10K Again

Here’s something wild: I recently started a second YouTube channel through the Studio, completely on the down low. No promo, no telling anyone—not even my closest friends. The Studio’s first channel has over 420,000 subscribers, so this felt like a chance to try something fresh without the weight of expectations. I launched it in late September of this year as an experiment with content I wasn’t really using on YouTube before, just to see what would happen if I built something totally from scratch with a “new” audience. Fast forward about a month and a half later, and somehow, this little secret project has already hit over 10,000 subscribers.

If you want to join the fun over on the second YouTube channel, click here.

Now I’ll admit, starting over was both exciting and nerve-wracking. On my first channel, there’s a rhythm and a brand that my audience expects, but this second channel? It was a blank slate.

This experiment was inspired by some pivoting that I had to consider on the socials. While growing the Studio’s first YouTube channel, I started incorporating the “vertical reviews” I normally do on Instagram and TikTok to the then-new Shorts feature. But shortly after I started using them, I noticed a change in the analytics on the channel. The views got different and things seemed to have been off-kilter. So after some thinking and some researching, I decided to move all my Shorts to their own place on YouTube. The main reason is because for the long-form videos, I am usually talking in the videos while in the “vertical reviews”, I’m usually in the corner of the screen quiet. So, since the two types of content are so vastly different in output, I figured I’d just put all the Shorts on their own channel. So, I began to upload consistently (though not on a rigid schedule) and made sure every video offered real value.

Turns out, people liked it!

What surprised me most was how fast the audience started engaging. I didn’t have my usual tools—no cross-promotion, no big announcements—but I had authenticity and some gumption. I think people connected with the fact that I am genuinely having fun talking about the voices that they love in a different way. Plus, staying active in the comments and listening to what viewers wanted helped build a small but tight-knit community almost immediately.

So now, here we are with two channels: one established powerhouse and one scrappy newcomer that’s growing faster than I could’ve imagined. Hitting 10K subscribers on this second channel feels like a reminder that sometimes, starting over can spark the most unexpected successes.

If you’re thinking about trying something new but feel intimidated, take this as your sign to go for it. Who knows where it might lead? 🖤