A Day in the Life of a YouTube Community Moderator
If you've been in the KDCC Discord lately, you've probably already run into her, but in case you haven't, meet Kathy.
Kathy is our newest KDCC moderator, and outside of keeping the community running smoothly, she's the creator behind KathehFit, a dance fitness channel where she blends choreography, functional training, and just genuinely having fun with movement.
We sat her down (well, she sat herself down and hit record) for our creator interview series, and honestly? She gave us one of the most open, vulnerable interviews we've had yet. Nothing was off the table.
Get to know the person behind the dance covers and the KDCC mod hat she just picked up.
Before people knew you for what you do now, who were you?
"As far as I can remember, I've always been an artist. I've always loved drawing on sketch pads and drawing characters, whether they were from anime, cartoon, or Disney. Those are things I've always like, but I feel like a lot of people know about that part of me. Even if they only know my fitness side, they probably don't know I'm an artist, but I'm pretty open with that kind of stuff."
Kathy is a woman of many talents.
"As I got older, I started getting other interests, like dancing and eventually fitness. I like to explore art in all media, such as plays. Music is one thing that I love a lot because there's something about music that touches me. I can't make music, I can't sing or play instruments, but it's something that I just genuinely enjoy."
What was going through your head in the early days when none of it was proven?
"So the funny thing is this whole creator process started because me and my friends we used to go to Chinatown in New York City a lot... while we were down there, I was really fascinated by phone cameras and cameras in general. And I didn't even know it back then. It was just more like I wanted to film everything we did... I think it it's just because one of the biggest reasons is because my family has a history of recording everything, especially one specific aunt. She would record everything that happened every time we were together.
I would be the person behind the camera most of the time because not because I didn't want to show myself, but because I was the one filming... and YouTube was not even like really well known during that time. Like it had just started and I just started uploading our videos and it was just like an inside joke between me and my friends and I still have that channel.
I wasn't trying to prove anything. It was just more like I was just having fun with friends."
Kathy goes on to describe making early reaction videos, and by early, she meant back in the days when YouTube still had the video reply button. If you were there during those days, you might even remember the Reply Girls.
She also made a "becoming a mangaka" video, and eventually K-Pop dance covers by the time she was 23. There was a lot of reminiscing about her old videos and channels that she still has and was able to go through (and cringe about her old self).
But it does show how, instead of deleting your videos, you should private them because these videos are a part of your journey. Think of them like a time capsule, as Kathy did.
"It was mainly for me. It was not for views" was what Kathy said before creating her current channel, KathehFit, and discovering creators like Brian G. Johnson and Nick.
"Brian G. Johnson and Nick were a game changer... that's where it started blossoming, like on the being part of the community and being a part of something bigger. This is an actual community, not just people talking about random stuff on a chat. Ever since then, I sticked around and I started going around other communities."
Everybody has a theory about why things took off. If you set the theory aside, what actually worked?
"It's exactly what I just said (in the previous question). Basically just going into this community, and when I say this, I really mean all of it. It's not just one community, it's multiple communities into one. Being a part of it, just keeping an open mind and learning from everyone.
Communicating helps a lot, and it really shifted my mind. It took a bit because I was stuck on the 'views views views,' but it is so much bigger than views. It is so much bigger than just subscribers.
It's really about the community and learning from them, but you're also teaching them things you might know. You learn from one another."
Community is very important when it comes to your success because who are the people watching your videos? Who are the ones sharing it? Sometimes, when things don't go you way and your videos don't get a lot of traction, it's your community who can give it the extra push.
What did you stop doing right before things started to click?
"Aside the fitness, there's the art and the dancing. With art, there was a time period that I gave up on art for a while. I didn't have the motivation; I couldn't find it. Everything I tried, I had to put the pencil or brush down. And it made me really depressed because I was just so stuck on it. So I was like, 'Okay, maybe I should find my creative flow in a different way, or focus on fitness for now.'
For a while, I focused on my fitness journey, and then I got involved with this MLM for a bit. I have thoughts on it. I felt like I spent way too much money on them and investing in them. But it wasn't for nothing because I feel like I learned a thing or two from them, but it was not the greatest idea.
Unfortunately, I talked about them way too much and sometimes I didn't believe everything that I said and that's a lesson I had to learn. But that's something I had to stop to reflect and see if this is a career I actually wanted. I didn't know that fitness was something I wanted to do, so I took a different path and I went to get my associates."
Kathy recounts going through a lot of personal changes, from studying for her associates to her body changing because of her pregnancy and depression. She had to stop certain things and focus on one thing for a while, but because of that, she was able to get through these changes.
That was when everything else started picking up, though not all at the same time, and it wasn't fast either.
It can be extremely overwhelming to try to pick everything up, so I believe what Kathy learned from this is to slow down and take it one step at a time.
Tell me about the low times, the part of doing this stuff where walking away would have been the sensible move or the easy one.
"There have been many low times in my life when it comes to creating. There's been times that I wanted to quit YouTube altogether. It actually happened more recent this year too. There was a point up until I started getting more serious with the KDCC where I've had really low times and my mental health was affected many times.
I've always struggled with mental health to some extent. I just wasn't aware of it 100% cause I just felt like there was always something wrong with me. It was years later that they found out that I'm neurodivergent and other things that was never diagnosed. That's something I'm working on so it can become easier for me to continue the path that I'm currently doing.
With the help and support of therapy, I feel like things can potentially become easier instead of working at 110%, but it looks like I'm only working at 20%, if that makes sense."
Mental health can be a huge struggle, especially when you don't have a healthy support system. I appreciate Kathy for being able to talk about this because in some countries, talks of mental health is still considered taboo, which unfortunately will only make it worse for the person.
What change did you sit on too long that you wish you had made a year earlier?
"Everything. Art. YouTube.
Even thought I was doing YouTube, there were still things that held me back and I sat on it too long because I had insecurities. I felt like it was too much. I didn't feel smart enough. I just didn't feel good enough.
When I did have a glimpse of hope or confidence, it deteriorated really fast by the comments or from people that are close to me.
Then there's the whole 'You're a mom, you're this, you shouldn't be doing things like that' and that held me back.
Now that I'm in a different place, I'm like, 'I don't care.' I'm going to do what I love, not matter what it is and no matter what age I'm in because you only live once. So it's like if I don't do it now, when is it going to be done?"
I believe a lot of creators can relate to what Kathy is going through. It's easy to tumble down the stairs of listlessness when you feel like the whole world is pushing you down.
However, if you want to become a content creator and stay in the creator space, you need to learn to be comfortable with yourself, even the parts that makes you cringe.
Walk me through how you actually do the work, from the spark of an idea to the finished thing.
"Honestly, a lot of my ideas come while I'm in the shower. Nowadays, I try to always have my phone nearby just jot it down."
Ideas can also spark while Kathy is in bed in the middle of the night or if she's having a dream or in the middle of work. She makes sure to write it down before the spark flies away.
"The workflow that I do, especially if it's dance fitness, if I have the idea, I think of a song that I want to do."
Kathy describes her process of finding a song that she likes and would want to dance to. Once she finds one, she'd grab a notebook and take notes of the beat of the song, the lyrics, and then adding moves to the song while trying to feel it out.
She then checks if everything she planned is an actual workout. She'd ask herself, "Is this a functional training? This is going to be good long term? Is this going to be beneficial for my audience or my client? Is this something that's going to benefit them in their real life? Is it going to help them lift up groceries? Is it going to help them walk up the stairs? Is it great for their mobility? Is it great for their strength? Is it great for their heart?"
She doesn't have it down perfect because she's still learning it herself.
"This isn't something you can get a certification and that's all there is to it. You have to continue learning."
Not only does this apply to fitness, but it also applies to YouTube. YouTube is always changing, and it's up to us—the creators—to adapt and learn.
What is a skill you slept on for too long that turned out to matter?
"Editing. I actually have an enjoyment for editing. I don't know if it's editing or it's learning information that I don't know if I'm actually going to use sometimes. But then again, I get overwhelmed with editing.
Growing up, I've always had this thing about talking to people. When I worked at every job that I had, they always told me, 'You are great with people." And I always thought like, 'Nah, that's just me.'"
When it comes to content creation, learning how to edit and how to talk to people are two very crucial skills that creators tend to neglect or dismiss.
On a fun side note, Kathy makes mention about having a CPR certification. "Like that's a skill, but don't rely on me because I'll probably get nervous."
How do you keep this from swallowing your whole life?
"I always believe in balance, no matter what I do, because I realize when I spend the whole day on one specific thing, it would burn me out. This might sound silly, but one of my routine is when I wake up, I make my bed always and I brush my teeth. I had to ingrain this routine into myself because it makes my brain feel fulfilled like something was done today.
So I take little segments of the day and do what I have to do, for example with laundry, I'll take all the laundry downstairs and make sure I wash it first. Then throughout the day, I'll do the laundry. I won't do it all in one take.
Content creating, I noticed how it fits in my world is more towards the end of the week. I can do it during the week in little hours, but Friday through Sunday is where I'm really focused on it.
Friday night is my art creating day because I go live. Saturday, while I'm watching Nick Nimmin, I would sit down with Beanie and we write content. If I have to film, I'll film that day.
So that's how I balance it out because I have my life outside of YouTube. I still try to do everything I need to do and have time for my friends and have time to do things I want to do like take a dance class or go work out at the gym. I try to plan it as much as I can. I'm not a great planner, but because I've done routines that keep me at a certain hour, it works out. Not always perfectly, but it works out."
I agree with Kathy on keeping a routine that you can stick with, no matter what you feel that day. It especially helps for when you have no motivation.
A lot of creators run on inspiration or "vibes," and they believe it'll keep them going until the well runs dry. Discipline will always carry you when motivation fails.
If you could hand the earlier version of you one sentence, what would it be?
"It's going to work out; no matter how hard life gets, no matter all the trauma you go through, no matter how scared you are, it's going to work out."
Kathy speaks more on her personal life, like going through homelessness, trauma from childhood to adulthood, and being taken advantage. She is very open about these issues, especially if people ask her because she believes it's something people need to talk more about.
"I guess the real quote would be 'never stop growing and don't give up.' I think that's better. I've always had this growth mentality where I felt there was always something more out there, something better, and if I just kept going it would get better somehow.
Even if life throws a curveball or you're at a really dark place, don't regret the decisions that you make because that is just a learning part of your life and things will look forward even if it doesn't always seem that way."
What has this work given you that has nothing to do with the numbers?
"Community. Friendship. Growth as a person. Opening my eyes into so many possibilities and inclusivity and people that I never thought I would meet. If you don't know, I'm bisexual. And being someone that was in the closet for a long time and then came out as an adult, being part of the creator community, I've seen and met other people like me.
The community is so important to me, seeing how many people are actually like-minded. It's really really beautiful for me and I love when people support each other, but not the fake nice."
Kathy explains that she's not nice; she's kind. There are a lot of people on the internet who only wishes the worse for you, and they'd do it under the guise of being nice to you. She tries to keep herself away from those people.
"That's why the KDCC is important for me too because I see where you guys are going with this and I'm really excited to be part of it. I can see this expanding so much bigger, and I'm not talking about in numbers. It almost feels like another home."
I appreciate the kind words from Kathy. The KDCC still has work to do when it comes to our branding and messaging, and one of the first of many steps we've taken is to be more vocal about it.
Ike
How has your idea of winning changed since you started?
"Genuine happiness and health is winning to me. It's not always about the money. It's not always about the numbers. Feeling at home with my people or even if I'm alone, like feeling happy with myself, loving myself, that's winning to me.
As a person, I've gone through it, like being homeless. Not having anything to having a beautiful home and those things are nice, but it's not what makes you win, in my opinion."
Though I'm not sure if her idea of winning has changed since she started, I believe she's kept her ideals. The richest part of your life isn't all the material things, but being happy with yourself and being surrounded by people who support you.
What are your thoughts on the KDCC?
"I already spoke a little bit on this, but it kind of feels like another home. I obviously am still getting used to it because, you know, I feel like I'm here, but I'm still learning. I think the KDCC is gonna be much bigger than it seems. Andrew and Ike are two people that I really respect. I gotta get to know Ike a little bit more, but I see that she is a very hard worker. I can tell, like both Andrew and Ike are extremely intelligent in my opinion.
Words cannot express at the moment, but I genuinely see the KDCC expanding to a point that it's going to be such a game changer. It already has an amazing community, but I feel like there's so much more that's going to come. And I want that for them and for us, the community."
I can't say I wholly agree on the extremely intelligent part, but both Andrew and I consider ourselves students of the craft. We're always learning (as Kathy has said about herself), and with the way YouTube is, there won't be a day when we feel like we know everything.
If you could turn the tables, what is one thing you would want to ask Andrew Kan and Ike Do?
"If YouTube and the KDCC wasn't part of what you have now, what would you be doing right now as a career or as your path for the future?"
I can't answer for Andrew, but I assume he would continue working in the YouTube industry, whether it would be directly with YouTube or indirectly via consultant and such.
For me, I would continue making videos on YouTube and would've gone back to school to get a degree in anything relating to writing. Would I do anything with that degree? I can't say for sure.
What is a question you wish more people asked you?
"As a creator or as an educator, what is one thing that you would like to change in the industry that can improve whatever's happening in that industry. Like with YouTube, what is one thing that you would change about YouTube?"
The things I'd change about YouTube is giving it a spine to go against advertiser's best interest if it's harming other creators. There are a lot of toxic creators with toxic communities on YouTube, and unfortunately, YouTube often only takes a stance once it's far too late. Even if YouTube does take a stance, they often won't commit to it and take action.
What Are Kathy's Lightning-Round Answers?
Here are a few fast ones, answered with whatever came first.
Q: Most overrated advice in the industry?
"I feel like the whole 'YouTube thumbnails don't matter' now. Like a lot of people keep saying that. I feel like it's a little overrated cuz... I feel like everything matters but not in a extreme sense of like you have to just focus on that thing. I think everything as a package should matter."
Q: A habit you would never give up?
"Overthinking."
Q: A mistake you weirdly glad you made?
"This wasn't a mistake, but more like a stroke of luck. It was when I went to Andrew about the whole mod work and I was like, 'Hey, so this is happening and how do I actually get into the payment part?' That only happened because [my partner] was pushing me. So it's like, okay... let me just go for it."
Q: Something you were proud of that did not land the way you hoped
"I'm going to be very vulnerable on this one. And it's not creative wise, it's more personal wise. Marriage... getting into marriage in a really early start. That is one of those things that I'm like I think time should have been in the essence in this part."
Q: The tool or app you'd fight to keep?
"Honestly TubeSpanner because I see the vision... I've always saw the vision on TubeSpanner but I think there was a lot going on that it overwhelmed me but TubeSpanner is one of those apps tools actually that I would keep and obviously YouTube and me personally I still like Instagram."
Q: The compliment about your work that landed the hardest?
"One of my high school teachers... she always had this belief that I can be much more than I am already... most recent reason it has been Andrew, and I when he said to me how people other people do talk about me and how people recognize who I am... this whole time I've been part of the community but not realizing that people actually know who I am... And he called me intelligent, too. Which really made my little heart like feel good."
Q: What has you fired up right now?
"VidSummit. I'm so excited for this. Like beyond excited... this is a whole life experience for me... I love to connect with people. I am fired up for another event also which is in August and it's more anime related—Anime NYC... I get to cosplay and have fun and just be myself and just be my weird geeky self and I love that."
What are you building toward that you have not told many people about yet?
"Because of my mental health, I never thought about the future. I never thought that I would have a family. Even though I always kept hopeful for brighter things, I never really saw that. I just want to work on, for now, my community, building better relationships with people.
I'm a person who don't think about the future. I just think about right now. I live life minute to minute, day by day."
Where can people find you?
You can find Kathy teaching people dance fitness on her Katherine R. Jung channel. She also has an Instagram where you can follow her for more.
You have seen what Kathy Kan Do, so now it is your turn to watch what YOU Kan Do. Go check out her stuff, workout with Kathy, and when you want people in your corner while you figure yours out, join the free tier of the Kan Do Creators Community today.
