Imagine the scenario.
You walk in on your wife consoling your 7-year-old daughter as she bawls her eyes out.
She’s distraught.
Your heart sinks.
“What happened to my little girl?”
You come to find out it’s because your princess hates her natural hair.
You know it’s beautiful. But at that moment all you can do is hug her. Tell her how amazing she is and how beautiful her hair is.
But how do you make her believe it?
That’s exactly what Dr Javoris Hollingsworth set out to do.
Spoiler alert, he did just that and so much more. I’ll reveal how in a moment.
But first, let me tell you a quick back story…
In June 2020 at the height of the global pandemic, Javoris was working from home along with his wife and 3 kids.
Being at home he saw what educational content his kids watched on YouTube.
Even though a lot of it was great. He made a glaring discovery…
The major lack of diversity.
Nothing looked like his daughter. He wondered if this played a role in her not seeing her natural hair as beautiful.
Dr Javoris believes it’s important for kids to see themselves in the programs they watch. Especially in a positive light as it affects their self-confidence and self-esteem.
They need to know they matter just as much as anyone else and feel a sense of belonging in society.
They need to know they’re beautiful just the way they are.
Rather than moaning that only 5.6% of cartoons show black kids he made the change he wanted to see in the world.
With his then 7-year-old daughter Graceyn, they launched the YouTube channel, Gracies Corner.
Which as of now has racked up 2.94 Million subscribers and over 2 BILLION views.
The “little” dad-daughter project that aimed to educate and empower kids like his (and mine), now banks big bucks while making a difference.
This is…
The Untold Story Of How Gracie’s Corner Was Born Out Of A Dad’s Love And Grew Into A Million Dollar YouTube Empire.
All with no prior experience.
Here are the 5 steps to how they did it.
Step 1 – Have a mission bigger than yourself
Amazing companies are born and survive by solving problems. They’re a vehicle to solve a problem someone is having.
Dr Javoris wasn’t looking to make a quick buck.
He had a bigger vision.
The lack of diversity in educational cartoons was the spark.
Coupled with how some media outlets portray certain stereotypes of the black family.
You know what I’m talking about…
No dad in the home, baby mamma drama, gangster image, twerking and ratchet behaviour.
But that’s not the full picture, that’s a small subculture that gets a lot of air time.
The Hollingsworths wanted to show the other side.
They aimed to create educational content that featured the full family nucleus. Mum, dad, grandparents, etc. which a lot of families can resonate with.
I love to see it because that’s like me and my family.
Their mission was much bigger than just them.
Step 2 – Know your audience
As already mentioned, their primary target is children from diverse backgrounds.
But, (and I don’t know if this was intentional or not) they also targeted their parents.
How?
By making the music and beats badass.
Search the Gracies Corner hashtags and you’ll see parents jamming out and having a great time.
https://youtu.be/9R_Tt33Zodk
When I heard my son watching one of their songs on YouTube, I caught myself first nodding my head.
Then tapping my foot, and before I knew it I was running into the living room dancing my ass off.
The afro beats, reggae vibes and hip-hop feel had me hooked.
Add in the educational element and positive affirmations (more on that in a moment).
And there was no going back.
I loved it when my son watched, I’d gladly get it up on Spotify so I could jam out with him while he learns.
As a member of their audience, I was happy and I felt very catered to.
Step 3 – Play to your strengths.
Dr Javoris had a background in music. He played the drums in his church.
Even though his full-time gig was as an organic chemistry professor he never lost his love for music. He also had a talent for it too.
Gracie’s Corner brought him back to his love.
He writes the songs and collaborates with producers on the beat.
His daughter, Graceyn Hollingsworth (the star of the show) loves to sing. That is one of her strengths.
But she almost wasn’t the voice of the show.
Dad wasn’t sure if she would stick with it and be disciplined enough when things got difficult. She was only 7 after all.
But mummy Hollingsworth believed Graceyn could do it and persuaded dad to give her a shot.
We’re thankful she did.
Mummy Hollingsworth AKA Dr Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth (PhD). Had her imprint on the Gracie’s Corner production too.
From her expertise as a psychologist, she understands the importance of positive affirmations.
She made sure they were throughout the songs.
I love this because we do the same in our household. So to hear this weaved in with diverse, educational and uplifting content backed by a beat I could jam to.
I became a super fan like my son.
The family comes up with the script. Records the song and sends it off to an animator who brings it all together.
A major part of their success is…
Step 4 – Model what is already working.
They didn’t reinvent the wheel.
They saw the success of children’s content like Blippy and Cocomelon.
They modelled what worked and added their own flavour and style to make something unique.
They also remixed proven songs like the Alphabet song, Bingo and others.
Those songs are in the public domain. Meaning there is no copyright on them.
If you have an idea you can go do the same.
Step 5 – Keep going…
And before you know it, you’ll be too good to ignore.
Dr Javoris said the first 7 months were like pulling teeth.
There was no traction.
He would share it with family and friends and post it all over social media. In return, all he got were tumbleweeds and crickets.
But he believed in the mission.
He believed in what they were doing and he believed in his product.
So he kept going.
His wife Dr Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth (PhD). Let’s take a moment to put some respect “respeck” on Gracie’s momma.
Smart lady and a supportive wife who believed in the mission. She supported her husband every step of the way.
Encouraged him to continue ploughing money into the project. Even when things didn’t look like they were going well.
The Hollingsworths kept learning.
They had no idea how to create an animation, or how to create a Youtube channel.
They figured it out by watching YouTube videos.
Over time they improved and never stopped. Before they knew it they had families all over the world jamming out to their creation.
What can we learn from the Hollingsworths?
A lot.
I love the story of Gracie’s Corner because it shows us that if you:
- Have a mission
- Know your audience
- Work to your strengths
- Model what’s already working and
- Keep going
Mountains will move.
It reminds us of the power of creativity, relentlessness, and faith.
Compounded over time the possibilities are endless.
When you focus on the right things, where you’re headed is certain.
You just need the future to catch up.
Be rebellious,
Jouvan Johnson
PS. – You may not have the musical talents of Dr Javoris Hollingsworth.
You may not have the voice of Graceyn Hollingsworth. Or a daughter with one.
You may not have the Psychological expertise of Dr Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth (PhD).
BUT…
You too can profit big in the creator economy when you know how.
You can leverage the skills you already have, even if you don’t think you have any.
You could even replace your 9-5 so you have more time with your family, just like the Hollingsworths have.
Just like I have.
I show you exactly how you can do the same starting from scratch in my 100% free training on…
“How To Become a Highly Paid Freelance Digital Marketer without ever speaking to a client, doing sales calls and before quitting your day job”.
You can get it FREE by >>CLICKING HERE<<
