Moving forward as a YouTuber

 Roger Hemingway

As he clicks stop on the alarm clock on his phone, Roger double checks the day and time -- Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, 6 a.m.

He gets out of bed, leaves his dorm room and heads to the bathroom to begin filming the video he plans to release later in the week. While gathering his studio lights and iPhone XR, Roger checks his film schedule to confirm today’s video -- a wash-and-go routine using Miche Beauty Natural Hair Products.

Wasting no time, Roger quickly begins filming his wash-and-go routine. It will take him approximately four hours to record the video.

Being a full-time college student and a YouTuber is no easy task, but it’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make when it’s something you love and have a passion for, Roger said.

Roger Hemingway -- known as Roger Dewayne on YouTube -- began his journey as a content creator in October 2020 after falling in love with his natural curly hair and receiving numerous requests to explain the products he used.

Rather than individually explaining his process, he decided to document his journey through a YouTube channel. Since, Roger has released 95 videos, grown his channel from 0 to 1.8k subscribers and exceeds 76,000 channel views.

Many aspiring content creators believe they must have the best lights and newest camera to be a success. YouTuber Roger didn’t. Using his $40 lights, iPhone XR, bubbly personality and a whole lot of determination, Roger set a goal and exceeded his expectations for his first year as a YouTuber. 

“A lot of times people don’t fall in love with your equipment, the way you look on camera, or if your footage looks professional. They fall in love with your personality,” Roger said.

“Present them with the personality first, then bring them quality,” he said. “Right now, I’m presenting with so much personality that the quality doesn’t even matter. However, I do plan to transition to using a DSLR camera at the end of December.”

Using this mindset has allowed Roger opportunities that many “nano-creators” dream of. Earlier this year, he completed his first paid sponsorship with Camille Rose Naturals, a hair and skin care company with 471k followers on Instagram.

“When reaching out to brands, you have to communicate effectively and in a professional manner to let them know what you can bring to the table,” Roger said. “Not everyone sees the value in nano-creators and us bringing in sales to the brand. That’s why it’s so important to present personality. Your audience trusts you through your personality.”

Additionally, Roger has had the opportunity to partner with fellow YouTubers for collaborations. In October 2021, he was flown to St. Louis, Missouri, to record a collab with Faye In The City, a YouTuber with over 144k subscribers.

As to advice for aspiring content creators, Roger said, “Make sure you understand why you want to get into it. Knowing your ‘why’ will help you get through the beginning stages.”

“You have to work hard, you have to be consistent, and you have to be able to weather the storm of not getting as much interaction with your content,” he said.

In  the future, Roger plans to continue growing his YouTube channel and expanding on the type of content he uploads. He also mentioned that he wants to start his own brand in the future.