Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicky Justiz.
Vicky, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
If you had told me when I was in high school that I would end up as a Youtuber with my own business and over a million subscribers, I would have thought you lost your marbles. Growing up, I had a very specific plan outlined for my life – go to college, get my degree in event design, work with the top event production companies in the country, and then open up my own event design business.
I started modeling as a way to make some extra income in college and was hired for a gig where I had to demonstrate exercises for a YouTube channel. Before this, I had NO idea you could even earn a living or make an impact through social media. The “influencing” space was pretty much non-existent and I thought YouTube was just for funny cat videos.
I discovered that I enjoyed being on camera and I was able to ACTUALLY make a difference in people’s lives just by getting them to be active! I started my own YouTube channel in 2015, but I was super slow to upload or focus on it at first. I was still holding on to my old plan of event production. That year, I met my now-fiancée and he was the one who really saw the potential in this and pushed me to take it seriously.
The turning point for me was when I started getting recognized in public places. I thought that stuff only happened to Hollywood celebs. I started getting long messages from people who told me how much I changed their life! I couldn’t believe that I never realized the impact and the potential that this could have. Once I graduated college, in 2017, my fiancée quit his corporate job, we put all of our eggs into this YouTube basket….. and boy did it pay off! That year my subscription base doubled and last year, we hit 1 million subscribers. The more effort and focus we dedicated to the channel, the more it grew.
We did EVERYTHING ourselves. We both had to learn, thanks to Google, about filming, editing, SEO’s, AdWords, YouTube, Marketing, negotiation skills, copyright law, and soooo much more. I kept running with the fitness content on YouTube while my Instagram was growing in the travel and lifestyle space. It has been a heck of a learning process and we still learn more every single day.
Now we run all my social pages together, as well as managing the workout program business and everything else. The world is changing. Social media gives us the power to share and connect with millions of people around the world. People can now choose exactly what content they want to see, who they want to listen to, and more. It’s an amazing, beautiful thing and I feel blessed to be a part of it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh, DEFINITELY NOT. When we started on YouTube and social media, it was so new that everyone thought we were crazy for pursuing it. Friends, family, strangers – all the could do was express their doubt and disbelief. No one really saw the potential in it as we did. When we told people we did YouTube for a living, they just raised their eyebrows and said: “yeah, uhhh, okay.” We felt like we were up on stage and the world was waiting for us to flop.
We are so lucky that we had each other and that we never caved into the fear. But it was still really hard to believe in our craft and take this risk when everyone else was screaming for us to turn the other way. I know this all comes from a good place – no one likes to see their loved ones fail. But without risk, we would never achieve this greatness and live this amazing life. No guts, no glory.
Vicky Justiz – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What really sets my channel apart in the fitness influencer space is that I am not afraid to show my struggle. I know I am not the strongest, fastest, fittest person on the planet and I don’t pretend to be. Fitness isn’t about being the best- it’s about trying your best and becoming a better version of yourself.
I also don’t believe that anyone needs to dedicate 3 hours a day to being in shape. Do I like working out? Sure. Can I think of a million things I would rather do? Definitely! I am all about short and productive workouts that will achieve the best results in the shortest amount of time. I am also all about convenience, which is why most of my workouts can be done from home.
A healthy lifestyle includes doing things you love and enjoying yourself. Going out to nice dinners, indulging, drinking champagne, staying in all day to watch Netflix, these are all little things that I love and would never give up. Many Fitness influencers give the impression that in order to live a healthy lifestyle, you have to live a life of restriction, and this is the idea that I am trying to fight against.
It is possible to be in shape and strive to be healthier while enjoying every single second of your life. You just need the right information and the right people to guide you that way.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
The definition of success has really shifted for me in the last couple of years. I used to think that success was a certain amount of money in my bank account, a nice place to live, and having nice things. Well, I achieved these things last year, but I found that I still was not totally happy. I was working too much. I was burnt out, and I had neglected the things I enjoy because I was just on hustle mode all the time. I had absolutely no work life balance. In the last 1.5 years, I have shifted my attitude to prioritize self-care and mental health. Having a successful business means nothing if you don’t give yourself permission to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
To me, success is:
Waking up excited for the day, not dreading your work.
Being able to spend time with friends, family, loved ones.
Feeling a deep sense of fulfillment from what you do.
Speaking your truth and putting yourself first.
Having the ability to decide what you put out into the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vickyjustiz.com
- Email: hello@vickyjustiz.com
- Instagram: @vickyjustiz
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR117JPMLO3Y7J5mIblkBNg
Image Credit:
Johnny Urra
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