Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffanie Leighann
Hi Tiffanie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
YouTube is something I have wanted to do since I was 12 years old. Seeing regular people post about their lives and other people, like myself, caring and being inspired and motivated made me want to do the same thing for people. I also thought filming and editing was fun and interesting, and would run around my house in 6th grade and make videos, post them without anyone knowing, and then delete them a few days later in fear someone I knew would see them.
I’m glad I overcame that fear.
I started making videos on and off in high school, but it wasn’t till my husband joined the military and we moved to Alaska that I had the privilege to take this hobby and dream on full time. My husbands sacrifice to join the military is the main reason I am where I am today, without that choice I wouldn’t have been able to have no income for 3 years and pursue my dreams. I truly cannot use enough words to describe what that choice of his has, and will always mean to me. He is my biggest cheerleader and has never once thought I couldn’t do it. He always encourages me to do my best and when it gets hard he is always there to pick me back up. I know this is not a story about him, but it is so important to me that any and everyone knows that he is a big part of how I got to where I am today.
And so with the privilege of having the time to take this on I started posting just regular lifestyle content but it never really went anywhere, the growth was slow and sometimes nonexistent, it wasn’t till one of my favorite YouTubers, Haley Pham, started posting book videos that I, someone who has hated reading my entire life, decided that it looked fun and I wanted to be a reader too. And so the reading started, which progressed to deciding to give Booktube a try too, and that’s exactly where things started going right.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? Hm, well, depends which way you take that, in some ways yes and in some no.
Has it been smooth in having the opportunity to take this on? Yes, absolutely. As I have said and will say time and time again, thanks to my husband, I was privileged enough to not need an income for 3 years, I was able to put all my energy work wise into persuing this and trying to make it work. I am not blind to how privileged that is. Not everyone can do that and I am so unbelievably blessed I had that opportunity.
Now has it been a smooth road growth-wise? Not in the slightest. I have been posting inconsistently for about 7 years now, and consistently for about 4 years with about a 9 month break when I became pregnant with my son in 2021. Growth is a constant up and down, and those first 2 years of being consistent, the growth wasn’t there. I really started to see some growth in January of 2023 when I started my BookTube journey. But even now, I still have times where the growth is amazing and some where it’s lacking.
It also hasn’t been the smoothest of roads mentally. Doing social media, you tend to fall into seasons of constant comparison to other creators. Are they growing faster? Did they start after you and have a bigger following? Does that mean I’m doing something wrong or that people don’t like my content or maybe even me? Just being a viewer on any social media can cause so much comparison, and that’s no different when you are making the content. We are all human, but as I’m learning, comparison will ALWAYS be the thief of joy. Your day 30 does not equate to someone else’s day 800.
I don’t think anything will ever be a smooth road no matter what road you take. Going to law school, getting your nursing degree, starting your own business, or even just working at your local Walmart, things will always be rough along the way, and its all about whether or not we let those bumps make us quit or keep pushing.
I will always be glad that no matter the bumps along the way, I kept pushing for what I wanted because it has led me here.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Well I’m a booktuber. It’s exactly what it sounds like. I read books and post about them, and I love every single second of it! Some of my favorite videos to film though, are my reading vlogs. Taking my viewers along with me as I read books, or do a reading challenge like reading 200 pages every day for a week, or reading books my husband chooses for me. There are millions of books in the world and no one person will be able to read them all, but my videos can help people know if they should steer clear because it’s not their style, has tropes they hate, or trigger warnings they arent comfortable with, or run straight for it because it has all of their favorite tropes and the writing was impeccable. So much about this job I love, the creative freedom, the filming and editing process, responding to comments, making online friends who also love reading, and creating a community of book lovers who are so supportive of not just me but each other too!
I am most proud of taking the steps to put myself out there and my vulnerability that I am able to share online with anyone who wants to see it, and people who need to hear it. It is not a secret that this last December I suffered a miscarriage, which has hands down been the worst thing to happen to me in my 22 years of life. Being able to be vulnerable online about my miscarriage and my very messy healing journey, and seeing how many other women have gone through this and have found comfort in me talking about it, and that it has helped them not feel so alone. Being vulnerable in any sense is difficult, it’s extremely difficult to do online where people can hide behind a screen and be horrible and vile, but no amount of comments, of people telling me they are happy I lost my baby, will overshadow the comments of people sharing their similar stories and saying they feel less alone from me being so open about mine. And that is two things that set me apart from others. The fact that I am a young mom, and my vulnerability. Not many other booktubers are moms, let alone 22 going on 23 with a 2 almost 3 year old. And a lot of creators in any niche don’t share much about their personal lives and struggles online, understandably so. Some days I wonder if I should share less and not share my vulnerability with so many people, but knowing that my community loves me for it, wants to hear it, and is here for me, is a gift I can’t imagine not giving and receiving.
Any big plans?
Future plans are many and none. I plan to continue to do what I love, take every door open to me, to get better at my craft every day. I plan to be an inspiration to others my age, older or younger. That hard work does pay off, and just because things aren’t going great from the start doesn’t mean it won’t get better.
I am looking forward to all the books I’ll be able to read and talk about, all the amazing brands I’ll be privileged to work with, and all the fun opportunities that will come my way, like a trip I have coming up with other booktubers that I have had the privilege to create connections with, and hopefully more fun trips to come.
And it wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say, that I’m really looking forward to hitting 100k and receiving my YouTube play button!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanieleighann?igsh=dTB2cTlyMzgxdzll&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tiffanieleighann?si=bhACU1Dk2RzFkuX-
