---
title: 'How a Grandma Earns $40K on YouTube Without Showing Her Face'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=HNWAkYZ0IZA'
video_id: 'HNWAkYZ0IZA'
date: 2026-07-27
duration_sec: 3071
---

# How a Grandma Earns $40K on YouTube Without Showing Her Face

> Source: [How a Grandma Earns $40K on YouTube Without Showing Her Face](https://youtube.com/watch?v=HNWAkYZ0IZA)

## Summary

Lisa Goodwin, a full-time nurse and grandmother of five, earns $40,000 annually from her faceless YouTube channel, DIY Diva, demonstrating that success on YouTube is possible without showing your face or having abundant free time.

### Key Points

- **Lisa's YouTube Success** [00:01] — Lisa's channel earned $40,000 last year despite her full-time nursing job, five kids, and a 2-hour daily commute.
- **Channel Focus** [01:27] — DIY Diva focuses on crafting and DIY home decor, proving that affordable projects can look high-end.
- **Early Morning Routine** [05:10] — Lisa wakes up between 4 and 4:30 AM to work on editing and video production, her most productive time.
- **Using Commute Time** [03:04] — During her hour-long commute each way, Lisa listens to podcasts and YouTube videos to learn and brainstorm ideas.
- **Lunch Break Shopping** [10:00] — Lisa uses her one-hour lunch break to shop for craft supplies for upcoming videos, maximizing her limited time.
- **Family First** [12:38] — Despite her busy schedule, Lisa prioritizes family, treating YouTube as a creative outlet and 'me time'.
- **Faceless Channel Advice** [17:27] — Lisa encourages beginners to start a faceless channel, emphasizing that mistakes can be edited out and viewers appreciate authenticity.
- **Finding Video Ideas** [21:37] — She gets inspiration from high-end stores like Pottery Barn and uses AI tools like ChatGPT to generate and refine ideas.
- **Using VidIQ** [27:41] — Lisa uses VidIQ for title and thumbnail optimization, though she sometimes trusts her gut over the tool's suggestions.
- **Long-Form Content Strategy** [34:12] — Her most popular videos are over 40 minutes, including compilation videos that repurpose old content, driving watch time and views.
- **Multiple Income Streams** [42:20] — Lisa earns from YouTube ads, Amazon affiliate/influencer, Etsy store, and her website, aiming for 10 streams eventually.
- **Annual Income** [46:30] — Last year, her YouTube-related income totaled $40,000, complementing her full-time nursing salary.

### Conclusion

Lisa's story proves that with smart time management, consistent effort, and repurposing content, anyone can build a profitable YouTube channel, even with a demanding full-time job and family.

## Transcript

don't even really need to show your face or have a lot of free time to win on YouTube. Lisa's built a YouTube channel that just last year brought in $40,000 of income with five kids, a full-time nursing job, and oh, a 2hour daily
>> Anybody that's out there that is thinking about doing a faceless channel, >> Kids are out of the house, maybe there's there's some extra time. What would you say to that person who's thinking about jumping into this YouTube thing?
Welcome to the Think Media Podcast, the number one show bringing you unfiltered channel. I'm Nathan Eswine, one of the co-hosts here of the Think Media Lisa Goodwin, who's made a channel that's called the DIY Diva. I just want
to learn from you. [laughter] I'm excited to hear about what you've been up to. I'm stoked for this conversation. How are you doing today? I am fabulous and I am just I'm like beyond honored to be able to be on the Think Media podcast
because I've listened to every I've listened to like every one of the podcast episodes. Some of them even two or three times and I hear Sean in the back of my heads, you know, all his little Shawn I guess you could say it's
Shaunerisms. >> Yes. Love it. I love it. Well, maybe we know, success leaves clues, make part twos, chasing multiple rabbits. Hey, I'm with you. We can nerd out about it. But I'd love it if you could get everyone up
currently sitting about 60,000 subscribers. Would you mind just like what are the kinds of videos you're >> You bet. So, my channel is the DIY Diva, and I love to make things. I love to
craft, and I like to share my ideas with other people to show them that you can have nice things. you can make nice things for your home and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. So that is where my whole focus is and it's just so much
fun to craft and actually for me I really enjoy making YouTube videos. I enjoy the editing process. So it's like a well-rounded create creative outlet >> I love it. It's almost like, you know, looking at your some of your videos,
it's almost like you can feel that uh double joy that you have about the thing that you're making a video for somebody. So, anyway, that's just really cool to like to actually watch as I was going through your channel. But, I would love
kind of just kick this episode off hot and heavy. >> Like what I said was no joke. full-time job, you've got a long commute, you have a full family, and you, you know, I would love to walk through your YouTube
here because this is a lot of this is the this is the very thing that a lot of creators are trying to crack, which is like, what do I do when I'm tired? What I have this all these other responsibilities? How do I actually make
YouTube work in the margins? I thought we'd start here because clearly you've got this dialed in and so I'd love to walk through your YouTube schedule and what a typical day or even week looks like for you. You up for that?
>> Absolutely. So, okay. So, Monday through Friday I work 8 to 5. I have to drive an hour in the morning, hour in the evening. So a lot of times what I'll do is I will always be listening to podcast, YouTube podcast, you know,
trying to think, okay, what am I going to do to be 1% better? What can I do every single video? And then I literally make lists. So I have tons and tons of >> I love lists. >> Your best friend.
>> We love it. Okay, so right here before we keep going, it's just funny. You've might have missed. And the fact is you're turning your commute into a >> right? like, >> you know what I mean? And so, can we
think this is a missed opportunity >> is trying to hack, so to speak, the life. You know what you're already doing? Getting in the car and driving to work. For a lot of people, you're using this as an opportunity to double dip.
Yeah, I got to get to work, but what can I do on the way? So, could you actually detail? You're listening to podcasts or would you be listening to like course time? What have you learned about
time? >> A lot of times I have my like my playlist. Think Media is always on my playlist and I'm always looking for new ideas and new things that I can introduce into my own like a next video
I'm going to be making or something. >> Nice. Then I also listen to um a lot of not only podcasts, but sometimes I'm not watching the videos, but I do sometimes I'll have somebody pop into my head that oh, they were talking about this, they
were talking about filming or whatever. Something that I can listen to and not because I'm like driving down the road and going, "Oh, oh yeah, that's really >> [laughter] >> So, but I like to I like to have a plan
for everything. >> And even before I get in my car and start driving to work, >> the big thing I think that helps me a lot is I am I'm not a night owl. I am definitely a morning person.
>> So, typically I will get up at 4:00 a.m. between 4 and 4:30 in the morning. between 4 and 4:30 in the morning. >> Whoa. And so that is like my for me myself, I've found that that's the best time for me to work on my editing or my
video or even to like piece things together and then that way I have that done every single morning. I get up and I'm working on a video. I'm that's just because I know that's when I'm going to get the most accomplished. Okay. So,
huge right here because common advice es especially in kind of our culture right now around this creator thing or building your own business thing is this stay up late. What you're saying is
you mind if I ask how much time does that give you by any reason you chose 4 the door to work? Like how much time does that give you to work on YouTube stuff? I think that's because I'm getting older. [laughter] So, I'm
>> That's the hack right there. >> I'm just an early person and I love getting up and once my brain like kicks in between 4 and 4:30 in the morning, I'm like, "Okay, okay, just just get up and start doing something." So, I make
my coffee the night before, turn on the coffee pot, go turn on my computer, >> get ready, and then it just it just goes. That is when I'm the most >> Oh my goodness. I just like the coach in me is just lighting up all over the
place, Lisa, because it's like this is and this matters so much. We have a lot your videos, your how do you do video ideas, thumbnails, all the good things, listening who's trying to figure out how to make this work. It's like this is
which is why we're starting here. How are you supposed to do anything with the editing if you can't identify where to place it? So, what you've chosen to do, real life example, you're up at 4:00 a.m. every day because it's in line with
your natural rhythms anyway. So, you're going to put some time in before you leave. And then in your on your drive, you are learning and ideiating before you even get to work. So, that's crazy. How do you feel at work? Do you mind if
this in the morning? I don't know. Do you have ideas buzzing all day or do you proud, right? Like you get to work and thing. >> Oh, no, no, no, no. I don't get proud.
thing. So, when I get to work, >> like a sense of like accomplishment like when I got it be like, man, okay, like I already did something today, like I chose myself first, so to speak, before jumping into the job.
>> True. Yeah. And I do especially I have to say, so I like have a pretty set schedule because it just it's become a habit and it works the best for me. So, ready to publish and I know it's going to come out on the day that I want it to
on that day, I feel very accomplished when I go to work and I'm like, and it's not that a weight is lifted off or anything. It's just like I did it. >> Then I really that's the moment when I feel proud when I put all of these
>> Everything's come together. It's working. It's flowing. And then boom, hit that publish button. It's scheduled. Ready to go. And I'm like, "Yay! Happy >> Let's go. Hey, that sounds like a creator on a mission. Video published
equals the win. I love it. Okay, so already we're talking about how you're starting your day. Well, we're starting it. You like getting after things when you get Okay, so you do work. Does anything happen during work? I don't
know, breaks, lunchtimes in relation to YouTube. And by the way, what is your day job? Uh my day job is I am a registered nurse and I focus on um diabetic foot care and orthopedics primarily for people's feet which is
completely off the spectrum of what my YouTube channel is. >> I was going to say yes and also though a pretty demanding job I would imagine dealing with people with right helping people and I'm sure all the admin and
everything you have to do on your feet a lot during the day. Okay. So, like how what what are some things maybe you're doing during your workday over the years and chip away at the YouTube thing? >> I always have my list. So, I will
things down. I'll have an idea pop into my head. >> I write it down. My lunch break, I get an hour every day for lunch typically. Sometimes it doesn't happen, but when it does, I since I do live pretty far away
from town and I want to make the most of the time that I do have. So, what I'll do if I if there's things that I need to buy for an upcoming video or if I need to get some, you know, film footage from say Pottery Barn or Goodwill, Dollar
Tree, I'll use my lunch hour and I'll go shopping for the stuff that I need. So, that way when I'm home on the weekends, >> that's that's my filming time. Oh, so smart. Okay, so I can't wait to get into your video process because you're you
are clearly there's a level of systems and being dialed in here that has to the full life that you have. So you're you already kind of know what's going on what's coming up. So stoked to talk about that. You mentioned weekends. How
the weekends. How do you use those? >> Usually on the weekends those are my filming days, especially Saturday. A lot of times Saturday I will have the videos already kind of on the back burner of what I want to be doing, especially for
the crafting and I'll make sure I have everything. Then I just sit at my my craft table and I get really excited about that too because I can just sit at my craft table and just craft and just have fun and do a project and then I'm
like get so excited because then I get to, you know, put everything together. But then once I have all the crafts finished, it's like, "Oh my gosh, it's done and it's so pretty." And then I'll put it on a shelf or something and do
like my B-roll video for that for the ending. And it's just like So it's almost like when I finish a video, but it's when I finish a craft as well. So I just But yeah, I try to get as much done as I can on Saturday and Sunday filming
wise. Yeah. Because when I get home from work, that's usually I'm kind of like >> I'm like I'm not in that's not my zone so much. >> So, but that I will do thumbnails. I will work on video on the titles. I'll
work on my descriptions and I just have like a running Google doc. Well, I probably have a at least probably five or 600 Google Docs. I'm like, "Oh, video I want to put this in. Oh, wait. Key, you know, tags. I know tags aren't expen
these tags in there. >> Oh my go. Okay, so Kindred spirit here to Sean and to myself and a lot of us at Think Media is the Google Doc. The reliable trusty Google Doc. Okay, so evenings are kind of off the I mean it
but it's like prime time for you seems to be morning commute to work actually during work. Evenings are banked for filming. Do you mind if I ask the the thinking about right now? Because I did mention something at the top of the
episode, which is five kids. So, like, how does the whole family thing, if I can phrase it that way, fit into to this? Like, how do how do you what do you make of that? What have you learned about balance or play or like I don't
through your week? >> Kids always come first. Kids and family, no matter what, that's that's first. First and foremost is family. And this is this is kind of like my me time, my quiet time. Thankfully, most of my kids
are grown and I'm a grandmother now, which is really cool. So, I have which is really cool. So, I have grandbabies and I love them. [laughter] >> But it's, you know, it's just you do what you've got to do in order to get
things done. And if that means that I've got to be planning, got to be planning, you know, 24 hours a day, and then I do because it's I just this is really important to me. I I enjoy it. I love
filming. I love making crafts and I love sharing it with the world, too. So, I will make time for it. And I know that everybody has downtime. And you have you're just like, I'm not feeling it today. And and that's okay.
>> And I think that I've learned that I have to give myself grace when that happens because it's gonna happen. >> Yeah, that's right. It is gonna happen. I I love you just naming this right off the bat and I'd like to shift gears and
process and stuff, but I appreciate you starting here because this is the conversation we're having a lot of which is something's got to give. It's kind of of balance some people might push back on because it's like there's no way
all times every hour of the day. The whole point is what you've described and I think if you're listening podcast and you can if you can hear or see in Lisa's voice is like she she really is excited about this. You actually are fired up
you're doing on it. Your niche that you've chosen and that itself is its own fuel source that then motivates you and moves you to be like, "Yeah, okay. 4 look a little different now. It's like a it's my own little library, you know?"
Google Doc, you know what I'm saying? And I'm just like dropping stuff in there. It's like propelling you through all of this and yet you're still here saying family first and guess what? You're gonna have off days and guess
and move on. So, I just want to say like I appreciate this. Thanks for taking up this episode because I know someone needed to hear that. I would love to jump into your content. Is it true that you're still faceless, mostly faceless
shown your face before? real quick. If you're listening or watching to this identifying, you're like, "This is me. Got the full-time job, not a lot of It's actually not about finding more time as much as it is about having a
system for how you actually go about creating videos in your real life. This you are right now. And I want to encourage you that this is something that Lisa had to learn. She didn't just know this right away. and she actually
was one of our students inside of Video Ranking Academy, which is this repeatable way to research, reverse engineer instead of guessing when it put the core of that whole strategy into a free class. You can check that out at
thinkmasterclass.com. Again, that's thinkmasterclass.com. notes down below. All right, back to Lisa. Is it true that you're still YouTube channel? Like, have you shown your face before? Oh yeah. Okay. Show my
your face before? Oh yeah. Okay. Show my face occasionally. Um, a lot of times my focus is more on my crafting and what the actual craft is. >> So, what I've I actually started dabbling a little bit into Etsy as well.
So, what I've been doing is like sharing things that you can make with the things that I make. So it's like the beginning of the video will start off and it's me and then I'm talking through the whole
thing which is actually easy a little bit easier because then I don't have to come down to our studio which is our basement and do a voice over and then you know it's almost like that's a fourstep process for editing. So, if I'm
doing it this way, then I'm knocking out extra steps and I have everything done in one sitting and it's it just it seems to work. So, I am doing a little bit more of my face on the camera.
>> Yeah. >> And but doing it faceless is so it's a lot easier for some aspects, but then not for other aspects like the editing part versus voice over versus, oh, I got to make sure my hair looks okay. Oh my
gosh, my wrinkles are showing. Oh no. [laughter] >> But this is real stuff though. This is this is a real a genuine factor in doing you've said it's been it seemed to seems to have worked. I would just want to
humility, but for someone who's listening like your most popular videos have well over hundreds of thousands of views, nearly half a million views and your most popular those popular too. So like it is working and it's from this
approach and I wonder if you could speak to someone who's considering this like how would you talk to maybe I don't know like a younger Lisa who's maybe back at the beginning of this and is thinking through the faceless approach. How would
through that decision knowing what you know now? know now? >> I wish that I had this motivation when I was younger. I wish I had the focus to actually sit down and do this because
I've always been a crafter. I just I never thought about YouTube and making videos for other people. And I think part of it was that I I didn't feel like the things that I could make would be as good as some of the things that I've
seen other people make. And then I just one day I was like, you know what? I'm channel was not crafting. It was all horse related. But I had a craft video. Actually, it was like a a trash can planter video that went crazy and I
should have known right then and there, you need to switch your channel. You you need to switch your channel. You need to switch your focus. So, but if I maybe it's because I've, you know, I've
maybe it's because I've, you know, I've lived, I'm older now, so I know what I want to accomplish. And I just anybody that's out there that is thinking about doing face a faceless channel. It's not as hard as you think. The camera you can
you can edit it out. If you have an oopsie, edit it out. Or if you want to be more genuine. A lot of times people like to see that. They want to see the mistakes and things like that because it's like, hey, she is human. [laughter]
>> That's right. This is a great reminder um because and I'd also love for maybe your context because I actually really love this approach to your content which if I could phrase it this way not that you aren't planning you certainly are
pulling it off is almost like this documenting approach because it's like you're you're an artist so you're doing the thing like you are crafting you're you're kind of documenting how you're doing it for the sake of a YouTube
video. And so I I would love to kind of like how does that look like? Because when a lot of people hear faceless channel, especially in the age we're in now, we a lot of people will jump to oh AI or it's like an AI avatar that's some
software generated for you or it's like it's all virtual. It's all like slides or something. But your faceless for you actually involves you, right? It just top down angle >> of you filming yourself, right? Yes.
Which that was a work in progress because when I first started doing it, I was trying to figure out how to get the camera so that it would be like overhead it's, you know, and was like going, "Okay, now I got to make sure I get the
angle of it." So, it was just trial and error, trial and error. And then we had a thing where we built and it went on the side of my desk and it project, the whole thing would start shaking and I'm going, "Okay, I got I
got to switch that." So, it's just trial and error. And now I finally figured out a system that we have a camera mount from the ceiling that drops down and my from the ceiling that drops down and my desk is right underneath it. So that way
I can I have my desk. I have this mat that actually is set up so I know exactly where my filming range is. >> And then I don't have to mess around with any of the like anything from the camera itself. Um it's a I don't even
know. I What is it? It's a Sony camera. It's the A something. It's one of the >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So it films in 4K and then when I'm editing it, I can zoom in and out without affecting any of the of the um
image. Can we talk about what's your process for finding and packaging you're listening, is just kind of like, okay, what's the title? What's the thumbnail? What's like the idea that I'm working with? I'd love to hear how you
what you're going to make next. Like, what do you do with the spark of an idea do you bring it through to the finish line? I know that's quite a big together, but like how do you come up with ideas for videos? start there.
>> A lot of times I'm inspired by watching other people um watching there's I have crafters that I love to watch. But another thing that I like to do and this I look at Pottery Barn for inspiration, different um
>> You know, Kraton Barrel, different high-end stores, and I'm like, how did they do that? So then my brain starts thinking of how could I do something like that? And we are so fortunate and so lucky where we are now versus 10
years ago with all of the, you know, okay, some people may not like AI, but it just makes the research so much easier and you can bounce ideas. It's like I have an assistant that actually helps me. And even within the YouTube
studio, all of the help that's there for us and the inspiration tab, I mean, you can be inspired just by looking at, you know, some of the things that they've offered. Now, some of the video suggestions I'm looking at, I'm like,
"Yeah, I don't think that's really possible." [laughter] But, you know, it's we are just so lucky. So, I will look up ideas. I will look on Google. I will, you know, go back through my history of my previous videos and just
trying to bounce things off of my brain. And then also, um, sometimes I'll actually ask my husband, which is really funny because he's like, "Yeah, I'm not but what do you think of this?" And he's like, "Oh,
>> that's cute." I'm like, "Okay, >> that's and we have to like divulge a secret really quick." Not so much a secret, but like your husband is in the same YouTube building thing, too. And it's because of you, right? I mean,
like, quick little shout out. You've essentially coached your husband to a a successful YouTube channel. Could you like briefly explain what he's doing, how that happened? >> One of my like I guess bucket list
things that I want to accomplish is I want I want that little YouTube button, the little >> pl Yes. Yeah. [laughter] So, he I'm he's going to get there before I am because he
started his channel and he's at over 80,000 now. I'm kind of his inspiration because I'll I'll see something or even looking through my emails and I'll see that they want you to oh, open this email and I'm like, that would make a
good video. [laughter] >> It's so good. And he actually I told him there was one video that I watched and it was an AI channel and it was just a AI voice talking I think it was like the 15 foods you that never expire. So he
video >> and he did he has over 5 million views on that video. >> Oh my Okay. So, you know what? Actually, Lisa, the the the actual hack came out is you, if you're listening, you just
need to live with someone who's chosen the same lifestyle and then you just battle each other to perfection. You know, you're just [laughter] you just ch I mean, it's a joke. But also, how cool like this whole other thing, whole other
is at 5 million [clears throat] views. What are we talking about? Okay. Okay. So, clearly you have found success yourself. You're sharing the success in on YouTube. This is awesome. How do you use AI? Maybe I'll just ask you that
way. Like at the beginning stage of a video, you mentioned your you AI can be a helpful assistant. What does that mean to you? Because a lot there's a lot of AI overwhelm that's happening right now because we're told there's a tool for
literally anything. It used to be the saying of like there's an app for that. It's like now there's an AI for that or you can go build your own app for that. We're just in quite a landscape. So, how do you navigate AI? How do you use AI as
ideas. >> Well, if you think about it, we're all using AI right now every single day. say, "How do I do this? How do I do this?" Google, it's an AI that's helping
>> and that's helping to answer your question. So, I actually have um I have chat GPT and I have made a couple of custom GPTs. I'm not very good at that. [laughter] >> But even just putting in ideas and even
the YouTube um >> on the back end of the YouTube studio, right. >> But at first when AI was coming on the scene, I was like, "Okay, nobody has watched Terminator, have they? They
to happen. AI is going to take over the world. They don't get it. This is China." Then I figured out, okay, I just started talking, not really talking to it, but asking questions, diving a little bit deeper with some research,
like, okay, this is the audience that I want to connect with, what are these >> That's huge. Okay, so I mean, that's again just more of your system and being just a part of it. It's another tool. Like you just mentioned, your Google
calendar is a tool. AI systems and processes can be the same thing. Do you brainstorming titles? Do you mind if we talk about YouTube titles for your >> What's your process there? You mentioned getting inspired, so like kind of
copying and pasting, so to speak. Here's an idea, even if it's not in your niche. I loved how you explained that. It could be in an adjacent niche or my favorite is an entirely different niche because all of us have different interests. All
of us have different YouTube homepages. So, even if your niche is photography, couldn't get inspired by something else you enjoy, which is woodworking. and you see, you know, a video that you watched uh from a woodworking channel because
you're naturally interested, but you adopt this other set of goggles, so to speak, which is like you're not just watching YouTube videos as a consumer, a creator, which I can tell you can't turn that off either. And so, I'm sure
you're like, "Oh, that title," or, "Oh, how they did that in the video." So, like? Now, >> I like to see if I can create curiosity, but I should say I do have one more AI tool I forgot about because I just use
it. Um, Vid IQ. >> Shout out. Yeah, for sure. >> Vid IQ is awesome because I'm going, okay, I like this title. I think I'm going to use this. So, I will when I uh up upload my video to YouTube, then I'll
have my working title and I'll probably go through like five or six until I kind of fine-tune it myself a little bit and I'm going, you know, I'm just not loving this. >> But when I put it up on YouTube and then
Vid IQ says, you know, we can give you some ideas. And so then I look at their ideas and I look like to look at see where they rank. Not always is that going to give me the best idea. And sometimes I kind of buck the system and
that this time. Yeah, >> I'm going to trust my gut on this one. And sometimes you have to because it's not going to be right all the time. But that also then helps to inspire me to go, okay, well, I could change this or I
could change the front of it or I could change the back end of it >> and just kind of play around. But I think everything is a work in progress. So, even videos that I've done a year ago, I still go back and look and it's
this thumbnail better. Let's see if I could change this title and make this a little bit more interesting now versus what it was a year ago. >> That could we hang here for a second? So, does that mean that you are actually
going back to videos you've already posted and changing those videos titles and thumbnails or are you drawing inspiration for the future videos? >> Let's talk about that. Okay. So, you're literally going back to older videos,
This is a common question that we'll get. How do you approach that? I'd love >> Well, again, I look at Vid IQ when it, you know, I'm bringing it up and and I look at the I look at my views. I look at how much time people are spending on
it and I look at the thumbnail now versus what I was looking at it a year versus what I was looking at it a year ago and what we're seeing it through our own lenses and it's like, you know, that's that just doesn't work right now.
>> so good. >> It's I remember like a long time ago people would tell you if you wrote a book or something to put it away for a manuscript again and then reread it and see what you thought. So to me it's like
doing that step where I'm going back and saying, "Oh no, let's let's change this." And usually I get I can sometimes get the video to go back up a little >> yeah, >> sometimes it will increase. And then I I
that I posted last year and I know it's because of the time of year, but those are my most popular videos now. [laughter] >> Okay, that's awesome because I love this approach of going back and doing this to
older videos that you've posted. I do always I'm I'm I'm hesitant to answer this with a blanket yes, go do it because I think it's dependent on the someone like you, I would say, who's a veteran in the YouTube space at this
point, 10 years, multiple channels, all the good things, you you just you can have that skill set that you've developed to be like, "Oh, yeah, maybe I think a if you're more at the beginning stage and you're just starting YouTube,
you know, I'd love to hear what you think, Lisa. I often often am uh recommending just keep going kind of just like keep keep making videos, count the uploads, not the views until you've actually developed enough of a skill set
things. But so when did you start going back and changing things? Like >> probably within the last six months. It hasn't been for very long. But I do have to say I do love how you guys always talk about you're counting uploads.
don't count subscribers, count the uploads. And I'm like, that is such good advice that I wish when I started that I had >> because the more you upload, the better you're going to get. The you're going to
going to get better at your titles, descriptions, the video production itself. >> So, it's I could not agree more. That's probably one of the wisest things that I have heard. And it's it's true,
on the head. It's a different scoreboard, right? Um it's a different something that's a little taboo in the YouTube space? Um yeah, YouTube space? Um yeah, >> tags, keywords, SEO,
little bit earlier, even if you're like, you know, as something that you would you know, as something that you would jot down potentially. So like how do you keywords, especially, you know, in your niche where there could be very specific
or products you're reviewing or or what have you. How do these What do you make year? >> You know, I think that
everybody says that tags you don't need them, they're not important, but I look at it if they weren't important and we didn't need them. Why do we still have that space when we're doing the upload port? Why hasn't YouTube gotten rid of
>> So, to me, I'm going to keep putting tags in because to me, that's what my video is about. And so it's like if it's a Dollar Tree video, I'm putting Dollar Tree. If it is, you know, Thanksgiving, I'm putting Thanksgiving. And any words
that I can think around that, I think it's important. It's got to even if it's it's important. It's got to even if it's going to get like 0.5% of the viewers are going to type in uh Thanksgiving and my video comes up, I'll
take it because that's someone else that I'm reaching. >> I love that answer, Lisa. And that might that might be one of my favorite answers about this in the YouTube strategy space which is its own interesting little
niche. But like I love how you answer that. It's like well kind of like if the box is still there, you know, it's like >> it must do something, you know, or love how you phrase that like the keyword stuff. Yeah, YouTube has openly
admitted it's not as big a deal now for, you know, the for a video's performance. counterargument to it which you articulated which is like if you do keyword research and you become aware of tags that your audience is using, you
become aware of how your audience is looking for things, phrasing things, and now you know how to better reach the people you're trying to if you're aware of how they're talking and tags and keyword research can help do that. So I
I love that answer. Um, before we jump into like money, uh, which kind of wow, check out that segue. Before we just talk about money, which I'm excited to, um, I I wanted to ask you one more question because the your second most
popular video on your on your DIY channel has 463,000 views as of the time you and I are recording this, but but the video length is over 40 minutes. Your fourth most popular video of all time has nearly
200,000 views and the video is just under three hours long. So like I get stoked when I look at a channel and I see wow we have like and even honestly an hour, right? It's an hour and a half and you've got like nearly half a
million views. You've clearly been successful with very long videos that views. I thought we were all supposed to all supposed to make 12minute videos. Here you are crushing it with super long
Here you are crushing it with super long form. How was this on purpose? Like how did you get a video to be that long? What's the strategy behind these longer videos? >> The strategy behind that is I have lots
of other crafty people, crafty friends that are in the crafty space of videos and people like to watch compilation videos. So getting the watch time is
videos. So getting the watch time is important. Excuse [clears throat] me. Getting the views is important and having them stay on the platform as long as possible is very important. So what I like to do is do a comp compilation
video. So, it's like taking videos from the past, compiling them into one giant video, especially when it is around things such as crafting because people things such as crafting because people love Christmas crafts and they love
Thanksgiving, like fall crafting. So, if I can take from this 250 videos that I I can take from this 250 videos that I have from this channel and compile a 2 and 1 half hour long video with these crafts just by season. Wow. It
>> it's like, you know, especially if you don't have the time because life happens and you know, you've got stuff to do. So, if you don't have the time, you can have, >> chop them down, redo them, but you're
still using, you're just re I'm reusing my content. my content. >> That's incredible. and is such it's like your catalog your videos just become this ever growing asset vault so to
speak right because what you're saying here and for you know as an example you so your most popular video is just under two hours the title >> Dollar Tree Christmas crafts you have to try another popular video that is longer
18 Dollar Tree craft room organization hacks and ideas and then my favorite here the threehour monster video with a couple hundred thousand views is 40 easy Christmas DIYs the best decor uh ideas for 2024. This
was you know when he did that. So like I'm just thinking through 20 18 40 but I also see that you've messed around with like five like five things guess someone who's listening and who's like oo maybe they just had an idea
they oh there's an idea Lisa just gave an idea compilation video what would be some like big sister advice that you would pass on of like hey okay before a couple things I've learned because clearly you've done this with great
success but anything you'd pass on to someone who's about to go try a compilation video here in the next couple weeks. Yes, you need to get a what are those? The the drives where you can keep all of your videos.
Yeah. >> Yeah. You want the removable hard drive so that you can once you've uploaded your video to YouTube, do not get rid of it. You want to keep that video because you can revisit that in the future, your
future you, and take those videos and you can make a compilation. You can also use those for B-roll in the future. So, if you're just sitting, you know, talking, but you want to have something be interesting for your viewers, you've,
if you've got a hundred videos, if you've got 50 videos, you probably have a lot of B-roll that you could be using and utilizing for future videos, depending on what your content is. For me, it's easy because I have this focus
on crafting. I could probably with the videos that I have right now make five talking and have B-roll going over almost the entire video and just
showing, you know, different craft tools or, you know, these are the best things for your craft room. These are the best ways to organize, most affordable. I start thinking things. I'm going to have to start writing them down now. Nathan,
>> hey, ideas in real time. Here we go. Okay, so that's a genius move. Don't videos from YouTube. They're going to be far less quality. Be saving your videos into some sort of external storage source, be it the cloud, be it a hard
drive. And then I would kind of like a tactical nerdy question. When you put does that look like in your editing timeline? Like are you literally just there anything you're cutting out in videos? Will you kind of um will you
rehook the video so to speak? Right? Like if it's like you're coming into 40 Christmas, you know, crafts, do you keep like the same intro from one something new? How do you approach that from like is there anything new I need
remove? >> Right. I totally will. When I first started doing it, I just put them all together, put a new intro on it and a new um ending. That was it. >> Great. Now I'm getting a little more
don't want to just, you know, put six Christmas craft videos together and have everybody, hey, you already did that last year. So now I'll just piece it out. And I will bring all of those into my editing software, all of the videos.
And then I'll bring down the music because I do like to put music in. Not as much though as I used to. >> Yeah. and and I'll take the music out and then I will chop and I will like what I don't know what they call that
where you're just it though a lot of it ends up on the cutting room floor. like removing any fluff from videos. >> Any fluff. Yeah. But the cool thing so that's still some work you're doing but but still less
because imagine like if you were to try to film a 40 di like from scratch you're like oh there's like weeks of time, right? Okay. So that's awesome. Could we talk about now shifting gears a little bit to how you're monetizing things, how
you've connected your YouTube channel, the videos that you're putting out to money for just lack of for just putting it bluntly, like because YouTube's monetized. And by the way, do you remember how long it took you to get
monetized on this channel? >> This channel I started in April. So I think this April was my third year for the channel. Cool. But my very first year, April, and then I was monetized, I
want to say by November, the same year. It was either October or November. months or something. >> Okay. Wow. Well, that's that's very three yearsish old, but you were
in, YouTube's starting to cut you a check, which is pretty cool. But you and I both know that's not like necessarily dependable. [laughter] Yeah. >> And it's also not like lifech changing every time. So, how have you diversified
your income streams to use like the nerdy language just like what have you you've started flipping on over time so that when you post a YouTube video you're getting money from other places than just YouTube partner program
you can't I love the YouTube money that's that's fun that's my fundament I like that approach >> making videos you know I gotta have this >> come on [laughter] >> so but what I like to do is I have
multiple baskets It's because you can't put all your eggs in one basket. You've put all your eggs in one basket. You've got to have different income streams. My goal one day is I'm going to have 10 different income streams. And if those
10 different income streams brought me $1,000 a month, there's $10,000 a month >> Nailed it. Okay. How many do you have now? >> Okay. >> I also have I have a website, but that
was for my horse channel, but I still use stuff from my video for that. So you use stuff from my video for that. So you or videos or budget equestrian then I'm associate or Amazon associate and an Amazon influencer. So that's three.
>> Wow. >> Then I have my Oh, I have written books on you or on Amazon too. So but that's >> that was like that's way old. So that's >> Yes, it counts. >> And what else? Amazon.
you said Etsy too. You have an Etsy? >> Yes, I have my Etsy store, too. So, >> so I got five right now. No brand deals. I I haven't ventured too much into that. I I haven't ventured too much into that. My husband does tons of brand deals. He
like, that's that's you. You do that. I'm just crafting. I'm having fun. you can, you know, help him get a 5 million view video and when the time cashing it in. Help me with some brand deals." You know? [laughter]
>> Yes. Yes. And it's like, I just want one video. I've got to make the video. It's like the video of all time. I will feel like I am successful when I have a video that hits 1 million views. >> Yo, that's like I'm telling you what
that's like for every creator is like we know we can be so successful. You But it's also like No, but like it's like the play button, you know? No, but why not? [laughter] >> Yes.
already you're already like halfwayish there to your goal, which is so cool. Can we talk about the Etsy side of things? So, like what does that importantly, how does that connect to a YouTube video? Like, how do you get
YouTube video? Like, how do you get people to go from a YouTube video to giving you money on Etsy? [laughter] >> Etsy is just another avenue of income. And I love obviously being creative because I make all of the crafty stuff.
But now I'm t what I'm doing is turning my videos of crafting basically into my videos of crafting basically into like 40 minute long commercials for the products themselves. And then at the very end, the very very end, and people
very end, the very very end, and people know this, they um I have a special coupon or a special coupon code so that when they go to Etsy, then they can put in that coupon code and they get like the last one I did, it was $9.99 and I
gave them a coupon code for $7. So, they got it for $2.99. >> Yeah. And I figure I'm already making, you know, I've already made the projects and this is actually I'm using those projects then in my advertising for Etsy
for the listing images and stuff just like my thumbnails for YouTube. So I'm just multi-purposing all of this content between the different places. >> Okay. Okay. So I'm seeing how it all connects now. Um, have you I'm curious
like as you see yourself getting to 10 income streams, you know, at some point, do you already have an idea of like what some of those other streams might be? I have any other things like that you would want to build that would be on
anything? >> I don't know. Probably just um I'm new to Etsy, so having I've got like 150 items in the store and it's like been
two two or three months. So, I would really just like to get that up to $1,000 a month in income. Yes. >> So, once I hit that, I think for me, I the, you know, working through it. And then once I cross that bridge and I'm
like, okay, now what else can I do, but I don't want to leave anything in the past. I want to, you know, I'm not just going to switch gears and like, okay, bye YouTube. Now, I'm going to do Etsy. >> Yeah. Yeah. Sure, sure. Sure. So you see
that just is building on top of itself. That's love it. That's what we're all about that here at Think Media. So that that's epic. Kind of to reiterate the current stuff you have in place still
current stuff you have in place still like last year yielded like 40k and just >> that's not like the only income coming into your household, right? Like they're still working full-time. And so, like, do you mind if I ask how how long do you
would you see yourself still holding down, you know, a full-time job while you're doing this YouTube channel? From our conversation today, it's like, wow, things are very dialed in. Um, doesn't mean it's like not there's a lot on your
plate, but like do you see kind of like dual wielding, so to speak, like for a crossing over to just YouTube at some point, or are you just enjoying how things are sitting right now? You know, when I started YouTube, I was like, this
is going to be my retirement plan. This is what I want to do to retire. Very >> But with the type of job that I have, it's >> it's not as stressful as say like working in a hospital type nursing
situation. Okay. >> And I love what I do. I love being able to help people in that aspect, like their health and making them, you know, But then I also love my creative outlets. So, it's like at this point in
time, I I'm going to keep doing both as long as I can, but at the same time, I love YouTube. I love this whole I mean, it's just so much fun to learn new things, meet new people, see what you
know, how things are changing. There's so many people now my age that are just getting started on YouTube. And that is so just that is incredible. And I, you know, I'll be able to do it still when I'm 75 years old. Hopefully,
I'll still be out there crafting. My hands might shake, but I'm still gonna be doing it if I can. >> Let's go. And there will be a gold play button, you know, sitting behind you and a million view video. Come on. I'm
[laughter] >> I love it. Well, hey Lisa, as we as we close out, I'd love to ask you, you're sitting here with just quite a bit of experience and you've got receipts to back up what you're doing. Um, it would
listening to this and be like, I just still don't believe it. It's like, no, you're you're literally making this happen in real time with a busy life. The classic question, I'd love to hear from you. Knowing what you know now, if
you were going to start over tomorrow, is there anything you do differently? Another way to phrase it is kind of like what would you say to someone who may who maybe who maybe is in the season where it's like kids are out of the
house, maybe there's there's some extra time, there's grandkids that might be you say to that person who's thinking about jumping into this YouTube thing? >> I think I would say just try it. >> Give it a try. Don't pressure yourself
into anything, but just hit the record button. Make a video. If you don't have if you don't have a camera, you don't need one. You have your phone. You can literally record a video. You could It doesn't have to be anything, you know,
doesn't have to be anything, you know, special. Um, my videos were nothing special for a very long time. So, I mean, just believe in yourself that you can do this because I know you can do this. If I can do this, I know you can
do this. So, just keep working. Keep what is what is um the this fish Nemo? keep swimming. Just keep making videos. you're going to get better. What's really cool is you'll actually have a
library of where you were when you started to >> where you you are now. So just believe started. >> Huge thank you to Lisa today. Right.
a single advantage that most people think that they need. She, you could argue, didn't have any free time, had a full-time job, five kids, family responsibilities, and even in her content is like rarely on camera, and
she actually built a real YouTube income anyway because she stopped guessing. She her lines is going to stick with me personally, I don't know about you, was out Nemo, right? Like just keep swimming. Just keep posting. Count the
uploads, not the views. And so if you're on the fence, I just I want this to be that you're good at and you've been waiting until you feel ready to get want the strategy, the same one that Lisa actually had to learn to grow with
purpose instead of guessing, we actually put together our core teaching inside of exactly that. You can go to thinkmasterclass.com to watch it totally free. Again, that's thinkmasterclass.com. [music]
Nathan Eswine and I can't wait to connect with you in a future