Words by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of Icon PR
We got to chat with YouTube creator Roi Fabito about his channel Guava Juice and what it takes to achieve YouTube success.
What initially got you interested in creating content for YouTube?
Initially, I started because where I grew up (Durham, North Carolina), there would be an abundance of things to do. There was a new site called YouTube and my parents had this video camera they bought and would never use. I would kill time by gathering all my friends and making silly videos. Eventually, YouTube started paying its creators and I took it as an opportunity to have lunch money when I was in college. Now, it’s become a platform that I love because you have a community that you can inspire and make laugh.
What was the hardest part about getting started?
Consistency is the hardest thing about getting started, but it is the most important element needed to become successful. Everything else will come to you after. Whether it is constantly posting content every week or brainstorming ideas, it is important to make creating videos a habit because it’ll eventually become a lifestyle.
I remember there was a time where I didn’t post anything for about 10 months because I just graduated high school and the whole transition to college threw me off. I knew if I wanted to be successful on YouTube, I needed to be consistent. Even the content you do post, you need to make sure it is consistent. You need content that fans will keep coming back to because they love the style, persona, and vibe you emit from these videos.
With so many creators on the platform, how do you make sure you stay original?
YouTube is very saturated, and when I started Guava Juice that was a huge obstacle to overcome to standout. The most important thing is to find your voice and persona and be confident with it. That took some time finding out what persona my audience loves. But through consistency and experimenting, I found my voice.
Once I knew that I made sure I stayed in tune with social media to figure out what’s trending and I hopped on it as soon as I could. For example, I remember watching a video of the dance trend ‘running man challenge’ before it blew up. I instantly grabbed my camera and filmed and edited the video until 4 in the morning to make sure it goes live the following day. Finding trends and setting it in your own voice helps separate you and helps you get noticed quick.
A lot of people see YouTubers and assume that they post videos and then become famous overnight. Tell us a bit about the hard work that goes into your job.
A lot of people think YouTube isn’t a job, but in reality, it’s just an unorthodox job. There is a lot of hard work to make sure content is posted consistently throughout the year. In order to do this, I need tons of help. I have a huge team that helps me with producing, scheduling, editing, publishing, etc. We have a little warehouse where we film. Every Monday we usually do admin activities like setting up the week and the following week and buying props and making sure our filming schedule is on point. That way when we do film everything is very streamlined. Tuesdays through Thursday we film from 10 am to 6 pm, sometimes it takes longer depending on the content. Fridays are more catching up meetings and phone calls to wrap up the week.
That’s only for the filming side of Guava Juice. There’s another side where we deal with the toy line called Guava Toys, which is out at Target and Walmart, Guava Juice Boxes, and the mobile app. Fortunately, I have an amazing team that helps me out with those as well. All in all, being a YouTuber isn’t as easy as people would think.
After gaining a following on YouTube you started to create your own toy line (Guava Toys), gaming app (Guava Juice: Tub Tapper), subscription boxes (Guava Juice Box), merch and music. What was your reaction when your toys started selling in Target? Or, when your gaming app hit 1M+ downloads, and you spoke about it at Ad Week in NYC?
Honestly, it’s such a blessing to do something I love to do and to inspire millions at the same time is just surreal. When I first saw my toys at Target the first time, all I could think was “wow… is this real life.” I teared up just because I was so thankful for everything that brought me to where I stand today. Everything that I do and all the milestones I’ve reached like hitting 1M+ downloads on my Tub Tapper mobile app, I couldn’t have done it without my team and my amazing fans that have supported me along the way. I can’t take all the credit for what I do. There are so many people who have supported me and helped me along the way, and for that I am thankful.
How did it feel to win a Streamy Award and hit 12 million subscribers in the same weekend?
Winning the Streamy’s and hitting 12 million during the same weekend felt surreal. When these milestones came back to back, all I thought about was the process it took to get to this point. I started the channel not knowing what direction it would go or if it was even a good idea. I knew if I was consistent with it and I had fun along the way, everything positive will eventually come as long as I keep moving forward. When good things come to me, I always take time to reflect and be thankful.
Outside of YouTube, what are other ways you express yourself creatively?
I love music. A lot of people don’t know this, but I love playing music. I have a couple of guitars at home and a piano I would spend hours just playing because it helps me calm down especially after working so much.
What advice do you have for those who want to be content creators?
Never ever underestimate yourself. The moment you give up is the moment you stop believing in yourself. You are capable of so many things that you may not be aware of until you reach it. For me, there were moments where people told me I can’t be successful because I wasn’t funny or not good looking. I said “whatever,” I know my worth and I believe good things will happen as long as I keep moving forward.
I found confidence I never knew I had, I found creativity that was always within me, and I found a voice to inspire others all because I believed in myself. Never lose hope and never underestimate what you can do.