We sat down with Scots financial Youtuber and entrepreneur Mamafurfur to get the latest on her channel, future plans and more. 

Jennifer Kempson from Glasgow left her traditional 9-5 following significant growth in her Mamafurfur Youtube channel and business.

You can read our article on Jen's story HERE

Q: Hey Mamafurfur, thanks for joining us, can you tell us a bit about yourself for those that don't know?

A: I have a Youtube channel in the UK called MamaFurFur I also have a blog and a lot of products to help people with their financial journey and designing life on their terms. 

The reason that I started a Youtube channel three years ago was that I felt there was a huge lack of financial information for the UK. I was learning about how to pay off debt, we had £24,000 of consumer debt. I was learning how to get out of that debt as quickly as possible. I was then learning about investing and saving, building side hustles and all things to do with money that I had never been exposed to when I was growing up.

I wanted to share that journey because if I needed information then there might well have been someone else out there who would like to know this information as well. I picked up a camera and have been creating content to help people ever since. 

I thoroughly enjoy it, so much so that I have left my corporate job to do this.

Q: What was the inspiration behind starting the channel?

A: It really was out of necessity a little bit - wanting to share a journey with other people, and in some way, I have been in IT sales all my life as well. I’ve had to talk to customers and get over a message and I really like helping people and teaching people.

It just felt really fun, I saw a lot of Youtube channels of other people talking away to cameras and I thought, I could do that, that seems really good fun and I could help people about money. Particularly our own money, if I hadn’t learned about how to pay off debt and investing and been stuck for UK voices to find - I don’t think I would have started a channel, so that was the inspiration behind it. 

READ MORE: Mamafurfur: Meet the Glasgow Youtuber with a finance channel that has reaped rewards

Q: You started making videos in 2018 - how have you found the process?

A: The process has been quite straightforward. I think, as with everything, when you start it’s a case of ‘just do your first video, just ta;l to the camera and do the best you can’

But the process always feels the same. I love being able to communicate a message. I am always hoping I do it as concisely and also as entertaining as possible because I do believe the knowledge can be life-changing and really affect a lot of people once they learn things and they think ‘why wasn’t I taught this before?’ 

The process I have found just the same as always. I found it simple, straightforward but I also love that part of my creative journey is I want to be better and better. I want to get over the message better, I want to be somebody who is conveying as quickly as possible but also get that ‘click’ moment with people. So you’ll from the very start of my videos to three years ago, they’re different in terms of quality and how I deliver and the topics I deliver. I love the fact its an ongoing evolution for my viewer and also for myself. 

Q: What are the aims of your channel?

A: My aims are a journey for people. I want people to go from financial stress and mess, feeling stuck, to giving people a route out of that, to actually have a lifestyle that they designed using money as a tool rather than something that dictates what you do with your time. 

Also, I want people to have freedom, time freedom in their life, so using money that if they want to work part-time they can, if they want to be creative and run their own business they can if they want to work for someone else they can. I want people to have time freedom and the one way to get it is using money to make that happen.

Q: You are very open on your channel about your aims and ambitions - how have you found the transition to “full time” on the Mama FurFur channel in comparison to your old “9-5” 

A: I have found it fairly smooth, and I think that’s been guided by the fact that we have been in a pandemic for the past year. I have been at home, my job had the flexibility to work from home anyway, so I was used to being at home and balancing life with the boys, so the transition has been quite smooth.

The one thing I do notice is I am having to learn to manage my time differently because I am used to having an employer, and also projects, and also a family, it’s realising that I don’t answer to an employer anymore so I have to decide what we do with our day and keep focussed on goals and things that I feel I want to create out there.

Q: You have found success on Youtube - what would be your advice to those starting out?

A: YouTube is just a social media platform like anything else. YouTube however I feel is one of the tougher ones to break into. I think you have to assume that you might have to put out a year or two of content every single week to then get traction. So I would say make sure you are clear about why you are using this platform.

Is it to help other people? If so then just keep with that intention. I think sometimes people start because they want to make money and that will just lead you down a black hole, there will never be enough money because you will just keep chasing and chasing. It should be because you believe you can actually help people as part of what you see as your vision and goal for life. It is a fantastic tool though - I am really thankful I use Youtube because I like video. 

I would say start today, just put out your first video but assume that it is going to take a little while to get traction, but do not be disheartened. Don’t worry about views, clicks, and likes, just make videos you are proud of and then whatever rewards come your way, that's what’s meant to be.  

Q: As well as the Youtube channel you offer courses and books - do you have any further plans to expand?

A: Absolutely, we have products as well. There are going to be more books on the way, so I am making the time now to write and get those books started. I would like to reach more people and that’s what I feel is the next part of that. I’ve got products, I’ve got things online but I know physical books touch people and help people in a different way. If there are any publishers or agents reading this, I’ve got the books lined up, just get in contact. I’d love to see my book in WH Smith, that’s one of my visions and my goals - to be able to go to the airport and see my book there. That would be absolutely incredible going into Glasgow Airport and being able to get a copy of my books. 

The Herald:

Q: What were the major challenges starting out?

A: Major challenges are mainly just your self-belief a lot of the time. I’ve never worried about whether I could deliver or have got enough messages to tell people. I think at times it's just getting over yourself and realising it is a long journey and that you keep just doing what you feel is right. 

Q: You talk often about “side hustles” on your channel - but how do you start out making your videos? What is the approach to taking on topics?

Making videos is just as simple as you can pick up your phone and record and upload to Youtube and if you feel like you have a message, maybe it's your story that you’ve got to share about a particular experience in life or you want to help somebody else. 

I just broke down topics I was learning about that I was struggling to find information about for the UK, so I thought if I can’t find them, this is what I have been able to find, hopefully somebody else can find it. So that’s all I do. I’ve got a big brain-dump of topics, hundreds of topics that I want to cover and I just select and that’s what I have been doing for three years. I just select the ones that I feel great about, that I feel inspired and I make them, I just put them out there and that’s all I can do. 

Q: How has the Covid-19 pandemic changed your channel? Has it had an impact?

It hasn’t my channel in terms of any impact but obviously, I did find that a lot of people were looking for topics on money during the pandemic at the start, and hopefully, they found my channel useful and that was a great help. I did feel inspired to focus on more basics of money for the past while I was very aware people might be feeling they had income struggles, so I wanted to show people how to make extra income, how to save, spend well and invest even. 

I think it was more being aware of what was happening and what were the pain points people might be feeling, and then being driven to make content that could help.  

Q: What would be your advice to those starting out on Youtube and a channel in particular?

A: Just pick up the camera and start. The more you do something the better you’ll get. Don’t be worried if there are only four views on your first video, there were four people that found you. Also make videos that you’re proud of that will help people. Also just have fun with it , make it as a way you can express yourself and what you’re interested in. 

Q: You recently reported people imitating your channel on Instagram - how concerning is this especially around the financial advice and explainers you carry out on your channel?

A: There are always people who, if they can, they’ll find a way to make money from other people. They’ll borrow your image or brand, set up accounts and what they’re doing is use your image to try and convince people that they’re trustworthy. I will always say to someone I am not going to recommend a forex trading platform or anything that seems dodgy, I am certainly not going to ask you for thousands of pounds to trade with me.

Unfortunately, all you can do is report to Instagram or Facebook, a lot of the time they don’t get taken down but that’s all you can do. If it seems dodgy, a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, it probably is. I’m sorry that they’re using my face but that’s probably how these people believe they’ll get you to trust them, which is a wee bit sad. 

Q: What is your typical day-to-day as part of your business?

A: A typical day at the moment is getting up, having breakfast and I will have quiet time, and make my husband a cup of tea. I will do some reading from inspirational books and then focus on getting the right intention, the right focus for the day. The boys will get up, I will make them breakfast, we’ll head off to school and nursery and then Matt, my husband at that time will have been at the gym and then I will go into the gym. And then I will make content or do something for the business. A typical day is we hit the gym as a priority after getting the kids to school, then we focus, maybe do a podcast or a video, do some planning, and then the boys are back from school and we spend time with them.

I try to stop my work when the boys get back from school because I can’t really film when they’re around but also it’s family time. That’s the whole point of running your own business - you decide the hours.    

Q: You have your channel based from Glasgow - what has the response been from Scots but also globally?

A: Scottish people will always leave a comment and say “Oh I’m from Glasgow or Edinburgh” which is fantastic. I love that and I love also that some people have said because I am Glasgweigan they’ve been able to relate to me, I seem like a local person. Some people might find my accent difficult to understand but thankfully Youtube offers subtitles if that's the case, but overall I don’t think being Scottish holds me back. If anything it makes me stand out more because there’s quite a lot of UK creators from England. I love the fact that it's another element that's quite unique and will maybe stick out in people’s heads. 

Q: What are the future aims of the channel and the business?

A: Future aims for us are to ensure that Mamafurfur keeps helping as many people as possible. That’s one of my goals. I just want to keep doing what I believe feels right for me. I really feel inspired to be a teacher and help people and I want to be true to that. I want to get more books out because I really believe I can help more people out.

In the same way that we were able to get out of debt and leave the corporate world and have passive incomes and investments, that really quick journey in over pretty much six years from start to finish, and allowing us to grow a multi-six figure side hustle and business in the process. I know that and some of the strategies that people can apply and change their lives. I want that for as many people as possible.

I do believe that when people have good money and they’re able to do things with time freedom has a ripple effect on communities. They’re able to give more time to things they believe in. 

The short term is focussing on content to help people and focusing on books, and I am open to wherever the business takes me.