Embrace Your Unique Self and Find Your Perfect Audience with Michaela Davert: The YouTube Power Hour Podcast 158
“I never came across a young woman with a disability and I thought why don’t I try to be that new face and change that?”
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What do you do when you’re searching for content that represents you but you find none? You make it yourself! In this episode, beauty YouTuber, Michaela Davert, stops by to share her story and her experience growing her channel and getting huge press and her top tips on how you can stand out with your uniqueness!
Michaela started on YouTube in 2014. She stumbled onto makeup videos and instantly fell in love with the industry. She was inspired by other Beauty YouTubers, but she soon realized that no one was making that content for people with disabilities. So she stepped up and decided to do it herself! She started spreading her positive energy and her message that having a disability is not a negative thing. As she says, “We all go through life with challenges and we should be grateful for what we have.” From there, her channel started growing like it was on steroids. Now, she has over 38k subscribers and a combined total of over 1.4 million views!
“I have a story and a message that I want to share while doing what I love.”
Michaela is 19, lives with her family, including her twin brother, and she’s a junior in college pursuing a focus on digital marketing. She has Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type III, also known as brittle bone disease, a rare disease that affects 1 in 250k people but that does not dampen her bubbling and positive personality and her goal for being one of the next Covergirls. Her core audience is made up of teens and young adults who are looking to learn about another person’s perspective.
“I’m not a person that really cares what other people think. Those comments about you are really about themselves.”
5 Key Interview Takeaways
- Haters’ comments are not about you. They’re a reflection of what they think of themselves so don’t buy into or invest any time in them. There’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like what you do or who you are and using the anonymity of the internet, they can try to tear you down with no filters. But those people are hurt and suffering from insecurities themselves. Focus on the people who love you and on showing up as your authentic, unfiltered self each and every day.
- If you don’t see something that should exist, create it. Carve out your own space in the world! Michaela is in love with makeup and the YouTube beauty niche but couldn’t find anyone catering to the sub-niche of people with disabilities. So, she catered to it herself! Now she has found her perfect audience and has a voice as a leader in that sub-niche. On top of that, she stands out in the makeup niche as a whole. Find the sub-niche that you occupy and represent them with your best content.
- Have a story and a message behind your channel. Why do you want to start or grow a YouTube channel? Having that desire or “liking it” is only the first step. The desire needs to be backed by your unique story and perspective of the world, and the message or outcome you’re trying to create. Why? Because wants and desire fades over time, especially as you go through the slow growth period for your channel. But purpose and passion is the fuel that will keep you pushing through everything until you reach success. So, what is your why?
- Invest in a good camera. Too often we hear the advice that the best camera is the one you have – be it your phone, laptop or webcam. But times are changing and if you look at your own behaviour, you’ll see what I mean. How often do you watch videos with consistently grainy quality and poor thumbnails? I’m going to bet that it’s not very often. With the rising competition on YouTube, the basic pieces needed to start, like lighting, cameras, etc, are going up another level. If you’re planning to pursue YouTube seriously, make an investment in a good camera as soon as possible.
- Remember your audience is more than a number. It’s amazing that a small town girl like Michaela can reach 1.4 million people with her story and message. But by her philosophy, it’s not about the amount of people you reach, its about who you reach. Each individual who watches your content has their own dreams and struggles and can be deeply impacted by your message. What you say can change or save their life. It’s a huge responsibility and a privilege so focus on that while you make your best content possible.
Michaela‘s Holy Grail Products and Favorite Items Mentioned in The Podcast!
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation | Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water | CoverGirl Eyeshadow Palettes | Canon EOS Rebel T6 | Canon EF-S 18-135mm Lens
Resources
My favorite free SEO tool for YouTube: TubeBuddy
(Discount code ErikasBuddy for 20% off the paid version)
PR Guide: How to Get onto PR Lists and Get Lots of Free Product
Getting Started on YouTube: The #1 Downloaded Free Niche Discovery Workbook
Connect with Michaela
Michaela Davert’s Official Merch
Facebook Group:
Podcast Music Credit: Boop by x50 @x50music
Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/o52xQkQWzyU
