I Posted My First Vlog and It Flopped: Here’s What I’d Change (And Why It Still Mattered)
Field Notes: A series where adventure meets entrepreneurship. For me, every solo trip, every challenge, every moment is business training in disguise. This is what I call doing fieldwork: learning from real life, not just from behind a screen.
The Video
Stats at 9 months: 157 views
Short-form version: "Trying something new is always awkward at first" — 535 views in 24 hours
Why This Video Took Three Years to See Daylight
There’s something about holding a camera in public that transforms normal self-talk into performance anxiety. I’ve spent years adventuring solo, processing thoughts out loud without a second thought. But add a lens to the equation? Suddenly every word feels like it’s under a microscope.
This Harry Potter exhibit footage collected digital dust for almost three years. Not because I didn’t want to share it, but because I wasn’t ready to be vulnerable in the way YouTube demands. Everyone preaches “just start before you’re ready,” but that advice never sat right with me. You can’t learn to swim by jumping into the deep end without first learning to float. You’ll just sink.
The real challenge wasn’t filming—it was accepting that my first attempts would be messy, unpolished, and nothing like the YouTubers I admired.
When Your Content Doesn’t Match Your Vision
The editing process forced me to confront an uncomfortable truth:
the footage I captured didn’t tell the story I wanted to tell at the time. Laid out chronologically, it felt lifeless. Uninspired. The kind of content I’d click away from in seconds.
But here’s what learning to snowboard in my 30s taught me:
falling is how you learn.
One day you’re carving down the mountain feeling invincible, the next you’re rag-dolling on ice questioning your life choices. Growth never follows a straight line, and neither does creative work.
I could have published something mediocre just to check the box. Instead, I sat with the discomfort until a solution emerged: voiceover. If I couldn’t go back and reshoot, I could reframe the entire narrative through reflection. Limitations became my creative catalyst.
The Evergreen Mindset: Why I Don’t Chase Viral
Running a blog for years teaches you patience. Some posts languish with minimal traffic while others unexpectedly explode. I’ve had articles hit millions of views and others that barely crack a hundred. But I’ve never deleted the “underperformers” because they’ve helped someone, somewhere, at exactly the right moment.
YouTube operates on this same principle. Unlike the dopamine-fueled scroll of TikTok and Instagram, YouTube content has staying power. Videos can find their audience months or even years after publication. The pressure to go viral? It’s a trap that makes you forget why you started creating in the first place.
I’d rather make something I’m proud of that reaches 150 people than chase trends for hollow metrics. Growth compounds slowly when you’re building a foundation that lasts.
The Harry Potter Exhibit: A Solo Date with Mixed Results
The experience itself was perfectly imperfect. I showed up in full Ravenclaw regalia—an outfit I’d planned months in advance—with one clear goal: capture some incredible photos. The interactive wristband technology frustrated me more than it delighted me, timing out every five seconds like an impatient friend. I crafted a DIY wand, navigated green screen photo ops, and asked strangers for help documenting moments.
But the most significant detail? I did it all alone.
The financial reality check:
$20 for parking,
$30 for the after-hours ticket,
$10 for a Ravenclaw pin,
and $25 for a single Hogwarts castle green screen photo.
An $85 investment in an experience that wasn’t perfect but was entirely mine.
Learning to Adventure Solo (Even When It Terrifies You)
My first solo outing at 22 ended in tears. The punk rock flea market seemed like a low-stakes environment to test my independence, but the internal narrative was brutal. Every stranger’s glance felt like judgment. Every moment alone screamed “something’s wrong with you.”
But alone doesn’t mean lonely. That distinction took time to internalize.
The truth is, I have friends who share my interests. They’re just busy living their own lives—spending time with partners, family, other friends, or managing their own financial constraints. Waiting for the stars to align with someone else’s schedule meant missing out on the experiences I craved now.
Solo adventures taught me entrepreneurship’s most valuable lesson: your timeline doesn’t need to match anyone else’s. The life you want to live starts the moment you stop waiting for permission—or company—to begin.
What I Wish I Did Differently
Looking back at this video with fresh eyes and real data, here’s what I’d change if I could do it over. This is the heart of fieldwork: analyzing what actually happened (not what you hoped would happen), being honest about your mistakes, and using those lessons to do better next time. Every upload is a test. Every metric tells you something.
1. Skip the “coming up” preview entirely
Sitting down and watching this video now makes me cringe. Why did I think showing a preview of what’s to come was a good idea? Just because big vloggers do it doesn’t mean I have to as well. All that the video needs in the beginning is a GOOD hook. Something that will keep the viewer watching. Whether it’s filming it after the fact, or something quirky or unique to you that happened. For example, in my folder of videos from this vlog, I think I should have shown the part where I am speaking to the camera and I’m reading a message from the crystal ball. My message was, “You exude the confidence of a five times winner of Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award.” OR I should have filmed a stronger hook, prior to editing, something that had more to do with the video. I have 5-10 seconds to capture the audience. Here are some options I should have done instead:
Thought I'd feel like the main character at the Harry Potter exhibit. Instead I felt like a Muggle who wandered onto set.
Went to the Harry Potter exhibit to vlog… ended up casting Silencio on myself.
EVEN: “My first time vlogging in public — at the Harry Potter exhibit, of all places.” would’ve been better than what I had!
I did create my own custom elements for all my videos, which I think shows off how creative I am and that I genuinely enjoy. But mimicking a format that doesn’t serve my content? That was a mistake.
2. Cut the intro ruthlessly
The intro after that “coming up” section is way too long. It should have been cut VERY quickly. It’s not engaging. If it was someone else’s video, I would have clicked off immediately. First impressions matter, and I lost precious seconds of viewer attention on fluff.
3. Keep the entire vlog TIGHT—cut it in half
The vlog is 11:11, and honestly it should probably have been cut down to 5-6 minutes. I didn’t need to talk so much. Maybe I should have just let moments breathe instead of filling every second with commentary. And I’m saying that nine months later with clearer perspective.
4. Separate the vlog from the reflection
I don’t think every detail of the vlog was necessary. I think I should have done the vlog first, then showed what I got at the end, followed by a sit-down video MUCH AFTER THE FACT about what I learned from the experience—instead of doing a voiceover during the footage itself.
5. Recognize that voiceover vlogs work better in short form
Voiceover vlogs hit and engage best when they’re short form, not long form. People still do them in long form, but there’s a disconnect. I can do short-form video just fine and grow an account with it, but I don’t want to focus there. There’s no real ROI to short-form—pennies on the dollar. But the time I spent on them years ago taught me a lot about voiceovers, storytelling, and pacing. Applying that knowledge to long form is harder because it’s still a different challenge and beast.
6. Improve the thumbnail and title strategy
Today this video only has 157 views after nine months. The thumbnail and title could’ve been better.
I like the thumbnail, but it still lacks something. In the video, I talk about my first time vlogging in public, how awkward it is, making me realize this isn’t easy. I always took my own photos in public with no problem, but this isn’t the same. All of a sudden I have performance anxiety, and yet I look really cool in the photos I have in the photo.
There’s a disconnect between “awkward first time” and “polished photos” that is potentially confusing potential viewers about what they were clicking into. People thrive from negativity in drama, so if they see something happy they may think “oh well that’s the resolution, I don’t need to watch the video anymore!” This thumbnail is better suited for “How to take photos by yourself in public” than “Awkward first time vlogging.”
Of the thumbnails, which one is the one you’re drawn to? If you find me having a new thumbnail photo, again, don’t sue me! I just found some actual “awkward” looking photos from this day that I’m going to try and make a new thumbnail from and see if it helps!
Nonetheless, the title went through a lot. It was changed 7 times.
The TRUTH About Filming Yourself in Public for the First Time 😬 ♡ My First Time Vlogging in Public
Vlogging for the FIRST time ♡ Solo Date Vlog, Harry Potter Exhibit, Ravenclaw
Solo Date Vlog ♡ Harry Potter Exhibit, Ravenclaw, Adventuring Alone
the awkward truth about vlogging in public for the first time as a nobody ♡
i knew this video was going to flop but i posted it anyway ♡ 1st time vlogging in public (my boyfriend made me get rid of it, he said we don’t speak like this about ourselves EVER. I appreciate him for that.)
life's too short to wait on others for what you want to do ♡ first time vlogging in public
first time vlogging in public awkward asf but I did it ♡ harry potter exhibit, solo date vlog (current version)
7. Add timestamps from day one
I just added timestamps to the video, but honestly, I should have had that done from the start. The reflection section could use additional timestamps and some pizzazz too. It’s not terrible, but I definitely wouldn’t structure it this way in my current mindset.
8. Remember: you have to be different AND engaging
For any regular person doing regular things, I’m not going to watch unless they’re different in some sense. You have to be different. And you have to know how to pace videos and keep the audience engaged. I watch YouTube to learn, not just to consume. My content needs to respect that same standard.
But here’s the thing: different is subjective. It can be a cool hobby no one else is into, an accent, a unique perspective, the way you edit. You can be quirky—show it. Be different. Show how you’re different, whatever that means for you. No one wants to watch boring, too-long vlogs. Keep it tight and clean. Pace it correctly. Allow your different moments to shine and take center stage by letting them breathe with no commentary. Trust that your unique qualities will come through if you give them space instead of filling every second with noise.
The bottom line: I’m not saying this format is inherently bad—it’s just not working for me. And that’s valuable data. A lot of the vlogs I’ve put out recently were filmed years ago, but those were necessary for me to learn filming as a person. Now editing is a whole other beast. I had a hard time speaking in public during this first attempt (it was weird and awkward), but that discomfort taught me what I needed to work on next.
Overall Lessons: What Fieldwork Taught Me
1. Start scared, but start anyway
Performance anxiety is real, but waiting until you feel "ready" means you'll never begin. You learn by doing, not by planning to do. Three years of footage sitting on a hard drive taught me that the perfect time doesn't exist.
2. Falling is part of learning
Just like snowboarding, your first attempts at anything new will be messy. The key isn't avoiding the falls—it's getting back up and trying again. Every awkward vlog, every flat video, every cringe-worthy moment is data for your next attempt.
3. Your constraints can spark creativity
Limitations forced me to innovate. I couldn't reshoot, so I had to find a new way to tell the story through voiceover. Sometimes the best creative breakthroughs come from working with what you have, not what you wish you had.
4. 1% better beats 0% every time
You don't need to be great immediately. You just need to be slightly better than yesterday. Compound growth happens slowly, then all at once. The blog posts that get 2% of views still matter because they help someone—and they build your foundation.
5. Love what you create, regardless of performance
If you don't love what you're putting out, no one else will either. But if you do love it? The metrics matter less. Create for yourself first, and the right audience will find you.
6. Short-form teaches skills for long-form
Even though short-form video has low ROI, the practice taught me voiceover techniques, pacing, and storytelling that I now apply to longer content. No practice is wasted if you extract the lessons.
7. Alone doesn't mean lonely—it means free
Going places alone seemed scary at first (I literally cried the first time), but it freed me from waiting on others to live my life. Entrepreneurship is the same: you can't wait for perfect partners, perfect timing, or perfect conditions.
8. Your first version won't be your best—and that's okay
Looking back at this video nine months later, I see everything I'd do differently. But I also see growth. The person who made that video taught the current me what not to do. That's invaluable.
9. Evergreen beats viral
YouTube isn't TikTok. You're building a library, not chasing trends. Some videos take time to find their audience. Playing the long game means trusting that today's "failure" might be tomorrow's slow burn success.
10. Money comes back, but time doesn't
I spent $85 on that Harry Potter exhibit. Nine months later, I don't remember the cost—I remember the experience and what I learned. Invest in experiences that teach you something, even if they don't perform immediately.
11. Self-awareness is your competitive advantage
Being able to look at your work nine months later and identify exactly what doesn't work means you're growing. Most people can't critique their own work objectively. This meta-awareness is what separates those who improve from those who plateau.
12. Format matters less than connection
The voiceover format didn't work for me in long form, but that doesn't make it wrong—it makes it wrong for me and my audience. Finding your unique style is part of the fieldwork. What works for big YouTubers won't always work for you.
Your Turn
What's the story you've been telling yourself lately? What thing are you waiting to feel "ready" for?
Drop a comment in the video if you need some words of encouragement—I'm here for you.
And if this resonated with you, subscribe to my YouTube channel. I don't post on social media anymore and I don't use my newsletter for blog updates. A new video means a new blog post in this Field Notes series. Let's learn together.
