Hi Mina, can you briefly describe your channel to new viewers?

I have two YouTube channels: Miss Mina and Sweetandtasty. Miss Mina is focused on World Food & Travel (shown above). Sweetandtasty is all about Korean food, travel, culture and language.

[Daniel: Mina started Sweetandtasty back in 2007. She has spent the last 10 years creating content on Youtube! She created a second channel in 2015 and is actively publishing on two channels.]

What is your professional background? Why start a YouTube channel and when did you decide to go full-time?

Before committing to YouTube full-time, I was pursuing a career in architecture. When building 3D models of cities, I’d add little people into the models to show scale. I would make up stories about their relationships and life experiences. After a year in the industry, I watched an interview on Tom Ford. He too studied architecture. Ford would always find a way to fit fashion into his projects. He’d look at the figures in his scale model and think about what they would be wearing. That’s when it hit me: my mind was geared towards storytelling.

Having been told and read that film school can be expensive (I just had graduated from college), I decided to teach myself the various aspects of filmmaking. From scriptwriting to directing to acting to post production, I began uploading videos on YouTube to build a portfolio. I didn’t intend on pursuing YouTube as a career, but it turned out to be something I enjoyed.

You actively publish on two YouTube channels. Must be busy – to say the least! Can you share your weekly Youtube schedule?

For my travel videos, I film in bulk. I’d typically visit Korea for a month or two, gather footage for around 50 videos. When I come back to the States, I’d edit them one week at a time. For my Six-Month Asia trip, I also filmed in advance, but had to edit/upload during my travels. It was a challenge to find reliable and fast wifi at times.

[Daniel: This is interesting. I assumed Mina was based out of Seoul. I realized that you don’t necessarily have to reside in the country that you want to build content around. Visit the country, film in bulk and release week-by-week.]

I edit three videos a week: two for Miss Mina and one for Sweetandtasty. Rather than have intense weekdays, I edit on the weekends as well. I found it to be easier on my back. Sitting at the computer for hours can be hard work! You got to give your body a break.

Marketing is a daily routine. Simple as posting on various social media platforms.

You have a very spontaneous and lively personality on camera! Were you naturally an extrovert or did this come after years of being in front of a camera?

Growing up, I was a shy child. I remember in 5th grade, someone trying to snap a photo of me and I’d put a hand on my face or run away. College does wonders. I give credit to my former roommates who loved to party and friendly classmates. Their outgoing energy rubbed off on me. I also stopped caring so much about how I looked to others, which made it easier to take photos/videos.

You are routinely filming in public. How do you get over the fear of filming in public (or at least the discomfort)?

I produce travel content, which puts me in the position to film in public often. There are times I still get a little shy to film around people. Before thinking about such emotions for too long, press the record button and go. The longer you stand in hesitation, the more awkward attention you might draw from others. Do your thang with confidence!

Mina, it seems you like to connect with your fans through Mukbang videos. How was your experience?

Creating mukbang videos was a lot of fun. I hoped my viewers felt like they were sitting on the other side of the table and eating with me. Recently I stopped producing mukbang. I got ill a couple times from overeating, developing a fever and such. For new creators wanting to make mukbang videos, be you and remember that health is #1.

You also experimented with one ASMR video. Did you like it? How did your fans react?

When filming ASMR videos, you get in tune with different senses as opposed to making mukbang videos. Sound versus taste. I enjoyed the process and would love to make more, however ASMR is not favored by all my viewers. It would be appropriate to make a new channel solely dedicated to ASMR rather than upload onto my current channels.

[Daniel: There is a growing number of people on Youtube who enjoy ASMR videos. They claim that specific sounds can trigger a tingling sensation – that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spin. You have to love the internet! 😀]

You started with daily vlogging on your second channel. Why did you stop the daily vlogs?

Daily vlogging on Miss Mina and uploading weekly to SweetandTastyTV was a challenge. Some YouTubers may find daily vlogging invigorating. Perhaps they are more extroverted than I. I wanted to maintain space from work and my personal life. With daily vlogging, the two were becoming inseparable. It affected my social life as well. If I wanted a private hangout with friends and family, I had to find a way to make up for the “lost” time in filming. It got to the point where I felt like every activity I participated in had to be vlog-able. I’m a strong believer in having free time to reflect and recharge. Having some distance from work allows you to see things outside the box. For more details on this topic, you can watch my video below:

There certainly were positive aspects as well. At the rate of high production, I experimented with many types of formats, including mukbang and ASMR.

Your videos are filled with fun effects, overlays, speech bubbles and transitions. Have you purchased any custom plugins for your editing software?

One of my favorite things to do is watching ads for plug-ins. They are pretty sexy and I probably buy too many of them.

Many people romanticize the idea of turning YouTube into a full-time job. As a full-time YouTuber, did it live up to your initial expectations?

Many people romanticize many jobs. From artists to writers to TV show hosts, their lives may look like fun and games. At the end of the day, a job is a job. Everyone needs that paycheck to pay for rent. Every job comes with its pros and cons. If you want to create travel videos, you might risk becoming homesick and falling ill in a foreign country. Exploring Angkor Wat was breathtaking, but getting Dengue Fever put me in bed for 40 hours. It’s like this: you want glorious abs? You got to put the hours in and make the necessary sacrifices. There’s a process behind every image.

Revenue from YouTube ads is slow and frustrating. How do you support yourself financially? What income streams have proven to be the most reliable?

A YouTuber’s income is a roller coaster. There’s no set monthly payment. As with stocks, the general revenue may be an upward climb, but the line will go up and down. Most of my recent income is from YouTube. There have been times I ventured out and offered my video/photo services to startups and other businesses.

I’m in the process of expanding sources of income, including developing my merch shop and setting up a Patreon.

What’s next for you (and your channels)?

I’d like to know that as well 🙂 Life is full of unexpected happenings. YouTube is a popular platform today, but you never know what tomorrow will bring. You do your best, while staying true to yourself, and that is all.