- Hi, I'm LaurDIY.
I'm a YouTuber, podcast host, and TV host,
and this is the Wired Autocomplete interview.
[upbeat playful music]
It is shocking the amount of times that I've died online.
[upbeat playful music]
What is LaurDIY real name?
My real name is Lauren Kobayashi Riihimaki.
It's a lot of syllables.
I got really lucky,
and when a lot of YouTubers were naming their channels
Mac Lover Baby, Barbie Twinkle Glitter 45,
I stuck to something a little more straightforward.
So Laur, obviously the first half of my name,
and then DIY, which was the trajectory of my content.
And so I got really lucky because I got to keep my name
when a lot of people had to rebrand when they decided
that they didn't want to be
Beauty Lover Glitter 45 Twinkle Star Cloud.
What was LaurDIY's first viral video?
I got really lucky, and it was like my second
or third-ish video, and it did really well on Tumblr.
Thrived on Tumblr.
It was like a skull back t-shirt.
So the back of the shirt was very edgy,
and Tumblr, and alternative.
What show is LaurDIY on?
I host, and executive produced, 'Craftopia'.
'Craftopia' is a DIY craft challenge show.
It's three contestants, two challenges, one winner.
That sounded very hosty right there.
Three contestants, two challenges, one winner.
What camera does LaurDIY use?
The iPhone camera is shockingly good now.
On cinematic mode, specifically.
Oh my God!
oh my God, it's so good.
And then I vlog on a Canon.
[LaurDIY laughs]
A Canon
EOS M50.
I vlog on a Canon M50, with a wide angle lens.
And then for main channel videos,
I shoot on a 5D.
So dramatic.
Okay, how many subscribers does LaurDIY?
I have just under 8.5 million subscribers.
Blood, sweat and tears for the last 10 years
is how we came to be at 8.5 million subscribers.
But, I mean, it's been 10 years,
and I've been pretty consistently uploading a video a week
for 10 years with like a mental breakdown scheduled
on a quarterly basis.
So there's been a few breaks.
But for the most part,
it's been 10 years of making consistent videos.
How many tattoos does LaurDIY have?
Mom, this is a great time to skip ahead in the video.
I think I have 14 now.
I've got a '73 Vega here.
My dad has one, and it's been a family thing
that's been in our family forever.
I got my Japanese Betta name here.
And then this is a cootie catcher.
There's absolutely no meaning behind it,
I just thought it was cute.
How old is LaurDIY dog?
My dog, Moose, is just over five years old.
So I brought Moose home at eight weeks,
and so it's really interesting
'cause his life is basically documented
from the moment he came home at eight weeks up until now.
So every birthday that Moose has had,
there's probably a vlog.
I was just watching his first bath video.
Adorable!
But I'm so glad that I have those moments, you know,
kind of like frozen in time in the form of a vlog
because he just grows up so fast.
How to tie dye LaurDIY?
So I've done a handful of tie dye videos.
I had a LaurDIY tie dye kit.
Tie dye really had its moments.
So I feel like I've done a few different tutorials,
like how to do tie dye using crushed ice on top of shirts,
and different ways to tie it.
So there's definitely a ton of existing tie dye content
that I've made over the last couple of years.
Oh my God, this feels so like.
Why is LaurDIY leaving YouTube?
Oh my God.
Mental breakdowns!
Mental breakdowns on mental breakdowns on mental breakdowns.
I think because people are so involved,
and this is like the beauty of YouTube.
Being engaged with your audience
is that you kind of have to give your audience,
I mean you don't always have to.
I've just been the type of YouTuber who gives my audience
a heads up when I need to take a break.
I think it's also just nice to share your experience
with needing to be like, hey, I'm really stressed out
and I need to go lay somewhere
for a really long time and not do anything.
And so I've always been really open
about when I take a break.
And so I think in the past having made videos
that might feel a little dramatic in the moment
when I'm having the mental breakdown,
they think that I'm leaving forever.
But I probably am not leaving forever anytime soon.
Coming back can be kind of stressful,
'cause you're like, oh my God,
I have to come back with a banger, like an absolute banger.
It could be really stressful.
But for the most part, people are just excited
that you're making content again.
So I used to put a lot of pressure on myself
to make a crazy good video coming back.
But now I'm just like, hey, here's my dog and I
getting lunch today.
And it's way less pressure.
When did LaurDIY start her podcast?
On my birthday, August 11th,
22 years ago?
Two years ago and a little bit.
Wow, the math there was struggling.
So yeah, we just had our two year anniversary
and just passed our hundredth episode mark,
and it's been an amazing experience so far.
LaurDIY merch?
Is this where I'm supposed to plug my mech right here?
This is kind of great. [LaurDIY giggles]
I just make things that I think are cute,
and a lot of the times my audience
also happens to think they're cute.
And it's a great way to just make something cute
that other people can share with you.
For me, I don't really,
it's not a big money making business.
It's more just that, like for example,
I have a new trucker hat, 'cause I love trucker hats.
And so I made a trucker hat that I was excited to wear,
and luckily other people also wanted to wear it.
Where does LaurDIY get her plushies?
Someone actually just introduced me to this app,
and this is next level crazy.
I almost don't wanna put this on the internet.
Okay, so Squishmallows, I feel like,
are having their moment right now.
It was tie dye a year and a half ago,
but it's Squishmallows now.
And as a millennial I just feel
you can be a successful multimillion business owner,
but also go home and lay on a Squishmallow on the couch.
And we shouldn't get shamed for that.
So anyway, there's this app called Squish Alert,
which literally tells you on what websites
rare Squishmallows go in stock.
Because people are psychotic with Squishmallows,
and it is nearly impossible to get one in regular stores.
I'm maybe exposing and people are gonna be mad
who have been gate keeping Squish Alert, but sorry about it.
Where was LaurDIY born?
I was born in St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada.
It's a suburban medium.
Schmedium, maybe a schmedium-ish city,
just outside of Niagara Falls.
Okay, where is LaurDIY parents from?
St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada!
Born and raised, baby! [LaurDIY laughs]
Thank you so much.
What awards does LaurDIY have?
So the Streamys is kind of like the Oscars
for YouTubers where we all leave our house
for the first time in a really long time,
'cause we're all home bodies.
It wasn't a life changing event
in terms of channel growth,
but it was a really great piece for my Visa application
to be able to still work in the states.
The immigration office really loved the Streamy Awards,
so thank you, Streamys, for letting me continue
to be in the United States.
Okay, what is LaurDIY's Poshmark?
I don't think Poshmarks URL's work the same
where it's like poshmark.com/whatever,
but I do put some of my old stuff on Poshmark.
Gently used, sometimes never used at all
because I have a shopping problem.
LaurDIYofficial, my username on Poshmark
what college did LaurDIY go to?
I went to a university in downtown Toronto
called Ryerson University.
But Mr. Egerton Ryerson was not the greatest guy.
So they actually just changed the name of the university
to the, I think it's Toronto Metropolitan University
or something.
So Ryerson University does not exist anymore,
which is really fun for my degree
that's hanging on the wall in my parents' house.
What percent LaurDIY are you?
So Seventeen magazine, on their website,
did a what percent LaurDIY are you quiz at some point.
And I think that I got like 75 or 90%.
I was like, what question did I answer wrong of my own life
that I'm not a hundred percent LaurDIY?
I was slightly offended, but I was like, okay,
maybe I've changed, some personal growth,
and I'm not as LaurDIY as I used to be.
Or is it evolution of LaurDIY 2.0?
It kind of set me spiraling into a self-reflection moment.
[LaurDIY laughs]
Thanks so much for having me, 'Wired'.
You can find me on the internet at LaurDIY.
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