“It’s like we know if we are having fun, then people watching our stuff will also have fun” – SIMRAN KAPOOR
#014 – In this episode, Simran and I discuss the steps Simran has taken to start her clothing line. We talk through the highs and lows of creating content on Youtube and one piece of advice she has.
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Highlights from this episode:
[1:00] Good advice and bad advice received
[4:45] Steps to start a clothing line
[14:32] How has Youtube helped you?
[16:00] What skills do you need to excel now to get to the next level?
[17:32] What has posting on Youtube taught you about yourself?
Connect with Simran:
A little bit about Simran:
Simran’s a Youtube star on the rise with a growing following – she’s also currently a full time student studying theatre production and working on opening her own clothing line. Aside from that, she’s an avid photographer and a cricketer! Talk about multi-talented.
Transcription:
Simran Kapoor
That means who’s in the kitchen. She’s asking her daughter-in-law, so that was trending back in India. So we made a video on that, but it didn’t do too well. And we also weren’t enjoying it. But we just did it because it was trending. So maybe we will think of that too. Because even though it’s trending, that doesn’t mean you want to make a video on it, you know.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
You are listening to the Spicy Chai podcast. I’m your host, Mahrukh Imtiaz, and I’m on a journey to create inspiring, helpful and meaningful content. This podcast is not going to showcase high-profile individuals spouting colloid advice like find your passion or hustle harder. Instead, my mission is to bring you the voices of people who are just a bit ahead of you. People you can relate to, and the people who will inspire you to put your own voice out there.
So grab your cup of Spicy Chai, and let’s get this show started.
This is episode 14. If you want to listen to the previous episode, which is episode 13. It’s still with Simran Kapoor we’re continuing our conversation and last episode, we spoke about her journey on YouTube why she chose that platform, what skills she has learned. And in this episode, we’re continuing the conversation.
Back to the episode. You mentioned that your mom gave you advice, you know, on YouTube. Have you gotten a lot of advice throughout? And what has been some good advice and what has been some bad advice? Oh,
Simran Kapoor
So, yeah. So before posting, I always show it to my mom and Granny. And then I’ll show them. They’ll be sitting like they’re watching then. They’re like some stuff you shouldn’t say. Like, it’s funny refrain, but it shouldn’t be out there.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
So should you get advice on cutting more? Extensively
Simran Kapoor
Extensively a little bit. Right, right. Yeah, because it could be funny, but it’s also controversial. And even though I have a small audience watching it could write if escalate badly, you don’t want to start off. Right. So that is their bad advice. I don’t think that any bad anyway. Like I just take it all in like good spirit. No, that’s fairly us.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
I mean, you could Yeah, advice definitely, that you’re taking good spirit. But that advice that you were like, this does not apply? Or no, I don’t think I would like to take that advice for now. At least in my journey right now. Maybe later.
Simran Kapoor
Oh, yeah. Maybe somebody was like, Maybe you should just make the activities which I don’t want to do. Like just one thing. I want to keep it which would use like reaction videos, which I did think you were just watching a show and like say stuff on it’s not too much of a reaction for Yeah. Right. Not sticking to one thing. And not just with one friend because I bring in other friends too. About to start gaming also. Okay.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
So you’re just kind of testing it all. Like, you know, you’re just like RAM Yeah, reaction videos. I’m gonna do entertainment videos. I’m gonna do gaming videos. And yeah, 100% think that’s the way to go when you’re starting off because you don’t know what’s pulling, like, what do you want to do more of? Or where do you does your genius lie? So I agree. That’s, I think that’s the best way. You also are aside from going into gaming for YouTube. You’re also starting your own clothing line. So do you want to talk a bit more about that? Like, where did that idea come in from where how?
Simran Kapoor
Yeah, I mean, I always wanted like a clothing brand cuz I’m like, okay, it should be there someday soon. Then. Recently, I think it was a month or two back I was like okay, let’s just do this. So I came up with the Instagram handle house of Kapoor and then I made my logo and like it’ll say someone Gabor but like the handle and all his house is going to be hoodies and streetwear could It’d be my artwork on it for now is just going to be drop shipping kind of like print on the go because my focus is more on streetwear because that’s what I wear also. So that is going to be the main things that will be available. The company that I choose will do all the shipping and printing. So I just have to submit my designs on there basically that you break
Mahrukh Imtiaz
You break down step by step for someone let’s say listing was interested in having their own clothing like like what what are some steps you took from like, just wanting a clothing line to now actually making progress towards that? Can you break it down step by step? Yeah.
Simran Kapoor
Okay, so first I was thinking about, Oh, do I invest in this like money and all that But then I watch a lot of videos on YouTube. My one place
Mahrukh Imtiaz
My one videos were video city.
Simran Kapoor
So I just have to have a clothing line, or sad or low budget or like how to start. Without any investment. I’m always curious, I’m like, can you start without an investment? So there are Yeah, it is. Probably the best way to start is without investing anything, just your investment would be your designs, like put more work into that, right. And then you can choose Print on the go type of companies like printer fi. Shopify has a lot of options, but some of them are also USB, so you have to type in Canadian companies because if you are selling, say a hoodie, which is costing you 20 bucks, I mean, like the maker, and he said as a 30, but you’re still selling it in US currency. So the Canadian people 50 bucks and we’ll just make like five or something. So that’s also stupid. So you should look for Canadian companies. So I was like, Okay, I’ll start off with a no investment kind of journey. And then eventually if and when it gets big, I want it to be completely like from India, like all the clothes, the T shirts, I mean, they also come in from their own technically, but yeah, because I want everything to be made in India like me that is going to be a future thing but just to start off and make some money first.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
So first you went to YouTube you search how to start a clothing line without an investment. Yeah, looked up the videos what did the video say? What were your next steps?
Simran Kapoor
Except we’re finding the right company for sure. Like there’s so many out there and I do see the reviews for that like some people are like this is why I stopped working with this company and I’m like, why was happening there like a lot of pros and cons because some of them will send you in the print quality can be bad, you don’t want to sell bad stuff, starting off sound and print your logo even on the tags, and some of them won’t. So if you want like a whole branding you probably want your tag also to be where there is an issue shipping costs because even if I start off I don’t want to scam my buyers right of course. Yeah, it’s gonna be my friend that I was like, I’d be like charging obraz right. So yeah,
Mahrukh Imtiaz
So you you researched how to do it on YouTube then you research those companies that YouTubers recommended.
Simran Kapoor
Yeah. And then then and then and then see what kind of products they have like they have sweatshirts. Hoodies, they have slacks, like leggings, mugs, but I’m probably just gonna start off with T shirts and sweatshirts and hoodies and some of them have polo T shirts also. So that is also cool. I also want to because my designs are going to be mostly from like, Kolkata base and like, Toronto base like I live here.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Where did you design like what so once you research the company and let’s say now you’re designing the logo yourself to go through these companies, where did you design the logo? What how do you know what to design a
Simran Kapoor
What how do you know what to design a
logo? The logo I designed on Pixar, that’s a good so you can like draw it also there is procreate. So
Mahrukh Imtiaz
So, these are software’s that you can die or free. Okay.
Simran Kapoor
Pixar and excrete. procreate, you have to buy. It is available on iPads, and there’s a pocket version on the phone. It’s a little tough to get on the phone. My logo, it just gonna sound stupid, but it just popped in my head and I’m like, Okay, this is gonna be it. And then I just blew it out. And my friend also helped me out because she had the full version of procreate because I had it on the phone and she has on her iPad. So that is also there. And for my designs also I use procreate, like she came over and I threw all my designs out on Okay, I’m gonna do this so, right. So so
Mahrukh Imtiaz
So do the companies like to that you are potentially going to go with Shopify or what not did they make it very easy for you to let’s say, upload your design, choose a material and go through or process okay?
Simran Kapoor
You can just push it make an account. So, obviously that’s the first step. Then you choose the product and it will just say this is a T shirt and I just, you just drag and paste and it does have to be like a good resolution. If you’re doing like a picture like because I What? What’s
Mahrukh Imtiaz
What’s a good resolution? Like? What would be a good resolution?
Simran Kapoor
Good question. I just throw it in. And I’m like, yeah, obviously. Let me check. Basically, high res, photo camera, it’ll depend on the size you’re putting, if you’re putting in a tiny bit, right? It’s fine. Right? Cuz the design show you like good or great, then you know, if it’s great, then you know that it’s gonna come out big. Or if it says good, then it’s like, maybe not. And for like writing, and all they have their own fonts and stuff. So you can do it either on there, or they’ll take in any kind of font. Like there’s a resolution to that. Yeah, that’s about it.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
That’s good soon, so you’re kind of learning more about that clothing. Line business as well. So it’s gonna be a good learning lesson for you.
Simran Kapoor
Yeah,
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Just start off. Yeah, that that makes a lot of sense. And now actually, like talking about learning lessons, like bringing it back to your YouTube channel? What are some of the highs of creating those videos? And what are some of the lows of creating videos as you’re just like, starting off? What are what are some things you’re noticing?
Simran Kapoor
Not every trending topic. It’s worth making a video, um, because it may not trend for you. Because not everybody’s like watching it. Cuz, like one of my videos I made on this was trending back in India. It’s from Hindi cereal, where she says, and I showed him a corner, that means who’s in the kitchen, she’s asking her daughter in law, so that was trending back in India. So we made a video on that, but it didn’t do too well. And we also weren’t enjoying it. But we just did it because it was trending. So maybe we’ll think of that too. Because even though it’s trending that doesn’t mean you want to make a video on it, you know, because it’s not that funny. Right, that didn’t get a lot of attention, which was kind of a low because LBP random video on that was doing well. Let me go Yeah, that was kind of sad, but we’re over it. What
Mahrukh Imtiaz
What are the highs? What are some of the highs? What else are any other lows?
Simran Kapoor
That was probably the only low and I don’t take not too many low them? Yeah, it’s fine. Hi, there any like any I got a I was really excited when I got my first dislike. Oh, yes.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Oh yes, someone cares enough this dislike it?
Simran Kapoor
I don’t know if it was my friend though. Who? Right? The recent video that I put on YouTube was on Maha birthday, which is a Hindi movie. I got my first I don’t have any other dislikes. I like your I will tell you my friend because I’ve made it with her. So that you always reason that’s more interesting, because you have a lot of Yes, men around you, but the like, it’s like,
Mahrukh Imtiaz
And you know, something very interesting that when you were talking about copying trending videos, or, you know, tick tock has to there’s a tick tock challenges that are going on. And then usually they say small accounts should follow those trends and challenges. And you know how you said that sometimes it doesn’t make sense to always follow that. I actually agree with that right now, at least where I am in my journey, because sometimes you get so caught up and oh my god, this is a trend, this is gonna go away soon, because trends are only there for a few days or a few weeks max, I should capitalize on that. I should make a video. And it’s like, and then you’re just kind of running after trends and you forget what your main reason for being on that channel was what you wanted to create in the beginning. So even like, honestly, as someone who’s starting off, I’m also learning that how to create that balance of okay, this is trending, maybe I should get on that trend worse is actually I want to make videos that I want to make, and they might get a lot less views, but I want to make the videos where I feel like I’m gonna add more value to versus being that person who’s just following all the trends in the world. And as you said, sometimes you you want to follow the trends and then you make a very trendy video and you barely getting likes and you’re just like every other video. Oh, well, what did I do wrong? And yeah, yeah,
Simran Kapoor
Cuz I want to also make, like, a video that trends. I want to be the trendy video, right? We can, like make something out of that instead of copying. It’s true.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
It’s that balance between original versus following trends and and the advice usually given is smaller accounts should follow trends because they get more reach. Get more people to come check out your profile, but again, it’s finding that balance between do I follow all trends versus also I need to create my own content So it’s it’s definitely a tough balance. And I agree with that. So when you said that it was something I resonated with. And honestly, everything you’re saying in terms of highs and lows, I can completely resonate with that. So thank you for mentioning that. One final question before you leave. Hello there. This is background Marak. And guess who forgot to us Simran where you can find her online? Yep, you guessed it right. It was me. So I will say it today. You can find Simran on YouTube at Simran Kapur, si M ra n k. P O. R, and then Instagram at superstar Simran. All right back to the interview. One final question before you leave. If you were to say one thing back to the 2016 Simran, who had started off her YouTube channel? What one piece of advice you would give her?
Simran Kapoor
Don’t delete your channel and keep at it. Don’t really? Yeah. Cuz me and my friends. Like, because I keep saying this Davido. Right. If you watch his videos, it’s so good. Because it’s just logged right into daily life. And I feel like there was so because I just came to Canada and I the school system here is completely different. I was like, wow, where was I? So there was so much content there every day, we were doing something crazy. We were having fun. So that would have been a great content for videos like blogs and just
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Documenting your life. Yeah, you would have had some great content.
Simran Kapoor
Yeah. But there were so many people around me because right now also have friends. But they’re like, oh, I don’t wanna be on camera. And we can’t force people to be on camera. Right? But and the ones who want to be on camera, don’t live near me. And issue also
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Struggles of being a content creator.
Simran Kapoor
Go back and say hey, please don’t delete you better. Yeah.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Well, it’s, this is how we learn. So yeah, thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you so much for breaking things down. Wish you all good luck with the YouTube channel. So for all those listening, if you haven’t yet, please leave a review down and I will see you next week. All right. Thank you. Take care. Bye.
Hey, you. Thanks for listening to Spicy Chai. I really appreciate it. And to make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast, the obvious. And if you want to learn more, head over to mahrukhimtiaz.com and until next time. My friend hit the record button or you know the publish lots of love from your favorite.
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