Connor Franta has been revealed as the cover star for Entrepreneur magazine’s September issue. As well as creating weekly videos on his YouTube channel, Connor has been working hard on further developing his own company. This magazine issue is focused on the next generation of “young millionaires”, and features an in depth interview with Connor, which you can read here.
Connor was overjoyed at this opportunity, and expressed some of his thoughts on Twitter.
it blows my mind that i was studying business + art in school and just 4 years later ive managed to make it my entire life. me. i did that.
— Connor Franta (@connorfranta) August 17, 2016
i get to wake up and do what i do every single day all bc of you guys and i seriously cannot thank you enough for that
— Connor Franta (@connorfranta) August 17, 2016
im on the cover of @Entrepreneur Magazine’s September issue!! this is a dream and i am completely beside myself. pic.twitter.com/SvEK82vLQH
— Connor Franta (@connorfranta) August 17, 2016
The article discusses multiple aspects of Connor’s life and career.
Entrepreneur begins by introducing Connor Franta to those who may not have heard of him before. They explain what kind of content he produces on YouTube, his large social media influence, and his clothing, coffee, and music brand, Common Culture.
Connor addressed his struggle with building a company and brand that will be able to thrive without being connected to his face, name, or online activities. He wants Common Culture to eventually be able to sell on its own, without his involvement in the brand being a main selling point. He says: “I feel like there’s a lot more longevity that way”.
The article then went on to describe Connor’s rise to fame on YouTube. From growing up in a small town in Minnesota, he uploaded his first videos after watching the likes of Shane Dawson and iJustine. His popularity grew, and more opportunities were thrown his way. It was not easy to convince his parents to let him take this path, but he told them: “I have a gut feeling, and right now, this is where my interests lie. So you’re going to have to trust me.”
Along with the struggles of his YouTube career, Connor was dealing with the weight of keeping his sexuality a secret. He says he was “living a lie”, and felt ready to come out as gay to close friends and family in January 2014. He gathered up the courage to do the same to his online audience when he posted his coming out video later that year. Connor described it as “the coolest but most terrifying experience ever”, but the response was overwhelmingly positive and accepting. Connor thinks it was because people were happy to see him accepting his true self.
Authenticity is key, especially in this day and age, where people really want to see the real you and the real intentions behind everything.”
The interview shifts topics to discuss how Connor started his businesses, a process that isn’t often talked about. He explained how he created Heard Well, his record label that produces compilation albums and has partnerships with various other YouTubers. It’s interesting to hear Connor discuss the business side of operations, because it is a part of his life that we aren’t exposed to very much in his videos. He discussed some of his marketing strategies and his core criteria for a business. “It’s essential for any business to have a solid group of passionate individuals behind it. If there’s no driving force within them, then it’ll simply be work.”
Connor didn’t give away any hints for upcoming projects, but assured us that there’s still work for him to do. It won’t be easy for him to expand his business to impact more people outside of the YouTube community, but it is a challenge he’s ready to take on.
“I want to continue pushing myself creatively and see where it takes me. So I’m going to just continue doing that.
It’s always wonderful to see a respectful partnership between traditional media and digital media, like having a YouTuber appear on the cover of a printed magazine. They are too often underestimated and portrayed incorrectly by those who don’t quite understand the impact and depth online content creators can possess. The article does not undermine Connor’s success both on YouTube and otherwise. Instead, it portrays him accurately, and delves into his journey of building a career on YouTube and starting a business. We are just about as excited as Connor is about this feature!
Connor Franta was recently featured as our YouTuber of The Week, where we discuss why you should subscribe to his channel and what his must-watch videos are.
Did you enjoy reading Connor Franta’s feature in Entrepreneur? Tweet us @CelebMix.
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