“Traveling and capturing moments, whether in photo or video format, are my favourite things in the world, so the fact I can merge them together is amazing.”
Originally a supplement to her lifestyle blog, Sandra Potisek never thought that her YouTube channel would take over as her primary medium for creative content. However, six years and over 5,000 subscribers later, Sandra’s channel hosts a myriad of content, from in-depth travel guides to dives into her skincare collection. “[I] thought videos would be a nice addition to the blog posts, as some content just works better in a video format,” she says. “Little did I know the community aspect of YouTube would completely suck me in.”
Like many, Sandra’s channel has been in constant evolution since its start in 2013, but she’s found her home in travel content. “It’s gone through many stages over the years, from beauty tutorials to weekly vlogs documenting my move to London, but for the past year travel content has completely taken over and I’m planning to keep it that way,” she explains. “Whenever I’m off exploring a new place, I document my travels through daily vlogs; I love to sit down and share interesting facts about different cultures.”
In addition to her staple travel vlogs, Sandra also spends time crafting detailed travel guides for her favorite destinations, a format she hopes to explore even more in the future. “I really love putting together detailed travel guides like my How to See London in a Day video,” she says. “I always get such great feedback from the audience, saying I’ve really helped them plan their trip, and that to me is by far the most rewarding.”
Despite the poise and glamour that one typically reads from a perfectly-posed vacation montage, creating travel content comes with its own unique set of challenges. “The only difficult part I’d say is the fact that I’m doing everything by myself,” says Sandra, who is a one-woman show when it comes to content on her platforms. “Sometimes it would be handy to have another person around to hold the camera for me for a couple of shots or appear in the vlogs.” Travel expenses are another factor she juggles with content creation. “Since YouTube doesn’t pay my bills, I need to prioritise other projects as well,” she explains.
Sandra draws inspiration from several different creators whose diverse content helps her think of unique ways to approach her own. “I follow quite a big crowd of people, and go through stages,” she says. “Some months I’m into simple, chatty vlogs, other times I’m inspired by the highly-produced, ‘out-of-the-box’ content.” She names the Vagabrothers, Kara and Nate, The Endless Adventure, and Flying the Nest as some of her biggest source of recent inspiration.
So what can we expect in the future from Sandra? From the sound of it, we can look forward to more high-production travel guides and even more incredible destinations. “Next month I’m making my childhood dream come true, as I’ve booked myself a trip to Namibia,” says Sandra. “I don’t have any concrete travel plans after that yet, but I’ll probably do a few weekend trips around Europe until my bank account recovers.”
“I’d love to explore more of Asia (Vietnam is the first on the list), go for a cruise around the Caribbean, visit Iceland, do a US road trip to see all the national parks, and I’d also love to finally make it to New York City,” she lists. “I truly have a never-ending travel to-do list.” If that means an equally extensive lineup of content, then we’re on board!
Are you a small YouTuber? We love spotlighting up-and-coming creators, but we’re not always on top of all the emerging talent in the community. To make sure you’re on our radar, fill out our Small YouTuber form!
Want more?
Check out our Channel Spotlight for Blessing Marie! Alternatively, check out how Ruby Price stands up to negativity in her comment section.
For updates follow @TenEightyUK on Twitter or like TenEighty UK on Facebook.
