Skincare Influencer with 1+ Million YouTube Subscribers Spills the #1 Secret to YouTube Success with Cassandra Bankson: The YouTube Power Hour Podcast 246
“I’m not afraid to stand up for myself anymore.”
Be sure to check out my FREE eBook: How to Create Impactful Content During COVID-19 Pandemic! This 32 page guide will walk you through how to create content during a global crisis PLUS it includes over 75 YouTube video ideas that you can use TODAY to grow your channel!
Cassandra Bankson is a skincare expert and medical esthetician with over 10 years of experience and with a YouTube channel and social media following of over 2 million people… but she doesn’t consider herself just an influencer. She considers herself an “Acne Warrior” on a mission to help others take actionable steps to embrace and care for their skin. Despite being bullied and made fun of for most of her life, suffering from body dysmorphia and depression, Cassandra’s remarkable mental health journey has helped her learn to love herself and spread the message that what is inside is what matters.
Cassandra uploaded her first video on YouTube nearly 10 years ago to show her daily makeup routine, but part of her wished that nobody was going to see it. As a model, makeup helped her hide her acne, but by creating her first tutorial, she was exposing the acne she had fought so hard to hide and was afraid she would no longer get modeling gigs. She was so afraid of the response that she didn’t check it for 6 months. But the response was overwhelming, and soon there were 300K views on the video, and hundreds of comments from people suffering from acne just like Cassandra who felt empowered by her. After feeling alone for about 8 years with acne at that point, she realized she wasn’t alone. Eventually her video got picked up by Good Morning America and she went on to talk about her makeup techniques for people with acne.
“In a way, I have acne to thank for teaching me that what truly matters is on the inside.”
Cassandra was in an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that pulled her away from her channel for awhile, after a hiatus and some therapy, and after learning boundaries, self-love, and her worth, she picked up her old passions and made her return to YouTube. As her career took off on YouTube and with Dermablend, she realized she needed a manager, but once again found her in a position where she was being controlled by someone who did not have her best interests at heart. By having a manager that took advantage of her, and who pushed her into sponsorships that did not align with her values, she actually lost subscribers. She fired that manager, regained control of her life and her channel, and embraced her true interest, which wasn’t actually makeup, but skincare and the science and biology behind it. Her channel pivoted, and once Cassandra was unafraid to embrace who she really was and stand up for her authentic self, her channel totally took off.
“When I started sharing my true passions, regardless of what other people thought of me for them, that’s when I started growing on YouTube.”
3 Key Interview Takeaways
- Finding a manager or agent that aligns with your values. One of Cassandra’s biggest mistakes is placing her trust in the wrong person when she decided to hire a manager. This manager took complete advantage of her and decimated her finances. When looking to find a manager or agent, ask yourself: does this person’s values align with mine? Does this person share the same goals as me? Be sure to do background and reference checks and don’t let them control your finances.
- Create your videos for google. Sure, you create your videos for your audience, but in order for people to find your videos, you need to create them so that a search engine will like them. Cassandra studied data science so she could understand the technical aspect of the YouTube algorithm.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Cassandra has made a few in her journey, and she wants you to know that you shouldn’t be afraid to make them either. Making mistakes is part of growth, and had Cassandra not made them, she would not be where she is today.
Mentioned in the episode:
Cassandra Bankson’s CAMO Confession With Dermablend | How I Use Makeup To Blend In to Stand Out
Connect with the Cassandra
Cassandra Bankson on Instagram
Resources
Add your name to the Zero to Influence YouTube Bootcamp waitlist so you are notified when space becomes available!
Watch my replay of my FREE Zero to 100k Subscribers Masterclass
FREE GUIDES:
Creating Content During Crisis: How to Create Impactful Content During COVID-19 Pandemic
Getting Started on YouTube: YouTube Niche Workbook
How to get onto PR lists and receive a TON of free product even if you have a small following: PR List
YOUTUBE OPTIMIZATION PLUG-IN I RECOMMEND
TubeBuddy [Use the code ErikasBuddy to get 20% off]
MY FAVORITE BUSINESS TOOLS
Course Creation: Looking to create a course? Kajabi is the BEST platform hands down. I use this for my course after extensive research on all the other platforms.
Live Calls and Interviews: I use Ecamm for my podcast interviews, both audio and for YouTube that you see here on YouTube. It makes it super easy to share my screen and create the split-screen with my guest. I’m not super techie and this software is really easy to use!
Webinars and Live calls: I use Zoom.us for my group coaching calls in my private membership group for female YouTube creators. It’s also the software I use to record my Road to 100k YouTube Subscribers Masterclass!
THE BEST YOUTUBE/PODCASTING EQUIPMENT
After interviewing HUNDREDS of successful YouTube creators, these are the pieces of equipment that hands down get mentioned time and time again. You can’t go wrong with anything on this list!
- 4k Camera: Great for starting out and vlogging
- Lens: This lens is recommended highly by many of my podcast guests, it gives the blurry “YouTuber” background look.
- Audio: If you want to upgrade your set-up, audio should be one of the first investments (after a good camera). This microphone is unanimously the favorite amongst my podcast guests.
- Podcast/Voiceover Microphone: If you are looking for a great microphone for a podcast or video voiceover, this is it! This is the one that you see in all of my videos and the one I’ve recorded my podcast on for years.
- Webcam: For my interviews, that you see in my videos, this is the webcam that I use. Super inexpensive and easy to set up!
- Inexpensive Lighting Kit: Need to pick up some lights but don’t want to spend a ton? This is a great set that will get you started and help improve the look of your videos.
- Ring light: Looking for that beauty look? Invest in a ring light! This is an inexpensive light that does that trick!
FACEBOOK GROUP
Podcast Music Credit: Boop by x50 @x50music
Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/o52xQkQWzyU
*Erika Vieira is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to www.amazon.com.
**Disclaimers: all opinions are my own, sponsors are acknowledged. Links in the description are typically affiliate links that let you help support the podcast at no extra cost.
