I'm doing one recorded video and one livestream every week for 12 weeks, with no edits or do-overs, to get comfortable on camera. After 2 weeks, my watch time went from 3.5 to 13.5 hours, views tripled, and I gained 11 subscribers. So far, heart-led teaching and calm co-working streams are landing better than live software demos.
If you're on my email list, you may have noticed I'm sharing more videos lately. It's my latest 12-Week Year Goal. I still love blogging, but I've committed to myself (and my coach) to record at least one video and do at least one livestream every week for twelve weeks. No edits. No do-overs.
I've built 350+ websites, marketed online for 25 years, taught marketing to coaches and service providers for over 11 years, and I still get nervous when the red light comes on. The only way I know to get comfortable on camera is to do it frequently. So I'm going to keep showing up.
I've stopped and started on YouTube several times. What derails me has always been the editing bottleneck. So my goal with this quest, besides feeling more confident on camera, is to get to the point that I can comfortably record one-take videos that need minimal to no editing beyond trimming the beginning and end so I can stay consistent.
Here's the plan:
I will use my new marketing app, PeacefulBiz, during my livestream work-with-me sessions to plan my content.
I will teach Peaceful Marketing and how to build a Marketing Emergency Fund in the videos I record.
I will rehearse the video once, then press record in StreamYard so I can easily share frameworks and graphics when they enhance the message.
Any light editing will either be done in StreamYard or Descript to keep it simple. (No more expensive AI editing escapades.)
Weekly Requirements:
At least one from-the-heart peaceful-marketing livestream
One "Work with Me" livestream
Email my list once a week to share the video(s)
I will report back here every week on what shifts, share what my audience responds to, and whether imperfect videos build a warmer community than polished ones ever did.
The Video You Liked Most (So Far)
I will update this section each week with the video from this challenge that's performing the best. This one was my first livestream, not in front of an audience, to help me get familiar with StreamYard. It's just me talking about why marketing feels so hard at times, and what actually helps me.
Want to watch the challenge unfold? Subscribe on YouTube and join me live each week.
Not sure why marketing feels hard for you? Take the Peaceful Marketing Quiz →
Weekly Updates
Week 3 (Sep 28 to Oct 4)
In progress. Check back next week.
Week 2 (Sep 21 to Sep 27)
Long-form videos: I recorded both of these videos this past spring, but I never got around to editing them.
Co-working livestream:
Short:
What I noticed:
I tried out editing with AI (Codex + HyperFrames) instead of Descript for the two long-form videos above. I was hopeful AI would save me time, but I think Descript is easier, faster, and way more affordable. The edits in the AI Videos look fancier than the ones I've DIY'd in Descript, but not enough to justify the cost. I had to upgrade to the $100/m ChatGPT plan to finish the first video, and after all the revisions on both videos, I burned through 60% of my monthly usage.
I did my first Work with Me Peaceful Marketing Livestream. 90 minutes of quiet focus, together. Pairing direct-to-camera teaching during the breaks with co-working. It felt a little awkward since no one engaged in the chat, but overall the process felt fun and sustainable, not frantic. I plan to do these each week.
Join Us
My goal this week: To figure out how to stream LoFi focus music or something similar during my Work with Me Livestreams.
Week 1 (Sep 14 to Sep 20)
Livestreams:
What I noticed: Demoing software live added a lot of moving parts. Talking from the heart was easier for me and landed better with you. The "why marketing feels hard" video got the stronger response, so I'm leaning into that style.
Goal: Try a co-working livestream to see if I enjoy it and if my YouTube audience is interested in that type of content.
The Numbers So Far (First 2 Weeks vs. the 2 Weeks Before)
It's early, and my channel is teeny-tiny, but here's what changed:
Watch time: 13.5 hours, up from about 3.5. Most of that came from the long co-working stream.
Views: 285, up from 91.
Impressions: 4,100+, up more than 350%.
Subscribers: +11, up from zero.
Small numbers, real movement. Consistency is doing something polish never did for me.
What I'm Learning About Getting Comfortable on Camera
(I'll add to this every week.)
Talking beats demoing when you're nervous. Software adds friction. Start with what you know by heart.
Long, calm formats build connection. People stayed for the co-working stream because it asked nothing of them but showing up.
Planning really helps. I have my talking points outlined for this week, and I'm truly excited to record them.
FAQs:
What is the YouTube Confidence Quest?
It's my 12-week commitment to publish at least one video and one livestream every week. My goal is to develop the skills to record a video with little to no edits and build confidence on camera by doing it.
How do you get comfortable on camera?
Repetition. Show up on a schedule, skip the do-overs, and start with topics you can talk about from the heart. Confidence follows practice, not the other way around.
Should coaches do livestreams or recorded videos?
Both work. For me, livestreams build connection and watch time, and recorded videos are easier to find in search. Pick the one you'll actually do weekly.
Do you need to edit YouTube videos to grow?
No. My unedited videos grew watch time nearly 300% in two weeks. So far, it appears that consistency moves the numbers more than my polished videos do.
What is peaceful co-working?
It's a livestream where we work on our marketing together, quietly, for 90 minutes. You bring your task, I bring mine. We get it done together in 25-minute blocks, with five-minute breaks in between, where you can ask me questions about your marketing.
Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help
Start free and go at your own pace. No pressure, ever.
- Free: Keep reading the blog and subscribe on YouTube. I share everything I know.
- DIY: Get the PeacefulBiz app to organize, plan, create, and simplify your marketing.
- Guided: Join the Peaceful Marketing Lab, and let's build together.
- Direct: Book a strategy call for 1:1 help, a custom website, or to decide which program is right for you.
Want the whole framework?
The PEACE Blueprint Guide walks you through all five pillars, with planner pages to build your own peaceful marketing system.
Get the free guide
Heather C. Stephens
25+ years in marketing and 11 helping coaches and service providers get found online without burning out. Founder of Wise Owl Marketing and creator of PeacefulBiz and the PEACE Blueprint.
More about Heather →
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One practical idea at a time, written like a note from a friend who happens to know marketing. Read it and try it that afternoon.