Becky Wright and Kelsey MacDermaid, the Canadian duo behind The Sorry Girls Inc., have captured the hearts of a vast audience with their educational videos on DIY crafts, thrifting, home design, and practical projects. As co-founders and creators of a YouTube channel boasting two million subscribers, their journey has evolved over the past thirteen years, accumulating over 10 million monthly views across various platforms.
The genesis of The Sorry Girls dates back to their meeting in film production classes at Humber College. Fuelled by a shared passion for creativity, and a desire to address a gap in online content, they embarked on their video DIY journey in 2010. There and then, they took matters into their own hands, stepping up to create a video of their own, after discovering the absence of useful do-it-yourself Halloween costume tutorials.
Thus was born The Sorry Girls, as a nod to their Canadian roots. Initially centered around small dorm-friendly projects, their channel swiftly transformed into a global creative hub resonating with DIY enthusiasts worldwide.
The Sorry Girls have become champions of breaking gender stereotypes in the DIY space, encouraging those of all ages and backgrounds to embrace hands-on projects. Becky emphasizes their commitment to demystifying the perceived intimidation of home projects, especially for women in trades, stating, “We pride ourselves on making that feel approachable and accessible to anyone. I love to show people it’s not so scary, and you can do it yourself.”
They’ve gained impressive enough of a reputation as influencers, that two powerful women joined them in conversation lately. The duo had the privilege of interviewing the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to talk about home decor.
The Sorry Girls have inspired people to find creative solutions, particularly during challenging economic times.
“I think it’s nice the way thrifting has become more common place, because we’ve been pushing it all along just from a sustainability aspect. I think there was a period originally where people were turned off by the idea of thrifting, using someone else’s second hand items. I love seeing it picked up by our audience,” Becky notes.
Kelsey adds, “During the pandemic, many people turned to our channel as they sought ways to revamp their spaces while confined at home. As the economy continues to shift, more individuals are turning towards DIY solutions, and that’s where we meet our audience.”
The Sorry Girls approach each project with a dynamic mix of expertise and a willingness to learn. Becky explains their research process, stating, “We are self-taught in the DIY space. Sometimes, it’s a skill I’ve done a hundred times, while other times it involves new tools or techniques. There’s excitement in the storytelling, letting the audience feel like they are learning something with us. It’s sometimes fun when things go wrong, and you make a mistake.”
Acknowledging their own missteps, Kelsey reflects on a failed attempt at crafting terrazzo, a trendy design choice from a few years ago. Becky shares a larger-scale challenge, recounting her bathroom renovation project, where she realized the importance of seeking expert advice when faced with structural issues like mold and rot.
“On the other hand,” Becky says, “there is that exciting storytelling, where the audience feels like they are learning something with you. It’s not as fun if you have all the answers. It’s sometimes fun when things go wrong, and you make a mistake!”
Beyond their YouTube channel, The Sorry Girls offer a course, distilling their experiences into practical how-tos. “We thought it would make a lot of sense for our audience looking for easy, budget-friendly room makeovers,” Becky explains. “A big part of the course is helping people find their individual style and pick a design that reflects them. A surprising number of people said that was the most useful parts of the course.”
As they celebrate thirteen years of creative collaboration, Becky and Kelsey attribute their success to understanding each other’s strengths, and they continue to empower their audience with the tools and inspiration to embark on their own DIY journeys.
David Solomon | Contributing Writer
