FEATURE: ARIE BRIANNA

So excited for this first feature on my blog. Let me introduce you to my best friend Arielle, better known as Arie Brianna. Arie Brianna is a 19 year old hair stylist from Brooklyn, NY. 

I had the pleasure of sitting down with my friend and getting to ask her some questions in relation 

to her recent YouTube success and her progression in her career as a hair stylist.

READ THE INTERVIEW BELOW.

 Hey best friend!!! I totally enjoyed styling you and doing our photoshoot for jayrswardrobe.com. I want to start off by saying thank you so much for being the first feature on my blog. Lets get right into the questions. The first question I want to ask you is 

What was the initial spark that inspired your YouTube journey?

A:HAIR TUTORIALS!!!! I've been doing hair since I was about eight. I literally taught myself and all. I always got asked how I do different hairstyles especially sew-ins, so hey, why not record myself doing a sew in and explaining each step because there's always going to be someone who wants to learn how to do different things with hair, especially on themselves. 

 Congrats on 2k subscribers! How does it to have all this new found success?

A:Omg Yes!!! Thank you so much. Honestly it feels amazing because like I said in my previous video I never thought I would make it this far, and this is only the beginning. 

 With triumphs come adversity. Would you mind shedding some light on some of the obstacles you may have faced so far?

A: Of course the #1 thing is rude/racist comments, I don't take things like that lightly. Honestly I don't think anyone would, but at the end of day I do not want to have a bad reputation on YouTube especially since I'm new so the best thing for me to do is DELETE/BLOCK and not let anyone's opinion take me out of character. 

What keeps you motivated? Especially during those time of wanting to give up?

A: One time I went couple weeks without uploading & this is when I was just starting out so I didn't really have that many subscribers... everyone knows snapchat is life for me, so one day I recorded a video. I was second guessing about uploading so I snapped a little sneak peak & this girl messaged me saying "omg yes finally i look forward to your videos every week" and that really brought tears to my eyes because I didn't think people cared, and it's crazy because every time I feel like giving up it's always someone to comment under my video leaving motivational things. 

 Do you have any advice for those who aspire to be a YouTuber?

A: All I'm going to say is consistency is key. Yes it's going to be hard at first because trust me, it's still somewhat of a struggle for me but when you have friends, family and even strangers who believe in you, that's all you need to get up and stay on top of things. 

 What would your now self tell the old you?

A: Something I would tell the old me. I would tell her your slowly overcoming your shy ways. Always remember to do things at your own pace. And coming out of your comfort is going to be hard, but it is going to be all worth it in the end. Also don't make people's opinions make you dislike the skin you're in, accept yourself as God made you. 

 What is your goals in terms of YouTube and hair?

A: When it comes to YouTube I want it to become my full time job I think that's a challenge I would love to take on. I just want to be successful as LatoyaForever & other big YouTubers. Now with hair, my dream has always been to open up my own shop and become known for what I do.

Do you see yourself being celebrity stylist, traveling stylist, or staying local?

A: I most definitely see my self being a celebrity and traveling stylist, and it's crazy you ask that because a couple of months ago I got this fortune cookie and on the paper it said "you will travel far and wide both for pleasure and business" when I saw that my jaw dropped! I've been holding on to that paper ever since so when it comes true I can just look back and smile because I never gave up on my dreams.

You can check Arie Brianna on her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/ariebrianna

& follow her on Instagram @Arie.Brianna

Wardrobe Stylist: Josiah Marston (Jay.R)
Creative Direction: Josiah Marston (Jay.R)
Photography: Josiah Marston (Jay.R)