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 generally, the 2 of them mixed — like a stop-motion Webkinz video,” Rafiee informed Mashable throughout VidCon again in June. Lately, 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 just a few 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 school self, to make YouTube movies?

Nicole Rafiee: I used to be closely impressed by the people who I watched on the time — the JennXPenns, the SuperMac18s, the Ricky Dillons. So I began doing it. I used to be an solely little one, 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 good factor to go house, and that was like my secret life, like a separate persona of who I could not be in individual.

After which in school, I lacked a lot creativity in my life as a result of I didn’t know what I wished to do in school. I went as a result of I believed that was the best factor to do. On the time after I began making YouTube movies, I used to be in class with the intention of turning into a doctor’s assistant. I’d sit in my anatomy lecture like, “I’d reasonably do the rest proper now than this. However most significantly, I’d reasonably be making a video.”

I’d reasonably do the rest proper now than this. However most significantly, I’d reasonably be making a video.

That stored calling to me, and I had some pals on the time, who additionally had this center faculty YouTube channel and wished 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 folks like Emma Chamberlain. That was an enormous inspiration to see, like, wow, there are youthful folks than me who’re beginning now, and it is by no means too late.   In order that grew to become my inventive outlet, after which that simply type of modified all the pieces. I ended up altering my main, and that grew to become my purpose for after I graduated — for YouTube to be my full-time factor.

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

 At first, I did what I believed folks wished to see from a school pupil, which was school 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, all people is caught on their very own. And so I used to be making an attempt to do challenges — principally no matter I used to be seeing different folks doing.

It wasn’t till I questioned the content material that I used to be making for myself and requested, “What truly pursuits me and actually conjures up me?” And numerous that got here all the way down to actually what I research in class, which is media research.

I’ve additionally at all times been an opinionated individual. Since I used to be youthful, I used to be at all times informed, “Try to be a lawyer,” as each little lady is that if individuals 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 believe I noticed the success that I did as a result of folks noticed for the primary time, “Oh, that is so authentically you.”

That opened up the door to creating movies about so many new subjects. I wished to maintain my private life personal; I did not need to vlog. So it was like a pure evolution and development of who I’m as an individual, I believe, 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 making an attempt to grasp why it does really feel that method now. At first, I felt so assured in being the individual I used to be hiding behind closed doorways.

I am not essentially introverted, however I actually solely really feel snug being myself round folks as soon as I am absolutely snug with them, as lots of people do. However I at all times envied individuals who had been authentically themselves, no matter who they had been round or what they had been doing. I couldn’t discover that. So I felt like I closed the door and I could possibly be myself, I may make the jokes I need to make, I may costume nevertheless I need, I may do precisely what I wished to do.

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

I believe as a result of I’ve carried out YouTube, it is allowed that scared lady who would disguise in her room and solely be that assured individual behind that closed door — that helped me be that within the exterior 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 individual, and I am much less snug on-line, and I need to nip that within the bud whereas I can.

Talking of that success, you have discovered an enormous viewers in your Chronically On-line Lady sequence.  Does it really feel dangerous to consider making an attempt 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 desirous to attraction to their viewers, and I completely perceive that, however I’d reasonably discover an viewers that likes me for no matter content material I make. I do know that is gonna be laborious and possibly means much less subscribers alongside the best way, however I am OK with that.

 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 making an attempt to shush that noise out and likewise 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 making an attempt 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 may have a second that stands proud as your first huge viral video?

 I believe it was positively the “chronically on-line lady explains Frenemies” video that I made. I didn’t count on that video to do nicely. That video virtually did not occur as a result of the audio was tousled. I spent so lengthy making an attempt to repair it and I used to be like, “I believe I ought to simply throw this away. It is a silly thought. I do not suppose anyone cares about this.”

When folks 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, “That is method higher than me making an attempt to pressure myself to vlog.”

One other a kind of moments was my first video essay, I assume you can say.  I used to be inspired by my supervisor. It was the video, “Why do the ‘it women’ give up?”

It was about why a few of my favourite YouTubers that I regarded as much as — like Emma Chamberlain and BestDressed — stopped making movies altogether and light from the limelight, and determined to reside a extra personal, mysterious life. It is closely based mostly off of like my very own expertise as a content material creator, although I used to be a lot smaller. At that second after I noticed folks 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 really feel like I may do that,” second.

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

 I wished to be a TikTokker so unhealthy. I informed myself if there was ever gonna be a Vine 2.0, I’d 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 all the pieces 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’ll publish on TikTok, I’ll shit publish. I am not strategically making an attempt to make use of it.

YouTube, nevertheless, at all times felt like that. It felt like a platform the place I could possibly be myself, but additionally develop an viewers. And it felt like I used to be reaching in 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 need to be from YouTube.

So I really feel like YouTube.com is my house base. I clock in at YouTube.com, and after 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 just a few years in the past, however I used to be solely in a position to attend the business monitor for at some point. So I ended up going to a bunch of panels, and I used to be like, “Is that 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 ought to be there on the record 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 occurring and happening? However I am additionally so grateful for it as a result of I’m making an attempt to remind myself that I did work for years on this.

So I am making an attempt to validate that I should be right here whereas concurrently being like, “What the heck am I doing right here?”

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

In 2019, when my first video that blew up, I began getting presents, like, “We’ll pay you $1,000 for this assessment,” and I used to be like, “Sure, I am going to offer 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 acquired managers in a short time after that.

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

I am much more fortunate that I discover manufacturers like NOCD, with having OCD myself, that was identical 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 may have any recommendation for somebody beginning out in content material creation who could be struggling to search out what precisely they need to be making?

 At first, it’s very okay to be impressed by different folks and emulate what you see as a result of that is precisely what I did. But additionally, make the movies that you simply your self would need 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 folks 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 reside — the place you’re placing a lot of your self on the market and receiving all of the destructive from it as nicely, 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 at all times consider Billie Eilish, for instance, when she stated, “In fact I hearken to my very own music within the automobile.” 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 lady’s humorous.”

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 automobile — energy to the people who find themselves — however I get pleasure from what I am making, and I believe that is crucial 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 simply suppose are unhealthy, too.

Be pleased with what you are making, but additionally know that you simply’re your personal worst critic. The movies that I hated probably the most after enhancing them for like 12 hours straight — generally folks love them, generally not, however you are studying from each single expertise that you’ve.