Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorelei Carlson.
Lorelei, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Five years ago, I walked into a hole-in-wall pet store in Hollywood where I impulsively purchased a pet bunny. Feeling lost about how to navigate life with this new creature in my home, I quickly realized how very little content existed on the internet regarding rabbit care, specifically video content. I’m a visual learner and I figured other people were as well, so I took it upon myself to start making videos about my life with Lennon. I have a background in film and music, so I knew how to piece things together through an artistic lens.
I uploaded my first video on how to free roam your bunny in 2016, not thinking much of it, and revisited it months later only to find it had several thousand views, but more surprisingly comments from people requesting more video topics. I realized this was an untapped market that needed to be explored further. Fast forward four years later and we have over 60 million views and 500,000 subscribers.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The first two years were more exploratory than anything, and I spent them trying to navigate where I wanted this brand to go. I was attending UCLA and working full-time when I started the channel, so YouTube was merely a side project. It wasn’t until I graduated from college in 2017 that I decided to go full-force with the channel, even though I was simultaneously working another job to support myself. I went through the entire struggle of ostensibly starting a business from nothing and growing it to what it has become.
Now I solely dedicate myself to running the franchise “Lennon The Bunny”. It’s still an extraordinary amount of work. Any YouTuber will tell you — It’s hours of filming, editing, answering emails, updating the social media, negotiating brand deals and the list goes on. There have been times where I’m totally burnt out, or maybe a video that I poured all my energy into didn’t perform very well. But I have to remind myself that it’s part of the journey and I’m extremely grateful to even be in the position I’m in to do this for a living now.
Please tell us about Lennon The Bunny.
“Lennon The Bunny” is a youtube channel focused on rabbit care and advocacy. Our content ranges from tutorials to DIYs to documentaries, product reviews and vlogging.
I think part of our appeal is the fact that Lennon is a completely free-range rabbit and that she and I have a very special bond. That’s initially what separated us from other rabbit-centered channels because no one else was making videos unpacking those particular topics, let alone presenting them in the style that I do. Cinematography is important to me, storylines are important to me– It’s not just instructional, but also interactive. I want my audience to become invested in the stories I tell. And over time, I’ve been able to expand my videos beyond simple tutorials into more complex territory, for instance a documentary series I created called “House Rabbit Makeover”. in which I visit a subscriber’s household and transform their rabbit’s living space. The series has garnered millions of views.
My goal is to ultimately normalize the imagery of rabbits as intelligent and loving creatures while promoting adoption and free roaming. Nothing makes the job more worth it than when someone sends me an email thanking me for changing or even saving their bunny’s life. If I can prevent one bunny from being dumped at the shelter because someone watched one of my videos and felt inspired, then I feel I’ve done my job for the day.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’ve learned a lot from volunteering at animal shelters and rabbit rescues. That’s where I’ve gained most of my rabbit care knowledge from. I team up quite frequently with Vicki Anderholt from Adopt a Bunny Rabbit, Inc. a rescue in Calabasas for my videos. So she has been a great help to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.youtube.com/lennonthebunny
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lennonthebunny
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lennonthebunny
Image Credit:
Lorelei Carlson
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