Hidayah A – ‘Making up’ her own mind

In her “20 things I Wish I Knew Before I Was 20” video, the supremely independent Hidayah A dispensed a wealth of valuable advice. But one thing really caught our attention – “if in doubt, eat sushi.” Bias? Maybe a little. But when you delve beyond the nori, there’s a host of other reasons why Hidayah A has scored our nod this month.

For one, this girl is rocking some super slick editing skills, incorporating graphics and photo montages into her beauty videos. She also knows how to attract the viewers, choosing titles and formats that viewers love – think tutorials, favourites and even some Spicy Noodle Challenges. Another plus is that she’s active across all the social media channels.

And while her video empire may be in the beauty and makeup sphere, she’s a complete natural on camera. Her honesty is especially refreshing and lends oodles of credibility to her Influencer campaigns.

In short, she’s the wise, personable type you’d just love to share a D&M with.

Spontaneous. I thought the competition was super cool and wanted to give myself a shot. I haven’t stopped YouTube since then, even though I didn't win the competition.

How do you juggle your work/school life with your YouTube life and uploading videos?

I like to plan my schedule, so what I'd do is roughly estimate the workload I have from school and try to squeeze in filming and editing time whenever I can. It's tough and tiring, but somehow I love a busy life!

Who do you look up to on YouTube? Do you have a favourite YouTuber?

I look up to KathleenLights! To me, she's very humble about her popularity and although she has millions of subscribers, she stays true to herself and her viewers. She's definitely one of my favourites along with:

• TheLineUp; 
• ToThe9s; 
• IAMKARENO;
• clothesencounters

Do you see yourself still doing YouTube in 10 years time? Would you think of it as a full­time career?

In 10 years time, I'd probably be married haha but sure! I could do cooking tutorials, my children haul lookbooks, who knows. I'd keep YouTube as a sideline, not full­ time career.

As a new and upcoming YouTuber, do you have any advice for fellow budding YouTubers who are also starting their channels?

I guess there's no wrongs or rights to start doing YouTube videos but from what I've seen and learned, perseverance and consistency are the keys to grow your channel. Sometimes you might feel that your channel isn't growing and you feel like giving up but always remember why you started and never give up!

Love what you've read so far? Head on to our blog archive to get more spicy news for all our Makis!

Brought to you with love and hugs - www.sushivid.com