Becky Isjwara’s journey to ending up being Head of YouTube for Ali Abdaal, a medical professional turned entrepreneur and author with over 8 million followers on social networks, started with a rejection.
Becky had used to be his YouTube producer, but didn’t get the function. Instead of letting it slide, she replied to the rejection e-mail, thanking them for the action and casually adding, “If you’re ever in Hong Kong, let’s grab coffee.”
That small gesture suddenly opened a door.
The team later reacted, pointing out that a writer role would quickly open which her profile would be a great fit. They informed her this around 1 p.m. Coincidentally, Becky had a work dinner that exact same night tied to an occasion where Ali was speaking– in Hong Kong.
She got here late, around 7:30 p.m., just as the talk was ending, essentially bee-lined straight to him and said, “Hey, I’m Becky. I heard from your staff member that you’re looking for a writer. I worked on your friend’s online composing course, and I’m a Hong Kong long-term citizen, so I don’t need a visa.”
“I crammed all my credentials into about 5 sentences.”
Becky grew up in an entrepreneurial family, with moms and dads who motivated her to study organization or economics. Source
: Becky Isjwara Building an innovative career
Born and raised in Indonesia, Becky relocated to Hong Kong at 18 to go to university and has actually lived there for about 11 years. She earned a Bachelor of Company Administration in Global Company and Finance with a small in Liberal arts (Literature) from business School at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
After graduation, she worked as a financial and banking press reporter for about 5 years before moving into content marketing at a bank.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Becky found Ali Abdaal’s videos. At the time, he was sharing advice on productivity as well as ideas on beginning and growing a YouTube channel.
Inspired by his approach, she chose to introduce her own channel about city sketching around Hong Kong. She followed his guidance to release one video weekly, believing that constant effort over 2 to 3 years might change her life.
“Around 2022, I was doing YouTube alongside my day task,” Becky states. “I would work during the day, then during lunch breaks or at nights, I ‘d head out and movie my videos. That’s what I did for about a year while my channel was running.”
Alongside YouTube, Becky built a newsletter and a podcast. The podcast grew from discussions with her co-host, who likewise dealt with Ali Abdaal. Their objective was to assist people developing content part-time, alongside their day tasks, and still experience significant growth.
“We create resources like a ‘YouTuber Beginner Package’– covering cams, skills, apps, modifying software application, and so on,” she says. “On the podcast side, it’s valuable because I’m likewise on YouTube and Substack, taking analytics seriously and tweaking content as needed.”
Becky signed up with Ali Abdaal’s
( left) team in March 2025 and hasn’t looked back because. Source: Becky Isjwara She
walked into his talk and went out with her dream job All that work settled. At the talk, Ali was impressed by her effort and invited her for an interview and assessments.
“When Ali initially reviewed my application, he looked at my YouTube and stated, ‘Wow, you have actually been producing content online regularly for 3 years.’ I informed him, ‘Yeah, that’s my portfolio.’ That really provided me an edge– it was proof that I take content seriously,” Becky states.
Becky won the role. 3 weeks into the task, Ali understood he required somebody on the ground in Hong Kong to run the YouTube channel– he had nobody locally based there– and he wanted Becky to do it. Although Becky had little prior experience on YouTube, she took the opportunity and began learning quickly.
This transition from writer to channel lead set the phase for her day-to-day obligations. She invests significant time conceptualizing and researching video concepts, refining principles into scripts, mock titles, and thumbnails. On recording days, she handles the setup, consisting of lights, electronic cameras, and audio, while Ali focuses on preparing the content himself.
“While Ali does that, I’ll deal with the editors, coordinating publishing dates and liaising with sponsors,” she says. “I handle sponsor combinations– I write the sponsor scripts, and Ali reviews them line by line. I also ensure the video is released on a routine cadence.”
Becky manages both the content and organization elements of Ali Abdaal’s YouTube channel, handling the platform as a whole. Source: Becky Isjwara
The trick that gets you observed fast
If you wish to end up being a YouTube producer in the next 12 months, Becky has clear recommendations. She says the fastest method is to get hands-on experience with someone currently making material. Even part-time or self-employed work can teach more than a full-time classroom ever could.
“You can say, like, ‘Oh, if you ever desire a YouTube video, simply call me, and I’ll appear at your door,'” she says. “I’ll find out how to use your cameras. If you want help with the script, I’ll do it in between times. That’s such an easy way to enter into the market.”
When there’s no local YouTuber for you to deal with, putting yourself out there online can open doors. Producing a sample edit of somebody’s video and sending it directly to them is an effective method to stand out. Lots of people presume messages get neglected, however Becky believes a well-targeted, personalised approach will get noticed, frequently by the team if not the developer themselves.
“One of the video applications we got when searching for an editor was from somebody who published the video openly on LinkedIn and tagged 5 members of Ali’s group,” she says. “That’s essentially an ensured view. There are ways to navigate the normal barriers.”