatable and relatable. By demonstrating that they were willing to take risks and try new things, they inspired their audience to do the same. Additionally, their decision to focus solely on their YouTube channel and leave their traditional film careers behind shows the importance of commitment and dedication in pursuing a passion. The name "The Sorry Girls" also highlights their Canadian identity, reinforcing their relatability and down-to-earth nature.
The Sorry Girls: Taking Risks and Following their Passion: Embracing uncertainty and staying true to your passions can lead to unexpected success, especially when you adapt and evolve along the way.
Taking risks and following your passion can lead to unexpected success. Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright, known as the Sorry Girls, decided to quit their jobs in the film industry and pursue their YouTube channel full-time. While they didn't have complete certainty about the outcome, they recognized the opportunity that YouTube presented and decided to give it a shot. They understood that timing was crucial in the ever-changing internet landscape. They focused on creating content they were genuinely passionate about, which resonated with their audience. By experimenting and adapting their videos, they found their niche in DIY projects and home decor, which brought them even greater success. This story teaches us the importance of taking chances, staying true to your interests, and being open to evolving along the way.
Building a Successful YouTube Channel: Hard Work, Consistency, and Seizing Opportunities: Growing a YouTube channel into a sustainable business requires dedication, creating quality content, collaborating with brands, seizing opportunities, and identifying a unique niche. Relying solely on ad revenue may not be enough to sustain the business.
Growing an audience and turning a YouTube channel into a sustainable business requires hard work, consistency, and seizing opportunities. Kelsey and Becky, the hosts of the channel, didn't rely on luck or tricks to grow their audience. They focused on creating high-quality content, saying yes to brand collaborations, and taking advantage of opportunities like appearing on local talk shows. Additionally, they found success by identifying a unique niche in the DIY and home decor space when there was less competition. To turn their YouTube channel into a sustainable business, they made the decision to go all in, treating it like a full-time job with set working hours. However, relying solely on ad revenue was not enough to support their growing team and overhead costs.
Diversifying Income Sources on YouTube: YouTubers can maximize their earnings by partnering with brands, but it is crucial to choose partnerships that align with their audience and seamlessly integrate branded content into their videos.
Ad revenue alone is not enough to sustain a company on YouTube. While the number of views may be high, the actual amount of money earned from ads is often small. To create a sustainable business, YouTubers like Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright have turned to brand partnerships as an additional revenue stream. They receive emails from companies interested in promotion, and although the offers may not always be the most exciting or lucrative, it's a good place to start. As their channel grew, they began actively seeking brand partners. The key to successful branded content is integrating the brands seamlessly into their videos, ensuring it aligns with their audience and lifestyle. They do not agree to every brand deal that arises, carefully selecting partnerships that resonate with their viewers.
Prioritizing values, sustainability, and gratitude in brand partnerships and content creation.: Kelsey and Becky prioritize brands that align with their values, express gratitude for their audience's support, and explore alternative revenue options while staying true to their eco-friendly focus.
Kelsey and Becky prioritize values when choosing brand partnerships and creating content. They carefully consider a brand's sustainability practices and how they operate before featuring them in their videos. Additionally, they express gratitude towards their audience for watching ads and supporting brand integrations, as they are essential for creators like them to create free content. Apart from ad revenue and brand partnerships, they explore other avenues of revenue generation, such as affiliate links and licensing their content for short-form entertainment. While they have considered expanding their shop and selling products, they have reservations about promoting over-consumption and compromising their eco-friendly values. Their focus remains on creating lasting content beyond their YouTube channel.
Prioritizing Authenticity and Meaningful Products: The Sorry Girls prioritize creating valuable and well-made products, maintaining a sustainable approach, and finding partnerships and platforms that align with their values.
The Sorry Girls prioritize authenticity and creating meaningful products. They understand the importance of doing things the right way and providing value to their audience. Instead of simply selling products for the sake of it, they want to ensure that whatever they offer is useful and well-made. They are conscious of their brand reputation and want to maintain a sustainable approach in their business endeavors. Additionally, they recognize the potential in expanding their brand into other areas, such as home renovation or design franchises. Despite their success, they still face challenges and feel the need to consistently prove themselves. Overall, they value finding the right partnerships and platforms that align with their values and represent who they are.
Embracing uniqueness and accessibility in the YouTube world.: Find your voice, create relatable content, and handle mean comments with grace. The DIY boom and worker shortage have increased the need for valuable and engaging videos.
There is always room for new voices and unique perspectives on platforms like YouTube. Despite concerns about saturation, new creators and channels continue to emerge and capture attention. It's important to find your own voice and bring something unique to the table. Furthermore, accessibility and relatability are crucial. Becky and her team constantly strive to make their content approachable and understandable for all viewers, regardless of their level of experience. They want to ensure that even beginners can benefit from their knowledge and skills. Additionally, Kelsey highlights the importance of handling mean comments and understanding that they reflect more on the commenter than on the creators. Ultimately, the DIY boom during the pandemic and the shortage of workers have fueled the demand for useful and engaging content.
The pandemic sparks increased demand for home offices and renovations, creating opportunities for businesses like Becky Wright's.: The landscape of gaining and retaining an audience has evolved, with content creators now able to build their own media brands and reach massive audiences independently.
The shift to remote work during the pandemic prompted many people to reevaluate their home spaces. This led to an increased demand for home offices and renovations, creating opportunities for businesses like Becky Wright's. Despite the challenging times, their online presence continued to thrive as people sought ways to improve their living environments. However, the landscape of gaining and retaining an audience has evolved. While subscriber numbers were once highly valued, the focus has shifted to generating views and diversifying where content is consumed. Traditional media outlets are no longer the sole gatekeepers of success, as individuals can build their own media brands and reach massive audiences independently. While these outlets still hold importance, the power to create and grow lies in the hands of content creators themselves.
Building a sustainable business for the future: Kelsey and Becky are committed to growing their business by expanding their offerings and creating value beyond themselves, ensuring long-term success and sustainability.
Kelsey and Becky recognize the need to evolve their business for long-term success. While they have grown their channel by trying new things and being flexible, they are now focused on setting themselves up for the future. They see their current pillars of education and design as the foundation for their business. They envision expanding their offerings to include courses, books, and other design-related products. However, they also acknowledge the challenge of decoupling themselves from their brand and creating value that goes beyond their personal involvement. They understand the importance of building a business that can thrive even without their direct presence.
