For my series on strong female leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alisha Marie.
Alisha Marie is a digital powerhouse, with over 21 million followers across her social channels. Alisha opened up with her viewers early on in 2018 in a video uploaded to her channel and took a two month hiatus from YouTube to focus on her mental health and regain inspiration, she shared her story with publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur and TODAY. She has gone on to be a voice for the digital community and constantly lends her advice to creators on how to avoid burnout. During 2017 she was included in Variety’s Power of Youth Impact Report, the annual list is comprised of leaders in the entertainment industry that are making waves and changing the entertainment industry for the next generation.
Thank you so much for joining us Alisha! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I think basically all my hobbies growing up as a kid really led me to YouTube. I‘ve always loved filming, I even remember one time breaking apart an old cam recorder because I wanted to see how it worked since I was so in love with making movies and anything related to that. Even in school I would always volunteer to make videos for the class projects, lessons or class trips. I also really loved makeup when I was younger so it’s just really cool to see how all of my old hobbies turned into this.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your podcast?
Honestly I think the coolest thing so far has been the opportunity to do live tours and be able to meet a bunch of people who knew our podcast. When we’d do our meet and greets I’d meet people that would tell me how much our podcast has helped them more than any other YouTube tour I’ve done since the podcast is so vulnerable and real. It was really cool to see how the podcast made a difference in people’s lives.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake has been me trying to be like other YouTubers that were successful so I’d even raise my voice and try to talk like them because that’s how I thought you were supposed to do YouTube. Looking back it’s so cringey watching those videos where I don’t even sound like myself.
What do you think makes your podcast stand out? Can you share a story?
I think what makes our podcast stand out is the dynamic of Rem and I. Our friendship is so genuine and real that I think a lot of people feel that and picture themselves in a conversation with their best friends when listening. It’s funny because we were talking to our agent about Remi’s boy drama one day and he was the one who suggested we have our own podcast seeing the kind of dynamic we both had with each other.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
One of the biggest things I’d like to remind colleagues is that the amount of time and work you put into something doesn’t always mean that it’ll be more successful. I’d always spend hours and hours of editing making myself crazy thinking that it would perform better and it wouldn’t. Another tip of mine is to take time off. I always take time off to make myself miss filming and vlogging so that when I do it again I’m excited and passionate about it.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Honestly I’m mostly grateful to my parents for letting me do this because they never questioned me pursuing this as a full time job which I know isn’t a normal job so they really believed in me and allowed me to take some time off from college.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
It would probably be being able to partner with great brands doing awesome things. One of my favorites I’ve worked with is Make A Wish!
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
I would say “Everything Happens for a Reason”.
What are your “5 Strategies You Need To Run A Very Successful Podcast” Please share a story or example for each.
– Be Consistent — I think a lot of people underestimate this one
– Be Vulnerable — Audiences can connect to you more if you’re vulnerable
– Don’t Overthink It — Let it be natural and comfortable
– Promote It — I sometimes forget to promote it over all of my socials and when I do remember it helps a tremendous amount
– Talk About Current Events — We like to be updated about current events and the latest in pop culture
You are a woman of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would start a movement that would involve anything mental health related. An example of a wonderful one doing great things is the Jed Foundation. Social Media has changed my life for the better in so many ways, but of course there are also some negative sides to it. I never grew up with social media until my senior year in high school (really aging myself here lol) and I can’t imagine what some of the kids/teens are having to deal with today.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
YouTube Main Channel — AlishaMarie
YouTube Vlog Channel — AlishaMarieVlogs
Instagram — @alisha
Twitter — @ALISHAMARIE
TikTok- @alishamarie