Podcast Summary
Collaboration and fair revenue distribution: Clear communication, fair distribution, and dedication to a project can lead to substantial growth for a content creation venture
Collaboration and fair distribution of revenue can lead to significant growth for a content creation venture. Zach King, with 66 million followers on TikTok and 12 million subscribers on YouTube, shared his journey of creating the "Est Coffee Hour" podcast. Initially, the revenue was split 15% for Zach and 85% for his partner Jack. However, as Zach increased his involvement and workload, he negotiated for a larger share. At first, the podcast brought in minimal revenue, but after Zach received a larger percentage, the channel exploded with sponsors. This example illustrates that clear communication, fair distribution, and dedication to the project can lead to substantial growth.
Protect your brand's interests, build personal connections: Actively involve yourself in deals, double-check contracts, network in-person, maintain ownership, and persevere in projects for long-term success.
Even when working with agents or sponsors, it's crucial for individuals to be actively involved and double-check contracts to ensure their brand's interests are protected. Personal connections and networking opportunities, such as meeting influencers in person, can lead to valuable experiences and collaborations. Additionally, maintaining ownership and excitement over projects can lead to long-term success. The speaker shared an experience where they continued a podcast despite feeling overwhelmed, leading to a successful partnership and growth. Networking events and in-person interactions can be more impactful than digital communication, and even the biggest influencers can leave a lasting impression.
From a small room to multiple platforms: Consistently creating content and adapting to new platforms can help creators maintain a strong presence in the digital world.
The creator discussed his journey of producing content across various platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, starting from a small room in his house. He emphasized that he didn't aim to dominate all platforms but joined each one when it seemed interesting. He began on YouTube with tutorials and monetized his channel through teaching Final Cut Pro. YouTube's monetization policies have changed since then, and creators may not always receive ad revenue. The creator also mentioned Front, a portfolio tracking app for investments, as a sponsor. Despite the challenges and changes, his consistent content creation and adaptability to new platforms have helped him maintain a strong presence in the digital content world.
Constraints fuel creativity on video platforms: Constraints like time limits on Vine led to unique, engaging video styles. Starting with shorter limits and building up can help young creators develop skills effectively.
Constraints can fuel creativity. The speaker shares his personal experience of how the 6-second limit on Vine helped him develop a unique style of short, engaging videos with a beginning, middle, and end. He also discusses how various platforms have changed their time limits over the years and how these constraints have influenced content creators. The speaker emphasizes the importance of starting with shorter time limits and then building up, rather than aiming for endless content without boundaries. He believes that this approach can help young creators develop their skills and style effectively.
Effective editing keeps audience engaged: Great content creators edit their content to focus on essential story points, cutting out excess for a more engaging viewer experience.
Great content creators, like Logan Paul, David Dobrik, and Mr. Beast, know how to effectively edit their content to keep their audience engaged. They understand what holds attention and what makes a good story. Even at events with exciting moments, they only use what adds to the narrative and cut out the excess. This process, known as "killing your baby" in Hollywood, requires letting go of precious shots that don't serve the story. These creators often work with a small team, including story producers who document events and provide time stamps for the editors. By focusing on the essential story points, they can create engaging content with minimal loss of detail. This efficient editing process is a key factor in the success of popular YouTube channels and reality shows.
Investing in contemporary art as a hedge against inflation: Contemporary art has outperformed the S&P 500 by 174% since 1995, has low correlation to the stock market, and can be a unique addition to a diversified investment portfolio through platforms like Masterworks, offering potential high returns on investments in renowned artists' works.
Contemporary art can be a good hedge against inflation and a unique addition to an investment portfolio. With the help of Masterworks, individuals can invest in multimillion-dollar paintings at a fraction of the cost, providing potentially high returns. This asset class outperformed the S&P 500 by 174% from 1995 to 2020 and has the lowest correlation to the stock market, according to Citibank. Although investing in art may seem exclusive to billionaires, Masterworks democratizes access to this asset class, allowing individuals to buy shares in renowned artists' works, such as Warhol and Picasso. For instance, investors received a 32% return on a Banksy painting last year. If you're interested in diversifying your portfolio with electric assets like contemporary art, consider checking out Masterworks.
Weighing Passion vs. Stability: A Content Creator's Dilemma: A content creator faced a tough decision between a lucrative corporate job and pursuing his passion on YouTube. He chose the latter, letting go of some control and trusting his team, leading to success.
Making the decision to pursue a lucrative job offer or staying true to your passion can be a difficult one. The speaker, a content creator, found himself in this dilemma when he received a job offer from Discovery Channel with a six-figure salary. He was torn between the stability of a corporate job and the uncertainty of growing his YouTube channel. After much consideration and advice from a higher-up producer, he decided to stay with YouTube, believing that he could afford his lifestyle and eventually build a successful channel. However, scaling his channel required letting go of certain aspects, such as editing, and trusting others to carry out his vision. This decision was not easy, but it ultimately paid off as both his and his friend's channels became successful. The experience serves as a reminder that taking calculated risks and trusting yourself and your team can lead to great rewards.
Maintaining Personal Touch in Collaborative Content Creation: Creators should maintain control over their core message and creative vision while leveraging team strengths to enhance content. Personal touch is essential, even with collaboration.
The authenticity and unique style of a content creator's channel can be maintained even with the help of a team, as long as the creator remains involved in the creative process. The speaker in this discussion emphasizes the importance of his personal touch in his finance videos, but acknowledges the value of collaboration and outsourcing certain tasks, such as editing. He shares his experience of working with fans who have become editors, and how their understanding of his style has led to improved content. Despite the potential benefits of bringing in external writers or ideas, the speaker believes that the creator's insights and personality are the key sauce to their success, and encourages a competitive approach to selecting the best scripts. Ultimately, the creator should maintain control over the core message and creative vision, while leveraging the strengths of their team to enhance the overall product.
Balancing research, vision, and team strengths: Effectively create content by researching, maintaining vision, leveraging team strengths, discovering new angles, collaborating, and delegating for productivity and focus.
Effective content creation involves a balance between research, understanding your vision, and leveraging the strengths of your team. The creator's process includes discovering new angles during research, but being particular about maintaining their unique vision. Collaboration and delegation can lead to increased productivity, but maintaining a small, introverted team can also foster focus and efficiency. The ultimate goal is to create a work environment that allows for both creativity and organization, enabling the team to produce high-quality content consistently.
Effective team collaboration and delegation reduce stress and grow a business: Trust your team, use a collaborative ideation system, and focus on your strengths to minimize stress and grow your business.
Effective team collaboration and delegation are crucial for reducing stress and growing a business, even if that means letting go of certain responsibilities. The speaker shares his experience of managing a team and the importance of having a strong production team to bring ideas to life. He emphasizes the value of a group writing process and the role of producers in transforming concepts into reality. The use of a collaborative ideation system, where everyone votes on their favorite ideas, ensures that the team's collective taste drives the creative direction. By trusting his team and focusing on his strengths, the speaker is able to minimize stress and maintain a clear focus on his creative goals.
Planning and creating a video: Creating a rough video can help plan and visualize the final product, with an average personal video taking 2 weeks and varying costs depending on complexity.
Creating a video, even a rough one, can help in planning and visualizing the final product, leading to a more effective and efficient production process. The budget for a video varies greatly depending on the complexity and resources available. For personal content, it takes an average of 2 weeks to produce a video, but for shorter clips, the time and cost can be significantly less. Monetization comes primarily from brand deals, which fund the creation of more personal content. However, some videos may even result in a loss, but are made out of passion and excitement for filmmaking. The overhead costs for running a video production are significant but not mentioned in the conversation.
75% of business comes from branded content: YouTube channels can generate substantial income from branded projects and sponsorships, providing financial benefits beyond AdSense and production work.
While AdSense may not be the primary source of income for some YouTube channels, especially those in specific niches, branded projects and sponsorships can provide significant financial benefits. The speaker mentioned that 75% of their business comes from branded content, with the remaining percentage coming from AdSense and production work. They also emphasized the importance of collaborating with a team and the satisfaction of financing their colleagues' contributions. Despite the financial success, the speaker acknowledged that there are challenges, such as demographics affecting CPM and the stress of payroll. However, they found peace in knowing that their team members have other options if the business fails and that the collaborative experience is worth the investment.
Balancing Salary and Reinvestment in California's Film Industry: The speaker values earning a salary while reinvesting in their business, prioritizes being in California for personal and professional reasons, but acknowledges challenges and is open to exploring new opportunities for potential benefits.
The speaker values keeping some earnings as salary while reinvesting the rest into their business, particularly in the film industry. They prioritize being in California for its prime geography and the presence of their friends and network. However, they acknowledge the challenges of doing business in Los Angeles, including high costs and taxes. Despite these challenges, they find the benefits of being in California outweigh the costs, and they are open to exploring new opportunities in other locations, such as Las Vegas, for potential tax savings and business-friendly environments.
California's Tax Implications for Inactive Businesses: California assumes income for inactive businesses and taxes accordingly, leading the speaker to consider relocating for business reasons and exploring crypto as a long-term investment.
Maintaining inactive business entities in California comes with significant tax implications, even if there's little to no activity or funds in the account. The state assumes a certain income level and taxes accordingly. The speaker was surprised by this and found the process to be complicated. He also mentioned his consideration of moving to Vegas for business due to more affordable warehouse space and production city proximity. Regarding the $120,000 table tennis tournament winnings, the speaker was pondering investment options, specifically considering crypto as a portion of his portfolio. He was leaning towards allocating a significant amount to crypto for a long-term investment horizon, acknowledging the risk but believing in its potential growth. However, he also mentioned his intention to do something with Airrack (possibly a business partner or project) using the winnings. The speaker's investment portfolio was primarily in real estate rentals, with a smaller portion in stocks and crypto. He clarified that his crypto allocation was around 15%, and he was considering increasing it for a long-term investment strategy. The speaker's personal residence was owned, and he had a mortgage on it. Overall, the conversation touched upon the challenges of maintaining inactive business entities in California, the consideration of relocating for business reasons, and the speaker's investment strategy, specifically his interest in crypto as a long-term investment.
Investing in Cryptocurrency: A New Type of Investing: Consider a diversified portfolio with established cryptos like Bitcoin and Ethereum, research thoroughly, be cautious of social media influences, and remember investing carries risk.
Investing in cryptocurrency, especially for younger generations, is becoming a popular alternative to traditional stocks. With the potential for high returns and a strong community-driven momentum, some believe that the future of investing lies in these digital assets. However, it's important to note that cryptocurrency is still a risky investment and can be easily manipulated. The speaker recommends a diversified portfolio, with a significant portion in established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and a smaller portion in potential altcoins. It's crucial to do thorough research and not blindly follow influencers or trends. The speaker also mentioned the impact of social media platforms like Twitter in driving the price of certain cryptocurrencies. Overall, the shift towards cryptocurrency represents a new type of investing based on momentum, community, and attention. But, as always, it's essential to remember that investing carries risk and to only invest what you can afford to lose.
Engaging content and audience relationships: Optimize titles, thumbnails, and SEO, but focus on retention and long-term audience engagement for YouTube success. Utilize multiple platforms to expand reach and adapt to evolving media landscape.
Creating engaging content and building a strong relationship with your audience are key factors for success on YouTube and other platforms. While optimizing titles, thumbnails, and SEO is important, focusing on retention and long-term audience engagement can lead to greater growth and success in the long run. Additionally, utilizing multiple platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, can help expand your reach and brand. The conversation also touched upon the evolving nature of "mainstream" media and how platforms like YouTube are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. It's essential to adapt and leverage these platforms to reach and engage with your audience effectively.
Engaging content is crucial for YouTube success: Focus on creating interesting and engaging content to attract initial clicks and build a consistent viewership. Long-term success may come from unexpected topics or timing, and each channel's algorithm may differ.
Creating successful YouTube content involves more than just a catchy title or thumbnail. While these elements are important, the real key lies in the content itself and its ability to engage viewers and retain their attention. The creators in this discussion shared that they look at initial click-through rates and momentum in the first 15 minutes to gauge a video's potential. They also emphasized the importance of long-tail videos that may not perform well initially but can build a consistent viewership over time. Additionally, they noted that each channel's algorithm may differ, and success can sometimes come from unexpected topics or timing. Overall, the creators stressed that the focus should be on creating interesting and engaging content that resonates with viewers.
The power of reaching the right audience on YouTube: Unexpected success can come from reaching the right audience, even with unchanged titles and thumbnails. Building a unique experience on YouTube is essential to attract and retain viewers.
The success of a video on YouTube can be significantly influenced by the audience it reaches and how YouTube recommends it to similar viewers. The speaker shared examples of videos that performed unexpectedly well due to reaching the right audience, even without changes to titles or thumbnails. Conversely, videos that the speaker believed would perform well didn't always meet expectations. The speaker also mentioned that their community on YouTube is more engaged and valuable compared to other platforms, making it a priority to redirect followers there. The speaker acknowledged that different viewers use each platform differently and that building a unique experience on YouTube is crucial to attracting and retaining viewers.
Deleting YouTube videos can harm channel performance: Deleting YouTube videos erases viewer interactions, potentially impacting future content recommendations and damaging channel growth.
Deleting YouTube videos can negatively impact a channel's performance. This is because YouTube collects data based on viewer interactions, and deleting a video effectively erases that interaction. This means that viewers who engaged with the deleted video may no longer be recommended similar content from the channel. This was confirmed by Todd Piro, YouTube's head of algorithm, who explained that deleting a video is treated as if viewers had never seen or interacted with it. The speaker shared personal experience of taking down videos due to embarrassment and the subsequent drop in channel views and watch time. It took months to regain the lost momentum. Therefore, it's recommended to keep all videos on a channel to maintain a strong connection with viewers and maximize potential reach.
Managing YouTube content involves careful editing and user interaction: Retain videos by editing titles, thumbnails, and content to hide them from search. Keep viewers engaged with hooks and questions, and monitor user interaction and analytics for success.
Managing YouTube content involves careful consideration of user interaction and video editing. The speaker shared an experience where they had to remove a video due to a request from a high-profile individual, but instead of deleting it, they edited the title, thumbnail, and trimmed the content to make it unsearchable. This allowed them to retain the video's data while hiding it from public view. Another video with a house tour was also hidden by changing the title and hiding it from search. The speaker emphasized the importance of keeping videos up unless there's something objectionable in them. They also mentioned the need to keep viewers engaged by adding hooks and questions every few minutes to maintain high retention rates. The speaker's approach was based on trial and error and constant monitoring of user interaction and analytics. While editing content can be time-consuming, it's essential to maintain a successful YouTube channel.
Understanding the balance between value and entertainment for social media success: To create engaging social media content, balance value and entertainment. YouTube is crucial for content creators, but TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter each offer unique benefits depending on the niche and audience.
Creating engaging content on social media requires a balance between retention and entertainment. According to Zach King, if you're not providing value and just entertaining, you may miss the mark. When it comes to having a presence on various social media platforms, Zach suggests that YouTube is the most important base for content creators. However, other platforms like TikTok and Instagram also play essential roles. The order of importance can vary depending on the content creator's niche and audience. For instance, podcasters might find Twitter useful for promoting their podcasts, while Instagram may be the primary platform for reaching engaged followers. Ultimately, building a successful social media presence involves understanding your audience and leveraging each platform's unique strengths.
Maintaining a Balanced Work-Life Schedule: Working long hours from Monday to Sunday can impact productivity and well-being. Prioritizing a day off each week and delegating tasks can help maintain a healthy balance.
Having a balanced work-life schedule is crucial for maintaining productivity and overall well-being. The interviewee shared that they typically work from 7 AM to 7 PM from Monday to Friday, with half days on Saturdays and potentially full days on Sundays. They expressed a desire to have at least one full day off each week. The interviewee also mentioned that having a child can significantly change one's priorities and force them to delegate tasks. If they had more time, they would focus on personal interests, such as going to the gym, spending more time with family, and working on their hobbies. The least favorite part of their process is planning and coming up with video topics. A potential solution to this could be taking on a producer role to help brainstorm ideas and train someone else to do the same. The interviewee also shared an anecdote about a dedicated subscriber who accurately predicted the success of their videos based on the like ratio, highlighting the importance of paying attention to audience engagement.
Utilizing fan expertise for content improvement: Recognizing and utilizing fan strengths can lead to improved content, increased efficiency, and a sustainable workflow. Outsourcing tasks to dedicated individuals, even with day jobs, can result in better results.
Leveraging the skills and passion of dedicated fans can significantly enhance the productivity and success of a content creation team. A 15-year-old fan, for instance, was able to analyze video performance and provide valuable insights based on likes and editing techniques. By recognizing and utilizing his strengths, the team was able to improve their content and workflow. Moreover, the importance of outsourcing tasks, such as editing, to a dedicated and passionate individual, even if they have a day job, can lead to better results and a more sustainable workflow. This approach not only saves time but also allows the team to focus on their core strengths and creative vision. By finding the right fit and trusting the fan's expertise, the team was able to create a mutually beneficial relationship that led to improved content and increased efficiency.
Staying Competitive in Current Events Content Creation: Maintain a balance between staying competitive and producing quality content, consider expanding to shorter forms like TikTok, and potentially hire a producer to handle it for better mental well-being.
While keeping up with current events in content creation is important, it can also be a source of stress and competition, especially when dealing with faster creators. However, there is still value in producing such content as it often performs well within the first 24 to 48 hours and keeps viewers engaged. The decision to expand into shorter form content, like TikTok, depends on the creator's capacity and potential revenue opportunities. A producer could be hired to handle this aspect, allowing the creator to focus on their main channel and maintain their mental well-being. Ultimately, it's essential to find a balance between staying competitive and maintaining quality while also considering the unique value that each creator brings to their audience.
Expanding reach and audience engagement: Collaborating on short-form content can lead to significant growth, but requires careful planning and customization to maintain quality and avoid overwhelming creators.
Collaborating on short-form content, such as TikToks or YouTube Shorts, can be beneficial for expanding reach and audience engagement. However, it requires careful planning and customization to maintain the quality of the content and avoid overwhelming the creator's capacity. The potential value of building exposure on these platforms, even if it's through repurposed content, can lead to significant growth in the long run. Ultimately, the decision to invest time and resources into short-form content creation depends on the creator's goals, capacity, and audience engagement.
Stand out in job applications with a 60-second video: Create a vertical video introducing yourself and why you're the best fit for the job to increase chances of getting hired
Creating an authentic and engaging video application can significantly increase your chances of getting hired, especially when applying for roles in media or content creation. During the discussion, the importance of shooting videos vertically and creating a captivating title for your application was emphasized. Instead of sending a traditional resume, applicants were encouraged to make a 60-second video introducing themselves and explaining why they should be hired. This unconventional approach not only sets applicants apart but also allows potential employers to assess their communication skills, creativity, and enthusiasm for the role. By following this advice, you may stand out in a competitive job market and increase your chances of getting hired.
Test trading strategies with public brokerages: Public brokerages offer lower risks for testing trading strategies due to lower minimum deposits and commissions, and provide access to research tools and educational resources.
That using a public brokerage account for trading, such as NC Public Trades, offers the advantage of allowing individuals to test their trading strategies and profiles without the risk of significant financial consequences. This is because public brokerages often have lower minimum deposits and trade commissions compared to private brokerages. This allows traders to experiment with different investment strategies and learn from their mistakes in a relatively low-risk environment. Additionally, public brokerages often provide access to a variety of research tools and educational resources, which can help traders improve their knowledge and skills. Overall, using a public brokerage account is a great way for individuals to gain experience and confidence in the stock market before moving on to more significant investments.