Inspiring Teens Magazine Features

Ashley Rivera

3/6/2019

Ashley Rivera
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Recommended by Lisa Slipp
Pennsylvania
Issue 15

How did you first start with Youtube?
When I was 10, I randomly decided to buy a digital camera. I set my camera up on a cardboard box in front of my computer and put on music so that I could film lip sync videos. Honestly, I didn’t get many views at all, but that didn’t stop me from doing what I loved.

How did you become interested in starting a Youtube channel?
Viral videos were floating around all over TV and the internet, and that’s how I discovered what Youtube was. I watched all sorts of videos and I figured if other people could make a viral video, then so could I.

Who are you favorite Youtubers and why?
My top 2 favorite Youtubers are Liza Koshy and Joey Graceffa. Liza never fails to put a smile on my face and Joey Graceffa was one of the first Youtubers that I ever watched!

How long does it take you to film a video and edit?
Typically, It takes about 1-2 hours to film my videos. As for editing, on average It takes me about 3-4 hours. Although It takes up a lot of my time and effort, it’s so worth It because I like to know that I’m making my viewers happy.

What is your favorite episode you’ve done so far and why?
My favorites are when I filmed with DreamWorksTV for their series ‘RecordSetter Kids’. I had to take on different challenges to try to set a world record! You truly never know what opportunities could come your way.

What do you like best about being a Youtuber?
One of the biggest perks, is the freedom. I choose what days and hours I want to work, and what content I make. Also, knowing that people enjoy what I create, encourages me to work harder.

When did you first start knowing that your channel was taking off?
My channel blew up when I started making Rainbow Loom bracelet tutorial videos. In just 2 weeks, my videos were getting up to 1 million views. ‘Good Morning America’ contacted me to film a segment on their show on the topic of Rainbow Loom bracelets. I never knew my channel would take off like It did.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting out?
Don’t compare yourself to others! There are other channels out there that are more successful than yours, but remember they started out where you are; no views, no subscribers, and no audience.
Don’t let the haters get you down. Trust me, I’ve been made fun of, but you have to have a strong mindset. It takes time. You can’t expect your channel to instantly be successful. It took me about 2 years just to get only about 300 subscribers.

Do you plan on continuing to create Youtube videos?
Of course! I honestly don’t think that I could ever stop making videos because Youtube is a huge part of my life.

Ashley was featured in Issue 15 of Inspiring Teens Magazine.

click here to buy issue 15

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Nathaniel Munoz

2/21/2019

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Nathaniel Munoz
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Photography by Antonio De Jesus
Florida
Issue 18

The Nomination: Nathaniel Muñoz is an 18-year-old science-fiction novelist, published poet, and YouTuber. He has opened a publishing company, the Muñoz Publishing House, and will have his first novel released in June. On his YouTube channel, he provides writing advice for fellow aspiring novelists.

How did your interest in writing poetry and fiction begin?
In Ms. Silverio’s 7th Grade Language-Arts class at Good Shepherd Catholic School, I was given various assignments to write creatively. These assignments included creating both works of poetry and fiction. Through these assignments, I discovered my passion for writing and my love for words.

What is your favorite piece of work you have written and why?
Presently, my favorite completed piece of work is my soon-to-be-published novel, Elvort. Elvort has allowed me to sharpen my writing skills, meet various others in the writing community, and has motivated me to open my own publishing company, the Muñoz Publishing House.

Tell me about the plot of your first novel, Elvort, that is being released in June.

Earth is in ruins. After the Great Collapse, poverty, crime, and disease became as common as oxygen in the air. One of the few people who hoard the world's money, Abraham Gatlin, creates an enormous enclosed circular community. In Elvort, people can live in a simulation of a different era of their choice. However, in order to enter, Gatlin brainwashes his new citizens to live as people of the selected era. They are given the mentality and speech of that era, in addition to a storyline to abide by.
Louis Harpp, the protagonist, experienced a power outage during the entry process. He entered his era with knowledge from outside Elvort. His friend Breck Wilder doesn't recognize him. Realizing that Elvort is a place where people are swept from everything that made them, Louis must set out to reclaim his friend and life.

Why did you want to start a Youtube channel?
In an attempt to grow my author platform and engage with fellow writers outside of Miami, FL, I started my AuthorTube YouTube channel to provide writing advice and open up various outlets for networking.

What types of books do you plan on continuing to write and publish in the future?
I am currently working on two literary works. The first, Perception, is a superhero-type novel about a teen with the power to manipulate perception. The second, a story about the Coolie Trade that brought Chinese people as slaves to Cuba in the 1800s. After these next two projects, I hope to continue expanding my horizons and further push my writing career forward.

Nathaniel will be featured in Issue 18 of Inspiring Teens Magazine.

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My YouTube Experience - an interview with Madi Westbrooke

6/9/2018

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Interview by Olivia Bush

When did you start your YouTube channel & how many subscribers do you have now?
I Started my YouTube channel five years ago in 2012 & the last time I looked I had a little over 118,000.

What editing software do you use?
I used to use imovie, but three years ago I updated to Final Cut Pro.

What inspired you to start YouTube?
It really happened progressively. On the first day of school my mom would always film me and what I was doing and wearing so I was really used to being in front of the camera. One year my mom got me one of those small flip screen video cameras that were really popular. Me and my friends would film videos on that and I would pretend I had a YouTube channel but I never uploaded any of those videos. Then one day when I got home from school I decided to upload one and it really just took off after that.

What is your favorite thing about doing YouTube and why?
It exposes you to different kinds of people. You get to meet new friends and get exposed to companies. You are surrounded with this community of people that you look up to, that will be there to help you. Kind of like a family.

How do you manage YouTube and college?
I thought it definitely would be harder than high school, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought. In the second semester I scheduled my classes to have Tuesdays and Thursdays off. Those days are dedicated to business and work days. I mostly vlog during the day so I do most of my editing at night.

Is YouTube something that you see yourself doing after college/ for a living?
I do major creative media, so yes, I am hoping YouTube will still be big and I hope that it could possibly expose to big companies and for me to get a job with them.

How did you get over that nervous feeling of vlogging in public?
It’s a little weird still and a little uncomfortable. If I’m out with friends I will vlog and not feel awkward because I am with someone. I also live in a college town so when I’m vlogging by myself people know and look at me and they know what I’m doing but it is still a little awkward.

What is one thing that YouTube has taught you/ what have you learned from YouTube?
Definitely not care what everyone thinks and that there will always be haters. My mom would always tell me to delete the negative comments and overtime I have learned not to care what people think and I have realized that I am doing YouTube for myself, not for others.

What is your favorite video you have uploaded and why?
My favorites are definitely travel diaries. These videos are about three minutes maximum and they are montages of your trip. They have so many memories and flow really well with the music and just looks cool.

What video have you been most proud of that you have uploaded and why?
My college week in my life I have been most proud of. This is because it was very different. I wasn’t uploading all week and I have never done that. It was a very interesting experience and rewarding because people really liked that video.

What other YouTubers do you look up to?
The first YouTuber I watched was Bethany Mota but I don’t watch her that much anymore because she doesn’t upload as much. Some of my other favorites are Alisha Marie and Remi Ashton because they are so relatable. Also, Danielle Carolan because she is currently in college at a big school like me is going through some of the same things I am currently going through.

Favorite brands you have partnered with/ what’s it like working with brands?
I worked with Sketchers a year or two ago. They were so easy to communicate with because some brands don’t respond until four days later, but they were not like that. They sent shoes to me and put me on their social media and the way they had me incorporate the shoes into the video was very cool. I also worked with Its Sugar Candy. I had actually bought some of their products and had a store near me, so I was actually able to go to the store and look at the candies myself.

What advice would you give to others who want to start a YouTube channel?
My biggest piece of advice is to be yourself. People can tell when you fake your personality, and also people know you can get paid by doing YouTube so don’t just do it for that because in my opinion your content won’t be as good. Finally, just be original, don’t copy other people’s video ideas come up with your own original content to put on your channel that showcases who you are.

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Ashley Rivera

Ashley Rivera
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Recommended by Lisa Slipp
Pennsylvania
Issue 15

Nathaniel Munoz

Nathaniel Munoz
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Photography by Antonio De Jesus
Florida
Issue 18

My YouTube Experience - an interview with Madi Westbrooke

Interview by Olivia Bush

Featured

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Ashley Rivera

​Ashley RiveraInterview by Zoe D’Angelo Recommended by Lisa SlippPennsylvaniaIssue 15

Nathaniel Munoz

​Nathaniel MunozInterview by Zoe D’AngeloPhotography by Antonio De JesusFlorida ​Issue 18

My YouTube Experience - an interview with Madi Westbrooke

Interview by Olivia Bush

Featured

Archives

Categories

Ashley Rivera
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Recommended by Lisa Slipp
Pennsylvania
Issue 15

Nathaniel Munoz
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Photography by Antonio De Jesus
Florida
Issue 18