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How A Self-Care YouTuber Stood Out By Helping Women Achieve Wellness In Mind, Beauty & Soul
My name is Victoria Victoria and I am a full-time, VA-based, YouTuber and Content Creator. I started YouTube as something to do as a stay-at-home mom of a child with special needs. When I first started YouTube, it was always my goal to create content centered around self-care and alternative wellness, and all-around beauty. I like to call my channel mind, beauty, and soul.
I came up with the name Victoria Victoria accidentally. When I initially created my account years ago it wasn’t with the intention to create content. I just wanted to be able to like and comment. LOL. So when I was prompted to input my name to create my account, I just entered my first name in both name boxes. But it’s fitting now - I am a Gemini, so there are two versions of me. And I always feel like I’m two people in one body.
When I first started YouTube, I wasn’t sure where or how to start. So like many female influencers, I jumped straight to makeup. It was a trending niche and I wanted to get recognized as quickly as possible. So I started recording makeup reviews on my iPhone. My videos lasted about one minute on average. I was confident but still so unsure. It took me about eight months before I really got my footing and realized how I wanted my viewers to FEEL after watching my videos. I wanted it to feel cozy, like home, like hanging with a girlfriend: A VIBE. I started to make videos sharing all the tips I learned over the years with my viewers. It felt amazing to be able to touch and help people. Always will.
I took a lot of inspiration from Andrea’s Choice, Patricia Bright, Montreal Healthy Gal, and Bri Hall. I loved how fun and relatable they were but also very informative at the same time. Their content never got boring while still delivering knowledge and information. Although it was tough to get to where I am now, it was my followers that always kept me motivated. I loved reading the comments and learning I was actually helping girls. I was teaching them things about themselves and their bodies that they never knew. I was shaking things up. I was covering ALL the taboo topics and IT. WAS. FUN!
OMG, okay so my channel is all-inclusive self-care. I can get inspiration from brushing my teeth like, “Hmm, I should share this technique to making fire cider as an alternative to mainstream medication”. I never really brainstorm, to be honest. If it doesn't come naturally, I don't post. I don't like to force it. I have certainly gotten creative blocks in the past and I feel like if you force it, the end result is a mess. So I just wait, and it comes.
I’m currently using Power Director. I started with this software from the beginning actually because I’m a PC girl and Final Cut Pro was MAC only. I literally had no idea how to use it. I learned everything about the software from YouTube videos and trial and error. Oh and I use a Sony A5100. The first camera I purchased and I still use it today. I purchased a MAC book pro and a Canon Mark 5 but I have to find the time to learn to use both, lol. For Instagram ( @_a_beauty_beast) I use my iPhone and VSCO.
Oh gosh, my fears getting started were mostly about if people would get me. I have a very odd sense of humor and I wanted to discuss topics that were important. I was nervous about if people would find these topics equally as important as I do. When my channel started to take off, I got so many hate comments especially after I received “creator of the week”. Oh gosh. People came in by the boatloads just to see who I was. And boy were they unhappy about it. And they were not afraid to tell me in the comments. Initially, I would delete the bad comments. Then I realized, nope! That actually helps my engagement so I left them up and now I never delete a negative comment nor does it move me in any way. It just comes with the territory. I quickly learned that I’m not gonna be for everyone. And that’s a good thing. Because everyone is not for me.
To be honest, in the beginning, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. My fiancé purchased my camera off eBay, my computer was handed down from a friend, and my ring light was also gifted from my then, fiancé. I had the equipment but now what? I was so desperate for success that I would browse YouTube for trending videos and then try to recreate them with my own spin on things - bad idea.
My channel was all over the place. I went from makeup to hair, to vlogs. It didn't make sense. It wasn't until I really buckled down and remember why I started my channel and did something true to what I believed helped my channel pick up serious traction. I went viral on a video about feminine wellness- “How to smell good and taste good too”
It took 7 months and I went from 1,000 subscribers to 80,000. After that, it was all about consistency! I stayed very consistent and never steered too far from my niche again. I posted twice a week and sometimes both videos on the same day. Since then, I have amassed over 470k subscribers and created a store where my DIY products are available for purchase. I have a management team that handles my brand deals and I am still reaching for success.
How long do we have? No, but seriously, I would suggest being true to who you are. Yes, I know it sounds cliché, but it's what sets you apart. People are looking for something new. If you're the same as everyone else, they’ll scroll right past you. I also encourage you to do your homework. Learn what makes a video pop or reel go viral and apply those same techniques to your content.
And don't force it. If you don't like what you're doing, your viewers won’t either.
Trust me. Passion goes a long way. And learn thumbnails- I almost forgot that one. That’s so important. High-quality thumbnails are EVERYTHING!
When I started YT I was already a stay-at-home mom. My son had special needs so I could NOT go back to work. I knew from the beginning that YouTube was going to be my full-time job. It just took me a while to really start getting paid from it. I would say after about 3 years I was able to be completely independent and comfortable, and I built a home for my son and me.
The biggest obstacle in my journey was having to juggle so much. I was running a business, homeschooling my son, creating content, and taking my child to therapies four times a week, all while learning how to care for him with his condition. It was a lot to juggle. Many times I had to take a break and focus on home life. But I was always able to come back with fresh ideas and heavy-hitting videos.
Oh wow, there were just so many meaningful moments for me. I think the first one was going viral for the first time. Then I became YouTube’s creator of the week. Then I was tweeted by YouTube. Then reaching 100K subscribers, then 400k, then writing a spin-off book. After that, I was able to open my store and then we built my home! There were just so many moments that warmed my heart. It has been such a rewarding experience.
My marketing strategies are to simply connect with people and touch my audience. Being able to share a connection with your followers is my only strategy. I have collaborated with other creators in the past and they were great experiences but nothing was ever more inadvertently strategic than just putting out content that I connected with. Again, many of my topics are taboo and kinda out there in regards to feminine wellness (I talk about the vagina a lot) but there was a niche for it. So I happily filled the spot. I cross-promote my videos on IG and make mentions on Facebook but that’s truly about it. I always ask my viewers to share my video with a friend and I also do random giveaways which are a fun way to give back and get more traction.
I now handle brand deals through my management team. They take 20% of my earnings for a sponsored video. I get emails and DMs often about collaborations and I send them directly to my management team- this saves a lot of time negotiating.
I only collaborate with brands that align with my channel or speak to me personally. Initially, before having management, I had to navigate these deals on my own. I learned what to look out for and what I should ask for compensation. Social bluebook was a great source to help calculate how much pay you should get. I never accepted deals that offered free goods in exchange for videos. It just didn't make sense. Be careful of this because companies will really try to low-ball you.
Including sponsorships and merchandise, I earn about $20k a month.
