About RC Girl | Helping Grow Radio Control.

rc

girl

Content Creator & Small Biz Owner

I’m Hayley – a lifelong radio control enthusiast and content creator located in the Pacific Northwest. I believe it’s never too late to pick up a new hobby. That’s the approach I bring to all the content I create. Stay curious, and you’ll never be bored!

I started my YouTube channel in 2016 after getting a modern RC car after being out of the hobby since my teens. So much had changed! Inspired by creators like Aussie RC, Knight Customs, and RC Sparks – and noticing a lack of female presence – I uploaded an unboxing video to document my journey back into the hobby, and thus my channel was launched. I never imagined where it would take me.

After almost a decade, I’ve had the pleasure of working with major manufacturers, trying out incredible products, and meeting other enthusiasts around the world. Recently, I launched a product line and quit my 9-5 job to run my small business and create RC content full-time.

Thanks for watching!

WHAT I SHARE

Hobby Store tours & interviews
RC vehicles & model aircraft videos
Product reviews & unboxings
3D printing, painting, graphics & other tutorials
Kit and custom builds
Behind-the-scenes at RC events & expos

Q&A With RC GIRL

HOW DID YOU GET INTO RC AND WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?

I’ve been in and out of the RC hobby but it all started back when I was 16. In my early teens, there was a Thai restaurant my family and I used to go to with an RC car track out back that you could see from the window while eating. I used to watch people racing at night for years until I picked up the hobby myself.

I had a broken Radio Shack car lying around the house and wanted to try and get it back up and running. I was always kind of a tomboy and never really like the girly things. I brought it into my local hobby shop, Hot Rod Hobbies in Santa Clarita, CA and met Jimmy Babcock. Apparently he was a big deal in the RC racing world, I’d soon come to know! They quickly let me know that those cars are not upgradeable or easily fixable (and probably not worth my time to do so!). I was introduced to the Team Associated B3 Buggy team kit and fell in love. My dad bought me the B3 buggy, some entry-level electronics, 1800 mAh NiNH battery, a few decent allen wrenches and I built the kit from the ground up. My friend at the time Britt also got a buggy and we would run our cars around the track at Hot Rod Hobbies and around our neighborhoods. We’d break parts (as we learned was common) and spend time learning about our cars as we fixed them.

As I moved away for college, my cars were packed away in a storage bin and forgot about. It was about 3 years ago that I found my cars again and started learning about the progression that the hobby has made since I first started.

WHAT DO YOU USE TO FILM YOUR VIDEOS?

You can shop everything I used to make videos in 2025 here.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL?

I was in the market for a new RC car after being out of the hobby since my teens. I landed on a Basher Sabertooth Truggy from HobbyKing based on the price and features. But before purchasing it, I watched lots of unboxing and run videos on it so I knew what I was getting into and had some base knowledge about the platform. When the truggy arrived, I though it would be fun to film an unboxing of it and document what I’ve learned getting back into RC after being away for so many years. I also saw lots of YouTube RC tutorials that were over an hour long that could be explained more simply and concisely, particularly for non-experts. I decided to start making how-to videos.

After having a few basic videos up for a year without much tending to, my channel had grown to over 1000 subscribers! I thought that there was a definite niche to fill without many women in the hobby so I started actively making more content. A few companies started reaching out to me to do product reviews and it grew from there. I’m not an expert, but I have learned a lot since being back in the hobby and thought it was a different perspective from those of the experts I saw in other videos. I wanted to make RC approachable and understandable to newbies, the younger generation, and inspire more women and girls to get into the hobby.

ARE YOU A FULL TIME CONTENT CREATOR? WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR GETTING STARTED ON YOUTUBE?

At the moment, yes! Previously, I had a career in ocean science and coastal policy, and my channel was just a side hobby for many years. Though in 2023, I took a risk and quit my full-time job to run my channel and small business full time. It’s definitely a hustle!! But I enjoy the fun adventures, community, freedom and flexibility it offers.

As far as advice I’d offer to anyone looking to start their own channel – do it! It takes time to grow brand deals, so start with showcasing products you already own and sharing skills you already have. You also don’t need the fancy equipment. Use equipment you already have. Most of my early videos were just filmed with my phone!

And the primary thing to keep in mind when coming up with video ideas – most people come to YouTube for 2 main reasons: to be entertained or to learn something. My channel has always been slow growing – I’ve only had a few social media posts go viral, otherwise it’s been the leg work of consistent posting and engagement over many years that has made my channel what it is.

I’m not sure how long I will do this full time (it really only pays well if you are in the millions of views!!). But even if I go back to a “real job” again, I’ll always have my channel on the side.

I WANT TO GET MY FIRST RC CAR. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND?

WHAT’S YOUR BUDGET?

First figure out what your budget it. This hobby can be a money pit for sure (but doesn’t always have to!), so understand what you’re comfortable putting down on your first car. You can spend anywhere from $50 (toy grade) to upwards of $1000 for a high end hobby grade kit.

WHAT KIND OF CAR?

There are both on-road and off-road cars. Are you interested in club racing? Is there a local track near you? What type of terrain or locations do you have around to run it? Prefer something fast or slow? Here are a few options to consider:

Rock crawler/rock racers/trail trucks
Racing buggies and trucks
Monster trucks
Drift cars
Rally cars
Formula 1

KITS VS. READY TO RUN

Are you interested in building the kit from scratch and picking out all your electronics? If so, the kit is perfect for you. However, if you want something that is ready to go out of the box, consider cars that are ready to run (RTR) – you just need a battery – or almost ready to run (ARR) which just need a receiver/radio and battery. These will likely have all you need to get started without having to pick out additional electronics. Kits are great if you’re looking to learn a ton about how the car works – the transmission, the bearings, gears, electronic setup, etc. They also take some knowledge, tools and technical ability. There are kits out there that are very beginning friendly (e.g., ECX Barrage), so don’t be scared to take on your first build!

BATTERIES

Also figure out what kind of batteries you’d like to use. There are a few types out there (NiMH, Lipo, NiCd). Some speed controllers can handle a few battery types. I run lipos in most of my cars (make sure you’re running the right number of cells based on your electronic setup!). Lipos can be a bit dangerous if mishandle or charged improperly, so do your research. Investing in a decent balance charger will extend the life of your batteries.