I Did It My Way: Behind the Scenes of NightWing2303’s (WearTesters) YouTube Channel

coiski: You’ve had the chance to do a lot of hands-on work with prominent brands in and around sneakers. What has been your favorite experience so far?

Chris: One thing that I’ll never forget is releasing my own shoe. Especially when you’re not anyone special. I’m not on an NBA floor crossing people over; I’m just a 5’7’’ dude from the Bay Area. So for that to have happened is a dream that people would never even believe. That to me is really crazy. Then also being a huge Jordan fan, I used to watch the VHS tapes after he won the championship and the recaps and would see him practicing on the floor that I played on. That is probably the coolest experience ever. That, to me, was a highlight. Nobody can really ever say that they’ve been to MJ’s house; like actually in there. They turned his cigar room into a locker room for all the media; it was nuts! Something that is really weird about it is that the Internet – not just YouTube –  got us there.

coiski: Being that you’ve been making videos for such a long time, are there days when turning on the camera feels like a chore?

Chris: Uhh, yea, all the time. It’s not that it’s a chore; you just get burnt out. It can be really nerve wracking and also be really straining on you, mentally. I can’t tell you how little sleep I get each night. I’ll just wake up and have to take care of it right then. It’s one of those things where it’s a never-ending cycle, especially being a business owner. When you work for yourself, people think it’s the greatest thing ever (which it is), but at the same time, it isn’t a 9-5 – you don’t just clock out. You’re on it 24/7 – lunch, breakfast, dinner – you’re all about work.

coiski: When you started the channel did you ever think brands would be coming to you and using you as an asset to help them grow and get product pushed out to people?

Chris: Not at all. This whole journey has just been a journey full of “I can’t believe this is happening.” That’s the best way to describe the entire thing. There are times when I’ve felt like quitting and giving up completely, and then after taking a couple days off and reenergizing, I find myself thinking about shoes all day.

coiski: If you could collaborate with anyone in or outside the YouTube Space, who would it be and what type of video would you want to create?

Chris: Honestly, I don’t know. As far as collaborating with another content creator – and we’re just keeping it in the sneaker world – it would be Marvin (MJO23Dan). He’s an old-school Jordan sneakerhead and a deadstock collector. So if I ever wanted to go and see a shoe from my high school days, I could go to him.

coiski: If you could give anyone reading this a piece of advice in their journey to create content, what would it be?

Chris: Well there’s many things, but the number one thing is that you need passion first! Passion is the platform that starts the ball rolling. If you don’t truly love waking up at 6AM, grabbing that basketball and going outside to shoot 100 free throws, you’re not going to be driven enough to do this on a day-to-day basis. This is the same thing here. If you’re not passionate about whatever it is that you’re creating, it is going to show. Eventually, you’ll lose that drive to keep it going, which is where, even in times where I feel like quitting, I come back around and really do love doing this. Make sure you have the passion and don’t let the industry ruin it for you.