Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.
For Kamri Noel, YouTube is a family affair. Her sisters, Brooklyn and Bailey, are the stars of a popular vlog channel, and CuteGirlsHairstyles, the channel launched by her mother, has more than five million subscribers. The accomplishments of her relatives, however, should not minimize Kamri’s own success on the internet. By portraying several different characters of her own design, including the nerdy Kalium and the snobby Kenzington Kashmere Clark III, Kamri has gone from zero subscribers to one million in less than a year. Here are her feelings on her rapid rise:
Tubefilter: How does it feel to have one million subscribers? What do you have to say to your fans?
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Kamri Noel: It feels GREAT to reach one million subscribers in my first 11 months! I want to thank and hug my every one of those subscribers, because without them I wouldn’t be able to do this!
TF: Your channel has grown considerably over the past year. How, if at all, has that growth affected your video making strategy?
KN: I have learned a ton over the past year having my own channel. It’s a lot of work for a 14 year old. YouTube changes a lot, so I am trying to make sure that I can adapt with it instead of trying to play catch up. One of the most important things that I have learned is how to apply my own spin on what is trending, and it also helps a bunch that my family has been doing this since 2009.
TF: What is it like living in a family full of YouTube stars?
KN: To the world they might be YouTube stars, but to me, they are just my family. If anything, YouTube has brought my family closer together because we are working with each other all the time and get to support one another in our projects. I love my family.
TF: Do you and your sisters ever engage in friendly sibling rivalry when it comes to your channels?
KN: Yes, my sisters Brooklyn & Bailey and I engage in friendly sibling rivalries not just on YouTube, but on other social media platforms like Musical.ly and Instagram. Late last year we had a competition between my mom, myself, and the twins to see who could reach 100K followers first on Musical.ly. Brooklyn and Bailey won, of course, but I gave it a good try and it was fun for all of us and the fans! I’ve never officially had a collab with my sisters, and we just figured that out a few weeks ago so we just finished filming a super fun one that will go up in June.
TF: Given your success on YouTube, how would you say your life is different from other girls your age?
KN: I really am just like any other girl. I still do chores, babysit, go to school full time, sing in the school choir, lead anchor in our school’s morning news, and play on the school basketball and soccer teams. I like to say that I live bit of a “double” life, because one Friday I will be at school working on classwork, and the following Monday I may be speaking to 1400+ people in Singapore. Most of the kids at my school understand what I do, however, sometimes they jokingly giggle or roll their eyes when I have to turn down an invitation to hang out because I am filming a video. They are all good sports, and very supportive.
TF: Where do you get the ideas for the characters on your channel?
KN: I got the ideas for my characters from friends and family, based on certain character traits that I noticed that were fun and memorable. When I told my parents that I wanted my own channel, they said they’d only allow it if I had a plan for what I was going to do, and how I would maintain the channel while keeping up with my school and family life. I was prepared, and gave them my channel plan including a writeup for most of the characters, that next week!
TF: When shooting new videos, do you first choose a character to feature or do you come up with the topic first?
KN: It really depends on the video. We have a giant shared spreadsheet filled with ideas that we constantly add to whenever we think of something that would make a good video. That list changes a lot, but there’s also a column beside each video idea where I can assign either myself or one of my characters.
TF: Out of all your characters, which one is your favorite to play?
KN: My favorite to play is either Kalium or K-Swag. I like playing them, specifically, because they represent the sides of me that most people don’t get to see. I actually LOVE doing science experiments, and I also enjoy anything Harry Potter, just like Kalium does.
K-Swag represents a little of the irreverent side of me combined with a few characteristics I saw in a guy friend. K-Swag’s always trying to find the easy way out! I think people would assume I am more like Kenzington Kashmere Clark III, a somewhat stuck up fashionista, but I am not. I am pretty much a tomboy. They also assume that one of my sisters is the inspiration for Kimmy, which may or may not be true! And Granny, Kozy Mae…what’s not to love about her?
TF: What’s next for your channel? Any fun plans?
KN: I plan on continuing what I’ve been doing for the past year, making videos that I love and that my subscribers will hopefully enjoy! I’m starting high school as a freshman in August, AND getting my driving learner’s permit in December…so I am super excited for those! See, I really am just like any other young teen! I just make videos in my spare time that people somehow find interesting! I’m grateful for that.
