A (2:59)

So after I joined VRA accelerator, it was one year, like, to the dot, like, that's right. Yeah, that was pretty much what like, you and me both were there new and we both like, worked together. And it was like you were like, in one year, you'll be monetized. And that pretty much to the day. Our last meeting was like, that was the day I got monetized. It was crazy.

B (3:19)

So what was the change? Is what I'm asking is like, because all of a sudden, long form that started to perform really well, really started to accelerate your watch hours and bring subscribers too. But if you can remember, what was the change in your content where you started to make videos that over performed when they didn't as much before?

A (3:35)

Guys, if you're in the entertainment, it's a lot harder. Like, especially when people aren't necessarily searching for your content, like tutorial videos or something, it's a little more difficult, I feel like, because you have to. You have to hook the viewer. You have to make them want to stay, you know, like Mr. Beast and stuff like that. People aren't searching for that specifically, like, can a train run off a cliff? Or whatever.

B (3:59)

Interesting search.

A (4:01)

You've got to intrigue them. And so I feel like, hey, it's like my channels, I like, sometimes I feel like, oh, my channel is just not taking off. Like it should. Like, these are good ideas, but it's like your thumbnail matters so much more than someone who's Trying to bake bread, like, it's a lot, it's a lot harder. And so you guys are gonna be in the grind a lot more. But you guys can do it because I know, I know you can like it. I've seen the results.

B (4:24)

Like, well, you've done it. Yeah, you've turned around your, your strategy, but like digging it out a little bit more because this is really good unlock, I think here that I know you had, but that maybe someone listening can have too, is when you, when you're in the entertainment niche, what you're trying to say, right, is like, it's kind of the pressure's on because really you're trying to make a video and present a video through the title and thumbnail in a way that makes it intriguing, like you said, but it's like you're trying to reach people who aren't even aware of you. You're trying to reach people who weren't even looking for you. And so the ideation process, I remember, like, dude, so many dms, back and forth audio messages, like coaching calls, trying to think through, okay, what's like the best idea and like having a list of them, you know, and then trying to rule out, okay, if I'm gonna spend a lot of time making one of these videos, like, what's the high roi? Like, which one do I go for? And I think the principle though, for everybody, whether you're entertainment or educational, is that the thumbnail still matters. Like, it still matters a whole lot and your presentation still matters a whole lot. What are some of your key ingredients for a good thumbnail?

A (5:31)

Oh, okay, yeah.

B (5:32)

Like, what would you say, like, from your own experience, what do you pay attention to now that you didn't before that you're noticing gives you an uptick and clicks.

A (5:41)

First of all, what separates a good thumbnail from a bad thumbnail? I still can't figure that out sometimes, like, why does this one, it looks so bad and yet it gets millions of views? And why does sometimes this one looks so good, but it only gets one? And I still can't figure it out. Totally. It's gotta be clickbaity to a degree, but not. But not clickbait. You know, it's gotta be intriguing enough. And especially in entertainment content, you know, if you say, if you're a cooking channel and you're doing tutorials, right, you want the best shot of the bread you can get. Like, yeah, right up there, crispy, like you've got a great. People are going to want to click on that, right? If. If it's a blurry piece of bread, that's a bad thumbnail for your specific niche, though. But as far as the LEGO entertainment, you. You've got to nail it. Like, you've got to have a. Your thumbnail is a story in itself before you even get to the story. And that's kind of what I figured out. And that's why, for me, simple is best. There's, like, three. It's got to be you, an element, and, like, a background is kind of the best way. So in my fishing pole video, which is my viral. Most viral video, it's the fishing pole, which Samuel made for me. Shout out to Samuel, thank you.

B (6:49)

Hey, Coach Sam.

A (6:51)

He. It was the fishing pole, the. The fish and the lake. That was it.

B (6:57)

That's right.

A (6:57)

It told the story. And the title was perfect. Like, it was perfect. It was like, this is what happens in the video. You click on it. That's exactly what happens in the video.

B (7:06)

And so good.

A (7:07)

Birdhouse. It's me, the birdhouse, the backyard. And you click on the video. Boom. There, there. That's what happens. So it's. It's just stuff like that. And sometimes I mess. And sometimes that's why people switch out thumbnails so much. It's like, I'm looking at. I always change my thumbnails. I'm like, this doesn't tell a great story. This just doesn't. I thought it did when I made it, and now it's not. And it's like, I don't. I'm gonna change it because I don't like it, bro.

B (7:32)

You just drop bombs there. I don't even know if you realize it. Like, the. That is great coaching, and I think most of us could sit on that for a week. Your thumbnail should tell a story. It should be the start of your. Like, not necessarily, like, the exact framing of your video, but it's like the start of your video. Like, the. Your video doesn't start at 0 seconds on the timeline in the YouTube player. It's actually at the click. You know, it's at the point of choosing to enter into your video. Okay, so that's genius when it comes to title or when it comes to thumbnail. How about titles, though? Because this is, like. This is probably the thing we go back and forth, or we did go back and forth with the most. Right? It's like DMs of like, okay, this title or this. And then, like, changing things. So when it comes to titles now, if thumbnails need to tell a Story. What. What are you learning about thumb or titles and how it complements a thumbnail? Quick behind the scenes note here. Brandon and I aren't even in the same room right now, and yet it kind of feels like we're in the same studio because we're recording this interview on Riverside, who's our partner for today's episode. If you've ever wanted to do interviews like this or start a podcast, but the part that gets in the way is the editing man. Riverside has made this whole process so much easier because it's not just a recording tool, it's a full workflow platform. For starters, you can record up to 4K with clean, separate audio and video tracks for each person. And it records locally on each person's device. Which just means if the WI fi got weird, you're not going to have to risk a reshoot. But the real win, especially if you dread editing, is their AI powered editor. You don't need complicated timelines. Just edit the text and the video instantly updates. AI can remove any filler words, it can clean up those awkward pop pauses, and it can even generate captions automatically. And their magic clips feature can even turn your best moments into clips, perfect for shorts, reels, or TikTok, all from the same dashboard. And for podcasters, Riverside can actually host and distribute your show to Spotify, to Apple, podcast, even YouTube. So instead of spending hours in complicated software, you can just finish an episode in a fraction of the time. If you want to try it, use Code Think Media at checkout for one month free of Riverside's Pro Plan link is in the description and show notes below. And again, that's Code Think Media at checkout for one month free. All right, let's get back to Brandon.

A (9:53)

I know you and me have talked about this a lot, Nathan, but, like, I feel like doubling up words, like, in your title and thumbnail. That's a big no. No. I feel like that first thing, if you don't know what to title your video, like, just don't put any of the words that you've put in your. In your thumbnail. If there are any. Yeah, I mean, like I was gonna say, I don't really like words in my thumbnails, but it depends. Sometimes you need them, sometimes you don't. That's just as long as it's not messy and I can see. See what's going on.

B (10:24)

Yeah, good point. And. And when you do put text on a thumbnail, like, you know, you said you've got kind of this rule of three for you three elements. If there is text on there, like how many words do you go up to?

A (10:36)

Not very many. Three at the most. Three words the most. At the most. You don't wan. Because here's the other thing. Like I, I put a lot of Lego in my thumbnails and now that I'm looking back, it helped my channel at the time, but now it's like, okay, well, obviously kind of go by elimination process. Like, okay, I make Lego content so I shouldn't have to put the word lego in there because I should already be portraying that in the thumbnail. Like if someone's seeing the LEGO on the thumbnail, like, I, I shouldn't have to say Lego on it because people should already know. And if they don't, then it's probably not a great thumbnail. Like, how much can you eliminate with still telling the story? Because that's what makes it the cleanest thumbnail. That's just kind of what I'm thinking now as I'm remembering the thumbnails on my channel. I'm like, I would change this. These quite a bit.

B (11:23)

Yeah, no, but that's, that's good insight because it's. You're. There's a couple things you're talking about there, which is like, that's a really good challenge. I think a lot of people when you start thumbnails on YouTube. I did, I did the exact same thing is, is stuffing, you know, like there's just. You try to put like as many words as you can and you're in even titles like super super long. And it's. That's actually, I have learned that comes from a good instinct actually, because you're trying to really communicate what's in the video actually. But the thing we forget about is dude. I mean, and you know this especially in the entertainment world, like an impression, which is the number of times that YouTube shows your video to people. I think the, like the calculation for what qualifies as a impression is if at least half of your thumbnail is shown for one second or more on somewhere like homepage anywhere. Homepage anywhere. Like that. So it's kind of like that's just what we're all up against. You know, it's like one second attention spans. We are all goldfish. It's crazy. But that's like what you're up against. And so I love what you're saying is, dude, if you just have more stuff on your thumbnail, it's more things for people to try to figure out. And the last thing you want to do is create confusion, you know, with what your video is or isn't. And so, yeah, I appreciate that. Like, it's a good. A good tactic of how much can you remove? Like, not how much you can add or maybe start there. Sure. Pile stuff on. But then how much can you remove with it? Still making sense. I think that's a really powerful tip. Yeah, go for it.

A (12:53)

Okay. I was going to say this, too. Like, I know you guys love Vidiq, but, guys, they have this new feature, the thumbnail test template thing.

B (13:02)

Okay.

A (13:03)

I use that all the time. You type in your competitors and it throws up all their thumbnails. You put yours in there and make it different. Like, okay, that's also what you can do is. I love this. Like, when I test my thumbnails, I'm always like, how does this hold up against all my competitors? And even stuff on a homepage, like, I'll. I think there's like a random homepage button on there that you can test as well. So it's like, I put my thumbnail up there. Like, okay, well, it's too simple or it's too complicated or it doesn't stick out enough. Like, those are the things you want to test and, like, for. You used to have to pay for programs like that, and now that Vidiq has that all in one, the analytics and the thumbnail, because I was paying for a separate one.

B (13:46)

It's.

A (13:46)

It's so worth it. It's so good, bro.

B (13:48)

Let's go. That's actually a really good point. And if you have not played with this tool, or if you haven't, even if you're not even aware of Vidiq, you've gotta go to vidiq.com. think. Just add a slash. Think T H I N K. You can pay $1 and get their, like, pro plan for 30 days. Pay a dollar. It unlocks everything. You can play with this thumbnail tester that Brandon is talking about. And there's a lot of other tools in there, Brandon, that we literally have used and that I still use with people as, like, outliers, right? To be able to research stuff. The keyword research, like, dude. Yeah. So if you are at all interested in trying out Vidiq, seeing what Brandon and I are talking about, I would highly encourage you go to vidiq.com think to just spend $1 and get 30 days of everything. You know, try it out, see if you think it'd help you do it. But that's a good point, because what's

A (14:36)

that I said do it. Just do it.

B (14:39)

Yeah, I know. We've used that a lot. Okay, so that's just the really good points about thumbnails, dude. So title architecture. Would I say that word? Because I know you know what that means. Like, we've talked about, like, when it comes to titles. Okay, what are some unlocks there? Like, what have you not happened? Maybe just with your own audience and with your own videos. When you look at the videos that have done better than others, what are you doing in your titles that seem to be different?

A (15:03)

So I'm in a weird spot now because now that I'm thinking about thumbnails more and, like, how. How they all tie together and complement each other is. That's. That's what I'm kind of going through right now. So I have a different mindset than I did, you know, a couple months ago even, because it's just. Is different.

B (15:21)

Right, bro, Give us your fresh insights. What do you. What are you cooking up?

A (15:24)

Let's see.

B (15:26)

No pressure.

A (15:28)

Like we talked about earlier. You know, don't. Don't put words from your thumbnail in your title. But don't, like, also kind of make it a movie trailer. Like a movie poster and a movie trailer. Right. If you're thinking about Spider Man. Right. The thumbnail should portray, okay, everybody knows Spider Man. Like, how can you. Everybody know Spider Man. And then the title is Spider Man. But do that. They don't put Spider man, like, in the. In the. The poster.

B (15:53)

Yeah.

A (15:53)

They just have it as like, it's the title of the movie and you know exactly what it is. So it's like, how can you bring that to your channel? Like, how can you. How can the. The thumbnail portray what is going to be in the video and the title be what it's about? Yeah, that makes sense.

B (16:07)

No, 100%. And off of that, I think something that I remember us working on too, is thinking about the sequencing of words. Like, what words are seen first and read first, and how does that influence the next ones? And we're getting, like, in the weeds here. But, like, this is such a. This is such a good thing to try to GRASP In a YouTube 2026 world, especially when, you know, a lot of your videos were showing up in browse. Right. Browse traffic source. Suggested traffic source. And this is something a lot of us don't think about. And this is actually what I think a lot of us want is for videos to be in. Browse features, which is just YouTube's phrasing for, like, hey, you're onto the homepage of people or you're showing up in suggested results. When thumbnails show up like that, though we've talked about how small they get, right? Like, and especially on a phone. A suggested YouTube video on a phone is, like, so tiny, and your title will get truncated. You don't see people can't read the whole title. So those first few words, first three, four, five, six words really matter. So I know, like, we've talked with that a lot. If you're doing a video, especially for you in particular, a keyword for your niche is Lego. We were just kind of talking about this, right. So I know that we would often try to get. Okay, what's the wild thing that you're doing with Lego? Okay, maybe it's. Let's see. What's one of these? The chainsaw. Is that one of the more recent ones you did?

A (17:35)

Yes, that was a recent one. Yeah.

B (17:38)

Okay. So can a LEGO chainsaw cut down a Christmas tree? This is one of your outliers. You know what I mean?

A (17:44)

But who would not want to click on that?

B (17:46)

Like, I know, like, I see why it did well for you, and it was right around the holidays. There's a lot of good stuff there, but the. The sequencing there is important. Can a Lego. Right there, right? Chainsaw already? I'm. What am I even reading? Lego chainsaw. And then you make it. You take it to the next level of Cut down a Christmas tree. It is answering that. It's like, how could I not click? How could I not be curious? Because you're also posing a question. And a lot of your titles, too, which I don't know if you want to speak to that. Like, why do you pose a lot of your titles as questions in your entertainment, in the entertainment niche?

A (18:21)

Yes. So that's good. So the question's kind of like, it's part of the intrigue also. And so if I do more questions with the title, I want when I make better thumbnails. Right. Because we're learning every day, getting better. I want to make sure that the thumbnails are going to even complement the title even more. So if we take example, like, the fishing pole, because I know it worked, right?

B (18:40)

Yes.

A (18:41)

Put it like, you know, putting Lego at the front of the title so, you know, you only have so many characters before you get the dot, dot, dot.

B (18:48)

That's it. Yeah.

A (18:49)

I love to use that to my advantage. Right. Because you could be like, can I use a fishing pole made of Lego? Or you can do, like, can A Lego fishing pole. Now they have to see. So if especially it's on the homepage and you have that, use that to your advantage. You know, like, there's a point to where, if the title's long, people have to click on the video to see what the title is. That's where I want to use that to our advantage.

B (19:16)

So this is next level. And this is why I was excited to bring you on here. Because entertainment or education, that happens to your videos, your video titles get truncated. And so I love that feedback of almost reverse engineering. Where could that break happen? You know, how many characters or whatever, and just really thinking about those first few words and almost how you could have YouTube's natural truncation work in your advantage or work in your favor. Geez, dude, that's good. Love it.

A (19:46)

One more thing, One more thing. I was. I was in my titles. I was fitting everything into there, right? So I was telling the whole story, and people are like, oh, that's cool. And they would just move on. They wouldn't even click. But it's. But that doesn't mean it was a great thumbnail and title. But you told the whole thing. If it's like I caught a Lego. If I caught a fish with a Lego fishing pole, I don't think it would have the same effect because they'd be like, oh, cool, he caught it. And that's why. Yeah, that's why titles for me, like, I tried all this stuff for my channel right now while I'm growing, they're not good titles because I don't have a big enough audience where they're going to watch everything I do. Like when you. When you have millions of subscribers and you can be like, I tried all the restaurants in Oklahoma or whatever, wherever, right?

B (20:31)

Yeah, they're gonna.

A (20:32)

You're gonna get views. But if you're. If you're posing a question, people are wanting to know why, you know, that's what causes the click.

B (20:40)

That's a really good point to land the plane on titles. I totally forgot about that. Yes, we absolutely talked about that some. And I see this a lot in titles that I'll coach on is you people can have very what titles, right? I think we actually literally talked about this, like a very what title. You already told me. So now why click right instead of crafting a title that doesn't solve all the answers? And this even goes Back to thumbnail 2. Doesn't solve all the answers. It starts the story, the title reinforces that, but doesn't give everything away. So The. It's like the only way I resolve, like, if I have the need to figure out what happens next or how did that go? Or what is he talking about? Or what is in there? What does happen next? I have to click. So, dude, anything else you want to add to that first battle of being a YouTube creator, which is just getting clicks.

A (21:30)

That's what I'm saying. Just make sure your title and thumbnail don't tell the whole story, because this is another thing. Like, okay, I made all these mistakes. You're the thumbnail, like, gives the intrigue, but the title just tells, fits, finishes the story. It closes the loop. And you're like. I'm like, wait, I should have changed that.

B (21:47)

Or.

A (21:48)

Or, like the thumbnail. Or the. The title is really intriguing, but the thumbnail completes the title. And they both have to complement each other, not complete each other.

B (21:57)

Let's let.

A (21:58)

Yeah, just think. Just think about that. Like, they have to compliment not complete your video. The content completes those two. And you've got to get that loop together.

B (22:09)

Fire, bro. Thanks for coaching us all. Okay, so let's move into that then. Okay, so we talked about getting the click, but now once people are in your video, it doesn't mean that you've won, right? You just won the whole. You know, it was like. And I think a lot of us listening know that too, because you can have people click in, but if they bounce out, especially within those first 30 seconds that YouTube is monitoring and measuring, man, like, the video, it's not going to do what you want it to do, right? So let's talk about hooks. Let's talk about first 30 seconds. And this is something I know that a lot of work has gone into as well. So I know you've. You've put in a lot of work here, bro, and it's. And it's paid off, right? I mean, like, you've absolutely grown in the last year. So I'm pumped to hear your fresh thoughts as you think about, okay, hooks, what happens in those first few seconds of people entering into your video? What's been helpful for you?

A (23:03)

I mean, you think about, right, we're digging for, like, you know, we're digging for water or jewels, right? You've hit the surface. You've got it. You got your shovel, and then you hit the rock and you're like, oh, no, we've got a. We have a whole new set of tools now. We've got to like, ooh. And I feel like this is where editing comes in. And everybody. This can scare People. And this is where like storytelling of course comes in. But this is where you're editing. This is where the content creation actually comes in. I feel like, because now you've got to keep people watching, right? You've got a good title, you got a good thumbnail, but now you have to make people stay. And I was always like, all right, I'm going to focus on the first 30 seconds. And then I got them hooked. But that's not how that works. I just. Because I would edit really good the first 30 seconds and then just ditch the rest of the video. Be like, okay, well I bet I nailed it. I got the view right. That's all I need. But that doesn't solve for watch time. It will never solve for watch time.

B (23:58)

There we go.

A (24:00)

So you've got to. I love the, the thing about retention editing, like really when you're researching editing, retention editing specifically for YouTube is can

B (24:12)

you like, how would you define that? Like, when you think about like retention editing, what does that mean?

A (24:18)

So if I'm thinking about, I've done some odds and end jobs for editing for like, you know, real estate or like wedding videos, right? So I've done some of that in my time. And that's like if someone's paying you to do a wedding video, for example, they want a memory, right? You're probably not going to post this on your channel. Like, they want all the good moments. You want some dramatic, slow, right? But YouTube, that's not retention editing. That's just get all the best moments you can. You're not trying to keep people watching. You're just, you know, you're trying to make a memory for the couple that's getting married. You're trying to get all that right. YouTube is not like that. You've got to keep people watching. And retention editing is making a hook. So break your video down into one minute segments and rehook them every one minute. You're making a 10 minute video. Should be 10 shorts put together. I'm just going to say that right now. That's what I'm learning right now.

B (25:06)

Whoa. Say that again.

A (25:08)

A 10 minute video should be 10 shorts just put together. That's fire.

B (25:15)

Okay, but like. Okay, okay, wait, let's hang here for a second. So you're talk about what is a rehook? The art of the rehook. Because a lot of people, you may have just broken their minds right now. There's more than one hook in a YouTube video. What have you learned about this?

A (25:29)

I hated that when I found that out. But that is how that works. So you've got to have people to stay, right? So if you say, today we are doing this, we're building a fishing pole. And I could have done this better in that actual video, like making things happen along the way. So that's whether that's, hey, stick till the end because something's coming later that's bigger and better and. Or run into a mistake, right? So whoa, if, if I'm like, okay, so if I'm thinking we're making a 10 minute video, right? And I'm dividing it into 10 one minute sections. Your hook is the first minute. So think about that. Like, tell them what you're doing the first three to five seconds. Like, Nathan, we've talked about that. Hook needs to be fast. Like, let them know. Let them know they're in the right place. Then after that you've got to go kind of lay out the ground. But don't give it away. Don't, don't give it away. Like, don't explain everything or you've just completed the video, right?

B (26:31)

We've got to 30 seconds.

A (26:33)

You made a short pretty much, right? All right, so if I. So if I've made a video that's two minutes, right? We're at the two minute mark now. I'm going to add something. A mistake, a challenge or something unexpected. So to rehook the viewer, right, You've got it. You've got to have something that. And that's in the story side of it. That's in the story side of it. We're not thinking about editing like clips like cutting B roll, all that. Like, let's just focus on the story for now because that can get overwhelming.

B (27:03)

Sure, sure.

A (27:04)

But as far as the story goes out, let's just divide it into 10 sections. 10 one minute sections. And I'll be like, okay, after this 60 seconds, what else could happen that the viewer would not expect or they didn't know about? So come at it from different angles and think about like, okay, so for example, my fishing pole video, like, I had to test it to see how much weight because if a fish was too heavy, the whole thing would break.

B (27:32)

Sure.

A (27:33)

So if I were to re edit that video now, I would have put that in there of me testing the weight and it breaking, right? Because I was like, I want to be perfect. I don't want any, I don't want there to be mistakes in this video.

B (27:42)

But that's part of the story. The mistakes are part of the story.

A (27:45)

Yes, that. Okay, you have to put that in there. My videos have been getting outliers now because I add more of the authentic mistakes and these other things in it.

B (27:55)

That's right.

A (27:55)

So please do that. Don't be afraid to like mess up and break stuff. And like I fall a lot in my videos sometimes.

B (28:03)

And that's actually the secret is people just need to be falling more and put themselves in ridiculous situations.

A (28:10)

Love the destruction. That's great.

B (28:12)

No, that's so powerful though. And I think this is a good paradigm shift. Even if you, especially if you're an entertainment channel, but also if you're an education channel. Because man, I think to be more thoughtful about your outline is really what you're saying is like, okay, yeah, there is the initial hook that matters, but it's actually not. The only hook in a video is something that people should sit with. And so when you're outlining your content, even as an educational channel, it's like this. When you introduce, when you get, say you have three points, Classic three points, you know, teaching you about this. Here's three things. Each of those points should have its own opening, its own reason to continue. You know, and I think a powerful word for that could be the word. But you know, like it's like, so this is what you want to try to do, but if you don't do

A (28:58)

blah, blah, blah, blah, it's like, oh,

B (28:59)

well now I need to keep listening, right? Or if it's like, but that's not all. There's more most people miss. This is where most people get stuck. If you only did that, you're actually missing out on whatever, whatever These kinds of phrasing to help increase retention, increase watch time through even educational content. Dude, that's huge. It's a really big insight.

A (29:19)

And I love also the other word that Mark Rober uses a lot in his videos.

B (29:22)

Then. Yo, that's right then.

A (29:25)

And yes, and then something happens. And like that's what I love about retention editing, specifically in retention storytelling too. It's, it's, it's a real thing. Like it's a type of style of content to keep people watching and it has those mid roll hooks in there all the time.

B (29:42)

Yes, dude, that's really, really good. Okay, so we've talked about basically the, the big three when it comes to success on YouTube is learning how to get people to click, learning how to get people to stay, and then learning how to get people to stay longer. Right? Like just not the first 30 seconds, but through hopefully most of the video. Right. So we've talked about how you're crafting videos now. I'd love to shift conversation here to the other opportunities that came from this skill set that you've been developing. Because what you just walked us through, by the way, and I know you've, you're, you're, you're super humble. You're saying, like, I'm still learning, which you are, but you're also, like, you've gotten this stuff down pretty well. Like, you know what I mean? Like, you have videos that have tens of thousands of views. You have shorts that have, like, hundreds of thousands of views. So, like, you know, you've gotten this down, but this skill set opened doors for you to make money before you could even apply for the YouTube Partner Program. Like, you've been kind of poached by bigger channels for different reasons. So I'd love to hear about what are some of these other things you've done. Like, you built your own Lego store and stuff. Like, can you walk us through other ways that you were making money because of this skill set before, you know, YouTube sent you that screenshot or sent you the email that was like, you've been accepted.

A (30:54)

So is that, like, businesses and, like, on the content creation side of it too?

B (30:58)

Yeah, I just think any, Any and all of it. Yeah, it would be great to hear.

A (31:02)

So. Well, I mean, the whole. One of the reasons I started my LEGO channel was, or I started my store before my channel. This is. I have a LEGO store, a Bricklink store. A lot of LEGO content creators will have one. But I was spending so much on Lego, I was like, I kind of need to not spend so much. So is there stuff I can sell? Like, can I turn my hobby into a business so I don't waste my money? Like, that was my first thought. So I started my Bricklink store. I had like a hundred pieces in it. And it was like, yeah, that was it. It wasn't a lot, but I, I grew it slowly. And that's kind of what I, what's what I enjoy doing. Like, I would sort all the Legos and stuff, but 20, 25 last year, that's when I hit $10,000 in revenue on that store.

B (31:52)

Crazy.

A (31:53)

Yes, it is crazy. And, and some of that was from the YouTube channel. I, I feel like, because I would drive it, you know, in my videos. Check out my, Check out my Bricklink store if you want to. If you want pieces, if you want to support me. That's kind of how I did that. And also, this was something I wanted to also touch on is making connections in your niche is so important. Like a lot of us. And I started out like this, too. I made this mistake. Everybody else's competition, you are. You're the only one. And you need to be better than everybody else if you want to succeed. That is not. That is not the mindset you want to have tried it, been there, it does not work. But when I started, like, I've made lifelong friends from all these Lego YouTubers that I've reached out with, and now I get to work for. I get to work for. Stud City is one of the big YouTubers that is now one of my mentors. Yes. In my. He's one of my mentors and he gets. I get to work for him, which is crazy. That's where another source of income comes from now.

B (32:51)

And how did he find you? And.

A (32:53)

Yeah, he found me through another mutual YouTuber. And we were all. I hosted a mock competition and I just reached out to anybody who would want to join. I just like, hey, let's bring some YouTubers in. And one of my first friends, like, one of my best friends now in the LEGO space, he has 30,000 subs.

B (33:10)

Wow.

A (33:11)

And. And last year, 2025. That's kind of when my most. That's when I grew the most was from them. And then he knew a lot of people and then I became friends with them. And then I've been able to help coach some of those channels a little bit to grow. And it's. It's been like, it's a whole thing because we get to. We have a group now. We meet every Monday and we discuss Lego YouTube, Lego YouTube Live, everything. We get to celebrate wins and we get to, like, make fun of each other. Like, oh, this sucked. Don't make that video. Like, we get to do all that. And it makes it so much more fun. Like your content journey. You've got to have friends along the way, bro.

B (33:48)

That's huge. Assemble your avengers.

A (33:50)

Exactly. Yes.

B (33:51)

Assemble your avengers. Dude.

A (33:53)

That's the Illuminati. That's our group.

B (33:55)

Is that what you call it, bro? I love it. This is a. This is a under you understated point in the journey is this YouTube thing is by nature lonely. Like, it's a pretty solo thing. Especially, like, you starting out. You don't have a team yet or anything. You're a solo creator. It's you and the camera, you know what I mean? And you're uploading stuff. And so to rally with other people, even in the same niche too, dude, I've had same inflection points. Every time that I've been around a group of people attempting to do the same thing I'm trying to do, even if I'm not in that group forever, it's still a boost, you know what I mean? Because it just helps your mental state even. It's just like, dude, I'm not alone in this crazy thing. And getting to share tips, coach, coaching each other, celebrating wins, being able to laugh off, you know, a video that died, like, didn't do what you wanted. Like, you need that as a creator. And so I really appreciate you saying that, but it's also like networking, bro. Like, that's how it is. You know what I mean? Like, you're literally kind of got poached by this really big channel in your niche and are getting to learn so much and be mentored and dude, and getting to make money even from that. And so it's just cool. I appreciate you sharing and opening up a little bit because, number one, I just want to point out what you said, which is like, you made like 10 grand from a Lego store. Yes. What? YouTube's not possible. Rewind the clip. What are you talking about? Like, that's. You know what I mean? Like, that's just so cool. But then to be able to, because of the skills that you're developing on the platform by making videos that are doing well even in your niche, you were poached by someone who's further along. And that's only going to help you continue to accelerate and grow, too. Brandon, man, it's been awesome having you here today. If you wouldn't mind sharing before we part ways, like, hey, thinking about someone who's just a step behind you or a couple of steps behind you trying to get their channel monetized, and you're someone that has now done it. You've. You're, like, over the bridge and you did the thing. What's some encouragement or advice that you would give to someone who might even be questioning whether they should keep going?

A (35:59)

Right now I'm just going to shout out Nathan real quick, just like, dude, you're my. Like, Gandalf. Like Dumbledore. Like, you love the movie. Like, references. Like, I don't know where I'd be in my career without, like, think media at all. I've watched them. I don't know. I've been watching you guys forever. Like, when I even went before I started with all these other channels, I listened to the. The podcast every week. Like, it really helps. It's part of my Growth. Like, I'm biased as well. Like, I love you guys, but also it's like there's so much value that comes out of those. And if you can afford the courses, definitely do that. But just their free channel is just amazing. I can be successful just because of all the stuff that they work so hard to put out. Like, that's one of the main things I would say is definitely look, think media, like, just research them and just watch their stuff. Like, anything is really good.

B (36:48)

Cheers, man.

A (36:49)

Jesus, thank you.

B (36:50)

I love that.

A (36:52)

But as far as that, it really, like depending on the niche you're in and what stage of life. Because I, I've had the opportunity, the Lord's given me the opportunity to go full time this year. And that's what, you know, Nathan, you told me to try it out and see how, how it works.

B (37:08)

That's right.

A (37:09)

And you might not be in that season, you know, you might not have the opportunity to go full time. So really just kind of figure out what you can do, right? Because if you get stressed, like, I mean, I do that all the time. If you get, if you're working like, you know, two jobs to try to make this work, like, figure out where to put where your channel goes in your life right now, you know, and how much effort you can put into it. Because if you're trying to go full time on YouTube channel, but you're having all these other job side jobs to support it, you're gonna get worn out really fast, like I did. And so really figure out what's your priority with this channel. And don't, don't lose the fun of it when it, when you need money from it, it's no longer fun. And the audience can see right through that, that all you want is the money. And I fall into that trap so many times. But I, I really passionate about sharing that because I really want you guys. Like, I want to have fun with making videos and content for people. Like, that's my dream. But the moment you start being like, ah, I need the money, or all these people are making millions of dollars off ad revenue. So, like, it's good. Like, you shouldn't have to want that. That should. It should be enough that I get to make videos for free. Like, I don't. There's nothing I need to do to earn money on YouTube. Like, I just have to make content. Like, that should be crazy. I'm saying that to myself every day, dude.

B (38:38)

Thank you so much, man. Podcast. This is a sharp young guy, huh? This is a sharp young Guy, dude, wishing you nothing but success as you continue to go forward and appreciate your kind words and just appreciate your transparency in conversation today. And something's kind of fun. I don't know if you saw this and I'm going to be butchering the quote exactly, but the CEO of YouTube at a recent event said that the next great YouTuber is probably someone we've never heard of before just because of how many people are trying and the algorithm and everything. He's like, it's probably someone who never even heard it before. It would be someone to surprise you. So I just want to say out loud, I'm like, I wouldn't be surprised if some years go by and we're having another conversation here. You've got some play buttons behind you and this gets to look like a home movie. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, yeah, man. Brandon is pretty sweet, huh? Hey, a couple of times he mentioned hopping on a call with me, getting some coaching. If you're wondering, like, what was all that about. Brandon is actually one of our students here at Think Media who decided to jump into our YouTube coaching programs, specifically VRA Elite and VRA Accelerator. These are group, intimate, group coaching program and our one on one, what we call personal trainer coaching program. So if you've ever been curious about like, yeah, oh, I can get someone to help me on this YouTube journey. I could like have someone to show up with every week on a call and like, they look at my channel, look at my videos, review my title thumbnail, help me dial in my hook. If any of that sounds at all interesting to you, I would totally invite you to apply to for a free call with our team. You can go to Viral Video coach. Com and that's exactly what it is. It's a free call. It's not for everyone, but you can fill out a few things about your channel, about your journey so far on YouTube to see if it'd be a good fit. And if it is a good fit, you get to hop on the call with someone from our team and we're going to look at your channel, we're going to hear where you're at and we're going to help you strategize your next steps and see if some coaching inside of our elite or accelerator program would be a good fit for you, just like it was for Brandon. Well, hey, if you got value out of today, let us know, like rate, share, review, wherever you watch or listen. This is the Think Media podcast. I'm Nathan Eswine and I can't wait to connect with you in a future episode.