The Full-time Vlogger

Welcome! Feel free to grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the first installment of…

“If I could quit my day job, I would (insert dream job here)!”

Many years ago in Mrs. Baty's fifth grade classroom, I was an awkward little Asian kid without much passion for anything besides Katherine and Cindy whom I never had the guts to make moves on. Kiddie crushes aside, I had a knack for artistic creativity, but shyness left much of it in the basement.

One fateful day toward semester's end, the teacher assigned groups to perform skits. Anxiety gripped my puny frame. The next thing I knew, however, my group had the entire class laughing. I felt good about myself. I felt really good.

Nearly 20 years later, the creative juices are still flowing.

If I could quit my dreary retail job, I would become a full-time vlogger! Writing scripts, acting, directing and editing videos onto YouTube? Heck yes! I often find myself conjuring silly sketch ideas at the most random times -- usually when waking up or brushing my teeth. It is weird, but it's crazy fun!

Why video blogging, you ask? Down the road, venturing into the professional entertainment industry makes more sense. It's more lucrative, the job is generally more stable, and people will take you more seriously. Besides, cracking the entertainment industry is like trying to get a hot blond to dance with an Asian guy at a club. Trust me. I've tried.

The beauty of amateur video production, like the millions of videos seen on YouTube, is the flexibility you can work with. There is little to no red tape. You get to set your own schedule. No one is there to say, "Ron, that is the shittiest idea I have ever heard of. Have you ever danced with a hot blond chick?"

Then of course, there is reality. When was the last time you heard of someone making millions from YouTube videos? Nowadays, there is a phenomenon called YouTube Partners where prolific users can monetize their accounts through banner ads and co-marketing opportunities. The potential is there, but for Average Joes like me, perhaps we should still stick with our mundane retail jobs. In other words, full-time vlogging sounds way cool, but until folks are making millions en masse, it is still but a dream.

Anyone hitting up a club later?