Today we’d like to introduce you to Casey Budd.
Casey, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Born and raised in an uninspiring small town in New Jersey, I’ve always needed a creative outlet. I have gifted my first camera on Christmas in 2008 and it’s been nonstop since then. The next stop was college where I attended the University of Tampa in Florida and majored in advertising and public relations. My life was behind the camera and I loved it. I was constantly photographing concerts and became pretty well known in Tampa for my images.
YouTube has always been an interest of mine. I have been watching some of my favorite content creators for years, starting in middle school. It wasn’t until around 2014 that I decided to create my own channel and begin filming videos. It was more of a fun creative outlet at the time to work on instead of college papers. However, I made my first ‘viral’ video titled “Mixed Girl Tag” which discussed my ethnic background and what it was like growing up as a mixed girl (African American and Caucasian) and because of my fair-skinned appearance, this video gained a lot of attention. From this point, I started making more videos focusing on my experiences as a multi-racial individual and this ultimately is what began to grow my channel. I realized I was filling a void and that’s why these videos were so successful.
Once I graduated, it wasn’t long until I realized I wasn’t growing mentally or creatively anymore in that environment. I needed more. I decided to take a leap of faith in 2017 to move to Atlanta, Georgia where one of my best friends from high school was already residing. This was definitely one of the best moves I could have made for my journey as a creative entrepreneur.
I now am committed to my YouTube channel, CBUDD, as my full-time profession. I have a growing community of around 50,000 subscribers and I create content on everything from travel vlogs to style tips to health and wellness knowledge. I’ve always felt like I was interested in multiple things and capable of a little bit of everything so my channel is a little bit of everything. My channel perfectly reflects me and my purpose.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wish I knew what a smooth road even looked like. It’s been a lot of learning as I go and trial and error with this journey. I’ve struggled with creative roadblocks, others copying my content, staying above the ruthless comments made by others about my craft, and the list goes on and on. I’ve learned to take things one day at a time and seriously trust the process. We hear it all the time but being present is the best thing you can do to really give your all to your creativity. Live in the now.
As a woman, I think it is SO important to have female role models and figures to inspire you and remind you that it IS possible. This world is so heavily dominated with males displaying what success looks like, it can be easy to be discouraged. I’m always sure to make my presence known in a confident memorable manner. I speak up, I shake hands firmly, I direct and lead conversations. As a woman, I think it’s so important to let this “challenge” be exactly what empowers you.
We’d love to hear more about CBUDD.
My channel is an array of interests, which makes me not exactly fit into a box. Personally, this is what I prefer and I feel that it’s what makes me thrive in my pursuits.
I live a plant-based diet, very introspective, and conscious life so I love sharing my health and wellness tips. I also have forever been interested in style so you can find some fun lookbooks on my channel too (even some collaborations with fun brands like Levi’s and Express). Traveling is my number one love and you can find videos from the ten countries I’ve visited thus far to binge on as well. Like I said, my channel is a little bit of everything because that’s truly what reflects myself. I’m proud to have created a community that I feel also reflects that as well. It’s beautiful to receive messages from people all around the world who truly feel like good friends to me.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
I personally don’t have someone I directly consider a mentor however I would say I surround myself with other inspiring individuals that I feel align with the environment I’d like to grow in. As far as networking goes, remember that this can take place literally at the grocery store. The biggest thing I can say is just TALK TO PEOPLE. Don’t let others intimidate you to the point of not speaking. You never know what information could be given or received in just a five-minute conversation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.c-budd.com
- Email: cbuddinquiries@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/_cbudd
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/_cbudd
- Other: https://youtube.com/thecasefacee
Image Credit:
Justin Boone
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
