You have five hundred and seventy thousand followers across platforms. What was this impulse? Were you like, "Oh, I'm going to do this, but I'm gonna make videos of it now too"?
My grandmother always wanted me to sew, and I was like, "Hmm, that could be an idea." And you know what? This is perfect.
And I'm so happy about this, doing this wonderful creative stuff, and people love it, and I can earn a lot of money from that. So I wanna talk about all the different ways you make money.
The first money I actually earned was from YouTube AdSense. I have written two books. Sometimes I do workshops and coachings. AdSense, partnerships, and affiliate links.
For me, it's very important that the brand matches my content. It's always stuff that I really like.
'Cause it's sticking to those values that makes people trust you, that makes advertisers want to advertise with you, right? Yeah, true. Welcome back to the Creator Spotlight podcast.
My name is Francis Zier, and today we are speaking with Nastja Mohren, known to our followers as DIY Eule, which means owl in English.
Nastja is a sewing creator from Berlin with over five hundred seventy thousand across platforms, especially on YouTube, making her certainly one of the biggest sewing creators in the German-speaking world, and likely one of the bigger creators, period, in that world.
Uh, she makes her living primarily through advertisements, YouTube AdSense, Google AdSense, and her own brand partnerships, as well as a few other revenue streams. Um, this was a really good conversation.
Nastja has been doing this work for 11 years, about seven of which have been full-time, ever since four years in, her income as a creator overtook her income from her full-time job, where she worked in music marketing.
Really good conversation. Hope you enjoy, and I would like to thank Google AdSense for partnering with us on this video. [gentle music] So you went full-time with DIY Eule in 2018- Yeah...
after, I believe, four years of working on it, um, on the side. You've, you've always been prolific. What at that point, four years into working on it, allowed or enabled you to, to pursue this full time?
Um, I've actually started in 2015, so I'd say it has been- Okay... like three and a half years. Mm-hmm. And I've always had like a full-time job, and I was doing YouTube, uh, on side as, you know, my hobby kind of thing.
Um, but I had some, uh, brand partnerships by then, and it just started to getting more and more and more. Mm-hmm. And I had my 40 hours job, and at that point, the work for DIY Eule exceeded the other work.
Like hour-wise and money-wise. So that was the point I was like, "I should change something." Because I- Ka-...
I was working 40 hours, and then on top more than 40 hours even for DIY Eule, so I was like basically working all day and night. Um, and this was the point when my hobby transformed into my new career.
Um, and then I had to quit my job and just make this full time. Was that, was, was, was that a hard decision? Uh, which I ask in that like I've talked to a couple people. [laughs] Yeah.
I'm thinking of one person I spoke to this summer who like he... I don't know if his, if his work as a creator makes him more money than- Yeah...
his full-time job did, but like it's something that's come up with people multiple times where it's like, "I'm doing good with this, but like I'm not..." It's nice to have the security of a full time job. Yeah.
Was it a tough decision? I was scared actually. Um, so I've never wanted to be self-employed. My mother has always been self-employed. My father has always been self-employed, and it kind of goes to my family.
And now I just see that I'm made for being self-employed, but I didn't see it back then. I also, I know from my family, um, that there can be hard times and, you know. But I, I learned a lot from that.
So I was always scared of being self-employed and thought it would, would be... It's so nice to be employed, to have your securities and everything. Um,
but yeah, then I was like, um, they, uh, kicked me off of one company that really, I really loved my job there. Mm. And, but the company, uh, didn't do so well in the end, so it went down.
It was like in the la- almost, uh, the, like the last row to, to go. Like there were some people left, like one more year, but I had to leave one year earlier, and it was like, how could they do that?
And I loved the job, and I, I thought I was secure. And then I realized I am not that secure there- Mm... uh, in the end. So, um, uh, then I worked at an, um, creative agency, uh, for half a year.
And in Germany, I don't know whether that's everywhere, in Germany we have normally have these contracts that you're just there for testing like for half a year. Mm-hmm. And then they give you like an unlimited contract.
Um, so after the- Oh, because s- real quick. I- in Germany, I understand it's very hard to fire people, so it's like that's kind of the beginning contract, and then you get protected. Yeah.
But if the company goes down, uh, you can do that actually. Mm. So, um, yeah. S- so yeah, yeah, it is, but it's also, they also give you like a package of money with it. So, "We want to fire you. Is that okay?"
[laughs] Yeah. Like it works like this in Germany. [laughs] So you know, I'm like, "Okay." Uh, so that, that was also like I had, uh, basically three month of full salary without having to go to my job.
And that was also three month that I could already work full time as DIY Eule, but I was still looking for a new job. And I found a job in the agency, and I really loved that job as well.
But in like, like I did three months being self-employed with having the salary [laughs] from my old job, then starting the new job, and then realizing, okay, it's getting too much.
Um, and after half the year of the test phase of the new contract, I was saying, "Okay, I don't want the unlimited contract. I'm stopping here and being self-employed now."
And I was also talking to my mom back then because she had all this, uh, through, and it's like, "I think I want to be self-employed." And she stood behind me and was like, "Yeah, do it. I mean, I'm doing it.
Your father did it." [laughs] And like most of our family does it, and my husband also was behind me, like, "Yeah, you should do it." So I started it.
And also the company I was leaving from, they said, "We are, uh, very sad to see you leave. If anything doesn't work out, you can come back anytime." So that was good to know. Yeah. You were in a very good- Yeah...
safe situation. Yeah, yeah. I, I feel you too on the, uh, like, um-All of my immediate family is also self-employed. Yeah. So I feel you on that. Like, what? What are we doing?
[laughs] Um, anyways, uh, okay, so I wanna talk about all the different ways you make money. Mm-hmm. You were mentioning brand partnerships right then. I believe...
Let me know what I'm missing, but I know you make money through YouTube AdSense- Yeah... Google AdSense, brand deals across your platforms. And do you sell your sewing patterns, or are they free?
They're free for the community. Um, and it is, like, my... Yeah, I always want the content, uh, to be free for my community. Like, um, I want the creativity to be accessible for everyone. Um, they have to be, like...
My community then has to deal with the, with the ads, but they're always content-related. And the first money I actually earned was from, uh, YouTube AdSense. Oh.
So I was able to monetize my channel after, I think, four or five months back then. Like, I started- Oh, wow...
more than 11 years ago with the channel, and then after four or five month, I, I was able to monetize my channel. It was very little I earned back then, but it was something. Um, so... And this is, like, the stable...
It, it grew and grew, and this is, like, the stable, um, amount of money that comes in every month, you know, like from YouTube AdSense. Mm-hmm.
And then in 2018, I also started the, the blog because I could park my, uh, sewing patterns there, uh, for the community to download.
Before that, I did that, uh, via, like, a Google Drive link, but that wasn't really professional [laughs]. So I thought, like, a website would be nice. Um, and then also to gather everything there.
And I also have, um, YouTube AdSense on the blog, so that's- Oh, Google AdSense on the blog... that comes on...
Yeah, yeah, Google AdSense on the blog and Google AdSense on YouTube, so this is, like, uh, the two AdSense parts.
Then I have the brand partnerships, which are nowadays the biggest part of my income, but they're, like... they're varying. Like, in, in- Mm...
Q4, like right now, I have a lot of, uh, brand partnerships, but in summer it's a bit less. Um, so, um, this, and it varies throughout the year.
I also do a lot of affiliate linking, which works really well, um, on different platforms. So I can recommend the products I use, um, just by the product and not, like, um, doing specific, specific brand partnerships.
So also on Instagram Stories I can share just random stuff I use in, as a private pers- private per- uh, not... You know what I mean, like in my daily, uh, in my daily life. That's better.
[laughs] Yes, more lifestyle content rather than the educational. Lifestyle stuff, yeah. Not, not, not only about DIY and, um, uh, sewing.
So also, like the other day I, I showed, like, a brand-new lamp that I have that does this kind of fancy colorful light- [laughs]... and people went crazy over it. So I can share this, and this is, like, affiliate link.
It works, uh, really well. I have written two books- Hm... uh, about sewing, so this was also an in- in- income stream. Uh- When did you, uh, when did you publish them, real quickly?
Um, I, [laughs] I wrote the first book right after I got fully self-employed. Um, so it was, uh, published in 2000... It was published in 2018, I think. And the second book was 2020.
Like, it was about, uh, sewing for babies and kids- Hm... and mom because I was pregnant in 2019, and I'm just... That's also one thing I can really, uh, do very well, uh, to take the topics of my life and- Mm...
turn them into content. So back then I was pregnant, I was expecting a baby, so I, I was sewing a lot of baby cloth and, um, accessory for being pregnant, and I made a book, book from that, and that went really well.
And also sometimes I do workshops and coachings. And sometimes i- it has been rare in the, in the, uh, recent past, but sometimes I do, um,
uh, ex- external productions, like, for DIY companies, like if they need videos or photos for their products- Mm... um, just for their channels. So I sometimes do that as well. Oh, okay.
So it's, I mean, that would be, like, almost like doing a brand partnership, but it's- Yeah... not through... You're then, like, just the production agent- Yeah, yeah... for the brand. Basically. Yeah.
Or it's, or it's also, like, me with my face but on their YouTube channel. Mm-hmm. Things like that and stuff. Yes, they're not buying your audience. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So I've got, I've got, um, the...
It starts with YouTube AdSense- Yeah... and then you introduce Google AdSense, and then brand deals, and then books, and then- Yeah... uh, workshops, coaching, and external production. So that's seven.
And affiliate links. And affiliate links. Oh my God. Yeah. [laughs] I missed that as well. Okay, perfect. Okay. So that's, that's really... I mean, that's a thriving ecosystem.
Um, these seven or so different revenue streams, um, can you paint me a bit of a picture of h- the, the overall pie and the approximate percentages each one makes up? That really varies, uh, month by month- Oh...
because, like, um, for affiliate linking I'm doing a lot with Amazon. So if there's, like, Black Week, this is the, the income stream for me.
But, um, like for December, it's more, like, brand partnerships because everyone is buying stuff for Christmas. Mm. And in summer, maybe both of them are low, so it's more, uh, like Google AdSense.
So it really varies throughout the year. Um, and also, like, if I have, like, a sewing pattern that goes kind of viral, a lot of people are on my blog, so I earn more through the blog and through YouTube.
Um, but if I do, like, a big brand cooperation, you know, it, it, it's very, um, it's very, like, the, the most... It's very equally spread I, I'd say- Hm... throughout the year. Throughout the year, okay.
Uh, yeah, between, um, AdSense, partnerships, and affiliate links. Okay. [whooshing] Hi there. My name's Tom, and I'm the producer here on Creator Spotlight.
I'm just interrupting really quickly to say that statistically, if you're watching this on YouTube, there's a 75% chance that you're not actually subscribed to the YouTube channel yet.
A lot of you may be watching this on a second monitor or your commute into work, and some of you are even watching on your TV.
So it might not be super convenient right now, but when it is, it'd mean a lot to us if you did subscribe, and we'll repay the favor by continuing to try our best at improving the show every week.Thank you, and back to the episode with Nastja.
Subscribe. Um, let's talk about brand deals a little bit. Yeah. So I was looking at your Instagram, um, and in the past seven days as we've recorded- Yeah...
you've posted 10 times, and nine out of the 10 are brand- [laughs]... partnerships with, I believe, five different brands or products. Um, so- Yeah, like... nine, nine part, nine posts. Welcome to Q4.
[laughs] Yeah, welcome to Q4. Um, which as you were saying, yeah, like maybe in Q2 or Q1 this would be less. Yeah.
But, uh, that really impressed me because it's all very well integrated too, and like perhaps it's a function of me not speaking German well- [laughs]...
uh, that I can't necessarily read all the, all the copy and, or understand what you're saying in the videos, right? Yeah. But it all seemed very just like this is just your normal content. Yeah.
It's all integrated very well. Yeah. Um, tell me about the life cycle of a brand deal for you.
Where are they coming from, and then, like, how, how do they happen from, uh, like, okay, we first started talking to now it's published? Yeah. So normally the brand reach outs to me.
Uh, I'm hardly ever doing, um, pitches. Like, sometimes or very rarely.
Normally the brand reaches out to me, and, uh, now I'm at a standing that I can really choose, uh, whom I'm working with, and, uh, like together with and, and whom I'm not working with.
And a lot of them are, like, very long cooperations and long partnerships, so, um, like for...
You've s- probably seen I've working with Edding, which is like a very, uh, very ver- well-known brand in Germany for permanent markers. Mm. It's like the German Sharpie. Um,
and I've been working with them for years, so like at the beginning of the year we talk about, um, their main marketing, um, products and what they wanna, um, talk about the year, and then I'm coming up with, uh, with ideas what I could...
like how I could integrate them. And this is how it normally works, like the, the brand says like, "We have this and this product," um, and then, um, we'll see, like, okay, what is the scope?
What do you, uh, do you just want like an Instagram story shout out, shout out? Or do you want, like, the whole package, including YouTube and the, the blog, Pinterest, and so on?
Or do you want something completely else like a workshop or... So we talk about the scope, and then we talk about the ideas.
Um, then it goes into production, and after that I send them over my material, and they, uh, like for approval, and they sometimes have, like, minor details that have to be changed.
There's never been anything like, "Oh, no, we don't like that," or- Mm... uh, like very big changes, so it's, uh, always very, like, minor, minor changes. And then it goes live.
And the good thing is really that I can choose who am I working with, and that I... This, it's my... I always want- When did you, when did you earn that right?
Like, when did it start to be like, "Oh, I'm not having to go out and look, and now people are really coming to me"?
It has been like that ever since [laughs] kind of because when I started, uh, like 11 years ago, that was the moment the first, uh, brand started, like, these brand partnerships.
Back then most of the stuff was unpaid, so you were just paid with product. Um, but, um, it was like the first brand partnership I asked, uh, for. Like the... I asked them, like, you have...
They had the kit for sewing, like a- Mm... a band, like a strap for the camera. Mm-hmm.
And I really liked the kit, and so I asked them, like, "Would you send me, uh, one of the, your kits, and I could do a YouTube video about that?" It was, that was like the br- first brand partnership.
But, um, that was like three or four month being, uh, on YouTube. Um, but shortly after, like the first fabric store, uh, asked me for a brand deal, and they asked me like, "Okay, cool."
That, like, we, we talked about the idea, and I said, "Cool," like, "and how much would that cost us?" [laughs] And I was like- [laughs]... "Uh, yeah, I don't know."
[laughs] Uh, so I was just basically just putting on a number, and they said, "Okay, cool. That's really cheap," and was like, "Damn." [laughs] So this is how it started. Now it goes way more professional, of course.
Um- Yeah... but, you know, you have to start somewhere. And we were, like, only very few creators back then, so no one had experience in that, so we were just all just starting like that, and you...
there was no one to ask, basically, so we were just starting. Um, and yeah, for me it's very important that the brand matches my content, so I always- Yeah...
the, the, what, what you were saying, I always try to integrate the product into the content I'm making. Normally that's very easy because I have mainly DIY brands, um, that I'm covering.
There's like the sewing machines or the, the, um, pens that I once talked about. You use a lot of products, basically. I, I am using- Yeah... a lot of products. Yeah, true.
Um, but also I have, um, partnerships with, uh, like small labels who do patterns and stuff, so that's like... It is a product in the end, but, uh, yeah, it's like, uh, there's a lot of things,
um, that I can advertise, and that it's always stuff that I really like. So it's, it also happens that they send me stuff, and I'm like, "I'm not convinced, so let's maybe not do that." Um, so. Mm.
But that's good that you have that, like, uh, ability to do that, that you- Yeah. Yeah... can, 'cause it's sticking to those values that makes people trust you- Yeah...
that makes advertisers want to advertise with you, right? Yeah, true. Um, so you were saying when we spoke previously, I mean, we've been talking about how you started 11 years ago, and looking back- Yeah...
I mean, you're, you've been very prolific. I think you have, like, it's over 1,400 videos on [laughs] your YouTube channel- [laughs]... over the last 11 years. Um- Yeah...
but you told me that when you started it was, uh, correct me if I'm wrong at all, but it was that your grandmother, your Oma, had given you a sewing machine, and- Yeah...
you were looking up YouTube videos to learn, and you saw that there were not that many, at least in German. Um, this was- Yeah... you know, uh, still much earlier. This was less than 10 years into YouTube's life cycle.
Now we're 20 years in. Um, and anyways, you see that there's not that many sewing creators working in German, and you say, "Maybe I could do this." Uh, but it, you're also learning to sew.
So I'm curious of like what was this impulse where you, like, had the confidence of like, "Oh, I'm learning to do this-" [laughs] "... but I'm gonna make videos of it now too."Yeah.
Well, I had, like, back then I had the initial wish already that I- Mm... wanted to have a YouTube channel. Um, so, like, my background is more music related. I come- Mm... like, from a music background.
I wanted to be a musician. That didn't quite work out. And then, um, I decided, okay, I want to work in, uh, music marketing. I worked at Universal Music, um, at Deutsche Grammophon, so for the classic label.
And I was, uh, responsible for the YouTube channel there for the community management. Um, I got the videos from the video producers. I was uploading them, scheduling them, doing the info box and blah, blah, blah.
I really liked that. And beforehand I did, like, a marketing workshop at one of the Berlin universities here, and I wrote a case study about YouTube. Mm. And this is where, like, uh, the, um, the fire comes from.
So I was like, oh, yeah, I really wanna do that. I wanna do, like, the idea, the scripting, the filming, the editing. Not necessarily being in front of the camera, but, like, doing the whole idea of the channel.
Um, but I never really had an idea what it should be about because I really wanted to have, like, a niche or a topic. It... I didn't want it to be about my life- Mm...
and just me as a person because, uh, like, personal vlogs was a thing back then, starting. Um, but I didn't want this to be that personal, I just wanted to have a topic to talk about.
Um, and it started actually with crocheting, because I was crocheting a lot back then. But it was, like, very hard to film because the... I, I had, like, a, like, a big camera already.
I was also, like, uh, into camera and taking pictures manually and stuff. So I had this big camera, um, digital camera, but it was really hard to film because they didn't have these flippable, uh, displays yet. Mm. Yeah.
And they didn't have autofocus. Yeah. So it was al- it's like steadily moving out of the picture and, like, being, uh, un- like, uh, unsharp and everything. So it was like, was a pain to edit.
I was like, okay, I cannot do that. And then, uh, my grandmother always wanted me to sew. And I was like, "Ah, you know, but sewing machine, it's so complicated," and nah.
And then she just, uh, bought me like a very cheap one from a, from a discounter and gave that to me for Christmas, and was like, "Here's your sewing machine."
And then, yeah, as you said, she, uh, taught me how to use it, like, for half an hour, an hour in her kitchen. Basically, just how to thread it- Mm... how to go backward and forward, and what, uh, the buttons are about.
And that was it. She was like, "You go and learn the rest." So I was, like, going on YouTube, um, and there were, like, three, four, maybe five channel- channels, but not more in German.
And I was like, hmm, that could be an idea. And you know what? Like, the, the sewing machine and the camera are always at, like, a stable... Like, they're both stable. Yeah. They...
The s- the sewing machine would not move- No need to refocus... out of the picture. I don't need to refocus. I was like, this is perfect.
So I started sewing, and then five month later, uh, there was my first, um, YouTube video. Uh, so I thought, yeah, this could be something.
I'm just starting, I'm just trying, and I knew that if I would start something I wanna be in there with my face from the beginning on.
So back then it was kind of common to, like, if you start, you would just show your hands and just do, like, you, you hear yourself and see your hands, but you wouldn't see the person. But I always wanted this to be, um,
with my face in it. So I started them, and my family was asking, "You know, you don't wanna be on the internet. Is that a good idea?" It's like, yeah, yeah. You know, it's just sewing.
It's not, it's not about me personally. I'm not talking about anything, uh, personally, like, relevant for, like, a future job or anything. Yeah. So it's probably- Mm... gonna be all right, and- No politics...
let's see if, if someone even watches it. And if, if, if I don't like it, I can still delete it. Mm-hmm. Um, back then you could do that. [laughs] Yeah. Like, delete something from the internet. It was kind of possible.
[laughs] I like to say that, like, uh, anything you put on the internet now, it's like microplastics, right? Yeah. Like, it's never gonna go away. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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I- there's some other stuff I w- I wanna get back to on community, but we should talk about, uh, the different platforms and your following. Yeah.
So as we record, you have 441,000 followers or subscribers across- [laughs]... at least four platforms, which is 242,000 on YouTube, 138,000 on Instagram, 125,000 on Pinterest, and- Uh-huh... 36,000 on Facebook.
Um, I'm guessing that order- TikTok. There's also TikTok. Oh, and TikTok as well. [laughs] How could I not check TikTok? Let me- Yeah... just for the, uh- But it's not that many. Uh- Oh, it's not that many?
Let me see right now just for the, just for the, to have the facts here. So on, on TikTok, uh, you have 29.1K followers. So you a- actually have a total of, um, 570,000 followers- Mm-hmm... across platforms.
How could I miss that one? [laughs] Um, I'm guessing, though, that order from, um, YouTube to Instagram to Pinterest to Facebook to TikTok, which is most to least following, that's probably- Mm...
the order of importance each plays to your, to your work, yeah? Yeah, even though I'm not, um, doing anything on Facebook anymore. I, um, skipped Facebook, uh, three, four, five years ago. Didn't we all? Yeah.
But I'm thinking about going back because my target group is a lot on Facebook. Um- Mm... and it's good, like, for groups and stuff.
Um, so I'm thinking about maybe, maybe getting back on Facebook next year, but only if I, I'm talking about to a person now who might get, like, kind of my assistant, so to say. Mm.
So if I can employ her, that's a big step.
Um, but if I do, um, we will probably relaunch Facebook, and then this is, like-Because you really need someone to moni- to, to, to monitor, uh, Facebook because Facebook is like the nasty giant [laughs] Yeah So- Um, be- before we get into specific things on any of these platforms- Yeah...
the other platform, right, is, is your blog, which obviously there's no- Yeah... public follower count, public traffic count there. Yeah. Um, tell me again, like when you introduced this and why you introduced it.
It was, it was as a place specifically to hold y- your, your patterns. Yeah. The... that was the idea. It was actually in two thou- Actually [laughs] Actually it was a brand partnership because- Oh...
I, I always had the idea of having a blog. Um, and to have, like, a, a place where my patterns could be, um, for, like, like to have proper download links.
And but I never really started it, and then there was, like, this brand approaching me saying, "You know, we're doing, um, websites, and you can, uh, create websites on our platform.
Uh, do you wanna do a pa- brand partnership?"
And that was actually also the moment when I was, like, getting fully self-employed and was like, "This might integrate really well into a, a vlog about me getting fully self-employed.
And, uh, big news, I'm also starting, uh, a blog where you can now download my patterns because I wanna be more professional." So this is like how this turned into- Mm... uh, the website, and this is when I started.
But it's, um... I really wanted to have a place, um, that you could Google easier. Like, nowadays- Mm-hmm... you can, like, Google for, um, Instagram stuff. Like, you find stuff easier. Yeah, it comes up.
But back then it was really hard, like es- also for, um, YouTube.
Y- um, YouTube wasn't that highly, uh, ranked on, on Google, so I really wanted to, um, to have, like, an SEO, uh, centered piece where I could just gather all, all the things around one project so that there could be, like, the embedded YouTube video.
There could be the YouTube, um, uh, the, the, the sewing pattern, and if there was a brand partnership, also a link, a direct link to, um- Mm... the brand. So yeah, to, like, gather everything in one blog post. Mm-hmm.
That was the idea. Uh, so you, you monetize there through, through Google AdSense, always kind of passive income coming in. Um, obviously to do that, to monetize, you need traffic coming in. Yeah.
Where is the traffic mostly coming from? Is it, uh, as in, like, yes, it's people Googling you, um, but do you think it's people from your, your YouTube channel, from your Instagram?
Where does most of the traffic come to, uh, on your, on your blog that then allows you to monetize there? That depends, um, on how old the, um, the content is.
Like, for new content, it's mainly they come from Instagram because I directly link to the blog, or from YouTube, especially if there's, like, a sewing pattern. Um, some years ago, Pinterest was very important- Mm...
like, for the long-term, um, uh, visitors. It has decreased over the last years because Pinterest is kind of changing, and it's kind of very hard for the, the, the viewers to click out of Pinterest.
It always gets more and more hidden to get out of the platform. So the, the clicks out of Pinterest also, uh, decreases. Mm. But, um, it used to be, uh, very important some years ago.
Nowadays, like, for the, the long-term viewers, like, for older content, they mainly come from Google. Okay. Uh, actually, I'd love it if you could speak a little bit more about Pinterest, 'cause I'm...
I don't, I don't use it personally, and I haven't- Yeah... really spoken to anybody about how they use it, um, any creators- Yeah... about how they use it in their work.
Uh, tell me a little bit more about, uh, what its purpose used to be and how that's changed. Yeah. So Pinterest is basically like, um, a search engine for pictures. Mm-hmm.
Uh, it used to be only for pictures, and like some, like a year ago or something, they introduced videos, I think in the US a bit earlier. Um, but now it's also... you can also, um, have videos there.
And it was basically, it was just so good for, like, um, interior design, DIY ideas. You were just, uh, searching stuff. You had this kind of- So you were using it as a consumer, right? Yeah. I'm still using it. Yeah.
Um, so I'm still using it for inspiration. That's also why I'm still posting on it, because I'm still using it, you know? Um, for inspiration.
You see, and then you see all these ideas, and there's, like, so many ideas, and then your brain goes like boom, and you have, like, your own ideas, and you, uh, develop them, and it's really cool.
And you have these pin boards where you could just gather your ideas. Um, so I, I really like the idea. Um, but it's also, um... it's, like, so much stuff they have on.
And then now they have this automation, and they also have a...
that you, uh, automatically, um, publish your Instagram feed on Pinterest, which doesn't make so much sense because you write, like, the, the info box, you write it totally different on Instagram- Yeah...
because you want, um, you want, uh, people to do things, to comment and stuff. And on Pinterest it's more like SEO. Um, so it's, it'd, it would be... like, it wouldn't be like, uh, comment now, but just- Yeah [laughs]...
like click to have more information or something. You have to do more... They think it's convenient, but you really- Yeah, yeah... have to do more work in the end still. Yeah.
But I still, like, I'm still doing the automations, and the, uh, automate, uh, like automatically published, uh, content pieces from Instagram, they do not perform at all.
[laughs] But if they, if I use the same content pieces and make them a bit, little bit more Pinterestable and do the description more like Pinterest, uh, it works better. Mm-hmm. But it decreased, uh, over the years.
Also, the pins sometimes take a long time, um, for, uh, to, to evolve. So, so sometimes they do not have any clicks or views in the first month, and then they start, uh, growing. It's, it's really, uh, really weird.
And also, now they have a lot of, um, ads on Pinterest. Like, it's, it's really a lot. And, uh, they used to be very gross ads and bad ads.
And I had, like, a lot of, like, a lot of ads for alcohol, and it's like I'm not even drinking alcohol and stuff. Yeah.
Or, like, for weight losing and things like that, and things that really distract me from, um, the purpose I'm being there, like, for having creative inputAnd I understand that the platform needs ads and stuff, but it's like it's just too much, I think.
Mm-hmm. Um, and it's like I have like this, like the wh- all the pictures and ideas, and like at least half of it is sponsored. Um- Yeah. Well-... and that's just... And they... Yeah. Uh, to, to...
I mean g- back on the blog, right, you're using Google AdSense, which there- Yeah... you can pick. You c- you can like put restrictions on what do, what does- Yeah...
not or does come in to the ads on your website, right? Yeah. And it also, uh, it works better. Like on, on Pinterest, like some of the ads are really nice. They have like colorful, like you...
I like colorful stuff, uh, so they sometimes show me colorful stuff that I really like. And then it's like it's these drop shipping shops from China and stuff. Mm. So it's like, uh, I don't know.
Um- The whole thing is DIY. You don't want drop shipped stuff on there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You want- And on my... Like if I go on my blog and I see the ads there, I have, like for me, um, I see like fabric stores. Mm.
And like also like a lot of the, the brands I'm working with like having their ads automatically on my, uh, blog, blog. That's really nice. So- Mm... the... I think the ads fit more, um, the, the target, um, audience.
Mm-hmm. And that's really nice. Also, I started with a different, um, ads, uh, provider. On your blog. On my blog. Versus Google AdSense. And, yeah, no, I had- Okay... I had the...
There was one integrated in the platform, and you can actually, you were also able to earn money from it. Was, was like it was very, very little. Mm. And they had so many really gross ads- [laughs]...
like with all these pimples with... that you see, and it's like I don't want this to be in between my content, you know? Yeah. I just want the ads to match my content and to match the vibes.
I mean, they are, um, they are targeting the viewer, so obviously my ads match [laughs] my, my, um, ecosystem. But I hope that's, it's similar for the, for the one- ones visiting my blog. Mm-hmm.
Um, one more thing on Google AdSense versus YouTube AdSense. A lot of the people I speak to on here are creators who are using YouTube, so I think they're quite used to the YouTube AdSense ecosystem- Yeah...
and, and like the, the user experience of that. Can you tell me a little bit about the Google AdSense experience for websites, um, i- in, in as much as it differs from the YouTube AdSense, uh, experience on YouTube?
Um, well, that's like you can choose where to put it, and, uh, you can also exclude different, um, kinds of, uh, topics. So u- I excluded like political stuff, and drugs- Mm... and alcohol, of course.
Um, so, um, and religious, uh, ads- Mm... and stuff. So you can choose, um...
And you can also choose like how often ads are displayed, like also these like big ones that go over the whole page, uh, how often or how long after someone has visited your, um, your, your blog and where they are.
And also what I really like is that you can define spaces where you do not want to be any ads. Mm. So that's really nice.
Um, and you can also exclude, um, different pages from ads, and also, like if, say, like there's a brand partner who says like, "We don't want to be any, um, ads on the blog" because maybe there's a competitor who's doing- Mm...
like, um, Google AdSense, um, campaign, and then they're having their ads on my sponsored post. That wouldn't be that nice. I had that once.
Um, so they, actually they had to pay me for not having ads on the, on the blog, so that was like- Oh. Well, then your fee goes up. Yeah. [laughs] Mm-hmm. Yeah. I have this as an option also on YouTube, but n-
that was only booked once I think. So they, that, um, they can have the YouTube video without any ads, but, um- Mm... that, yeah, that's just rarely booked. [laughs] Mm-hmm. So yeah.
Let, let's take it back to YouTube then. Yeah. So you upload every Tuesday at noon. Like I said- Mm-hmm... you have over 1,400 videos in the last 11 years. And every first Sunday of the month. And every first...
Oh, okay. So that's- That's the news show... at least five a month, basically. Yeah. True. Um, well, every first Sunday as well. Long form. W- Okay.
Why, um- And so like shorts, shorts would be daily, but long form is like every Tuesday. Oh, yeah, yeah. Short's daily. Yeah.
And then your long forms are like, they're like 10 to 20 minutes depending on the, on the topic, right? Yeah. Yeah. So why Tuesday at noon and every first Sunday? [laughs] Um, Tuesday noon is totally random.
[laughs] Um, it was just, um... I knew when I started because I had this like marketing background, and I knew- Mm... that consistency is king. Um, so I tried to have a video, uh, out every week. Mm-hmm.
And the first video I uploaded was randomly a Tuesday at 12:00. So I was like try to keep this just- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You've been doing every Tuesday at noon for 11 years then? No.
In the beginning I couldn't do every Tuesday. Okay. Okay. So I was like, it was like an internal, um, like the internal rhythm.
And then like after a year or something I made it public and said, "Okay, I wanna try doing every Tuesday." Mm-hmm.
I also had times when I did more than I had like every Tuesday, and then I had every second Saturday- Mm... uh, for...
Yeah, every second Saturday, uh, because there was like, um, a special format about, um, fabric types. Mm. So every second Saturday there was like one of this, um, like one, um, one video of the series. Um, but...
And there was also, like I was also doing like once a month on a brand partner YouTube channel, I was also, uh, doing videos there. And then I got a child and I couldn't do that much [laughs] anymore.
[laughs] Uh, so now it's the- You still do a lot. Yeah. So now I s- do the, uh, the weekly, um, videos. And I try to do like one of the, one of the Tuesdays a month would be a live stream- Mm-hmm...
because it's not that much of production, um, effort then. And then on top, like for three, almost four years now, I'm doing like every first Sunday is like a news show. [laughs] So it's- Oh...
Nastya's Nähnews, so it's like Nastya's sewing news. Mm-hmm. And it's, uh, e- everything about the bubble, like new fabrics, new sewing gadgets, um, new books and stuff.
And, uh-It's basically [laughs] it's basically just an ad format.
So it's like a brand, like l- d- like several brands can book into the format, and I'm just presenting their products, but I'm also, like, presenting stuff that I see, and people love it.
It's the most, uh, loved, uh, format that I'm doing. So I'm sitting here, you know, with a blazer and, like, my things, and, like, I'm reading the news. Um, I take it very seriously. Yeah. So it's like a...
Like, and they have... We always have different categories, so there's headlines, events, the gadget of the month, the sewing pattern of the month. It's always the same categories, and, uh, people love it so much.
And it's booked really well, so it's also an opportunity, um, to have, like, a very cheap placement- Mm... for the, for the brand partnerships, and for me also to have several partnerships in one video.
So they're like in sum- How many, how many typically? Um, in summer it's, like, one or two. In, um, November, December it can be more than 10. Mm. So it really, really varies.
The, um, this begs another question, which is how many different offerings do you have for potential advertisers? The, 'cause it's...
There's blog, there's Instagram, there's, there's, like, um, standalone YouTube videos. There's this news show. There's, like- Yeah... probably bits where you can get a package of different ones, but not that one.
Um, I don't... Maybe it's, like, kind of so many permutations and, and different little packages that it doesn't make sense to say, but, like, approximately how many different packages are you offering? Um, right.
I have, like, in my media kit I offer packages t- so because that's always the easiest thing to say, "These are my packages, and this is what they cost" Okay. So this is where we start normally for negotiations.
So I have XS, which is only Instagram story. I have S, which is Instagram story and reel.
Uh, I have M, which is like a short YouTube integration, but not, uh, DRI related, so I can use the content for a blog and reels and stuff, but not having the, a brand integrated.
So, like, um, I'm having a cooperation for years now with, like, a cleaning company, uh, like, doing cleaning products. Mm. And they are, like, having this, like, blog in my YouTube.
It's normally, like, vlogs, and then I'm talking about, like, my daily life and, um, crafting stuff.
And then b- in between I'm just cleaning something, so, but I can still use the content from the YouTube channel for the, the other platforms. Then there's the XS, S, M.
Then there's L, uh, for YouTube and everything else. So it's, uh, YouTube, blog, reels, stories, and everything, like, from one production. I'm always trying to, um, be very efficient in production.
So I'm doing this one production and think about all of the platforms, um, that the content has to go to. Um, and then there's, uh, usage of rights.
So if they want to, uh, use the pictures or, like, parts of the videos, uh, for campaigns and stuff, they can also buy the rights for that. So there's basically four packages plus the idea of, uh, buying rights.
But also, then of course they say they want me for, like, a workshop and stuff, or they want to mix and match and stuff, so.
But these are mo- the, the, the four most common packages I have, and it helps them that I give them this, like, chart and they can choose- Mm... and they know the prices. And then, yeah, that, that's, um, pretty good.
Because it used, like, um... When we started all, doing all these brand, brand partnerships, people say, "Yeah, uh, you negotiate every time, and, um, da, da, da."
But it's very easy for me to just have the prices in my media kit and say, "This is the package. Choose one, and this is where we start negotiating." Yeah. You have enough business anyways.
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I know that your audience is around 90% female, and I can assume that it is, uh, almost entirely in Germany, probably some in Austria and Switzerland. Mm-hmm. Um, what else do you know about your audience?
Uh, it's mainly women, as you said, German-speaking women. Um, a lot of them, or the, the biggest growth I have in, like, 45 pluses. Also, like, more, like, 55 pluses.
So it's more, like, the, um, mid-age and, uh, elderly woman, uh, who is now b- like, having time or, like, being a grandmother and starting sewing again or discovering YouTube [laughs]. You know, like, the, uh- Yeah...
silver surfers, as we say. [laughs] I haven't heard that. You haven't heard that? No, that's good. Silver surfers. No? No, we, we call them silver surfers. Like, but yeah. Um, so a lot of...
Or, like, people outgrowing the standard sizes. Mm. That's also, like, a thing in Germany. You don't... Let's...
It started, like, a while ago that you can as- b- buy cloth in, uh, we have 45 as a size, like, the maximum, or, like, 42 even- Mm... as a maximum size you can, uh, buy in a store. So there are...
Like, online you can find of course, like, for, um, um, curvy, um, people.
But it's, like, people then have the urge to sew their own cloth because they want it to be in this and that style, and, you know, the, the offering is just very rare.
So, um, a lot of people start either because they have children, they have grandchildren, or because they wanna sew their, uh, their own, uh, cloth and they have special needs or they do not fit into the standard sizes or the f- standard colors even, and, and patterns.
Um, because a lot of, uh, them are also sewing in very-Um, colorful, humoristic, or like, like big patterns with, you know, um, a lot of things going on. You don't find that at the H&M and stuff, so. Yeah.
Um, yeah, and mainly, they're mainly from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, so they're just rarely, like, from maybe the Netherlands and stuff. But it's, I guess, mainly then
people who also speak German because I don't want my content to be translated automatically. Nowadays, this is possible via, uh, uh, AI. YouTube's auto-dubbing. Yeah, I don't have that. Yeah.
Uh, I don't want that because I want my... This sounds weird, but I want my community to be German- Hmm...
because of the brand partnerships, because I'm working together with brands that sell in Germany or sell in the DACH region we call it- Yeah... like, uh, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Mm-hmm.
Um, and if, like, also, um, going viral often comes with the problem of having, like, so many followers that aren't from your region. Hmm. Uh, and, um, brands are asking for the demographics.
They're asking, "Where's your community from?" And nowadays, I sometimes get, like, "We need at least 40% from Germany," and I would think, "Yeah- Interesting... I have 90%. Like, more than 90%, I have 95% from Germany."
So that's a very strong, uh, unique selling point, um, because, like, I have the difference that my community is not my, um, not my clients, and I- Mm-hmm...
I'm basically selling my community to my clients, if that makes sense. No, totally. So- Well, that's what a creator does, right? You're- Yeah... selling, you're selling your relationship with your audience. Yeah.
This is, so this is really interesting, 'cause I'd, I'd wanted to ask about auto-dubbing, 'cause I was... I know YouTube has had auto-dubbing for- Yeah...
I think it was at the beginning of the year they released it, and I was looking to see if I could use it on your videos, and I couldn't. Yeah. And I was like, is this- No... have I just not figured it out?
[laughs] And so I was wondering if that was specific, which that makes a lot of sense, right? Yeah. Like, you don't need to reach a mass audience- Yeah, yeah, yeah... which is what auto-dubbing is for.
And, like, I'm sure there's already so many, like, whether it's in English or Portuguese or whatever, I'm sure- Yeah... there's so many creators, I- I don't know if so many, but plenty creators- Yeah...
serving similar audiences to yours but in different countries. Yeah.
Um, that i- that makes a lot of sense that then it's like what you're protecting is, is not, is like you don't need the audience size to grow because what you need to protect is the percentage makeup- Yeah...
of your audience. Yeah. True. Yeah. And I also don't want, like, it's not my goal to have, like, an em- like the DIY oil empire or anything.
[laughs] Uh, like I've, I've always been growing steadily, and I've never gone, like, n- not never, but I've n- not been, like, viral all the time. Hmm. So, and this is also not what I want to be.
I don't want to grow into, like, a big, big company. I just want to have everything steady and, um, to not keep it as it is because it's still evolving and everything, but I don't want to, to scale up b- basically. Yeah.
Okay, I wanna talk about that for a second, 'cause I- Yeah... so I was using Sh- Social Blade, which is a tool for tracking, um, you know, f- uh, follower- Yeah...
h- the history of subscriber count on, on, uh, social media accounts and such.
And so I was able to see three years back on YouTube, which you had 191,000 subscribers three years ago this month, and you've added 51,000 since then, which is pretty steady growth. Yeah.
Um, but it tells me that you probably had some growth spike earlier on. Yeah. I mean, going back, your first uploaded video from 11 years ago has, I think, around 170,000 views right now.
Um, so that tells me either that you were, you've always been getting a fair amount of views or that that one has just over time gotten a lot of views.
But anyways, what I'm, what I'm curious about is, like, if there was one particular spike that brought you up, and then it's been steady growth since then, where, where did the bulk of your audience come from and when?
Yeah. So that's like, there's basically two parts to it. The good thing about my content, like creating DIYs, is that it's not, um, only relevant- It's evergreen... now. Mm-hmm. So it's evergreen content.
So also if I skip forward time, like, people will still watch my old content, and that's a very good thing about the niche and doing DIY content and doing tutorials basically.
So yeah, the, the video, the first uploaded video, of course, wasn't spiking back then. It was just growing ever since.
Um, and people also, like, especially with the first videos, like, people li- like to Google, like, "What was the first video of?" So this is, like, how they also get there.
Um, and yes, I had, like, over the, the time it was like, um, sometimes I had more, um, sometimes I had less, uh, new followers. Hmm.
But the, the pandemic, pandemic time was really, um, uh, like a peak time, and also the, the whole branch was, like, blooming. It was crazy because everyone had time now, and they had money, and they wanted to sew masks.
So, um- Oh, yeah... so that was, like, a crazy time because, like, everyone was sewing. Um, I also did, like, a tutorial on how to do the mask, and, um, it was one of the, one of the first in Germany.
And then we, like, all of the sewing creators, they did, like, different patterns and different ways to do it, and there was like... It was really crazy.
We had one, uh, shop owner, she's normally doing, like, 3D-printed sewing gadgets, so to say. Mm-hmm.
Um, but back then she was, like, building a platform where, like, everyone in the community who sews could say, "Hey, I'm sewing, like, 50 masks. Who needs them?"
And then, like, um, hospitals and stuff could write, like, "We need, like, 200 masks." Um, and, and this is like... I- I still get goosebumps when I tell you about this- [laughs]...
because, like, the, the whole community was sewing so many masks back then. And then we had this point when there were no, uh, sewing machines available anymore in Germany.
So brand partnerships would skip or, uh, pause- Wow... their, um, their cooperations with me because they had no products to sell anymore. We had the same thing with, um, cotton fabric, um, and with, um, with elastics.
[laughs] There was no elastics anymore in Germany. So people came up with a different creative idea how to create crafted, uh, elastics.
So if you, like, you cut a T-shirt in strips, you could use it as an elastic, uh, for the mask and stuff.
And there was, like, a point where the community was really, really dense, and everyone was, like, sparking creativity and was trying to help.And everyone was sewing basically.
And so of course I also got a lot of new, um, uh, viewers and stuff, and now it got more complicated.
You know, people are holding their money back because they're kind of afraid, like, h- what, what is the whole, uh, world situation? Where is it going? People have less money.
Um, the pandemic is over, so people do actually spend more time outside. So normally, like, the normal sewing cycle is at summer.
Um, people watch the videos way less than in winter because now it's starting again October, November, December, people get creative. They do the presents and stuff like that.
Or then in January they're, like, having this on their list, like, "This year I'm going to start sewing." Yeah, New Year's resolution. Yeah. [laughs] So it's also the spike is still there.
Then it's Easter, and then it goes down a little. That's like the normal... Like winter is up, summer is down. That's like the normal curve.
And, um, yes, it has flattened over time, but I'm, uh, I rather have a world without COVID than having this time back so [laughs] Yeah. Well- Um-...
specifically with you, you don't really need your audience to be that big. Like, I get the- Yeah... you told me when we first spoke, I mean, your, your husband is a software engineer. Yeah.
You make more money than him doing this. Like, all of this tells... And, like, you know, you recently built a house. Yeah. I get the impression your business is doing quite well, and that- Yeah...
you are not somebody who needs it to be... Y- you just said you don't need the DIY Ola empire, right?
So realistically, like, in terms of g- audience growth, like, do you really need it to be bigger, or is it kind of just like, "We're on autopilot.
Con- people will continue to find us on YouTube, and, and that's, that's great, and that's it"? Yeah. I think, like, for, for myself- Mm-hmm...
it would be all right if it just stays like this, but I think for brand, uh, deals, it's still important. Like, it's, it's, it's still the first number. You need to show growth. Yeah.
And, and it's also, like, the followers, that's still the first numbers that brand have a look on. It's- Yeah... that's just a fact.
They afterwards they look into, like, okay, what is the, the engagement, um, the story views, and the views on the, on the separate videos, but the first number they look on is followers. So it's, it's still important.
And st- since everyone is growing and I'm one of the biggest, uh, YouTube channels in Germany, I still have to grow with, with the others. But that's, that's all right, so [laughs] But that just happens naturally.
You're not, like, there's not- Yeah... much where you're, you're, like, having to, like, "Oh, I'm gonna make this video because I think it will, like, go... People are gonna be searching for this thing, SEO," like.
Um, yeah, some. Of course, like, right now I see that, um, the, the views, like, decreases a little. Mm. Uh, they used to be, like, uh, 50,000, 60,000, uh, a video, like, steadily.
Now I have, like, 20,000 or 40,000, like, a video. It's still okay because it's like with everyone. Every content creator has the same problem, so to say.
Um, but of course we're all still looking for mechanisms, um, to have more followers, but it's a- also important to have, like, real followers.
So if you, like, you have a lot of followers, but they do not engage, d- d- you know. So of course I do giveaways and ask them to follow me and stuff like that.
And do also, like, collaborations with other creators, uh, where I think... Uh, w- either I want, uh, because I like the creator or where I think, um, that their community might not know me yet- Mm...
but they might be valuable for me. So yeah. That makes sense. Um, in terms of content production, how far ahead are you planning? Like, do you have, like, a content calendar where, like...
I mean, you mentioned earlier that, that pen brand, right? That, like, it sounded like it... You'd been working with them for years. Yeah.
At the beginning of the year you'll meet with them and kind of plan out some of the deals over the course of the year. Um, so yeah, how, how far in advance is your content planned? That's a good question. I think the...
I have... Let me have a look. [laughs] So I have a, I have a content planner. Uh-huh. Um, the farthest thing planned is February. I would... No, there might... There's something in May.
[laughs] But it's just like the- Oh, and for context to, to the listener, we're, we're recording October 30th, 2025. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
So I have, like, saying, like, something in May, but it's gonna be, like, the, the closed reel of, like, a long project. Um, so this... I'm in f- like February. I'm pl- right now I'm planning January and, and February.
Um, so this year is, uh... Or where are you there?
[laughs] Uh- And is this, is this planning m- like, is the stuff that's furthest in advance, is that tied to specific brand partnerships, or is it tied to just, like, projects you're working on for you?
Uh, no, that's brand partnerships. Okay. Thought so.
And then I'm just, like, normally, um, I'm just, like, putting in stuff like, okay, you know, this is where I should post my Christmas stuff, this is where I should post my Easter stuff, this is Mother's Day stuff, la, la, la.
So I put in, like, the, the basic themes already, and then if brand partnerships approach me, I can have a look and see, okay, I should maybe do something related to Black Friday, and this brand wouldn't fit in there, so I'm trying to shift that.
Or I see, okay, this is a match, so I put them on it. Um, and then see that I can...
Or, like, just re- uh, rearrange things and see, okay, I'm doing the brand partnership here, and then doing Easter stuff one week earlier, and stuff like that. So I have this very big content plan.
I have it for years now. And it includes, um, when I'm publishing stuff on the different platforms, but it also includes, and this is the most, uh, important column for me, when I'm producing things. Yes.
So I have worked that out, like, until, I think, mid-January now. Like, which day I'm producing things.
It's not necessarily the day I'm actually producing the thing, but it gives me a time horizon to see how much I will need to be producing.
So if I just put it in my calendar, I don't know, like, how m- how many d- uh, like, if I see a YouTube video, I need, like, three days of production, and then it goes to my cutter. Yeah.
Um, so I put in, like, uh, these three days, and I know, okay, in this week I need to produce this video.
Um, and I have, like, all the, all the, uh, projects already scheduled in production, and I see, okay, right now I can't do anything more, um, in production because I'm already full.
And this also allows me to plan, uh, vacation and stuff. So I put this, like, as a blocker, and I know that I have to pre- pre-produce, um, or do more live streams because they are easier in terms of- [laughs]...
um, production and stuff, so. Yeah. Yeah. Wait, I- so I, I do wanna know more about the, like, how you create efficiencies in the production. So, uh, there's a couple questions in here.
One would be, like, how many hours of work maybe go into, let's say, an average video that's around 15 minutes long, and it's like- I cannot answer that. [laughs] Well- It's really, it's really so different. Yeah.
It really depends, um, so much. So sometimes, uh, people think it's, like, so much work. Especially, like, you know, I sometimes like to dress up and to be... Like, I have an alter ego and stuff. Mm-hmm.
And they think this is, like, so- Like when you sing. Like when I sing and stuff.
So they think, um, it, like, takes so much time, but these are normally, like, the quickest videos because I have, like, everything in my head planned out, and then it goes really well.
The, the longest, uh, videos are always these where I show, like, five different DIY ideas or, like, I have a very complex sewing pattern. Mm.
Then I need three, four days for production, and then I still need the, the pre-planning, like which fabrics am I using, um, the brief with a partner maybe, um, ordering the stuff, um, writing down everything, like the steps, what's gonna be, like, the s- the, the general structure of the video, um, if there's, like, special, um, topics that I have to point out, and then shooting everything, getting it to my cutter.
My cutter is doing, like, three... Like, yeah, three-quarters of my, uh, long-form videos. Um, so he's not doing everything- Yeah... uh, but most of the stuff, and it works really well.
He's also in Berlin, so I get, like, all the material, uh, on a hard drive and give it to him, and then he's cutting the stuff. And then he's sending it over to me.
I'm watching, saying, "Change this and that," and then sending it over to the partner. Then they want changes, and then... So normally I start a video three, like, best...
Not normally, but the, the idea would be [laughs]... to start the video three weeks, um, before it goes live. Yeah. So that's like the- Wow.
Like, sometimes partners say, like especially in Christmas, uh, comparisons they say they need it by August because they need- [laughs]... the pictures for campaigns. So y- yeah, I start...
Like, normally with Christmas I start in August, uh, for some, uh, brand corporations because they already...
Like, they buy rights, and they already need the material for their campaigns and, and, uh, yeah, in front of the- Yeah... uh, release of the YouTube video. That's [laughs] So it really depends. Like, sometimes I'm...
Like, I'm releasing on Tuesday, and it has happened that I started producing on Monday. Mm-hmm. [laughs] So it, it's, like, really a scope of, um, from to- Are you, are you able to, like, um...
Like, are there days where, like, "Oh, I'm working on four different videos," and then, like, I've, I've got the machine out and the camera set up right here, so I'm gonna, like, sew, like, multiple different things?
Or, you know, here's a day where I'm gonna be filming all this B roll that's gonna go into four or five different videos. Yeah. Are you, are you able to do- You know- Or is it kind of like one at a time?
Normally it's one at a time. Sometimes I do side projects. Mm. Like right now I have, like, all the sewing stuff here, and I'm doing the basement, like, for a second channel. Mm.
But I'm also filming there, and I'm, like, filming, like, a vlog. So I can film how I film, if that makes sense. Mm-hmm. Like saying in the vlog, "You know, I'm producing this and that video now. It's already out."
So I'm filming how I film and [laughs] so- There's, like, two layers going on. [laughs] Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's... Yeah, yeah. [laughs] And also, um, I'm not a perfectionist anymore. Mm.
Um, there's this, uh, Pareto principle. Do you know that? Like, you need- It's the 80/20, right? Yeah, yeah.
You need, um, like 20% of your resources to have 80% of your result, and then you need the rest, like the 80% of your resources, for the re- for 20%... for the, the last- Final 20, yeah... final 20% of your result.
So I just leave the f- last 20%. That's basically the idea. It sounds, it sounds simple, and sometimes you think, like, "How would you do that?"
Like, espe- Like, an, um, example would be, like, if I sew an advent calendar. Mm. Like, sew, like, little bags, you know? Like, I have 24, uh, little bags.
Do I really need to s- to sew those 24 if I do not want to use them privately? Mm-hmm. Wouldn't it be enough to, uh, to sew, like, five? Then I'm able to sew it.
I'm, I'm showing it from different angles, and in the final picture I can show five bags. 24 bags would be enough for the picture, like, too much. And, uh, so five out of 24, that's 20%. Yeah. That makes total sense.
I mean- So- But at the pace you're producing- It's not, it's not trans-... you have to. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's not transferable to every, each and every content because I cannot only do, like, uh, 80% of a jacket.
Yeah. Even though I c- I actually, I just sewed a jacket and the inner sleeve is not attached [laughs] because I had no time for that. But you wouldn't see that in the end result, [laughs] so. Mm-hmm.
And there's still, like, little, little things that you can shift, or, like, like, not making everything perfect. That's, like, the thing. I just... It's okay. It's okay if the cats are upside down.
[laughs] I don't care. It's... And then, and then sewing- And it's part of your character and- Uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah... and part of the fun.
And the people love if they, if I show that to them, showing my mistakes and like, "Oh, I'm so happy that, like, a pro like you also makes those mistakes." Of course I do. Um- Yeah... and yeah, that really...
Like, a lot of... But also the, uh, most of the other German content creators, they are doing that and showing their faults. And, um, so you see, like, like, everyone is relatable.
That, that is actually one more thing I wanted to ask about- Yeah... was your community of fellow creators.
When we first spoke, uh, a week or two ago you mentioned that you have maybe this, like, inner circle of 10 to 20- Yeah... like, peers that you are in a lot of...
y- you're in constant communication with, and you guys talk and trade notes, and then there's kind of this larger DIY, um, community that's specifically built up around this yearly crafts fair in Koln, right? Yeah. Yeah.
Um, so tell me a little bit more about, like, um... I mean, I've, I've, I've, for an hour I've been hearing all about how you work and such, but- Yeah... I'm a little...
I'm curious, like, similarities and differences in how some of your fellow German content creators approach this business. Yeah. I think it's a very, very special situation because our bubble is very...
Like, we're female, um, self-employed... creative, uh, creators, and we're connected with one another, and there's, like, real friendship.
Um, I think that's very rare, and I see, um, other bubbles, um, mainly, like, beauty and fashion, where there's more, like, um, competition. Um, but we really, uh, we really work together. We collaborate a lot.
We, um, like our posts. We share our posts, and, like, also, uh, I would do, like, a video saying, "You see, you know, I, I saw that on the other channel. Um, she did that. It was such a good idea.
I'm doing that as well, and I'm adding my idea." Um, so you would just not add your idea and say, "This is a new thing," but you say where you got the idea from and then also link the people there.
And also do, um, collaborations, like, in the... [smacks lips] Um, I'm doing, uh, like, a business retreat, uh, thing. Um, like, it's the second time next year, but we started this year.
Like, three content creators were working together, um, having around 15, uh, young female entrepreneurs, uh, and creators, and pushing them, giving them our content- Mm... strategy, ideas, and tips.
And there was one participant who has, like, a... It's basically diamond painting, but she wants to, wanted to put this hobby into the sewing bubble, and I really love the idea.
And we just launched our, uh, our own- Ah... um, uh, yeah, special edition. So I did all the, like, this, uh... Wait, can I move that far? Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. I, I saw this on your- So I did... Yeah, yeah, yeah...
on your Instagram page as well. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, I sent her the designs. And so these are my designs, and you can... And, and the idea is also from me that you can actually detach, uh, th- those patches- Oh, sure...
and they are made from this... Yeah. They are made from... Wait, where's the camera? There. Um, yeah. There you go. Oh, there it is. Beautiful. They are made from, from little stones- Mm-hmm...
um, that you just put on there. So we had this collaboration together, and this is also what happens so often, that people work together.
Um, because we all have different, um, different things that we sell and different, um, things that we're known f- known for. So I'm known for being colorful, for my humor and stuff.
And then, uh, sometimes, like, some creators have their own products that they sell. Some are doing more, like, hand embroidery or, like, um, even machine embroidery- Mm... or, like, a cutting, uh, plotter and stuff.
So we all have different topics that we're known for. They are, um... We have, like, s- things in common and sometimes doing the same stuff, but we are all...
We c- Because we are so creative, we all have our different styles and different topics, and that's, that really makes us, um... Yeah. As a, like... It doesn't make us interchangeable. So- Yeah...
that's how we can work together- You're stronger together... very well. Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. I love it. Um, well, I think- [laughs]... I think we can end it right there. Uh- Uh-huh... we've been talking for a while.
Thank you for your time. This was super fun. Yeah. Thank you, uh, as well. I'm, I was very happy to talk about this. And, uh, let me say again that I'm so happy to be able to do this.
This is, like, such a priv- pleasure, and I really, really, really love my job. [laughs] I could, I can tell. It's, uh, it's a good job. [laughs] Um, cool. We'll, we'll end it right there. Uh, go to...
Is it DIY Eule dot- Eule. Eule. Ah. Okay. I gotta get my pronunciation right here. [laughs] Yeah. My, my German d- I, for the listener, I, you know, I...
My father's German, and I took German in high school, but it's so bad. Let me, let me try again. DIY Eule? Yeah. Ah. There we go..de. Uh, what was that? Oh,.de..de. Yes. Yeah. That's Eule. DIY Eule.de. Yeah.
D-I-Y E-U-L-E.D-E. [laughs] Go check it out. Yeah. [laughs] Perfect. Listener- Thank you... we'll see you next week. Ciao.
[upbeat music] If you enjoyed that episode and are looking for something similar, I'd recommend this episode with Sydney Graham. She's another sewing creator on YouTube. A year ago, she had about 10,000 subscribers.
She now has over 150,000, and she tells us all about it in this episode here.