Meet Iris Olympia

We had the good fortune of connecting with Iris Olympia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Iris Olympia, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve always known it would be challenging for me to succeed in an inflexible work environment, so from the time I was a teenager, I have been working to make my dream of becoming a content creator a reality.

The flexibility of the hours allows a work-life balance that is challenging to find elsewhere, and I’ve always found making videos to be an escape from the other challenges in my life.

The creative field allows an ebb and a flow to my energy, and the different types of work within my job (scripting, filming, editing, admin) allow me to embrace whatever I am feeling more inspired to do on any given day. This has made my working hours incredibly efficient and productive.

It has also always been an opportunity for me to express my authentic self in a way that I find challenging when observed in the moment.

@irisolympia

this WILL have men on their knees im being so real 😭 tiktok seeing it first bc i dont care abt upload times on here 🤭 #makeup #enbymakeup #nonbinarymakeup #androgynous #androgynousmakeup #makeuproutine #whitemascara

♬ Too Sweet – Hozier

I wish my legacy to be a feeling. A feeling that can be learned through an embrace of the true self. A feeling that can be channeled time & time again.

In my videos, I aim to bring ease, resonance, and stability to my viewers. The comments that remind me of my mission to support queer and questioning folks will always be the ones that say things like “I wish I had something like this when I was younger,” or “tysm for this really im young and not out but this helps a WHOLE lot.”

One of my missions is to pick up the gaps in support that my viewers lack in real life—I certainly turn to the internet when I am exploring thoughts and feelings that I don’t wish to share with any close companions. If I can articulate a complicated feeling for someone who has found it inexplicable, I have done enough.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m Iris Olympia, a nonbinary musical artist and content creator known as “irisolympia” on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

I create content around lifestyle, fashion and styling, hair, and makeup especially as these topics relate to gender non-conforming forms of expression.

The main aspect of my business that has led to my success is absolutely the creative flow of making and posting content, so that is what I will talk about when I talk about my business—the admin work has been important, but it has not been what has championed my brand or my success.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C58rMRmLjZd/

I’ve always found the highest path for my business when I lean into my intuition. I have had great opportunities arise from split-second decisions and content concepts that have come to me in clarity, seemingly out of nowhere. The challenge comes with actually acting on this encouragement or idea that comes from within. It is easy to make excuses about why you can’t accomplish a task at a specific moment, but when I let go of what I worry about, and let the ease take over my body & mind, I am free to make creative decisions that always, in my experience, work out in my favor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3Yijj1zVlI

My biggest regrets are chances not taken, and trends missed because I waited too long. Yet, I also am of the mind that it is never truly too late, and there is always room to experiment.

I am lucky in my path as a content creator because my videos act as episodic works—I need not be so concerned with any one piece of content that I create, because it is not the individual works that make my success or my being, but the willingness to show up and try again, even after years of low engagement or view counts.

My superpower is being immune to failure because I simply will not give up, and when something goes wrong, I will ride the wave and learn from it instead of letting that be the end. The only failure would be an end.

Most recently, I have partnered with a creator management agency, My dedicated team at 500 MGMT is pushing me to innovate, expand my revenue streams, and help grow my brand through various PR tactics and event appearances.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of the most wonderful things about New York is how easy it is to explore new areas, so I will give a few of my favorite spots, but I think making your own story when visiting the city will always reign.

For green spaces, check out Central Park (especially the walk around the reservoir) and Prospect Park (please go to the dog pond). For shopping, I recommend Crystal Gardens on 10th Street and Alum Shanti on 14th Street.

I am a lover of little rocks and plants and incense, and you will always find connection in places like those. I also recommend checking out The Strand if you’re a reader and want to bring a different kind of story back home with you.

For food, check out Rosie’s on 2nd & 2nd for some chicken enchiladas (my literal favorite food) and Chick of Us on Allen St. for some delectable Korean fried chicken & snacks! Keep a dollar or two easily accessible to hand out—no need to fumble with your wallet.

On the streets of the city, I always recommend to walk without observing too closely. No one likes to be ogled. But make sure you look down in front of your feet, lest you step in something unpleasant.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve always had mentors who have supported me in going at my own pace, which I think has been really important for my development not only as a creative but also as a person.

My mentors have always let me guide the flow and don’t make me feel stifled or overly-challenged. While sometimes I think a little extra challenge could have helped me grow at a faster rate, I always felt emotionally comfortable with my mentors, which has allowed me to thrive.

To name a few, Ronald Kuivila, Martin Baeumel, Tony Lombardozzi, Richard Parkin, Daryl Redeker, and Alex Echevarria all made profound positive impacts on my confidence as a creative and otherwise, while allowing me to blossom within my own limitations.

My parents have always been supportive of my goals. I think what I was hoping to accomplish for myself dawned on them the first time I made $1k in a month on a YouTube video. I don’t think they quite realized how possible it is to be supported by this work until then. And in the years since, the creator economy has only grown, and so has their support for me. They gave me my first DSLR in high school, as a birthday gift, months ahead of time because they wanted me to be able to be creating as soon as possible. This is the attitude with which they support me, and I am so grateful to have a family who has never tried to mold me into anything other than myself.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irisolympia/?hl=en

Facebook: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCRgJdOQfpHVnxCtHUkW_yRQ

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@irisolympia

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@irisolympia?lang=en