School of Hard Knocks Podcast

Episode: Adley Kinsman | How She Went From Broke Creator to Running One of the Internet’s Biggest Media Machines
Date: October 15, 2025
Host: James, with Jack and Josh
Guest: Adley Kinsman

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features Adley Kinsman, one of the internet's most-watched creators, who went from bankruptcy after a failed record deal to running a media empire with 1.3 billion monthly views. The interview dives into her journey, secrets to engineering viral content, building a resilient mindset, monetizing at massive scale, and her advice for up-and-coming creators and entrepreneurs.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Adley’s Origin Story: From Bankruptcy to Billion-View Creator

• Early Journey: Started in music, appeared on "The Voice," but signed a “terrible” record deal leading to bankruptcy.
• Mindset During Hardship:

  “I think one of the biggest things we all have to protect is that belief in ourselves. You have to be your own biggest cheerleader, and then eventually other people will catch on.” — Adley (02:06)

• Breakthrough Moment: Authentic content was the turning point. Her viral “chickens in a bathtub” video got 19 million views overnight and 100,000 followers after a moment of creative desperation.

  “I hate that my back had to be against the wall... when I was myself...that is what resonated with people.” — Adley (18:51)

Timestamp Highlights:
[01:52] – The Voice experience and signing the bad record deal
[04:31] – How Adley ended up auditioning for The Voice
[18:22] – The story behind her first viral Facebook video

2. Lessons Learned: Business, Partnerships, and Creator Mindset

• Bad Deals and Red Flags:

  “I signed away commercial rights to my name for life. It’s a bad deal. I own nothing...I regret nothing because it made me scrappy real fast.” — Adley (06:56)

• Advice on Partnerships: Hold out as long as possible before giving up control or equity; always have fair outs.
• Entrepreneur vs. College Degree:
  College offers some value but is less relevant for hands-on entrepreneurial growth and learning through failure.

  “How expensive is that to just, like, have a training ground for social behavior?” — Adley (11:37)

Timestamp Highlights:
[06:56] – Record deal advice and red flags
[11:37] – College as an expensive social training ground

3. Engineering Virality: Adley’s Formula and Playbook

• Virality Is Not Luck:

  “You can literally engineer virality...We never make a video without knowing exactly what we want this comment section to look like.” — Adley (00:07, 31:54) “It’s not luck. There’s a formula.” — Adley (32:14)

• Deliberate Planting of Elements: Small, intentional details can turn a 1M-view video into a 10M+ hit.
• Repeatable Method:
  • 5, 6, 30 Method: Pick 5 interests, make 6 videos in each, post over 30 days without overanalyzing, then double down on what's working (22:53–24:27).
  • Quantity breeds quality – aim for 100 “bad” videos to find your voice and build skill; iteration is essential.

Notable Quotes

“That is the only way through. That is the rite of passage...You have at least 100 bad videos in there.” — Adley (25:42)

Timestamps

[22:53] – 5,6,30 method for new creators
[31:54] – Intentionally engineering viral comment sections

4. Platforms & Monetization: Facebook, Brand, and Business Building

• Unsung Power of Facebook:

  “Facebook all day. I’m the most viewed female producer in Facebook and/or Meta and Snapchat history.” — Adley (21:25) “A single video doing over a quarter million bucks that took us less than an hour to make.” — Adley (21:45)

• From Volume to Quality: As you grow, pivot from posting 18 times a day to focusing on high-probability bangers.
• Brand Over Product: Audience comes first. Avoid building a product before you understand and serve your audience’s real demand.

Notable Quotes

“Most influencers are broke. A lot of them are. And it’s because they don’t understand the business side of media.” — Host (53:16)

Timestamps

[21:44] – Financial results from viral Facebook videos
[53:16] – Transition from creator to business owner

5. Personal Brand: Multidimensional Content & Relatability

• Create Widely; Niche Later:

  “Go as wide as you possibly can. And then you can niche down and do whatever the heck you want.” — Adley (30:26)

• Relatability Over Status: Don’t lose sight of the core audience as success grows—audiences want creators who feel accessible.

Case Study

• Brian Mark: Went from $6M to $10M by showing more sides of his personality, not just business coaching (28:44).

Timestamps

[28:44] – Case study: Broadening content pillars increases business
[37:22] – Relatability is the key to a lasting personal brand

6. Dealing with Algorithm Changes & Plateaus

• It’s Not (Just) the Algorithm:

  “They always like to say, oh, I’m shadow banned. Or the algorithm changed...It’s not the content. Never the content.” — Adley (00:19, 43:22)

• Audience-First Creation: You don’t make what you want; you make what the audience wants.
• Objective Feedback: Remove ego when evaluating your own content—assume most viewers don’t know you yet (45:39).

Timestamps

[43:16] – Algorithm vs. content quality
[45:39] – “Stop making the assumption that people know who the fuck you are.”

7. Metrics, Data, and Research

• Watch Time is Everything:

  “It is watch time.” — Adley (49:37)

• Continuous Research:

  “About an hour a day. You are always a student. What worked six months ago...doesn’t work today.” — Adley (36:15)

• Retention Graphs & Details: Analyzing the first few seconds, anchoring tactics, iterative improvements matter.

Timestamps

[36:15] – Importance of ongoing study and market research
[49:37] – The importance of watch time and completion rate

8. Scaling & Future Trends in Media

• Private Communities and UGC: Predicts a rise in small, engaged private communities, and brand partnerships with creators as in-house faces (67:12).
• Globalization and the Micro-Creator:

  “The rise of the micro creator in these small subsets of communities, in private communities ... making fantastic money.” — Adley (70:50)

• Mergers and Acquisitions: Expect more big media and brands to buy creator-led companies for their community, content, and commerce ecosystems (73:22).

Timestamps

[67:12] – Monetization paths for up-and-coming creators
[73:22] – Big brands and media companies investing in creator brands
[75:50] – Shoppable media and interactive “algorithmic” shopping

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mindset:

  “You have to have a little bit of delusion, I think, to be an entrepreneur.” — Adley (02:06)

• On Platform Consistency:

  “We have over 75 videos that have over 100 million views.” — Adley (32:18)

• On Relentless Action:

  “You just can’t get discouraged if it’s not working out. You just keep reiterating.” — Hosts (25:35)

• On Virality:

  “You want to make your content as if, if a complete stranger were to see your content, would they be inclined to save or share that video?” — Host (44:50)

Guidance & Advice for Creators

• If you’re starting out:

  • Don’t analyze endlessly—experiment with multiple content buckets and post daily for a month (5, 6, 30 method)
  • Be authentic; prioritize experimentation over perfection
  • Build audience first, monetize later—avoid “pitch fatigue” or a constant sales approach
  • Be data-driven, not ego-driven—let the numbers, not your preferences, decide what works

• On Legacy and Guiding Principles:

  • “It is not how good you are today...it is 100% how good you want to be. You have to have a vision to see past your current circumstances.” — Adley (76:57)
  • “I hope that...I made them feel more confident...that me and the way that I live my life could be representation of what is possible.” — Adley (77:59)

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Highlight | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:52-04:31 | Adley’s backstory, bankruptcy, and mindset | | 06:56 | Bad record deal and business lessons | | 18:22-19:09 | The viral chicken video: accidental breakthrough | | 22:53-24:27 | The beginner’s playbook: 5, 6, 30 method | | 28:44-30:22 | How multi-dimensional content scaled another brand | | 31:54-32:18 | Adley’s “engineered virality” philosophy | | 36:15 | On researching virality and market trends | | 43:22-44:50 | Addressing algorithm myths; content has to serve the audience | | 49:37-50:32 | Critical metrics: Watch Time and Quantity vs. Quality | | 53:16-54:04 | Creators vs. business people; turning content into revenue | | 67:12 | Monetization for new creators: private community and UGC roles | | 70:50 | Future trends: micro-communities, internationalization, and verticals | | 73:22-75:13 | Corporate media owning creator brands | | 75:50 | The future: shoppable media and evolving content commerce | | 76:57-77:59 | Adley’s guiding principle and legacy |

Summary: For Those Who Haven’t Listened

This episode is a must for creators and entrepreneurs aiming for massive scale in today’s digital landscape. Adley Kinsman offers an unfiltered and hyper-practical look at her climb from musical bankruptcy to operating one of social media’s most profitable and influential networks. She emphasizes engineered virality, relentless experimentation, actionable frameworks, audience-first brand-building, and matching content strategy to evolving algorithms and business models. Adley and the hosts stress not only the critical lessons of hard knocks but also why authenticity, adaptability, and understanding what your audience wants—over what you want—are non-negotiable for lasting success.

Memorable Moment:

“You have to have vision and make it up if you have to. But tell yourself that your vision is huge and who you are today has no indication on who you’re going to be in the future if you change and your actions will align because you will resonate.” — Adley (76:57)

Listen if you want:

• A detailed, honest roadmap to viral content and sustainable business
• Insights into the future of creator-driven media and monetization
• Inspiration on overcoming adversity and forging an authentic path