LaurDIY on what over a decade on YouTube has taught her by means of NewsFlicks

Lauren Riihimaki, identified to tens of millions on-line as LaurDIY, has been an inventive drive on YouTube for over a decade. Again in 2011, feeling creatively stifled by means of her college classes, she did what many people did: She began a weblog. That weblog temporarily advanced right into a YouTube channel, and 14 years later, Riihimaki has constructed a virtual empire with over 8 million subscribers, plus tens of millions extra following alongside on Instagram (4.3M) and TikTok (2.2M).

Over time, her content material has grown some distance past DIY tutorials on YouTube. In 2020, Riihimaki was the host and government manufacturer of the HBO Max sequence Craftopia, and these days she’s increasing her affect as each a content material author and entrepreneur, with new emblem ventures, together with one launching later this 12 months. Nonetheless, she hasn’t misplaced contact along with her authentic fanbase, the usage of rising platforms like TikTok to reintroduce her creativity to a brand new technology.

Forward of VidCon 2025 (July 19–21 in Anaheim, California), I sat down with LaurDIY to speak about her decade of content material introduction, what she’s realized, and her recommendation for these days’s emerging creators.

Credit score: Zooey Liao/ Symbol Credit score: @LaurDIY

Mashable: Do you have in mind your first viral video?

LaurDIY: There used to be this tremendous fashionable DIY instructional that concerned slicing a cranium face into the again of a T-shirt. It used to be probably the most first actual ones that actually were given some traction. [Before that], I did not ever have a video that blew up in a single day, however that used to be the primary one who used to be the outlier in that.

You stated it wasn’t in a single day, however did that video exchange your technique to developing content material?

Now not essentially. I believe it indisputably simply affirmed that folks had been searching for extra complete tutorials as opposed to a weblog instructional on DIY tasks that I used to be doing.

It affirmed the consistency that I used to be hanging into developing content material on a weekly foundation. However out of doors of that, it used to be all so international that I wasn’t like, “Oh, now I do know what to do on this subsequent degree of this plan.” I used to be so early in [my] content material introduction adventure that I used to be identical to, “That is wild.”

You have got been making movies for a very long time. How do you continue to to find inspiration in your movies?

Now, as a result of there are such a large amount of creators and such a lot of niches and codecs, I might say truthfully that different creators are an enormous supply of inspiration. There are a handful of photographers that I apply as neatly. I have just lately long past on somewhat of a adventure, finding out a bit of bit extra about storytelling and content material from a cinematic point of view.

And it is like, what can I be told from any individual who is probably not in my area of interest however has mastered one thing and stocks their very own tutorials, like how to reach a undeniable attitude for a shot? Then I will be able to come with [that] in my very own video. So, it is pulling the experience from different creators in plenty of genres around the web as a result of there actually is a nook for each and every hobby.

Do you may have any favourite creators at the moment who you might be discovering inspiration from?

Gawx is any individual on YouTube, [and] each and every piece of content material he makes is so insanely mind-blowing. It actually impressed me. His filmmaking is from this sort of DIY point of view. I completely can push myself to provide one thing in a cooler, extra fascinating, extra intense approach [like] he does.

[Other creators Riihimaki is inspired by at the moment include Jake Frew, Life of Riza, and Tammy (Uncomfy).]

How lengthy would you are saying it took to peer vital expansion for your channel?

I necessarily made content material constantly all over my college occupation, [and] after 3 years, earlier than I graduated, I have been creating a full-time source of revenue.

You already know my folks had helped [me] via college, and so I actually sought after to peer it via and end. So, technically, from a monetary point of view, I may have long past full-time after two years, however I had one final 12 months, and I might say that I used to be in a just right groove of balancing the whole path load and in addition making content material. And so I would come this some distance all over my level, that I sought after to complete it out. After I graduated, I used to be very similar to, “OK, wow, I’ve such a lot time within the day to devote to full-time content material introduction.”

Used to be it in that senior 12 months that you simply learned that you must flip it right into a full-time occupation?

Yeah, indisputably. There have been a handful of name offers that I did in that senior 12 months of college the place I used to be like, “There is not any international the place I am going to enter an entry-level place within the task business that I had long past to university for, the place I might be making greater than I’m via content material introduction.”

It used to be so nice to be financially unbiased such a lot previous than I expected in my existence. I have been operating since I used to be 15, so I believe like my folks have actually helped me perceive the price of cash. I am very frugal, and I really like feeling very strong, as a way to be financially unbiased such a lot previous than I expected used to be so liberating and in addition motivating. I used to be like, “I’ve the most productive task in all of the international. I’m so fortunate. Like, what would ever forestall me from pursuing this full-time?”

I scooped ice cream. I used to be a server for years. I have been within the trenches in the ones starter jobs when you find yourself 15 and 16. So, having this be my full-time task now, I’ve all this precious point of view.

That in truth leads into my subsequent query, which used to be, how did you get your first emblem deal? And the way does it range out of your emblem offers these days?

So, I am nonetheless with the similar control from a decade in the past. Scott Fisher, earlier than it used to be referred to as Make a choice Control, he and I had been operating in combination after we had been each within the Toronto space.

He secured me my first emblem deal. It used to be to advertise the film Divergent when the very, first actual one got here out. And I used to be like, “So, you might be telling me that I am simply going to speak about how I liked the film, and I had learn all of the books, too? ” After all, I might do that at no cost.

And I might say that, to be fair, out of doors of the dimensions of the partnerships and the manufacturers that I have been in a position to paintings with, now not that a lot has actually modified in that panorama. Clearly, I might say issues have long past within the route of short-form emblem offers in recent times, however out of doors of the particular transaction of what a emblem deal is, at its core, I might say that issues are extremely identical.

That is so great that your first emblem deal used to be so herbal somewhat than forcing your self via an ad-read.

I have been actually fortunate to paintings with some unbelievable manufacturers and to additionally have the ability to have my say by which manufacturers I paintings with. I’ve at all times been aligned with the content material that I am making and the logo that I have constructed for myself.

And alongside the ones strains, what does monetization appear to be for you these days?

I might say emblem offers are the bulk [of my income] at the moment. I perform a little angel making an investment in startups at the aspect as neatly. Possibly ultimately, if all issues move neatly, the ones will transfer into the bulk class, however clearly, the ones are high-risk investments.

Logo offers have long past up, and AdSense has long past down, sadly. That is simply the truth of the platform as it is grown. I might say that the author spouse program with TikTok has additionally long past up.

I am additionally launching a canine emblem within the fall. In order that’s been extra of a “spend the cash now and with a bit of luck develop the logo later” technique, however additionally it is some other class of doable earnings for the longer term.

Throughout all your platforms, do you may have one that is been essentially the most an important in rising your target audience?

As a result of I have been a author for goodbye, the set of rules on TikTok has been extremely useful for me relating to resurfacing my content material and emblem to other folks and an target audience who could have been acquainted with my content material previously.

Possibly [the audience] elderly out as a result of I additionally had an enormous content material pivot, perhaps 5 – 6 years in the past, the place I stepped clear of being so family-friendly and was extra authentically myself. You would not catch me cursing 10 years in the past on YouTube, and so now issues are simply extra original. A big chew of my target audience most probably elderly out of my content material and has now reconnected. We are in completely other phases of our lives now. I deliberate a marriage, I were given married, I went on a honeymoon, and now we are speaking about fertility. So, it is only a completely other technology of our lives.

I believe TikTok has been actually an important for me relating to resurfacing my content material, and it is been wonderful to peer other folks say, “Wow, I used to observe you when I used to be such a lot more youthful, and I really like your content material now, too.” It is a actually great, full-circle second.

I have encountered that as a viewer, too. I misplaced contact with the creators I adopted on YouTube in highschool, however rediscovered them via different platforms a decade later.

In your level, even the period of time that folks have to present to a 25-minute vlog as opposed to a 90-second TikTok means that you can nonetheless really feel very hooked up to that author. From a author’s point of view, I wish to ensure that I am providing either one of the ones codecs.

I do know that some other folks love to hear a 25-minute vlog whilst they are folding their laundry or riding to paintings, but when I have were given 5 mins, I am simply scrolling TikTok, and I am not going to open a complete vlog. So I perceive there are other wishes from an target audience member now relating to the time they are able to allocate to a author.

Talking of the fan courting, VidCon is sort of right here. I would love to understand your revel in with VidCon previously and what you are looking ahead to this 12 months.

VidCon is a fantastic weekend. As a result of such a lot of the author and target audience courting is virtual, it’s at all times unbelievable so that you can see and meet other folks at this sort of huge in-person tournament.

If any individual had been to have 10,000 subscribers, and say you find yourself assembly 100 of the ones 10,000 subscribers at VidCon, the dimensions feels so a lot more actual. If you find yourself in that bodily state of assembly any individual, the relationship is solely other, and it is extremely precious. If any individual says, “I really like your movies,” and also you get to in truth thank them in consumer, [it’s] actually, actually precious from a author point of view.

I have never been to VidCon since pre-COVID, so I am excited to peer how it is modified. This 12 months, with a brand new emblem launching, I am additionally occupied with the B2B [business-to-business] play as a result of, as you already know, the author business has turn into extra precious and has proven that there is actual promoting energy at the back of author manufacturers. 

Has there ever been a second whilst you actually felt like, “Oh, I have made it as a content material author?”

There are a handful of various ranges that you simply hit. I believe for the early generations of creators, there wasn’t a trail paved for what this used to be going to appear to be as a occupation. And so each and every time I felt like I leveled up, I used to be like “Oh my god, that is it. How a lot better may this get? That is the dream task.”

Being financially unbiased and having a bit of crew round you to make stronger you, whether or not that be an leisure attorney, a supervisor, or an assistant, and having other folks serving to you to make content material, you are feeling like a bit of mini manufacturing corporate. The ones are the first actual steps of being like, “Wow, I believe like a longtime author with a content material trade.”

From a extra non-public point of view, after I were given the chance to host two seasons of the HBO Max display Craftopia, it felt like the whole thing that I had achieved on-line, on YouTube, on social media had led me to that chance. That felt like a kind of moments the place I used to be like, “Wow, that is this sort of wild integration crossover of virtual and standard media.” It simply felt so validating that what I had constructed as a DIY author and social media content material author had come to fruition to this point of alternative.

Do you may have any recommendation for any individual who is beginning out with content material introduction?

The #1 factor, and truthfully, it is a query that I pose to myself at all times, is, “What am I providing?”

So, whether or not it’s leisure, relatability, convenience, or instructional knowledge, it is about what you’re providing together with your content material. If you find yourself within the introduction or brainstorm procedure, having that query at the leading edge of your procedure is so useful to come up with function and lend a hand form even simply the hook and the supply. It might probably lend a hand come up with some guardrails as a result of it is so nice that there are such a large amount of corners and such a lot of niches. You’ll be able to make [any] content material, and there may be going to be an target audience for actually the rest that you need to make. The use of that query at the leading edge of your procedure can also be actually useful and come up with that guiding gentle.

And that’s the reason to not say that you must keep in a single lane of content material. It is as regards to what you might be providing.