Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah Perry.
Hi Mariah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story as to how I got to where I am today was very random! It was winter break, December 2017, during my sophomore year of college. I was attending Winthrop University, majoring in English education, located in Rock Hill, SC. I was home for the break. My car broke down and I was really down about it. I literally had nothing to do and I am not fond of asking people to take me places. YouTube was something that brought me entertainment. I would sit and watch vlogs, makeup videos and hair tutorials for hours. I thought it was cool that people from all around the world would record videos of doing anything that they want and make money for it.
After I did my research about the YouTube Partners program and what I had to do, I decided to do it. I did not have any fancy cameras at the time, artificial lighting (ring lights), or any other camera equipment such as a tripod. I just used my MacBook Air’s webcam, which does not have the best quality. After a few videos of recording off of my laptop and occasionally on my phone, my mom purchased me a small point-and-shoot camera, which still had poor quality, but I still made it work. I was just happy to have a camera. I knew that I had to start from somewhere. My first YouTube video was an eyebrow tutorial. If you go back and look at that video, you will see that I have come a long way as far as video and audio quality. For my birthday in March 2018, my older brother, Cassius, also known as CashDaGawd who was also featured in VoyageATL, purchased me a ring light, which also came with a tripod. I was so thankful for him investing his money in me. In my older videos, I would use an ironing board and stack textbooks on top of it and use that as my tripod sitting in front of my window during the day to get good lighting. My video editing skills have also enhanced tremendously since I started my channel in 2017.
When I started my channel, I made sure to film at least one video a week, no matter what. I knew that if I wanted something, I had to make time for it. At that time, you needed 10,000 views to monetize your channel and I was determined to reach that goal. In January 2018, YouTube changed its monetization guidelines. Creators had to now have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours within the past 12 months. Initially, this made it harder for “small YouTubers” to get monetized, but this did not stop me! Although I wanted to get paid for creating videos on YouTube, making videos was a passion for me. It is something I love to do. I enjoy planning out a video, filming, editing and publishing content. If one wants to do YouTube solely for the money, I do not recommend it because it takes a lot of work, determination, and consistency. I film videos weekly. I am real and raw, and people love that about me. I gain subscribers organically. People are attracted to my personality. I film so many types of videos. I have over 200! On my YouTube channel, you can find hair, makeup, daily vlogs, cooking, military, try-on hauls and skincare videos. Every time I get in front of the camera I am my true self.
In July 2018, I had to take a 6-month break from YouTube because I joined the United States Army Reserves for money for school. I ended up transferring to the University of South Carolina and changing my major to Visual Communications. As soon as I returned home in December 2018, I started where I left off. I was able to purchase my first camera. I purchased a Sony a5100 and my quality was amazing! Here is where I introduced a lot of Army videos and my subscriber count grew tremendously. My skin was also breaking out terribly, so I decided to document my Accutane journey as well. My Army and skincare videos are extremely popular. By July 2019, I reached 1,000 subscribers and hit 4,000 watch hours and started getting paid. I have a video about that experience too. Different brands started reaching out to me to collaborate and here I am now still creating content on YouTube in 2021. I have worked with so many different, amazing companies, but I am sure not to promote anything that I do not actually like or will not actually use just for the money. I want my audience to trust me and everything that I share with them. I am currently at 8,670+ subscribers and one of my biggest accomplishments is partnering with USAA in a digital ad. I am on TV! Who would’ve thought?! USAA found me on YouTube. YouTube is such a great platform and I cannot wait to see where this platform takes me in the future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A challenge I experienced was comparing myself to other YouTubers. I would sit and look at how others were growing faster than me that weren’t even working as hard as me. I would sit for hours creating content expecting a victory right away but there is no victory without a battle. I had to fight and work hard. I may not have millions of subscribers, but I am still being noticed by companies that I never thought would ever reach out to me. There are people that notice me and see my potential. I also see the potential within myself, so that is all that matters. With anything in life, I have learned that I am on my own journey and I cannot compare myself to anyone.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am known for creating content via Instagram and YouTube. I have a passion for advertising, graphic design, video editing, marketing, brand design, and writing, I use the skills that I taught myself and professional skills to create content that is creative and original.
Contact Info:
- Email: mariahperrry@gmail.com
- Website: www.mariahperry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariahperrry/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariahperrry
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mariahperry
