Several years ago I started watching beauty videos on YouTube. There are a wide variety of offerings in this category. I try to ensure that any content I watch or read is positive and uplifting. There is no flush valve for my brain so if I put garbage or negativity in, there is no way to remove it. Therefore, I am selective about who and what type of content I am interested in spending my time on. 
As I searched for beauty topics of interest to me, I continued to find YouTube videos from Emily Noel (EmilyNoel83). I enjoy a number of things about her. One, her honesty. Two, her ability to laugh easily. Three, the fact that she does not accept sponsorships which in turn mean her reviews are not paid for. She also discusses her husband and two small daughters and this provides a commonality with her despite the fact that our three boys are fully grown. I suppose the best way to describe Emily is that she’s extremely real and somebody that you could enjoy a cup of coffee with while sharing a laugh, talking about make up, family and life.

In a world sometimes gone mad, it is uplifting to watch Emily‘s videos. Her success has grown exponentially as I’ve watched her. She now has an audience viewership on YouTube of over 1m+ (!!) viewers. Additionally, In August of 2018 she launched a very successful eyeshadow product as well as an equally successful face palette both in partnership with Makeup Revolution and sold exclusively through Ulta. Her fans were thrilled and shortly after the launch, both items were sold out!  

In addition to being a fan of Emily’s, I am also a fan of Lisa J make up. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa for my blog. As part of our extended discussion she offered to introduce me to Emily. To my amazement, Emily agreed to an interview as well! I definitely want to thank Lisa for her willingness to introduce us for without her, this interview would not be possible. 

I have said before when we surround ourselves with like-minded people who share our values, goals, and intentions, our lives become all the richer. I would have to say that would include getting to know both Lisa and Emily professionally. 

In this interview, you will discover the heart of a good woman who deserves the accolades and success that she has earned. From her time as a news reporter to her current job of mom, wife, cosmetics creator, and YouTube guru she has retained her sense of self, her humor and her integrity. I hope you enjoy reading the interview with Emily as much as I am pleased to share her story with you.

Tell us a little bit about your career to date. What motivated you to move from a news anchor to become one of the top beauty YouTubers? 

The choice became pretty easy for me, as my two careers (YouTube and broadcasting) were always overlapped- so I never really had to experience a scary jump to something unfamiliar. I started my YouTube channel about a year into my news career as sort of an after-work activity, not knowing it would ever become more than that. At the time YouTube didn’t have Adsense or any sort of revenue-sharing program, so there was no money to be made with it. It all started out of my pure love for makeup and hoping to connect with others who liked it on the same level. So from about 2007 to late 2012 I was reporting and anchoring on the news, and then coming home to do a video (or two). The two really worked hand-in-hand quite nicely, and eventually getting to be part of YouTube’s Adsense program allowed me to earn an extra income. For several years that income exceeded what I was making in news, and while I did love the news, my hours were grueling (my alarm went off at 1am to get myself ready and then go to the station to prepare for the newscast), and I felt if I devoted even more time to YouTube, I could hopefully grow my channel more. My husband Tyler and I also hoped to start a family soon, and I envisioned much more flexibility for my life as a YouTuber than as a morning news anchor. And I just felt like my heart was really with my channel. Over all these years I’ve had the privilege of connecting with so many wonderful people, talking about a subject I really enjoy, and it just felt like the right path to take. 

What are key differences, if any, in hosting a YouTube channel vs. working in a more “traditional” role such as newscaster? What skill sets are the same and what skill sets are different? 

There is really a surprising amount of carry-over between these two methods of broadcasting! My news career definitely helped me naturally gravitate toward clear, confident delivery, and made speaking to a camera seem pretty natural. Also the news is all about being concise, and really breaking a story down to the core pieces that the viewer really needs. That mindset (sometimes) keeps me from rambling and helps me get to the point when I’m reviewing a product for a YouTube video. 
But something about news that I always wanted MORE of was the ability to ad-lib and just get off the script for awhile. The morning show, being a slightly more casual, fun newscast, did offer that opportunity… but not as much as my Youtube videos! I really enjoy the unscripted, casual nature of sitting down to shoot a video for my channel, and you could never be quite THAT free on your carefully timed and produced newscast. 

In August of 2018 you launched a very successful eyeshadow product as well as an equally successful face palette. (Both sold exclusively via Ulta.) Your fans were thrilled and shortly after the launch, both items were sold out! Can you share how this partnership came about? 

Thank you so much! I can remember where I was (on the couch with a broken foot) when I opened up an email in the fall of 2017 from the owner of Revolution, Adam Minto, offering this incredible opportunity. I gave it some very careful consideration, as I’ve never done so much as a sponsored video and I was really concerned about how something like this could impact my content or somehow “change” the way I like to go about things on my channel. I remember telling Adam, my channel comes first, it’s my baby, and I don’t want to interfere with that. The beautiful thing was… they didn’t want me to change either! When I learned that this project would be wide open for me to create whatever I wanted and there weren’t any strings attached as far as any certain content I’d be required to create… I was in. The idea to do “The Needs” – a combination face/eye palette came to me very quickly. I wanted to do sort of a “greatest hits” of the brand, incorporating my favorite shadows, blushes, highlights, etc, from all sorts of great Revolution palettes. “The Wants” is my eyeshadow palette that really goes beyond the basics, providing an array of fun, yet wearable shadows. I spent months pouring over shadow samples, swatches, placement of shades in the palette… and I just KNEW when I got it right. Part of what excited me most about working with this brand was the quality of product, the super affordable price-point, the opportunity to have a product in stores around the world. On top of it all, it wouldn’t be limited edition like so many collaborations. So instead of being available for just a month or two, it’ll be out there as long as myself and the brand want it to be. It’s been a massive learning experience and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity. 

What surprised you most about launching your own products? What would you do differently today if your were launching a new product today? 

Being a total novice to the creation side of the beauty industry… many things surprised me. But most surprising was probably the incredibly positive way the palette was received by my viewers and just the public in general. As one who reviews makeup, I know how subjective it all is… just because I like it and it suits my taste, doesn’t mean it’ll suit everyone else’s. And while I know my products may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I was really in awe of the great feedback, INCREDIBLE photos of people using the products, and just knowing that someone on the other side of the world can be walking into a drugstore and decide to pick up your palette… that mental picture is simply fascinating. 

It’s hard to say what I’d do differently if I had it to do all over… however it might just be my mindset. I’m the type of person who goes 100% all in on whatever I do. I can get a very one-track mind about it, and hyper-focused. The thought behind the creation of these palettes was very all-consuming for me, and while it was fun, it was also stressful! And the older I get, the more I value a low-stress life. I really enjoy my peace. And knowing you have something out there with your name on it, and knowing that reviews from people are constantly coming out on it… can rob you of some of that peace. So if I ever collaborated with a brand again, I think I’d need to find a way to keep “peaceful” about my project, and not stress too much about it from the start. I do think that that’s the place I’ve gotten to now with this collaboration… just a feeling of gratitude for what I was able to do and what it’s taught me. 

You have two beautiful young daughters. What advice will you give them about beauty as they grow up? 

Thank you so much. Belle is 4 and Eve is 2- they’re very much in the stage of just rummaging through my makeup room and enjoying the fun colors and shapes of it all! But my mindset is basically- don’t force it. Just because makeup happens to be a passion and hobby of mine, doesn’t mean they’re going to grow up and love it just the same. We live in such a fast-paced world… I hope they can hold on to their “littleness” as long as possible and just enjoy being kids. As they get into high school, maybe they’ll take an interest in it, and of course I’d be happy to help! But I don’t ever want them to think they have to like something just because mommy does. Families can love and support one another even while each member is following their own special path. I do think a couple of concepts can always be useful though… wear your sunscreen and don’t over-tweeze your eyebrows! 🙂 And overall, I want them to know that beauty comes in all colors, shapes and sizes… and it doesn’t matter how good your hair or makeup is if you don’t have a kind heart. 

We all struggle with work life. Balance. As a busy person, mom, wife, friend, and entrepreneur what you do to achieve success & achieve work life balance? 

Definitely practicing gratitude- and yes, it is a daily practice. I keep a gratitude journal and each morning I write (or type) three things that I’m feeling grateful for. It might be something major like my parents health… or something small like the chirping birds in the morning. Doing this daily causes me just slow down, and approach my day seeking out the good. Do we all have our down days? Sure, but a gratitude journal reminds you just how much there is to feel positive about. So dealing with the challenges of work life, mom life, wife life, etc… if you really stop and look at it all from a place of gratitude- it’s all a blessing. You stop seeing things that you HAVE to do and instead see things that you GET to do. Also, in a more practical sense of creating balance, I use my early mornings to get a lot of YouTube-related work done. That helps me be more present as a mom throughout the day. I have a recent video on my “morning routine” that shares how I get my day started, and how getting so much done at an early hour can open me up for other things later in the day. I also am extremely lucky to have help from my parents who gladly look after my girls if I need some extra work time- or me time! 

What has been the most surprising positive of where you are today? 

I’m super surprised and grateful that after 10+ years on YouTube, I’ve established some longevity. People are still watching! It’s amazing. I’ve been doing this so long and I’ve watched overnight sensations come and go. It’s not easy to maintain consistency over this span of time, but I’m fortunate to absolutely love what I do, so assuming I have a voice and can get up the stairs to my makeup room… I’m going to shoot a video! 

You seem to have a great deal of integrity. How do you retain your integrity in the beauty community? Why do you believe integrity is important not only in your personal life but from a business perspective? 

That’s very kind of you! There are some standards that I’ve set out for myself with my YouTube channel, and I think an ability to stick to those over such a long span of time has contributed to my integrity. I have never been paid by a company in exchange for a video (commonly known as sponsored videos)… I just want my audience to be able to watch me and not ever wonder if I just said something because it was a really good financial deal for me. Beauty reviews are my channel’s main content, so I feel that taking money in exchange for a positive review just doesn’t fit. I have received some tempting proposals in my inbox, but there are often many strings attached… like a certain amount of social media posts you must do, talking points you must include… I just remind myself why I started doing this- a love for being creative, deciding on my own content, and having control over what I want to do- not handing that over to a brand. I think integrity is one of those things you have, or you don’t, and if you feel you’ve done something that’s not in-line with your standards, it might be time to re-evaluate what you’re doing and why. 

Think back to five years ago. Did you envision this is where you would be? 

Five years ago was pre-kids… so I had no idea what a wild ride I was in for! The emotional growth that parenting has, and continues to give me is major. I learn new things daily. And just when I think I’ve tackled a certain kid-related challenge… there’s a new one knocking on the door. So while I might have hoped my YouTube channel would keep growing or maybe hoped for an opportunity to create something with a brand… I could have never predicted the impact on my life that having kids has made. (I’m the youngest child in my family and never even had someone to babysit! I’m not even sure that I changed a diaper before Belle came along.) They make me live life through a new lens… watching them learn and make new discoveries… being tested by the challenges… I like to think it’s all made me less selfish, more patient, and more aware of all the love that my heart has in it for people. 

Having good role models is very important to all of us. What do you feel we can offer each other to ensure that we are good role model‘s for each other? 

I think kindness is everything. One tough thing about social media is the fact that it can make people very quick to judge… and share that judgement with the world. We need to hold ourselves accountable for the vibe we’re putting out into the world. We need to be more gentle with one another and understand that everyone is dealing with something behind the scenes that we likely don’t know anything about. Having some compassion, giving a compliment, lending a hand to someone in need… I do think that positivity is contagious and when you can make someone feel good, there’s a chance they’ll pass that goodness on to someone else. 

What figure has influenced you the most in your life and why? 

I’d have to say my parents. Their hardworking nature, unconditional love, generosity, and selflessness… it’s left such an impact on me. And now being a parent myself, I feel like I’m able to appreciate my own parents on another level. My mom has her practicality and super nurturing, maternal ways. My dad has a terrific sense of humor and I’m pretty sure he’s good at everything. Not only are they people who have provided for me and shown me how to love… but they’re genuinely the kind of people I like to spend time with. I could easily put my sister and brother in that category as well. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family.

What are the top 1-5 things that we can look forward to from you in 2019?
-Continued videos about all things makeup-related! Reviews, tutorials and more.
-More weekly vlogs on Mondays or videos focusing on a non-beauty related topic. I’d like to get more consistent with this.
-More live content- Instagram live, maybe some YouTube lives. I think that’s a really fun way to interact… it can just be tough finding the extra quiet time around here to get it done! 🙂 

Please include any sources that people can use to purchase from you or connect with you. Also provide any links to charities you may be involved with.

My channel: http://www.youtube.com/emilynoel83
Twitter: http://twitter.com/emilynoel83
Instagram: http://instagram.com/emilynoel83
My palettes at Ulta: http://bit.ly/empalettes

Charitable Organizations: 
The Women’s Center http://www.thewomensctr.org
Hospice of Southern Illinois https://hospice.org
Red Cross http://www.redcross.org

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