Podcast Summary
Turning a hobby into a business in the creator economy: Combining work and personal interests can lead to successful businesses or careers in the creator economy. Adaptability and branching out to new areas are key to success.
Building a successful business or career often involves finding ways to combine work and personal interests. This was the case for Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudhry, who started making lacrosse videos as a hobby and turned it into a thriving content creation business. Their experience illustrates the growth of the creator economy, which has become a major force in the world of marketing and advertising. While the potential rewards are significant, it's important to note that only a small fraction of creators are able to make a living solely from platforms like YouTube or TikTok. Colin and Samir, who now focus on interviewing and offering insights for other creators, emphasize the importance of adaptability and branching out to new areas. Additionally, companies like Amica and Delta are also focused on providing personalized, human experiences to their customers, whether it's through insurance or travel rewards. And for those looking for a career with a strong mission and innovative projects, organizations like the National Security Agency offer exciting opportunities.
Two Passionate Individuals Collaborate to Create Something Greater: Following your passion and being open to collaboration can lead to the creation of something meaningful and greater than what could be achieved alone.
Passion and determination can lead to the creation of something meaningful, even when faced with challenges. Samir and Colin, two individuals with a shared love for lacrosse and storytelling, independently started their own YouTube channels to showcase the sport and their college teams. Their paths crossed when Samir discovered Colin's web series, "Club Ball," which stood out for its focus on the players' stories rather than just the games. Despite initial hesitation and differences in approach, they eventually collaborated, merging their channels into the La Crosse Network. This partnership proved successful, but it required compromise and a shared vision. Their story serves as a reminder that following one's passion and being open to collaboration can lead to the creation of something greater than what could be achieved alone.
Finding the right team and being adaptable are key to success in a niche content business: RIP Media, a lacrosse content business, thrived by bringing on a co-founder with storytelling skills, licensing content, and pivoting to on-camera appearances. They never raised money but were eventually acquired, providing resources and industry knowledge.
The success of a content creation business, particularly in a niche market like lacrosse, depends on finding the right team and being adaptable. The founders of RIP Media recognized that they lacked the storytelling aspect and brought on a co-founder with that expertise. They also recognized that they couldn't physically record every game and started licensing content. Additionally, they were willing to pivot and put themselves on camera to upload content consistently. Despite having limited resources, they never raised money and instead positioned it as an internship to attract talent. However, they were eventually acquired by Whistle Sports, which provided them with the resources and expertise to grow the network. It's important to note that this acquisition did not make them financially independent, but it did give them the opportunity to be part of a larger community and learn from those with experience in the industry. Overall, their success came from their ability to adapt, find the right team, and consistently create and distribute content.
Adapting to change and expressing yourself: Success in content creation requires identity, adaptability, and teamwork. Adapt to changing trends, express yourself fully, and collaborate with others to create engaging content.
Identity and adaptability are key to success in content creation. Colin and Samir, former lacrosse content creators, recognized the need to evolve their brand as they saw the changing landscape of YouTube and the rise of personal brand channels. With their passion for storytelling and a desire to express themselves fully, they pivoted from lacrosse content to creating videos under their own names, Colin and Samir. This shift allowed them to explore various topics and fully express themselves, leading to a more diverse and engaging content library. This adaptability not only helped them connect with a wider audience but also positioned them for long-term success. Additionally, the conversation highlighted the importance of teamwork and collaboration, as seen in the partnership between Colin and Samir, and the mission of Atlassian to create software that powers collaboration for teams around the world. Atlassian's AI-powered software offers insights, productivity boosts, and informed decision-making, enabling teams to accomplish more together than they could alone. In essence, the story of Colin and Samir, along with the insights from Atlassian, demonstrates the power of adapting to change, teamwork, and self-expression in achieving success.
Starting from scratch and adapting: Naivety and lack of fear can lead to opportunities, but success requires persistence and the ability to adapt. Figuring out what to make and how to monetize it is often the hardest part of the creative process.
Naivety and a lack of fear can lead to new opportunities, but finding success requires persistence and the ability to adapt. The founders of the Colin and Samir Show, who started their careers making lacrosse videos, discovered this firsthand when they decided to explore diverse storytelling and pivot to creating content about content creators themselves. Their journey was filled with challenges, including starting from scratch with both their audience and their business model. They faced discouragement and even doubted their abilities, but they eventually found success by focusing on the community they were a part of and telling stories about its members. The experience taught them that figuring out what to make and how to monetize it is often the hardest part of the creative process.
Opportune Time for Niche Channels to Thrive on YouTube: During the pandemic, niche YouTube channels like 'Nuts and Vulture' can thrive through brand sponsorships, owning audiences across multiple platforms, and delivering high-quality content to specific audiences.
The pandemic led to a massive shift in audience attention towards online creators, making it an opportune time for niche channels like "Nuts and Vulture" to thrive. The economics of YouTube may not be as lucrative as popular belief but through brand sponsorships and owning audiences across multiple platforms, creators can build sustainable businesses. The duo behind "Nuts and Vulture," Collins and Samir, have a well-oiled machine with clear division of labor, focusing on business and creative aspects respectively. Their extensive, high-quality videos showcase various creator monetization strategies and cater to a specific audience, making them an attractive proposition for relevant advertisers. Looking ahead, they plan to continue delivering value to their audience through diverse creator stories across YouTube, social media, podcasts, and their newsletter, Publish Press.
Identifying audience and process key to building a sustainable business: To build a sustainable business as a content creator, identify your target audience and their needs, and establish a consistent process for creating and monetizing content.
Building a sustainable business as a content creator involves identifying your target audience and their needs, as well as establishing a consistent process. Colin and Samir, hosts of the Colin and Samir show on YouTube, shared their experience in this regard. They initially struggled when they left their lacrosse network to create content, as they didn't have a clear understanding of their desired audience and value proposition. However, once they identified their audience as creators and focused on providing education, empowerment, and a sense of community, they were able to build a following. The next crucial step was establishing a process, which allowed them to consistently create content and bring team members on board. This process also enabled monetization by communicating their value to the industry. The importance of owning their audience through a newsletter, as opposed to relying on rented platforms like YouTube, was also emphasized for the longevity of their careers and impact.
Focusing on audience value, process, and monetization: Understand niche audience, align with advertisers, deepen community connections, track engaged viewers, and find effective monetization strategies.
For creators looking to build a sustainable business on platforms like YouTube, focusing on audience value, process, and monetization is crucial. This includes understanding your niche audience, aligning with like-minded advertisers, and growing a deep connection with your community. While having a large number of subscribers can be beneficial, the average number of viewers per upload is a more accurate representation of your engaged community. Content that transcends language and appeals to a global audience can also lead to success, but producing such content can be challenging. Ultimately, building a business as a creator is about providing value, developing a loyal community, and finding the right monetization strategy.
Creating a career in the creator economy: The creator economy offers opportunities for individuals to make money and build careers through media production, but it requires significant effort, dedication, and business acumen. Approach it as an entrepreneur, focus on underserved communities, and have a support system for success.
The creator economy offers opportunities for individuals to make money and even build careers through media production, but it also requires significant effort, dedication, and business acumen. The barriers to entry have been lowered due to platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts, but sustaining an audience and turning it into a profitable business is challenging. Creators are essentially entrepreneurs, and the path to success follows the same trajectory as launching a startup. Some creators may find that their media production becomes a career, while others use it as a tool to supplement their income or support their business in a related field. The key is to determine whether being a full-time creator is the right choice for you and to approach it with a clear understanding of the challenges involved. Additionally, the speakers reflect on their own experiences and emphasize the importance of having a partner, team, and support system to help navigate the complexities of the creator economy. They also suggest focusing on underserved communities as a potential niche to build a dedicated audience and find opportunities for monetization. Overall, the creator economy presents both opportunities and challenges, and those who are willing to put in the work and adapt to the constantly evolving landscape may find success.
Focus on underserved YouTube communities for initial audience: To succeed on YouTube, focus on underserved topics, leverage its lengthier content format, and build relationships with viewers.
If you want to succeed on YouTube, it's essential to consider it as a search engine and focus on underserved communities to build an initial audience. Starting with topics that interest you without an audience may not yield the desired results. YouTube's lengthier content format allows for deeper relationships between creators and viewers, which can lead to careers through advertising, product sales, or services. In contrast, TikTok prioritizes the algorithm over creators, making it more challenging to build a career solely based on the platform. History shows that people follow people, and YouTube offers an excellent platform for building relationships and connecting with creators. To sum up, focusing on searchable topics within underserved communities, considering YouTube's lengthier content format, and building relationships with viewers are crucial for success on YouTube.
