I know everytime there is an interview, I always say I am super excited and it's always genuinely true. These interviews have me on cloud 9 and if there's a tenth cloud, you can be sure our WCW today has me on it.
She's a Youtube blogger, beaty influencer and a digital marketer. I like that she has a warm personality and she was so open in this interview. As usual, lots of wisdom balls packed up in a short read. I'm sure you'll enjoy this as much as I did. Ladies and gentlemen, the beautiful Kelechi Mgbemena...
1) How did makeup/ YouTube begin for you?
KELECHI: I used to watch my sister do her make up growing up, and I am really patient because I would spend hours practicing what I taught looked intriguing.
I started for fun, more or less like a hobby, after watching several YouTube gurus’ (the likes of Jenny Jenkins, Isoken, Jackie Aina, Dimma Umeh, Iamdodos etc) creating tutorials on how to draw eyebrows, apply eyeshadow, and all other beauty related topics, I thought to myself, it looks easy (which I am realizing is not so easy).
I got my phone, researched on How to record videos using you phone, got a cheap phone stand (because I wasn’t going to waste my money on something I wasn’t yet sure of), and at that point I was feeling really funky with myself, lol, like I was ready to take over the world, and I kicked off, I started recording, and since then, it has been hard to stop.
2) In your opinion, what 3 things are necessary for success on Youtube?
KELECHI:YouTube like I would say is a world on its own, with its own struggle and rewards, there are no strict rules that would guarantee success but only tips that would guide you in your own path to achieving success. Personally, I would like to think that the top three criteria would be: Consistency, Originality and Creativity.
Firstly, Consistency: You have to be consistent with the type of content you put out as well as the quality of content, the more content you have out there the more chances you have in increasing your visibility and ultimately achieving success.
Secondly, originality; You have to be YOU. Everyone talks about this, but most times it feels like people who listen still don’t get the importance of this. Your DNA is unique, it means you are unique and you have something unique that only you can give. If you can only speak Igbo, that's fine, there is no need to fake the English, because you already have an untapped market segment that you can appeal to. If you are from Nigeria don’t try and sound like you are from Jamaica, be Nigerian. If you like to keep a straight face while talking, then do that, from the beginning. It could all be confusing, because when you stop faking after your first 5 videos people would notice it, so be upfront, be original, be 100% YOU, it is called YOUtube for a reason, it’s your world so show us YOU and not someone else.
Thirdly, Creativity; Asides from being yourself, creativity is key, and the good thing is that no one can really see what is going on in your head except for you, so no one has your ‘creativity’ and no one can steal it. Those crazy ‘thoughts and ideas’ that keep popping up in your head and your ability to express them in the most exciting way is simply put as you being creative. Everyone is creative but you need to also work on how you deliver it to your audience.
Try new things, experiment, also be creative with your content and your thumbnails.
3) What do you love most about your work?
KELECHI: This is weird but I love the fact that it makes me feel like I am 10 times younger, creating content and playing with creativity for me feels like I am a kid in a toy store with no parental guidance or restriction, like I could just go wild and play with all the toys, fixing pieces together, role playing, experimenting, trying out how things work.
I love that I am able to be myself and to express myself in my own way, with a lot of options to choose from, no rules holding back your willingness to express yourself, most especially, I love that it's something that gives me joy.
4) If you could be a make-up product, you’d be what?
KELECHI: My first thought was “HIGLIGHTER” Lol.. honestly I love the fact that it illuminates a lot of people’s faces when they apply it, you can literally see the “OMG! WOW!” expression on their faces when they apply the first layer on, and there is no greater joy than knowing that as a makeup product, you just did that, You glowed up someone’s day.
but giving it a second though I might have to go with ‘“CLEAR/NEUTRAL GLOSS” these have been with us wayyyyyyy before the evolution of highlighters, and if you are a makeup lover you would know the versatility of clear/neutral glosses; they are perfect for HARMATAN, perfect for that “NO makeup-just gloss’ look, perfect for a full glam look, also perfect for transforming a matte lipstick into a sheer lipstick, and can be used to create a glossy lid makeup look as well. I mean the list goes on, this product is very simple and basic, yet very complex and sophisticated, and who doesn’t like that?
5) What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
KELECHI: The best piece of advice I have ever received was actually in form of a question, which I had rephrased into a statement. My mom once asked ‘Do you want money to be your master or do you want to be the master of money?’. I could swear I had heard that before, but hearing it that day change my perspective about life, because I uses to be solely concerned about money making, because that's what our society taught us and how we grew up. I mean after spending years in school, you should be making the big box when you are done yeah?
Honestly, I wouldn’t lie, that used to be my ultimate goal, and it is not a bad thing but hearing that question/statement change my orientation. So now I am chasing something greater and in the process learning how to be the ‘master of money’.
6) If you could advice someone chasing their dreams out there now, you'd tell them to:
KELECHI: Discover Yourself, go on a journey with Yourself and in the process master Yourself” by kelechi Mgbemena..lol..
What I mean by this is that you should;
1. Discover yourself (know exactly what you like and don’t like, find out what gives you joy or make you happy)
2. Go on a journey with yourself, (Find out if that is what you love, just how much you love it, break some rules, try out new things, learn new things)
3. And in the process master yourself (be good at those things you have discovered, in fact be great, be the best and then watch the money roll in).
The reason I am focusing on ‘Yourself/You’ is because; in your journey, there would be hindrances, and those hindrances would mostly likely be people telling you what you can or cannot be or achieve, so IGNORE, and focus on Yourself, life is too short to be living it for anyone asides for you and God and NEVER GIVE UP, no matter how hard it may seem at that moment, know that it is just a phase, because nothing great ever comes easy.
And once in a while, this one I thing is really important HAVE SOME ICECREAM lol. Take a break sometimes, appreciate yourself and all your efforts.
7) What’s on your mind this Wednesday?
KELECHI: Hmmmm… currently, as I am typing? I would have to say FOOD, lol.. thinking of what to eat before I actually finish typing, I think I just talked about icecream, so that is also on my mind…lol.
Don't FORGET to check Kelechi out on Youtube
That's it guys!
Stay inspired!
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