From the surface, Julia Gilman appears to be your average college student coping with the stresses of schoolwork. What makes Julia distinct from other college students, however, is her successful YouTube career. With over 240,000 subscribers on her channel BeautyTakenIn, Julia serves as an inspiration to young girls everywhere.
“I try to promote living a positive lifestyle both in my personal and public life. Spreading positivity is really important to me,” Gilman said. “I make sure that I only put out videos that I know will bring a smile to my viewer’s faces. Not everything in life is always going to be sunshine & rainbows. But if my viewers can go to my channel and watch my videos when they’re having a bad day and feel a bit better.”
Gilman has been making videos since 2010 and after much perseverance, she was finally able to hit the spotlight. Gilman’s videos cover many different topics including healthy eating habits, make-up routines and other creative DIY ideas.
“There is definitely a huge pressure that I put on myself to be a good influence and not disappoint my viewers. Most of my viewers are pretty young, around 12 years old, so I try to keep a wholesome PG rated image online. I avoid using language and topics that could be considered too provocative or controversial. Often times, people can be extremely judgmental on the Internet and I don’t want any mistakes I make to affect my image online,” Gilman explained.
She makes it a priority to express her appreciation and reach out to her loyal subscribers, which is something many famous YouTubers neglect to do.
“Meeting subscribers is almost unreal. I always feel such a strong connection to my subscribers when we meet. I also try my best to respond to as many comments, tweets, and messages as I can, so that they know I care and notice them,” Gilman said. “Also, I like to hold giveaways on my channel to give back and show how much I appreciate their support, although I feel like I can never thank my subscribers enough for all the support they show me.”
Gilman continues to inspire others by posting a new video once a week. As she discusses an array of subjects, she maintains the interest of her subscribers.
Gilman shared, “Every time I read the comments and someone tells me that my videos have helped or inspired them, it is so rewarding. It truly motivates me to make more videos. I couldn’t see myself wanting to do anything else.”