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 creator has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments here.
Nava Rose has always loved to talk clothes.
She’s just as passionate about making them, too. But even her fervent love of fashion faltered when, every time she wore a new DIY ‘fit, all of her friends wanted a step-by-step explanation of how she’d put it together. Creating clothes is a complicated process, and Rose found herself dreading having to rehash the lengthy FAQ over and over for each person who asked.
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So, she figured, why not find a way to tell all of them at once?
Enter YouTube. Rose launched her channel in 2016, intending to use it as a library of DIY videos so instead of re-explaining her process, she could just pop her friends a link. Her friends, though, weren’t the only ones watching. The more Rose made videos, the more her audience grew–and the more she found that her channel was becoming more than a libary. It was becoming a full-fledged hobby.
In the five years since, Rose has expanded to more than DIYs. These days, she does everything from thrift hauls to beauty routines to body confidence and K-pop choreography. That last one’s especially important, because there’s a good chance Rose’s obvious enthusiasm for K-pop music led to her biggest partnership yet: a styling collaboration with idol AleXa. The video they made together (embedded below) is Rose’s latest upload, and kicks off her next project–a vlog series chronicling her monthlong stay in South Korea.
Check out our chat with her below.
Tubefilter: How does it feel to hit one million subscribers? What do you have to say to your followers?
Nava Rose: It still feels unreal! I never thought I would ever reach one million subscribers, since I just uploaded for fun at first, so when I finally hit that milestone, I totally cried, haha. To all my rosebuds (our little family name), thank you from the bottom of my heart. I literally would not be here without all of your love and support. I love you all so much, and wish I could give each and every one of you hugs!
Tubefilter: Tell us about you! Where are you from? What did you get up to before launching your YouTube channel?
NR: I am originally from Buena Park in Cali! No one knows where that is until I tell them it’s the hometown of Knott’s Berry Farm, lol. I always knew I wanted a career in fashion, so I went to FIDM here in Los Angeles for fashion production and design. After I graduated, I did the whole big-girl-corporate-job life and worked every aspect of the industry from wholesale to production to design to marketing and beyond.
Tubefilter: When and why did you start your channel? What made YouTube seem like the “right” platform for you?
NR: I started uploading content back in 2016. I would DIY a lot of my clothes, and all my friends would always ask how I made these pieces. Eventually it got to a point where making a video explaining how I made this DIY piece was a lot easier than constantly having to repeat myself to different friends. And that is how my DIY tutorials were born. YouTube seemed like the right platform for me because in all honesty it was the ~only~ platform for videos at the time, haha.
Tubefilter: Did you know what kind of videos you wanted to make when you launched your channel, or did you discover your niche along the way? How has your content evolved from channel launch to now?
NR: Oh, I definitely knew right away that creating DIY and sewing tutorials was my path. It was a skill of mine that was unique among my family and friends, so I wanted to share it with as many people as possible. My channel is a lot more fashion-based now, where I style outfits. I’ve been getting so busy lately that I only have time to create quick styling videos, whereas my DIY tutorials just take so long. I definitely want to get back into crafting for the holidays, though!
Tubefilter: Your channel has a vast variety of content–you’ve got DIYs, fashion, choreography, and recently you started vlogging about your time in Korea! How do you balance making content in so many different verticals? Do you have a set ratio (like, one fashion video, then one beauty video, and so on) or do you just film what you’re feeling at the time?
NR: omg, I wish I was able to balance my content in such a way where my viewers have one of each type of video throughout the month! Usually it’s just what’s going on in my life or what I feel like creating at the moment.
Tubefilter: Speaking of filming, what’s your schedule like? How often do you film? How long does the average video take to come together, from conception to upload?
NR: My filming schedule? Chaotic, haha. I’m on a ton of different platforms now, so I am filming every second of the day that I’m not eating, sleeping, or editing. If I’m solely working on one video and not touching any other projects, I would say I can get a video out in four days. If it’s a DIY or sewing video, at least one week. Some people forget that making a dress from pure scratch (on top of filming the entire process) isn’t quick and easy. :’)
Tubefilter: In your first Korea vlog, you got to style K-pop star AleXa, which is a huge deal! How did you get that opportunity? What was it like to style her?
NR: It was a dream to style AleXa! Not exactly sure how it initially started–all I know is I got an email from my managers asking if I’d heard of AleXa and if I was interested in collabing together. I freaked out because she’s actually one of my favorite K-pop idols! She’s literally the sweetest human ever and I felt like we vibed so well, since we have somewhat similar taste in fashion.
Tubefilter: Do you have any strategies for growing your audience? Have you noticed any particular kind of content getting more traction than others? Do you adjust what you film depending on how your viewers react?
NR: Listening and providing what your viewers are requesting is a great way to grow your audience, in my opinion. Ask and you shall receive, right? On my channel, I notice my thrift flip and upcycling videos do the best.
I do adjust my content in the sense that I’ll do more of what they request. However, if a certain type of content didn’t perform well but it was a video I really wanted to create, I’ll still continue because it makes me happy. Perfect example: I. Love. Star Wars. However, my Star Wars content never really performs well–but I’ll keep making them because I enjoy it. 🙂
Tubefilter: How do you make your videos and channel stand out amidst all the noise on YouTube?
NR: I don’t believe I’m constantly striving to stand out; however, I do believe that being your unapologetically true self allows me to stand out. Some people like to mold themselves to fit in with what’s general because it’s “safe,” but my interests and aesthetics aren’t seen as society’s standards/norm. On YouTube, some see me as that online person that’s here to tell you it’s okay to be a little different. I’m the type to unashamedly wear a prom dress to a casual family dinner at Chili’s on a Tuesday, c’mon.
Tubefilter: What’s your favorite part of making content?
NR: I just absolutely love having the opportunity to teach others fun sewing and DIY projects, and being able to tap into our creativity together. It makes me so happy every time a follower sends me a photo of what they made using one of my tutorials. It makes me so proud!
Tubefilter: What’s next for you and your channel? Any plans looking to the future?
NR: I love creating content on my channel, so I will continue to do so for as long as I can! I hope to one day do more with my sewing that involves others, like doing a countrywide tour and sew outfits for my rosebuds in every state. Something wild and fun like that, haha.
