EP22: How long-lasting can Online Brand Connections be? – TOP 3 BRAND ADVICE W/ CHRISTINE GAMBITO (@ HAPPYSLIP)
From an OG Youtuber and Comedian’s UNIQUE perspective.
- Listen in to hear Christine Gambito’s TOP 3 pieces of advice on branding and business and hear from her unique perspective. Christine Gambito, also known by her screen name HappySlip, is a Filipino American comedian whose videos have been viewed over 100 million times across the web. As a pioneer on YouTube in 2006, she was the first personality to create a one woman show, and act as multiple characters in her sketches. In 2019 she took her stand up comedy on tour to sold out crowds across the US.
- TOPICS WE DISCUSS: Purposeful Movements, Family Stories, What Risks look like, Genuine Connections Vs. Data, Stand-up Comedian Journey, Back in the Days: Online Content, Real Life Connections and Online Connections, Inside Brand Personality, Discovering the Way, Juggling Work-Life Balance, Genuine Connections, Quality Connections, Personable Stories, Immigrant-Life, Real Life Moments Vs. Online, Authenticity Assurance.
TRANSCRIPTION:
[00:00:47] Peggy: You’re listening to the Branding Gems podcast, a podcast that’s not just interviews and conversations. It’s to bring you guys the best of the best women in branding and business to answer this question: What are your top three valuable tips and lessons that you learned along the way? And then, we discuss it. To fuel your passion-filled lifestyle business, I promise to bring you the best of the best women in branding and business and together, we can grow and learn from the extracted advice that they provide. I’m Peggy Bree, and let’s get growing!
Hi, welcome back to this episode or to this podcast, really, I have some personal updates and some general things to go over before we get into this episode of the personal update is I am moving to Columbia like I mentioned, but I’m actually starting to pack my bags, which is so wild and I’m just excited to be moving literally. I’ll be moving and things are moving along. So this is so fun. And if you want to follow all my digital nomad journey and faith and branding stuff, feel free to follow me on Instagram @peggybree and talk to me there.
I would love to connect with you digital nomadders or people who love branding or people who love faith. Chat with me. I will be there. And one more note I wanted to also introduce this podcast episode again or my podcast series again. So Branding Gems is really like an online documentation of unique women around this digital and online world just sharing their experience and sharing their tips and just really documenting their unique perspective on branding and business. And that’s something that is such a passion of mine. So I would love if you can grow this with me, let me know who you want to bring on this podcast. Let me know you want to be on this podcast and just reach out to me on Instagram. Talk to me. Tell me all the things. Tell me what you want for this podcast and grow this with me, so I would chat with you there. And without further ado, I’m so excited for this episode and this guest. Oh my gosh, I’m legit honored. Like how we met was kind of random and so genuine and so organic, but it was just the coolest. And I’m just excited to have this guest. So stay tuned.
[00:03:34] Peggy: Hi, welcome back to another episode of Branding Gems, I am super excited to introduce the next guest to everyone. She is awesome. Today we have Christine Gambito, also known by her screen name, Happy Slip. She is a Filipino-American comedian whose videos have been viewed over one hundred million times across the web as a pioneer on YouTube in 2006. She was the first personality to create a one woman show and act as multiple characters in her sketches. In 2019, she took her stand up comedy on tour to sold out crowds across the U.S. Welcome, Christine.
[00:04:16] Christine: Thank you so much for having me.
[00:04:19] Peggy: I’m super excited and I just wanted to say thank you for coming on board and for accepting my invite on Clubhouse. That was so cool.
[00:04:29] Christine: Sure thing.
[00:04:31] Peggy: Yes. And it was yeah, this is very interesting, like, I forgot that you can meet such amazing people and it was so cool to just say hi to you and then just ask a question and you being so genuine and awesome. So I really appreciate that.
[00:04:48] Christine: And that was the first time I had jumped on Clubhouse. So it was like, like you said, a whole new world, and I was shocked about how quickly you can connect, like you said, with people, you just otherwise wouldn’t probably have that sort of intimate conversation. You know, just be able to share that quickly. It’s like, “Whoa, this is a new world here.”
[00:05:08] Peggy: Yeah, it is so interesting. But let’s dive right in. What are your top three tips on branding and business? And let’s start with number one.
[00:05:19] Christine: Sure, so I feel when people are asking me about, you know, how do I develop my brand or what, what should I do? I always return to first. You have to define what it is you’re going to do. I find that a lot of people and even I would sometimes still be like, Should I be doing, you know, you can get tempted by watching what other people are doing and say, maybe I should be doing that too, or maybe I should do. And there’s just such a plethora an option, you know, of options out there that you can choose to do. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should be doing it. So what I try to help people if they ask me for any advice, I just say, you know what helped me out to realize and to hone in on exactly what I should be doing? Because when I was 13, I knew I wanted to act, but it still wasn’t specific enough. And when I tried to do the mainstream acting thing in New York, it was like I still didn’t have any guidance. Nobody, I was just trying to, you know, go along with the flow with every other actor in New York and not really realizing my specific calling or my specific gift. So I would think the first step in branding and you know, first of all, you got to figure out what is you’re going to be your main thing, your main activity.
So I feel those things I find the three A’s help me. And so I heard this from a pastor before. And so pretty much it boils down to the first A) is ability. What are you naturally good at? And so it’s not that, Oh, I can do this, I can do that. No, what are you? What just flows naturally out of you? What’s an activity you’re naturally good at? And then affinity is the next A). So ability, affinity and so affinity is what do you enjoy doing? Again, just because you can do something, you’ve got to ask yourself, Do I really enjoy this? Would I be doing this if I was paid or not? You know? And then the third a is affirmation. What do your family and friends affirm in you? So, I mean, I remember at one point before the whole happy slip channel started and all this, I saw my friends start up a website and they were making money on Google ads. Just, you know, at that time, they were just a startup and it was just a content website. They were earning dollars a month at it and on Google ads. And I remember going, I want a website too, you know, I had already had my first son and I was like, I want to stay home and be able to work on a website and just have a, you know, have it be a content website and earn like that.
So again, it’s an illustration of the temptation to just do what other people are doing. And so I, without consulting with my childhood friend, and my cousin. And I didn’t. I didn’t consult with them, and I went on and launched on my own, and I did this silly website called successfulwebsitebusinesses.com. And what I was going to do is gather stories from different moms or stay at home moms or whatever. And, you know, try to report on what it is that they did and bring it all in one place so that other people could read their stories. And so, yeah, I did that. But the templates back then were horrible. So it was an ugly website, first of all, and I slap Google ads all over it. And then my cousin and my childhood friend were laughing at me and they were like, What are you doing? When I finally told them about it and they said, “That is not you. Like why? Why aren’t you doing your comedy? You know why? Why aren’t you sharing your stories that you naturally share in conversations with different people? And why don’t you let that be your content?” Now, I didn’t know that was, you know, 2006. I didn’t know what they meant by shared on the internet because I had been doing 30 minute sitcoms for the family.
I would do it, obviously for just naturally do it. So it didn’t really occur to me that that could eventually be a business endeavor. And so they were like. I was acting in not a natural capacity for me. I was just doing what I thought, “Oh, this will be a good business thing”, but it’s not my natural energy. I wasn’t really enjoying it. And so they affirmed in me something that I didn’t really see about myself. I thought I would do acting somehow, but I didn’t know that it should specifically be comedy and specifically be sharing my unique stories. So when they kind of told me, “Well, you know, you make sitcoms for the family, so figure out how to do that, you know, on the internet” and I’m like, “But how?” And my cousin was just like, “I don’t know, figure it out, you know?”. So I took like the 30 minute sitcoms I used to make for our family, like Christmas parties. I just kind of shrunk it into a three to four minute type of, you know, occurring episodes or my own little show on YouTube, and that’s how that came to be. But it took many years to just kind of hone in and go, “Oh, so you mean, you mean I should focus in on comedy”. You need your honest friends and family to affirm in you. So that’s the first step is the three A’s ability, affinity and affirmation.
I’m sorry if I’m droning on too long here, but that’s a fact. That’s the first. And then second is just how to do it. If you know, if you’re in one of those lucky positions that you just have unlimited money and resources and time and you can just launch into whatever you love doing, that’s awesome. That’s great. But for the rest of us that don’t have did not have that luxury, you know, and my mom did. I mean, I kind of use it as a funny reflection moment just how I knew I wanted to do acting. And my mom’s like, “Well, what? What’s going to be your backup? You know, what’s what? What will be your, you know, acting is unstable or what will be your backup”. So, you know, while I bring that up, it’s such a true moment, especially between, you know, immigrant parents and their kids. It’s like, “Look, you’re not going to be going into art now, you’re not going to be doing something because they want to know that your future is secure and that you’re doing something”. And I’m not by no means telling people that they have to take the same route that I did. I’m just letting them know that ultimately, I knew my passion was to do something in the acting world. And so as a result, I knew I had to do. I had to do what it would take in order to do what I love.
So for me, because I’m a people person and then people will laugh, especially if they’re Filipino, because they’ll say, “Oh, so you went into nursing” where which I did, but with a twist, guys with a twist. I was hesitant because I thought, “No, I don’t want this to suck up my whole life, and I won’t be able to do what I love to do.” So I remember a pivotal moment was talking to one of my aunties who was a nurse at that time or still is a nurse, too. But I said to her, “You know, Auntie Salva, you know, everyone keeps telling me to do nursing, but you know, you know me, I want to do acting and you see what I love to do. But you know, for a backup skill or for something to earn money, to put food on the table. Should I what do you think? Should I? Should I do nursing? I need. I need a flexible schedule. I need a flexible career. You know, not a career, but I didn’t approach it as a career, but just a backup skill, right?” And she said, “of course. I mean, why do you think I’m doing nursing? I can just work one day a month if I want to, and I can just travel and do this and do that. And then she sold me right there. I was like, Oh, heck, yeah, that’s right, because I’m a people person.
I want the flexible schedule. If I just want to work one day a month, that spoke out to me and I didn’t take it to the career nursing level. I only stopped at LPN and I joke with people saying that LPM means low paid nurse, a little bit of nurse, you know, and so while I love the dynamics of the fact that I’m a people person, I think everyone can benefit from some basic nursing knowledge. But then again, you know, for those that are that are thinking, “Oh, you sold out, you went another way and you didn’t go for your dreams.” No, no, no, no, no, no. This was showing my dedication towards like, I’m going to do what it takes to have, you know, be able to feed myself and then, you know, pursue because the thing I didn’t want to do is end up kind of being so desperate to accept any acting role to put food on the table. You know, I didn’t want to be in that kind of position where I was just I want to be able to pick and choose the projects that I’m in or I didn’t want to depend on my art that I loved so much to feed me in the beginning. It’s like, I want to be able to do it the way I want to do it. So with a flexible schedule, so the second step is just do what it takes to do what you love to do.
It doesn’t mean I’m telling everybody to go nursing. It’s just saying, you know that after you, you determine what it is you love to do now, what is the route that will provide for me to do it and do it well? And then the third step is just how to promote, you know, once you know your brand, you know exactly what it is that you’re naturally good at. And then you’re now in the active, you know, you’re in the activity of actually executing that. And then I just tell people, you know, so obviously, we’re in a great era of social media, and like you said, like these different apps like Clubhouse and different ways to connect with people and to be able to collaborate with people. So collaboration is a big thing on being able to promote this activity that you love to do. So for me, people are like, Well, you know, how? How can we break into the mainstream? And I really don’t even I don’t concern myself with the mainstream because for me, it was too stifling. It was like, here’s a director and their box, and how can you fit in that box? And in that idea, and I’m just like, You know what? Everything that I do is outside of that box. Everything I do is so unique to me, and we’re living in an era where you can you can determine exactly what your path is that is going to be completely unique to anybody else’s.
So I feel like the advice or counsel that would go out to someone who’s just starting now is vastly different than when I started. And it’s like, Wow, you have you literally have the world at your fingertips. You literally can carve out your ideal audience because you are your brand. And so, so so when we’re talking about branding, you know, and I still will remind myself, you know, you are your niche. It’s not just like I have to be doing only this activity like I used to stress out about, Oh, I can’t do anything serious on this channel because it’s a comedy channel, you know? And then I remember a friend telling me because I wanted to. I wanted to play a song that had been in my head. I’m not a natural songwriter, but this particular song was on my mind and my heart. And I, you know, it was an honor of someone who had passed away. And it was so, you know, that’s serious subject matter. I’m like, you know, typically people go to the happy slip Channel four for comedy, and I asked a friend, I was like, What do you think? Is this weird that I, I really feel called to put this serious song up? And he goes, It’s your channel, right? Can’t you do what you want to do? And I was like, Oh, epiphany, actually? And this goes along those thought lines of, you do what is unique to you? Don’t, don’t be pegged into it needs to be this activity and this activity only because you at the end of the day, you are your brand.
So you let yourself be fully you and all its facets, and that will begin to carve out your ideal audience. Your don’t, don’t feel fearful. In fact, that was something that I never really did vlogs on my channel. I did one that was really uncomfortable in 2006 because there weren’t many vloggers out there, and I felt very like, Should I be even sharing this? I mean, I’m just talking to the camera. It’s not a skit. It’s not this. And so it was very awkward. But had I known what I know now, I would have been like, You know what? Just share, just share and just blog and just do whatever. And I felt like I have to put these on another channel because, you know, so it was a lot of that guessing around. And so I wish someone would have shared that with me is that, you know, you can have a different playlist and put you can define the different activities you do. But don’t be afraid to just be completely you and not to carbon copy. Try to feel like I’ve got to be exactly like this other personality on YouTube. That’s what’s going to attract people to you. Is you being individually you and not afraid to show those facets of your life? So, yeah, those are my three what to do, how to do it, or doing what it takes to do what you love.
And then finally, how to promote and to know that you are your niche. And you know, many, many have to start small when you’re like me just doing a one woman show and I’m still a one woman show. But, you know, but even if you have to start small and you, you are naturally fueled to do what you love to do and collaborate with other people, you will find that you’ll begin to grow. You’ll begin to grow and don’t judge based on numbers of followers, but the quality of those followers. So the quality of the interaction is what I’m saying. So if you. So what if you have, you know, a million followers, but they barely comment on your stuff or they’re not, they’re just not really engaged with you? So so I’ve had to migrate from different platforms, different platform to platform over the years, just because sometimes algorithms will favor showing your content if you’re very consistent. And I wasn’t with three more kids added to the mix. So total for kids through the years, you know, YouTube wasn’t necessarily even exposing my videos to the subscribers. It was hard to keep that kind of what consistency up or just. So the algorithm would would would show me so, but it’s OK because, you know, you’ve got to also live your life. So I ended up trying to trying different platforms and eventually you notice, you know, so at one time, Facebook was the best route for me to connect with these people.
And then, now, now Instagram seems best for me, or TikTok seems, you know, so it’s like you just use these different tools. At the end of the day, you are your niche. And what I love the absolute most is connecting face to face. And I’m going to tell you right now that having the live shows and meeting people face to face is so different than what you imagine in your mind. Those numbers to mean those numbers on social media. Oh my gosh. Like, I would have thought, Oh, you know, because YouTube algorithm and this and that I was buried, I was like, like a needle in a haystack feeling like I can’t even connect with my own audience anymore. And because they don’t see my videos, they don’t see my new videos and they’ll be like, Oh, we thought you, you know, you weren’t posting, even though I put new videos. So when I met these people on tour, I’m thinking, Wow, this, the quality of the interactions tells a very different story than what the the numbers you see online. So don’t let that fool. You don’t let that detract from what you love to do. Just keep plugging away at those things. You know what? You’re naturally good at what you enjoy doing and what people are affirming you. And so, yeah, I hope that I hope those are my three.
[00:21:59] Peggy: So good. No, they’re so good. I love that you really talked about doing what is unique to you because that’s so important. And I think what was so golden about what you said is that you can carve out that audience and that even if there’s no box that you can be in, you can find and create that box because it pertains to your brand and your business. That was so golden. I love that and actually like a question that I have in terms of quality of interaction with your brand’s audience and your audience. I guess like I know that you mentioned to really hone into that quality and really talk to them in that way. Like what are ways to really build that quality to your audience so that you can have that quality relationship with them, like especially for this weird online world that we are in?
[00:22:52] Christine: Right? I think what? And this was so shocking to me. Like I said when I went on live tour and I got to face to face interact with people, they would tell me, you know, you said something to the effect of, Well, I thought the audience forgot about me. And then they would say to me with tears in their eyes, they’d say, I, you were part of my childhood growing up and I saw in you, I saw my own family, I saw my own stories. And so that’s what made them relate so well to me. So to answer your question, you know, relate to that which is so human and don’t let that your activity or whatever it is, let it always circle back to something that is relatable on a personal level. So just because and unbeknownst to me, I was just sharing moments straight out of my life like a lot of those comedy skits and all these are just straight out conversations or situations that come out of my childhood. And so as people would see it, they would say, Oh, wow, that’s my auntie, that’s my mom. That’s how I grew up. They said the same things to me. So then meeting them in person, they would let me know, and I just didn’t realize that. Oh, so they feel so bonded to me or connected to me because we share the same stories. And my sister, who is a writer, she had a very key point for me because, you know, another trap that people fall into is I want to appeal to everybody. And so they’ll try to make content that just kind of appeals to everybody.
But she said, the thing is, when you do that and her experience as a writer was so helpful, she said, you’re in fact speaking to nobody because people are like, who? Who is your audience? Like, who is your audience and who are you talking to? But when you when you tell your own story and to a particular, you know, you think that it’s who’s going to really relate to this because you think it’s only your experience. I mean, that’s why a lot of people will say, Oh, I thought it was just me that went through that. And so she said, Yeah, so she said, Don’t be afraid to just tell your unique story because in that you’re actually speaking a universal story because how many people that not even Filipino, but children of immigrant parents having that same culture clash, even though it’s a different language or a different accent, it’s the same kind of. Experience so and I’ve changed, you know, when if people are just after. Let me just build a big audience and, you know, across. I mean, I guess, you know, you might have some type of comedy that could appeal to any ethnicity. But what I’m saying, what I’ve noticed in over, it’s coming up on 15 years of doing this stuff online. It’s like when I would hone in and and and I was afraid at first to start the Filipino videos online because I thought, Oh, who’s going to relate to them? Who’s going to really know what I’m doing here? And then I realized my sister’s advice was true. I honed in exactly on This is our life.
This is our story. I don’t see anything online that at that point in time, I didn’t see anything like that online. And so it was very kind of scary, you know, making that kind of content because at the same time, I didn’t want anyone to think that it was like, What is she doing like if they misread what I was doing, you know, or my my my family would request for me to do these imitations and do these skits? And do you know a reflection of fun loving reflection of themselves? So it wasn’t in any way doing something out of ill will or, you know, like, Oh, let’s at there, they don’t, you know, if they didn’t appreciate it and here I am still doing it. No, no, no. I didn’t want people to misread it. So what I’m saying is there was a lot of it wasn’t very clear for me when I first started because I didn’t see anything like it before me. So. So yes, so so again, that was a long answer to your question. But as far as people being able to get the quality of connection is like be, you know, to be so personable in your own stories, don’t be afraid to share those because those that have had the same experience will relate to you and they’ll feel all the much more bonded to you much more than you realize. So the comments may not reflect it or they may not say it. You have people out there that won’t even comment on things, but then they’re so blessed by what you do and then you don’t know until you meet them face to face.
[00:27:29] Peggy: Mm. Yeah, that’s so that’s awesome. It’s interesting, especially like because of how people interact people to people these days. It’s either through video or even through Instagram lives and all these tools. So it’s just really about like people to people and having that human face to it to connect so that people can see it to be relatable and and they can relate to you. So I love that I was just very curious about like, especially like when some if like, especially for you who has been online for like so long, like what is that like with having such a longevity in this online world? And to balance it with like real life, like what is that like? What has that been like?
[00:28:17] Christine: Yes, that’s a curious thing because I started not like a lot of the YouTubers of that time. I was, you know, older in life as far as, you know, married and already had one son and my husband at the time. With that creation of that YouTube channel back in two thousand six was very leery of me showing any thing of my personal life. So I didn’t define. I didn’t share those facets of my life because he was very private about it. He was like, Don’t mention us, don’t show us, don’t you know what I mean? And so, you know, lessons learned from that as far as because the audience defined me as they saw me. So they thought I was some sort of college girl or they thought I was kind of Dunbar’s age and that, you know, Kevjumba and I were a couple. Or they would do they would ask me, however, they saw me. And so when you say, how did I deal with balancing internet life with personal life? Well, I’ll say. It. That’s tricky, because it’s not like I’ve been so consistent through the years, but what’s amazing is after 14 years, you know, to connect and say, Wow, these people are still connected. Yeah. Time can go by. And that’s the thing is, I didn’t want to sacrifice family life or continuing to grow the family because, oh no, man, I got to keep these videos going. You know, I got to have weekly videos. I got to have this. I got to have that. Then I would be sacrificing that part of me that really wanted to grow my family. So it has been a lot of ebbs and flows and valleys and peaks, and it’s not been easy as far as you know, seeing everyone else that I started with, the YouTube OGS, like they would keep going and plugging away, and I realized I was at a crossroads. I could not plug away they the way they were doing. I could not have that type of consistency. They were in a different phase of life, and some people just have different choices like they didn’t want to, you know, necessarily some of them are still not settled down or some of them, you know, which is fine.
That’s their own choice. But for me, I couldn’t just be like, I need to be like them. And then later on down the road, be like, OK, what did I do? I you know what I’m saying? So balancing for me is, and I will tell people, Look, if you think you’re just going to have this internet career that never ebbs and, you know, just kind of has valleys and where you have slow times, that is the cost of living life. Because if you want to just have an internet life and that’s it, I think you’ll in the end start to lose relatability with even the audience because it’s light. It’s actual real life moments that translate that you’re retelling those real life moments onto the internet, and that’s what makes you connect with them. But if you have no connection or to real life to me that that’s how I see it for myself. Like, I can’t sacrifice real life. And then for the sake of, you know, popularity or fame or keep this engine going with. But then, you know, I don’t like I said at the end, what am I going to relate to them with? I haven’t.
I haven’t actually lived my life. So. So, so yeah, it’s been hard, definitely because I would feel sort of left out like, Oh man, I can’t keep up with them. But then I. But then I would remind myself why I was making these choices, why I would have to retreat from the quote mainstream of what was being seen on the internet. So that became the new mainstream where I had to retreat from, you know? So, yeah, and I know it’s going to be continuing to be like that, constantly trying to find that work life balance, constantly working on my schedule, that is a daily thing. Let me tell you, I don’t know if I’ll ever feel that. I mean, because once I invest a lot of time in a project or a video or this and then I feel like I feel mom guilt like, Oh my gosh, I have to go. And yeah, so what I’m saying is there’s a constant tug and pull and refining the schedule. So if I ever get to that point where I’m like, I figured it out, I feel great with my work life balance, let me let you know. To write a book
[00:32:50] Peggy: I love that, and I love that you mention that it really is to each everyone’s own and when and as like time goes like like there’s different phases to everyone’s life and seasons change and it doesn’t mean that like like, I love that you mention that because it’s true. Like people like change seasons change day to day things in life, real life happens. And if you have this like online brand or personality online and you’re trying to like, maintain that so that but it’s not really real and true to what your life is like, it doesn’t make sense to just like, keep putting this up as what is online so that you remain that brand. But if it real life happens and when there are moments you really speak on real life or to show that that real part to to the audience like it’s it helps, it makes them connect to and you don’t have to like, like keep up with this like brand, you know, persona or brand personality that they only saw you as before, but so that they could see you as who you are today? It’s very interesting.
[00:34:02] Christine: Yes, yes. And I think you know that authentic sharing of yourself. And then if you’re fearful, if people find themselves well, I’m fearful. If I, if I, you know, go ahead and pay attention to my actual family and if I like if they’re afraid, oh, I don’t know if I have more kids than I might lose this audience and I want to let them know I’ve been there and I’ve felt that. And now I can assure you that if you’ve had that genuine connection with the audience, they will not forget you because you know you. Youtube numbers would have told me, Oh, these people forgot about me, but then I went on, I went on tour and I was like, Whoa, this is a real connection over. People will say, I watched you from the beginning and then and then for them to come out to my shows. Come on. I mean, how many years later I started going on tour and then to think, how can I have these sold-out shows? It’s because that connection was so real they did not forget even through those valleys or those times of not posting, not being able to post, you know, so so I will assure you, don’t give up everything for your online persona because it’s your real life persona that they’re connecting with. So don’t neglect that.
[00:35:21] Peggy: Oh, my gosh, that is like the most golden tip ever, like this, it just really is so awesome to hear from such an OG person who has been doing this because this is the type of advice I like. You can’t just like, get and hear from someone like this is like OG advice, and it’s so appreciative to hear that from you, Christine and I. And it’s and I love that I could. It’s so true. Like when you mention about genuine audience and genuine connection like that is what lasts, and that is kind of what grows over time and. And it’s like, even if no one shows, oh, maybe they forgot about me and you’re like, looking at that and what that is, but like overall, the greater picture of this all, it’s like, no, like they remember you because they remember that connection and they know you of that or like there was that relationship that was built that’s like not forgotten. So that’s just like, I love that it’s so good.
[00:36:19] Christine: Yes. And then also, you know, like I told you before about the different tools. So what Tik Tok and Instagram Reels taught me is that OK? So the algorithm will sometimes put I mean, for example, Instagram Reels are so much more prioritized and shown to the audience or to and to new eyeballs, then regular post. So let’s say someone’s working their butt off, trying to get regular like IGTV posts or just regular posts on their Instagram, and they’re not getting much interaction. But then boom, they put a real up. That’s only 30 seconds max, and then they get way more exposure on that. So again, don’t look at the numbers and go, Oh, nobody cares about what I do. Well, what about it’s just the actual avenue, what you’re using and what that algorithm is going to favor. And so, yeah, it taught me, OK. It’s just that people aren’t seeing it. You’re not getting the exposure. That all doesn’t mean people don’t care about it. So just keep trying the different avenues and see and see what is going to be the algorithm that favors, you know, the best so you could get the best bang for your work. You know, you put this work in, you don’t want to just put it on as a regular Instagram post. You want to make it as a real. Or let’s say you made a video and it was 40 seconds long. Can you make it 30 seconds so it can be on reels instead of as a regular post? Because I’ll tell you more eyeballs are going to see it. So I don’t have tons of time to be sitting there making video after video day after day. So I’m sitting there saying I need the biggest bang for this effort put into this. So if I can, I’m going to use the tools that are out there to the best, you know? Yeah. To have the best kind of exposure for it.
[00:38:12] Peggy: I love that. No, it’s so true because it’s like different ways would pertain to each platform because it’s its own tool within itself. So it’s just like using that platform to really maximize the advantage that you can have with that one post and how you can make use of that. And I love that it really is the quality of that content at the end of the day, because that one person, three,who sees it and connects, it’s like, that’s like, real quality, like right there. But it’s so true to really find ways in and where you can in each platform use that tool of that platform and ways to maximize the reach of that content so that it could work. So I love that. Oh, my goodness, like Christine is, oh my gosh, like you are such an OG and it’s like the more you talk, I’m like, Wow, like, I’m just like, This is just this real life. This is just coming from someone experienced. What’s next for you, like what’s going on in your life, what’s going on for happy slip? What’s next?
[00:39:35] Christine: Well, before 2020, I mean, there I was on, you know, gearing up to keep that tour going because I had 20 cities and just overwhelmed by the support for the show that I was looking forward to 2020. And I’m going to tell you. And then New Year’s Day jumping up and down 20 20. Yay Friday and then oops, OK, everything halted to a stop as far as the tour goes. But, you know, discovering these tools that are favoring short, kind of short form content and because again, of my phase of life, because some people might be like, why don’t you post a YouTube anymore? And it might. My thought is that again, it’s like, will 30 second videos work on YouTube? Well, not their regular platform, but apparently they’re also coming out with YouTube shorts, which is like their version of TikTok. And so they’re going to allow for short form content to be displayed, how people are used to from, you know, reels on Instagram or TikTok. So I’m like, OK, so the way I’m going to keep in contact is just with the audiences to still try to do the, you know, those short, relatable moments when I can online.
But definitely as things begin to get safe out there and crowds can when they finally can get together, I would love to continue having shows Toronto was one of the ones I wanted to stop in. One of those, yeah, Toronto was going to be put on the list, but everything got halted. But so yeah, other than that, just trying to juggle, like I said, that work life balance, trying to home school for kids and do the content at the same time, I’m in that process of trying to refine that schedule to be to benefit everybody. Yeah. So so that’s where it is. I’m trying to think. Other than that, you know, everybody having to adjust to a new normal for 2020. So even if I yeah. So even if I don’t get to, I don’t know when that day will be that I can have more shows. But that’s what I look forward to because I found that although I love making videos live audiences is the best because you see the true real life and real time connection that I have been talking about this whole podcast.
[00:42:02] Peggy: Yeah, and I love that. No, it’s it’s awesome that it’s it’s so great of where you are now, and it’s like down the road, like when things are open up again, you can have that real life audience connection again. And it’s just a matter of waiting for that time to just pass. But it’s great that you’re enjoying and being able to do what you can like right now, even if it’s not like completely like full force, like where that hustle was like could have been like if this pandemic didn’t happen. But it’s great that you’re still, you know, still doing stuff now and just enjoying what it is for now. So that’s awesome.
[00:42:45] Christine: Yes, I would encourage anybody. Don’t don’t cap yourself. As far as I thought, I was never going to do stand up comedy. Somebody asked me that and my first vlog back in 2006, like, do you see yourself doing standup comedy? And in my head, I didn’t see myself as part of that world because I thought I wouldn’t fit in it. I thought, Well, what are they going to do with me? Like, I’m not going to show up to some open mic and be like, Hey, want to want to see me impersonate my family and tell you stories about my, my Filipino family? Like, I thought that what I saw? No, I just do internet, you know, comedy videos. That’s that’s it. But who would have known that this is actually what I love to do the best? And then it goes back to my roots that I would story tell and do this for the family live before I would make skits for them, like edited skits. And I used to stand in front of everyone and they would ask me to do imitation on demand or imitate your auntie, your mom, your dad, your sister, your, you know. And so that was their standup entertainment. But I didn’t know that’s what that was. I mean, I’m like eight, nine years old, 10 years old, not knowing that I was actually performing standup. So to go all the way back to the roots. And that’s why I want to encourage people. Don’t say to yourself, No, I would never do that kind of activity that like that. That seems scary. I wouldn’t be able to do that. But then you realize, no, you know, don’t limit yourself, because what if that ends up being the activity you love the most?
[00:44:16] Peggy: Oh my goodness. Oh, so good. And I and just before I asked you, like, where can people find you like, I just want it to. Go back to what you said about how the root of you loving to entertain and to have that like comedy like stand up comedy, like even though it was translated online and that was put through that platform and showcasing that stand up portion online, like it doesn’t mean like you mentioned that that part of it never goes away. And you know, from the future until now, like, you can always have that because that’s what you love to do. And if it means to do it in like a live audience this time or like whatever, whatever comes and whatever the future has like that still remains because that’s truly what you love to do. So that’s awesome. Awesome to hear.
[00:45:08] Christine: Yes. And encouraging people that it will take risks like very uncomfortable and scary risks because I was like, This is what I really would love to do. Go on stage and have a show. And I’ve been wanting to do that once I realized I could do it back in two thousand. I want to say two thousand eight or nine is when I when I went on stage to actually do live comedy and I thought, Wow, oh OK, this is what I used to do as a kid. Oh, OK, OK. But what I’m telling people is that when I finally went on tour for it. I thought that and when I finally went on tour with it, I thought that, Oh what? You know, it’s been so many years since I’ve been able to be consistent with videos. What if nobody shows up, you know, and it was scary. And it’s like, what if I put down three thousand to rent this theater and 10 people show up and I just lost all this money? You know, I didn’t. I don’t have three thousand dollars to just toss around, you know? And but the risk that I took and kind of like, all right, based on what I saw people, I had to speak at this event at UC Davis and the people that came out.
I saw the quality of connection. That’s what reignited this kind of confidence to say, Hey, you know what? I think I can, after all these years, still have a comedy tour so that so those first shows I had, I rent them. You have to do, you have to create it your own. I want to tell people, do it on your own. Don’t wait for somebody to hand you the opportunity. I went and went out on a limb and, you know, put down that three thousand. And it was a sold out show. And then the improv contacted me and said, How would you like to headline at our clubs? I mean, it’s like, OK, don’t go the typical route. Carve your own route. That’s what the tools we have available to our disposal is to carve your own route, speak to your own unique audience and create your own shows the way you want to.
[00:47:06] Peggy: So good. This is, yeah, like not following that industry standard of doing this and this, but it’s to really carve out from what you love to do and and just making those steps so that it could happen to be that way.
[00:47:19] Christine: So I was just going to add to that side a side door, always find a side door. Like if someone told me, you need to go and do open mics at random clubs in front of random people, that that’s not me. Why would I do that? Because I’m going to call out to the people that are already my audience and say, Hey, I’m going to have a show and that and that is what would sell out those shows. Why would I go do it the normal way? Or, like you said, the industry standard of what people are telling me I have to do is like, No, you know what? I think I’ll just do what I do, have my own unique voice. People that are attracted to it can be attracted to it or whatever. And then I speak specifically to them. I’ll play to them. So that’s how I kind of made that side door into the improvs. And so and then, yeah, and just renting out my own theaters, you could you don’t have to wait for the improvs or somebody to to hand it to you. Go, go, just seize it yourself, you know, make a way for yourself. But anyway, people can find me the central place. You can find everything at happy slip.com. I’m more active and engaged on Instagram out of all the social media’s and yeah, TikTok. I just started in December. So I mean, and then all of a sudden YouTube says we’re coming out with shorts. So I was like, Oh, OK, well, then you’ll probably see me back on YouTube. But if anything, all you have to do is just type happy, slip one word into the into your search engine and you’re going to see any, you know. All my stuff pop up there.
[00:48:48] Peggy: Oh, so good. And oh my goodness, it was such a pleasure to have you. And one more note of what you said before, like, it’s so interesting. Like instead of waiting for someone to like, give you like a headline like rent out your own theater and so that you could like so that your audience can have a place to hear you like that is such a that’s like golden like advice right there because it’s like, why would you go where everyone else is going and wait to make that, make that happen for your audience and your brand and business like in that other way like and that other way, like even though it’s not what everyone is so used to going about, but that route is how you like that that works for you and your brand. And it works. So it’s like, obviously, it’s going to work.
Christine: Yes, because when I initially tried, I didn’t know how to go about this tour that I wanted to do that was so nebulous in my head is like, I want to go into her, OK, how do I do that? Oh, let me call the improv, see if I can see if I can just rent out their theaters or, you know, and they initially emailed me when they knew nothing about my life show. They were like, Oh, we know, we know of the name. Happy slip. Can you tell us more of your live show? Because for them, they don’t know if I’m going to be able to sell out or if I’m going to be able to just fill 10 seats or what. So I let them know, but I didn’t care for them from them for months. So I said, You know what? I’m not waiting for them. I’m going to go ahead and rent my own theater. Take that risk, you know? And of course, listen to your audience if it looks like and that’s how I knew from that first event I was invited to, I was like, Oh, OK, you feel the pulse of where your audience is. So I took that risk and when it sold out, that’s when the improv started coming to me, you know, and asking, Do you want a headline you want to headline? And I could make the show whatever I wanted to. So pick my own opener. Oh yeah. So I picked my own or some. The shows were RJ, my opener couldn’t make it a random ridge, if anyone knows. Very funny. Then I would do an entire 90 minute set by myself and it was so much fun. So, you know, people would say, what? You know, why are you doing that? And it’s not been done before. Why don’t you know? And it’s like, Oh, well, you know, you go ahead and it hasn’t been done before, so you trailblazer it
[00:51:04]Peggy: Any way you do it have if it hasn’t been done before, if it has done before, like the fact that you’re adding yourself and your uniqueness to it like that means that it’s never been done before because it’s that way. And the way you’re doing it is what makes it so unique. So my goodness, oh my gosh, it was such a pleasure to have you. I wish this convo can go on and on and on, but my goodness, I just I’m already so grateful for you to have you, to listen to your advice and to share your advice to help other people and your advice was solid. It was golden. Oh my goodness, it really paved true to your experience and what you know.
[00:51:43] Peggy: So thank you for having me on your show, your podcast.
[00:51:50] Christine: Thank you again.
[00:51:52] And we’re going to go sign off, bye everyone.
[00:51:56] Peggy: Hi. If you love this episode, definitely rate it on Apple or follow it on Spotify. Keep up with this podcast and thank you so much for being here. I’ll chat with you later. Bye.a
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GUEST: Christine Gambito (HAPPY SLIP)
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