Interview with Youtube Star: Karlee Holden

What would you do if you had two kids with your boyfriend by the age of 20? Would you think to start up a Youtube channel? That’s just what Karlee Holden did, a 21-year-old Portland native. Between her two channels, she has gained over 75,000 loyal subscribers. In this interview, I ask Karlee exactly how it’s like to be a young mom in the twenty first century internet age, and all the advantages, as well as setbacks, it has to offer.

How long have you made Youtube videos?

"I posted my first video in October of 2015 and have made over 200 videos! (Between my channel and my family's vlog channel)"

Why did this type of work/hobby interest you and how did you get started?

"Until I realized people can actually make a career out of YouTube, creating my own channel was only something I daydreamed about as a kid. I worked up the nerve to start my own after my boyfriend showed me his favorite channels, their success stories and gave me some words of encouragement! I just loved the fact that people made a job out of having fun and being themselves."

What was your life like before doing Youtube, and how is it now?

"Before YouTube, I didn't do much with my time other than raise my first son. Now, I'm raising two boys and there are all these strangers watching our lives, wanting to know all sorts of things about us (some of them very weird and personal) and interacting with us. It's much busier now than before, YouTube is definitely a full-time job, and that can be hard when you're also a stay at home mom!"

What is/was the biggest obstacle while doing this?

"There are two. The first is staying consistent and posting regularly. I've never been good at schedules, and now it's nearly impossible to schedule anything while I'm caring for small humans who have no bladder control.

The second is coming across hateful comments and trying to forget about them. For a viewer or anyone else, phrases like "don't let them get to you!" "they're not worth your time!" are so easy to throw out there. I'm not necessarily a sensitive person, but as a person who only means well, I get so frustrated when a stranger dislikes me. I spend a lot of time trying to understand where that person is coming from, what would provoke them to say such a hateful thing?, why was I the target of their bad day?, etc. I get uneasy scrolling through the comments because I'm afraid I'll see that ONE comment that will put me in a sour mood for the rest of the day."

How do you come up with ideas, and who/what inspires you?

"I get ideas from random things I come across in my daily life, or most of the time from the things I see on the internet. There are so many creators who inspire me, but I tend to observe the most successful and get inspiration from their videos!"

What skills or personal characteristics do you feel contribute most to success in this industry?

"You have to be passionate about YouTube and just genuinely love what you do. Once you get into your groove and start to feel comfortable with producing content, the rest (income, followers) will come on it's own! People see genuineness and they appreciate it."

Is a college degree for this type of work a necessity? Why or why not?

"It is definitely not necessary to have a degree to be successful on YouTube. I have no degree and have only taken one college course completely unrelated to what I do now. Everything you need to know about starting a YouTube channel and growing your channel is already on YouTube! Most creators love sharing their knowledge and success stories."

What would you tell someone seeking to start a Youtube channel?

"Oh, so many things. But here are a few: Always start out being 100% yourself. Trying to keep up with a persona is exhausting. Unless you start your channel doing skits and acting, that's different. Make videos that make you happy. Stay consistent if you can. Network, like crazy. But don't JUST network, make friends. Keep your personal information private. Clickbait, just a little... (you didn't hear that from me). iPhone cameras are great for just starting out, nobody expects too much from your first videos. Know that your first video will be a flop. Learn from it. Keep learning with each video. Watch other creators and get involved in the community."

Any special words of warning or encouragement as a result of your experience?

"It takes some time to find your groove. Don't get discouraged right away. Anyone that has the desire to make it work can do it!"

Check out Karlee's channel here.