Canoes, teardrop trailers, carbon-fiber rockets, Xyla Foxlin builds them all from scratch on YouTube. With an engineer’s precision and a maker’s flair, she’s transforming raw materials into complex machines and quietly expanding who feels welcome in the workshop.

Her journey to content creation began during college, where she worked at what was briefly the largest public makerspace in the world – a seven-story, 55,000-square-foot facility with everything from laser cutters and 3D printers to full wood and metal shops. As a teaching assistant, she noticed a troubling pattern when students encountered technical barriers.

“When we expanded, we couldn’t really teach people how to use machines anymore because we were so understaffed,” she says. “The policy changed, so we could only hand them a 70-page tutorial for a small 3D printer.”

The results were predictable, especially for those already feeling out of place. “I’d give someone the tutorial, and as soon as I walked away, most of the girls would quietly close the computer and leave,” she recalls. “It took a lot to walk into a space like that when you already feel you don’t belong. Then you see this 75-page manual and think, ‘I’m out.’”

This experience revealed how intimidating fabrication environments could be and planted the idea for her first content creation venture: tutorial videos designed to make making more accessible. She and a friend created about 50 videos covering nearly every machine in the facility. When the makerspace declined to use them, saying, “You’re going to graduate someday. What then?” They posted the tutorials on YouTube.

By the time she graduated with an engineering degree in 2019, Xyla had discovered how video could break down barriers to technical learning. In 2020, she officially launched her own YouTube channel, building on that foundation.

“I think some people just have an innate need to tinker and make things,” she says. “You don’t have to give up who you are to do what you want to do.”

Making a Statement Through Making

When Xyla launched her own YouTube channel, she made a deliberate choice for her first project. Rather than starting with something simple, she tackled a cedar strip canoe, one of woodworking’s most complex undertakings.

“It’s harder to be taken seriously as a woman fabricator,” she says. “Every woodworker dreams of building a cedar strip canoe because it’s so difficult. I figured if I start there, I’d put my cards on the table early.”

That strategy worked. “I think I’ve been taken more seriously than I expected because I started with tough projects.”

The Creative Process: From Late-Night Ideas to Finished Projects

Unlike creators who meticulously plan content calendars, Xyla’s approach is unstructured. When it comes to her process, she believes “that gives me way more credit than I deserve.”

Her projects fall into two categories: long-held bucket list builds, such as her canoe, teardrop trailer, and carbon-fiber rocket, and ideas born from late-night research sessions.

“I love falling down rabbit holes,” she says. “The best ideas come when it’s 1 a.m., you’ve lost your inhibitions, and you’re alone learning about something new.” Those midnight sessions often lead to bold commitments. “That’s when your sleepy brain says, ‘Yeah, I could do that,’ and the next morning you have to deal with it,” she jokes.

Funding usually determines which projects move forward. “It often takes a sponsor or grant to make it happen,” she says. “Once there’s funding, there’s a deadline. And I work backward from that.”

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From Raw Material to Viral Video: The Production Process

Xyla’s production style defies YouTube’s trend of quick editing. Instead of stretching projects across multiple videos, she condenses hundreds of hours into one. “We had 400 hours of footage for one project and cut it to a 20-minute video,” she says.

Her supersonic 3D-printed carbon-fiber rocket took three tries to launch. Rather than splitting the story, she included all three builds in one 35-minute video. A viewer noted, “Everyone else makes 10 videos for one launch. Here we got three in one.”

She films most footage herself, about 80-90%. For visually rich moments, such as fiberglassing, she brings in an assistant. After editing everything solo for two years, she now works with an editor who was promoted from assistant.

Besides YouTube, Xyla is also active on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Partnerships: Opening Doors and Creating Impact

Managed by UK-based agency Ziggurat XYZ, Xyla has partnered with major organizations, including Microsoft and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), selecting collaborations that align with her values.

Her work with AAAS as an IF/THEN (a national science ambassador initiative) ambassador connected her with women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). “I met 100 incredible women in different fields, and many are still my friends,” she says. Through the program, Xyla was scanned and turned into a statue displayed at the Smithsonian.

The experience provided valuable communication training and a supportive network. “It’s hard to track where opportunities come from because you meet people and connections branch out,” she says. “It’s a network of people.”

Building a Team While Building Projects

As her channel grew, managing the shift from solo creator to team leader proved challenging.

“Building a business and learning to manage aren’t skills engineers are known for,” she admits. “When I’m deep in a project, I’m in flow, but then I’m ignoring my two employees who need me.”

The hardest lesson? “My team can’t read my mind. I’ve had a system that works for me, but bringing others into it has been tough.”

They now use Notion to stay organized. She keeps her team small, with a total of three people, which she considers “a sweet spot” where everyone has a co-worker but remains manageable.

Embracing Femininity in Engineering

Throughout her career, Xyla has challenged stereotypes about femininity in engineering.

“I hate the idea of the one brilliant unicorn woman,” she says. “There needs to be room for average women in STEM. Women who treat it like a job. True equality is when women can be mediocre too, because there are plenty of mediocre men.”

That belief extends to her personal style. She recalls older men trying to revoke her rocket certifications because she wore crop tops and “very Gen Z clothes.” Others claimed she couldn’t possibly build her projects because of her makeup.

“But in my videos, you see the raw materials and then me building it alone,” she says. “It’s hard to deny it’s me doing the work. I’d like to think that helps.”

Creating Change Through Content

Beyond building, Xyla has leveraged her platform for advocacy, particularly in the area of mental health in aviation.

“I had my IUD replaced, and it really messed me up. I walked out a different person,” she says. The experience led to depression and a pause in her videos.

When she shared her story, it was reported to the FAA because “pilots aren’t allowed to be depressed.” Her medical certification was pulled, forcing her to undergo costly psychiatric testing.

That pushed her to join the Pilot Mental Health Campaign, advocating for the Mental Health and Aviation Act. “If you can’t go to therapy and live on the road, of course you’re going to self-medicate,” she says, referring to alcohol abuse among pilots.

The impact was immediate. “The week the video came out, every member of Congress got at least one letter. Most got many,” she says. The bill passed the House unanimously and now awaits a vote in the Senate.

“We spend all this time building our platforms,” she says. “We should be fearless enough to use them.”

Impact Beyond Views: The Metrics That Matter

While algorithms favor views, Xyla values deeper impact.  “There’s the impact that pays the bills – views,” she says. “But then there’s the impact of students copying this, kids getting curious about science, learning to ask questions.”

She recalls a rocket kit she made “as a gift to the world.” The video underperformed, but real-world impact continues. “Every few weeks, someone tags me saying, ‘I got my certification on this kit,’” she says. “A friend told me a girl showed up at a maker meetup, thrilled she’d just certified on my kit.”

“It’s hard to measure that kind of impact,” she says, “but it keeps me more motivated than numbers ever could.”

Currently, Xyla is immersed in her dream project. “I’m building an airplane,” she says. The effort combines her engineering expertise, fabrication skills, and passion for aviation. As a pilot who owns a 1946 Cessna 140, creating her own aircraft is both a technical and deeply personal endeavor.

Advice for Fellow Makers

For those nervous about sharing their builds online, Xyla advises approaching content as a learner, not an expert.

“Don’t act like an expert. Be part of the maker community learning with your audience,” she says. “Even if you are an expert, don’t downplay yourself to be relatable. Just be you.”

She suggests framing projects as explorations: “Saying, ‘I know everything, here’s how I did it,’ sets you up for heartache. Saying, ‘I have this dream project, I don’t know how to do it, but I’ve got skills. Let’s figure it out together,’ makes it less intimidating.”

She views failure as a natural part of the process. “If something fails, I’ll say, ‘Well, that’s a plot point. It’ll make the video better,’” she jokes. “Obviously, I don’t want that to happen, but it helps keep perspective.”

Finally, she stresses practice. “Building is a skill. Watching videos teaches a lot, but you have to do it hands-on,” she says. “Don’t compare yourself to people who do this for a living. Get those hours in and practice. You’re not born knowing this stuff.”

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