Meet The Most Interesting Person In New York City | Elliot Choy

Podcast Summary

• Filling a content gap leads to viral success: Providing authentic, informative content in an engaging way, especially when addressing a content gap, can attract a large audience on YouTube.

  Creating engaging content, even if it's a simple and ordinary day, can lead to viral success on YouTube. The speaker, who gained over 50,000 subscribers in just two months, did so by focusing on providing authentic and informative content in his "day in the life" video at Vanderbilt University. At the time, there was a lack of well-produced content showcasing college life, especially for high school students looking for information. By addressing this gap and providing a detailed and varied look into his day, the speaker was able to attract a large audience. Additionally, having prior experience creating content, even if it didn't initially succeed, helped him improve and eventually find success.

• A viral video in college changed the interviewee's clout and career path: Going viral on social media can lead to increased influence on campus and unexpected career opportunities, potentially altering one's career goals

  The power of going viral on social media can significantly impact an individual's college experience and future career choices. The interviewee shared how a video he made in college went viral, leading to increased clout on campus and unexpected opportunities. Initially applying to Ivy League schools but mostly state schools, the interviewee's video gained over 10,000 views in the first week, a significant increase from his previous videos. Although his peers didn't recognize him on campus, the next freshman classes had all seen the video, making him a topic of curiosity. The interverewe's college major was business, and initially, he planned to pursue investment banking or consulting. However, the success of his YouTube channel led him to reconsider his career path. Consulting, a buzzword that can mean various things, was a mystery to him, but he realized it wasn't for him. The turning point came when he made a viral video and saw the potential revenue from AdSense, making him realize he could make a comparable income from YouTube as from a consulting or finance job. The interviewee's story highlights the impact of social media on personal branding and the potential for unexpected opportunities that can change the course of one's career.

• Collaboration and learning from peers boosts content creation success: Collaborating with peers and learning from their experiences can lead to viral success in content creation. Influential YouTubers inspired a creator to make a viral video, resulting in significant financial gains.

  The power of collaboration and learning from peers can significantly influence content creation and lead to viral success. The speaker, Elliott, was inspired by a group chat with influential YouTubers, including Jimmy, MrBeast, and Ryan, to make a video with 10 million views. Elliott met Ryan through a conference and was invited to join the group chat. In the chat, they discussed video ideas, thumbnails, and provided feedback to each other. Elliott's viral video was a Harvard day in the life video where he gave away iPhones. He was influenced by the success of similar videos and combined the two ideas. Elliott had a small budget and put all his savings into the video, which ended up making over $100,000. The success of the video brought him an unprecedented financial windfall, and the experience was akin to winning the lottery. Despite the financial success, Elliott did not want to repeat the same formula and instead focused on making videos about his life and sharing his perspective. The group chat, although now defunct, played a significant role in Elliott's viral success by providing him with inspiration, feedback, and a network of peers to learn from.

• Balancing new and existing audience: Adaptability and determination are crucial in maintaining a sustainable YouTube career, even after viral success. Keeping existing viewers engaged while attracting new ones requires a balance.

  Even when creators experience viral success, they may still face challenges in maintaining their audience and monetizing their channel. The speaker, for instance, gained 400,000 subscribers from a viral video but later pivoted back to vlogging, which kept his existing audience engaged. He went full-time on YouTube when his earnings matched those of a corporate job. Initially, his parents were skeptical, but over time, they became supportive. His content now consists mostly of day-in-the-life vlogs, showcasing his experiences in New York City. The key here is finding a balance between attracting new viewers and keeping existing ones engaged. Despite the initial shock of viral success, the creator's determination and adaptability allowed him to build a sustainable career on YouTube.

• Transitioning from college life to content creation career: Creating engaging lifestyle content on social media can lead to a successful career, but requires constant effort to keep audience interested and adapt to trends.

  Creating and sharing lifestyle content on social media platforms can lead to a successful and fulfilling career, but it comes with challenges and sacrifices. The speaker shares her experience of transitioning from creating content about her college life to creating content about being a content creator itself. She acknowledges the need to constantly make her life interesting for her audience and the influence of trends in content creation. The speaker also expresses her admiration for the personal and long-form style of content, but acknowledges that fast-paced content with challenges still dominates. She attributes her dedicated audience to the personal nature of her videos and the connection she is able to build with them. The speaker also mentions Short Form as a tool for understanding complex topics efficiently, saving valuable time.

• Building genuine connections with YouTube viewers: Creating personal videos and open communication can help foster a strong bond between YouTubers and their audience, leading to a loyal fanbase.

  Creating a genuine and personal connection with viewers through YouTube can lead to a strong bond between the creator and their audience. This connection can make viewers feel like they're more than just fans, but rather friends. The use of personal videos and open communication can help foster this relationship. Viewers are highly emotionally intelligent and can sense when a creator is being genuine or not. Creators' income from YouTube can be extremely variable, with sources including AdSense, brand deals, and merchandise sales. Despite the unpredictability, opportunities for growth and collaboration keep coming.

• Being genuine and authentic strengthens creator-audience bond: Creators can build stronger bonds with their audience by being genuine and honest about their financial situation, and reducing distractions by using a black and white phone screen.

  Authenticity is key when it comes to building and maintaining a relatable online presence, especially for creators. While making more money or having flashy possessions can be risks in appearing out of touch, being genuine and honest about one's financial situation can actually strengthen the bond between creators and their audience. Additionally, having a black and white phone screen can help reduce distractions and keep one focused, although it may not be ideal for certain tasks like studying colorful YouTube thumbnails or taking photos. Ultimately, the goal is to be true to oneself and maintain a relatable and authentic online persona.

• Exploring the impact of black and white thumbnails on video views: Using black and white thumbnails can enhance visual contrast and potentially boost video views. Be cautious of excessive time spent on social media platforms for productivity's sake.

  Experimenting with black and white thumbnails for video content can help increase visual contrast and potentially attract more views. However, excessive use of social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube can lead to significant time consumption, which may negatively impact productivity. The conversation also touched upon the popularity of content that involves interacting with strangers, such as Humans of New York and asking money-related questions on TikTok. This format has gained traction recently, and it could be an effective way to generate unique and engaging content. Additionally, it was suggested that trying this approach on Fremont Street at night on weekends could yield interesting results. Despite the potential benefits, it's essential to be mindful of the time spent on social media and strive for a healthy balance.

• Asking people about their net worth during the day and night: Creating compelling content requires effort, creativity, and resilience, even when facing challenges like anxiety or security issues.

  Creating engaging content can be challenging but rewarding. The speaker shared his experience of asking people about their net worth during the day and night, and how the interactions varied greatly. He also discussed the idea of making up facts or asking wild questions to gather interesting responses. However, he mentioned that approaching people to ask questions was difficult for him and led to a lot of anxiety. Despite the challenges, he emphasized the importance of persistence and spending sufficient time to gather a wide range of responses. The speaker also shared an experience where he got into trouble with security for filming without permission, but he remained calm and resolved the issue. Overall, his takeaway is that creating compelling content requires effort, creativity, and resilience.

• Creating Compelling Content: Pushing Boundaries and Collaborating: Dedication, creativity, and a willingness to adapt and learn from challenges are key to creating compelling content. Pushing boundaries and collaborating can lead to unique experiences and opportunities, but ethical considerations are important.

  Creating engaging and consistent content, like Ryan Trahan's penny challenge, can be a challenging but rewarding experience. Pushing boundaries and approaching strangers for interactions or sales can be difficult, but it can lead to unique and entertaining content for viewers. Sponsorships and collaborations can also provide resources and opportunities for content creators. However, it's important to consider the potential downsides and ethical implications of such arrangements. Ultimately, creating compelling content requires dedication, creativity, and a willingness to adapt and learn from challenges.

• Creators Share Experiences of Living in a Collaborative Creator House: Creator houses offer a unique and organic environment for friends to create content together, fostering creativity and fun.

  The creators in this conversation are part of a collaborative living situation, which they refer to as a "creator house." This house is not sponsored by brands or companies, but rather a living space for friends who make content together. The creators shared their experiences of living in a creator house, both in their current living arrangement and a previous one in Los Angeles. They emphasized the organic and fun nature of creating content in such an environment. Despite some miscommunications during the conversation, it's clear that the creator house provides a unique and valuable experience for the creators involved.

• The Price of Creating Engaging Content in NYC: Creating engaging content in NYC comes with significant costs, including expenses on experiences and eating out, which are necessary investments for content creators.

  Creating engaging content, especially in a city like New York, comes with costs. The content creator in this conversation spends a significant amount of money on experiences and eating out to provide an entertaining vlog for his audience. He acknowledged that some of his previous criticisms towards another person's spending were unwarranted, as the cost is just the price of doing business in his line of work. The creator also shared that he tries to balance his content creation with meetings, planning, and operational tasks, making every day unique and full of various activities. Despite the busy schedule, he still manages to maintain a normal routine of eating out for most meals, which adds to his expenses. Overall, creating content for a large audience requires dedication, time, and resources, and sometimes, the costs are necessary to deliver an engaging experience.

• Finding Efficiency and Cost Savings in Everyday Life: Replacing cooking at home with Chipotle meals and overnight oats saves time and reduces food waste. Chipotle catering and promotions can lead to additional cost savings.

  Finding efficiency and convenience in everyday life can lead to significant cost savings and improved productivity. The speaker, Jack, shares his experience of replacing cooking at home with meals from Chipotle and overnight oats, leading to less food waste and time saved. Alex Ramosi's accountant's discovery of his frequent Chipotle orders inspired him to try Chipotle catering, further reducing costs. Graham's routine involves planning and filming videos for multiple channels daily, demonstrating the importance of productivity and organization. The conversation also touches on various promotions, such as Chipotle catering and Olive Garden's all-you-can-eat pasta offer, emphasizing the potential benefits of taking advantage of such opportunities. Overall, the discussion highlights the importance of finding effective solutions to daily challenges and making the most of available resources.

• Finding Consistency in Content Creation: To stay competitive, creators must constantly adapt and provide fresh content while also catering to their audience's interests.

  Consistency is key in content creation, but finding new and engaging topics becomes increasingly challenging as the market becomes more competitive. The speaker started with one video a week, but soon found himself producing up to 12, feeling the pressure to keep up with the competition. He now produces 7 videos a week, but even repeating topics is necessary as not all viewers watch every video. Coming up with fresh ideas is a constant struggle, and the speaker now focuses more on what viewers want to see rather than his own interests. In the beginning, he saw a gap in the market and filled it, but now the focus is on growing and adapting to the changing landscape of content creation.

• Exploring your unique strengths and passions on YouTube: To succeed on YouTube, focus on discovering your unique strengths and passions, rather than imitating popular content. Balance consistency and creativity, maintain patience, and continuously learn.

  Finding success on YouTube involves a deep self-exploration process to identify your unique strengths and passions, rather than simply trying to imitate what's popular. The interviewee shares their personal experience of experimenting with various video formats and feeling the need to constantly innovate and grow. They also mention the importance of balance between consistency and creativity, and the challenge of maintaining a creative output while working with an editor. Lastly, they emphasize the importance of patience and continuous learning, especially for young creators with many opportunities ahead.

• Understanding Priorities and Values in Pursuing Success: Recognize what drives you, prioritize enjoyment and experiences, seek encouragement, and strike a balance between growth and self-care.

  There's a common feeling of urgency and the need to make the most of opportunities, especially in creative careers. Some people may see the pursuit of success as a race against time, while others may prioritize enjoyment and experiences over constant productivity. It's essential to understand what's important to oneself and make decisions based on those priorities. However, it's also important to recognize the value of encouragement and support from others in pushing oneself towards growth and success. The speaker emphasizes the importance of knowing what drives us and staying true to those priorities, as everyone's journey is unique. The conversation also touched upon the idea that there may be a point of diminishing returns, where life experience and personal growth become more valuable than continuing to pursue opportunities at all costs. Ultimately, it's crucial to strike a balance between pushing oneself and taking care of one's well-being.

• Finding Balance in Personal Growth and Enjoying Life: Understand personal priorities, value quality work, avoid distractions, reflect on values, and find balance between growth and enjoyment.

  Everyone has unique potential and priorities, and it's essential to find a balance between personal growth and enjoying life. The speaker shares her experience of pushing people to work hard and achieve success but realizing that not everyone shares the same priorities. She also reflects on the importance of quality work over long hours and the need to avoid wasting time on distractions. The speaker acknowledges the importance of self-reflection and understanding one's personality type and values to live a fulfilling life. She encourages dedication to personal growth but also emphasizes the importance of experiencing life and finding a balance between work and personal interests. Ultimately, living a good life is about being aligned with one's values and actions.

• Desirable Lifestyle in Vegas: Absence of Traffic, Affordable Cost, Friendly Community, and Favorable Weather: The speaker values experiences and has learned a lot about themselves in New York, particularly in dealing with personal relationships and navigating business and living situations. Despite enjoying the desirable lifestyle in Vegas, they plan to spend their twenties in New York for personal growth.

  Vegas offers a desirable lifestyle for some people due to its lack of traffic, affordable cost of living, friendly community, and favorable weather. The speaker particularly enjoys the absence of traffic and the affordable sushi, and appreciates the friendly neighbors and lack of traffic congestion. However, the speaker is open to the idea of living elsewhere, including New York, which they believe offers unique experiences that can help individuals learn about themselves. The speaker grew up in Los Angeles and has also lived in Santa Monica and New York, and plans to spend their twenties in New York for personal growth. The speaker values experiences and has learned a lot about themselves in New York, particularly in dealing with personal relationships and navigating business and living situations. The speaker's process for making and uploading videos involves planning out a day and bringing a camera along, and includes a talking segment to build audience relationship.

• Creators' Approaches to Producing Content: Creators like Shelby Church prioritize authenticity by using their own footage and speaking directly to their audience, while others rely on stock footage and voiceovers. Church also emphasized the importance of staying true to one's style and not being afraid to experiment.

  The creators' approach to producing content varies greatly. While some creators rely heavily on stock footage and voiceovers, others prefer using their own footage and speaking directly to their audience. Shelby Church is an example of a creator who has amassed a large collection of her own b-roll, as she believes it adds authenticity to her content. Church also mentioned that she has trained herself not to care about judgment from others, which has helped her in her creative pursuits. Another challenge she mentioned from the book "4 Hour Workweek" was maintaining eye contact with someone until they looked away, which she found uncomfortable but also a valuable experience. Overall, the creators emphasized the importance of staying true to one's style and not being afraid to experiment and push boundaries.

• Using props and making eye contact for effective communication: Using props like lollipops or popsicles can boost confidence during public speaking, while making eye contact helps build rapport. Practice these skills and follow people on social media to expand your network and knowledge.

  Using props like a lollipop or a popsicle can help individuals feel more confident and less uncomfortable when asking questions in public settings. Eye contact is also a crucial aspect of effective communication and building rapport with others. Practicing these skills can lead to significant improvements in one's ability to engage in public conversations. Additionally, following people on social media and taking advantage of offers, such as free stock, can help expand one's network and knowledge base. Overall, the discussion emphasized the importance of confidence-building techniques and active engagement in public interactions.