Bethany Mota has always had an eye for creating content that people naturally gravitate toward. By the numbers, she has accrued nearly 10 million subscribers on Youtube, five million followers on Twitter, and over four million followers on Instagram. And if you haven’t read her book “Make Your Mind Up: My Guide to Finding Your Own Style, Life, and Motavation,” add it to your list stat. 

Needless to say, her influence in the content creator space is iconic, and over the years, Mota has gained a lot of insight as an influencer. But the YouTube Queen has used this time in quarantine to add another profession to her résumé: fine jewelry designer. That’s right, while the rest of us were binge-watching Bridgerton, Mota was busy launching Atom&Matter, a line of delicate jewelry co-designed with former Tiffany & Co. designer Yunjo Lee.

From being authentic and consistently reflecting on the work she is producing to appreciating her achievements, her journey has always been rooted in passion, which is why we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Entrepreneurship is all about taking calculated risks—What’s the most pivotal risk you’ve taken, and how did it change your path? 

There are several risks that I have taken and really anything that I have done has been outside of my comfort zone.

When I started, everything was either beauty or fashion. As my channel grew, there were some things I had always wanted to do, but I never had the confidence in myself to do them. Things that were more mainstream or with traditional media anything, I didn’t want to do out of fear, such as performing on “Dancing With The Stars” or in the music space. I was so afraid that I wasn’t capable or at that level yet. Pursuing these things not only helped me grow as a person, but it also helped me develop my content and push myself further. 

Another risk was when I chose to take a break from social media. It felt risky, but I knew it was crucial to where I was as a human being. It helped me transform my content to reflect my most authentic self. 

How did you make your first dollar and what did that job teach you that still applies today?

My first ever paying job was actually YouTube. I wasn’t necessarily trying to make money, and I didn’t expect the income when I made the first dollar from one of my videos. But what I learned from that experience was that if I work really hard and fully invest in what I was doing, then it is not just an internal accomplishment: I could actually generate revenue from what I was doing. It was the first time I learned that I could have a job that I truly loved, that passion and making money could actually go hand in hand, and I could finally benefit from something that I really loved to do.

Take us back to the beginning—what was the lightbulb moment for your business and what inspired you to pursue this path?

The first lightbulb moment in my YouTube career came at a point when I was already gaining traction and had grown significantly since I started in 2009. I struggled for a few years finding the right balance between doing what I loved and business. I started with just the intention of making connections and purely as a hobby, so I always found it hard to combine business and money with what I was so passionate about. I never really realized that these two things could coexist. So to have them combined was something I didn’t want to accept for a long time.  I didn’t want to be the one to make business decisions or to have a team behind me. 

The lightbulb moment came when I was designing clothing with Aeropostale and was doing more in the product space that I realized I could actually have both. I can have a business, a brand, and still love it. It’s all about knowing when to say no and knowing what opportunity is right for you. There were a lot of products and brand opportunities that didn’t necessarily feel authentic, so when it’s all about holding out for what’s right, it can make it feel effortless. When it comes to designing, I feel the connection between what I love and business which makes it that much more significant. 

Having this breakthrough helped me create more and more in the business space without feeling like I was selling out. With my company Atom&Matter and creating a whole brand and designing jewelry, I feel like I have taken these learned lessons and found the right balance. 

What career mistake has taught you the biggest lesson?

Something I struggled with for a few years was focusing too much on what my audience expected from me. I was getting out of sync with what I knew I wanted my content to be, and what I wanted my career to reflect. I was worrying too much about keeping up and staying ahead of what people wanted. There is value to this, being ahead and anticipating “what’s next”, but not if that’s all you are doing. If you are just worried about appealing to your audience and are not truly passionate about what you are doing, then it can lead to a lack of identity and burnout. This is definitely one of my biggest mistakes which I’ve learned from. Don’t get too deep into worrying too much about what people may want, or caring too much about the numbers. Especially as a creator, there is always so much pressure about being “number 1” and this can be incredibly limiting to your growth. 

2020 presented everybody around the globe with new, unprecedented challenges. How did you #FindNewRoads + switch gears towards your new version of success?

2020 has given everyone a lot of time to reflect and to work on themselves. To think about what’s truly important and what they actually want. This year has been challenging, and I’ve spent a lot of time alone which has its challenges. But it has allowed me to reflect deeper within myself and figure out what I want to offer the world moving forward. With ideas that I may have had for a long time, like Atom&Matter, I was given the opportunity to work on them behind the scenes and actually bring them to life. It was definitely different starting a company during this time (it’s been a lot of Zoom calls!) But if I didn’t have this time to be alone, I’m not sure if I would have been able to do this and to have the time to give it my full attention. It allowed me to figure out who I was and to implement that into what I was doing. The result is a company with a strong identity which I’m so proud of. 

Going after what you deserve in life takes confidence and guts. Does confidence come naturally to you or did you have to learn it? What advice can you share for women on cultivating confidence and going after their dreams? 

Confidence is something for me I still have to keep in check. It requires constant maintenance, and every day we have our insecurities and our doubts. But I’ve gotten much better. When I was younger and a little more naive, I would let opinions from other people dictate how I felt about myself. It made me feel empty and confused, as I was too dependent on reassurance from other people. But once you get over the hurdle of living for other people, it unlocks the door for more self-love. There’s a lot of self-doubt being a creator, and it’s something our entire industry deals with as you rely on the feedback from your audience to know if you are doing a good job. You have to know this within yourself, and then it radiates outwards into everything that you’re doing. If I get myself to a good place, then it becomes a domino effect. My advice is to not be so hard on yourself, not be so judgmental, appreciate yourself for what you have already achieved. 

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs? How can they achieve the same success you've experienced?

My advice is to first find what you love doing and what you’re passionate about. Take a look around and see what space needs to be filled, what out there is missing. Go on social media and see what is lacking, or what category really isn’t there. Take a look at what is helpful to people; find something that might already exist but make it your own. There are endless options when you create something that is truly unique; it becomes irreplaceable, and that’s what makes it valuable. It’s exciting when you’re an entrepreneur, you get to make your own rules and put something you love into existence.  

What is your number one piece of financial advice for any new entrepreneur and why?

I started my business, not from the sole motivation of making money. I think it’s important to focus on the goal of the impact you’re looking to make with your business and not have money as your driving force. Whether it’s a brand, a product, or a piece of content, if you focus on the impact you want to have on your customers, I feel strongly that you will make gains financially. Be smart with your money and your investments, and don’t let it rule how you make your choices with your business. 

What's the one productivity tip or work hack that truly changed your life?

A work tip that has helped me be more productive is to schedule everything. Always have a plan prior. Especially in content creation, you have to have a clear, detailed plan before you go into the actual creation process. It makes it so much easier, more enjoyable, than putting so much work into something that you didn’t sit down and plan out. Break everything into tiny steps, even little things you might not think are important and write everything out. That way, you and your team, if you are working with one, are all on the same page and know what they need to get done. 

What is the #1 career or money book you always recommend and why?

“The Motivation Manifesto” by Brendon Burchard. It’s not about money, but it talks about a lot of things that lead to financial success. It approaches it from an emotional point of view and speaks to things like ego, which is a big part of being an entrepreneur and it can play tricks on you.  t talks about the struggles of your emotions and the importance of state of mind which is not only helpful for your “self” but for your career. 

If you could go back to the beginning of your career journey—with the knowledge you have now—what advice would you give yourself? 

I would tell myself to not be so stressed out! I was really stressed for some time out of fear.  “What if this happened, what if that,” and other theoretical ideas that would scare me away from making certain decisions. Especially in your career, you are so hindered by the fear of making mistakes. So my advice would be don’t be afraid, go ahead and make decisions and if you make a mistake then you will learn from it. 

Fill in the blanks:

To be successful, you need to be…

Passionate.

If there were more hours in the day, I would…

Sleep.

If I wasn’t in my job now, I would be…

A world traveler.

Three qualities that got me to where I am today are…

Drive, creativity, resilience.

My perfect day begins with…

Coffee.