(WGHP) — Like so many people in our series on social media stars, Kathryn Snearly never set out to be one. 

In fact, she moved to North Carolina to be a teacher – and she was, for a while.  So, when she discovered how many people follow her suggestions from the YouTube videos she began doing about a decade ago, she was really surprised and, frankly, still is.

“I kind of consider myself the anti-influencer influencer,” said Kathryn. “Because we live in North Carolina. We like our life here.”

She began doing some simple videos about how to decorate your home inexpensively. She now combines that with ideas on organizing and cleaning – again, within a budget – which is why her moniker is, “Do It On a Dime.” Well, with inflation, that may now have to be “Do it on a quarter.” A decade on, her videos continue to resonate.

“It’s funny, though, because the popular videos sometimes are not the ones you’d expect,” she said.

And even though she has the kind of success where this is the family business – her husband helps run the behind-the-scenes portion – she began to realize a few years ago that it could provide that kind of income.  In fact, she remembers the moment when it all came together for her.

“Yes, when some of the first companies reached out to me – wanted to partner with me on my content,” Kathryn said. “So, not only was I getting revenue from YouTube but now companies are wanting to work with me and these are some big-name companies. And I was like, ‘Wow, there is a lot of potential here.’”

And it eventually became more than just a way to make a living when some issues began to surface within her family.

“My brother and I were very close. It’s just him and I,” Kathryn said. “And he actually moved down to Charlotte after he was done with school.  And, unfortunately, he lost his battle with mental illness. It was a very trying time for our family but also I’m so grateful for my brother because he always supported my YouTube channel even before it was cool and a lot of viewers and even more than that, it allowed me to connect with people in a different way than I may have before.”

After her brother’s death, when the pandemic hit, Kathryn knew she could help others who were struggling.

“A lot of my cleaning videos center around mental health because I think – especially during the pandemic – I feel like people were stuck at home and a lot of the things just come to the surface,” she said.

Of course, the media landscape changes, and Kathryn has tried to change along with it.

“I remember when TikTok came out,” she said. “I was like, ‘I am too old for this! I don’t think I can get out here and do this!’ but just pick a camera and try something and see what works.”

It works to the tune of close to 2 million subscribers on YouTube and three-quarters of a million more on Instagram and Facebook. See some of Kathryn’s work in this edition of the Buckley Report’s Social Media Stars.