The reality of it is, your haters are your number one fans and that's really all there is to it.
Brittney Lee Saunders
Where were you raised and who influenced your outlook on life?
I'm a born and bred Newcastle girl. I grew up in a broken/mixed family and moved out of home at 17, which made me independent at a young age. As clichéd as it sounds, I am my own inspiration and I put this down to my fearless and driven personality, and chilled outlook on life. My Nan, Honor, is someone who I have always looked up to as we have such similar values and morals.
What did you do after leaving Newcastle High in 2010?
Fun fact, I never finished high school! I left in the beginning of Year 12, because it just wasn't for me. I job hopped for many years and never stayed in a job that I didn't enjoy. I'm super lucky that my hobby (YouTube) turned into the launch of my career and I've been self-employed ever since.
Why did you start your own YouTube channel?
I've been making videos since I was 10 years old, way back in the day when we all had desktop computers with the little bubble webcams on the top! When YouTube launched and I discovered some of the very first YouTubers, it was only natural to start posting my content.
You have 1.08m You Tube followers. How much pressure do you feel to perform?
My audience has grown naturally over many years, as I got into YouTube so early. When I started making videos, I had no idea you could make money from it, let alone turn it into a career! My last job was at 21 years old, a 9-5, Monday-Friday office job where I took home $500 a week. I took the leap, quit my job and pursued making YouTube videos, although it didn't pay as much as my office job, it was what I truly enjoyed doing. Since growing my social channels, as well as now having the income of my three businesses, my financial situation is far more rewarding. However, I've never been driven by the money. If I was earning the bare minimum doing what I loved, I'd be happy!
What led you to create FAYT The Label?
I've always known that being just a YouTuber as a 'career' has a shelf life, so I felt it was right for me to branch off into other avenues and capitalise on my social media success. I'm also extremely passionate about women's fashion so it was a no brainer. FAYT is pronounced 'fate', I chose the name because I'm a huge believer in fate/ things happening for a reason.
Fashion is so competitive. How are you unique?
I'm a curvy girl myself and we're living in curvy world! We are all different shapes and sizes, so when designing my pieces, I have the everyday woman in mind. I design all of our styles off my own body which reflects in our customer satisfaction. We hear amazing feedback, like "Omg! The first pair of jeans I've bought in years that actually fit!" What also sets us apart is we have that very warm 'small business' feel - I am always interacting with our customers on our Instagram, keeping them up to date with new styles coming in, asking for feedback on what colours they'd like to see for each season and so on. Overall, FAYT offers a more personal shopping experience which women respond really well to.
Do you design or make your own FAYT products?
We stock a variety of wholesale brands to give our customers more variety, though all of our FAYT in-house styles I design myself. We work closely with our warehouses in the production process of our garments.
Why did you launch Staple Swim?
We launched a swimwear range through FAYT back in early 2019 and the response we got was just phenomenal. This is when I realised it could be an entirely separate brand. Staple Swim has set out to encourage the everyday woman to feel comfortable in swimwear. Inclusivity is a focus for the business, stocking sizes 6-20 AU. Even though it's a new brand we have a really good feeling about its future.
You have just opened FAYT The Label Store in Maryville. Why a bricks and mortar store?
We already had so many Newcastle-based customers online and felt like we really wanted to create a more intimate and fun shopping experience in the city. We have so much fun chatting to all of the customers that come into store and getting to know our customers on a more personal level.
You have a large social media tribe but there are also many trolls. How do you deal with negativity?
I've always laughed and felt sorry for anyone who spends their time trolling online! The reality of it is, your haters are your number one fans and that's really all there is to it.
With three Insta accounts, YouTube and now a Podcast, do you ever just want to not post or upload anything for a week?
I'd love to give that a go just to see what it's like! But I've been doing this for over five years now so constantly creating and posting content just comes naturally. It doesn't even feel like work.
What drives you?
My own success, I am always looking for ways to grow and improve.
Where would you like to be in five years time?
I'd love my two current brands to scale and hopefully by then I will also have a few more businesses - what they will be, only time will tell.
