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The Rebound: How a Wisconsin woman turned her YouTube channel about chickens into a full-time job

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Posted at 5:30 AM, Jul 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-16 18:47:48-04

MILWAUKEE — When a personal trainer lost her job at an area gym during this pandemic, she decided to turn her side-hustle into a full-time job.

Her YouTube channel, Oak Abode is dedicated to caring for her 25 chickens.

Kathleen shares how she hatched the idea with TMJ4 News.

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“It never gets old. It’s always fun collecting eggs,” said Kathleen, creator of Oak Abode YouTube Channel.

She’s opened the doors to her whole life, for the world to see. Kathleen says, “We like explaining everything we do wrong so our mistakes and us sort of letting them know what to do.”

In a relatively short time, Kathleen amassed more than 42,000 subscribers.

“Is there a science to becoming a YouTube star?” asked TMJ4 News’ Julia Fello.

Kathleen laughed “If there was, I have still yet to learn!”

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Kathleen shows us the colorful eggs her chicken lay.

Putting in the right keywords for chicken aficionados to find her videos is key.

Kathleen adds, “I think people have been really invested in growing their own food. People were also just curious about food security and raising their own food so chickens worked out really well.”

The YouTube channel grew in the nick of time last year, as her job as a certified personal trainer dried up, “Our gym was completely shut down so we just couldn’t work for a little bit, and then with the shut down a lot of people just didn’t come back.”

Kathleen decided to ditch the gym and gig as a wedding photographer to dedicate her all as a YouTube vlogger, “Is that something where you can make a living?” Asked Julia. Kathleen answered, “Yes, actually we started making a living on YouTube. Basically, when you hit 1,000 subscribers they will start paying you for your videos.”

Her advice to those thinking about going after their passion full-time: “I just tell people to follow your passion because if you are doing something you love obviously it's going to be a lot easier to get the work done.”

Kathleen does warn that privacy goes out the window once you gain a following on YouTube. This is why we did not share her last name, nor reveal the city we interviewed her in.

What’s next for Oak Abode?
Kathleen and her husband Ian just purchased a multi-acre property. They plan to build a home along with adding more farm animals and crops in the near future.

Stay tuned by subscribing to her YouTube Channel.

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