Eating While Broke: ALYSHA BURNEY - Hoodchos

Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Eating While Broke. I'm your host coleeen Wit, and today we have very special guests, famous YouTuber Alisha Bernie, producer, writer, director Alisha Bernie is in the building and I'm excited to hear your story because it's a long journey for you.

It is, it's been a long time.

It's been a long time.

And what are you going to have me eating today on the show?

I call it good chose like good nachos.

So yeah, basically, whatever you got in the cabinet, I just combine all four ingredients together.

And what are the ingredients?

Sour cream, sauce. You could use tortilla chips like regular tortillas, but today we're gonna use Doritos and shreded cheese.

Oh do you usually use tortilla chips or you only do the thrido cool.

Ranch honestly is whatever chips I can find, but like, yeah, oh really, any chips.

Any chips, always chips.

Okay, have you ever done it with like Cheetos? M I don't like Cheetos, not even the puffy one. Oh no, you're tripping maybe, Okay, we're gonna have to judge this dish hard, so before well, I guess while you Another thing I wanted to share with you guys is that Alicia said that she only usually does this dish in the microwave yep, which is interesting because I would assume the chips get hot.

They do, but you don't, like they're not in there for a long time. It's probably like thirty seconds to a minute, okay, just to milk the cheese.

And then today you're gonna take one for the team and cook it on the soap top.

I am, okay, all.

Right, so get into the cooking of the cheese so I can eat cheese.

Yes.

And then what was going on around the time when you're making this dish?

Actually my mouth, I mean my unty. She taught me how to make this. Like one day I called her. I was like, I'm hungry because it was never no food at home. And then she was like asking me, like, what's all in the house. And then she told me, like literally to combine these four ingredients.

And how old were you at the time, Probably like nine?

And you know, I can only really cook in the microwave or else I was gonna get in trouble.

So she was like walking around the house like, hey, there's some chips here, there's some shredity, and she was like.

Oh, combine all four.

And I was like, okay, now are you a cook at home by nature?

Oh? Yeah, I am. Cooking is like my love language. Okay, okay, Like if I cook for you, I love you.

When did you start getting into writing and producing?

So?

I started off with sketch comedy. Oh, we should get our chips ready.

Yeah, put a lot of cheese.

I should just cook, cook all the tea. Yeah.

But yeah, I started getting started with writing and producing. I was very young when I started, like doing comedy sketches.

I was like eleven.

I started on Facebook, like I would hack into my not necessarily hack, but my mom was logged into her Facebook account on the laptop, so I would log in there and I would just upload videos of myself to her Facebook page. Of course I got in trouble. I'm not supposed to be doing stuff like that. But after that I just started. I kept going with like the comedy sketches. Then I was like, I want to like

But take it back to when you were you said eleven, when you started, what inspired you to get into comedy? Even think of comedy sketches?

So my mom she would like always be playing like Kevin Hart and stuff. I thought he was so funny. Still to this day, I think he's very funny, and I don't know. It made me want to like kind of like be like him because I would always see him like on the TV. She would just replay the comedy stuff back to back.

I used to watch this.

Is a commentary on YouTube Trey Melvin. I used to also watch Delano Edwards, who else is one more other one?

T Pendell.

I used to watch all three of them on YouTube and then I was like wow, like I wanted to create content just like them because I thought their content was so funny.

So it inspired me.

And they were short skits at the time.

Okay, and then what was do you remember like one of your first skits that actually did well?

It was actually a story time, It wasn't really a skit, but it popped off my channel. I think it was types of workers like I just I think I was like seventeen and how did this git? Like types of workers? It was just me like pretending to be a worker and also playing the character as well.

So I played like, yeah, I notice you'll play different characters. And while you're doing all this, what is your mom saying about this passion that you're developing.

She wouldn't really say much, like she was just like I was a kid. She was just like, oh, you know, like she didn't really say much. But I did have some people like telling me like.

Oh, you need to stop. Like I don't know. I was a kid, so I don't know.

Some people was like saying stop because I used to start like cussing in the skits as well. But then it's like once they saw it was like working for me, like making money and like doing you know, beneficial stuff, everybody kind.

Of like started supporting it. Yeah, okay.

And then what were your friends thinking when you were getting into that at that age?

I would like forced them to be in stuff like baskets.

Now, when you were doing this, this was before Vine and all those guys came out, correct, huh.

But I also hopped on the Vine wagon as well.

You did how well did you do on Vine?

By the time, I like really started popping off. I think I had like thirty thousand followers. I was in the eighth grade with like thirty thousand followers on vine. It was people at school like telling me like I'm full of bs, Like it's never gonna happen for me, because I would come to school and be like, oh, everybody subscribed to my YouTube channel. Yeah, they was just talk stuff. But now it's like all those people they support now wow.

Yeah.

Now where were you at when you got your first check from YouTube?

I was at home.

I remember my first big check, actually my first check in general. What grade was that I was in the It was senior year of high school and I got like a five hundred dollars check.

And to me, that's a lot because I was working at the time at highv Do you know how he is? No, I was like a grocery store in Missouri.

Okay, well you're not even from out here.

Where are you from? Kansas City? Okay? Kansas City? Kansas City be coming up on this show a couple of times. Okay, yeah, I saw Bobby was on here Kansas City too.

Yeah. Yeah, he he's an interesting interview. I don't know if you heard it. Yet, but yeah, he's interesting. So you're in Kansas City, You're in the twelfth grade, and at what point did you get the notification from YouTube to monetize the channel.

So I started YouTube at a very young age, and the rules were like different. My channel was monetized since I was like sixteen, but I wasn't making any money because.

I didn't have any views like look at the time.

But then when I finally got views and stuff, they gave me my first five hundred dollars check in the twelfth grade.

I was so happy. And then I was like it was in twenty twenty when covid had hit.

I transferred colleges, and I was just so like depressed, and I was like praying to God. I was a god like like if you give me enough money, like I literally leave Missouri and I'll move to la like to pursue my dreams.

Like that's all I really wanted at the time.

So that next month, I got a twenty five hundred dollars check. Twenty five hundred is a lot from like you.

Taking but at this point, you're you're in college, you're not your past high school. So you get your five hundred dollars check, and you're what are you going to.

College for digital media production? Okay?

And at this.

Point, are you still recording on iPhones or are you buying your own equipment?

How are you?

I would record on my iPhone? Like, I never bought equipment till this year. Till I moved here. I started taking everything more serious.

Okay, Yeah, you may want to put that in that bowl or something. Uh?

Okay, are you ready to dump the cheese? Let's do it, let's do it?

Make make hood hood shows? Yeah, hood shows? Okay, hood shows not chose?

All right?

Chose? Okay, So first you mean to make yours? Yeah?

Oh, I didn't know if you dump it in the bowl or how you're going to do it?

Oh? Should we do that?

No?

I don't even.

Okay, okay, hair just go ahead. Let me here, I'll do it.

Okay. Just a bunch of chips, right, okay, and then just lay them out. It's like spread them out? Okay? Perfect?

Then what we dump the cheese?

But let me get some more.

Yeah, we gotta put a.

Lot get into hood choes hood chose y'all make this whenever y'all are hungry and high, don't forget to turn off that stove. Oh, yes, I don't want to burn mess off.

We don't want you to burn yourself.

Yeah. Wow, that's it, And that's how the cheese comes out. That's thick. That is thick. All this oil that's in cheese.

So while you're in college, you're praying for this window of opportunity, but you're in Missouri.

Still, I'm just gonna dump this. Oh yeah, it's very oily.

Yeah is that how it usually comes out when it's out of the microwave?

No, okay, you can put this back on that stove. Oh I don't know what I was doing. I'm glad.

That would have been the first life burn on the show.

Okay, so salsam, I'm gonna lad their mind and then what sorry. Yeah, so you're in college, you're praying for a miracle, but you do know that your end results is you want to come to Los Angeles.

Yes, so my dad he moved here, like when I was like two, and he was out here. He was pursuing his dreams of becoming like a comedian, also like writing directing as well, y'all, this is what it looks like.

Yeah, it looks good.

It looks official.

So he's pursuing his dreams and is he telling you like the whole time, like you.

Should come to LA?

And yeah he was. But was your mom with it?

No, not at all, which I'm glad everything played out the way it did. I wanted to move there here when I was younger because I just love the idea of LA. Because did you.

Did you come and visit before when your dad was here?

I visited first for a cruise and then I got a while naw had hit me up.

They were like, we want you to come down and audition and wanted the little It was either I think New York, Atlanta, and then it.

Was LA and that was like day directly hits you up and you're in college.

Yeah. I was nineteen when they hit me up.

I was like, so you were making little waves.

Yeah. I started coming up before. The cheese pretty good. Mm hmmm. I feel like the cheese is stick though it is thick. I like this though.

Do you like it that thick?

Hm hmm. I like it better than the microwave. But I like it in the sow too.

I'm gonna be honest, these hood shows would taste good with just the sauceed and the SOUTHCN.

Don't you think so?

I agree.

I don't even think you need the cheese.

I don't think I'll ever eat the rito's playing again because this is amazing.

Thank you.

I'm gonna take one more.

Okay, shows made up really affordable dish fun snaps.

Yeah, this is the best meal on the show. That's so.

Yeah, we're not gonna say that, but we're gonna give it a ten out of a ten.

So it's up there. Am I the runner up?

Though, you'll run her up like this is definitely good, Like we've had the nachos, the dorito nachos, but as far as simplicity, a couple of minutes to make I really like it with the salsa and just the sober.

Him though sometimes I do that if I have doritos, I'll just put to our cream.

That's awesome.

Never ever thought to do this ever. So wil'n Out hits you up. So you're getting it. Seems like you're getting signs that you should be. You're going in the right direction. Parents are all supportive. Yeah at this point, all right, so take me on to the next chapter. So do you do you do the wild'n Out audition?

I did, but at.

The time, I was nineteen, so everybody's like when I went there, when I'm around people, I don't know, I'm not thinking like, oh, this opportunity could change my life.

I'm just shy, like because I'm nineteen. These people were like.

Way older to me, Like they have very big personalities. Like if the auditions everybody was loud, it seemed like they kind of knew each other as well. So I was just sitting there like just very like shy and timid. I didn't really say too much, and I feel like I didn't show much of my personality. I didn't make it, but well obviously, but yeah, I feel if I could redo it, I would wish that they would hit me up at an older age because I feel like that I have the confidence now back then I didn't.

What was your following at the time when they hit you up.

I think I was at two hundred k on on Instagram.

And then on YouTube. Now YouTube is where you make most of your money.

But I wasn't popping on YouTube back then, so I feel like they filed me on Instagram.

Okay, what was your YouTube following when you made the like twenty five hundred dollars check.

Oh, it started skyrocket ick.

Problem. So that was the year of twenty twenty. This was October when I made the twenty five hundred. So in December I hit one hundred k on YouTube. So I'm not sure where I was in October, maybe like eighty k. I think I was in eighty thousand, but I was coming up like that's when I popped off. Like some people they would meet me and be like, oh, the quarantine queen. It was like that's when my channel.

Was boring up during quarantine. And were you doing any day jobs during quarantine? How are you surviving?

I wasn't just social media, really, that's it.

So how are you Were you getting paid enough to survive on social media?

Well I lived with my mom.

Well I lived on campus, but like when I would go home, I would be with my mom.

So all right, good, So you were good. So what were your checks consistent? Like are they monthly or yeah?

Once a month. I was getting also paid from like promos. People would pay me to like post their businesses on my account.

What else? That's really it.

I did have jobs here and there. I was always getting fired though, Like I worked at a hotel, but where.

Were you getting fired from? Like why, Yeah, I don't know.

You just weren't into it, You weren't passionate about it.

Yeah.

So you're continuing with your YouTube channel and your social media right now, you have almost a million subscribers on YouTube, which is a huge fee. Says you started your channel in twenty thirteen. What was like the hardest hiccup in that journey? Were there hard like moments like even coming up? Did you feel the pressure to come up with content?

Yeah, that's kind of how I feel right now. So at first, everything came to me naturally, like I would just upload like once a month, which is not consistent at all. Sometimes I'll go like three months without uploading, but I would just I had my channel just for fun, like I was creative, so I wanted to like showcase that, and of course I want to followers too, or subscribers.

But it became hard.

Like when everybody wanted me to start posting work consistently, because I wasn't used to it.

When you say everybody, like fans were reaching out like when's your next post?

Yeah, it was like dang, like it's getting real.

So I have to post like once a week and I just graduated college.

Like last May.

So when I was in school, I had work due, but I know I had the post so I was like, dang, like I have a lot too.

And then at this point, like how consistent are the checks?

I went just to once a month? Once a month, but the size of the checks.

Are they go up and down? Like my biggest check that I got one month was forty thousand.

Never seen forty Yeah.

What they happened?

Again?

You know?

That was one time.

I was like, but that was during that time I was coming up.

So but was that during the pandemic.

It was in twenty twenty one.

So that's right after the pandemic. Oh my gosh. So what did you do with the money?

I didn't do anything like big, I just kind of kept it. Do you still have it?

Kind of?

Well? Did you? Yeah? Yeah?

Okay, so you're you're managing your money. Now do you have when you get checks like that? Like who was the first person you called? And did you did you know that check was a arriving and or does it colme in the mail or did they send you an email?

How does it work?

So if you go in the app on the studio app YouTube studio, it'll like tell you what you're getting that month.

When I saw that, I was like what, Like that's crazy.

But I was also getting like like ten thousand a month, so it didn't really like like effect.

Ten thousand a month.

It is really good money. And are you telling your family? Like, Yo, this is how much money I'm making.

So that's the mistake I made.

I told my mom, like I made my first eleven thousand in December of twenty twenty, and I was proud, so I told my mom. She told the whole family, like now everybody knows how much I make.

So yeah, why is it like a not so good thing?

Because people will start asking you for stuff, Like if you like make a lot of money, they'll start like, I don't know.

It's like I don't know.

Like when you guys go out to you, they'd be like you got the bill? You got it?

Like like I want to feel like like I don't know, like when people buy stuff, like if I buy something for somebody, it's because I care about them or like I don't know. I want to feel like somebody cares about me too, Like that's one of my oh, my love language, one of my love.

Language is like gift giving. Yeah, okay, so like.

When somebody buys me something, like I feel like, I don't know, feel like they care, even though that could not always be the case. But yeah, but yeah, so I'm always having to buy people stuff. People expect me to like pay for everything. So that's why I just say, anybody they got money, keep it on.

Did you ever have that conversation with your mom later? So like if she were to listen to this interview, she would be like, oh my gosh, I didn't know that.

I'm sure she knows.

I think I did tell her, Like it does bother me when people ask me how much I make from like.

Oh really, are you uncomfortable saying it on the show?

Oh no, I don't care.

Okay, yeah, but we just talked about it on the show because there's like our show was like really created for the underdog, and so we're trying to get them like, don't quit even though.

Oh yeah, don't quit, keep going. I have that channel since thirteen. Now I'm living off of my channel, So I feel like anybody that was ten years ago so well eleven now because it's swinging be ford, but keep going.

But it wasn't until like years intil you got your first step, right, It wasn't like year one.

Twenty twenty is when I got my first beach checked.

Oh that's seven years.

Yeah, dedicate seven long.

Years, and no part of you was like during that journey like maybe I should give up or maybe I should pause this.

I loved it so much.

Really, Now, tell me about your concept process. Is it like you're going through everyday life and then you see something and its sparks, Like, tell me what that process looks like.

Yeah, everyday life, Like I'll see stuff I'd be like I need to make a scit about this, or I'll see something trending and I'm like, I gotta hop on the bandwagon because that's how videos go.

You just gotta hop on what's trending, like when they're trending.

I have this I don't know if you know him, but James Andre Jefferson Junior.

He's such a long name. That is a long name, but he's he's like.

He makes fun of like a lot of the celebrities and trending. But I remember when he was getting into social media. He had discovered that if you could strike while the trending was happening like on topic, then your stuff can trend with it. But the turnaround has got to be like a lot of pressure.

Yeah it is, because it's like you gotta come up with something quick, like how the whole Like, what's something trending now? I re cauld say like like all the submarine stuff going on, Like if somebody makes like a review about how they feel, I feel like that's easier.

What was the one thing that like, because you have nine hundred almost a million followers on YouTube, what is the one thing that you did that where you saw like a huge jump in your numbers?

I started doing these videos what is it if slavery existed in twenty twenty one or twenty twenty two, But I would make like parodies. But I get a lot of backlash from black people because they're like, oh, slavery's not a joke when they were.

Not even running with hereot you know.

But yeah, I don't know, but that's something a lot of people like, I guess. And then the online class videos because in twenty twenty, those were like, that's trending because like COVID and stuff, so a lot of people were taking classes online. So I hopped on that, and we're not necessarily hopped on that. I created that wave, like the whole online classes parodies.

Yeah, and then where did you learn how to edit? Are you editing your videos or are you having someone else edit? Oh?

I edited though?

Wow?

And then you sit there with the lighting and the shooting and all of that.

That's my brother taught me how to edit. We used to make videos together. We had a channel and everything.

Where's your brother at now?

He lives in Dallas.

He graduated college in like twenty twenty one. Yeah, he moved. He's older than you one year or eleven months. Yeah, it's like my best friend. I wish he was here.

Ah, that's so sweet.

Shout out brother, Shout out to Charles, y'all.

So does your brother have a YouTube channel or does he just kind of support yours?

Oh?

He does, but he doesn't. He's not really active on there. We do not feel like he should be, but he's not active.

Like is he choosing a different route from you?

Oh?

Yeah, we did.

Start together, like my channel now that I have now me and him created that channel in twenty thirteen and then I think it was called like Charles and Alicia, and like, I don't know, he just I don't know. I think when he went to college, he just kind of stopped.

And he just wanted to do what do you know what he's majoring in?

He did it informational technology.

Okay, so both of you guys are choosing good, well good careers and hard careers at that.

Yeah, you know it is hard. So when you moved to LA, Like, what does that move look like?

I actually, so I graduated May sixth and I moved out here May fifteenth, like I was not doing no.

Plan twenty twenty three.

Uh huh.

Oh so you've only been out you're a newbie. Yeah, okay, So did you move in with your dad right away?

Oh? No, I moved in by myself, Like I just came up here alone.

And what was the conversation with your mom? Looking like when you make this jump.

I was telling everybody like before, I was like, y'all, I'm moving to LA. People don't be taking me serious, but yeah, I moved out here.

Wait, you moved to LA, So tell me the story about you moving to LA.

So I was in college, like coming home from classes, searching up like apartments in LA, calling Them'm getting a virtual tourist because at first I couldn't go out there, like because I had to be in school. So I was searching up like apartments like in LA.

Yeah.

So I was doing like virtual tours. I didn't know downtown was as bad as it is.

Oh, sked Row and all that. You had a nice reality check.

I walked outside like what is this? I don't know it was. So you graduate and you're like, I know, I'm moving to LA. Yeah.

So, and I was making good money at the time for my YouTube channel, so I was like I'm good, Like I'm gonna just move out here. And my dad he moved out of LA twenty twenty two, but I moved into LA twenty twenty three, so it was like dang, like he left and I came.

So I was just out here alone. When I first moved out here, I was so depressed, like very depressed.

I started getting a lot of weight because I was just eating, like to fill my voids.

Why were you depressed? I was lonely.

I would reach out to people. I feel like I'm about to cry, but I'm not going to.

On this show people cry real, so you know, yeah right, this is the safest place to cry.

All right.

Yeah, But I was just very depressed, and I feel like nobody like back home, like really cared. I would reach out to people, like telling them how I felt, but people would like literally take me as a joke. And I know, I like make funny videos and I like do stuff to like shield my emotions, like I'll be funny or something.

But I don't know.

So when you were calling people saying what you were going through, were they doing that like cliche like oh girl, you're lucky, or it could be hard, it could be harder. I used to hate that, like when people be like the whole world in my life crashed going end, and then they'd be like, it could be harder. There's kids in another country, yeah you know, and you're like, I get that, but right now I need help.

Yeah.

I feel like all I had was myself. That's why I'm like so like independent because like I don't know, that's why I do everything on my own, everything on my own. Like I literally didn't have no help, like physical help, like moving any of my stuff, Like I hired movers, hire somebody to move my car, Like I just had to get And you're.

Like twenty two, I'm assuming at the time or yeah, early twenties. Yeah, and you're doing this all on your home, No mommy, daddy help at this point, You're just one hundred percent on your own.

Yeah.

But that's like what I wanted, because like I want to be independent because I feel like I really feel like nobody be caring about how I feel like I genuinely feel like that.

I feel like independence comes from a lot of neglects.

It's almost like a survival spirit.

Whenever I see someone that's like ultra independent, I'm like they went through some stuff, you know, like a lot.

Yeah yeah wow.

Okay, So when you move and you finally land, I'm hoping it's not in downtown.

A lake because you say like it was culture shock. Yeah. I was like, what is this a joke?

Like literally, because I got my apartment tour and I was like, oh, is it a good area? I should have just came down here and looked. But he was like, yeah, the area is good. There's a few homeless people downtown, but you'll be fine. No, not few?

Was it in downtown?

I live on Fourth Street? Like oh wow? Yeah? So wow? Okay, so you're like buy it.

It's like, uh yeah, But you know what's crazy because some of those lofts down there are really nice. So I could see you looking at the loft like, oh yeah, lived my best life I love And there's like, you know, ten million homeless people and that's like a culture shock that is very scary to like, Okay, so you're making it work, though, Now are you doing anything else? Are you just one hundred percent YouTube, one hundred percent short film?

I do have a few people that I just got done filming a short film. It's called Los Angeles Lost Angelus. So it's just about like me narrating my life here, crazy situations and stuff.

I did find some people, but the people out here are.

So weird, like they're like like when I first meet somebody, I don't tell them, like what I do like initially because people have ulterior motives.

But when I meet people, they like, if someone meets you, what do you tell them?

I just talk to them like I just don't even bring it up.

I feel like that's the second question when whenever you meet someone in LA, it's like, Hi, my name is and they're.

Like, what do you do? Yes, that's so true.

The one thing I liked about the pandemic was it was the first time people stopped asking what you do.

It's more like, how are you doing?

Yeah?

And that was like, I think the most beautiful thing about the pandemic. It was also people going to people's houses and just eating around the table, playing board games, like doing stuff, not at a restaurant, you know, or what have you.

I think there was.

Something really beautiful in that space of we're all trapped in a nightmare together. But I hate, I absolutely hate that about LA, where it's like what do you do?

What do you do? What do you do? So?

But you moved here, you know, what do you do eric? So when they ask you what do you do, what do you say?

I tell them like, oh, I direct produce feeling gradual comedy sketches.

But people are full of Yeah, people are full of shit. So I feel like they probably.

Like, oh, just another one of those.

But I actually am like.

Yeah, you're doing it like you're making money. You don't, you're not working at Target. You're one hundred percent doing you.

So I feel like when they like first like people will treat me like like I'm just like nobody, which you know, it's fine treat me however, but well.

Because you look very young, yeah, so they're like they're more like aspiring or what have you.

Did you watch the Tyler Perry documentary? No you didn't.

A lot of people keep telling me to watch it. I don't know.

Let me tell you, girl, I watched. I cried a couple of times. I didn't even know his story. I think he was homeless, right, Well, he did end up with a little bit of homelessness, but he came from a lot of abuse, Like I did not know that.

Yeah, it was kind of interesting.

That's probably why he writes about what he writes.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely that's good.

Well that's not good, but it's good that he like shows that in movies like that, people can get through it.

Do you ever make fun of the characters in your family or like play around with the characters in your family or.

Develop characters from people in my family my friends.

No, I don't know where they come from.

I feel like I got like ten different personalities, so just pick one play the character. Yeah, because like the mother I play in my films, Like sometimes I play like a mom that's not how my mom acts at all. I don't know where that character stem from. But my mom she's like very nice, very like quiet and reserved. But the mom that I play like in my films is very like, yeah, very loud, very like I don't know, just crazy, and my mom is not like that at all. So I don't know why I do that or like

What is the day in the life of you now that you're in la.

Get up, go to the gym, come home, shower, make a video.

After that the rest is history.

When you say make a video, like just edit, Like what's that process? Like a couple of hours?

Yeah, maybe like four hours max for YouTube video, make the video, edit it, upload it the same day. Probably gonna do that after the interview, really probably go home and make a video and your money from YouTube? Do you feel like it's sustainable or is it like the

It like fluctuates.

And then do you put yourself on payroll like we were talking about I think it was with Brandon Rogers was the other another YouTuber. It's like when you have your your money goes to a corporation or does it go to you? I would go, okay, so yeah, traditionally you would, you know, create a corporation and then maybe get like an ADP and they'll cut your salary and then you can kind of like live on a more budget and then build cash flow in the business.

Oh, I didn't know that. That's a lie. I don't know, but I love to learn.

Yeah. Yeah, we could talk after camera to like kind of fix that. But I'm guessing right now, do you put yourself on a strict budget? Like this is my monthly and I don't go over or do you just be like.

It's ten thousand dollar a month.

I just don't go crazy with spending, Like I'll just spend my money like how I would like if I make like five thousand, like that's like kind of I don't do too much, like at all, I'm very cheap.

What advice would you give to someone that's trying to get into the game.

Keep going and if the people are supporting you coming up, make sure you lock in with them once you come up, because yeah, all the people that like are around you when you're coming up. Just know those people are loyal and they like you for you, because when you get like I feel like where I am, I'm not like I don't know, like I need a better heart of discernments because some people just come into my life or try to come into my life because of who I am.

Don't make any new friends.

Yeah, I tell myself that my high school friends are my It sounds terrible. I have plenty of friends, but I always feel like my friends from high school are my real friends. Like you know, the good, the bad, the ugly. You know where I'm from, where I'm going, you know everything about me. And if I don't talk to you for a year, I know we could pick up the phone and I'm not getting like you ain't calling me and they're like clocking or whatever. You know. Yeah,

No?

Yeah, I feel like the trickery is La. Guys are different. It was like kind of I think everyone in LA is kind of opportunistic. But I would I think the dangerous part of being in social media would be that I think even bigger than being a celebrity.

Like if you're big on social media.

Everybody want to date you. Yeah, and you just want some cloud. But who knows, maybe not, I don't know.

I don't know. I haven't dated in la Okay, probably not ever going to.

Are you single right now or you're not single because you said you're not going to.

You're in a relationship.

Yeah, you gotta say it. It's complicated.

It's complicated, complicated. It's never good. It's never good.

That's what I'm saying.

Like, see see if the relationship confuses you leave, Yeah.

I have my friends tell me all the time. They're like, you're so good at spotting a red flag. There's like there's nobody better that stop spotting a red flag than you.

But for whatever reason, you will spot the red flag. Ago. Maybe that's just like a slowdown.

Maybe that's a maybe maybe Like.

No, it's a red flag.

You gotta respect the red flag and put it in its place.

Yeah.

And I think as a woman, it just boils down to like it always bowls down to like women's like kryptonite, which is like knowing your worth. That is I don't know how we come up with our worth or knowing our worth. I think that's just a woman's greatest challenge.

See, that's why I'm not dating in LA because I know my worth.

You know you're worth, but you're in something complicated.

Yeah, it's like about your red flags. And there's a lot of green flags as well, you know, but.

Red means stop. I don't know.

I just turned forty, so now I haven't turned forty yet, gonna be forty soon, And I'm learning like at this point, you just got to respect the red flag because the deeper you go, the harderest to get out, you know. I'm just that's just me being totally honest. You know, the more invested you are. And I also have this other philosophy when it comes to relationships, whoever invests more loses the most.

That's true, Yes, especially if it's over Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, whoever invests more, whoever. And that doesn't just mean monetary wise, it means time wise. It just means like, if the scale is not tipped evenly, I promise you you will be the one that's hurt more in the end.

So it's a crazy way to look at it.

That's a good way actually, But that's why you ever hear people say like you got to match the other person's energy.

Yeah, oh you.

Gave this, I'll match that.

You know when I was young, outdated guy, but I'll go all out, you know, just same.

That's how I am. I like to like spoil people. I like to be spoiled too. But yeah, I feel like I always give so much of myself and I need to just protect my heart at this point, like I need to give what I give to that person, I need to give that to myself.

I'm learning that right now. And I'm old as heke. Well you know I'm up there. I've been trying to avoid the topic for a while.

No, you look very young though, thank you, thank you?

What else does do people just don't know about you.

I'm a very introverted person. I know sometimes I come off as very like outgoing, which I am online sometimes I am in person, but I have to be like very very comfortable. Yeah, I'm just a very introverted person and I'm always sad. And people are gonna be believing me because I joke around a lot.

I heard comics or like or comedians and that line of work. They're the most sad, which is crazy because they bring the most joy.

It's because we have to go through things alone because like I'm not sure, I can't speak for anybody else, but I know with me, people don't take me serious and I'm also supposed to be the person it makes everybody else laugh. So it's like I don't even feel comfortable coming to people sometimes I don't want to bring them that energy. And then I don't know, I don't know. We just I feel like we go through a lot of stuff alone, like a lot of our emotions.

Yeah, yeah, but it makes you stronger in there, it does.

I mean, as long as you got that solid one or two, I think you're good. And then do you have mentors?

No? What? Yeah?

What you need to get something?

I don't care how old you are, Like you could be my age. I still look for mentors. I'm always looking for mentor anyone that's like even semi where I want to be at or like just different from me. I'm like, yo, can you be my mentor? Can you teach me something new?

Yeah?

Girl, well I'm here in La, so I definitely if you ever need a mentory. Matter of fact, you could be my mentor in some areas you can, so yeah, okay.

Yeah, because you know, I'm struggling with YouTube.

I know my the girl that runs my YouTube, she we can monetize now, she's always like monetized the channel. I'm like, we're gonna get five cents. You just still menize it, That's what she says.

She's like, girl, I'm like, you you should. You don't have to.

You know what it's we're mentor. We're going to mentor each other.

Yeah, oh my goodness, I can't believe it.

And you have the ability to Yeah, we do. And she's been on me like just fill out the paperwork. I'm like, for what you need to do?

It like your money could be growing. So there's a threshold on YouTube. It's one hundred dollars. So after you hit one hundred, they deposit whatever into your account. So right now, like, look like all of your views, I don't know, like add it up. If they make a hundred, I'm sure you're at one hundred dollars.

So you're like, I don't at one hundred.

But I didn't know that's how it works.

I just thought maybe like if I hit like five thousand subscribers, then I would hit monetization. But if I don't hit it, if is it only from that date four that it accruise or they'd.

Look at the previous day.

It's from that date for that's why I said you need to get Oh yeah, see okay, So like they're not going to give you any money from like anything before today if you monetize today.

So when they gave me the opportunity, that's when I was supposed to do it.

What did they tell you?

Probably a couple of months ago.

You should do it.

Yeah, it's not like I missed out on that much. I mean you got a small little but I do. I would be very happy over one hundred dollars check just because it's like that milestone of Like I remember an interviewing like Country Wayne and he was talking about his like he monetized the channel during the pandemic. It was like get in like forty to one hundred thousand per Yeah, how much did he say?

Yeah? He said he was getting like one hundred, two hundred, three hundred thousand. I was like, I was a lot.

Yeah, And it was like during the pandemic he monetized it. Wow, could you imagine how much money you probably missed out on, yeah, because I did not know that's.

How it works.

Well yeah, yeah, yeah you should be my mental you heard it here first.

I just send up comedy sometimes. But yeah, how's it going? I don't do it anymore? Really, but my last show was in November, November eighth, That was the last show I did. It's good, but like I'm really focus on that. Really, what made you get into stand up? My dad he was a center comedian out here as well, but he moved.

Back to where Texas?

Oh he's in Texas? Is he in Austin? All the comics are moving to Austin.

He's in Houston? Okay, okay, but him, I don't know that's where he's from. And then my mom is from Missouri. But they met in college. Such a sweet love story like love and basketball?

No, for real?

Is it really like a love and basketball story?

Well, love and track? I guess they've both were in track okay.

But are they still together?

No? Okay, okay, they should be.

Why because they're like best friends or something.

No, because they're my parents and they need to be even though they're both dating other people.

I don't care.

Ah, that's so sweet but did you grow up in two parent household?

Oh no, they split two when you were two, right, so it was.

Just me, my mom and my brother. Oh okay, okay, yeah, all right. There was something else that literally, like I was like, don't forget to.

Ask this, and then I forgot.

Was it something deep?

It was something diff deep too.

I need to be deeper. I think I got a little.

I wanted to ask you. I noticed you do dot meet and greets, don't you?

I did one?

You did one? How what made you do it? And like what was the experience?

Like? What made me do it?

This girl I went to school with, she she moved out there and she like does a lot of work in Atlanta. So then she like set up this meet and greet with this restaurant, so it'll bring people to the restaurant and then bring people to meet me.

So it was like kind of a collaborative thing the experience.

So it was like in like a small country part of Atlanta or Georgia. I thought it was in Atlanta, but I was on it promoting like hey atl So now a lot of people came, but it was still good to have the experience.

Though, would you ever do that?

Again and probably in a different location. Yes, like Texas.

When I went to Texas this or last year. What month was this? It was like September or October. It was in October. I was getting stopped. I was gonna stop the lot like I have a big fan in Texas, Dallas.

Okay, Okay, I would do it there all right.

Well, and then if you were to do it, would you do stand up or would you just like talk about your experiences as a YouTuber?

I would probably talk about, like I don't know my experiences. Have people come up because I have a few songs like on my channel with everybody knows cause it's like my ultrosongs, intro songs. I'll probably have them come up and see, like who could wrap it the best, do a giveaway, take pictures, stuff like that. I wouldn't do stand up though, because my fan base is younger. My stand up is like for adults.

So yeah, oh my gosh, well, where can we keep up with you? If you do do stand up, do you announce it on your Instagram and share with our listeners what your Instagram is.

My Instagram is a l y s a h bu r any y Underscore Alicia Bernie underscore my only page.

That's your only page. And then you so you just have Instagram. You're not doing TikTok or any of those guys.

I have a million on there, one point five million.

And was it like instant or did you have to organically grow it organically?

I started in COVID like during COVID.

COVID COVID was like the real, real pivot, pivotal moment for you.

Wow, I blew up on everything.

Yeah, during COVID, that three that two years changed your life.

It everybody says how COVID affected them like horribly.

I'm just like, COVID blessed me. Wow. Shout outs to COVID, shout out to you COVID. And I never caught it.

You never caught what? Yeah, girl, I don't had COVID so many times. I'm like, really I had. Oh yeah, I've caught it a bunch of times.

Or maybe I caught it and didn't know. Oh yeah.

Maybe you're one of those lucky ones because when I first got hit with it, I knew, Oh wow, I knew. Thanks for your evening midnight snack, Thanks for blessing us with your energy.

Ah and thanks to all our listeners. Peace out guys. For more eating while broke from iHeartRadio and The Black Effect, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.