Blogger / mikhila.com, YouTuber / MissBudgetBeauty & DiaryofaShopaholic, Author / Life Styling
We’d like to introduce you to Mikhila McDaid. She’s a blogger, vlogger, author and all-round social-media bestie. Mikhila will be featuring on our website and social media channels over the coming months so we thought it would be a good time to get to know her a little better.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
My least favourite question – haha. Isn’t it funny how little you can think to say about yourself when put on the spot, and yet if asked to do the same for someone else – easy! I’ve been creating content online for 10 years alongside a regular office job, I have 2 children, a husband and a dog and I’m from Doncaster.
Wow, 10 years on YouTube, that’s amazing! How did you first get into vlogging?
I remember this as if it were yesterday. I wanted a pink streak in my fringe. One, I had no business having a fringe and two, the streak will really date this story! So I took to Google images for inspiration and one of the images was actually a video, and the girl referenced others she had made… that was it. Down the rabbit hole I went with Zoebella (a lovely southern lady from The US, not to be confused with the megastar, Zoella) and the next day, with practically no consideration, I made a channel of my own.
You’re a mum of two with a job, how do you manage to fit in your online career too?
You make time for what you enjoy. We all have more of it than we think and if you find a hobby that ends up earning you money later, it never really feels like work. I work part time so I have two days a week to dedicate to filming and editing but most of it just slots in around everything else. It’s rare that I’m watching TV and not also doing something else.
You’re also the author of a book, can you tell us a little bit about it?
When you create digital content there’s not much in the way of tangible evidence of your efforts and so a physical book was a really big deal. The general concept is ‘styling your current phase of life’. The publisher wanted to market it to Mums (or MOMS – they’re American and Mum vs Mom was a hill I was prepared to die on!) but really, it’s for anyone who finds themselves needing to reassess how their wardrobe works for the life they have RIGHT NOW. It’s actually very relevant for 2020. The clothes I wear most often have changed drastically in the last 6 months. The idea is to really get clear about your day to day, how much effort you’re prepared to put in, how much ironing you want to do, EVERYTHING. Your answers will be different now than they were 10 years ago and different again in another 10. Style is an evolution, not only of trends but it reflects your current phase of life – hence, LIFE styling – styling your life.
We love your down-to-earth, chatty vlogs. Has your style changed over the years?
Thank you! I don’t think my blogging style has changed much but my confidence on camera has, for sure. You can usually find me makeup free and unpolished, and my vlogs aren’t fancy with overlays or special features because I realised that isn’t me and my audience doesn’t value those elements. I like to watch real people in their real lives and although I enjoy a glossier travel vlog, the school run just isn’t that swish, is it?
What’s your favourite aspect of your online career? What keeps you inspired?
As I said earlier, falling into a career by way of a hobby is something I can’t recommend enough. I will make videos in some capacity for as long as people will watch them because I love that instant engagement with people. Aside from that, my favourite aspect is the unknown. In a 9 to 5 job you know what you’re doing week in week out but with this job, someone could email me tomorrow and give me an opportunity so crazy I haven’t even considered it yet. It’s not the financial rewards so much as the ‘money can’t buy’ experiences. I once ran around Disneyland Paris (ran is very generous word) before it opened with one of my best friends and I can safely say we would never have done that before.
What can we expect to see from you over the next few months?
Well, I’ll be filming in centre collecting content for some social posts – you may see me talking to myself – haha! There will be some Instagram TV (IGTV) posts to look out for. These will be in the style of a ‘Come shop with me’, where I’m hoping to show you what’s new in the stores and in centre. I’ll also be doing some reviews on new products on the website and a blog feature on my monthly favourites. Think of me as your bestie at Frenchgate!