Create content that resonates with an audience with Lana Blakely

[00:00:00] Lana: Imagine putting something out there that is so real to you, and that is the piece of content that most people relate to.

[00:00:17] Akta: Lana Blakely is a YouTuber who recently hit 1 million. She makes thoughtful content based on her own experiences, and she's most well known for bringing her own personality to YouTube.

[00:00:28] Lana: I'm creating the content that I sort of wish that a. Older version, like a past version of myself would've had. So it's really just my life experiences.

[00:00:42] Lana: Uh, most of my ideas come from just my journaling entries and yeah, I just share the things that I learned from my own journey and the things that I wish I would've known, um, at the time that I was going through a certain things. So if I'm making a video talking about. , um, let's say breakups or something like that, then that's typically my experience and the things that I wish I could tell myself when I was going through it.

[00:01:13] Lana: Um, and sometimes it, I make videos about things that I'm currently going through as well. So it's not so much me telling anyone. What to do or how to act or how to think. It's just the things that I've gone through or that I'm currently figuring out. I love that and I

[00:01:30] Akta: think it makes you so relatable to so many people, but I also think what makes you so relatable is your personality.

[00:01:37] Akta: So especially for introverts and people who are more, you know, like homebodies and enjoying things like journaling and reading , and I think you're probably one of the first YouTubers that I saw. Was like me, you know, like spoke more quietly or, you know, just had more of a quieter personality than those larger than life.

[00:02:00] Akta: You know, talk really fast personalities that we see on YouTube. Were you always confident or comfortable bring your own personality onto

[00:02:09] Lana: YouTube? . So one thing when I was starting out that I felt like was going to maybe be a barrier for me was that I wasn't watching a ton of YouTube when I started, but I was watching some.

[00:02:23] Lana: And most of it was things that were trending or recommended. And most of that was what you're saying, the more loud, outgoing, very engaging and um, you know, fun to watch. And so at the time before starting, I felt. , is there a place for people who aren't that way, who can't? I can't even really try to have a personality like that, like that, but that would look absolutely ridiculous.

[00:02:50] Lana: Uh, and when I was doing some how to YouTube research before starting, much of what I came across was also encouraging, you know, speaking louder and being more outgoing and engaging because when you're on camera, um, they said, in order to like, even just in order to be perceived the way that you are speaking, you need to go a bit louder and a bit more on top to be perceived even like you're having a normal tone, if that makes sense.

[00:03:22] Lana: And so I try that in the beginning. I did try that. If you look at my earlier videos, there are a little bit more, you know, my tone is a bit more up here and I'm trying to like be more engaging in that way. . And so I did that for a while and then it was a bit exhausting, uh, and I realized that most people probably don't care.

[00:03:43] Lana: And the right audience is going to find you eventually, and you wouldn't want people to find you when you're not being you. Mm-hmm. , because then you have to continue with that facade and it's not gonna feel like you're having an authentic connection with your audience because it's not really genuinely who you are.

[00:04:05] Lana: So yeah, eventually I just kind of toned down and I tried speaking the way that I speak, like in normal life. And so far it's worked and the people who can relate to that have found my channel and that's amazing. And now we are quite a big community. Yeah, definitely

[00:04:23] Akta: 1 million is, uh, pretty big for sure.

[00:04:26] Akta: Yeah. . And what about niche? Because when I was also researching, you know, how to start a YouTube channel, a lot of the advice again was, you know, have a very clear specific niche and be as specific as possible. But you've got quite a few topics that you talk about, like introversion, dating, personal development.

[00:04:45] Akta: Did you ever feel that pressure. Have a very specific niche or did you kind of just figure things out as you went

[00:04:52] Lana: along? I definitely figured things out as I went along and I'm still figuring things out sometimes. That's why I think it's a bit difficult. Answering the question, what do you do on YouTube?

[00:05:04] Lana: What are your videos about? Cuz I don't have a niche. If I was talking about, let's say, only finance, then that would be quite easy to answer. Yeah. Making finance videos. But now it's like, yeah, I'm making videos about this and that and this and that, and it's, it makes it a bit difficult to explain to people what you are doing.

[00:05:23] Lana: Um, but it's definitely something you figure out, or at least that I figured out as I just kept making videos. I. Analyzing the things that I found exciting and fun and the things that I wasn't very excited about, and also the things that resonated the most with my audience. So in the beginning, I have videos that are private that are like making a smoothie or I have like a Miami vlog and Oh, no way.

[00:05:50] Lana: Yeah. Like all sorts of things. Um, and I had like a reaction video and I was a bit all over the place until I. Made a video called Ordained the Life of an Introvert, uh, which was to that, maybe to this day, um, maybe the most authentic video that I've made that really meant the most to me because that video was really, kind of like a way for me to be like, Hey, actually this is me and this is what I'm like.

[00:06:23] Lana: And crazy enough that video exploded and that was kind of the video that really set things off, which felt amazing, like a huge relief because imagine putting something out there that is so real to you and that is the piece of content that most people relate to. So I remember reading the comment. back then and sobbing and being like, wow, I had no idea, like so many people related to this.

[00:06:51] Lana: And it was an amazing experience. And then, so I kind of went off that and that was perfect because that's what felt the most real to me. So I've had more videos about introversion and kind of living a bit more like a, um, I don't wanna say lone wolf, just someone who is quite happy being a homebody. And, um, yeah, it's, it's always felt very real.

[00:07:15] Lana: I think I lucked out on online video too.

[00:07:18] Akta: Oh, I love that. But it's actually relates to, um, so YouTube's original slogan was Broadcast Yourself. I didn't know that until recently. I didn't know that. And that's basically what you did. You broadcasted yourself and that's why it resonated with so many people.

[00:07:31] Akta: Um, I'm really interested, what does your creative process actually look like? Because like you said, when you're doing finance, , I don't wanna say easier, but it's very clear what kind of videos to make. But when you are making content about your own experiences and stories, is there a way to structure that creative process?

[00:07:51] Lana: Um, so it's still quite difficult, but, so I journal a lot, um, every day, and most of my ideas just come from those entries, which are about things that I'm going through or things that I'm reflecting back on, or. most often it's something that I am going through or have been gone have gone through, or it could also be just something that I'm very interested in that isn't mm-hmm.

[00:08:18] Lana: exactly. Related to my own life. So it starts with an idea. Uh, and sometimes the idea is very clear to me. I know that this is exactly the thing that I wanna talk about. Sometimes I have to dig a bit deeper and try to find like, what exactly is it that I'm trying to. communicate here. Um, and once I've found that, and that can also need also change as I go along.

[00:08:42] Lana: So I don't get to like, I don't obsess over having a specific idea, but I wanna have something to go off on, go off, off. I think . Um, so I have the idea and then I start writing. And the writing is what takes the longest. Um, I sit and write for a few days and once I have a script and the concept can change or can remain the same, it just depends.

[00:09:09] Lana: Um, I start filming and then editing, and then I upload the video. So that is, that is basically the video creating process.

[00:09:21] Akta: How do you know where to draw that line between sharing but not oversharing it and keeping some part of your personal. just for you. Mm-hmm.

[00:09:34] Lana: in the beginning when I was starting, I had a few things that I felt like I was not going to be very comfortable talking about.

[00:09:42] Lana: Um, so I'm not very, I don't really mention like my friends or family, or if I'm dating someone, um, I'll casually say something like, I went to this place with my friends, but I'm not really showing them. I'm. , I'm keeping that part of my life private, um, for a few reasons. One reason being just respecting the privacy of other people.

[00:10:08] Lana: Mm-hmm. . Um, not everyone wants to be on camera and not everyone wants to be a part of that world, so to speak. Uh, so that is the main reason and so I've kept that private. And then just some topics that I know are very, very sensitive or very polarizing that I feel like. personally aren't always worth bringing up or discussing and mm-hmm.

[00:10:31] Lana: I'm not even particularly interested in discussing certain topics, so I just kind of stay away from that. Um, and I think the line is something you kind of figure out as you go. I think the thing I ask myself always when I. before I publish a video is, do I really feel comfortable with potentially a hundred thousand or more people seeing this?

[00:10:56] Lana: And if there's a part of me that says no, that's actually crossing a line to where I feel like I'm no longer comfortable. If this were to get in the wrong hands or just. in any way. If it's making me feel not good about going live, I guess, um, then that's too much. But if I feel like this is touching on being uncomfortable because you will be a bit uncomfortable as well.

[00:11:22] Lana: Cause I mean, you're exposing yourself in different ways, but it's not. too uncomfortable, and it's just enough to where someone can relate to this and potentially find it helpful and valuable. Um, so yeah, I think that line is so different for everyone and it's, you really figure it out as you go. I'm still, every time I sit down and write, I'm like, is this too much or is it too little?

[00:11:44] Lana: Could I actually be giving more of myself? I have some people in my personal life who keep telling me, , you're still too reserved. Uh Oh, really? Yeah. And they feel like you're not really giving people a chance to actually know you and to have that relationship with people like my audience. And I don't know.

[00:12:04] Lana: It's really hard figuring that out, I think. But I just try not to cross a line to where it's going to affect me mentally when I feel like, Ooh, I put too much of myself. Yeah,

[00:12:16] Akta: because I guess one of the difficult parts about being more vulnerable online is that you open yourself up to more negative comments, which every creator gets anyway.

[00:12:26] Akta: But I feel like when you are creating around personal content and your personality, it's a lot more easier to take those things to heart. Yeah. And take it to part, take it personally. How do you deal with things like that?

[00:12:39] Lana: So I think what you said now is very true. Cause if you're a bit more reserved and you're not very, like exposing yourself too much and you get a comment, you can kind of protect yourself in thinking, well, you don't actually know me.

[00:12:52] Lana: You know, very, very, very tiny fraction of what I'm putting out there. So what you're saying isn't going to get to me because it's just not, it is' invalid. It kind of invalidates what they're saying in a way. At least that's what I tell myself. Um, but then I think. when I was just starting out, getting comments that weren't very nice, definitely affected me negatively a lot more than it does today.

[00:13:18] Lana: Today. To be honest, I don't wanna say never, because I'm sure there are times where maybe subconsciously I'm actually like hurt by a comment. Cuz that's fine and there's nothing to be ashamed about. But the more you do this, the. You kind of brush them off and there's so much love and so much positivity that I feel like I would be a complete fool to focus on someone who doesn't know me and who is just not a very kind, happy person, I guess.

[00:13:52] Lana: Um, and also a piece of advice that I give everyone is block people. . Um, just if someone is writing something that you don't like, it's your platform. Block them. It's a great feeling and they won't be able to bother you again unless they create more accounts, which in that case, it's just something to laugh at, cuz that's really, really, really ridiculous.

[00:14:12] Akta: Yeah, definitely. But I like what you said that there's a lot of love out there as well. Yeah. Especially since you've grown to a millions, there's a lot of people who are definitely supporting you and yeah. Congrats on that huge milestone. Thank you. What do you think has contributed to your growth on YouTube?

[00:14:29] Lana: I've been thinking about this so much lately. Um, Because Ali Abdal, which you know, put out a short from a podcast episode that I did with him when I was in London a few months ago, and the shorts short was named something like How Lana Got to 1 million. Uh, and it was about how I'm journaling and I'm getting my ideas from that.

[00:14:56] Lana: Majority of the comments on that. Short says she only got there because of the way that she looks. I hate that. It's like 90% of the comments and there were some like loyal people who are like, actually that's not enough. There's so much more Legos into it. But, so that really made me think a lot about what actually is it that makes someone.

[00:15:17] Lana: Successful on this platform and what are like the biggest contributing factors? And I realized that, and I made a video touching on this, um, a few days ago because there is such a broad range of creators on YouTube and everyone is so different. . Like there are people who film all of their videos with their phone, they have crappy audio.

[00:15:42] Lana: Their videos are cutting off in random places, and they're hugely successful. And then there are people who live in big mansions and they have, you know, a setup worth maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they're also very successful. So I think being able to answer like what contributes to success on YouTube is quite an impossible.

[00:16:06] Lana: Question to answer. I think I've come to realize, at least, I don't think there is a secret formula. I think ultimately it's about a lot of people resonating with what you're doing, whether they're resonating because they, if it is a appearance related, like they think you look, you, they wanna look at you, that's the way to resonate, or you are talking to a part of them that they feel like.

[00:16:31] Lana: if they want someone to bring to the surface and that they want to get to know, there can be so many reasons. Um, so I don't know. . That's a really good question. Like, why do people follow me ?

[00:16:43] Akta: I have no idea. I love your answer though. I love how you even addressed, you know, the comments on Ali ab short and turn that into something that still validates your experience as a YouTuber and, and what you are doing.

[00:16:55] Akta: Um, yeah, so that's a really good answer actually. I really like that. And how has things changed for you as a creator? as you've grown. So you know, like when you're starting out, obviously the struggles are, okay, how do I put myself out there? Maybe getting camera confidence. What are the challenges once you kind of hit these bigger milestones, how does that journey change?

[00:17:17] Lana: So in the beginning it's a lot of, in my experience, figuring things out, like you said, like what camera do I use, how do I speak, how do I sift? How much B roll is too much? B-roll, what kind of music? And you know, all these things and what topics are interesting and. , that's just kind of to get you started and figure out your, your, oh, basically what you're doing on YouTube, what your channel is about.

[00:17:40] Lana: And then as you grow and as YouTube actually becomes your job, then suddenly you have something big to lose. And so I definitely think the biggest change as you grow is the pressure. , this is no longer just something that is super fun and that I enjoy mm-hmm. , but it's also the thing that I'm making a living out of doing.

[00:18:05] Lana: Um, and so I think that added pressure is definitely the thing that I. , if I could point at one thing that I could live without, but that I don't wanna live without because I love doing this for a living. But if, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Um, yeah. It would be this added element of pressure of if a video or a few videos don't perform well, it's no longer just, oh, I'll try again tomorrow because I have my other job and it's fine.

[00:18:30] Lana: Mm-hmm. , but it's Oh, am I like, add on thin eyes here. Are things going badly? Do I need to figure out a plan B of another job or something else to do when you start kind of catastrophizing it, um, in your head. So yeah, I think this added element of having something to lose Yeah. And add the

[00:18:50] Akta: pressure of that.

[00:18:51] Akta: And how do you deal with that kind of uncertainty as a creator. ,

[00:18:56] Lana: um, uh, how do I, I'm like figuring out how to deal with that . So my last video, for example, did not perform well, and it happens like it's happened so many times. I've been there, done that so many times at this point. But you still kind of just lay down on the couch and start thinking about, like, you just start catastrophizing.

[00:19:19] Lana: You just think, yeah, it like, for a brief moment. And I, I give myself like at. 20 minutes to just be like dramatic and have all of these negative thoughts of it's not going well. What am I to do? Why did it not perform well? And checking the statistics and analytics and, um, questioning, uh, every aspect of that video, kind of picking it apart.

[00:19:45] Lana: But then you eventually realize that, wait, this has happened so many times. , it's gonna happen many more times. Mm-hmm. And I just kind of force myself out of that mindset and think, just give it your all in the next video. And also reminding myself that even if a video isn't performing well in terms of views, it is still fulfilling such an important purpose, which is that it's actually resonating with some people, even if it's like 50 people watching.

[00:20:17] Lana: and someone leaving a comment saying like, wow, this really resonated with me. Like I think reminding yourself of how crazy it is, we get so blinded by numbers and true, I'm very guilty of this, where I don't think, like my mind can still not comprehend the fact that like a hundred thousand people are watching something that I put out.

[00:20:39] Lana: And if you try to think that realistically, like imagine having. Screen of your video somewhere and having a hundred thousand people, oh my God, sitting in that room watching it. So when you think of it like that, and then you think, oh, this video only got like 20,000 views. Like imagine 20,000 people in a room watching.

[00:21:02] Lana: I can't even imagine that something that you created. So I think just bringing myself back to reality also helps because social media really blinds us to these crazy, crazy, crazy numbers. Yeah, just having these reminders just brings me back to the state of peace and I work on the next video and just make peace with the fact that it's part of the process.

[00:21:25] Akta: Yeah, I think that's a really important reminder to have and something that I have to remind myself of as well. Do you think it's harder to do though, as a personal, because I guess one of my fears is, and I'm really interested if you have a sphere as well, is how will my channel change? , I as a person, change, you know?

[00:21:43] Akta: Mm-hmm. , like when I become a mom, like what will my content look like? Do you ever worry about those kind of things? Yeah. . You do? Okay. And how do you, how do

[00:21:52] Lana: you deal with that? Um, Ah, I feel like every question, I'm just like, I'm not dealing anything. Yeah. Okay. ,

[00:22:01] Akta: well that's reassuring, but there questions.

[00:22:03] Akta: This is why I resonate with you, right? Because I'm

[00:22:05] Lana: Well, good, good. Because I just wanna be honest, I really don't wanna come out here and be like, yeah, I know how to do this and I'm figuring this out. Um, because, , it's all still a journey. There's no, there's never going to be a day, I think, where I feel like, Ooh, now I know exactly what I'm doing, or now I know exactly what I want out of this.

[00:22:25] Lana: It's changing. I am changing. Things are changing all the time, you know? Now I'm at a stage where I'm like, cuz my life has changed so much since I started three or four years ago. And. . Changing the way you're doing things is always scary cuz you don't wanna risk people just not enjoying it and being like, Ooh, we actually like the old content.

[00:22:50] Lana: But I think you are always going to have. A loyal fan base. It's not going to be everyone who will subscribe to you, but it's going to be a portion of it, and they're likely going to follow you and enjoy following you as you are transitioning into different, you know, parts and mentors in your life. And that's such a beautiful thing.

[00:23:10] Lana: But obviously not making a drastic change, like I wouldn't suddenly. , Hey, now I'm having two kids and I'm a mom blogger. , like that would be very strange . Um, but gradually introducing new elements and new things into your life, um, and the people that enjoy it are gonna stay. And those that don't are probably gonna leave eventually anyway, even if you cha stay the same.

[00:23:35] Lana: Um, so yeah, I think allowing your content to change with you gradually is. Appreciated by most people. I like it when I see someone that I've been following for a few years, changing their environment or moving or introducing something new. Like even when I introduced my dog like a year and a half ago and now he's part of the video sometimes and now [00:24:00] he's just, he's there and he wasn't, uh, three years ago.

[00:24:04] Lana: Yeah. So slowly introducing new elements I think is exciting and it's refreshing for you as a creator. I think as well. Yeah. I love

[00:24:12] Akta: it when Fred makes an appearance in your video. Oh, good. It's so cute. I love it too. Um, and you have evolved anyway as well with, I hope I'm pronouncing this right, raw, is that

[00:24:20] Lana: how you say it?

[00:24:21] Lana: Uh, yeah. So in Swedish you say ro, but raw, I mean you can pronounce it however you like.

[00:24:26] Akta: Yeah. So you've introduced that as your brand and come out with a tote bag. How did you decide what kind of direction you wanted to go in with your channel as a business and what product to bring your audience?

[00:24:41] Lana: So most creators, I think, um, eventually wanna create some sort of a product.

[00:24:49] Lana: And a lot of the times that's a physical product. So merch, for example, and I've been dabbling that for years now, ever since I had, ever since. I had big enough of an audience where that was an opportunity. But I don't know, I just wanted to find something that. , I don't wanna sound like, uh, like any merch line is fine, and, you know, , the fans are gonna like it.

[00:25:18] Lana: Yeah. Uh, but I, I just wanted it to feel personal, I guess, in a way. And I, and I wanted to create something that would resonate in more, in more of a way than just because it's like a merch line from Lana Blake. . I wanted there to be like a message, and I mean, at the end of the day, it's closed, so it's not like groundbreaking.

[00:25:45] Lana: But even so, I wanted it to be special and I wanted to like it myself. And so rule is this Swedish word, which is just another word, and there's nothing special about it really. But I've kind of made it special for myself because I've always found myself going back to. Using this word in my everyday life, like at the end of the long day, I'm just like, oh, I just want some rule.

[00:26:09] Lana: Or when I think about my summer plans, I always think I wanna go somewhere where I can just feel a rule. And so I kept coming back to this word and I was like, this is really similar to what I'm trying to deliver on YouTube as well. And so I made the connection and I felt like, okay, maybe I have something to work with here and I can take.

[00:26:32] Lana: Concept and merge it somehow with physical products like the merch line. And then I created the tote bag. Well, I had a designer who is amazing and made the design, and I decided on a tote bag because I have like, , 30 tote bags. I have too many tote bags. I use them all the time. I always have one. If I have another bag, there was a tote bag in my bag, , so I carry them with me all the time.

[00:27:02] Lana: I have for years and years and years. And so, yeah, I just thought, wanna create a tote bag and have this rule design on it. And it's something that I really love. It's something that I can stand behind and feel proud of, and I want people to resonate with this concept to. Carry that and also have that with them.

[00:27:23] Lana: And so that's how everything kind of yeah. Happened. ? No, I

[00:27:30] Akta: love it. And I, I love the concept and I love the word. I actually have a, a nephew called Rohan, who was born last year, and I, I, you know, I said straight away to his mom and dad, oh, you know, this YouTube I follow. She's got this concept called Raw and it remind, that's hit us his nickname.

[00:27:46] Akta: So they loved it as well because they. What that word means now. Mm-hmm. , I think it's just so lovely. Oh, I love, love that. Um, yeah. And how do you think you're gonna evolve the business? Because do you find the balance between being a personal creator, trying to build this, you know, personal relationship with your community, difficult when you are also trying to, like you said, you are earning a living through this, so how do you think you're gonna progress with the business Because it is a business at the end of the day as well.

[00:28:19] Lana: Uh, definitely. So when I was just starting out, I was very shy about even talking about money. I didn't monetize my videos until I had a lot of subscribers because I felt like, oh, really? I just didn't wanna, yeah. And looking back, I, I don't stand behind that mindset at all. , um, just to be clear. But at the time I was, I don't know, I was very shy around just feeling like, people would think that I was just trying to make money when really I was just having a blast.

[00:28:49] Lana: And, um, yeah. So my mindset has changed so much through doing this, and I think there is absolutely no shame, um, or you shouldn't hold back on the fact that you can monetize this and it is a business and the more the business grows. and the more money you're making, the more you are able to put into the videos as well.

[00:29:18] Lana: And that's not sure, that's not something that you can like, get away from. Uh, you're able to upgrade your equipment and maybe go to different places and hire people. And like the more you make, the better your content has potential to be as well. It doesn't necessarily have to be that way, but it can be.

[00:29:37] Lana: Um, so I'm just now, after like three, four years starting to. You know, venture into some different areas where I am opening up for the opportunity to monetize more and to view this as a business more. Because even though I've been doing this full-time for a few years now, I still kind of viewed it as a hobby, um, until I had a bit of a wake up call, like a, a year ago-ish.

[00:30:08] Lana: And so, yeah, I'm pretty recently starting to. , Hey, this is actually a business and I should treat it that way and not just as a hobby. So yeah, I really want to encourage, cuz I know that it can be scary sometimes if you, for example, sponsor every video or, yeah, like for example, if you sponsor every radio, every video, some people might.

[00:30:32] Lana: Comment saying, oh, it's so boring when there's a sponsor in the middle of this. And in the beginning that can be very scary. You're like, oh no, I don't want people to think that I'm, you know, ruining this video by having a sponsor. Maybe I shouldn't. And you start overthinking it. But now I just brush that off and it's like, yeah, I do have a sponsor cuz I need to make a living otherwise.

[00:30:51] Lana: You wouldn't be able to watch this and I wouldn't be able to create this. So I think I'm encouraging this in other creators and in myself to be a bit ruthless and yeah. Uh, know that you, you deserve to be able to make a living doing something that you're putting so much time and so much effort into.

[00:31:12] Lana: Yeah,

[00:31:12] Akta: and I like what you said about bringing it back into the business and being able to improve your content, because by the way, your mic change, your audio is so good. Please tell me. Very good. Honestly, it was as soon as I clicked the video, I was like, oh, wow, this is like a new experience. It

[00:31:27] Lana: was really good.

[00:31:28] Lana: I so, so much money on that mic, so I was like, Anyone who goes into this video, please tell me do you notice a difference in the audio? Because if you're not, I'll cry. And the a hundred percent worth it, I got a lot of messages of people saying like, yeah, the audio was so good. I was like, yes, yes. It was very good.

[00:31:44] Lana: It

[00:31:44] Akta: was not a waste . No, not at all. But even sponsorship. So I don't know if you know, um, Justin Moore of you had of him. He's a sponsorship coach. Um, no. So I had a recent episode with him and he said one of the fears that he sees a lot of creators have is they're worried to have like every sponsored video because they don't wanna come across as a salesperson.

[00:32:05] Akta: Yeah. But the advice that he gave was to reframe that, to think what brands and products can I bring to my audience that they will love, and that is me bringing them value. Like it's not, obviously I need to earn a living as well, but I'm still. choosing our sponsorships in alignment with what my audience would want and what would help them.

[00:32:24] Akta: So I think that message is just so important as

[00:32:27] Lana: well. Yeah, it's so good. I love that mindset. I haven't even thought of it that way because obviously you are very picky with. who you're working with and you are genuinely introducing something that you're using and that you like. Exactly. I think that's exactly how you should think of it.

[00:32:43] Lana: That's very good. Yeah. Like when you carry

[00:32:44] Akta: that me, me, Milano. I mean, that's a great tool that I think Yeah, a lot of your audience would really enjoy. Yeah. And that's what you gave them, you know?

[00:32:53] Lana: That's true. ,

[00:32:54] Akta: thank you. No, of course. Um, so I'm gonna finish this, uh, podcast episode with a quick fire round. So I'm gonna ask you five questions I ask every creator that comes on air, and you just have to answer the first thing that comes to mind.

[00:33:07] Akta: Okay. So what's your favorite thing about being a creator?

[00:33:11] Lana: Ooh, the freedom. Yeah.

[00:33:13] Akta: What's one thing that gives you the most inspiration for your.

[00:33:18] Lana: Can I see my journal? Yes,

[00:33:19] Akta: of course you can. , what's your favorite tool that helps you to create?

[00:33:25] Lana: I just got a new light, which is mind-blowingly good. So maybe the lighting.

[00:33:28] Lana: Okay. I someone, this is a bit of a longer answer, but I'll be quick. Yeah. Because someone said in a video something that you shouldn't upgrade your camera equipment until your lighting cost at least as much as your camera equipment. Oh, really? Yes. Which me was interesting, mind blowing. And so, cuz I was like, this lighting is so bad because it's very dark in Sweden right now.

[00:33:50] Lana: Yeah. Um, and I thought of getting a new camera or a lens or something while I know they're good, but I was like, something is wrong. And then I saw that and I was like, fine, I'll invest in a ridiculously expensive light. And I did. And so, which light was that? Amazing? I'm curious now. It is. Oh, what is it called?

[00:34:07] Lana: After? Oh god. I put you on the spot. Aperture 300 D mark two. Okay. I aperture 300 D mark two. Okay, cool. Pretty sure if it's not that, I'll send you a message and let,

[00:34:21] Akta: thank you. Yeah. Cause I need to upgrade mine as well. I, UK lighting is also terrible. . Yep. The struggle. Um, what's one thing that helps with your work life balance as a creator?

[00:34:34] Lana: Ooh, definitely just the people in my. Pulling me out and being like, Hey, let's go have dinner. And that's so important. They bring me so much peace. Yeah.

[00:34:43] Akta: Yeah. And what's one piece of advice that you'd give to other creators?

[00:34:50] Lana: How can I not sound cliche without being cliche, ? Um, just there's nothing wrong with cliches.

[00:34:55] Lana: Yeah. Just believing in yourself honestly. Um, and I say this a lot. I think, but just knowing that no one is better than you. We're all just regular people from different parts of the world doing something that we like, and we gave it a shot and yeah, so just. Believe in yourself. Sorry, that

[00:35:18] Akta: was so, no cliche

[00:35:19] Akta: I love that. I love that. I think that's such an important answer. Especially it represents everything that you do as well as a creator. Yes. So that's perfect advice. Thank you so much Lana, for coming on and thank you so much, your transparency and honesty and authenticity.

[00:35:32] Lana: It's always a pleasure. Thank you.

[00:35:33] Lana: Thank you so much and congrats on your channel growing really quickly. That's pretty crazy and uh, yeah, I hope you're also having a lot of fun.

[00:35:43] Akta: Building a personal brand or being a personal creator can be quite difficult, so it was really reassuring to hear Lana's thoughts on this. You can find Lana on YouTube, her newsletter, Instagram or Twitter, and if you are a creator and you want to do sponsorships without the hassle, then check out Passionfroot.

[00:36:03] Lana: I'll see you in the next one.