How Nicole Rafiee turned her ardour for watching YouTube right into a profession

Nicole Rafiee might have over 1 million subscribers on YouTube now, however as soon as upon a time, she was merely a center schooler who beloved making stop-motion music movies and movies about Webkinz.

“And sometimes, the two of them combined — like a stop-motion Webkinz video,” Rafiee instructed Mashable throughout VidCon again in June. Today, her content material is somewhat totally different, exploring popular culture subjects just like the exodus of YouTube’s it women, Frenemies lore, and Chappell Roan. Regardless of the topic shift, she nonetheless loves a prop and a placing visible — her Chronically On-line sequence options many costumes and collages that adorn her partitions.

The journey from her center faculty YouTube channel to her present one concerned a couple of deleted channels and altering instructions, so I caught up with Rafiee to debate how an individual manages to evolve their YouTube content material as they develop, particularly as soon as that content material finds an viewers.

Mashable: What impressed your center faculty self, after which faculty self, to make YouTube movies?

Nicole Rafiee: I used to be closely impressed by the those who I watched on the time — the JennXPenns, the SuperMac18s, the Ricky Dillons. So I began doing it. I used to be an solely baby, and [YouTube] was my inventive outlet. I used to be in band on the time, however I did not really feel creatively fulfilled from enjoying the flute. For me, it was simply the best factor to go dwelling, and that was like my secret life, like a separate persona of who I could not be in particular person.

After which in faculty, I lacked a lot creativity in my life as a result of I didn’t know what I needed to do in faculty. I went as a result of I assumed that was the suitable factor to do. On the time once I began making YouTube movies, I used to be at school with the intention of turning into a doctor’s assistant. I might sit in my anatomy lecture like, “I would rather do anything else right now than this. But most importantly, I would rather be making a video.”

I might slightly do the rest proper now than this. However most significantly, I might slightly be making a video.

That saved calling to me, and I had some buddies on the time, who additionally had this center faculty YouTube channel and needed to revisit that, in order that impressed me to begin once more. And on the time, YouTube was type of having its resurgence due to individuals like Emma Chamberlain. That was an enormous inspiration to see, like, wow, there are youthful individuals than me who’re beginning now, and it is by no means too late.   In order that turned my inventive outlet, after which that simply type of modified every part. I ended up altering my main, and that turned my objective for once I graduated — for YouTube to be my full-time factor.

How would you describe the evolution your channel has gone by means of since these RA faculty days to now?

 To start with, I did what I assumed individuals needed to see from a school scholar, which was faculty vlogs, when in actuality, I hated vlogging. I do not really feel snug doing it out in public, and I am not watching vlogs, to be trustworthy. However then, as COVID hit, I used to be like, okay, everyone is caught on their very own. And so I used to be attempting to do challenges — principally no matter I used to be seeing different individuals doing.

It wasn’t till I questioned the content material that I used to be making for myself and requested, “What actually interests me and really inspires me?” And lots of that got here all the way down to actually what I examine at school, which is media research.

I’ve additionally all the time been an opinionated particular person. Since I used to be youthful, I used to be all the time instructed, “You should be a lawyer,” as each little lady is that if persons are simply too frightened of calling a nine-year-old a bitch. So I used to be like, Why do not I take that onto the web? As soon as I began doing that, I feel I noticed the success that I did as a result of individuals noticed for the primary time, “Oh, this is so authentically you.”

That opened up the door to creating movies about so many new subjects. I needed to maintain my private life non-public; I did not wish to vlog. So it was like a pure evolution and development of who I’m as an individual, I feel, and like rising up with me.

Did making that change to creating content material that felt extra genuine to you’re feeling intimidating?

 If something, to start with, it felt somewhat bit simpler than it does now. I am attempting to grasp why it does really feel that manner now. To start with, I felt so assured in being the particular person I used to be hiding behind closed doorways.

I am not essentially introverted, however I actually solely really feel snug being myself round individuals as soon as I am totally snug with them, as lots of people do. However I all the time envied individuals who have been authentically themselves, no matter who they have been round or what they have been doing. I couldn’t discover that. So I felt like I closed the door and I might be myself, I may make the jokes I wish to make, I may gown nevertheless I would like, I may do precisely what I needed to do.

I do discover, although, that now, as I am persevering with to do YouTube, I really feel nearly somewhat bit frightened of doing that simply because because the viewers will increase, so does the backlash. I’ve not totally skilled that — I have been very fortunate to not expertise lots of negativity or hate feedback, however now that it is simply gotten a lot larger than I had ever anticipated, a part of me needs to turtle away. So I am attempting to not permit that to be the case.

I feel as a result of I’ve completed YouTube, it is allowed that scared lady who would disguise in her room and solely be that assured particular person behind that closed door — that helped me be that within the outdoors world. I’ve gotten far more assured in my day-to-day life since doing YouTube. However now I am struggling the place I am snug in particular person, and I am much less snug on-line, and I wish to nip that within the bud whereas I can.

Talking of that success, you’ve got discovered an enormous viewers to your Chronically On-line Lady sequence.  Does it really feel dangerous to consider attempting various kinds of content material with that elevated viewers?

 Yeah, completely. So many individuals solely see me as simply the chronically on-line lady. And that was by no means my intention. Everybody talks about eager to attraction to their viewers, and I completely perceive that, however I might slightly discover an viewers that likes me for no matter content material I make. I do know that is gonna be exhausting and perhaps means much less subscribers alongside the best way, however I am OK with that.

Mashable Development Report

 Earlier than, I was extra snug displaying or speaking about private issues in my life, and now I am like, does anyone even care? However I am attempting to shush that noise out and in addition acknowledge that chronically on-line lady. She is part of me. On the finish of the day, to my core, I’m a chronically on-line lady.

So I simply must push previous that and really feel snug attempting totally different content material as a result of I am certain my content material’s going to evolve — I hope. I hope I proceed to evolve because the years go on and that I am nonetheless doing YouTube, the identical because it did within the final three to 5 years.

To return to discovering your viewers, do you have got a second that stands out as your first large viral video?

 I feel it was positively the “chronically online girl explains Frenemies” video that I made. I didn’t anticipate that video to do effectively. That video nearly did not occur as a result of the audio was tousled. I spent so lengthy attempting to repair it and I used to be like, “I think I should just throw this away. This is a stupid idea. I don’t think anybody cares about this.”

When individuals truly began displaying curiosity in that regardless of the messed-up audio, I used to be like, “Oh wait.” I had a lot enjoyable filming that, and I used to be like, “This is way better than me trying to force myself to vlog.”

One other a type of moments was my first video essay, I suppose you may say.  I used to be inspired by my supervisor. It was the video, “Why do the ‘it girls’ quit?”

It was about why a few of my favourite YouTubers that I seemed as much as — like Emma Chamberlain and BestDressed — stopped making movies altogether and pale from the limelight, and determined to stay a extra non-public, mysterious life. It is closely primarily based off of like my very own expertise as a content material creator, despite the fact that I used to be a lot smaller. At that second once I noticed individuals get pleasure from me speaking about one thing for a very long time and so they weren’t like, “Boring. Snooze fest.” That was positively an “Oh wait, I feel like I could do this,” second.

YouTube is your principal platform, however do you discover that is been essentially the most essential house for rising your viewers? Or have you ever discovered that posting on different platforms is useful?

 I needed to be a TikTokker so unhealthy. I instructed myself if there was ever gonna be a Vine 2.0, I might put my coronary heart and soul into that as a result of it simply appeared just like the place to develop. After which the chance got here, and every part was proper in entrance of me, and I simply did not care about it. It did not spark that a lot creativity. Like, if I will publish on TikTok, I will shit publish. I am not strategically attempting to make use of it.

YouTube, nevertheless, all the time felt like that. It felt like a platform the place I might be myself, but in addition develop an viewers. And it felt like I used to be reaching in the direction of one thing. I imply, being at VidCon itself is cool and a bizarre factor that I by no means thought would occur in my life. So I am like precisely the place I wish to be from YouTube.

So I really feel like YouTube.com is my dwelling base. I clock in at YouTube.com, and once I’m not there, I get to go and play and have enjoyable.

You touched on this some, however what does being at VidCon imply to you?

 It is actually surreal.

Is that this your first VidCon?

 Yeah, it is actually bizarre. I used to be invited to VidCon Anaheim a couple of years in the past, however I used to be solely in a position to attend the business observe for at some point. So I ended up going to a bunch of panels, and I used to be like, “Is this VidCon?” After which I noticed I used to be going to the business days solely. After which I went to VidCon Baltimore, nevertheless it would not exist anymore.

However this — I am having bother processing it. I do not really feel like my identify must be there on the checklist with Tyler Oakley, Grace Helbig, and Joey Graceffa. Like, what am I doing sitting on the bus again from Disneyland subsequent to Rhett and Hyperlink? Like, what is definitely taking place and occurring? However I am additionally so grateful for it as a result of I’m attempting to remind myself that I did work for years on this.

So I am attempting to validate that I need to be right here whereas concurrently being like, “What the heck am I doing here?”

As your channel grew, how did you method model offers?

In 2019, when my first video that blew up, I began getting gives, like, “We’ll pay you $1,000 for this review,” and I used to be like, “Yes, I’ll give you a four-minute-long integration!” and then you definitely discover out they took benefit of you.  That was so troublesome, however I used to be so fortunate that I bought managers in a short time after that.

 I’ve additionally been very fortunate that just about each single model deal, to this present day, I nonetheless stand by.  I’ve additionally shaped such good relationships with so many corporations that like Curology, that we’re occurring 5 years now.

I am much more fortunate that I discover manufacturers like NOCD, with having OCD myself, that was similar to serendipitous that I discovered them. Whereas additionally speaking about OCD on my channel, I felt like that is simply the right partnership. So I have been very fortunate in that division.

 Do you have got any recommendation for somebody beginning out in content material creation who may be struggling to seek out what precisely they wish to be making?

 To start with, it’s very okay to be impressed by different individuals and emulate what you see as a result of that is precisely what I did. But additionally, make the movies that you just your self would wish to watch. Do not get caught in a cycle of making content material that you do not care about — you are going to burn out so rapidly.

And I do know that there are such a lot of individuals on the market who’re caught in what they’re doing simply because it’s what brings them cash and the profession that they’ve. I am all about get your bag, however concurrently, that’s simply not a life to stay — the place you might be placing a lot of your self on the market and receiving all of the unfavourable from it as effectively, solely to be making content material that you’d by no means watch your self.

Do not get caught in a cycle of making content material that you do not care about — you are going burn out so rapidly.

I all the time consider Billie Eilish, for instance, when she stated, “Of course I listen to my own music in the car.” After I add a video, I’ll sit again and watch it. It is like watching it for the primary time with recent eyes, and I am watching it alongside in actual time with the viewer, and I am like, “Oh my god, this girl’s funny.”

Now I am not sitting and doing my make-up and like watching my very own movies or listening to my very own podcast within the automotive — energy to the people who find themselves — however I get pleasure from what I am making, and I feel that is a very powerful factor is like discovering that. And if which means experimenting for some time and being in a bizarre lull, do it. Even add the movies that you just assume are unhealthy, too.

Be happy with what you make, but in addition know that you just’re your individual worst critic. The movies that I hated essentially the most after modifying them for like 12 hours straight — generally individuals love them, generally not, however you are studying from each single expertise that you’ve got.