I interviewed Doctor Mike about the science of YouTube, creating while working as a doctor, and turning down $20M brand deals. - Thanks OpusClip for sponsoring, get started for free here. - Get my free YouTube Playbooks with the best tips from my interviews with MrBeast, Casey Neistat & more - Join my Discord of 5,500 creators helping each other grow
I Interviewed Johnny Harris & his CEO Iz Harris on how they built a news empire on YouTube. Thank you Invideo AI for sponsoring, use code JONYOUSHAEI50 for 2X free credits: http://invideo.io/i/jonyoushaei And thanks Shopify for sponsoring, click for a free trial: http://shopify.com/youshaei Get my free YouTube Playbooks with the best tips from my interviews with MrBeast, Casey Neistat & more: https://created.news/playbook Join my Discord of 5,500 creators helping each other grow:/Discord Join my newsletter for latest creator news & tips: https://created.news Subscribe for more videos ► https://bit.ly/YouTubeYoushaei Special thank you to our amazing film crew: Caleb Hargett (DP), Ahmad Asaad (2nd Cam Op), Camila Franco Ribeiro Gomide (Sound Mixer) We also discussed how Johnny won an Emmy with the NY Times, leaving Vox for YouTube, how they're launching a new creator network for journalists, and getting millions of views for videos like The REAL Reason McDonalds Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken, Why People Think The World Is Flat, What Happens If China Invades Taiwan, The "Deep State" Explained. (0:00) Who is Johnny Harris? (1:39) How Johnny Gets More Views Than The News (6:49) Winning An Emmy (10:53) Lessons From Vox (12:39 Getting New Skills (14:20) Johnny's Key To Writing (20:16) Johnny’s Production Process (26:44) Breaking Down Johnny’s Elon Musk Video (30:54 How Johnny Uses Music (35:00) How Johnny Creates Shorts (37:11) Selling Blood To Buy Cameras (39:55) Business Of Journalism On YouTube (41:01) Addressing World Economic Forum Controversy (43:53) Business of Journalism On YouTube (Cont.) (46:03) Spending $100K Per Month (47:30) Finding (And Hiring) Creative Partners (53:16) How Johnny Reaches Out To Sources (57:59) Growing From YT Channel To Business (1:05:02) Building A Better Production Process (1:08:15) Stages Of A Johnny Harris Video (1:11:27) Publishing Imperfect Videos (1:16:35) How Big Is The Johnny Harris Team? (1:19:46) Launching A Creator Network For Journalists
I interviewed the legendary Casey Neistat. Get 60 days free of Spotter Studio, one of my favorite tools: https://partner.spotterstudio.com/jon Get Casey's best tips from this interview in a free YouTube Playbook: https://created.news/casey Join my newsletter for latest creator news & tips: https://created.news Join my Discord of 5,500 creators helping each other grow: https://discord.com/invite/created Subscribe for more videos ► https://bit.ly/YouTubeYoushaei During my interview with Casey Neistat, I asked about the real reason he started the vlog, the untold financial and emotion costs, how he pitches crazy ideas for videos to the likes of Nike and HBO, his best business advice, break downs of his biggest videos, and much more.
I interviewed James Hobson aka the Hacksmith about the struggles and cost of being YouTube's real life Iron Man. Thanks .Store for sponsoring. Get your branded .Store domain for your merch store for $0.99: https://www.created.store/jon (code: JON) Join my newsletter for latest creator news & tips: https://created.news Join my Discord of 5,500 creators helping each other grow: https://discord.com/invite/created We also discussed the struggle of running a business on YouTube, how James has sold millions of dollars in mini sabers, built Captain America's shield and real life light sabers, and what actually went into creating videos like John Wick’s Bulletproof Suit, Thor’s Stormbreaker, Self Healing Wolverine Claws, and 4000° Plasma Proto-Lightsaber Build. Special thank you to Danny Bui, Pouya Mirzaei, and the Origin Films team for filming this interview and our Hacksmith Studio Tour. Highly recommend working with them if you're ever in Toronto. 0:00 - 0:50 Who Is The Hacksmith? 0:50 - 3:20 How Hacksmith Makes (And Spends) Money 3:20 - 5:02 Building World’s First Lightsaber 5:02 - 6:50 Quitting Job For YouTube 6:50 - 10:27 Struggle of Running a YT Business 10:27 - 12:44 How Can You Inspire…If You Go Broke? 12:44 - 17:37 $100K To Make A Video 17:37 - 20:37 Creating Because You Have To, Not Want To 20:37 - 26:31 Quitting YouTube 26:31 - 33:00 Growing Too Fast, Too Quickly 33:00 - 40:12 Lessons From Grant Thompson (The King of Random) 40:12 - 48:49 Hero vs. Hub Content 48:49 - 56:22 Hacksmith Income Breakdown 56:22 - 1:07:32 Problems With Hollywood (John Wick’s Bulletproof Suit) 1:07:32 - 1:11:56 Selling $1M of Mini-Sabers In A Week 1:11:56 - 1:18:23 Building World’s First Cordless Lightsaber 1:18:23 - 1:23:06 What Makes A Good Video? 1:23:06 - 1:32:39 MrBeast’s Advice To Hacksmith 1:32:39 - 1:36:14 Creator Burnout & Fears 1:36:14 - 1:38:27 Future of Hacksmith Industries 1:38:27 - 1:41:44 Inspiring Fans to Become Engineers
I spent the day with The Hacksmith touring his new $5M campus where he makes YouTube's wildest inventions. Get 2 months free of Spotter Studio AND free coaching session with me: https://partner.spotterstudio.com/jon We discussed the reality of running Hacksmith's $8 million business, explored his secret layer, drove the mech suit, discover how he built the world’s first lightsaber, John Wick’s bullet-proof suit, and we even cooked s'mores on the lightsaber. Full Hacksmith interview coming soon. Join my newsletter for latest creator news & tips: https://created.news Join my Discord of 5,400 creators helping each other grow: https://discord.com/invite/created
I interviewed Ryan Kaji and parents Loann and Shion Kaji on how they built Ryan's World (aka Ryan Toys Review) into one of YouTube's biggest empires. Thanks Factor for sponsoring, use code YOUSHAEI50 to get 50% off your first Factor box plus 20% off your next month: https://bit.ly/3Lwa15d Join my newsletter for latest creator news & tips: https://created.news Join my Discord of 5,300 creators helping each other grow: / discord Subscribe for more videos ► https://bit.ly/YouTubeYoushaei Dubbing available courtesy of Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/dubbing Nearly a decade after Ryan Kaji's first upload, what started as toy reviews has grown into an empire spanning YouTube, television, a billion dollar product line in Walmart, and now Ryan’s World is heading to the big screen. Ryan's World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure debuted in 2,100 theaters across the US on August 16. 0:00 - 1:15 Who is Ryan Kaji? 1:15 - 2:09 Police Escort Through Walmart 2:09 - 3:55 The Billion Dollar Business of Ryan’s World 3:55 - 8:03 Quitting Their Jobs For Ryan Toys Review 8:03 - 10:33 Growing Up On YouTube 10:33 - 11:30 Income Breakdown 11:30 - 13:46 The End Of Targeted Ads For YouTube Kids 13:46 - 15:11 FTC Changes 15:11 - 16:36 YouTube’s First Teenage Billionaire? 16:36 - 18:40 Ryan’s World…Without Ryan? 18:40 - 22:00 How Much Does Ryan Keep? 22:00 - 24:21 Financing Ryan’s World The Movie 24:21 - 25:41 Rejecting Brand Deals 25:41 - 26:15 Is Ryan The Next SpongeBob? 26:15 - 32:43 Ryan's World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure 32:43 - 34:21 9 Years Later…The Channel Is Still Growing 34:21 - 36:37 Responsibilities Of Kids Creators 36:37 - 37:14 How Old Is ‘Old’…According To Ryan 37:14 - 39:47 Who Does Ryan Watch On YouTube? 39:47 - 42:15 Advice To Aspiring Creators 42:15 - 44:44 Prioritizing Ryan’s Childhood 44:44 - 46:39 Ryan’s Biggest Lessons From Parents 46:39 - 51:00 Lessons From Ryan 51:00 - 53:10 Future of Ryan’s World #RyansWorld #RyansToys #RyanKaji #YouTube #YouTubeKids #thekajis #ryantoysreviews #toyreview #ryansworldthemovie #RedTitan #youtubekids
I interviewed Matt Rife, the youngest comedian to sell out the Hollywood Bowl as he debuts Netflix's first crowd-work special called Lucid. Matt also talks about how he made $25 million, how Dave Chapelle saved him $700,000, crowdfunding his first stand up special, and gives advice for comedians, creators...and the 'Hawk Tuah' girl. ▶ Watch on YouTube ▶ Join my newsletter for latest creator news & tips ▶ Join my discord of 5,000 creators helping each other grow (0:00) Intro (0:43) Making Netflix History (3:21) From $50K to $25M Net Worth (5:09) Going all in on YouTube (8:26) Business of Comedy: Now vs Then (12:38) Reaction to Last Special...and Matt's Response (17:50) Advice for Hawk Tuah Girl (21:05) Chapelle Saved Matt $700K (25:29) Why Matt Still Edits His TikToks (27:41) Saying No (28:55) Selling Out Hollywood Bowl (32:18) Making Netflix's 1st crowd work special 'Lucid' (36:12) The art of crowd work (37:50) Advice for younger creators & comedians (39:54) Filming 'Lucid' Cont. (43:10) Looking Ahead
Today we're doing an Office Hours episode where I discuss my takeaways from VidCon 2024. (0:00) Intro (2:03) Takeaway #1: More part-time creators than ever (12:55) Takeaway #2: Creators need help... (17:56) Takeaway #3: How often should you be uploading? (27:51) Who do I watch on YouTube? If you have a question for next episode, submit it on our Discord or reply on my newsletter. Wall Street Journal Article Reference: https://www.wsj.com/tech/social-media-influencers-arent-getting-richtheyre-barely-getting-by-71e0aad3
Today we're doing an Office Hours episode where I answer your questions submitted on our Discord and newsletter. (0:00) Intro (0:51) How the MrBeast interview happened (7:35) 3 tips to land collabs with bigger creators (13:18) What should you pay good editors? (20:20) Should you buy a YouTube channel? If you have a question for next episode, submit it on our Discord or reply on my newsletter.
I interviewed MrBeast about his creative process and a secret project 6 years in the making. Thanks to .Store for sponsoring, get your branded .store domain for your merch store for $0.99: https://go.store/jon (code: JON) and check out Viewstats: https://www.viewstats.com/ ► Watch on YouTube ► Join my newsletter for latest creator news & tips ► Join my Discord of 5,000 creators helping each other grow Apply to MrBeast’s Amazon show here (0:00) MrBeast’s Thumbnail Studio & Process (2:41) MrBeast’s Secret Project Announcement (4:52) How Jimmy Finds Video Ideas Using Outliers (7:51) Copy & Paste vs Copy With Taste (9:30 Using Outliers To Find Video Ideas (Cont.) (12:39) Analyzing MrBeast’s Last 50 Uploads (14:52) Adding ‘Story’ To A MrBeast Video (16:53) The Reality of Filming With 300 Cameras (20:07) How Jimmy A/B Tests Thumbnails (22:22) Brainstorming Videos With ViewStats (30:21) Roasting MrBeast’s Old Thumbnails (32:42) Choosing Ideas with “Interest Market Cap” (35:10) Going Beyond the Views & Budget (39:19) How Much Does a MrBeast Short Cost? (40:15) Reality of Filming a $100M Amazon Show (45:23) What Does A Shoot Day For Jimmy Look Like? (46:38) Chandler Says Hi (47:06) What Does A Shoot Day For Jimmy Look Like? (Cont.) (48:01) MrBeast’s Mental Health (51:20) How MrBeast Shoots Thumbnails (55:00) Why Jimmy Re-Shot 7 Days Stranded on an Island (57:44) Updates On Feastables (1:01:42) Income Pie Chart: Brand Deals, Feastables, etc (1:05:47) Advice to Creators Launching Products (1:09:49) Improving Past Videos (1:15:23) How to be in MrBeast's Next Video (1:18:16) How Jimmy is Using AI (1:19:57) Becoming YT's Most Subscribed Creator (1:23:32) Having a Family
I interviewed Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) about how he built his empire, his creative process, and unveiling his first products with Ridge. Thanks to Shopify for sponsoring: https://shopify.com/youshaei We also discussed Marques’ influence as a tech reviewer with the news about his Fisker Ocean and Humane Ai Pin reviews, the plans and products he’s launching with Ridge, and Marques’ process for making videos that get millions of views like Using Apple Vision Pro, Driving Tesla Cybertruck, and Reviewing Every iPhone ever. (0:00) The Most Powerful Man in Tech (2:13) Inside MKBHD's Inbox & Deciding What To Review (3:45) Power, Responsibility & Conflicts of Interest (6:28) MKBHD’s Income Breakdown (8:24) Marques’ Advice For New YouTubers (9:22) Risks of Speaking Truth to Power (12:24) How does Marques produce so much? (14:51) Closer Look At MKBHD's Creative Process (19:10) How Marques Scripts His Videos (23:30) Most Expensive Videos (25:44 )Where Marques Finds Inspiration (27:17) Science of MKBHD Thumbnails (29:57) Selling the MKBHD channel (31:20) Balancing YouTube & Personal Life (Cont.) (33:33) Favorite Productivity Apps (34:33) How MKBHD Use AI...Actually (38:05) If you were CEO... (41:14) The $1M Tweet (43:02) Why MKBHD Joined Ridge (46:09) Ripple Effect on other YouTubers (49:15) New Products, Content & What's Ahead
I interviewed Dan Mace — the award winning director hired by MrBeast and Casey Neistat. The 3 time Cannes Lions award winning director left his career behind when @casey asked @DanMace to leave his career and come work for @368 — Neistat’s creator startup. 4 years later @MrBeast did the same, hiring Dan as the Chief Creative Officer for @BeastPhilanthropy. In our interview, Dan breaks down what he learned from both Casey and MrBeast, his 4-step process for viral videos, and the brand new Bru Bar. Subscribe for more videos ► https://bit.ly/YouTubeYoushaei ChaptersChapters: 0:00 - 1:23 Who is Dan Mace? 1:23 - 6:20 Why Casey Neistat Hired Dan 6:20 - 15:11 Reality Of Working With Casey Neistat 15:11 - 23:20 How Casey Creates Story In Vlogs 23:20 - 26:05 Does Dan Regret Quitting His Job? 26:05 - 34:26 Leaving Casey & Starting YouTube 34:26 - 37:50 Dan’s Message To Brands 37:04 - 38:43 How Much Does Dan Make? 38:43 - 43:40 Meeting MrBeast & Renée Zellweger? 43:40 - 47:36 The MrBeast Job Offer 47:36 - 50:22 MrBeast Asks “How Much Do You Want To Get Paid?” 50:22 - 57:30 What Dan Learned Working With MrBeast 57:30 - 59:47 The 4 Elements Of Story 59:47 - 1:02:30 What Dan Taught MrBeast 1:02:30 - 1:04:57 Breaking Down A Beast Philanthropy Video 1:04:57 - 1:12:55 Trying Dan’s New BRU Bar & Future Goals Subscribe to my newsletter: https://created.news/ Join my Discord Community: https://created.club/ Follow me on: YouTube TikTok LinkedIn Twitter Instagram
I interviewed Jimmy Donaldson aka MrBeast about how to grow on YouTube, his creative process, and I even asked Jimmy to roast his own videos so you can learn how to improve. During this interview, Jimmy also discussed Feastables, ideas he rejected, what really happens on shoot days, his biggest arguments with his team, and how the Beast team comes up with videos that get hundreds of millions of views like Squid Game in Real Life, $1 vs $500,000 Plane Ticket, and I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive. Special thank you to Derral Eves and the VidSummit team for this opportunity and providing footage, Jimmy, Mateo, Chucky and the Beast team for helping me prepare, Firebrand Media for filming onsite, DrewTheDirector and Lumen Studios for post production, and everyone who helped make this possible. Took a village. Chapters: 0:00 - 1:15 Intro 1:15 - 2:37 MrBeast's Creative Process 2:37 - 6:23 How MrBeast "Storyboards" Thumbnails 6:23 - 7:23 Crafting Perfect Intro 7:23 - 12:15 What MrBeast Learned from Thumbnail Tests 12:15 - 16:45 MrBeast Roasts His Worst & Best Videos 16:45 - 19:18 Video Ideas That MrBeast Rejected...And Why 19:18 - 22:04 MrBeast breaks down his best Shorts 22:04 - 24:32 MrBeast's schedule (removing yourself as bottleneck) 24:32 - 25:40 Recent Disagreements with Team 25:40 - 26:46 Advice and ideas for smaller YouTubers 26:46 - 29:11 How AI & Deepfakes Impact Jimmy's Production 29:11 - 31:22 Jimmy's Documentary & Talking with Streaming Platforms 31:22 - 32:17 What Jimmy watches on YT 32:17 - 34:39 Final Tips for Creators Subscribe for more videos ► https://bit.ly/YouTubeYoushaei Join my Discord with 4,500 creators helping each other grow: https://discord.com/invite/created Sign up for my cartoon newsletter for creators: https://www.created.news Join waitlist for my Insider Accelerator: https://www.insider.school Follow me on: YouTube TikTok LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Threads
I interviewed Cleo Abram about how she went from a journalist at Vox to a YouTuber with over 2 million subscribers. After 5 years as a journalist at Vox, Cleo Abram made the jump to solo-creator in 2022 with the launch of her show Huge If True and making videos with NASA, MKBHD and Boston Dynamics. The ‘optimistic tech explainers’ explore everything from NASA’s supersonic planes to Formula 1, artificial wombs, quantum computers, and electric cars. Thank you to Firebrand Media for filming this episode and VidSummit for providing the space. Chapters0:00 - 1:05 Who is Cleo Abram? 1:04 - 6:21 Leaving Vox to Start YT Channel 6:21 - 8:02 Cleo's first sponsorships 8:02 - 10:12 Hiring a team 10:12 - 12:29 Cleo’s 4-Step Video Process 12:29 - 16:51 Step 1: Pitch 16:51 - 21:20 What Are Key Visuals? 21:20 - 22:51 Step 2: Info Doc 22:51 - 24:29 Step 3: Outline 24:29 - 27:53 Step 4: Script 27:53 - 32:52 Lessons From Vox 32:52 - 35:43 Breaking Through Your Niche 35:43 - 42:59 Cleo’s Cold Email To NASA 42:59 - 47:31 How Do YouTubers Be Better Journalists? 47:31 - 49:48 Short Form Process 49:48 - 52:57 Future of YouTube Subscribe to my newsletter: https://created.news/ Join my Discord Community: https://created.club/ Follow me on: YouTube TikTok LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Threads
I interviewed Dude Perfect about how they went from trick shots at Texas A&M to planning a $100M Dude Perfect World, new streaming app, toys in Walmart, and more. The group of Tyler Toney, Garrett Hilbert, Cody Jones and twins Coby and Cory Cotton have come a long way. In their first interview in years, the group opens up about their biggest fights, turning down brand deals, launching their Overtime show, the new Dude Perfect Streaming app, and their most popular videos like Gym Stereotypes, All Sports Golf Battle, and Giant Nerf Trick Shots. Chapters 0:00 - 1:34 Meet Dude Perfect 1:34 - 3:15 Who's More Popular: Dude Perfect or The Beatles? 3:15 - 6:04 Almost Quitting Dude Perfect 6:04 - 7:39 First Brand Deal 7:39 - 11:59 Traditional Careers vs YouTube 11:59 - 16:28 Biggest Argument 16:28 - 20:49 Saying No To Big Deals 21:16 - 23:35 Dude Perfect's Creative Process 23:35 - 27:17 $100M Dude Perfect World...The Next Disney? 27:45 - 30:16 Launching New Products in Walmart 30:16 - 32:12 The Team Behind Dude Perfect Subscribe to my newsletter: https://created.news/ Join my Discord Community: https://created.club/ Follow me on: YouTube TikTok LinkedIn Twitter Instagram
I interviewed Kwebbelkop (Jordi Maxim Van Den Bussche) who’s been uploading to YouTube for over a decade, earning 15M subscribers. But earlier this year, Jordi replaced himself with an AI. Jordi opens up about why he did, reveals the truth about Tiger and Bloo, and tells us his worst fear for AI. Chapters 0:00 - 1:43 Who Is Kwebbelkop? 1:43 - 3:15 Why Replace Yourself With AI? 3:15 - 10:33 Launching Second Channel … To Turn Into AI 10:33 - 14:11 Creating a V-Tuber: Bloo 14:11 - 15:17 Turning Bloo AI 15:17 -19:06 Virtual Influencer Vs. AI Creator 19:06 -26:46 Turning My Podcast into AI? 26:46 - 31:41 Kwebbelkop Replaces Himself With AI 31:41 - 36:34 Can AI Replace Human Creators? 36:34 - 41:36 Kwebbelkop Responds To Hate Tweets 41:36 - 48:46 Will AI Displace Jobs? 48:46 - 52:05 Secretly Launching 100% AI Channels 52:05 - 58:28 Kwebbelkop Reveals His ChatGPT Prompts 58:28 - 59:35 AI Rules & Regulations 59:35 - 1:05:13 Kwebbelkop’s Worst Case AI Scenario 1:05:13 - 1:11:40 AI Rules & Regulations Cont. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://created.news/ Join my Discord Community: https://created.club/ Follow me on: YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter LinkedIn Threads
I interviewed Bryce Hall, known as TikTok’s “bad boy.” But there’s much more to his story. He’s a master of social media with 33M total followers, but Hall’s had his share of controversies too. He opened up about the rise and fall of Sway Boys, his friendship with Josh Richards, and his break up with Addison Rae. Chapters 00:00 - 1:31- Who Is Bryce Hall? 1:31 - 4:39 Bryce vs. Austin McBroom 4:39 - 6:21 Controversies & Paparazzi 6:21 - 8:40 Start Of Sway House 8:40 - 12:46 Making Money On Social Media 12:46 - 19:53 The Truth About Bryce’s Arrest 19:53 - 21:50 Boxing & Break Up With Addison 21:50 - 23:51 Playing The Villain 23:51 - 27:38 Bryce’s Bare Knuckle Fight 27:38 - 28:20 Bryce Calls Out KSI, Deji, Austin McBroom 28:20 - 29:01 How Much Did Bryce Make Last Year? 29:01 - 33:36 Bryce’s Best & Worst Deals 33:36 - 34:30 Bryce’s Message To Brands 34:30 - 36:10 Bryce’s Beef With Logan Paul? 36:10 - 38:06 Is Bryce The Next Tom Cruise? 38:06 - 39:27 Playing The Villain Pt. 2 39:27 - 41:48 Filming Skill House With 50 Cent 41:38 - 43:44 Bryce’s Childhood & Bullying 43:44 - 48:46 Bryce’s Start Live Streaming 48:46 - 51:16 Getting Swarmed In Public 51:16 - 52:11 Future of Bryce Hall 52:11 - 55:36 Bryce Reacts to “I’m Not A Fighter” Subscribe to my newsletter: https://created.news/ Join my Discord Community: https://created.club/ Follow me on: YouTube TikTok LinkedIn Twitter Instagram
I sat down with Dream for one of his first interviews without his mask. We talked about his face reveal, how he grew to 30 million subscribers faster than MrBeast, rejecting $550,000, and whether he's risking it all by going into music. Chapters: 00:00 - 01:41 Who's Dream? 01:42 - 04:35 Reflecting on Face Reveal 04:36 - 05:16 Getting More Personal 05:17 - 08:17 What Caused Change in Views? 08:18 - 12:33 Strategy for 30M Subscribers in 2 Years 12:34 - 14:43 Rise of Faceless YT Channels? 14:44 - 23:44 Dream SMP & "Losing" Money To Make It Bigger 23:45 - 25:50 Saying No To Big Money 25:51 - 28:29 Biggest Paychecks 28:30 - 30:10 Genius of Dream's Biggest YT Series 30:17 - 34:07 Music Industry vs Creator Economy 34:08 - 35:31 World Record for BTS Video? 35:32 - 38:00 Questioning "Best Practices" 38:01 - 42:11 Getting Non-Gamers To Care About Gaming 42:12 - 43:22 What's Next & Easter Eggs Subscribe to my newsletter: https://created.news/ Join my Discord community: https://created.club/ Follow me on: YouTube TikTok LinkedIn Twitter Instagram
I interviewed Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, the co-founders of Smosh who recently bought back their historic YouTube channel after 12 years. In 2011, Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox were one of the first to sell a YouTube channel long before the likes of MrBeast started on YouTube. 12 years later, they’ve become the first to buy a channel back. We discussed Smosh’s evolution from sketch comedy to a production power house with over 35 employees, 5 channels, and 45 million combined subscribers. We also covered the duo’s 2017 split, their solo journeys as creators, and their ultimate reunion to buy back Smosh from Rhett and Link (Mythical Entertainment). Chapters 00:00 - 00:57 Who Is Smosh? 00:57 - 01:42 Presented By HubSpot 01:42 - 02:20 The Untold Story of Smosh 02:20 - 10:55 Why Smosh Sold Its Channel...And What They Got 10:55 - 19:07 Growing A Creator Business 19:07 - 28:31 Creative Frustration & Breakthrough 28:31 - 35:47 Why Anthony Left Smosh...But Ian Stayed 35:47 - 39:40 Rules for Working With Best Friends 39:40 - 48:53 Anthony's Solo Creator Career 48:53 - 52:18 Ian Re-defines Smosh 52:18 - 52:52 HubSpot Presents: Finding Founders 52:52 - 56:35 How Smosh Nearly Ended 56:35 - 1:05:55 Finding Smosh A New Home 1:05:55 - 1:08:34 Ian & Anthony's Secret Meetings 1:08:34 - 1:22:09 Buying Back Smosh 1:22:09 - 1:32:38 How Big Is Smosh Today? 1:32:38 - 1:41:34 Economics Of Smosh & Memberships 1:41:34 - 1:45:11 Creating Sustainable Content 1:45:11 - 1:49:56 Smosh’s Production Process 1:49:56 - 1:55:35 Sketch Writing Process 1:55:35 - 2:02:19 Adapting To The Algorithm 2:02:19 - 2:09:17 What’s Next For Smosh? Subscribe to my newsletter: https://created.news/ Join my Discord community: https://created.club/ Follow me on: YouTube TikTok LinkedIn Twitter Instagram
Before hitting 100,000 subscribers, Matthew Beem had taken out $60,000 in loans to fund his YouTube dreams. He customized cars for MrBeast, Logan Paul, Faze Clan, and more. But for Beem, it was never about the money. Two years later Beem's bet seems to have paid off — with 4.75 million subscribers and uploads routinely topping 2 million views. In today's interview we discuss the risks of Beem’s all-in approach, how he stood out in the challenge genre, and his top retention tips for creators. Chapters: 00:00 - 00:38 Meet Matthew Beem 00:39 - 01:40 Presented by HubSpot 01:41 - 09:13 Beem’s First Big Bet: MrBeast Car Giveaway 09:14 - 15:02 Beem’s Second Big Bet: Buying Logan Paul’s Car 15:03 - 18:12 Top Retention Killers 18:13 - 23:07 Intro Roast 23:08 - 24:28 Balancing Short Form Editing with Storytelling 24:28 - 25:20 HubSpot Presents: Creator Science 25:21 - 27:54 Advice for New Creators 27:55 - 30:28 Future of the Challenge Genre 30:29 - 34:02 How Matthew Makes Money Follow me on: YouTube TikTok LinkedIn Twitter Instagram