Interview: Haley Pham On Her Life, Her Rescue Dog (Who’s Fresher Than All of Us) + Road to Influencer Fame
The road to success didn’t come easy for influencer and entrepreneur Haley Pham. She was not earning revenue for the first six years of creating content and videos. Haley’s now pulling in 10’s of millions of views, owns a successful clothing company and has launched Flipping with Pham and Call Me Candid with her fellow creator and friend Lilly Ann. Read on to find out more.
GLITTER: Where did you grow up and how did you get started as an influencer/entrepreneur?
HALEY: I was born and raised in Austin, Texas. I began my journey as a little 10-year-old who recorded videos on her dad’s iPhone, teaching herself how to edit!
GLITTER: What can you tell us about your YouTube channel and what do you hope fans take away from it?
HALEY: When I was younger, I discovered iMovie, and I really fell in love with editing. I would record my outfits and makeup so that I could teach myself how to do cool effects and post them to YouTube. Eventually, I got a real camera and Final Cut Pro. My main message I’m trying to demonstrate is that life is beautiful. There’s so much happiness in the world!
GLITTER: You’ve mentioned that you didn’t make money from YouTube for the first six years that you’ve been curating content, can you tell us more about that and what hurdles you overcame to generate revenue?
HALEY: As a kid, making videos on the side, it was always just this really fun hobby to me. It came after school and dance, but I would cancel plans with my friends on the weekend because I knew that even though it was just a hobby and a passion project, that it was building towards something that could potentially be a job in the future, and that’s really what got me through doing that and making some sacrifices as a kid was just the passion for it.
GLITTER: Can you tell us about your Flipping With Pham YouTube series?
HALEY: The production quality is a lot higher in this series, and it’s supposed to mimic an HGTV house makeover TV show. I just love the series overall, and I’m really proud of it!
GLITTER: What can fans learn in your video, “24 Hours with a High School Millionaire?”
HALEY: They can learn what it takes to be a risk-taker and how a business goes from an idea to a full-fledged business.
GLITTER: What is your best entrepreneurial advice to fans who are just getting started?
HALEY: Perfection will be the killer of any dream you have. You have to just start and you also have to have lots of patience.
GLITTER: What should fans know about your business advice and motivational podcast Call Me Candid with your friend and fellow creator Lilly Ann?
HALEY: We talk about our faith on the podcast, we talk about what it’s like to start from zero and try to build a business, What it’s like to be a female founder and just the truth behind what it’s like in our day to day lives.
GLITTER: What went into launching your own clothing line, Retro Reprise?
HALEY: The whole thing is inspired by Memphis design. It’s one of the art movements that is my favorite of all time and I couldn’t find it on any other clothing, so I wanted to create it for myself and wear it. It involves a lot of crazy patterns, a lot of bright colors, it’s more of a ’70s, 80’s type of vibe. The process started with finding a manufacturer first and then getting samples, which takes maybe three months. Once they come in, you revise them and then you have to do that all over again. It took about a year just to get our first collection out because everything is so custom and I wanted everything to fit in a very particular way.
GLITTER: What cute things can we find there? Any favs?
HALEY: Socks, scrunchies, and joggers!
GLITTER: What can you tell us about your rescue dog Spock and his massive social media following?
HALEY: I found Spock in the pound and I was inspired to get him after we had found a stray dog and taken care of him for a week before finding his owner. Funny enough, Spock looks exactly like that stray dog! He was smaller and blonde and I wanted a small dog that could sit in my lap and someone that I could just hold. I got really lucky with Spock because he’s just such a well-trained dog and the love of my life. I think People just love Spock’s quirky personality, he’s not the poster child of perfect pure breed dogs but I think that’s what people love. It’s what I love for sure.
GLITTER: When and what, would you consider to be your big break as an influencer and entrepreneur?
HALEY: The first video I had go viral was the testing stripper life hacks to shave my bikini line, it’s at 10 million views now and that is what skyrocketed my channel, which had previously been stuck at 200,000 subscribers for over a year and a half, to over a million subscribers
GLITTER: Can you share some other memorable highlights from your career?
HALEY: Anytime I could spoil mom and also the Traphamily channel which we’ve shared so many special videos on there of house shopping to moving into a house and then our latest proposal video!
GLITTER: Can you share anything that’s on your mood board that you would like to achieve in the next decade?
HALEY: I would love to renovate a house and make a series out of it, and expand my clothing line.
GLITTER: When you’re not working, what is one of your favorite activities?
HALEY: I love to CrossFit, dance, read, journal, and plan!
GLITTER: Who is your mentor?
HALEY: I wouldn’t say I have a particular mentor, but I am in a group with other entrepreneurs who help me along the way, as well as members in my church who are really inspiring to me.
GLITTER: Best advice you were ever given?
HALEY: It takes 10,000 hours to become a pro at anything so be consistent, be patient, expect failure, and persist none the less.
GLITTER: Glitter has a Celebrity #SelfLoveCampaign, and we want to know, what’s self-love mean to you?
HALEY: To me, self-love is what god and the bible define me as. It is very different than what the world defines me as, and that’s what gives me my confidence is God’s love for me.
GLITTER: What would be a dream collaboration for you?
HALEY: Chip and Joanna Gaines.
GLITTER: What’s on your playlist right now?
HALEY: Lots of Benee.
GLITTER: What’s a day in the life for you like in isolation?
HALEY:
Wake up.
CrossFit.
Drink coffee.
Bible study.
Film a video.
Take an Instagram picture.
Film some TikTok’s.
Brainstorm video ideas.
Finish the day by watching some Bachelor.
GLITTER: Favorite ways to find your Zen?
HALEY: Taking a bath
GLITTER: First place you’ll go when isolation ends?
HALEY: Tropical island
GLITTER: What are your top 5 binge-worthy shows?
HALEY:
Ozark
Stranger Things
Bachelor
Bachelor in Paradise
Bachelor: Listen to your Heart
GLITTER: Instagram or TikTok?
HALEY: Instagram
GLITTER: Favorite fashion brands?
HALEY:
Verge Girl
Princess Polly
Urban Outfitters
Retro Reprise
GLITTER: What’s your skincare routine consist of?
HALEY:
Oil cleanser
Moisturizing cleanser
Serum
Thick moisturizer
GLITTER: Any projects you can tell us about that you’re working on next?
HALEY: Planning a wedding!
GLITTER: Best social platform for fans to find you?
HALEY: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube! •
This interview was completed prior to the protests for George Floyd and #BlackLivesMatter, so we are including what Haley has shared on her Instagram which reads, “I hope George Floyd is looking down upon us and proud of the change we are pushing for. It shouldn’t have taken a human life for us to open our eyes, but we’re here now and it’s time to do what we can to make the world a place of peace and love. Where a Black person does not need to fear for their life in everyday situations. For me, I want to educate myself so that we can break these oppressive cycles. Donate. Sign petitions. Vote on November 9. Pray. And lead with LOVE. The last thing we need is people fighting with one another in comment sections when we all are striving towards the same goal. To end racism. I still have so much to learn, so please inform me where I have room to grow ❤️ #justiceforgeorgefloyd”- @haleypham
Award-Winning Publisher
