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.
It’s almost impossible now to imagine a time when leggings and other activewear weren’t ubiquitous basically everywhere–both IRL and online.
But back in 2016, that was the case. Activewear hadn’t quite been cemented as everyday wear, but more and more brands were beginning to catch on. And, as an activewear enthusiast, Hope Allen couldn’t help noticing that out of the many thousands of review channels on YouTube, none of them had focused on her favorite clothes.
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She decided to fill that niche herself. It would be a hobby, she figured.
Except, of course, it didn’t stay a hobby. Soon, making YouTube videos was all she could think about. She resigned from her position as an orthodontic assistant and went full-time on making videos.
Over the past six years, Allen has made nearly 350 videos. Lots of them are exactly the sort of videos she set out to make: reviews of activewear and swimwear brands. Those uploads were a big part of her channel’s early growth, but what pushed her over a million subscribers (and what’s continued to push her to almost 2 million now) was trying things like buying the Kardashians’ used clothes, buying and unboxing lost cargo, lost mail, and lost luggage, and buying returned items from places like Target and Amazon.
“Niching down” helped establish Allen as YouTube’s activewear queen–but stretching out to a broader audience is lifting her channel to the next level.
Check out our chat with her below.
Tubefilter: How did it feel to hit one million subscribers? Do you have anything to say to your viewers?
HopeScope: Hitting one million subscribers felt unreal! It was a goal for SO many years, so accomplishing it was a dream come true.
I am incredibly thankful to my viewers that helped me make it happen and that I have been so blessed to connect with and interact with along the way. 🙂
Tubefilter: For those who don’t know you, give us a little intro. Where are you from? What did you get up to before launching a YouTube channel?
HopeScope: I grew up in a small town in Idaho. I always planned on going to dental school because, despite my love for fashion, entertaining, and creativity, that’s the type of career I was told would make me “successful.”
When I started my YouTube channel, I had just moved to Montana with my husband. I had no friends or family nearby, and my husband worked SO much that I filled as much of my time as possible with work and school. I had some downtime on the weekends, and that’s when I decided to make my first YouTube vlog “just for fun.” Little did I know this side gig would result in me dropping out of college for the second time to pursue it full-time.
I had no idea it would turn into what it has become today!
Tubefilter: Your channel originally centered mostly around activewear. What made you dig activewear enough to build your channel around it? Obviously your content has expanded a bit now, but you still love activewear. What makes it so lovable and dynamic for you?
HopeScope: Activewear has always been a form of self-expression for me! I have always felt like we can “get away” with things that might be considered risky in the everyday-fashion world, like crazy animal prints, bold cutouts, mesh, or neon colors. I also saw a massive hole in the YouTube market for activewear reviews. At the time–2016–there were tons of fitness channels and tons of fashion channels, but no one had narrowed in on workout clothing.
Tubefilter: Was there a distinct moment when you knew YouTube could be a full-time career?
HopeScope: It was 2016, and I was working as an orthodontic assistant and going to school full-time for accounting. I realized I NEEDED to quit those things to pursue YouTube full-time because it was ALL I could think about! I was spending every break I could get checking my comment section, and any days off planning and creating as much content as possible. I was obsessed with the connection I was forming with this online audience, and the creative process of making videos come to life in the filming and editing. I knew I would never feel that same passion for accounting or my current assisting job.
Tubefilter: A bit of a similar question, but was there one specific video that took off and really helped your channel grow, or has it been a gradual rise across all videos over the past six years?
HopeScope: My YouTube journey has been pretty gradual, and I am actually pretty grateful for that. It has allowed me to deeply connect with my audience. I think they have really enjoyed seeing the progression of my content.
A year and a half ago, my switch from only reviewing activewear to more broad “shopping” topics definitely increased the rate of growth of my channel. Specifically, my lost luggage and cargo videos have contributed immensely to the growth of my channel this year.
While “niching down” early on in a creator’s career can be very beneficial, it’s also important to recognize when it’s time to grow and expand.
Tubefilter: Something I find cool about your videos is when you buy, say, big boxes of returns, you usually pass items on to your viewers, either through giveaways or through Hope’s Closet. Why do you like to share the love, so to speak?
HopeScope: Gift-giving is definitely my love language! I have been doing giveaways ever since my activewear reviewing days, even though at the time I probably couldn’t afford to do them as often as I was, haha. My viewers have given me SO much by watching and interacting with my videos, so it genuinely brings me joy finding ways to give back to them.
Tubefilter: Speaking of Hope’s Closet, it seems pretty rad for a creator to offer a way for their viewers to buy things directly from their own collection. When did you start Hope’s Closet? What gave you the idea?
HopeScope: It’s no secret I have loved shopping the Kardashian Kloset website, where the Kardshians and Jenners sell their used clothing! That gave me the inspiration to start my own website where my viewers can buy items from my personal closet–at much more affordable prices than Kardashian Kloset brands, of course! haha.
Tubefilter: Your videos tend to involve lengthy processes, whether that’s visiting the unclaimed baggage store or buying subscribers’ wedding dresses. Those kinds of videos might be intimidating for creators to commit to. What appeals to you about these kind of in-depth, journeyesque ideas?
HopeScope: I love the storytelling aspect of YouTube videos. It is definitely a lengthy processes to plan them and put them together, but I believe the best types of videos are the ones that teach you something or make you feel something. It’s been very fulfilling content, both on my end and my viewer’s end.
Tubefilter: What’s the average day like for you? Do you work on content every day?
HopeScope: I am working on content in some form or another every day, Monday through Saturday! Whether it’s the ideation process, filming, or editing. I usually dedicate an entire day or multiple days per week to each of those tasks.
Mornings are kind of my personal time. I spend them working out or spending time with my husband, and from about 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., it is pretty much all YouTube-related work with a couple breaks sprinkled in.
Tubefilter: What else are you up to outside of making YouTube content? Are there any cool projects you can share?
HopeScope: I have been trying to spend more time painting. I did a lot of art in high school and college, but haven’t had as much time lately with how busy YouTube has been! You will be seeing some of my recent artwork in a project I am launching soon!
Tubefilter: How have things changed for you personally and professionally since your YouTube channel started taking off?
HopeScope: I was able to “retire” my husband from his 80-hour-a-week work in the car business, and he now helps me with YouTube! That has been one of the BEST changes this career has brought about for me. I call him my “hubbager” (husband/manager).
Tubefilter: Do you have any plans or goals for the rest of this year?
HopeScope: I am a speaker this fall at VidSummit 2022! I am also working on setting up my own charity that focuses on helping women in need get access to clothing and other necessities.
