Podcast Summary: Life Wide Open with CboysTV – Grind Hard Plumbing Co on Going Viral From Their First Video, How They Got Their Name, & Strategy vs Luck
Episode Date: April 9, 2024
Guests: Ethan and Edwin (Grind Hard Plumbing Co)
Hosts: CboysTV (CJ, Ben, Ryan, Ken, Evan, and Micah)
Episode Overview
This episode delves deep into the rise of the Grind Hard Plumbing Co YouTube channel, exploring how the team went viral from their very first video, the quirky origin of their channel name, and the delicate interplay between strategic planning and luck in achieving online success. The conversation explores their creative process, wild builds, YouTube’s evolution, and the realities of making a living as online creators. Both teams share personal anecdotes about the early days, viral moments, the hardships of building and sustaining a YouTube business, and the importance of teamwork, creativity, and resilience.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Life in the Middle of Nowhere: The Grind Hard Setting
- Both Grind Hard and CboysTV are based in remote, rural areas surrounded by woods (02:12). The isolation fostered creativity and resourcefulness out of necessity:
“North Idaho is not an easy place for anything... It works well for you because you get four seasons, you get to live out in the middle of the woods.” — Ryan (00:24)
- Not the only YouTubers in North Idaho—Ambition Strikes, another off-grid channel, is located nearby (00:36).
2. Early Inspiration and Viral Moments
- Ethan’s first viral video was a snow cave time-lapse that garnered thousands of views from a near-zero subscriber base (04:26)
- Building a treehouse with a bike elevator led to true virality—featured globally, including on CNN and in National Geographic books, despite the pay not matching the exposure:
“As a kid, my dream job was to be a National Geographic photographer, and technically I am, because I sold them pictures of my treehouse.” — Ethan (07:47)
- The viral success enabled Ethan to build more treehouses and accept a spot on a (somewhat cringy) reality TV show (08:13, 10:22).
3. The Reality TV Experience
- TV exposure was more exploitative than authentic—termed “hick exploitation'' (13:55)—and often required faking storylines (elk hunting with dynamite, staged fishing, etc.) (11:07–12:58).
- The pay was decent for the time, but the networks overwhelmingly benefited compared to participants (13:10–13:55).
- Takeaway: YouTube allows for more creative and financial control compared to TV (14:22).
4. Founding Grind Hard Plumbing Co: From Inspiration to Execution
- Edwin’s creative background started with making music and fun videos in the MySpace era (16:45). After burning out on music, he pivoted toward YouTube, making build-style videos for the joy and creative control they afforded (19:07).
- The “lightbulb moment” was combining dirt bikes and go-karts, inspired by seeing what went viral on YouTube—knowing that standout concepts, not just skill, draw clicks (26:40–27:33).
5. The First Viral Build: Pink Mustang with Dirt Bike Engine
- Edwin bought a decrepit go-kart and a Power Wheels Mustang with his last dollars, showing full commitment (28:23).
- Ethan contributed his own beloved dirt bike for the engine—a huge leap of faith (29:24).
- Their approach: finish a wild build first, then reveal it to maximize impact for a brand-new channel—an intentional strategy for going viral (39:49–40:54).
- The initial video, posted without an established audience, quickly went viral, licensed internationally (40:09), and set their direction for future projects.
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“If you’re already famous and then you built a drift car, people seem to care... No one’s going to care about me learning how to build cars... so let’s do something insanely cool.” — Edwin (26:43)
6. Strategy vs. Luck in Going Viral
- The viral Mustang/drift kart build was both planned and lucky: “You need a little luck—the thing actually works—but it was a very strategic roll-out.” (43:08)
- Both teams discuss how luck, timing, and smart packaging (title, thumbnail, idea) all intersect for YouTube success (44:43).
- Early viral traction gave motivation and provided direction for future content (44:24).
7. The Grind Hard Name & YouTube as Career
- The name “Grind Hard Plumbing Co” came from a friend’s stomach tattoo. They tacked on “plumbing co” as a joke, not realizing the bureaucratic complications it would cause:
“The Idaho state government forces us to be insured as plumbers. Like, even camera guy.” — Edwin (91:10, also at 98:10)
- Neither founder is or was ever a licensed plumber (46:32).
- Banks and insurers don’t really “get it,” making the entertainment business a logistical headache (91:27–93:43).
8. Teamwork, Creative Process, and Channel Evolution
- Mutual trust, respect, and willingness to let each member pursue projects fuels channel sustainability (79:02–80:25).
- The addition of new team members (like Will) allows the channel to work on multiple builds simultaneously, with big projects sometimes taking up to a month per episode (80:25–80:38).
- Creative differences are minimal and usually resolved with the group’s best interests in mind (78:08–79:49).
9. YouTube’s Demands: Burnout, Mental Health, and Structured Work
- Both teams discuss the grind and risk of burnout, and the need for boundaries (61:19–63:29, 71:44–73:41).
- Ethan shares experience with depression and the importance of openly addressing mental health:
“I got on antidepressants and realized that I was actually just depressed... I was like, oh yeah, I have all the motivation again.” — Ethan (74:29)
- Structure and weekends off help keep the team energized and prevent overwork (71:38–72:21).
10. Building for YouTube: Resourcefulness & Behind the Scenes
- Rural living means trips to the store can take hours, leading to a “make do with what’s around” philosophy (31:20–31:39).
- Even with the means to buy the right part, they often choose resourcefulness for fun, creativity, and storytelling (31:39–31:58).
- Showing failures and missteps yields better engagement and relatability (62:02–62:36, 63:13–64:17).
11. Notable Builds & Notoriety
- The channel's recurring obsession with the quirky electric “Chang Le” car—“I love this little electric car more than I’ve ever loved anything. It’s just pure, joyful.” — Edwin (32:48–32:53).
- Getting on Jay Leno’s Garage:
“He doesn’t act like a famous person at all... Just passion and genuine curiosity.” — Edwin (36:16–37:19)
- Hosts recall the thrill (and terror) of driving the original Mustang kart and other wild builds—“This is a full-blown race car without any safety equipment.” — Edwin (38:00–38:19)
12. Freedom 500 Event: YouTubers Racing Together
- Both teams share stories from Cletus McFarland’s Freedom 500, including racing, epic moments, and car troubles (48:04–55:29).
- Reflections on the scale of YouTuber-produced live events and the democratization of entertainment (55:29–56:25).
13. Collaboration, Competition, and Copycats on YouTube
- The groups laugh about how multiple creators will get accused of copying each other, even when they come up with ideas independently (69:32–70:24).
- There’s recognition that YouTube’s competitive but collaborative culture helps everyone “raise the bar,” and that no one truly invents ideas in a vacuum (69:24–70:24).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On “hick exploitation” on TV:
“They call it exploitation because they go around the country and find people who don’t know what their time is worth... and a lot of reality TV shows do not pay the people that are on them.” — Ethan (14:00)
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On viral strategy:
“We have to post the video of it just done, ripping, first. Otherwise, how are we going to package our vision?... That was kind of one little strategic move that I think really paid off.” — Edwin (39:49)
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On resourcefulness and the rural grind:
“To run to the store, it’s an hour and a half roundtrip. It’s faster to just figure it out with what I have. That’s where that mentality came from.” — Ethan (31:20)
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On sustainable creativity:
“Weekends are weekends. If you want to work on channel stuff, sure, but we’re not all here obligated. You’ve got to have time for yourself...” — Ethan (71:38)
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On mental health and burnout:
“It’s just non-stop pressure to one-up yourself... It’s kind of an inherently unsustainable concept, really. So trying to make it sustainable.” — Ethan (75:10)
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On teamwork:
“That mutual understanding, no matter how our videos play out, that a decision's made with the group's best intent, always seems to win overall.” — Ryan (79:40)
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On copying and YouTube trends:
“If the Seaboys suddenly release a video, an amphibious go-kart, maybe they did copy us.” — Ethan (86:26, jokingly)
Selected Timestamps for Major Segments
- 00:24–02:13: Origins & rural backdrop
- 04:26–08:22: Early viral hits, treehouse story, National Geographic moment
- 10:21–14:22: Reality TV, “hick exploitation,” differences with YouTube
- 26:40–30:37: The build that started it all, Mustang/dirt bike kart
- 39:49–44:43: Strategy behind virality & how early success directed channel
- 46:32–47:32: The real story behind the “Plumbing Co” name
- 48:04–55:29: Freedom 500 event, racing stories
- 61:19–63:29: The grind, burnout, building a team
- 69:32–70:24: Commentary on YouTube "copycats" and collaborative evolution
- 75:10–76:32: The stress and pressure of weekly uploads, creative failures
- 91:10–93:43: Insuring the "plumbing company" and the absurdity of bureaucracy
- 95:41–96:31: Losing home insurance due to YouTube stunts
Conclusion
The episode provides an in-depth, entertaining, and candid look at the journey of Grind Hard Plumbing Co. from their first viral build to becoming well-known YouTube innovators. It’s a celebration of creative risk-taking, resourcefulness, and the camaraderie that fuels wild ideas and growth—underscored by the realities of mental health, business headaches, and the relentless pace of modern content creation. Fans and aspiring creators alike will find actionable insights, relatable struggles, and a wealth of hilarious stories behind the scenes.