Interview with 'Goa's Travel Vlogger & The Big YouTuber ' - Moses J. Saldanha
An Interview with Goa’s very own 'Travel Vlogger & The Big YouTuber' - Moses J. Saldanha
Today I get a chance to interact with one of Goa's top YouTuber & Vlogger, Moses J. Saldanha. His travel vlogs all over Goa got him a raking of 181K subscribers and the count to reaching to nearly 2,00,000 subscribers is still on.
So, here is a candid conversation to all his fans, who want to know so much more about him & his secret success mantra that led him to become 'Goa's Big YouTuber'.
Q. Thanks Moses, for joining in! Firstly I need to congratulate you on your whooping number of 181K subscribers! You are almost nearing to 2 lakh subscribers. Woah! How do you feel about it?
A. Thank you, glad to be part of your platform. As a creator the beginning stages are the most enjoyable for example reaching your first milestones like getting your first thousand subscribers or getting a thousand views is a big feeling. As you grow it’s important not to focus on the numbers and to focus on the content. Numbers have a way of playing with your head. It also tends to get you an attitude and ego. So I just enjoy what I do and focus on me and my content more than the whole fame or name aspect of the job. Although I have to admit it’s an amazing feeling to see all the hard work paying off.
Q. Since when did you start your YouTube Channel? How did you come up with the concept of doing a travel Vlog in Goa? What were the challenges that you faced to get to such a successful number of subscribers on YouTube?
A. I used to do YouTube from around 2013, but I never had the intention of becoming a full time YouTuber at the time. I made regular vlogs with no real goal or set category. In September 2020, was when I started my journey with my Goa series. During lockdown I noticed a gap in the market and I realised most of the people that made videos in Goa, were tourists with no real knowledge of Goa. I also used to check online or the news for information specially post covid and realised there was no proper ground information, I saw that as my opportunity to show the ground realities and the guidelines. As I progressed I found myself having this huge platform and thought of helping local businesses. Many of the restaurants and local eateries were badly hit post covid so I started doing a food series which instantly became a big hit with people still visiting these places till today. The biggest challenge was being able to stay consistent and making sure to always have complete detailed information. Which I had to get from a huge network of informants to give me all the latest updates from every part of Goa. From the local fisherman to the waiter I used to always make sure to get all the latest information of everything happening in Goa post covid for the latest updates.
Q. How do you plan your vlogs & how long it takes for you to make them? Which video of yours was the most liked?
A. To be honest I never plan where I am going to shoot. I do a lot of research about all the locations way in advance. And on the day I go out I randomly make a plan of places that I already researched. I never do sponsored videos or fake reviews so I am free to go anywhere and randomly shoot. It’s one of the most important things if you want to be a consistent vlogger with credibility. One of my biggest hit series is of alcohol, I got this concept of getting top masters coming on the show and talking about all the various brands and educating people about what each alcohol was actually including the prices.
Q. We can see your family & wife Mrs. Sharon Hope Saldanha, as your great support system ! She accompanies you in some of your vlog trips. So how was your "How we Met" moment with Sharon? Who's the boss among you'll?
A. I met Sharon when I was in the Philippines on a holiday. It was a crazy love story, one for the movies as I always put it. I happened to propose after 6 days of meeting her and now we are happily married for 8 years. We don’t have a power dynamic in our relationship. We are both very strong individuals and have a very balanced way of doing things together. I think that’s one of the reasons we are very compatible is because we have a strong work relationship and an incredible friendship which allows us to be open about how we feel and what we want. We are always there to support each others goals which is very important for a healthy relationship.
Q. You have been like Goa's exclusive Travel Guide providing almost all details like the best & budgeted places to stay, eat or party in Goa, along with their pricing, which is helpful for anyone who wants to make & plan a good trip to Goa. After seeing your vlogs, people almost all over the world have been thanking you,as they could plan their entire trip to Goa easily. How happy do you feel about it? What about the reactions & comments you have got from the Goan businesses & community, that have been promoted through your vlogs?
A. It’s a very different feeling, specially when you realise it’s millions and millions of people tuning in to watch my videos. The best part is when they write me these beautiful long messages on comments or on Instagram explaining how they had a wonderful trip due to my videos and how it made their life so much easier. Sometimes they write about how it reminds them of their loved ones that passed or of proposals that got people together. We have even had viewers who met and fell in love. The businesses that I’ve helped are always very grateful and have been very kind and supportive the whole time. One of the best feelings is when someone says they appreciate my work. At the end of the day it is very hard work to go out in the sun sometimes for hours on end just to get the right lighting and showcase the crowd the sunset and the surroundings. But the love I receive daily makes up for all of it.
Q. In addition to making vlogs, you also manage to make time to teach photoshop, photography & various courses too in your Institute in Panjim & Margao. Do you still teach there? What do you enjoy doing? Vlogging or teaching?What keeps your stress levels at peace?
A. Teaching is always my first love as I have been able to help so many people get careers. I love what I do so it isn’t really stressful for me. Of course like all humans we have our ups and downs and that’s when you need to give yourself time to relax and have a break. I am a very work oriented person and when I work I really put my heart in it and I tend to over work sometimes. Which I have to learn to manage in future to really give myself a break once in a while. This in turn takes a toll on your mind and body in the long run and shouldn’t be taken for granted. One of the things we don’t realise is that our mental health is also very important and it’s important to have a balance of work and regular life. There is a thing in the Youtuber world called getting “burnt out” is when it all gets way too much to handle. So a little break here and there makes life much easier and also to always be surrounded by people who are very positive.
Q. From Goa’s Tour plan vlogs, best places to stay, food vlogs, Rise along series, alcohol series, updates on beaches, best time to travel,etc., phewww…You have covered it all …. Whats the next thing on your mind?What are your future plans?
A. When I feel I have covered enough there always seems to be more. But my future plans would be to start exploring other cities in another format of blogging which is as a tourist and explaining my experiences as a tourist in India as well as in other countries. I have been traveling abroad since I was a kid so I have a lot of knowledge about many of the places I plan on covering in future.
Q. A tricky question for you to answer! Can Vlogging on YouTube, be taken up as a career? Is there any scope of good earnings for people who really are interested?
A. It’s not really a hard question. But let’s not sugar coat it. Not everyone is going to make it and it’s not as easy as it looks. It’s a well oiled monster that you have to keep feeding it constantly for you to start seeing results. Once you reach to a stage where you have a large audience you would need to have atleast 50k people watching every single day for you to consider this as a career. If you reach that stage then you could be earning enough to buy an iPhone and quite a lot of other goodies every month. As a travel vlogger there are many costs associated with making content so there has to be a monthly budget which cuts a lot of your profits. But to answer your question very plainly if you reach to a stage where you have this big audience and constant views you will earn enough to have a very comfortable life.
Q. What is your advice to the upcoming vloggers? Goa does have great talented people, be it either in the field of music, culture, sports, etc. Do you feel there is a need to have more upcoming vloggers promoting various aspects of Goa?
A. The thing which I find with most people is they are not willing to put in the work. They will post one video a week and expect it to work. It’s not how it works, I posted 280 videos before I saw any real success as a YouTuber. Although for some people it might be much easier depends how the audience reacts to you if you are loved or hated either way can get you attention. Consistency is the key here if you ever want to make it on a platform like this. Also if you are new and coming up with a concept you have to make sure it is sustainable and that you will be able to make content constantly in that line. Honestly there is always a need for more YouTubers, many people ask me why would I want more creators out there? It’s because there is no real competition on YouTube if they watch you doesn’t mean they will stop watching me. The more people around the more ideas and concepts tend to happen which is a good thing for the community.
Q. Fun segment:
Things you can’t do without: I would say travel as I always find myself needing to see new places and experience new things. I hate being stuck in once place and having a routine.
Your most prized possession: Right now it would be my “Silver Play Button” given to me by YouTube for crossing 100k Subscribers.
Things you can’t stand or dislike: I can’t stand fake people or when people try to use me.
Any embarrassing moment: When I was with my sports bike and it was in the middle of a crowded area at the International Film Festival Of India and everyone was staring at me and the bike just wouldn’t start and I had to end up pushing it. I had a good laugh about it, but it was pretty embarrassing.
Your travel companion: I love traveling with my wife as she is a passionate traveler like myself.
Your Inspiration: I would say my dad Mr. Alirio Saldanha, he is always a strong believer of hard work and no matter what he goes through he is always ready to work and put in the time to whatever he wants or believes in.
Favourite Gadget: My DJI Pocket 2 (something I always carry with me everywhere I go).
The favourite Quote: God will give you everything you’ve every wanted. To see how you will handle it.
I would like to thank Moses, for taking his time out to share such valuable amount of information. I’m sure many of his fans & upcoming vloggers will find this interview of great help. Do give it a hit and don't forget to subscribe Moses on his YouTube channel.
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