I met Chanel on Instagram when I did my Brand Ambassador search. We immediately hit it off, because she inspired me so much and her positive personality is totally contagious. So I asked her to do this interview with me so I can share her story with others. This is the very first interview I did where the person I interviewed answered the questionnaire via voice note. I could hear her excitement, enthusiasm and positivity in every word she said. I hope this interview inspires you and that you can learn something from it, because I took a lot from it myself.
Thoughts Of A Woman: Please give a introduction of yourself.
ChanelButNotWestCoast: I am Chanel, Michaela Hoffman. I am a 21 years old aspiring award winning presenter/actress from Port Elizabeth down in the Eastern Cape. When I was much younger I used to sing. I played the piano. I was in drama academy and I was quit sporty and active. But that was back then. Now this girl just trying to be on TV. I grew up with my grandparents, because it made things easier for my Mommy. My siblings lived with her and even way before they were born she was just always busy working and it was just really hectic for me to live with her. So I lived with my grandparents. My Mom has always been active in my life and supporting me since I first dreamt of moving to NY one day. I grew up in a strong religious, comforting home and I think that's where my confidence also came from. Because I was always supported in everything that I wanted to do. I was known as the drama queen of the family. I was that child, even in church, in public or in school that if you needed a volunteer, I would step forward. I want to have my say in a positive way. I want to help others. I want to inspire people. I was just that person in class that if the teacher asked me to read and you were falling asleep, I would wake you up the moment I started speaking, because I was always speaking with expression and you could just feel the energy through what I was saying. I think that is where my passion for being a presenter started.
Thoughts Of A Woman: What is ypur passion in life?
ChanelButNotWestCoast: My passion in life is to help inspire and motivate others. I want my story to help others, I want my story to pull at someone's heart string. Because I believe that everyone goes through something different. Some people go through things way worse than others. But our journeys are different and we handle things differently. I lost the biggest part of my life. My pillar, my grandmother, and it destroyed me. It literally destroyed me. I just wasn't the same person that I used to be after that. I used to be the most lively, happy and bubbly person. I lost all that. I even lost my passion for singing, but then I reminded myself who I am and what it is that I have in me. I'm very talented and creative. I have a lot of confidence when it comes to speaking. I'm that person who volunteers, who help and assist other people. I reminded myself that, that is who I am and that I have big plans for my future. I want people to be able to speak about me 50 years from now and say that I inspired them. That is what I want in life and that is what I told myself. "Chanel pick yourself up. You're strong, you're powerful, you have God in your center. You can do this, you can do anything that you set your mind to. Just pick yourself up."
Thoughts Of A Woman: Why do you want to become a presenter?
ChanelButNotWestCoast: I have a real passion for acting. I was in two drama academies. I was the drama queen of the family. I was the drama queen of my friendship circle as well. I was just that girl. Not loud but very confident, happy and bubbly. Full of drama, not literal drama, just very dramatic. I always loved acting, it is just something that is definetly in my blood. I was born with it. Then later on I discovered Kim Jade and I actually realised I could turn my love for acting into something way more. I could be an actress and be on TV as a prenter. I did some research on her and I fell in love with how she represents herself and with the things she does. I was immediatly like; "That is what I want. That is who I want to be one day. I want to be on stage one day receiving a global award for being a presenter."
Thoughts Of A Woman: Please describe your YouTube channel. What is it all about and how did it come about?
ChanelButNotWestCoast: I actually can't say what my YouTube channel is about yet, because it is not accactly where I want it to be yet. This is nothing compared to what I want it to be. I want it to be big, I want to be able to speak about anything on my YouTube channel. I want to interview amazing people, upcoming artist and local brands. I want to give local small businesses that exposure on my YouTube channel. The hidden talents we have around us, I want to give them hat exposure. I want to build my YouTube channel in a way that it creates some kind of show that eventually people can't get enough off and i expands to being an actual show on TV. Right now it is a bit difficult to create the content that I want because I'm not in that financial possition to buy all the equipment needed for all the professional content I want to create for my YouTube channel. So my channel now is only to get exposure for myself, to put my name out there so people can learn more about me; "Chanel". How my channel came about is I was actually very hesitant about starting my YouTube channel at first, until a friend said; "Just go for it", and so I did.
Thoughts Of A Woman: What inspired the name of your YouTube channel and Instagram account?
ChanelButNotWestCoast: There is a Chanel West Coast on Ridiculousness. Based on her personality, we could be friends in another lifetime. I wanted o make it clear that I am not her and wanted my own identity on social media. People love to make the statement when they have a celebraty name; "Yeah but not that person...." So I used that idea and came up with the name "Chanel But No West Coast" and the name actually stucked with me and other people who recognised me.
Thoughts Of A Woman: What is your next step to accomplishing your dream of becoming a presenter?
ChanelButNotWestCoast: I would like to study presenting and graduate in it and then start building my future as a presenter officially. For now I am using the platform that I created for myself on social media to grow my brand, to get my name and my face out there and noticed by the right people. My biggest dream for 2021 is to have a live video call or chat with Kim Jade. That would be the biggest door opened for me.
Thoughts Of A Woman: What advice do you have for young people who want to start their own YouTube channel?
ChanelButNotWestCoast: Ok, Advice, I'm good at this. I would just like to say to the youth of today to keep going. To keep pushing, to go for it, to do what it is you love and is passionate about. Don't hold yourself back, don't hide your talents or who it is you truly are. Use your authenticity and your uniqueness and use your rareness, use your voice, your power, your passions, your talents and expose yourself to oppertunities. Create those oppertunities for yourself. We have so many career choices o choose from. It is so amazing we actually can't choose the one we want. But that is alos fine, because you don't have to have it all figured out. Don't stick to a deadline that society created of what age you have to achieve what. Just keep doing things at your own pace and keep building yourself. Everything will be falling into place eventually. You will receive everything your heart desire. That should be enough motivation to kepp you going. Always remember that you're amazing, you're enough and you're worthy of everything you desire.
On that note I would like to thank Chanel for doing the interview with me. I hope those who read the interview enjoyed it. Feel free to follow her on Instagram @chanelbutnotwc or on YouTube her link is: https://youtu.be/Qkzer8Jw8UM
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