Podcast Summary
From accidental YouTube success to intentional business growth: Cassie Ho started making Pilates videos for her students on YouTube, leading to millions of viewers. Amica focuses on providing a human touch to insurance. Delta Sky Miles Platinum Business Amex Card offers perks for business travelers. Inspirity helps build strong company cultures for growth.
Building a successful business often involves embracing the unexpected and adapting to new opportunities. This was the case for Cassie Ho, who started out making Pilates videos for her students on YouTube, and accidentally grew her audience into the millions. But even before her YouTube success, Cassie had plans for a stable career, like becoming a doctor or lawyer. However, the importance of stability and financial security in her family's background meant that starting a business wasn't initially on her radar. Meanwhile, in the world of insurance, Amica is also focused on providing a human touch to their customers. They believe that insurance is more than just a policy, it's about protecting the things that matter most to their customers. Amica's representatives are there to help when you need them, and as a mutual company, they work solely in service of their customers. For business travelers, finding the right rewards card can make all the difference. The Delta Sky Miles Platinum Business American Express Card offers perks that make business travel feel more like a vacation, keeping travelers recharged and excited. Lastly, creating a strong company culture is essential for growth. Inspirity, a leading HR provider, can help businesses build a culture aligned with their goals and attract top talent. With the right people, processes, and values in place, companies can realize their full potential.
Listening to our hearts despite societal pressure: Follow your passion, even if it goes against societal expectations, as it can lead to unexpected joys and fulfilling careers.
Societal pressure can shape our career choices, but it's important to listen to our hearts and discover what truly brings us joy and fulfillment. The interviewee shares how her father's words steered her towards a medical career, but her passion for fashion and discovery of Pilates led her to a different path. Pilates not only became her gateway to fitness, but also ignited her love for creating and designing. Despite her initial studies in biology, she continued to pursue her artistic side and eventually made a successful career in fashion and Pilates.
Believing in someone's potential can lead to opportunities: Supporting someone's passions and providing opportunities can lead to unexpected careers and valuable skills
Believing in someone's potential and providing them with opportunities can have a significant impact on their future. The speaker shared how she started teaching Pilates in her free time and was hired as an instructor despite not having a certification. Her employer saw her potential and paid for her certification, leading her to a career path she wouldn't have considered otherwise. Additionally, the speaker's passion for fashion led her to drop out of college to pursue her dreams, and she learned valuable skills in biology that have served her well in her career as a fashion buyer. Overall, the importance of following one's passions and having supportive mentors cannot be overstated.
Determination and seizing opportunities led to success for Cassie Ho and Atlassian: Determination to pursue passions, innovative ideas, and seizing opportunities can lead to the creation of successful businesses.
Determination, innovation, and seizing opportunities can lead to the creation of successful businesses. Cassie Ho, the founder of Blogilates, shares her story of starting her career as a fashion buyer but pursuing her passion for fitness instead. She designed a unique yoga bag and sent it to magazines, hoping for recognition. At the same time, she saw an opportunity to teach Pop Pilates, a unique format that was not offered at her gym. She recorded a workout video and uploaded it to YouTube, marking the beginning of Blogilates. Atlassian, a company that creates software for team collaboration, also embraced determination and innovation. They're using AI to help teams make faster, more informed decisions and eliminate menial tasks, revolutionizing the way teams work together. Both Cassie and Atlassian demonstrate that with grit, determination, and the ability to seize opportunities, it's possible to create something great.
Unexpected opportunities from insignificant events: Be open to new experiences and willing to take risks, you might discover unexpected opportunities and rewards
Sometimes unexpected opportunities can arise from seemingly insignificant events. Cassie Ho, the creator of Blogilates, went to Boston to pursue a career as a fashion buyer but found herself miserable. While she was at her job, her old YouTube video gained popularity, leading people to ask for more content. In her free time, Ho began creating workout videos for her audience. One day, she saw her bag featured in a magazine, which she took as a sign to quit her job and pursue her passion for fitness full-time. The success of her YouTube channel came as a surprise, but it taught her that taking a chance and giving herself the opportunity to succeed was worth the risk. The takeaway here is that you never know what opportunities might come your way, so be open to new experiences and be willing to take risks. Even if things don't go as planned, you may discover something unexpected and rewarding.
Connecting with audience and providing low-barrier-entry solution led to Blogilates' success: Cassey Ho's success with Blogilates came from connecting with her audience and providing a low-barrier-entry fitness solution. Demand for merchandise showed her the potential for a real brand and community.
Cassey Ho's success with Blogilates came from her ability to connect with her audience and provide a low-barrier-to-entry fitness solution. When she started in 2009, Pilates was not as popular as it is today, and Ho's equipment-free videos became a gateway for many people to explore fitness. The turning point for Ho was not based on views or followers, but rather the demand for merchandise. In 2011, fans asked for Blogilates branded merchandise, and Ho was initially unsure about the request. However, the demand for a simple shirt with her screen name on it showed her that there was a real brand and community forming around her content. This moment solidified her focus on Blogilates as a business, and it has continued to grow and evolve based on the connections she fosters with her audience.
Cassey Ho's success from authentic connection with audience: Authentic connection with audience led to t-shirt sales, hiring team, parental support, and sustained growth for Cassey Ho's fitness brand, Blogilates
Cassey Ho's success with her fitness brand, Blogilates, came from her authentic connection with her audience. She started by designing and selling t-shirts based on fan requests, and the rapid sales showed her that people wanted to be a part of her journey. As her brand grew, she realized she needed help and began hiring a team. Her parents, initially skeptical of her non-traditional career path, eventually became supportive. Ho attributes her growth to her consistent intention to connect with her students and adapt to new platforms. She didn't rely on any one viral video or specific strategy but instead focused on building a genuine relationship with her audience. This approach has kept her relevant for over a decade, with 6.25 million subscribers and over a billion views on her YouTube channel.
Exploring new platforms and learning can lead to growth: Exploring new platforms can lead to unexpected growth, wider audience, and career advancement. Engage with your audience and provide free content to build a following.
Exploring new platforms and being open to learning can lead to unexpected growth and reaching a wider audience. Cassie Ho, the founder of Blogilates, shared her experience of gaining a large following on TikTok by teaching Pilates and workouts, which then transferred over to her YouTube channel and decreased the average age of her audience. Audience engagement and providing free content were key factors in her success. Additionally, utilizing various tools like Audible for entertainment and Squarespace for building a brand and growing a business online can significantly contribute to one's career. Cassie emphasized the importance of not being afraid to fail and continuing to try new things, even when faced with skepticism from others.
Growing a brand through YouTube: Creating engaging YouTube content can help build an audience and establish trust, but only a small percentage of revenue comes directly from YouTube ads. Success often comes from diversifying income streams and adapting to change.
Creating valuable, shareable, or entertaining content on platforms like YouTube can help build an audience and establish trust, even if it doesn't directly sustain a business financially. Cassey Ho, the creator of Blogilates, grew her fitness brand through free YouTube videos, which served as an engagement tool for her larger business. Despite receiving billions of views, only 1% of her revenue comes from YouTube ads. Instead, her business thrives through a variety of channels, including merchandise, books, and a product line. To stay relevant and grow, it's essential to keep evolving and adapting to the ever-changing algorithms and criticisms that come with increasing fame.
Staying true to oneself in the face of negativity: Focus on positive impact and ignore negativity, even in public eye. Turn criticism into something positive.
Staying true to oneself and focusing on the positive impact one makes is an effective way to cope with negativity and criticism, even in the public eye. The speaker, who has experienced this on various platforms for 13 years, emphasizes the importance of remembering that one's actions are true and beneficial to many, rather than dwelling on the negative comments or hate. The speaker also shares an example of turning negative comments into a viral video by addressing the criticism head-on and using it to create something positive. Creating a media company and building a career through it, as the speaker did, can be a viable option for those looking to break into the industry today.
Understanding your 'why' is essential for personal and professional growth: Having a clear intention and 'why' fuels motivation during challenges, builds a strong brand, and can lead to innovation and a lasting legacy.
Having a clear intention and understanding your "why" is crucial for any personal or professional journey. This applies to content creation, building a brand, or starting a business. When faced with challenges, your "why" will serve as a source of motivation. Additionally, providing value to your audience through educational, entertaining, or shareable content will help you build a strong brand and potentially lead to the creation of a product or service. For those looking to grow a business beyond their personal influence, focusing on innovation and expanding the brand's ethos can help create a lasting legacy.
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