Katherine Berry (Katherout) is a sophomore at USC from the Bay Area studying Business Communication. She is no stranger to the struggles of managing a busy student lifestyle: not only is she a campus tour guide, a trumpet in the Trojan Marching Band, and a member of a few other academic and professional organizations on campus, but she also manages her YouTube channel of over 53,000 followers. WayUp sat down with Katherine to find out how she continues to thrive while juggling all her commitments and what she’s learned from her self-made business.
Tell us how you first got into YouTube.
I stumbled across YouTube when looking for reviews of a product I wanted (Floral Ugg Boots – very eighth grade of me). After discovering some girls that I related to a lot more than I expected, I decided I also wanted to share my opinions and advice through a channel! I began with a horrible webcam – started using my sister’s Macbook – and eventually have transitioned into a DSLR camera to produce my content.
What is your favorite part about YouTube?
My favorite part of YouTube is the support and connection I receive from interacting with viewers. One comment I received on a video said that this was the exact content they were looking for and that I gave them what others couldn’t provide. It was enough to encourage me to continue publishing my ideas.
What skills have you learned as a Business major that have helped your channel thrive?
I think if anything it’s my YouTube channel that has led me to thrive in business. I have an expansive knowledge of marketing and branding, as well as organic business development and customer loyalty. My classes have reaffirmed best practices and have promoted me to continue to build my target audience and capitalize on collaborations. I now look at corporate sponsorships through an entirely new lens.
What is your dream job?
CEO of The Walt Disney Company!
You give a lot of advice to people in college and people who are looking to go to college. What is the best piece of advice that you ever received? What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?
I think one of the reasons I had such a positive experience with the admissions process was that I did my best not to compare myself. Many of my peers of similar backgrounds may have applied to key Ivies, but I knew that my talents would be best cultivated at a school with a wonderful community of spirited and ambitious individuals that love to involve themselves on campus. It’s hard to forget prestige and only look at the school’s fit for your interests, but once I did that, I made the best decision of my life.
As far as the best piece of advice I’ve given about admissions, it would be to not let myself believe that I’ll get anything I want until I actually have it – especially with college apps. That philosophy will enable you to put just as much effort into safeties as reaches. Nothing is certain and the process is broken in many ways, but just know that as long as you dedicate yourself to the applications, the results will prove that.
Check out the advice video Katherine made for WayUp below!
What has been the coolest experience you’ve had through your site?
I think one of the coolest experiences was actually meeting and developing a wonderful friendship with the first channel I ever watched, MVMmakeup. Marlee’s personality came through in such a vibrant and engaging way that I really wanted to get to know her! Although our relationship started online, when we eventually met in person in San Francisco, the connection was totally there. I even got to see her in Hong Kong over the summer while I was interning abroad in China!
What inspires your videos? How do you continue to stay creative?
My videos are inspired by the gaps I see on YouTube. If there is a video I could really use but can’t find when I search for it, that’s the void I become determined to fill. I do my best to research and find the content that will best serve my community in ways other channels don’t. Continuing to stay creative is the biggest challenge, especially because I don’t even consider myself to be a creative individual. I usually rely on my viewers to tell me what they want to see next if I’m stumped!
Who do you look up to?
In the media, I look up to empowering yet hilarious female figures like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling. On YouTube, I really look up to creators that are able to balance multiple commitments effectively. For example, Casey Neistat creates compelling vlogs daily while developing his own startup with a wife and baby at home. I look up to people like HelloKaty, who is honest about how much of a struggle it has been to keep up with schoolwork and push out the best videos possible according to a schedule. Anyone trying to further themselves while innovating on YouTube is a major idol to me.
