How This YouTuber Gained 138K Subscribers WITHOUT Editing!

Summary

In this insightful podcast, Simon, the 'Uneducated Economist,' shares his journey to YouTube success, emphasizing the importance of consistency, authenticity, and collaboration. With over 130,000 subscribers and a simple one-shot, no-edits filming style, Simon reveals his strategies for growing a channel, including the significance of starting, learning from mistakes, and providing value to the audience. His story illustrates that anyone can find an audience on YouTube by staying true to their passion and delivering content with integrity.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The importance of starting a YouTube channel by simply making videos, even if they are not perfect initially.
• 📈 The significance of consistency in style and content for growing a channel, as well as the benefits of regular uploads.
• 🤝 The value of collaborations for expanding reach and gaining new subscribers on YouTube.
• 🔍 The power of authenticity in content creation, making videos that the creator is passionate about rather than what they think the audience wants.
• 💡 The idea that any topic can be potential content on YouTube, given the vast global audience.
• 📚 The uneducated Economist's personal journey from being broke to earning significant ad revenue through his YouTube channel.
• 📱 The practicality of using simple equipment like a smartphone for video production, emphasizing the content over the production quality.
• 🏆 Receiving the silver play button at 100,000 subscribers as a milestone, but recognizing the lessons and growth along the way.
• 👀 The engagement of the audience with content that resonates with them, such as the unexpected popularity of ASMR channels.
• 💼 The perspective that maintaining a day job can provide valuable insights and relatability for content creators.
• 🌐 The potential for YouTube to serve as a platform for learning and sharing knowledge, not just for entertainment.

Q & A

What was the initial motivation behind Simon starting his YouTube channel?

Simon started his YouTube channel as an outlet to express his ideas on macroeconomics, initially treating it like a personal journal.

How did Simon's channel grow from its humble beginnings?

Simon's channel grew through consistent content creation, simple production style, and collaborations with other YouTubers, which helped expand his audience.

What was the best month in terms of ad revenue for Simon's channel?

Simon's best month in terms of ad revenue was when he made $10,000, which significantly helped him get out of debt.

How does Simon approach collaborations on his channel?

Simon values collaborations as they not only provide networking opportunities but also expose his channel to new viewers, leading to growth.

What is Simon's view on creating content for views versus creating content for the audience?

Simon believes in creating content that he himself would want to see, emphasizing authenticity over chasing views or trends.

How does Simon maintain consistency on his channel?

Simon maintains consistency by sticking to his style of filming in his car and by posting videos regularly, which helps in building viewer expectations.

What is Simon's advice for new YouTubers regarding the fear of not being ready?

Simon advises new YouTubers to simply start making videos despite the fear of not being ready, as the process of creating videos will naturally improve their skills.

How does Simon handle the pressure of being a content creator while working a full-time job?

Simon finds his full-time job to be a source of inspiration for his videos and believes that being in the workforce keeps him connected and relatable to his audience.

What is the significance of the YouTube channel memberships that Simon has introduced?

The memberships provide a deeper level of engagement for serious viewers, fostering a community that discusses and analyzes economic topics in depth during live streams.

How does Simon's background in the lumber industry influence his content?

Simon's knowledge of the lumber industry allows him to provide unique insights on the subject, which became a significant factor in his channel's growth when lumber prices surged.

What is Simon's perspective on the importance of authenticity in content creation?

Simon emphasizes the importance of authenticity, stating that it is better to create content that reflects one's true self rather than trying to cater to what one thinks the audience wants.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Starting a YouTube Channel: Simplicity and Consistency

The first paragraph introduces the concept of starting a YouTube channel with simplicity and consistency. The speaker, Simon the uneducated Economist, shares his experience of filming one-shot, no-edit videos in his car, which led to significant subscriber growth and ad revenue. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and maintaining a consistent style and upload schedule. Simon's journey began as a personal outlet for discussing macroeconomics, and he highlights the importance of authenticity and not trying to please everyone with your content.

05:01

📈 Growing Your Channel: The Power of Consistency

In the second paragraph, the focus shifts to the importance of consistency in growing a YouTube channel. Simon shares his early struggles and how he overcame self-doubt and hesitation by starting his channel. He advises new creators to simply start making videos and learn from the process, emphasizing that the first videos will not be perfect. Consistency in both content and upload frequency is key, and Simon suggests doing a video every day for a year to see significant growth.

10:03

🤝 The Importance of Collaboration in Channel Growth

The third paragraph discusses the crucial role of collaboration in growing a YouTube channel. Simon shares his experience of doing a shout-out video for George Gamon, which led to a significant increase in his channel's visibility. He highlights the benefits of networking and sharing viewers through collaborations. Simon also provides practical tips on how to initiate collaborations, such as reaching out through email and being persistent.

15:04

🎥 Authenticity Over Views: Making Content You Want to See

In the fourth paragraph, Simon stresses the importance of authenticity in content creation. He advises against making videos that cater to what you think people want to see, but rather focusing on what you, as the creator, would want to watch. This approach ensures that the content is genuine and resonates with the audience. Simon shares his experience with discussing complex economic topics and how he avoided sensationalism to maintain authenticity.

20:05

🔍 Staying True to Your Brand: Consistency in Style and Content

The fifth paragraph delves into the importance of consistency in both style and content. Simon talks about the risks of losing touch with the audience by changing the channel's style or content too drastically. He shares his commitment to staying true to his original format of filming in his car, which his viewers appreciate. The paragraph also touches on the idea of not letting success change your approach to content creation.

25:06

🏢 The Value of a W2 Job in Content Creation

In the sixth paragraph, Simon discusses the benefits of maintaining a W2 job while running a YouTube channel. He argues that having a regular job provides a grounded perspective and keeps him connected to the struggles of everyday people. This connection is valuable for creating relatable content. Simon also mentions the freedom and flexibility he enjoys from his job, which allows him to pursue his passion for YouTube without the pressure of relying solely on it for income.

30:06

🌐 The Potential of Any Content on YouTube

The seventh paragraph explores the idea that any content can find an audience on YouTube. Simon shares his amazement at the diversity of content that people are interested in watching and emphasizes the importance of consistency in posting. He suggests that by posting daily on a specific type of content, creators can find their niche audience. Simon also highlights the importance of providing value in your content, whether it's entertainment or useful information.

35:07

💬 Building a Community Through YouTube Memberships

In the eighth paragraph, Simon talks about his recent initiative of starting a membership program for his YouTube channel. He explains that this membership aims to create a deeper connection with his audience and facilitate more in-depth discussions on economic topics. Simon shares his enthusiasm for the community aspect of his channel and how it drives him to improve his content. He also touches on the broader topic of monetization and the importance of not solely focusing on chasing money.

40:07

🌟 Conclusion: Embracing the Journey of YouTube Success

The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by summarizing the key points and thanking Simon for his insights. It reiterates the importance of authenticity, consistency, and community in building a successful YouTube channel. The paragraph also invites listeners to follow Simon's work and engage with the content he creates.

Keywords

💡YouTube Channel

A YouTube channel is a platform where content creators can upload, manage, and share their videos with the public. In the script, the focus is on growing a YouTube channel to 100,000 subscribers and beyond. The channel serves as a personal brand and a way to connect with an audience, as seen with 'Simon the uneducated Economist' who uses his channel to discuss macroeconomics.

💡Ad Revenue

Ad revenue refers to the income generated from advertisements displayed on a YouTube channel. In the script, it is mentioned that the channel owner made $10,000 in ad revenue during his best month, highlighting the potential financial benefits of a successful YouTube channel.

💡Consistency

Consistency in the context of YouTube refers to regularly uploading content and maintaining a uniform style or theme. The script emphasizes the importance of consistent uploads and style as a key to growing a channel, suggesting that viewers appreciate predictability and reliability in content.

💡Collaborations

Collaborations on YouTube involve partnering with other content creators to produce videos, which can help expand reach and audience. The script discusses how collaborations can significantly boost a channel's growth, as seen when Simon did a shout out for George Gamon, leading to increased visibility and networking opportunities.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity in content creation means being genuine and true to oneself, rather than trying to appeal to everyone or follow trends insincerely. The script highlights the importance of making videos that the creator themselves would want to see, suggesting that authenticity resonates with viewers and builds trust.

💡Macroeconomics

Macroeconomics is the study of the economy as a whole, focusing on large-scale economic issues such as inflation, unemployment, and economic growth. In the script, Simon's channel is dedicated to explaining macroeconomic concepts in a relatable way, making complex economic topics accessible to a broader audience.

💡Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve, often referred to as the Fed, is the central banking system of the United States, responsible for implementing monetary policy. The script mentions Simon's deep dive into the Fed's monetary policy and its effects on the economy, indicating a focus on providing insights into significant economic institutions.

💡Inflation

Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, leading to a decrease in the purchasing power of money. The script discusses the expectation versus reality of inflation in the context of the Fed's quantitative easing policies, showing how economic theories play out in real-world scenarios.

💡Lumber Industry

The lumber industry involves the processing and manufacturing of wood and related products. Simon, being in the lumber industry, uses his channel to provide insights into this niche market, demonstrating how specific industry knowledge can be leveraged to create content that appeals to a targeted audience.

💡YouTube Secrets

YouTube Secrets likely refers to a resource or guide that provides tips and strategies for success on the platform. The script mentions a book titled 'YouTube Secrets' as a resource for those looking to grow their YouTube channel, suggesting that there is a wealth of knowledge available for aspiring content creators.

💡Content Creation

Content creation involves the process of producing and publishing digital media content, such as videos, blogs, or podcasts. The script discusses various aspects of content creation for YouTube, including the importance of starting, being consistent, and providing value to the audience, emphasizing the creative and strategic aspects of building a successful channel.

Highlights

Achieving 130,000 subscribers and $10,000 in ad revenue with a simple one-shot, no-edits video style filmed in a car.

The importance of consistency in style and uploads for growing a YouTube channel.

Simon, the uneducated Economist, reached 130,000 subscribers by expressing his ideas on macroeconomics.

Simon's channel growth was initially slow until a collaboration with George Gamon opened up opportunities for further collaborations.

The power of starting a YouTube channel with simple equipment, such as a used iPhone 6.

The motivation behind starting the channel was to share knowledge and change one's life around.

The impact of ad revenue on personal life, helping to get out of debt and move ahead.

Simon's self-education journey in macroeconomics without any formal education or mentor.

The significance of making videos that the creator themselves would want to see, ensuring authenticity.

Simon's experience with the fluctuation of ad revenue and its dependency on topical interest, like lumber prices.

The role of collaboration in expanding network contacts and sharing viewership.

Simon's method of conducting interviews using a simple phone and Zoom, emphasizing low-tech solutions.

The value of staying grounded and relatable to the audience, even with channel growth and success.

Simon's approach to maintaining consistency in the channel's style and content, even with the potential for a studio setup.

The benefits of having a W2 job while growing a YouTube channel, staying connected to the audience's struggles.

Simon's perspective on the importance of being useful and providing value in videos to attract and benefit the audience.

The introduction of a membership program on Simon's channel to create a deeper community and discussion around macroeconomics.

Simon's philosophy on not chasing money but allowing it to flow naturally through providing value.

Transcripts

one shot no edits filmed in your car

130,000 subscribers on my best month I

pulled in $10,000 in ad Revenue wow

collaborations is so important for

growing a YouTube channel consistent to

the style and the consistent to the

uploads is really probably like the key

for most people to get started in

there's no way that you're going to make

a video that everybody's going to like

and if you are attempting to do that you

are going to

fail so if you want to start and grow a

YouTube channel and get to 100,000 sub

subscribers faster then you're going to

want to listen to the end of this

episode today we're going to be learning

five tactical tips that we wish we knew

when we started on YouTube and our guest

Simon the uneducated Economist is at

130,000 subscribers so as you know you

get that silver play button when you hit

100,000 but of course there's so many

lessons along the way so what are some

of the mistakes what are the pain points

and what can we learn from Simon on his

journey we have five tactical tips but

Simon welcome to the show thank you

thank you for having me on and break

down for the think media podcast

Community when did you start and what's

your Channel all about okay so um I

started my channel in November of

2017 talking about macroeconomics uh

really I was just looking for an outlet

to kind of express my ideas and didn't

really have any other idea of what I was

going to do with this channel other than

that kind of like in my own personal

journal and so that's how I really ended

up starting to build the uh uneducated

economist now is it true that when I

look at your channel it seems like a lot

of videos are pretty simple and filmed

in your car that's right yeah one shot

no edits done in my car with a cell

phone and that was pretty much the

extent of all my production that I did

into the into the channel like to this

day to this day one shot no edits filmed

in your car 130,000 subscribers yes have

you counted up the views do you know how

many millions um I don't know exactly

how many views but I have somewhere

around and a half million View hours of

view time which is just blowing me away

and and are you open to sharing like you

have ad Revenue that's pretty good like

what's the impact of the channel from

that side the ad revenue is really

really nice for somebody who doesn't

have anything going on in their life

right so uh just to kind of give

everybody an idea that if I'm 47 years

old now at 40 I was broke in debt no

money no car drunk like all the bad

stuff right and I decided one day that

not going to do that anymore and I

changed my life around by just simply

giving up drinking and pursuing as much

Excellence as I could without trying to

fall into pleasures and so that's really

was like kind of the motivation behind

it in the in the early part of getting

the channel started um but as far as

like yeah I mean you don't have to share

the numbers but how much do it the

the it it's really it's like I don't

want to like I mean I like saying the

numbers but the numbers AR you know your

RPM or your CPM I mean um well put it

this way when Lumber was running at its

height and you have a lot of people who

are coming to your channel to get Lumber

information you're you know 30 40 50 60

880,000 100,000 views it does pretty

well so on my best month I pulled in

$10,000 in ad Revenue W which at the

time was just like an absolute like

saving point in my life because it was

got me out of debt got the bills paid it

got me back moving ahead and from that

point on it was like it was much easier

the ad Revenue nowadays has kind of

fallen off a little bit Lumber is not

nearly as exciting so now you know as

far as that goes it is very very

fluctuating so you can't really count on

it for any kind of you know yep that's

great though and I appreciate your

transparency and I looked it up you have

23 million views over that wow which is

just wild and again I think such a a

mythbuster on the phone in your car one

take obviously the knowledge that you

built and and as you say it's also

you're like self-made self-educated is

that true like in yeah yeah um I never

took a college course I never took any

course um on it and I don't have a

mentor or anything like that I literally

went to the computer and started asking

questions like what's a mortgage back

security what's a credit default swap

what's fractional Reserve Banking and I

had no clue about any of this stuff so I

just sit there and read it and read it

and read it and if I found something

inside the readings that I was doing

that I didn't understand I would read

that and until I eventually figured it

all out and it's been 15 years of pretty

much every day I would say probably 3

hours a day of research that I do to not

only come up with the content for the

channel but just to be current on the

information so your you followed your

curiosity though clearly you're

passionate about it so you continue to

become more Curious to want to dig

deeper and then is your goal to kind of

make complex things simple well

originally I think I was just trying to

explain what it was that was happening

within the economy just from my own

understanding of it and I had so many

people saying dudee I really love the

way you break this stuff down keep going

and so as I was trying to find content

for the channel I just kept diving

deeper into into the different levels of

macroeconomics and the different levels

of the Federal Reserves monetary policy

and really it was just the pursuit of

information for Content that just kept

driving me deeper into it man such an

inspiring story Okay

so we've got uh five tips and tip number

one is to Simply start making videos

that's a like I don't know how many

people I have told that to they say they

come to me it's like man I would love to

have a YouTube channel I'm like great

make your first video tonight let's see

it you know and they're like oh I'm not

ready for what yeah like you're not

ready to get started why not like get

started like the first video is going to

suck like you just know it right the

first and the second and the third

they're all going to be terrible right

but the point is is that once you do one

video you realize what it is that you

need to do better about the next video

and that keeps going until pretty soon

you have a an ability to actually

generate videos or make videos that

people want to see because of all the

crappy videos that you made before that

you know and so literally it's just

getting started and start making them

and then learn from the mistakes that

you make doing it what was your mindset

when you were making your first video

though did you have self-doubt impostor

syndrome hesitation how'd you overcome

that this is a good story you're going

to like this um so I was really into

macroeconomics before I started the the

channel right so I would study fed and

just you know monetary policy and just

kind of Babble off about it at work and

you know having a YouTube channel where

you talk a lot is really good for a guy

like me cuz I just love to talk right so

I'm at work and I'm babbling on about

probably taper tantrum or something and

this girl that I work with Britney she

real tall blonde girl rides horses kind

of like a farm girl kind of girl and she

comes and she puts her fist on my desk

and she says listen bro you're going to

have to start a blog or a YouTube

channel or something because nobody here

understands anything that you're saying

and you are driving us crazy right and I

want oh okay Britney yeah I hear you so

literally I grabbed my phone which was a

used iPhone 6 that I bought for 100

bucks CU I didn't have any money right I

go down to my car which was this busted

old $600 Aurora that I was you know

driving at the time and I made it an

introductory video to the uneducated

Economist like literally like hey I'm

going to start this channel to help my

friends and family out to try and figure

out what's going on in the economy you

know and just kind of gave a brief idea

of what I wanted to do with the channel

went back into work uploaded the video

off of The Works Wi-Fi and and the

uneducated Economist was born thank God

for Britney thank God I thinkk every

time I thank her so much every time I

see her I'm like Britney thank you so

much for that day and she's like oh yeah

no problem you know so wild it's like

you like no it that's such a great story

though for everybody listening because

getting in front of a camera and and

starting YouTube is a lot like what you

would just sit across from a friend and

tell them at Coffee thinking about

talking to one person it's the what you

already are passion about what you

already research you were already

passionate about macroeconomics what you

already geek out about and maybe people

at work are like ah you're boring us

you're always into this well you need to

start and and getting in front of your

phone even if it's a old busted up

iPhone 6 and pressing record and to

Simply start making videos open up a

whole world whole world it changed

everything about my life you know and it

took a while like you know a lot of

people I think I don't know is this part

of the next question or something um I

think a lot of people get discouraged

when they start posting videos that they

don't get a lot of views right away you

know they put all this work and time and

effort and energy into making this

really good video and then it gets like

you know 12 views and they just they're

just super bummed and discouraged about

it and that's what I probably would

suggest to anybody is like to not worry

about that part right not worry about

the views like what you want to do is

you want to be consistent inside of your

inside of your your YouTube channel

consistent with the with not only like

the topics that you're talking about

like you don't want to jump from

macroeconomics into like sports and then

into fishing or something like that you

want to stay consistent to that channel

and then be consistent with the video

Place postings like you know I mean it

doesn't have to be every day like I do

it but being consistent seems to be like

the two things that like you know

consistent to the style and the

consistent to the con to the uploads is

really probably like the key for most

people to get started in right if they

could just stay that way and do it for a

year like I tell people do a video every

day for a year and tell me what it like

what what what happens after that and I

know that it'll work because I said that

same thing to my wife who I said you

could have a YouTube channel doing

dishes and she didn't believe me and I

said we'll do a video every day of the

dishes right call it an ASMR Channel and

see how many subscribers you get for it

well she's just sh had 500 subscribers

right now yeah right literally doing her

own chores nothing else like that's it

just putting in vacuuming the floores

ASMR yeah CH ASMR yeah what I found is

that people will actually like listening

to the vacuuming videos before they go

to sleep like they're listening for the

White Noise I had another guy tell me

that he is in a college dorm misses

being at home and it sounds like Mom

working in the in the house or something

like that so literally puts it on for

the background noise of having like

familiar sounds from the house you know

and it's just like you know I I didn't

like things I would not expect to have

happened from it but that's what ends up

being you know if you're consistent in

put those videos out every day or at

least consistently for a year you're

going to it'll change it'll it'll change

you so strong I mean we went deep number

one on simply start making videos number

two how important collaboration is

everything collaboration is everything

really the channel was fairly I mean it

was growing but it was not growing like

incredibly fast like something that was

really meaningful to me you know I had

up to I don't know I think I was at

about 5,000

subscribers when I did a like a shout

out video for George gamon and George

gamman is just huge now but at the time

he was he was not very well noticed like

I think he had 300 people on his or

subscribers to his Channel at the time

so he had not really even been noticed

yet and just simply giving him that

shout out and he called me up thanked me

he says dude I would love for you to

come on my channel to do an interview

and after that it was like literally it

just opened up the floodgates it was

just like all of a sudden all these

people are are wanting to do interviews

and talk and inviting me and all kinds

of stuff wow now I had done a couple of

interviews prior to that which I think

really got me into a position in which

that I could do the interviews like

before that I was very nervous like I

remember the very first interview I did

I'm like oh my gosh I have a I have 900

subscribers and this guy has like 3,000

subscribers and oh man he's so big and

I'm so small and you know this is the

way I felt about it and then I did the

interview felt great it was like man I

really enjoy this collaboration other

people wanted to join in on it and now

that original guy I go back and I thank

him every once in a while and he was

just like dude it was all you and I'm

like no bro it was that invite that very

first one that changed everything for me

so collaborations is so important for

growing a YouTube channel I mean just

from the networking contacts that you

can get but then also like the share of

viewers right so you go on somebody

else's Channel all of a sudden you have

a whole bunch of viewers that never seen

you before that come over to your

channel And subscribe so do you have any

practical tips for the person that's

like what would like step one two 3 be

to reach out for a collaboration or try

to initiate that I'm not exactly sure

cuz I kind of It kind of came to me it

came to you after what level of success

after well I had just shy of a th

subscribers um I was getting noticed on

YouTube from like a lot of different

people out there who were like not only

in like the banking industry but also

within the other like Lumber industry

Supply chains and they were like dude

I'm like really impressed with the stuff

that you have going on here and this is

like you know talking it up you most of

them messaged me through email the email

that you attached to your YouTube

channel through attached to the YouTube

channel iCal tip like make sure people

can contact you like make sure they that

bad email is going to an inbox because

you never know what opportunities but

you don't want there to be friction for

people to be able to get in touch as far

as the other way like once I mean I

guess once I really started reaching out

to get collaborations I had already kind

of established myself or established the

YouTube channel um but at that point it

was just literally like sending out

emails to people you know as many as I

could and not everybody respond

sometimes I'd have to send out two or

three emails before I would get a

response on it you know which is kind of

discouraging but then I would get the

interview so like I got some pretty high

high level names to as a guest on your

channel as a guest how' you record those

um again like I only use my phone right

so I actually this is the only part that

I actually partnered up with somebody

else on um my friend who is actually

living over on the east coast I'm on the

west coast she would set up a zoom

meeting we would both uh join the zoom

meeting she would pull herself out and

record it from her end and then she

would upload the video to the YouTube

Chann so I could still just use my phone

and just be part of the meeting like I

always do gotcha so that is already low

Tech yeah but you're you stayed so true

to being low te that you had a friend

set up the zoom meeting for you both to

join and then which everybody listening

to this if if you if that sounds

intimidating You've Got a Friend there's

somebody who could also do that for you

hit the record and then uh you gave her

the

login yeah she set up the whole meeting

and everything I mean did you give her

the login to upload the video to your

Channel yeah she's in she's she's uh so

I do have like a bit of an assistant so

she has access to my channel like she

can't delete the channel but she can you

she can set the levels yeah that's cool

yeah man great tip okay number three too

hard to try to make videos that people

would want to videos you would want to

see so making videos for views or the

audience versus views you're passionate

about correct what do you mean here okay

so this is this is probably one of the

hardest things that I actually had to

internalize for myself was is that

there's no way that you're going to make

a video that everybody's going to like

and if you are attempting to do that you

are going to fail right because what you

are trying to do is hit your audience

not everybody's going to like you there

are going to be people who do so make

videos that you would want to see not

videos you think people would want to

see but videos that you yourself would

actually want to see because that's the

people who are relating to you and

that's the information they want to hear

they don't want to hear something about

what you like they don't want to hear

you making up something that they think

they want to hear they want to hear what

you have to say whether it's whether

they agree with it or not like they want

the authenticity of it and that's where

where it comes in if you're doing videos

that you want to see as opposed to

videos that somebody else wants to see

what's an example of this in your niche

of Economics um like what would be

trending and popular but you wouldn't do

it but what you did do it resonated

because you were passionate about it so

and I'm I'll talk a little bit about

this when I go up on stage but

ultimately when I started doing the

research to the Federal Reserve and what

was happening with inflation what was

happening with the money Printing and

stuff I started diving really deep and

my biggest question that I had when this

was taken place was is like how come

quantitative easing 1 2 3 and four

failed to produce the inflation scenario

that the Fed was looking for at the time

so for 10 years they failed to produce

inflation even though they had

quadrupled their balance sheet so

everybody wants to say that money

printing goes bur and prices go up but

yet that didn't happen 10 years ago why

right and so this is one of the reasons

why ended up diving really deep into a

lot of the stuff is that I find that

like a lot of people don't really follow

what it is that the information is

trying to say but they're following what

other people are saying about the

information and so for me I kind of lost

track of the question of it but yeah

something you want to like you would

cover a trending topic but that's not

you but what you do talk about is what

it really is you right so yeah so so for

example with this inflation like I could

have easily made a video that would get

100,000 views by talking about how

inflation was going to crash the economy

with hyperinflation and put all the

scare fearmongering tactics together and

because I know how to do it like I mean

I know the words the trigger words I

know what it would take in order to to

get that and it would be very profitable

to me to do that like I can make a lot

of money on YouTube but that's not the

authenticity that I'm trying to bring to

the channel that's going to be lasting

right so you put out information like

that that's inaccurate or at least to me

it was inaccurate because you knew you

know that that's the narrative and you

could jump on the narrative you could

jump on people's fear that's right you

can make short-term money but also that

short-term thinking right and now here

the you know the circumstances have

changed now you got to change your tune

to why it is that it didn't come out the

way they wanted it right or the way that

you suggested you put out to all these

people that there's going to be

hyperinflation you're going to lose and

crash and die and then it doesn't take

place now you got to come up with

reasons why it didn't happen right would

you like a free copy of the number one

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go to YT secrets.com or click the link

in the podcast show notes if you stay

consistent from the very beginning then

you don't have to change your tune about

anything well it would seem I mean your

authenticity is everything to you

meaning you're very style and I think

the reason you've resonated with people

is because you're real raw honest

yourself doing the research and so man I

mean in any industry or even life making

shortsighted decisions is always unwise

but it's so tempting in YouTube so

that's a really deep T tip to think

about staying in your lane staying

authentic to you not just chasing Trends

I'm sure you leverage Trends because you

talk about trending things yeah but not

doing it in such a way that you lose

your authenticity or your core beliefs

and values like the channel got popular

because of lumber right I'm in the

lumber industry I sell lumber I live in

the Pacific Northwest I know Lumber

Mills truck drivers loggers there's no

corner of the lumber Market that I don't

know right and so for me it was really

easy to talk about Lumber and when

Lumber starts getting a lot of attention

it's running up to 1,700 per thousand

and people are going what in the world

is going on here how come lumber prices

are so expensive they came to my channel

looking for that information so for me

it was really easy within the lumber

industry because I was one of the few

people who had that much information

about it and talking about it a year

before it actually took place staying

consistent in that right so many people

wanted to like what are the reasons why

is this happening who's the greedy one

all this other stuff and all this

narrative came out there and I'm like

none of this is accurate like nobody has

this right and even on the mainstream

media when I'm listening to these

so-called experts talk about it I'm like

are they just literally making this

stuff up and that's the way I felt about

it and then I realized most the

mainstream media is that way like even

as I started researching into the

Federal Reserve right now I'm finding

things coming out of the Federal Reserve

in their own statements of their

monetary policy that seems to be

completely different from what 99% of

the people out there are saying and

again it's just like it feels to me very

much like that Lumber industry and

pundits out there talking about

something they really don't know

anything about and this is blowing me

away right now like this is like how did

I even get to a Channel or a level on

this channel that I could be this way

like you know that everybody's got it

wrong and I'm the only one who's got it

right is really hard for me to like

actually feel confident saying that but

it's the way it is you're the rise of of

renegade independent journalism that

YouTube is giving us the opportunity for

right now abut main media is in trouble

because the facade will only last for so

long and uh justice Warriors truth

tellers people that just want the actual

facts and truth and don't want to just

be a talking head um saying whatever

their corporate sponsor is paying them

to say or whatever it is um even if

you're just doing it in your car and

your phone this is what people are

hungering for they want that real that

authentic that vulnerability this is

what like anybody who's watching this

like you got to understand like once you

once you have an audience you know what

it is that you could do to make more

money off of that like you know you

could trigger them you could put the

fear you could put all that other stuff

out there I'm not going to do that to my

fans I'm not going to do it to my

viewers it's not what I built this

channel for it was so that I could learn

and understand what's going on with the

economy and I want that to be reflected

inside of the videos and everybody else

being able to take what from this video

and benefit their life with it that's

what I'm trying to do like yeah the

money will come like I'm not worried

about it it's just like we're here at at

Michael zuber's event one round All the

Time Michael Zuber talks about the crash

Bros all the time and he talks about I

mean I think he even calls up people by

name not trying to get into it but he

talks about reventure

Consulting shout out uh but that he's

always he's always just it's it's just

crash it's just constant J drama fear

because that works it gets clicks but

this is such a deep point in this

podcast to be thinking about and that's

why I love Michael and the community as

around them is people like yourself who

are being just thoughtful about that and

are not trying to just tra Chase

short-term money or or sell out their

audience or or manipulate your audience

and again I think it's a fine line

meaning a video still might be perceived

as clickbait but if it's on like if you

back up that statement and what's

happening and if you say the word crash

and you back up that it is a crash then

it could all be done ethically but I

think you to be thoughtful which kind of

leads us to point number four which

consistency is the key both in style and

content along with posting timely videos

yeah which so timely can sometimes be

you're jumping on a trend and but break

this down consistency style content and

timeliness yeah and we kind of covered

that a little bit earlier but it it

really is like staying consistent to the

channel like if I was to over Sun switch

like I do my videos in my car right I

have this old busted down car or

whatever if I all of a sudden switch and

start doing videos from an office with

like all kinds of stuff I would lose a

huge chunk of my viewers cuz that's not

what they were expecting from me they

like me in the car in fact when I made a

suggestion that I get an office they

told me if you get an office we won't be

here like we want you in the car right

so that's the consistency that they want

right they want to see you know somebody

who is like what they were yesterday you

know like not changing or flipping

around or doing all kinds of stuff and I

think like if you start in an office

just stay in the office or at least you

know hey if I can interrupt you I want

you to keep going but like one of the

mistakes I I've seen is as people have

gotten like more success on YouTube or

more money starts coming in they lose

touch with their audience and they start

to create a gap With Their audience in

the to your point it's not that you

can't upgrade or have a new a new set

but but why like why do you need that

and that staying grounded and staying

relatable it's also I don't need you

don't necessarily need to architect

relatability but I've been thoughtful

about that on the journey and I've seen

some people in a way tank their careers

because they got out of touch and they

they that's I think the key I think the

key is they got out of touch no matter

what it looked like they just whether

it's the money the success the momentum

it starts going to their head in a way

that it's true if that's happening but

it went to their head in a way that it

affect it affected them that there

became this widening Gap and we say that

the Creator who understands the viewer

best wins I think if you have the most

empathy for the viewer the understanding

you're fighting for the viewer I hope

I'm fighting for the viewer on the think

a podcast so if you say something that's

confusing I'm thinking about them that I

want to then maybe go deeper and

contextualize that whatever and be

thoughtful about knowing that many

people are watching this just starting

not a lot of money like feeling

discouraged about the views all the way

to millionaires that are trying to scale

so sometimes trying to pull your tips

and contextualize it anyways losing

touch with the viewer can be such a big

thing and I didn't mean to Rabbit Trail

off that but you're talking about stay

in the car stay stay right stay

consistent in the style yep stay

consistent in the style of what it is

that's what built the audience that's

what they want to see that's what they

want to be and if you're changing then

you're changing right you know and so so

you don't think you could go inside with

a fancy studio and lighting and cameras

I could yeah I could um but you stay in

the

car so you going to get a new car that's

kind of funny I have three cars right do

you stay in one car I have a 99 Toyota

croll a 2001 S10 and a 99 Ford Explorer

and not a single one of them is worth

more than $1,500 so yeah I mean I keep

my stuff pretty low right um things like

new cars isn't isn't really like

material possessions really aren't

exciting for me and so like I love to

drive a new Camaro someday like that's

kind of like my dream I'll own one but

like my ideas of like trying to go for

the Camaro it's very low and I mean I

have other things that would be much

more you could you think though you

could do the studio cuz we've gone deep

on this like don't leave the car but why

why not do a studio I think like I could

I think at this point that I could

actually split my channel into two

different styles I could do from the car

to do my normal relatable you know

videos that I do 15 18 minutes however

the long they are and then do stuff like

in the collaboration form view uh

interviews or maybe some deeper

discussions where I actually do edits

and stuff like that I think the channel

is actually could take a bit of a change

in that fashion and if I did that would

be the direction it would go but but as

far as now it's all in the car yeah I

love that so I think I could I think I

could step it out of there a little ways

but and I don't want to uh make the

point that it would be bad because I

think your audience also comes with you

they see you start at one level and then

again maybe you're again you're set or

your background changes and all of that

it's fine it could be improvements but

you don't want to lose touch we've seen

it with some certain vlogging families

and stuff too like all of the sudden and

I think it's on blast at most with quote

unquote celebrities that become out of

touch with the struggle of you know real

people and like your tagline is bringing

Insight from a working class point of

view that's right so you you want to

keep the point of view and who you're

talking to fiercely clear yeah and

that's one of the reasons why like I'm

not really highly motivated to leave my

day job like I like my job I like I mean

it I don't like having to show up there

every single day and be under the

scrutiny of a boss that part sucks right

but I have a pretty good position my

boss doesn't really give me a hard time

and I enjoy what I'm doing and it pays

the bills so that's really it's like a

freedom aspect to me even though a lot

of people say that it's not Freedom if

you're working for somebody else but to

me it's just like man I got all kinds of

I could be very Nimble in things that I

do yeah and it's kind of funny when you

don't actually need the job like I kind

of need it but I don't yeah it it makes

the job a lot easier you know like if

you're choosing to be there as opposed

to having to be there you um and so

staying at that 9 to-5 job and you know

being there working knowing the

struggles that everybody else has you

know along with it I know that it's been

a benefit for the channel like I would

have lost touch with a lot of that if I

wasn't doing that anymore has a powerful

Insight not only because it's keeping

you if you will grounded or connected to

the audience but I also love that

Insight

because I want to go deeper with Michael

Zuber about this I I think that the W2

job is is underrated and I'm kind of

stealing his talking points but he has

brought a lot of there's been an

overemphasis on

entrepreneurship in what's going viral

on YouTube it's like you're either an

entrepreneur or you're nothing but Andy

fella and Ed mlet had a conversation

about there was like a study only 6% of

people are even

entrepreneurs like in the way that

they're wired meaning too the wiring it

takes to be the number one person if we

take on R preneurship of course you

could stay a solopreneur but if we take

it to the level where you have to deal

with all the crap like the structures

and the team and the payroll and the

setup and all the issues and and yet

entrepreneurship has been over

glorified and it's it's like that's the

only path so even hearing you being in

in Michael zuber's Community as we're

here in this event in Vegas and and this

idea where man even the W2 job is kind

of like a superpowers as as well a you

you don't even really need it and yet

you're even better connected there you

have this Outlet over here and and

that's also maximumly relatable to

everybody listening to this as well I

think sometimes there's not that it's a

guilt or shame but it's just if someone

thinks like man if I got a W2 job and I

think about even think media I consider

our team we're all full-time YouTubers

there's 30 of us we have W2 employees so

it's not like we're all entrepreneurs I

obviously my wife and I have to carry

the pressure as the co-founders of the

business

um and that's a different level of

pressure but we also we have time

freedom and we can do what we want but

I'm still in it running a business is

hard I don't have any kind of 4H hour

work week you know this is a mission I

got payroll and team to run and that's

also by choice for however God wired me

you know to be able to do what we're

doing saying that I consider our whole

team we're trying to build work life

balance they've got side projects so

anyways that kind of just got me

inspired is just this idea that I think

we need to

reframe how incredible a W2 position is

oh yeah how the security there but then

that we're living in a world where

people could do what you're doing the

sight Hustle the Creator economy the

extra streams of income Y and that it

could be at a place where you could have

a $10,000 month on the

side shoot right you know that's a

pretty good side right pretty good extra

month you know like and and and then

still enjoy and and not maybe love

everything about it but still enjoy your

W2 job you know I mean most of the time

I found that when it comes to like that

W2 job that 9 to-5 job most people don't

like it because they have to be there

yeah right they don't have anything else

going on in their life and that's what's

very discouraging and then they find

like all the reasons why they don't like

it if you don't have that that feeling

like I have to be here it makes it so

much easier it makes everything easier

you know just being in life in general

so like I don't knock the the W2 in fact

if I didn't have this job I'd probably

go find another one somewhere just

because you know that's kind of what I

do you know I don't know it's like I use

my job to get information to make videos

from so to me it's like it's all part of

the YouTube process I would say finally

too I know we go going deep on all this

but there's another one of the reasons

why I want to stay in it is because I

understand the Creator understands that

viewer best wins meaning this if I'm

going to teach YouTube or share tips or

now it's expanded if I talk about Entre

entrepreneurship business and Leadership

I don't want to be talking out of

experience from last year or 5 years ago

too many college professors are doing

just that maybe they don't even they've

never built the business in the first

place or they did once but they're so

disconnected it is priceless what you

said being at your day job makes you

that much stronger as the incredible

personal brand the uneducated Economist

man it's just like it being in it like

still being in the weeds being in the

hustle can be painful it's not always

awesome but when you're in it that's

where the life stories and the lessons

and the experience and the conversations

you got to be in it m and looking for

freedom from it to do what sit at you

know drink a panina colada on the be how

many panina coladas can you drink you

know on the beach just this idea of of

people and when you do what you love

like you're not looking for a job you

can escape from or you have to escape

from like hopefully if you're you know

anyways really fun number five yeah

number five out of these five tips if

when starting YouTube um anything can be

potential content that's right what do

you mean anything can be potential

content like literally anything can be

content I have been absolutely Amazed by

some of the videos that I have seen come

up on YouTube that people are interested

in watching I don't have any interest in

it but you mean like kind of like your

wife's Channel where she's doing ASMR

around house cleaning yeah and that was

the proof to me like when I when my

channel took off and I was sitting at

100,000 subscribers and I was just blown

away and everybody like my whole family

none of us thought that this was going

to take place like ever right but here

it is and I'm I'm thinking about what

happened to get the channel to the to

the level that it was at and I'm like I

think you could do a channel on anything

as long as you're consistent to it if

you post a video every day on the same

type of content you will find an

audience out there cuz there's six

billion people you know and it's you

only need a few of them right you don't

need that many many and so even though

it doesn't seem like something you'd be

interested in there's 6 billion people

you know who are have access to YouTube

so they'll like it there's somebody out

there who likes your videos that is a

massive light bulb moment there's so

many people on planet Earth and and to

do a Fed adjustment of the rates and the

numbers I think it's 2.7 billion monthly

active VI users on YouTube so it's a

third of the world's population right

and that is the majority of people who

have access to the internet and those

numbers continue to grow so that's still

an outrageous number and to think about

a number of that size and in one of our

conversations previously we're talking

about a thousand true fans it's like

you're looking for just that Core Group

out of this massive people who are Geeks

and weird and into stuff just like I am

or just like you are weird Niche stuff

YouTube just created this awesome

playing field where we could take these

things we're passionate about and start

building an audience around them if you

really want a channel to be really

successful at least in my opinion on

this it's not just a matter of putting

out content because you can put out

content all day long you might give 500

subscribers or whatever but it's not

going to be something that's really

substantial in your life until you

actually do something that is going to

be a benefit to people like if you got

to bring some sort of usefulness or some

sort of value to to those videos

something that they can take from that

and entertainment value can be one like

if you're just funny and entertaining or

whatever that can be you know somewhat

valuable for somebody to be entertained

by it but if you could put something out

there that is going to be very valuable

in their life something that they can

take away from it and use it in their

life that's really where you're going to

start getting a lot more attention um

being useful being you know having

information that is helpful and useful

as opposed to opinionated and I don't

know aggressive or I don't know how like

I mean I think about the things that I

did that didn't do well for my channel

and that's usually what it is is when I

got very opinionated or aggressive with

the videos but when I was very cool and

colle

and putting good information out there

that I think people would want like that

I would want to see it it does so much

better so just be useful like man this

conversation is packed with gems I think

I said let's talk for 15 minutes and

here we are um and so uh as we land the

plane I want to hear a roll call of

where people can follow you and connect

with you but I'm curious in the where

are you at in the Pacific Northwest

we're actually I was born in Seattle and

now we're more in sish uh more in

Maryville now around family because

about a one-year-old and three-year-old

but I'm familiar with with the trees

yeah um I'm in the corner of Oregon uh

asor yeah got Oregon home of the Goonies

you know a lot of movies made there and

yeah it's a beautiful Town i' been there

since well my dad retired out of the

Coast Guard when I was 12 so you know 35

years later familiar with the rain then

though but youve

yeah yeah we all have our web you know

web toes and stuff right that's true

well okay if people want to follow you

Simon um I mean the uneducated Economist

will like it up anything else you want

to shout out that you're doing right now

I'm pretty much active on YouTube I mean

I do have like Instagram and you know

Twitter and stuff like that but I'm not

nearly as active on those um as my time

is limited I'm very active on YouTube

and if you are looking to gain some

information on this you can go back and

you can watch all the videos that I do

but recently I have started a membership

portion to my Channel that I am

through the YouTube yeah straight

through YouTube and it's a very cheap

membership it's only a dollar but what I

wanted to do was to separate not

necessarily like discourage some of my

viewers but to bring a little bit closer

connection to the people who are more

serious about this particular topic and

when we do the live streams we break

down some like very deep discussions on

fed speeches on their monetary policies

I mean we break them down deeply and

sometimes these live streams can go two

hours uh the people in the comment

section are incredibly knowledgeable so

the questions that get asked not only do

they get my opinion but they they get

the opinions of you know quite a few

other people who are you know very

serious about this topic and to me

trying to bring that Community together

has been one of the coolest most

inspirational things that I've done in a

long time it's driving me to do better

at my at these videos to bring the

information in and I find that the

community is strong too who wants to

come together and learn this stuff so

wow yeah to me like this has been very

inspirational well I think that's two

number one a valuable resource for any

body is interested in that but also just

a a bonus tip around YouTube channel

memberships and that segment of your

audience that maybe wants that deeper

dive that deeper combo that deeper and

even making it accessible just even that

little bit of a pay wall that's right

also raises kind of the quality of the

conversation it's exactly right you know

I I didn't like I mean I would love to

make a lot of money right you know

everybody does but I'm not really like

the money comes the money flows to you

if you don't chase it too much right you

know you just have to be in the position

in which that it can be coming towards

you you know be the like just like

anything out there everything has an

energy you have an energy money has an

energy everybody has energy right and if

you take the energy of chasing then

whatever it is that you are chasing is

going to run and you can find this

energy simply by playing with a dog

right chase the dog what does the dog do

dog runs run from the dog guess what

happens dog chases you right leave the

dog alone what happens right the dog hey

what's going on doing right so now here

if you understand that type of energy

chasing it will make it run and it makes

it very difficult to find but allowing

it to actually flow back towards you in

a way that's the way that it that it's

so much easier it flows easier it's just

you know it's universally natural Simon

the uneducated Economist thank you so

much for coming on the show think media

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