We recently connected with Kelly Jo Hosang and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kelly Jo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I moved to Houston, Texas in March 2021, which was a very bold step for me as I did not have any family nor friends in this city to rely on. Prior to this, I always knew that in the back of my mind I wanted to express myself and show more of myself through YouTube and Content Creation and somehow this bold move also gave me the courage to start my YouTube journey.

I had no equipment, no lighting, no camera, no laptop just an iPhone and a tripod but I still never doubted myself and what I would have been able to do. I went through the process of creating the YouTube account, rebranded my name, made an intro on that very same phone, recorded my first video which was “My New Apartment Tour”, edited on my phone and uploaded my very first video to YouTube. I was so happy and proud of myself to even have taken the first step necessary and knew that if I stayed focus I could achieve the goals that I set out for.

As I slowly settled into my new place and city, it was very important that I tried to stay consistent, which meant planning out content and getting myself on a schedule for uploading but also if I was going to take myself serious within this space then I would also have to invest in myself where necessary.

During the next 6-7 months, I stayed consistent on uploading videos, bought a ring light, upgraded my phone and was able to use my best friend’s laptop on weekends to get videos edited faster and with all the hard work that I put into these few months, I received the email from YouTube stating that I was now able to be monetized because I passed all the requirements necessary (which included, subscriber count and a certain amount of watch time hours). I was beyond ecstatic!

I was so proud that my hard work, drive and consistency had actually paid off, even though in that moment I knew that my first earning would not have been a lot of money, this just opened up my eyes even more to the possibilities and got me excited for what’s to come!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Born on April 28th, 1996 I grew up in very humble beginnings in Spanish Town, St Catherine in Jamaica. There, I learned the importance of hard work and gained knowledge and wisdom and took on many different responsibilities along the way from a very early age. Though circumstances were not the most ideal at times, these principles have built my foundation for who I am today.

In 2012 I moved to the United States, Florida to be exact and after receiving my high school education, I attended Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach Florida from 2014-2018. Alongside my education, I became a cheerleader at this accredited institution. I was able to become a role model for younger girls, participating in such great causes and events and overall being a representation for my school. This sparked a realization for my excitement and interest for the beauty world and wanting to express myself more. The lights, the cameras, the appearances, becoming aware that I represent something bigger than myself.

After gaining my degree in Computer Information Systems with a concentration in Networking, at 25 years old, I made the decision to move to Houston Texas and I took the interest that I felt a few years ago in college and put that into action by creating my YouTube Channel: “Kulture K” where I showcase my ability to do hair, makeup, travel/vlog content with my Jamaican flair and I have also brought this unto my Instagram platform @simply_kelly20.

I am mostly proud of my growth, I stayed consistent, pushed myself and invested in my self and things are starting to pay of slowly but surely. My platforms continue to grow at a steady pace on a daily basis and this has brought forth many opportunities that I never thought possible. Throughout this entire journey I wish to stay true to myself and create content which is authentic to who I am and hope that this resonates with others.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect so far is being able to connect and interact with new people, getting that opportunity to collaborate with others and feeling great within myself that my content resonates with others.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Each platform is different and it can be hard to build an audience. On my YouTube I knew that moving to Houston or just moving to a new city in general was something that a lot of people could relate to. A lot of my content was based around that and it brought in a lot of support to my channel. However, I knew that I did not want this to define my brand, so in between as I started to explore I started to document (vlog my journey) and that also played a part in growing my audience. I also know that there is a market for the beauty industry and through out this interview I have mentioned that that is also apart of my interest, so then I started to include that type content as well on my channel which also brought in another set of audience which aided to my growth.

All in all you have to stay true to yourself, it is okay to be on your own path and not follow a trend. It is okay to get ideas from others but if it does not feel good or authentic to yourself then people can see that. Make sure to stay consistent as this is key and you slowly see the growth happen. There is space for everyone to thrive, it doesn’t matter what industry it’s in. Just stay focused!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: simply_kelly20
• Youtube: Kulture K
• Other: Tik Tok: KulturedKelly