I started watching Marnie several years ago along with a few other beauty bloggers.  The one thing “my favorite” bloggers all have in common is their ‘niceness’. They all feel like they could easily pull up a chair with my ‘tribe’ and fit right in. Marnie is no exception to this.  Additionally, it is no surprise that Marnie and my other ‘favorite bloggers’ are friends in real life. As I keep saying, nice finds nice. 

I love Marnie’s down to earth approach to her channel and her life. She is as at home showing new skin care options as she is interviewing Nicole Kidman. She  covers a broad range of topics from beauty to fashion to a marvelous book club which I just joined. (Join us! The link is at the end of the blog.)

I think that you will enjoy this delightful and candid interview with Marnie.  I know I’m looking forward to “Marnie V2” as she moves into the next phase of her life. I can’t wait to see what success and fun lie ahead for her.

Tell me a little bit about your career. You are extremely busy hosting a VERY popular (100+k subscribers!) YouTube site as well as an active, blog, book club, plus Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts? (That’s a lot!!)

I’m still a bit in shock that this is my career. I certainly never dreamed that I’d be doing this for a living when I was majoring in sociology at the University of Illinois! After college, I went to graduate school to get my Masters in Education and was a reading specialist and then 2nd grade teacher VERY briefly. I then became a stay-at-home mom to my now 21 year old and 18 year old sons, and started the “professional volunteer” phase of my life, volunteering for numerous Parent Teacher Organizations, (PTO) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) positions, local community charitable organizations, etc. Out of sheer boredom and desperation I went onto this thing called “YouTube” to figure out how to fix my garbage disposal and stumbled upon a few “how-to” beauty videos. After a year of watching endless beauty videos, I decided that there weren’t enough people in the YouTube beauty community that represented me-over 35 (now over 40). I uploaded my first video in July 2010 and slowly but surely grew to where I am now. I never imagined my little hobby would grow into a full-time career, but at the same time it’s the perfect fit. I still consider myself an educator, just teaching to a different audience. And I don’t have to tie anyone’s shoes or help anyone blow their nose!

One of continuing themes on my blog is planning for change.  I loved the YouTube video you made recently titled “Setting Goals & Planning For An Empty Nest.” What are the top 3 tips you have for successfully using planning and goal setting? Where do you recommend others learn more about successful planning and goal setting? (i.e., books, apps, online learning etc.)

The funny thing is, I’m not that much of a planner, at least not in the sense of recording everything in a beautifully decorated planner with the stickers, color-coordinated pens, etc. I am a list maker, and I’ve learned that if I don’t write things down and calendar items, then it doesn’t happen (a reason this blog post is coming out in September instead of July). So my top tips for getting organized and getting things done are these: #1-As soon as something comes across your desk, WRITE IT DOWN!! Don’t just flag the email to look at later. Jot down on a to-do list which emails you need to follow up with later. #2-Have multiple calendars. I live and die by the Cozi app on my phone, but I also have to write things down in a paper planner (I prefer the Erin Condren Lifeplanner). This is a tip from my education days…incorporate different learning styles in order to retain information. Typing something will help the visual learner, but doing the physical act of writing down an action item incorporates a kinesthetic and visual learning style as well. #3-Have reasonable expectations. One of my mottos is hope for the best, expect (or plan for) the worst. That way, however a situation turns out, you’re covered.

As far as where to learn more about successful planning and goal setting, that’s easy. YouTube!! There is a video out there for every kind of learning style and organizational technique you can imagine. You just have to find the one that speaks the most to you!

This question is one I ask everyone as we all seem to have run out of hours in our day.  You’re  a busy person. Mom, wife, entrepreneur. How do you measure success while achieving work life balance? Is there such a thing as work/life balance or is it the proverbial ‘unicorn’ we are all seeking?

Professionally, measuring success can be a bit of a numbers game. I can get caught up in the number of subscribers, how much income I’m making that month, etc.  But watching those numbers can become a major distraction and take time away from my personal life. Lately I just measure my success by the intrinsic feeling I get when interacting with my subscribers. The more engaged they are, the more successful I feel. I did start my channel nine years ago in order to connect with similarly minded women with common interests, so getting back to that connection is what is most important to me now.

Personally, I believe there is no such thing as being able to do it all. I think we’re doing a disservice to the younger generations by telling them they can have it all. You just can’t. If you want to be the best parent you can be, and really be there and be INVOLVED with your kids, then your work life is going to suffer. The reverse is also true. If you want to put everything into your career to grow it to the best that it can be, you can just not be as physically present and engaged in your family life, whether that is as a parent or a partner. The hard part is finding that balance between the two. I think it’s getting a lot easier with more opportunities to work from home, flex-time, job sharing, etc. but we’re not there yet. We just have to be kinder to ourselves and accept that we cannot possibly do everything and be everywhere. I’ve taught my boys that I don’t want them to be happy in life, I want them to be content with their life.

Learning is important to all of us and the scientific benefits of continued learning are becoming more evident daily.  You mentioned as part of your transition to “Marnie V2” that one of your goals was to sign up to take a new learning opportunity.  Did you, and if so what?

I have a whole list of classes and interests I want to explore, but I have to get one more kid off to college! As I write this, we’re about to move the “baby” into the dorm and really start our empty-nester life. Top of my list are cooking classes, some sort of martial arts class, some home improvement classes, and maybe even piano or voice lessons. It seems the most likely class I’ll sign up for first is a cooking class. But I’m constantly finding non-traditional ways to learn new things. I love using YouTube as a way to learn new skills, particularly those that I need for editing videos, taking pictures, and other “business” related skills.

Your YouTube content is split between skin care/makeup and fashion.  Which area to you enjoy more and why?

That’s like asking me to choose a favorite child! It goes back and forth. Some days I get really excited about new makeup launches, other days I’m just really into playing with new clothes. Sometimes neither are all that interesting to me and I’d rather talk about a favorite book. I love that my channel and my subscribers are flexible enough to allow me to explore whatever is catching my fancy at the time.

You have had a YouTube channel for approximately 9 years.  What is the best thing about having a channel? What is the most challenging thing about having a channel?  What one thing would you change and why?

The absolute best thing about having a YouTube channel is the connections I’ve made with people all over the world, quite a few of which have become friends in real life. I often refer to my audience as “the best friends I’ve never met” and it’s a real truism. As negative a place as social media can be, it also allows you to see the overwhelming goodness in people.

The most challenging thing about having a YouTube channel is that I have not had a real “vacation” in over 9 years. I’m not complaining-but it is extremely difficult to stop working. Besides uploading videos 3 days a week and the push to post on all social media platforms every day, I feel a constant need to answer every question or acknowledge the emails, tweets, direct messages, comments, etc. that come in 24/7. I know if I took a week off it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but I just can’t seem to turn it off. It “might” just be a bit of an addiction.

The one thing I would change if I had to do it all over again is limit my family’s exposure on my videos. Even though 99% of the people watching are kind, well-meaning and well-adjusted, there is a nasty minority that can be incredibly cruel. I wish I could have shielded my children from some of that a bit better.

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

To some degree, yes. This seems like a natural progression of the time I’ve put into this platform.  If you asked me nine years ago if I could envision where I am now, then absolutely not. When I started my channel, it wasn’t something people did to make a living. It was a hobby and almost a dirty little secret. I’m kind of in shock that I’m still able to do this, that people are still watching. I would have never guessed I’d have had the opportunity to interview Nicole Kidman or Connie Britton one on one, or travel to some of the places that I have. It does seem a bit fantastical. So maybe I need to change my answer…

What has been the most surprising positive of where you are professionally? What brings you the most joy specific to your business?

The most surprising positive aspect of where I am professionally is the partnership I’ve created with my husband. When we first became parents (right at our 1-year anniversary), we divided and conquered. He worked outside the home and I took care of all aspects in and of the home. It was very much a separate but equal division of labor. When my husband retired four years ago, I started to slowly bring him into the business side of my, well, business. Now we have created a real business together and I love the creative and collaborative partnership we’ve built doing something together.

What brings me the most joy is still all about the relationships. When I get an email from a viewer thanking me for a suggestion or run into a subscriber at a store or restaurant, it’s the most satisfying and joyous feeling. I can’t describe the rush from an in-person encounter. It’s absolutely the best part of what I do.

You are entering a new stage in your life (empty nester). There are a large number of people who are reaching this stage as well. You are partnering with TherapeuticsMD, Inc. to host a series of YouTube videos. What has been the toughest challenge as you’ve moved into this stage of life?  What has been the most surprising thing you have experienced so far?

So it’s kind of funny-we got a trial run at this empty nesting thing. Our boys both spent a month at summer school this summer so we had the opportunity to experience an empty house for just a short time. I expected to be very depressed. One of my friends described becoming an empty nester as getting laid off a job you never wanted to leave. But my husband, Michael, reminded me that we chose to get married because we loved each other and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, not just to procreate. So really, being an empty nester is like an opportunity to reset back to our newlywed days. I’m frankly shocked at how much fun we’ve had and how easy it was to transition into this new stage. However, ask me that again in a few months when the newness has worn off.

The only challenge I can see being an issue is the opportunity to be social with other people. As a parent of a child involved in school activities, our social lives revolved around practically mandatory attendance at various school events. I was guaranteed 2-3 nights a week that I would be able to hang out with my other mom friends. Now we have to make a concerted effort to set aside the time to see each other.

Having good role models is very important to all of us today. What do you feel we can offer each other to ensure that we are a good role model to each other? What figure has influenced you the most in your life?

I have a very different perspective on role models. I’ve never really heard anyone describe it like I do. I didn’t have one specific role model, someone that I idolized. I don’t think that’s a healthy way to look at someone. I had a number of people in my life (and still do) that embraced certain qualities that I admired and wanted to incorporate into my character. My maternal grandmother had a way of making everyone feel important and loved. My 1st grade teacher and 8th grade English teacher instilled in me a love for learning and reading that has very much shaped my life. My mother-in-law was a force to be reckoned with, both in a negative and positive way, and placed a high value on education. Many of the women in my current line of work inspire me every day to do better and be better; Lisa from LisaJMakeup and Angie from Hot and Flashy are two that come to mind.

I don’t think of myself as a role model to others, but I do feel it’s extremely important to pay it forward. No one gets where they are in life on their own. Everyone has been the recipient of someone else’s kindness at some point. I do the best I can to be a help to others. If someone has questions about how to do something YouTube related, I’m always happy to answer or guide them to a better source. As another YouTuber I enjoy watching (Christopher Allen) says, kindness is free!

What are the top 1-5 things that we can look forward to from you in 2019? 

First of all, vlogs are coming back! Now that the kids are out of the house, I’m more comfortable letting people back into my daily life. Also, more travel oriented and San Antonio themed videos. I’d like to explore different retailers that I haven’t featured in videos before as well. There are a lot of topics I’d love to explore that have nothing to do with fashion and beauty, but I’m still not sure how to put that in a YouTube format. Honestly, I don’t want to promise too much; like you said, I’m moving into a new phase in my life and I’m still not quite sure how it’s going to go. However it goes, I’ll definitely include my viewers in the ride!

Please include any sources that people can use to purchase from you or connect with you.