Hey everyone!
If you’ve been following along on this journey of mine, you know that I’ve spent the past few months creating and sharing my New York City Summer Series—six episodes exploring different neighborhoods across the city. Today, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on this creative experience, share some honest thoughts about content creation, and let you in on what’s coming next for the channel as we head into fall (my favorite season in NYC!).
The Video Version
Before we dive in, if you prefer to watch rather than read, here’s the full video where I chat about everything I’m covering in this post:
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My NYC Summer Series: A Dream Come True
Creating this summer series has been something I’ve dreamed about since I first started this channel back when I was living in Munich. All I wanted was to eventually live in New York City again and create videos showcasing this incredible place. After my Vlogmas series in December 2023, this summer series represented my second major attempt at portraying the city and sharing what makes New York so special.
Here’s a little secret: I’m actually a bit of a history and architecture nerd when it comes to NYC! If you’ve ever walked around the city with me, you know I’m constantly pointing up at buildings, sharing who built them, who lived there, or what used to stand in that spot. I don’t mean to be a know-it-all—I genuinely love these details and stories. Being able to share them through these videos has been such a joy.
For those who haven’t watched the series yet, I created six neighborhood-focused episodes featuring:
Each video dives into the history, architecture, and unique spots worth visiting in these areas.
Creating Content During NYC Summer (When I Actually Hate Summer)
Here’s another confession: I absolutely do not enjoy summer in New York City. The heat, the humidity, being sweaty while trying to look presentable on camera… none of it is my idea of fun. But that’s actually why I challenged myself to create this series during the summer months.
I wanted to push myself to get out there, explore the city, and create content even when the circumstances weren’t ideal. As someone who works independently as a content creator, self-discipline is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. No one was forcing me to put out weekly episodes or setting deadlines—it was entirely up to me to shoot, edit, and share each video.
Looking back, I’m proud that I persevered through the sweaty subway rides and hot afternoons to create content I’m genuinely proud of.
The Reality of Content Creation: Expectations vs. Reality
Now, I want to get real with you for a moment about the less glamorous side of content creation. I had high hopes for this series—I expected each episode to reach around 500-1,000 views and hoped to gain perhaps 10-20 new subscribers from each video (totaling about 50-100 new subscribers for the whole series).
The reality? Each video averaged around 200 views, and I gained maybe 3-4 subscribers per video. These aren’t bad numbers by any means, especially for a smaller channel, but they were below my expectations.
I think part of the challenge is that the New York City vlog landscape is incredibly saturated right now. Every time I open YouTube, my homepage is filled with «Day in my life in NYC» or «Walking through SoHo» videos. The competition is fierce!
I tried to differentiate my content by focusing more on the history and architecture rather than just my personal experiences, hoping to attract viewers who are genuinely interested in learning about the city itself. And while I did connect with some amazing new followers this way, the growth wasn’t quite what I had anticipated.
The Silver Lining
Despite the numbers not meeting my expectations, I actually feel incredibly positive about this series overall. The comments and engagement from those who did watch have been incredibly meaningful. I read and respond to every single comment (you know this if you’ve ever left one!), and the thoughtful feedback on these videos has shown me that while the audience might be smaller than I hoped, the people who are watching are genuinely connecting with the content.
Beyond that, I feel like creating this series has made me better at what I do. I’ve become a more confident storyteller, more comfortable in front of the camera, and more efficient at recording, editing, and posting on a consistent schedule. I’ve improved at capturing the essence of the city through my lens and telling stories in a way that feels authentic to me. That growth as a creator is invaluable.
Looking Forward: Fall Content & Channel Turning Four
Can you believe this channel is turning four years old in October? We’ve been through so much together—from book recommendations when I was living in Munich to my move back to the US, becoming a mom, and now my life as a content creator in NYC. It’s been quite the journey!
I’m planning a special video with a giveaway to celebrate this milestone, so stay tuned for that in October.
As for the fall content, I’ve been polling my Instagram followers about what you’d like to see, and many of you have suggested another series similar to the summer one. While I love that idea, I want to mix things up a bit and focus on themes rather than just neighborhoods.
Here are some ideas I’m considering:
- Halloween decorations across different NYC neighborhoods (probably a two-parter because I love Halloween!)
- The New York City of Gossip Girl
- Taylor Swift’s New York
- Best stationery stores in NYC
- A tour of my favorite bookstores
I’d love to hear your thoughts on these ideas in the comments!
Fashion Week Reflections
I just wrapped up my latest New York Fashion Week experience, and I have to say, it was probably my favorite season in the past two years. The last season I truly enjoyed was September 2022 when I was pregnant with Julia—I loved dressing up with my baby bump!
The seasons that followed were challenging as I adjusted to my new role as a mom while trying to maintain my identity as a creator. I was physically there at events, but not always fully present mentally—juggling new-mom exhaustion, postpartum body changes, and the inevitable mom guilt that comes with leaving your little one at home.
This season felt different. I finally felt like myself again—confident in my body, excited about the clothes I was wearing (many of which were pieces I’ve worn before but enjoyed even more this time around), and genuinely happy to be connecting with other people in the industry. I felt welcome, energized, and proud of the content I was creating.
If you caught any of my Fashion Week content on Instagram, I hope you could feel that joy coming through!
Fall Fashion Content
Speaking of fashion, I’m thinking about creating a video discussing fall fashion trends for 2024—similar to what I did last year. I love analyzing what different designers showed on the runway in terms of colors, shapes, and key pieces we’ll be seeing this season.
Would you be interested in seeing more fashion content from me? Maybe even some outfit videos or lookbooks? It’s not something I’ve done much of on this channel, so I’d appreciate your input!
Recent Reads
You know I love talking about books! Since my last reading update, I’ve finished three more books, bringing my total to 14 for the year (getting closer to my goal of 24!):
- «The Summer Will Be Different» by Carly Fortune – Our book club pick and a surprisingly enjoyable romance set in Canada. It follows two friends who visit one’s family home on Prince Edward Island with one rule: don’t fall in love with the brother (and you can guess how that goes!). What I loved about this book was that it wasn’t just about the romance but also explored the importance of friendships and how sometimes our friends become our chosen family. Perfect summer read!
- «The Memo» by Rachel Dots and Lauren Mackling – This was an ARC (advanced reader copy) about a woman who feels she’s missed the memo on how to be successful in life, while her friends are thriving with great careers and families. When she attends her college reunion, she mysteriously gets a text with «the memo» she missed and a chance to rewrite her story. It has some fantasy elements with time travel, which I enjoyed, and overall it was a fun, predictable but satisfying read.
- «The Perfect Couple» by Elin Hilderbrand – Set in Nantucket, this story follows a wedding weekend at a wealthy family’s island estate that turns tragic when a bridesmaid is found dead the morning of the ceremony. I was excited to read this before watching the Netflix adaptation (and picturing Nicole Kidman in her role made it even better). The beginning was a bit slow, the middle was gripping, but I found the ending disappointing and rushed. Still, might be worth a read if you plan to watch the show!
Reading these books has now made me want to visit both Prince Edward Island and Nantucket—my travel bucket list keeps growing!
Wrapping Up
If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts and reflections! I really hope to reach 3,000 subscribers by early October when the channel turns four, so if you enjoy my content, I’d be incredibly grateful if you’d share it with friends or family who might appreciate it too.
Please drop your thoughts and content ideas in the comments below—I read every single one and they genuinely help shape what I create next.
Until next time!
xo, Flor
P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flopereira for daily updates and behind-the-scenes content!
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