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Keeping Up With Sisi Yemmie: The Inspirational Vlogger

By Aderonke Adeola
18 June 2018   |   9:00 am
There are few Nigerian creatives who have been able to wield YouTube like Yemisi Odusanya. Sisi Yemmie, as she is popularly known as, has over 14 million views on YouTube — an impressive number. Her videos cut across food, lifestyle, relationships and parenting. There are millions of YouTube accounts but what endears her audience to…

There are few Nigerian creatives who have been able to wield YouTube like Yemisi Odusanya. Sisi Yemmie, as she is popularly known as, has over 14 million views on YouTube — an impressive number. Her videos cut across food, lifestyle, relationships and parenting.

There are millions of YouTube accounts but what endears her audience to her is her honesty. She has addressed mental health issues such as ‘burning out’ and ‘signs you need a mental health break’.

Social media and honesty are not always two words that go hand in hand but with Sisi Yemmie, you see the full spectrum of her life. She covers everything from how to prepare jollof rice to tips on managing difficult days. Her YouTube topics may not have nationwide appeal – after all, cooking and beauty may not be of interest to all – but her honesty and technology acumen are deserving of our attention.

Catch up with Guardian Life as we take you on a journey through the inspiration that Sisi Yemmie is.

How do you balance what to share and what to keep private?
I treat my audience like my friends. Whatever information I feel I would love to share with a friend, I will share the same on my social platforms, especially if it is content that will add value to my audience.

I can be pretty much an open book but, like everyone, I have my little secrets and moments I keep to myself and for my family. The key for me is to always add value. It could be a jollof rice hack or sharing an experience; whatever it is, I hope it helps my audience somehow.

What inspires your ideas for your videos?
Life inspires my ideas for my videos. Before I started vlogging, I was blogging and it was the same thing. I carried over the content from my blog to my videos.

I create recipe videos which are inspired by my experiments in the kitchen. I create beauty tutorials because my audience wants to see how I go from drab to fab. I create weekly videos (SisiWeekly), documenting my daily life in Lagos as a wife, mom and YouTuber because a lot of my audience, especially those in diaspora, are really curious about what life is like in Nigeria. I get my inspiration from all around me. I make the kind of content that I want to watch.

You always seem so optimistic and cheerful, what keeps you happy?
I have good days and tough days like everyone else. However, I try to bring my best self to my audience because no one really wants to watch a downer and I do not want to be that sad face on the screen. Watching YouTube videos is an escape for some people. I like to make it worth their time and mine.

You have an established media presence. What are your plans for the next 10 years?
What has helped me remain relevant since I started blogging seven years ago is how I have been able to adapt and recreate myself. I hope I will be able to do [that more] as the years roll by.

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