An Interview With Sophia Tim, the Black Canadian Youtuber

Clocking in at 5,000 subscribers and counting, Black Canadian Youtuber Sophia Tim is parachuting high in the digital media world. A resident of Montreal, and a twenty-something of Haitian descent, she’s one of the most recognizable Youtubers on the digital media scene. She saw the need for her voice as a Millennial Canadian of color on the platform and launched her fashion and lifestyle channel. Some Canadians choose to either have a French or English-language channel, but keen to her audience’s tastes, Sophia speaks English on her channel, but peppers her channel’s episodes with French, which some say is typical of Canadians of all colors and backgrounds.

Kreyolicious: What was it like growing up Haitian-Canadian? Sophia Tim: It was actually really fun, Montreal is a multicultural city, and there are a lot Haitians, and since Creole is so close to French a lot of people who are not Haitian were actually trying to learn the language. Creole has become part of the Montreal french slang. It was really pleasant to have to so many people around me who were interested and curious about our culture.

What inspired you to create your own Youtube channel? I really love fashion, so I just wanted to share my love for clothes with girls that have a similar body type as me. Plus, the whole Youtube thing is quite new in Quebec (the province where I live), so I thought I could bring something new to this awesome platform.

Was it scary at first? Terrifying! I posted my first video and I was constantly refreshing my page to see if I had any hate comments. Honestly, because that my first 300 views were actually me. [Laughter] black Canadian Youtuber Sophia Tim Canada

Are your parents ardent watchers and fans? Not really, They both know I have a Youtube channel. My mom encourages me to keep going after she watched a documentary on Zoella. As soon as she heard Youtube sends checks that was all she needed to know.

When do you feel the most beautiful? I feel the most beautiful when I’m happy, there is this beautiful glow people have when they are genuinely happy that can’t be reproduce with makeup. I think that’s why brides are always so beautiful. It’s this glow of joy and happiness.

What are some of the biggest obstacles you’ve come across in maintaining and growing your channel? I really have difficulty being consistent and I’m extremely picky, so if there’s is one thing wrong with a video, I do not post it. Which means I don’t post as often as I would like to.

Do you travel to Haiti? Unfortunately no, but it’s definitely in our plans.

Without a vision, everything is fruitless…pointless. Where do you see yourself five years from now? Hopefully, I will still be making videos, I truly enjoy it and I would love to be able to be an entrepreneur where I will have the freedom to use my creativity on some pretty big projects, especially in the fashion world.

CLICK HERE to visit the Youtube channel of Black Canadian Youtuber Sophia Tim! | CLICK HERE to visit the Pardon the French Girl blog.

Originally published on May 31, 2018