CINCINNATI
Becoming a social media influencer seems to be the new gold rush in America.
One Cincinnati-area woman has found her niche by eating -- all while millions watch and subscribe on YouTube. It's called mukbang, which translates to "eat-cast."
Bethany Gaskin, also known as "BLove," says her YouTube channel is a form of therapy for millions of people, sometimes even prescribed by doctors.
"Cancer patients, people that are on dialysis, people that have, you know, eating disorders," said Gaskin.
Gaskin said her followers have told her it's helped them gain weight, regain their appetite and has even helped some lose weight.
Another reward -- she's cashing in big.
So how do 3.11 million subscribers and 1.3 million Instagram followers equate to dollars? Gaskin is a multimillionaire.
Aside from the YouTube ad money, she also has sponsorships and online sales of her own secret sauce. She started out doing cooking videos. Then she did a mukbang video in honor of a friend.
"It happened to be a seafood boil, and it went crazy, and people started wanting to see me eat more and more and more, and then that's how I got into this," said Gaskin.
She starts every video the same:
"What's up, my BLovelies!"
She then says a prayer over the meal and digs in.
The lucrative channel has turned into a family business. Her husband left his job as an engineer to become manager for Gaskin and her two sons, who also have their own YouTube channels.
Now, celebrities from Tamar Braxton to Christina Milian request to eat with her.
The fans may come for the food, but they stay for the conversation and a sense of community.
"It's like I'm their best friend. I'm their auntie. I'm their mom. I'm their sister in their head," said Gaskin.
She's in the process of writing a book to teach others how to become successful YouTubers.
