Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Smith.
Hi Grace, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I wanted to do YouTube from the time I first found out it existed! I would make videos on my computer and fake vlog when going shopping with my mom from a very young age. I decided to create something real out of this outlet and upload to YouTube for the first time when I was an incoming sophomore in high school. I was excited to even get five views per video and instantly fell in love with the editing and uploading process. From the start- the process of creating videos has been full of passion and peace for me. I get so excited to film and feel relaxed by video editing. I continued to post videos all the time throughout high school and took it pretty serious from the start- I never took any long break and uploaded very frequently. YouTube became my main income and job after a few years and it took off for the first time when I moved to Ole Miss and started to create college content. Throughout the years I have had the chance to work with so many brands that I am passionate about and I am so blessed that this has become a true job for me. I have had so many amazing opportunities come from YouTube such as success with starting my online business, “Change the Caption,” as well as my social media career helped me get my dream internship at a store called LuLus Oxford and a director position at the University of Mississippi’s fashion magazine. I am currently working on launching a podcast, focusing on my small business, uploading lots of content to YouTube, and preparing to be a transfer student at Mizzou this fall. I am so excited to create content in the state where I began everything and I am excited to see what opportunities come from this big move.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Going after my dreams has without a doubt not always been a smooth road. In high school, the hardest aspect was seeming “odd” to my peers. Starting a channel was not a “cool” thing to do in high school and there were a few instances where I was made fun of to the point that school lost a lot of its fun for me- and as a student who usually loved going to school and getting to be with my friends- this was not the best time. However, instead of becoming smaller or quiet because most people seemed to not understand my dreams, I focused more energy into what I really wanted. A day after an incident happened where a lot of my peers watched a video during a school day mocking me- I chose to upload yet another video. I have always known I loved YouTube and nothing was going to take this passion from me. What pushed me through these strange times and pushed me to continue uploading was the knowledge that what others thought about me or said about me would not affect my life 20 years down the line- but working hard for what I wanted could change everything.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Lifestyle Influencer and my main workspace is YouTube. I create videos showing the behind-the-scenes on my life, fashion, college, lifestyle, opening a small business, and more. Through YouTube, I provide advertising to companies of all sizes. I love to work with local STL businesses as well as companies all around the world. These sponsorships are my main source of income and I love the process of building relationships with the brands. I recently opened an Etsy shop and this has been such an exciting new venture. It is called, “Change the Caption.” I sell stickers, water bottles, hats, tote bags, phone charms, and soon I will be adding stationery and apparel. I am known for my positive attitude and my optimistic view on life throughout my social channels. My Instagram (@gracedanielleyt) and my YouTube channel (YouTube.com/GraceSmith) truly emphasize focusing on self-love and finding happiness. I am most proud of the community I have created where I have the opportunity to create videos that lead to girls reaching out sharing how I changed their daily lives, views on their situations, and how I help others to become more optimistic and chase their dreams. What sets me apart from others is my ambition, love for sharing joy, and my discipline to create content no matter what stage of life I am in.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be when I first moved to STL and was floored by city life. I had grown up in small rural towns in Missouri and everything seemed so shiny, big, and exciting here. My parents surprised me with a trip about a year after moving to STL where we would be going to Florida. They kept it a surprise that we were going anywhere and told us we were going to iHop. I was still so shellshocked by the size of St. Louis it took going into the airport to finally realize I was not going to a pancake house.
Contact Info:
- Email: gracesmithcontent@gmail.com
- Website: https://gracesmithcontent.wordpress.com
- Instagram: @gracedanielleyt
- Youtube: YouTube.com/GraceSmith
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChangeTheCaption
