Alexandra Gater has amassed over 340k subscribers on her self-titled YouTube channel, where she shares style and home décor tips for those on a budget. Her popular videos take viewers through DIY projects, lifestyle content, small-space makeovers, and tips on how to design even if you are renting your space. Since the first video she posted two years, Alexandra has created an ever-growing digital space for creativity and inspiration. However, the journey that led Alexandra to her channel is a unique one.
In 2015, Alexandra graduated from the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC) / Centennial College Joint Journalism program with a minor in Studio Arts. This program allowed her to combine her academic studies at UTSC, with the hands-on and practical side of journalism at Centennial. Reflecting on her time there, Alexandra says, “I loved UofT so much, but it was very theory-based. It was super helpful and it helped me think about what I was learning and doing, but when I went to Centennial, I didn’t even think about the fact that I would have to be taught how to actually interview someone. I had no idea how to interview someone even though I had been learning about journalism for three years! I really found the hands-on experience so incredibly beneficial but combined with the UofT part as well.”
As part of the Centennial component of the program, Alexandra completed an internship at Chatelaine Magazine, which eventually led her to be hired full-time at the magazine. Alexandra says this internship changed her life and the trajectory of her career. “Going into the internship, I felt confident because we had learned how to do certain things at Centennial. I remember we had an interviewing class that taught you how to get on the phone and talk to people, and even having those really difficult experiences as a student made me more confident going into a huge establishment like Chatelaine,” she says.
During the first couple of months at the magazine, she assisted the Home Director and was in charge of the home décor section, and this eventually led her to land the Home Editor position. “A few months after becoming the Home Editor, I started a YouTube series called The Home Primp, which was all about helping millennials decorate on a budget. We produced it for a year, and it didn’t do super well on YouTube, but it did well on our website. Then, the second last video we ever produced went viral and got over one million views, and then all of the other episodes started to gain traction,” she says. It was then when Alexandra received some unexpected news. She shares, “A couple of weeks after that video went viral, I was let go from the magazine. There was a massive layoff, and around ninety of us were let go.”
This moment threw a massive curveball at Alexandra, but since that video series did so well, she knew she wanted to continue with it. “The momentum was there and I knew people wanted more. It was just a matter of how I was going to make that happen on my own.” That is when her YouTube channel was born.
Initially, she fell into this entrepreneurial world unexpectedly, but now that she is a couple of years into running her own business with her team, Alexandra has exciting ventures ahead. Although, during her time at Centennial, she had a small glimpse into her future when she won the Deans Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She says, “I remember thinking, why did I win this award? I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. That being said, they gave me that award because I was really into photography and I took it upon myself to have a mini photography show. I think I was always trying to think outside the box in terms of school projects and how I could make things different. Unlike University, having the freedom to be able to think outside the box and be surrounded by people who supported and encouraged that, was amazing.”
One piece of advice Alexandra wants to share with those who want to delve into the entrepreneurial field is to never compare yourself to others. She says, “I’m on social media and producing YouTube videos and it’s a very competitive world. Something I do almost monthly, and sometimes even weekly, is check myself and make sure I’m not comparing myself to other people, and kind of keep my head down and do the things that I love to do.” The best piece of advice she has received is to trust your gut. “That has been an invaluable thing as an entrepreneur, is knowing in your gut what’s right and what’s wrong. You are the corporation, you are the boss, and you are running the show, and so someone like me who never wanted to be an entrepreneur, and not having any real sense if I’m doing the right thing, trusting my gut along the way has been really helpful,” she shares.
An exciting opportunity recently played out for Alexandra, which she says was hands down probably one of the biggest career highlights for her – she had her very own TEDx Talk! As one of the speakers at the TEDxCentennialCollegeToronto event, Alexandra shared her story to a virtual audience watching from home. She says, “The whole experience was so amazing. It was about a year in the making because we were supposed to do our TED Talks at the beginning of April, but then COVID happened, and it got delayed. But being able to actually sit down and start writing and research something, all the way to rehearsing it in front of coaches and getting feedback, and then presenting it, was just really humbling and incredible. I learned so much about myself and my business… and I was very honoured that they asked me to talk.” After walking off the stage, Alexandra had a moment of reflection. She shares, “After I did my talk and got off the stage, even though I had rehearsed it like one hundred times, I walked away feeling like I was able to reflect on what I had accomplished, as well as my business, more than I ever had before. It was like telling my story also made me listen to my story… and it was a really self-reflecting process and event.” She also vlogged the day leading up to the event and the day of, which you can watch below.
The future of Alexandra’s career as an entrepreneur is constantly fluid, as she describes that the world of YouTube, and media in general, is ever-changing. She says, “I feel like the success of my business is being able to pivot super quickly and change what I’m doing very quickly to adapt to the new normal.” She says her goals for the next five years involve crafting her own product line, writing a book, and continuing to do bigger and better makeovers on her channel. This kind of constant change is one of the most fun parts of the job, as she says, “We are constantly learning and brainstorming new ideas based on comments or requests of what they want to see. In the beginning, I was really experimenting and trying a bunch of different things, and now I kind of know what works. I know that people love kitchen makeovers and I know that people love small space makeovers, so it’s kind of focusing on those and making those videos bigger and better.”
Congratulations, Alexandra, on your ongoing success! Be sure to watch for Alexandra's profile and more in our grad series coming to you this January!
By: Alexandra Few