Ray makes his Mak on YouTube

True, his name stirs up total ‘pundemonium’ for Maki of the Month.  But the real reason we chose to profile Malaysian born Ray Mak is because he embodies everything that makes YouTube special.

A look at his website shows him to be gracious, determined and generous. He may be a serious finance type by day, but by night he is dedicated to his love for the piano. No big deal you may say, but Ray confesses he reads little musical notes; “I play most of my songs purely by listening, following the drum beats or the bass closely.”

Still, that hasn’t stopped him in his quest to bring joy to the masses, taking requests from his fans, whom he sees more as shoal mates in the YouTube community. He’s so good that even Lady Gaga has emailed him! (NB. Ray has done some pretty phenomenal Lady Gaga covers).

Oh and did we mention he practices and teaches Taekwondo? Ray is quite a linguist too, with five languages and two dialects under his belt! Needless to say, with Ray being so busy, we were pretty delighted when he decided to share a little of himself with us here at SushiVid.

SV: What has been the most fulfilling aspect of your YouTube career so far?
RM: YouTube has brought me so many opportunities, plus many beautiful friends along the way; most importantly, my wife!
Apart from that, doing something on YouTube made it easy for me to spark conversations with strangers and introduce myself, because my name alone is SEO optimised.

SV: What is the weirdest thing a fan has ever said to you?
RM: I’ve received so many weird messages but I’m not entirely sure it would be fair to share them with you. Still, I did receive one (from a fan I’ve had to block), the censored version of which went something
“Heaty inside outside b, I want you to be with me today. I want you, I want ur body, I want ur hands, I want ur lips, I want ur everything… pls ya.”

SV: What advice do you have for aspiring YouTubers?
RM: Like any entrepreneurial journey, there will be lots of times of disappointment. To manage that, your goals should be action oriented; focus on action, and don’t let the low numbers discourage you. Just do it as if you’re doing something you love the most. Even when there is no audience, do it for the wind.

What a beautiful way to look at life! Thanks Ray and congratulations on making our first Maki of the Month.