BIG Ideas with Jaylynn Angelina
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Jaylynn Angelina has been filming since she was a kid. First for fun, then as a way to share her perspective. Over time, YouTube became more than just a hobby. It became a path forward, a creative outlet, and a way to build a future on her own terms. In this catch up, she walks through how it all started, what she’s aiming for next, and the ideas that have her on her journey.
Jaylynn’s Journey
Q: Let’s start at the beginning—why did you first start creating YouTube videos? What inspired you to hit publish for the first time?
A: I fell in love with the camera the moment I first picked one up. Who knows how old I was! My parents would film my brother and I on a precious camcorder and I adored being both behind and in front of it. It was always a meaningful artful expression to me whether that was taking photos or cinematography. In high school I launched my first YouTube channel (which thankfully has been deleted now PHEW), and of course you can expect the backlash and bullying that came with that but I was determined to live authentically myself, so I tried rolling it off my back as much as I could, stubborn to live my own life.
Years later, I picked up the hobby again when I came across a comforting, sunny video of someone making a strawberry pastry in France! The beauty, the human-ness, the editing, a spark lit inside of me once more and I decided to make videos again. I find editing to almost be like putting a collage together.
Q: What’s the journey been like since then? Tell us how your channel—and you—have evolved along the way to where you are today.
A: What a massive question! Mind if I yap about this forever? I’m kidding! But let me try and be concise because when you start YouTube, you learn more than you ever thought you would.
I took YouTube seriously when my partner (who’s from England) and I got news that the visa income requirement to move to England was being raised to an absurd amount for any young person to hit. Scrambling, why not actually try at YouTube? Thus started the transition journey of balancing videos I want to make, videos for the audience I’m trying to hit, all while planning MONTHS ahead and pre-filming everything. Because I move every few months, my filming process is different than usual. There are some pivots I can’t make yet until I’m properly settled but that's when my series of Mini Video Essays were born so I can still connect to my audience while being everywhere all at once. It's been a lifesaver! And the most important lesson: it doesn't matter how good of a video you make is, if you don’t create a community to keep watching them, so create to build community.
Q: If YouTube were to become everything you hope it could be, what would that look like for you? Paint the picture of success in your own words—what would feel meaningful and fulfilling?
A: Make (more than) enough money every month, uplift women and make them feel safe through my art/videos, host women’s groups around the world focusing on healing and bragging to each other, and producing my podcast every week. As much as I’m a creative, I’m also a business woman. So making sure I’m taking care of myself financially while being able to support women?! My dream! A dream I’m determined to build.
Q: Fill in the blank: “The best ideas come when I’m______”
A: Going about my day!
Q: How is Spotter Studio supporting that journey? Has anything inside Studio helped you improve your videos or move closer to your goals?
A: Being chosen as a ‘Studio Ideation Summit’ winner and being enveloped in that world instead of alone editing on my laptop, was the biggest pinch me moment. I’m thankful Spotter gave me a chance while providing an amazing tool to help us creators make the best videos possible.
Jaylynn’s BIG Ideas:
1) Q: What book, resource or creator expert have you recommended most to other creators, and why?
A: Aprilynne Alter. She’s great at talking to all creators (not just the MrBeast wannabes) and is so intelligent in getting her ideas across in a digestible way. Also! Justin Moore. All things brand deals and truly making income no matter how many subscribers you have.
2) Q: What $100-or-less creator tool or purchase has made a surprising impact on your channel or workflow this year?
A: Honestly.. ChatGPT. And that’s coming from someone who’s careful and questionable about AI! But when you’re a creator, especially starting off and alone, it's so nice to have a brainstorming session with something to truly go back and forth on. Like I can’t yap to my friends who aren’t Youtube nerds like me forever! I actually get somewhere with Chat in ways I never considered. That’s the magic.
3) Q: What’s a “brutal” 10/10 video flop that ended up teaching you something critical during your creative career?
A: I made a video where I Walked and Talked around Paris. It was so much fun for me! But the retention rate was so low because the video was so long. Only a few special people watched it (thank you guys..) and I had a blast making it. But it's there I learned, especially when you're first starting off, that shorter videos are best for youtube. A) You’re able to create more so you publish more and thus you keep the audience you do have. B) strangers are more likely to click even if they don’t know you. C) the retention rate doesn’t hurt your video as much if it were longer. D) if you have a strong personality or meaningful presence, people will want to watch more anyway.
4) Q: What’s been the most worthwhile investment of time, money, or energy you've made to level up as a creator?
A: Traveling. It works for me and my videos. Collecting a TON of b-roll and being able to span it for months, years even! Plus the memories, life lessons and takeaways. It's priceless.
5) Q: What’s a unique part in your creative process that works for you even if no one else gets it?
A: Live in the moment then go back and reshoot it. Because I film my life, I’ve struggled finding balance between savoring the moment for myself and loved ones, then capturing it for my art. I’m taking a new approach where I experience it once, then experience it again, this time while filming. But that makes it all so much more special. It’s like in the movie About time, where the character is able to time travel. He lives one day, then goes back and lives it again, but the second round, he takes his time and savors life. That’s what I’m aiming to do. When my partner and I finally move in together after waiting years, we get to run around our new apartment, then do it all over again. Who doesn’t want to live sweetness twice? Spread out the goodness in each moment.
6) Q: What idea, habit, or shift in mindset had the biggest impact on your growth on YouTube?
A: Do it for the people and do it from your heart. Speak to the audience you want (to attract them) but do it with authenticity (keep them). My video blew up titled Becoming the woman I look up to and it’s because I (accidentally) talked to the collective experience with my own voice. As much as I want to create for myself, it’s out of a place of connecting other people and healing others as much as I can. People feel that. And I make every video with them in mind because you’re nothing without your audience. It’s led to my growth, people choosing to stick around.
7) Q: What’s the BEST advice you’d give to a smart, serious creator just starting to post consistently? What’s the WORST advice they should ignore?
A: Worst advice: do whatever you waaaannnttt.
Best advice: Find a theme to come back to and keep hitting that target until the algorithm knows who your videos are for and people connect to what you make. Practice makes perfect.
8) Q: What’s one idea you’re still wrestling with—something you’d love to unpack more with the help of Spotter Studio Community?
A: Nothing I’m perfect 💅 (kidding, sort of ;) Because I have to plan ahead so much and pre-film so much I’m juggling like 50 ideas at once, just trying to stay organized and grounded through it all.
9) Q: What idea are you most excited to create next?
A: We flew 1,255 miles to fall in love. I’m editing this journey just next week! My partner and I begrudgingly went to Italy (let's just say, break after break down) but we came out on top and savored the trip despite how we felt going into it :) You could say.. We flew 1,255 miles to fall (back) in love..
10) Q: If you had a million dollars to make your dream video, what would it be?
A: Pfft! I don’t even brainstorm with this budget in mind!!! But… oh yeah. Okay maybe I have this pipe dream idea. Well.. I would fly 10 women, who don’t have many means, to a country and travel with them. I didn’t grow up with money and I saw people more privileged than me bopping from place to place like it was no big deal, not worried about having food on the table. I dreamt of traveling and feeling that level of freedom. Thankfully after hard work and tunnel vision determination, it's something I’ve accomplished in my adult life now. So I’d want to treat women to the same experience who wouldn’t otherwise get the chance. Everyone deserves a break, deserves community, and to feel supported. Giving women a healing vacation, especially one where they never thought it was possible?! Please!! Sooo yeah, that would be my dream video.
The Best is Yet to Come!
Her approach to YouTube is thoughtful and intentional: make good videos, build real community, and stay grounded in what matters. There’s no shortcut, just steady progress. And with each idea, she’s getting closer to the version of success she’s been working toward all along. If you’d like to follow Jaylyn’s journey, be sure to subscribe to her channel here. The best is yet to come!
