Is daily vlogging too saturated to succeed in 2016-2017?

Yes, the daily vlogging space is considered saturated and difficult to stand out in. However, opportunities exist in 'specific life daily vlogging,' focusing on unique professions or locations that offer a glimpse into an uncommon lifestyle.

How can YouTubers maintain healthy relationships with the time commitment required for vlogging?

Shay Carl suggests actively practicing 'love as a verb' by serving your partner, remembering courtship behaviors, and being mindful of the annoying idiosyncrasies that vlogging can highlight. He also notes that the therapeutic aspect of self-examination through vlogging can be beneficial if approached consciously.

What is the future of ad revenue and sponsorships for content creators?

The future is uncertain, but word-of-mouth and engagement are becoming more valuable than just views. Creators should focus on building trust and only promoting brands they genuinely love to maintain audience value.

Is discussing personal struggles like alcoholism healing?

Yes, Shay Carl states that talking about weaknesses and fears is ultimately therapeutic and can lead to significant leaps in personal happiness. He recommends writing down fears as a practice before sharing them verbally.

How can I become a better storyteller on YouTube?

Shay Carl emphasizes the importance of details and emotion, including backstory and motivation, in storytelling. He believes it's a learned ability that improves with consistent practice, similar to developing a muscle or gaining expertise over 10,000 hours.

How has money changed Shay Carl, and what are his financial principles?

Shay Carl states that money has provided freedom rather than changing his core self. He adheres to Dave Ramsey's principles, avoids debt, pays cash, and emphasizes saving 10% of income ('pay yourself first') as taught in 'The Richest Man in Babylon'.

What is the best way to overcome self-doubt?

Overcoming doubt is an ongoing battle, often stemming from upbringing. Shay Carl suggests practicing 'fake it till you make it,' holding onto hope (like in 'Shawshank Redemption'), recognizing limited time to encourage proactivity, and viewing failures as stepping stones.

Key Moments

Shay Carl Returns (Full Episode) | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)

Tim Ferriss

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Shay Carl discusses YouTube growth, vlogging challenges, finding unique content, and overcoming self-doubt with Tim Ferriss.

Key Insights

Starting a YouTube channel from scratch in 2016/2017 requires understanding unique niches rather than general vlogging due to oversaturation.

While ad revenue per view is low, brand sponsorships are valuable due to the trust creators build with their audience.

Daily vlogging can strain relationships, but self-reflection and prioritizing love as a verb (service to others) is crucial.

Financial freedom, not just wealth, was the initial motivator for Shay's YouTube career; he emphasizes responsible financial habits like saving.

Overcoming self-doubt often involves acknowledging its roots in upbringing, practicing 'fake it till you make it,' and focusing on hope and action.

Storytelling skills are developed through practice, attention to detail, and conveying emotion and backstory to engage an audience.

NAVIGATING YOUTUBE'S EVOLVING LANDSCAPE

Shay Carl reflects on the difficulty of recreating his early YouTube success, attributing it partly to being ahead of the curve. He acknowledges that while the daily vlogging space is now oversaturated and challenging for marketers to package, there's still untapped potential in niche-specific daily vlogs. Creators can stand out by showcasing unique aspects of their lives, work, or location, leveraging the inherent 'voyeurism' that draws viewers to observe different experiences. He advises aspiring YouTubers to study the techniques of successful creators, such as annotation use and description formatting, as effective marketing strategies.

THE IMPACT OF CONTENT CREATION ON RELATIONSHIPS

Addressing the strain daily vlogging can place on personal relationships, Shay emphasizes that this challenge isn't exclusive to content creators but can be amplified by constant exposure. He suggests that vlogging can paradoxically be therapeutic, offering a mirror for self-examination of one's own quirks and behaviors. For non-vloggers and creators alike, he stresses the importance of 'love as a verb,' advocating for active service, kindness, and fulfilling promises within relationships, much like the efforts made when first pursuing a partner. Remembering these actions is key to maintaining a healthy connection.

FUTURE OF MONETIZATION AND BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

Shay confirms that traditional ad revenue (CPM) often yields very low earnings per view, making it unsustainable for many creators. He highlights brand sponsorships as a more lucrative alternative, explaining that advertisers value the trust and direct relationship creators have with their audiences. This form of promotion is akin to powerful word-of-mouth marketing. He cautions creators to maintain this value by partnering only with brands they genuinely believe in, to avoid alienating their audience and protect their credibility. Engagement metrics, beyond just views, are becoming increasingly important for advertisers.

SHARING VULNERABILITIES AND PERSONAL HEALING

Discussing the experience of opening up about past alcoholism on Tim Ferriss's podcast, Shay describes it as a profoundly healing and releasing practice. He notes that sharing fears and weaknesses, while initially nerve-wracking, ultimately leads to personal growth and increased happiness. He recommends writing down fears on paper and destroying it as a preliminary step for those not ready to share publicly. This process of externalizing and confronting difficult emotions can be cathartic, even without immediate external validation, and he found significant positive feedback from his confession.

DEVELOPING STORYTELLING SKILLS

Shay views storytelling as an innate ability that can be honed through practice, akin to developing a muscle. Rooted in childhood experiences listening to his grandfather, he emphasizes the importance of details, emotional context, and backstory to make a narrative engaging. He believes that effective storytellers help audiences become present in different situations by conveying passion and reading subtext. He likens this to Malcolm Gladwell's concept of expertise gained through 10,000 hours of practice, suggesting that consistent communication and storytelling efforts are key to improvement.

THE TRUE MEANING OF FINANCIAL FREEDOM

Shay clarifies that while money has facilitated his career longevity, his primary motivation was never wealth accumulation itself, but rather freedom from traditional work constraints. He recounts that even after becoming a millionaire, his daily life with his family remained largely unchanged, underscoring that money amplifies one's existing nature. He advocates for financial discipline similar to Dave Ramsey's principles, emphasizing paying cash for everything and saving 10% of income, a habit learned from books like 'The Richest Man in Babylon.' This approach, he suggests, enables financial security and freedom regardless of initial income level.

CONFRONTING DOUBT AND EMBRACING HOPE

Shay acknowledges that self-doubt is a persistent battle, often stemming from upbringing and personal struggles carried from formative years. There's no single trick to overcome it; it requires conscious effort, a 'fake it till you make it' mentality, and a proactive stance. He draws inspiration from 'The Shawshank Redemption,' emphasizing the power of hope in overcoming darkness and difficult circumstances. He suggests that recognizing our limited time and the pain of regret can spur us to action, encouraging listeners to view failures as learning opportunities and to simply 'grit through it'.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●Books

●People Referenced

Shay Carl's Advice for Aspiring YouTubers

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Look at what successful YouTubers are doing and mimic their techniques (annotations, descriptions, intros).

Find a unique niche or aspect of your life to vlog about, even seemingly mundane jobs.

Focus on details and emotion when telling stories to make them engaging.

Practice storytelling consistently, recognizing it as a skill that improves with time (like Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000-hour rule).

Apply the '50/10/20' rule: 50% for needs, 10% for savings, 20% for spending, considering 10% for tithing/charity if applicable.

Live by the principle 'pay yourself first' by saving 10% of all income.

Practice overcoming doubt by faking confidence ('fake it till you make it') and holding onto hope.

View failures as stepping stones and remember that life is finite, encouraging proactive action.

For relationships, practice 'love is a verb' by actively serving your partner.

For vulnerability, try writing down fears and frustrations, then destroying the writing, to practice without judgment.

Avoid This

Don't worry if you weren't 'ahead of the curve' when starting on YouTube; focus on current opportunities.

Don't expect traditional daily vlogging to be easily marketed or packaged for advertisers.

Don't do brand deals for products you don't genuinely love or believe in, as it erodes audience trust.

Don't be afraid to talk about weaknesses or fears; it can be therapeutic and lead to personal growth.

Don't disregard the importance of upbringing on self-doubt and personal struggles.

Don't let money change your core values; be conscious of its influence and strive to use it for good.

Don't borrow money; pay cash for everything and cut up credit cards to avoid the 'rat race'.

Common Questions

Shay Carl believes that while being 'ahead of the curve' was an advantage in the past, it's still possible to build a business on YouTube today by understanding marketing, finding unique niches, and focusing on audience engagement rather than just views.

Topics

Goal Setting Mindset & Self-Improvement Business & Entrepreneurship Career Advice Personal Finance Relationship Advice Overcoming Fear Content Monetization Career & Skills Youtube Creation Storytelling Techniques

Mentioned in this video

People

Corey Williams

The real name of the YouTuber known as Mr. Safety, who vlogs from Alaska.

Lisia Mau English

The questioner who asked about the emotional experience of discussing alcoholism on the podcast.

Amy Gilligan

The questioner who asked how money has changed Shay Carl.

Tony Lucas

The questioner asking if one could rebuild YouTube success from scratch without prior advantage.

Corbin Smith

The questioner who asked about the saturation of the daily vlogger space.

Dave Ramsey

Financial expert whose principles Shay Carl still follows, such as not borrowing money and paying cash.

Steven Spielberg

A celebrity who has appeared alongside Shay Carl and his family in videos.

Oprah Winfrey

Mentioned as a reference point for sharing a personal story (an 'Oprah story').

Tim Ferriss

The host of the podcast, introducing the episode and discussing his new book, 'Tools of Titans'.

Tim McGee

The questioner who asked for a two-week curriculum on improving YouTube storytelling.

Malcolm Gladwell

Author whose book discusses the 10,000-hour rule for becoming an expert.

Thomas Owen

The questioner who asked Shay Carl for advice on overcoming doubt.

Glenn Plake

A skier whose activities Shay Carl would search for on YouTube.

Alexander Coffee

The questioner who asked about the impact of vlogging on relationships and methods for dealing with it.

Philip DeFranco

A YouTuber whose communication and delivery style impressed Shay Carl.

Companies

Joe's Crab Shack

An example business used to illustrate the power of word-of-mouth advertising.

McDonald's

Mentioned as an example of a job with a unique experience (hash brown cook) that could be vlogged.

Reebok

Mentioned as an example of a large company that pays influencers for brand promotion.

Wealthfront

A set-it-and-forget-it investing service using software, with a focus on making services for the ultra-wealthy accessible at a lower cost.

Disney

Acquired Maker Studios for nearly $1 billion.

Maker Studios

A studio co-founded by Shay Carl that was sold to Disney for nearly $1 billion.

Nike

Mentioned as an example of a large company that pays influencers for brand promotion.

Green Day

Mentioned as an example of something Shay Carl would search for on YouTube in his early days.

Apple

Mentioned as a place where technologists leading Wealthfront came from.

Organizations

SEC

Mentioned in the context of regulations that prevent investment companies from using client testimonials.

Z103

A radio station where Shay Carl's program director mentioned that voice is like a muscle.

Software & Apps

Social Blue Book

A resource that provides a proprietary algorithm to estimate influencer pricing based on various factors beyond just views and subscribers.

Vimeo Business

A video platform offering features like VIP support, upload capacity up to 5 terabytes, team collaboration, review tools, calls to action, email capture, and viewer analytics.

SMP Films

The YouTube channel or brand associated with Corey Williams (Mr. Safety).

Locations

Silicon Valley

Referred to as a place where investors, including friends of Tim Ferriss, have significant money invested in Wealthfront.

Media

Dumb and Dumber

A movie referenced to illustrate the concept of waiting for opportunity.

Books

Tools of Titans

Tim Ferriss's new book detailing tactics, routines, and habits of billionaires, icons, and world-class performers, compiled from podcast interviews.

The Richest Man in Babylon