Meet 5 inspiring women in APAC creating success with Shorts

Aleena Rais Live (India)

“Just upload your first video. Don't worry about having the best ideas or the best equipment yet; just publish the first video and let the flow guide you.”

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your channel?

I’m Aleena Rais, and I create videos about learning English, communication skills and life skills. Five years ago, I was having coffee with a friend (now my husband) who suggested that I create a YouTube channel as he thought that I spoke well. I did just that and uploaded my first video within a few days. It was not a very well-planned and thought-through decision, but in retrospect, uploading that first video has been such an important event in my life.

How did you get started on Shorts and how do you come up with your ideas?

I jumped on the bandwagon a little late. Everybody was creating Shorts except me. So I finally got started and since then, Shorts has increasingly become an integral part of my content and driver of traffic. I'd say most of the ideas are extensions of my long form videos. Some naturally come up in my day-to-day life and I quickly jot them down, while others I consciously sit on and think about. It's a mix, but most ideas come organically.

Were there any female creators who inspired you when you first started?

I admired Sejal Kumar and Curly Tales, as I could relate with them and totally enjoyed their content. I was wowed by the number of subscribers and views they have and found that incredibly inspirational.

Sonia Basil (Indonesia)

“Before starting your own channel, it’s key to “know your why”: why do you want to create content and how do you want to be known by people. Once you know the answer, just do it.”

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your channel?

I’m Sonia Basil, the founder of cakeology and keku jakarta, and a content creator. On my channel, you can see the entire process of fulfilling a cake order, from taking the order, to the making of, and the end result. In addition, I share lessons and tips and tricks from every cake I make. I hope it can be an inspiration or offer new cake-making insights to my viewers.

How do you come up with ideas for your Shorts?

I use it as a way to say thank you to my customers and clients. Every cake I make is a story from them who have put their trust in me, and that's why I dedicate my content to them. My success wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for their trust and support.

Were there any women who inspired you to become a creator?

I was inspired by my role model and sister, Christie Basil, who I’ve admired since I was a child. She’s a strong and independent woman, with a big dream and purpose. Everything she does is about providing solutions to existing problems.

International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are about celebrating and empowering women. Do you feel YouTube has helped further these causes?

YouTube always helps creators to continue producing inspiring work, through offline workshops or online campaigns like this that help give creators a spotlight according to their specialty.

What has been the most challenging and most rewarding experience for you during your YouTube journey?

I’ve had to learn to wear two hats and juggle the demands of being a business owner and content creator. Doing one job well can be challenging, let alone two jobs! It hasn’t been easy but it’s paying off! As a ‘content-preneur,’ creating content and doing my personal branding on social media has now become a key pillar of the marketing strategy for my business. We just have to be able to manage our time and role, like when to focus on my business and when to show up as a content creator.

What advice do you have for women thinking of starting their own channel, and how can YouTube encourage more women to start?

Before starting your own channel, it’s key to “know your why”: why do you want to create content and how do you want to be known by people. Once you know the answer, just do it.

Dabin Cha (Korea)

“YouTube is a big part of who “Dabin Cha” is. I can express myself without being confined by genders or nationalities, and engage with people around the globe. It empowers all of us with the possibilities and opportunities to grow.”

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your channel?

My name is Dabin Cha and I’m a singer and music creator. I share videos covering diverse songs in my own style, as well as lots of covers on Shorts. YouTube is a big opportunity for me to share my voice with the world, and that’s why I started my channel!

How did you get started on Shorts?

I realized I was watching more and more content on Shorts even though I was a long-form video creator. I was looking for ways to continue growing my channel, and Shorts seemed to be a new opportunity for me. There weren’t a lot of Shorts creators in Korea then, especially in music, so I wanted to be the pioneer and started adapting for Shorts.

How do you come up with ideas for your Shorts?

I got inspired from the “Harmony Building Challenges” that were popular overseas. Doing song covers had its limits, but I was able to diversify by starting “Harmony Building” content on Shorts and also coming up with other fun ideas. I realized that I am quite good with solo acapella and after receiving positive feedback, I started to explore other content ideas to showcase my talent to the world. I’ve since tried out different Shorts content including left-right audios, how-to-make-a-choir and more, to satisfy the eyes and ears of my fans.

Were there any female creators who inspired you when you first started?

I’m a long time fan and subscriber of J.Fla, who is also a music creator. I started my YouTube channel with her as my role model, because I saw how she grew to become a music creator and musician with a global fandom. She deeply inspired me, and has been my role model ever since.

International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are about celebrating and empowering women. Do you feel YouTube has helped further these causes?

For me, YouTube is a big part of who “Dabin Cha” is. It’s a world where I can express myself without being confined by genders or nationalities, and a window to engage with people around the globe. It empowers all of us with the possibilities and opportunities to grow. As a female creator who has been growing with YouTube, I hope I can continue to share my voice and bring positive influence to others.

Remedies with Khanum (Pakistan)

“Follow your passion. If you genuinely enjoy content creation, you will go very far. Do not have the mere intention of earning a living. Chase excellence, and success will chase you.”

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your channel?

I am Fakhra Nasir, better known as Fakhra Khanum. My channel ‘Remedies with Khanum’ features natural remedies, but I also spice things up with vlogs and comedy Shorts.

It started in 2018 during a family vacation when I had some free time. I have always valued hard work, earning a Bachelors and then a Masters in English Literature all while raising my three beautiful sons. I also loved watching makeup tutorials and vlogs on YouTube. It so happened that my son Umair had a small YouTube channel, and I figured I would give it a go, too. I wanted to create quality content where I put my makeup skills and natural home remedy knowledge to use, and it went up from there.

How did you get started on Shorts?

As my channel grew, I started various businesses. I began to find it hard to make long-form vlogs and tend to my career and family, so I started creating Shorts. As a YouTube creator, I've found that Shorts is extraordinary, allowing efficient content creation where a lot can be conveyed in a short clip. I've always had a knack for comedy. People do love a good laugh, and so my Shorts content has become very popular across South Asia and beyond.

How do you come up with ideas for your Shorts?

It usually takes me a couple minutes of brainstorming to come up with an idea! I would describe it as an intuitive passion for being creative, something that has been honed over the years as I've watched my favorite creators. My audience responds well to my Shorts, especially the comedy skits that are now very popular.

Were there any female creators who inspired you when you first started?

I’ve found inspiration from creators including Tiffany D, Nikkietutorials and Huda Beauty. I've watched and admired them for years, not only because of their great content, but also because I’m in awe of their persistence and hard work. Today, I find it hard to believe that I play in the same arena as them. It really is an exciting journey.

AvArest🏔 (Thailand)

“The greatest reward for me as a creator is to be able to inspire all women to find happiness for themselves without having to wait for others.”

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your channel?

My name is Ava and my channel is AvArest. I have loved solo traveling for almost 10 years and originally had no intention of creating content. But when COVID-19 happened, it freed me up and I had the opportunity to start making YouTube Shorts as a way to relive my previous travel stories.

How do you come up with ideas for your Shorts?

I like to immerse myself in the lives of the people I meet. They have taught me that even the small things around us can be more valuable than you think. I get my ideas from what’s around me that interest me and every time I get excited about that, I'm sure it's going to be a good clip.

Did someone inspire you to start making videos?

I didn’t watch many videos previously, which may seem like a disadvantage as a creator. But for me it's a plus, because it lets me be 100% myself – no pressure, no need to follow anyone, and just live my life making videos of whatever I want to do. For me, the “creator's happiness” is what makes content do well.

International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are about celebrating and empowering women. Do you feel YouTube has helped further these causes?

YouTube Shorts has given me and many other female creators the opportunity to showcase our abilities. It has been a great support for women, and I hope I can keep making YouTube Shorts for a long time.

As a female creator, what has been the most challenging and most rewarding experience for you?

My challenges as solo female traveler creator include planning my travels, researching places to go and filming alone in an unfamiliar location. After all that, I have to find a way to tell the whole story within one minute, even though some clips took me a week to record. All that can be quite challenging. But thankfully, I enjoy it and the greatest reward for me as a creator is to be able to inspire all women to find happiness for themselves without having to wait for others.

What advice do you have for women thinking of starting their own channel, and how can YouTube encourage more women to start?

First of all, you have to feel the urge to do it. You want to talk about anything you're proud of and are more than happy to share it. I think that’s how you should get started, regardless of gender. If you’re happy when making videos, it shows in the content and will make people watching them happy, too. When you make content that makes you happy, I believe YouTube Shorts will give you the support you need.