(upbeat music)
- Hi, we're Joel and Lia.
- And this video is all about how we
turned our friendship into our job, or our business.
Which probably is already triggering a few people
because it's kind of like a, oh my gosh,
you're talking about money again
or you're talking about worky things
and you're, yeah.
- Yeah. (laugh)
- See, it's making me probably more
nervous than actually the viewer.
- Well, obviously this title sounds very brutal,
how we turned our friendship into a business.
And I guess the worry for us is that we
wouldn't want anyone to think that
our friendship is fake now because it's our job.
Because it's not and obviously you guys
hopefully can see that our friendship
is very genuine.
- Oh, my gosh, how much does this feel
like an apology video?
- Yeah, it does.
- Guys, we're really sorry.
- This friendship is very genuine.
(laugh)
We promise.
- We promise we're not fake.
Leave Joel and Lia alone.
- We've done videos on how, we did one when
YouTube became our full-time job,
we've done videos about, so of our
life as YouTubers and we are sort of,
are you guys interested in learning a bit more
about like, our dating lives as YouTubers
or like, and so we just thought we'd do
an honesty video.
- Honesty hour, not an hour, just ten minutes.
- Honesty ten minutes.
- Honestly.
So yeah, I guess one thing that's worth saying
is that like, what you've already said,
the friendship hasn't been compromised
just because it's now our job.
If anything it's become more and more.
Because we were saying to each other,
we were each other's only friend.
(laugh)
- It's so true.
- You end up like, you know how you have
colleagues at work and you're like
I literally don't see my family because
I just, all I see are these people at work.
That's kind of what it's like with us.
- Because we just see each other
or maybe our manager, or people we might
be collaborating with but literally
we just see each other all the time.
- That's it, like, that's why I'm like
I've got no other friends.
But I'm fine with it now.
- Yeah, it's all right.
- Yeah, it's actually all right.
We go to the same gym, we use the same shed,
like work space, that's it.
We've got something going on.
So let's talk about how we did it
and was it ever really the plan.
- Which the answer to that is just no.
- No.
- It wasn't ever a plan for us.
We started making videos about five years ago,
messing around in front of the camera.
- We were just bored, like, you know,
we left drama school waiting for the phone to ring,
anyone who's an actor or in the creative industries
will know that like, work doesn't just come your way
as soon as you're like, a newcomer into the industry
and you're like hi, I'm an actor now.
Nothing happens, really.
Well, it does to some people.
- A very few, very small percentage it does but.
- So we just started messing around making
videos and then no one was watching,
no one was watching, no one was watching,
no one was watching, a few thousand people were watching,
and then last year loads of people started watching.
- Yeah, it just randomly took off and so
it's been an accidental business.
It was never our plan to become YouTubers.
We're very much like, we're actors
and we're just doing this in our spare time.
And now that's sort of taken over for the moment.
Obviously you guys know that we hope to
be acting one day, but at the moment
YouTube is sort of that we're,
it's our day job essentially.
It's what pays the bills.
- It is our job now which is so weird.
But I think like, there have been a few times
in our friendship where we sort of sat down,
we've not gone like, what's our game plan,
or what's our strategy.
In fact, we find that really hard.
- Yeah.
- Someone asked us the other day,
it's are partner manager at Google,
she was like, so she's like a YouTube,
basically she just helps you grow your channel,
she was like, what's the six month goal,
what's the one year goal,
and we had no answers for her.
- So we've actually got a lunch meeting with her
next week or the week after and so
we've been talking about our goals.
- Setting goals.
- What actually do we want to achieve
because it can easily just feel like
oh, we're just having fun on camera
and that's it.
But actually, everyone around us,
our management, the people at YouTube,
are just like no, come on guys,
like, what do you want, where do you want to go,
how can we create a safe job from this?
Because at the end of the day, YouTube isn't a safe job.
It depends on people watching, trends, everything.
So they're like, how can we turn this into
a secure, stable, career for you?
- So we did sit down about a year and a half ago, I'd say,
and we just sort of went right, there's
a bit of momentum on our channel.
How can we turn this channel into something
more than just us posting on it
when we can be bothered?
And yeah, and I think since we sort of
changed our mindset and said this could be a job.
Let's try and make it our job.
And slowly, slowly, slowly, the results started to come
and I think so much of it was do to with
believing it could be.
Because there's so many YouTubers out there
that go yeah, you know, I've been doing it eight years
and still nothing's happening for me.
And we genuinely thought we would be those YouTubers.
We were like well, we'll have a channel,
we'll always be small, it will never be big.
Do you know what I mean?
- Yeah, but.
- I mean, it's still, we still think
it's a really small channel.
- I know, when we say, this is the other thing.
Networking is so difficult and when people
ask you like, how many subscribers you've got,
me and Lia both are like oh, it's only very small.
It's just like, 180,000 subscribers.
And they're like, oh my gosh, that's incredible.
And we're like, is it?
- Oh, is it?
- Oh, thanks, and then you don't want to say is it
because you sound really like, is it?
So then you're like, I don't know,
I just haven't really thought about it. It hasn't sunk in.
- Yeah, 180,000.
- We can't think about the numbers
because it will freak us out.
Because if we're like, potentially 180,000 or more
will watch this video you're like,
you just wouldn't say anything.
I'd just be too scared.
- You'd just be like, nice to see you.
- Yeah, so we just pretend that there's still like,
there's 20 people watching.
Just 20 of you.
- Yeah, mostly friends and family.
- Yeah. (laugh)
- Numbers are strong.
- But we went to the World Travel Market yesterday
which is a big event in London
where you basically it's tourism boards
for every country in the world.
- In the world.
- Every, not every city but lots of cities
in the world, as well, where you can just mingle.
And we went as influencers, which is what we're called.
- And it was, I'm telling you guys,
it's hard to sell yourself.
- So difficult.
- Which is what inspired us for this video
because we have to go up to people, right,
and say like, hi, we're Joel and Lia,
we're from a YouTube channel called Being British,
it's basically, it's just us, the title is us.
And already, just saying it, you're like
you can feel your pitch getting weaker, weaker, weaker.
So we were like, do you know what?
We need to just brush up on some networking skills.
Let's do a Skillshare video and let's see what
the like, top tips for being amazing at networking are.
- And for those of you that don't know what Skillshare is,
it's an online learning platform that has
online lessons in everything from like, design,
technology, personal skills, health, well-being,
anything you can think of.
They've got thousands upon thousands, upon thousands
of lessons and classes and you guys know,
we've worked with them a few times.
We, over the next few months, are going to share
with you once a month, what we've been learning.
So last time, we were sort of learning
sort of what was, I was learning health and well-being,
you were learning sort of design.
- Yes, so last time it was like, camera skills
and more techie stuff.
This time we both sort of decided to niche down
on how to network because it's one thing
networking with people who already know what
your industry is, and there's one thing going
to a conference at a big, what are they called?
Like, exhibition hall full of people wearing suits,
people with real proper jobs and
we're just there in our normal clothes
wearing our merch, and we're just like hi, we're.
- And they expect you to sell yourself.
So we went and some people would be like, where you from?
Meaning, not where are you from,
because we were like, London.
And they're like, no, what company are you from?
We were like, are we a company?
Like, Joel and Lia?
(laugh)
So before we went we knew we wanted
to do some networking classes.
So we did one that was called, I think,
Networking like a Ninja which I loved.
- [Lia] Yeah, and then one that was called
something like How to Survive an Event.
And we though, oh perfect.
And the picture of it looked exactly like somewhere
where we were going.
- [Joel] Yeah.
- [Lia] So, and obviously like, loads of it applied to us.
Some of it, I'd say, maybe didn't
but you can just take what you need.
Just pick out the tools, you know,
we're obviously not going to turn
up to an event in corporate wear
because at our job we.
- [Joel] It doesn't reflect our channel.
- [Lia] Yeah, it doesn't reflect who
Joel and Lia are, it feels weird talking about ourselves
in third person.
- It's a really affordable learning platform
so if you are looking to develop new skills
in any area, it works out with an annual membership
at less than $10 a month.
So, if you're interested, go down below,
get your free trial because there's only 500 available
for Joel and Lia viewers exclusively.
- Exclusively.
Also, if we didn't do the videos we'd
have forgotten to take our business cards with us.
Because we were about to walk out the house
without any business cards.
- Which is probably like, the number one tip
is have something that you can give to someone
so that they can contact you and we
nearly forgot that.
- I was like Joel, it's fine.
We're digital, they're just scan our Instagram thing
and you forget you're dealing with people
that are old school, it's all about actually
having a card, we have ten left.
All of them went, guys.
- Yeah, so there we are.
- We met a couple of viewers at the World Travel Market
and that was so, so nice like, you know,
you forget that people are actually watching.
Of course, respect about the numbers and
you're probably sitting there thinking like,
how can you not think anyone's watching but
it's because in the UK, it's kind of rare for us to
bump into fans, do you know what I mean?
- Yeah, because our viewers tend to be
international so yesterday we met two Americas,
and a girl, I think, from Morocco?
And it's just, I meet lots of Asian viewers
sometimes, I know Lia does as well.
- And when we're together we tend to meet more
people because they recognize both.
- Yeah, and because we have fun with each other.
So when I'm like, alone, I have resting Brit face.
Not resting bitch face.
Resting Brit face.
But when we're together we're laughing.
So we look more approachable, I guess.
- Yeah, I definitely think that.
I wonder how many people maybe see us
but think they look so miserable I'm not going to say,
I'm not even going to go up to them.
- I know, which we're not.
We're just like, just it's natural.
- Just a natural face.
- Yeah.
(laugh)
But so, these events, like the networking,
it's now realizing that's kind of what our job is.
It depends on us networking,
talking with brands and clients,
and just getting ourselves out there
and working with people.
- Yeah, and I think we pushed ourselves
yesterday because we could have easily called
up our manager and said please, oh wait,
she's in Berlin, we could have called up someone
from our management and said please, please, please
can you come with us and as soon as we see
someone we'd like to speak to, can you make the intro?
But we were like, do you know what, let's
just do it ourselves, let's just throw ourselves
in the deep end.
We're only going to be better, do you know what I mean?
We're only going to be more confident and
more, I don't know, just better people
for giving it a go.
- Definitely.
- So I'm really proud of us for yesterday.
- Yeah, me too.
If you're enjoying this video don't forget to click
the subscribe button and the notification bell.
We post videos thrice weekly.
- [Joel] Hi, nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you!
- Anyway, we're just trying to
organize some content for you guys
for December and next year.
Hopefully making our content a bit more interesting.
We're obviously trying to network as well.
So to putting our Skillshare lessons into practice.
- I know, and like, one of the top tips
that they gave us for networking was just to like,
sell yourself like, just not be afraid to
go up to people and say who you are and what you want.
- Yeah, exactly.
- And it's like, really hard but we've actually
challenged ourselves today and done really, really well.
- Yeah, we have.
- We've got like, a wallet full of business cards
that we've collected.
So we just chatted to the guys on Brit Tours,
is it called, Brit Movie Tours and they're so cool.
Oh my gosh, I thought he was real.
- [Joel] That's Eddie Redmayne.
- Eddie Redmayne, I was like oh he's just smiling at me.
Eddie!
- [Joel] That's so strange.
That'll be us one day, Lia, Madam Tussaud's, Joel and Lia.
- [Lia] (laugh) Holding Prosecco.
- Yeah, Prosecco glasses.
- [Lia] Joel's just making today's video live
from his phone for you guys.
We had a cool little chat with
an afternoon tea company that have like,
buses that go around, you can do cool stuff
on the buses, yeah, just try loads of food
and have afternoon tea and I bet you guys
would enjoy watching us do that so yeah.
Fingers crossed for that one.
Right, to Philadelphia.
- We're trying to find Philadelphia.
- Right, basically we went on the Preston and Steve
Raido Show, as you guys already know,
and we want to go tell the people on the
Philadelphia stand because they might just get
really excited by us.
- Yeah, so we're gonna go find them.
We're gonna tell them.
We walked past earlier but they were in a meeting.
So we're gonna go back and just say hi to them.
- Especially talking to people
that are not YouTube literate.
- No, so there was a few people we met,
tended to be very older people.
I mean, there's a man probably in his 70's
that we met that was just like, no,
I don't believe in any of that mumbo jumbo.
- Acting, nope, nope, nope.
- No, and we were just like, okay,
firstly, no need to be rude about it.
Just say oh no, we don't really do that.
- Just go, not my vibe.
- Yeah, just go, not my vibe.
It's so ridiculous.
- Yeah, if you don't have any budget to
work with influencers or work with people
that could maybe help your business lift
off and it helps ours as well, just say not my vibe.
Don't just be rude to our face.
That's just really, you know.
- But also, he's missing out because as a
business owner, he needs to move with the times
and know that working with people like
YouTubers actually can help your business.
- It'd be so beneficial.
- And I think that's what we did. We move with the platform.
So YouTube, as a platform, has changed quite a lot.
Like, there's a certain style of content
that did really well like, two or three years ago
that now, it doesn't do well anymore.
And we used to do a similar style to that
and then we were like well, YouTube people
don't want to watch that anymore.
So we changed our content, we moved with the platform
and I think that's what helps you in business.
You've got to like, adapt and change.
You can't just like, stick in your little lane.
- Yeah, and we looked at our friendship
and we were like, we can still apply what Joel and Lia
is in this friendship to this new, sort of like,
business model that the algorithm, the platform,
if showing us works so there was never
a case of us going like, let's just change who we are.
We were literally just like, we're
really good at talking to each other.
- We love talking.
- We love to chat.
People really enjoy watching us chat, don't know why.
I was saying to Joel the other day,
you know when we were on the tube having a conversation,
we're not speaking loudly but do you find people
just listen?
He's like, yeah.
- And then they laugh with us, you see them like, smirking
and you're like, are you listening to our conversation?
- It's really funny, we're like, I don't know what it is.
- But I think lots of the time we're just putting
on accents and being like, you say,
hey darling, all right darling, yeah.
- And then you were like,
you ever heard a guy that repeats everything
his friend says?
- Oh it was hysterical.
- It was so funny.
- It was this really camp guy that was so funny
and he was talking about, he was like,
oh hey, where are you going to?
Where do you live?
And she was like, Chatham.
And he goes, Chatchum, mm-hm, and he just like,
repeated everything he said and I was just like,
those people that close their eyes and nod when
you say something, their like, how are you feeling today?
You're like, oh, I'm quite, I'm feeling all right.
All right, mm-hm.
And you're just like, stop repeating the last word
with a patronizing nod.
- It's just so funny.
- Anyway, we just find things funny.
- Yeah, but.
- One thing I love, sorry. - You're all in, go on.
- One thing I love about this being our job
is that we can, for example, the merch that
we've got, we're both wearing our merch.
These are sayings that we say all the time.
Not my vibe, and triggered, but I love that
we've let other people in on that.
And like, you guys feel a part of our friendship
to us and to yourself.
- And it's your thing as well.
- And it's your thing as well and I just love
that we're sort of spread the Joel and Lia love
around the world.
- The fact that we have brought together people
from that side of the world and that side of the world
and now they're friends.
- It's crazy, but that's what we want to do.
- I know, that makes me really happy.
- It would make her hair stand on end
if she hadn't had laser hair removal on her arms.
(laugh)
She just looked at her arms, I knew your thought process.
Like, I don't have hair there anymore.
(laugh)
- Joel, incorrect.
I'm not having laser there.
That's when I got the wax and it went wrong.
- Oh, I thought you're had laser there.
- Never get a wax at a place you don't trust.
- That's so funny though.
Oh, no hair.
- You're like, it makes my hair stand on,
oh wait, I had an arm wax.
There's nothing there.
- Anyway, what were we saying?
- But yeah, turning the friendship into a business.
Yes, quite a clicky title, thanks for clicking it.
We've tried to sort of, (laugh)
thanks for clicking it.
- Thanks for clicking.
- We've spoken a little bit about how
we've kind of done it.
It was accidental, yes there have been some conversations
but we've gone oh gosh, we're like,
mid-20's now, we should probably be trying to
make some money.
- Yeah, then finally like, the down sides
of working together, like, I know lots of you
were thinking like, oh can it work?
Like how's the pressure on your friendship when
its been turned into a business?
- It's just like any working relationship.
Like, luckily we care about each other so much
that like, when there's tension we just need to
sort it out or work through it, like a
friendship, like a married couple, maybe
obviously a bit more close than how you would have
like, colleagues in an office because it's like
we're the only people we work with plus our
management and brands.
- And plus like, for colleagues in an office,
if you dislike someone you can still do your job
and get on with it.
If me and Lia fell out and disliked each other,
we couldn't fake it in front of a camera.
- No, we'd have to have a few days off.
- Or have it out with you.
- Have it out.
- Yeah, luckily I would have 90% of the time,
everything's good.
10% of the time there's tension.
And that's so natural.
- It's very natural and it's natural as two
different human beings that you disagree on something
because most the time it would just come from
disagreements or going, no I think this,
no I think this.
- And then you're just like how can we work through this
and come to a compromise?
It can be done, guys.
If we can do it, anyone can do it.
- Yet there's not any friendship duos
on YouTube, really.
No, male or female friendship duos
apart from Damon and Jo.
Like, there's none.
- I know, it's mad isn't it?
We're like, go on, give it a go guys.
- Give it a go.
- If we can do it.
- Yeah, but anyway, it's been probably quite a long video
but hopefully you found it interesting.
- Yeah, lots of you guys say that you're
interested in the business side of things
so you know, let's speak about it openly.
Let's not be embarrassed to talk about making money.
Ah, it's so British, isn't it?
- It is.
- Like, I can't talk about the fact that this pays my rent.
- But it's also a well known thing that YouTubers
earn money from it now and one of our YouTube friends,
Luke, he posted on his Instagram story
being like this isn't true, by the way.
Because it was a website on net worth
and it said he was worth 11 million pounds.
And he was like, are you joking?
That is not true.
So I think it's like, it's worth talking about
because everyone knows YouTubers earn money.
- Like, to put it into perspectively,
I'm living in a rented accommodate, like,
a rented flat in London.
I don't live on my own, I live with
a girl, another flat mate who also has a job,
and she's trying to be self employed,
do you know what I mean, she's hustling.
I can't afford a one bed flat but it's enough.
Do you know what I mean?
It's like, we're certainly not worth 11 million.
- We're not even worth one million,
not even worth half a million.
- No where near, no where near.
- But maybe one day.
Maybe one day the Joel and Lia brand will expand
and maybe not become Joel and Lia.
Maybe it will be something that Joel and Lia own
but that's the thing.
We do want to grow a brand.
- Yeah, we'll see where it goes and we're just really
lucky and really grateful that we've got
an amazing supportive system,
supportive group of people online that like us.
Support system.
- Support system.
- Therapy.
That's been everything today, guys.
We hope you've enjoyed the video.
We upload videos thrice weekly.
And we'll see you again next time.
- Yeah, see ya soon.
- [Together] Bye!
- Don't forget to like and subscribe.
- Like and subscribe, notification bell.
- Click it for on.
- Click.
- [Lia] We spoke for a long time during that, didn't we?
- [Joel] That was a long one.
- [Lia] Congratulations if you made it this far,
through to the end.
- [Joel] You're listening to this end card, fantastic.
- [Lia] I always wish that people would watch
through to the very end before writing first comment.
You know when people write first comment
within 30 seconds of like.
- [Joel] You haven't watched it.
- [Lia] You just clicked on it.