I was lucky enough to sit down with Steph Oliver, a current high school senior and small business entrepreneur that also happens to create content for YouTube!
Her Campus (HC): When and why did you start making YouTube videos?
Steph Oliver (SO): I’m currently a senior and I started making videos the summer before my 6th grade year. Around six years ago, I begged my mom to let me start a channel because two of my friends at the time had channels. I also enjoyed watching YouTubers like Alisha Marie and Bethany Mota. So when she finally agreed, I got down to business and made my first video about an hour later.
HC: At the time of this interview, you are less than 250 subscribers away from 10 thousand! Would you still consider yourself a small YouTuber? How do you feel about the small YouTuber Community?
SO: Absolutely. I wouldn’t consider myself popular until I hit about 100 thousand subscribers, but everyone has different opinions on what makes a YouTuber “big.” On the other hand, the small YouTuber community is something really special. Bigger YouTubers tend to compete for clout, but when you’re smaller, everyone is super supportive and it’s not based much on numbers, which I think is amazing.
HC: Do you have any favorite YouTubers or people that you go to for inspiration on your channel?
SO: This is a tough one because I am constantly inspired by many amazing YouTubers. I take inspiration from different sections of YouTube whether from my recommended page or in my subscription box. As for getting the motivation to get on my grind and edit a video, I look to creators like MissKatie or Annie Long who make amazing motivational content.
HC: Recently, YouTube posted you on their official Instagram page! How did you react when you saw that happen?
SO: That was so crazy to me. I don’t use social media in the morning but one day I was sitting at work on my phone and went on the Instagram page that I use for YouTube related content. I noticed that I had a sudden increase in interactions. At the moment I was like, “this doesn’t happen every night.” Looking through my DMs, I saw that I was tagged in a story congratulating me on being posted by YouTube and I thought it was a joke. When I found out it was YouTube’s official page, I wondered how they found me! I’m such a small creator on a large platform.
HC: What kind of opportunities has doing YouTube over the years brought into your life?
SO: YouTube has opened doors to many opportunities for me. In college, I hope to major in marketing, communications or public relations. I feel like having experience by working and communicating with the brands I’ve featured on my channel effectively helps me dip my feet into the marketing world. That’s one thing I’m grateful for and I’m excited to go to college with those experiences under my belt.
HC: You’re a high school senior this year. Have you found it hard throughout high school to balance YouTube, school and your social life?
SO: In years past, I was a self-motivated person and was able to set priorities with editing, schoolwork, softball practice and more. But surprisingly now, with everything online, my schedule has become tighter and I’ve found it hard to find time for everything. Hopefully, I’ll be back on my grind in no time!
HC: You’re also a business entrepreneur! Tell me more about DyedBySteph and your inspiration behind starting it as well as what it feels like to be a new business owner.
SO: I’ve always wanted to start my own business. During quarantine, I was on vacation in the Outer Banks wondering, “what am I going to do? I want to start a business right now.” It hit me that we’re in a pandemic, so selling masks was an obvious answer. Right then and there, I ordered all the materials I needed like the masks and the dye. Starting a business while we’re online is perfect because we’re basically in a judge free zone. In the future, if masks are no longer in demand, I eventually want to sell t-shirts, tank tops and sweatshirts. I love making tie-dye sets and often make them for my friends. Right now, I’m in the process of researching high quality clothing to dye so that I can offer apparel-based items in the future.
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