Uploaded and Unfiltered: Conversations about Personal Growth, Mindsets, and Advice with BIPOC Creators for Creators

Nay's Road to Authentic Online Success [Guest: Naytastic]

• Jermaine Pulliam • Season 1 • Episode 82

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Have you ever wondered how a passion for gaming, beauty, and storytelling could transform a hesitant YouTube dreamer into a thriving Twitch streamer? Nay from the Bronx joins us to share her inspiring journey from the uncertainty of the pandemic to building a vibrant online community. Discover how Nay, introduced to Discord and Twitch by a friend, found a welcoming space that led her to affiliate status on Twitch. Listen to her insights on the power of supportive networks, inclusive communities, and how streaming evolved from a daunting task into an enjoyable gathering of friends.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome. Welcome back to another episode of Uploaded and Unfiltered, a podcast in which I, your host Jermaine, interviews another content creator in regards to their journey thus far. Today I'm getting back into having people on the episode train. I have a special guest that I've been waiting to talk to for a minute because uh shout out to crew. I feel like crew is like my whole networking to other people. Uh, we played a game together back in the day. It was dope, but let me go ahead and read her bio, get some information and then we'll get this conversation started.

Speaker 1:

Nay is a bronx-based content creator, streamer and cosplayer who loves blending gaming, beauty and storytelling into a fun, chaotic experience. With an alt-aesthetic and a passion for empowering others, nay's built a community that feels like home, especially for women and Black girls who enjoy gaming, makeup and cosplay as much as she does. Her goal is to create a comfortable, uplifting space where people can laugh, play and express themselves unapologetically. She's also proud to use her platform to give back Through charity streams. She's raised over $1,000 for organizations supporting hospitalized children and empowering women. Beyond her own content creation, nea is also part of a female content creator group called FLVR, with her friends that was launched mid-October of last year. All right, it's been a while since I had to read a bio and we got through it without further delays. Let me go ahead and get Nate on the podcast. Nate, how are you doing today? Welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 2:

Hey, I'm doing great. How are you?

Speaker 1:

doing. Hey, I'm Rusty. There's a bunch of words in there.

Speaker 2:

I was killing it when it was just me.

Speaker 1:

But you made it, we got it, we did it. So I'm working on the voice acting, work in progress. Anyways, nay, I'm dying to know, because everybody who comes on this podcast, I'm nosy and I need to know how did you get started in content creation?

Speaker 2:

Ooh. So for me I don't know if it's like typical, but, um, I kind of got like into content creation like. Well, first let me start off for like how I get introduced to like like twitch for real, for real. So I had this friend group back in covid one of my good, good longtime friends, cleo, introduced me to like this girl like discord group. She's like, hey, like I made these friends on discord, like I think they're really cool. So, like cleo, she me to like this girl like discord group. She's like, hey, like I made these friends on discord, like I think they're really cool. So, like cleo, she's always a good voucher. I was like, okay, like this is cute or whatever.

Speaker 2:

But during covid I was a bunch of workers so I wasn't around as much. Yeah, so you know, I made friends there. That's when, like, I low-key like discovered more discord too at the same time. So we had we, we went to like different discord shout, so we went to like this one discord space where we met like another mutual friend of ours now, um, his name is austin, he goes by um, bro on twitch okay and um, he was like like that's what really like, introduced me to like twitch for real.

Speaker 2:

For real, because, like, I knew about it through like uh, like cutie pie, when the beyond stuff like that but like I wasn't like too into it because I was like, oh, I don't know this space, like it felt like it was for, like it wasn't for my people, for real so I was like I don't know that space for real.

Speaker 2:

So I wasn't like in there. But then, like I met fro and, like you know, I was like, oh, so there's, like you know, there could be like a community for us too. So like to like, make it more like relatable, more fun, so like we would support the streams. You know, um, chat it up like it was just always like a good time and like a partner I had at the time like he was just like like you should, like you should do like butch or whatever, because like we would all play like games together on austin's channel and stuff, and like I guess I had the personality for it. And they're like, yeah, like you should try.

Speaker 2:

I was like that don't make sense for me, but sure, because for me I've always wanted to do like youtube, because I love like my beauty gurus, like the jackie aina's, the leah j, so like I always wanted to do youtube for real. But like I always felt like I needed to have everything like like the camera, like this, that and a third. So like I never like started for real for or like I'll start recording, like oh, it's not perfect. So I never didn't think with that, like I always had like a youtube channel like floating out there where I would just put like random videos like high school and stuff. But like when I wanted to do like the makeup stuff, like I never really like didn't think with that. So like I did twitch and like because like I had like a great support system with like all my friends that I made on discord and stuff, like just being in the chats like it, and it didn't like feel as awkward and like weird as I thought it would be. Like it felt like you know, I'm just talking with the, with the homies, so everybody was like yo, like you killed it, like that I was like stop

Speaker 2:

y'all gasping, stop like like you know, it's just like it just felt like regular. Then, like I got ended up getting like affiliate and stuff and like at first, twitch for me was like something like I just did like after work because, like I did like a lot of night shifts. So like I'll get off after like a long shift at the bakery, I'll get on twitch, I'll talk, talk about what was going on with the customers and stuff, and then, like I'll get on the game to decompress and like slowly, like people, like I guess, started like meshing with it and like they started having fun with you know what I was doing and like I ended up accidentally building like a community.

Speaker 1:

So I was like oh, that's awesome, that's cool.

Speaker 2:

What really like got me into like taking it more serious, I want to say was like oh, that's awesome, that's cool. What really like got me into like taking it more serious, I want to say was like when me and my girlfriends that I like made up during like being on Twitch and stuff through, like being in different streams, it was like me, cleo Sol, serena Ayani Reina, like it was like a bunch of us we were like's get like a b and b, like and like just like being in like a space with like like-minded people and like black creators. Like it really put that battery in our back.

Speaker 2:

We're like nah, like we gotta really like lock in like so we were like we all like collectively, like got in that boat to like lock in, like start like taking content seriously. You know, I started like thinking about the whole like Tastic name as like a brand and like trying to think of like branding strategies, asking like mutual friends, like Space Cadet Monster Like, because Space, like she's more in the know of like how to like um turn like your content like finance okay and like she's always been a type where, like she's so for like, seeing her friends win, like she's always like readily available, like give people like information, so like help from like space um ayani.

Speaker 2:

She's like a brand designer. She helped with like layouts and stuff, emotes and everything like so. Like it took something that was like a hobby, like just like doing something, to be compressed on work, like, okay, we could actually like do something with this. So yeah, that's where we are now that is awesome, I tell everybody.

Speaker 1:

If you get a chance to go to a meetup and you get to be around like-minded individuals who think like you, who have same experiences as you and are passionate about content creation, that changes everything, like it makes you. You come out of that you're like, oh, I could do anything. Like why are we just sitting here? So I'm glad you said that, because I want more people go to a goddamn conference Please.

Speaker 2:

Yes, please. It's so motivational, Like for real.

Speaker 1:

Yes, that is awesome.

Speaker 2:

Man All right, all right Cool.

Speaker 1:

So let's go ahead and switch gears a little bit. I am now interested in what's your current mindset look like in regards to the content that you're making and a little dindom. Where do you see yourself in like three to six months?

Speaker 2:

Ooh, okay. So three to six months, I would say, definitely more disciplined and like planning out content. Because I was the type where it's, like you know, I have to be in like a specific creative like mood where, like I'm naturally a workaholic but like, for some reason, when it comes to like content, because like I was going through that transition of it being a hobby to it being like something like taking it more serious, like potentially being like a career at some point, it's like okay. So now it's like I have to like not make it feel like a job to where it's like it's not sucking out that creativity. So, like I have to be like in a like a set creative mindset to like be like ready to like pump out and, like you know, consistently edit and like consistently, like you know, do just that and a third.

Speaker 2:

But like I feel like in three or six months, like I'll have like a really like down packed schedule when it comes to content because, like I already like, god bless serena putting me because this is like such a genius thing to like having freaking content calendar oh yeah, this is how y'all doing this yes like this whole time I'll just I'll look through my clips and stuff. I'll be like, oh yeah, I could post this right. I'll post it and I'm like hold on, but I could just have this all like pre-done in like one day out the week or something yes and not have to worry about the other days of the week, because I'll have everything except month I was like that is so genius.

Speaker 2:

I'll be so stressed out. I'm like dang, like what am I gonna do for this week, right? Because I'm always like in the moment for the day.

Speaker 1:

Every I hear you yeah but like having everything yes, and it feels like you're cheating. You're like oh, I just posted three videos and I didn't do nothing.

Speaker 2:

I did something a week ago, but look at this literally oh my gosh like yeah like I was, like I really cracked the code, like yes crazy like for me.

Speaker 1:

Like I heard a content calendar but for some reason I was telling myself I was like that'd be too much work to start exactly. And then I started doing and I was like, oh man, I should have did this forever ago literally.

Speaker 2:

It's literally so easy, like it's easier than it sounds honestly, yeah, that is dope.

Speaker 1:

Do you have any plans in regards to the group, any big things y'all working? I mean, you're gonna tell me, I'm just wondering where the mindset is in regards to the group is as well.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so definitely for this year we want to do more stuff like consistently like content wise, because again, we did like do the launch in October. So you know, slowly like work on introductory stuff, like the like introductory post. We did like a TikTok here and there just to like put ourselves like out on different platforms. And then like during that like time before 25 hits, we'll just, like you know, brainstorm ideas. I'm like, well, like motivational, like we want to do stuff like Motivational Mondays.

Speaker 2:

So like different, like manifestation, quotes, things like that. We do have like like events because we do like hang out like outside a lot. We just forget it's like recorded.

Speaker 1:

So we're going to be intentionally yeah, recording our outings yes, because we just be outside having a ball and then we come home like damn, we didn't take no pictures I mean like part, I'm like glad because like get out there and go have fun, but then the other part, is like I know your fans are like what y'all was doing let me see what y'all was doing behind the scenes, please exactly.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, we're definitely gonna be more intentional about that and during our outings. So there'll be, like more like rl stuff coming. Yeah, um, things like that more like gaming together, more consistent, like flavor takeovers, like the different members, so everybody can get a feel for, like you know, everybody individually. And uh, we have some other stuff too, like I like convention stuff yeah, hey, no, you good to go down.

Speaker 1:

You dropped enough like y'all are on top of it.

Speaker 1:

That I was talking to some of the homies for the long as like groups, I feel is like where content creation I mean it's been there for a while, but you got like amp and then you got rdc right there's a few groups out there, but I feel like a I think group work, if you can get a group of people, that y'all all rock with each other, y'all have same work ethic, like it's fun as hell, like you get to play together and work together and make money together, like why not? That is though man okay I'm gonna slide into my favorite section of this podcast lessons learned. What has been a lesson that you've learned? Because, because you started creating content.

Speaker 2:

Simple as that oh, definitely, like I mean, it's not necessarily a lesson, but it's always a reminder because, like I see things. But like staying authentic to myself, because like I'll have people tell me like, oh, like you should do this, you should do that, but like I remember, like I tried to deviate, I try to listen full time okay this content creation journey, where it's like oh, like you should start doing this because it's doing well with like numbers and stuff this down a third.

Speaker 2:

I was like I don't like that, like this is not fun and I'll be telling chad like I don't like this, don't ask for this again exactly yes and it's like I gotta keep reminding myself like there's always the audience for something. So like, just stay true to what you like and what you like want to do, because, at the end of the day, more people are going to resonate with that as opposed to like the more like trends, I think yes, it's appropriate word like for, like trends and stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

So that's another lesson I had to you know yeah, I think, uh, be the you said it perfectly being authentic, like there's so many benefits to it because a when you're authentic, let's say you blow up off of something that you did, you genuinely love it's going to be way easier to maintain that if you get a hype of a whole bunch of people come through to maintain that energy, because that's who you are. Versus when I played Fortnite that few times, I fucking hate Fortnite. I'll play with the homies, but I'm not trying to play on stream. Stream man, I'm sitting there with my face is like a dead face the whole time, like, yeah, I got a bunch of people coming to watch me, but I wasn't having fun and you can tell that during the stream.

Speaker 2:

So like that energy, don't lie not at all.

Speaker 1:

I can't, I can't fake it, I'm sorry like the kids know, when I'm upset, I'm like I'm not, I'm not, they're like all right, dad, whatever I can'm upset, I'm like I'm not, I'm not. You're like all right, dad, whatever I can see it, and I'm like all right.

Speaker 2:

Right.

Speaker 1:

But no, that's a dope lesson to keep in mind, because, also, I'm glad that you know the two times where you tried to deviate. You're like nah, I tried to do it for y'all, it ain't happened.

Speaker 2:

Literally happened, literally like I'm sorry, like because my oh, my gosh, like one thing about it. Like I don't like to lie, because it's like even if I try to lie, it's gonna show on my face. It's gonna show my face every time, like like my face is so loud so I just I'll just be like you know what? I don't like this.

Speaker 1:

It's not happening yeah, just so y'all know exactly uh, one other thing that I wanted to touch on in regards to the because I used to feel that perfectionist, like I'm not gonna put this video because I x, y and z one thing that it clicked in my mind I was just stuck. It's consistency. Not only because, like for streamers, you got a schedule going, but you get in a consistent youtube schedule. Let's say, you post once a week that content builds and by the end of the year you got 52 videos of both content and lessons that you could have learned from editing processes that you gained because you did all 52 of those videos. I had to remind myself. There's other stuff, aside from how many views this got.

Speaker 1:

Because the views used to kill me. I don't even look at it anymore. I have to because it's there on the post, but then I don't mind, like thinking about. I'm like, oh, that shit was fun to do.

Speaker 2:

On to the next one and it made it fun again for me especially when it's like something where it's like you're thinking too much about the numbers, because it's something like, oh my gosh, like I feel like I put my foot in it and y'all don't like this, yeah, right so soul crushing.

Speaker 2:

I had to like like get my head out of like the numbers thing because that will like stuff like that will really like not only make me upset but it'll be like dang, like, what am I doing? Like that imposter syndrome starts kicking in. So it's like I had to take them numbers out because I don't be playing.

Speaker 1:

That's perfect. I forgot about that feeling because I don't luckily, I don't feel it anymore, but that feeling of like, oh, I killed this and it got two views.

Speaker 2:

I'm like are y'all insane? What's wrong with y'all?

Speaker 1:

I'll be sending it to my friend like hey, yo watch this, let me know. But yeah, that was fire all right I'm just checking because and we got two views and I don't know what's going on yeah, algorithms be algorithms sometimes so all right, dope, I like like that.

Speaker 1:

That was succinct, perfect. And now we're gonna move on to words of advice. Because you've been doing it for a while and I want to say this from outside, looking in in if you wouldn't have told me how long you was doing what you're doing, I would have said you would be doing like four or five years. Like like you went into this doing this, like this is me. I'm not like so to hear you just starting this and you kind of was just like it's, because I think the way that you started, you started with a bunch of friends and y'all were just having fun regardless, and then you just put the camera on, start streaming that and, like it comes through, like I, you're killing it. So keep, keep up the work. That's why we're definitely words of advice. Who would you give advice to and what type of advice do you want to give them?

Speaker 2:

this is for my girls. Okay, my advice for y'all, because this is coming all my girls out there. Okay, my advice for y'all, because this is coming from me Somebody that, like that, do not care about nothing or what nobody gotta say Please, please, please, please, please, please. This also goes back into like the whole like numbers thing.

Speaker 2:

If there's stuff you want to do, but because you have a big audience, you feel like you know it's gonna like mess up and tank, you know, like the funds, the numbers, girl, just do it, just just do it, girl, just do it, because it's like, at the end of the day, the guys that want to stick around, they should be sticking around for you regardless, not for, like certain things that you're doing like, say, like, if you're somebody that plays shooters but like you like to play your little cozy game sometimes, like you want to play that cozy game, play that cozy game like. Or if you want to start, like you know, touching into like more, like feminine content, which is something like I'm trying to do more. So now, like, don't worry about. Like you know, I feel like for me, like I always tell myself, like things that happen is because it's like you know, it's willed by the universe. It's like people that like sticks around, that's gonna be there. People that's like you know being weeded, that's the universe.

Speaker 2:

We didn't know the ones that's like trickling out and those that wasn't for you. So the the people that's like going to stick there, like regardless of like what you want to, like, do what you want to switch to. Them's the real one. Yes. So, girl, do your feminist stuff.

Speaker 1:

I like it. I like it. I had that conversation with myself because I used to do one thing when I was streaming and now'm definitely pushing towards more mindset, mental health transformation, stuff like that and I was thinking. I was like I know there's gonna be a large group of my audience. It's gonna be like what the fuck is this? But I don't give a fuck anymore. Like I'm like I want to hang out with people who think like me, so I'm gonna make content like that, and then those will show up and those who aren't fall off, and so that put me in a mindset. I'm like all right, I'm doing this regardless. Like yeah, I'm talking about dramatic childhood experiences, why you should like help with that shit, and most people I don't want to talk about that. I'm like well then, you don't want to get help. That's yeah, I'm. I'm talking more, I'm being more loud about the content that I want to make and it feels good. So that's a great piece of advice that everybody should take.

Speaker 2:

I feel like people definitely resonate more with that because, like, like you said, like it's, it helps with, like, your mental health, because, like you're doing something that you really want to do, you're really you know, you feel true to, and that energy is going to speak out so loud and I feel like people are going to resonate more with that, as opposed to like just doing stuff because you know it's for the sake of, like the audience yeah, like the trend, like, oh, everybody should go eat a hot chip.

Speaker 2:

Hell, no, no, no I hate when they be asking about the day of chicks.

Speaker 1:

Right or like any like food thing Like no. Hey, yeah, they know Like yes, I know, if I eat something stupid high it's going to get a bunch of numbers. I don't want that audience.

Speaker 2:

Literally like you want me to be in pain, like why do you want to see me hurt? Right?

Speaker 1:

hurt right now. You like this, right. What is wrong with me? I never even thought about like that. Holy crap. You know what? Next time I see somebody eating some hot shit, I'm like why do you hate yourself? Literally, what's going on? All right, nate. Uh, thank you for that piece of advice, and guess what? It's time to shout out all the amazing things you do to get the people to show up and see what your content is all about. So, without further ado, go ahead and uh start listing off where you do your thing at call to action time right, honey.

Speaker 2:

So I'll be everywhere for real kind of kind of sort of, but for real. So mainly I'll be on twitch. So twitchtv slash, that's it. Um, I'm also on youtube. We on that YouTube grind now. So youtubecom slash at NatasticX. I'm also on Instagram Same thing instagramcom slash NatasticX, tiktok, natasticx. Okay, oh, I'm with you on the blue skies.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, we love blue skies. It's great over there.

Speaker 2:

That one's just fantastic. No x, I guess we still want x, whatever, but like you know I'm divorced with her, I'll just be posting blue sky, you want to hear like right, you want to see what I'm thinking about offline. You want my offline raw thoughts? I'm on blue sky, we over there but like xastic x, you know what I'm saying. See, it's too much platform.

Speaker 1:

Yes, there's a lot yeah I made an account recently.

Speaker 2:

What's that lemon eight? Yeah, I did too, but I haven't really touched it I need to figure out how I want to utilize that. But right, soon come uh, lemonade, uh natastic egg, okay, um, but yeah, you know, catch me with the again.

Speaker 1:

The beauty, the gaming, cosplays, all that, yeah oh, all her links will be in the description of this podcast and, if you haven't already, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast, uploaded and unfiltered. It's, I believe, like 80 weeks of us not missing a week of an episode. It's's doable. If I could do it, you could do it. If I could do that, you can post one TikTok a day. I'm on that, anyways. Also leave me a review, and there is also a link in this description for you to text the podcast. Send me something, let me know what you want to talk about or if you got any guests you want on. You got any questions for me. I will on. You got any questions for me, I will answer them live. I think you can leave a message too. I'll probably play on. Let's say, no, it's unfiltered, I'll play it whatever you send other than that. Hey, yo, thank you for doing this. I appreciate your time, hope you had fun and, uh, thank you yeah, this is fun, I love this this.

Speaker 2:

This is chill. I like this, oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

I appreciate y'all for listening. Thank you as always, and, like always, protect your mental, keep creating content. I will talk to you the next one, peace.