492: She Made $13,000 on YouTube Her First Year Starting at 50 — Here’s What It Took

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Think Media Podcast, Episode 492

Title: She Made $13,000 on YouTube Her First Year Starting at 50 — Here’s What It Took
Date: March 3, 2026
Host: Nathan Eswine (on behalf of Sean Cannell & Think Media)
Guest: Carrie (Carrie On Coaching)

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Overview

This insightful episode features Carrie, a content creator who began her YouTube journey at age 50, made over $13,000 in AdSense her first year, and is about to reach 30,000 subscribers. Carrie shares her path from side hustle to full-time creator using minimal gear, her approach to building a focused, positive, and authentic niche for women over 50, and the frameworks and mindsets that powered her growth. The discussion centers on the real-world strategies, challenges, and lessons for creators—especially those starting later in life or aiming for a deeply purpose-driven channel.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Starting as a Midlife Creator: The Background

• Carrie began YouTube to help women over 50 find purpose and live with passion, aiming first for a side hustle, with a long-term goal of going full time.
  • "My purpose is to help women over 50 to identify their purpose and live it with passion. That's my main focus." (03:30)
• Consistency: Posts once per week, sometimes aiming for two, but prioritizing sustainability.
  • "I consistently always hit one a week...I got a little burnt out doing twice a week." (01:48–02:03)

2. Minimal Tech Investment

• Entire initial tech setup cost just $100: phone stand, box light, cheap mic—filming with her phone and editing on a MacBook Pro she already owned.
  • “I got a phone stand. I got a box light and my first cheap microphone. All for under $100.” (06:28–06:40)
  • “Even here, just about to hit 30k subs, it’s that same setup. Basically. You’ve upgraded some audio, but still on your phone.” (07:57)
• Comfort in simplicity: Resistant to upgrading to a camera out of fear of complexity and loving her familiar workflow.
  • “Don’t mess up my world here. Like, this is my world. I know this world.” (08:12)

3. Speed to Monetization

• Released first video: August 26, 2024 → hit 1,000 subscribers: October 15 (less than 8 weeks) → monetized: October 31, 2024.
  • “To monetize in less than 10 weeks. I was very excited to call [my kids].” (04:49)
• Emotional milestone: Called her kids to celebrate, exceeded family’s realistic expectations.
  • “My goal had been January…so to monetize in less than 10 weeks, I was very excited to call them.” (04:30)

4. Video Strategy: The “Carry On Cycle”—5 Cs Framework

• Nathan introduces the “Carry On Cycle,” five principles explaining Carrie's success:
  1. Credibility: Building trust by sharing her story openly, including struggles, earnings, and milestones.
     • Carrie’s top video: “25 Profitable Side Hustles for Women Over 50” went viral (200K views) because it was based on personal and firsthand experiences.
       • "In that video, I only shared things that either I myself have done or people that I personally know are doing and profiting from." (11:50)
     • She made $13,119.96 in AdSense her first year.
       • “What did just YouTube pay you last year from AdSense?” — “$13,119.96, I think.” (13:37)
  2. Clickability: The art of making videos irresistible to click by mastering titles and thumbnails.
     • Learned thumbnail and title skills after feedback; keeps iterating past videos to keep them fresh.
       • "I didn't realize how bad I was at titles and thumbnails till I met with Sam...once you realize where you're going wrong now you can't unsee it." (20:10)
     • Audience prefers thumbnails where she is smiling, reinforcing the importance of micro-testing with your community.
       • “They prefer when I’m smiling.” (22:15)
  3. Community: Active engagement and serving her audience.
     • Responds to every comment (unless hurtful), uses even negative feedback to improve.
     • Personal stories about regular viewers, especially a special needs subscriber who depends on her uploads.
       • “There’s people that depend on me that show up every single week.” (49:54)
     • Used AI/chat to help craft responses to unclear or hurtful comments—a practical tip for emotional resilience.
       • “...if you get a comment like that, I can't quite understand what they're trying to say, you know, sometimes people do voice to message...I’ll take those and put them in chat...and say, I want to respond kindly to this person. Could you help me to do that?” (27:01)
  4. Clarity: Niche discipline, knowing what and who you’re making content for.
     • “I rebelled against niching down—then realized my ‘women over 50’ content always performed best.” (32:51)
     • Developed strict content pillars: Money, Wellness, and Mindset; nothing outside these is posted.
       • “My three pillars are money, wellness and mindset, because those are my obsessions.” (34:25)
     • Strong advice: Stick to your niche, values, and don’t chase negative tactics just for growth.
       • “I am a positive, glass half full...So that makes me grow a little slower. And that's okay, you know, because that's the tribe I want, too.” (46:28)
     • Own your journey—clarity comes with action and self-examination.
  5. Consistency: The secret sauce—showing up relentlessly.
     • Lifelong commitment perspective: “When I came into YouTube, it was the same thing...I’m marrying you. The only way out of this is death. The death of YouTube.” (17:01)
     • Set intention for 3 years or 156 videos minimum before quitting, regardless of early results.
       • “I could not quit for three years or 156 videos. Wow.” (17:18)
     • Keeps uploading even during major “dips,” and prioritizes serving loyal fans.
       • “I have recorded with a migraine, like, because I had to get the video done.” (53:47)

5. Money Plan and Monetization Beyond AdSense

• AdSense is volatile, not reliable as sole income; Carrie learned this "the hard way."
  • “When you go from $2,600 a month to 300…that hurt so bad.” (43:02)
• Expanding with digital products: Starting with a $7 download, then a $49 product, then into group coaching—scaling beyond 1:1 (partly for health reasons, energy management).
  • “Let’s turn those into something...our first goal that we’re finishing up this week is a seven dollar downloadable product.” (43:51)
• Mission-driven ambition: Motivated to pay off her children’s student loans and upgrade her family car—tying purpose to business model.
  • “My big dream, my first big dream is to pay off their student loans.” (44:40)

6. Mindset Mastery & Encouragement for Late Starters

• Overcame natural feelings of imposter syndrome by focusing on impact instead of metrics.
  • “Even doing this interview today, I felt like, who am I?...But when I’m on VRA calls, I realize, wow, there are so many people on those calls who are wishing they could have my channel.” (36:15)
• There’s no upper age limit to start, and lived experience is a unique advantage.
  • "It's a whole world out there and your tribe’s waiting." (58:37)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Consistency & Commitment:
  • “I could not quit for three years or 156 videos. Didn't matter if I was profiting, if I was failing. Like, whatever.” (17:18)
• On Overcoming Doubt:
  • "What is the worst thing that could happen? You've invested $100 into dumber things...just get in and enjoy it." (57:17)
• On Audience Connection:
  • “There’s people that depend on me that show up every single week. In particular, I have one who does not fit my avatar…it means something to show up for people.” (49:54)
• On AdSense Volatility:
  • “When you go from $2,600 a month to 300…that hurt so bad. That was so painful. And so I realized I can’t have all my eggs in that basket.” (43:13)
• On Authenticity vs. Tactics:
  • “There are people of all varying lifestyles and looks and abilities. Some people just, they hit the right niche and all of that, none of that mattered…There’s no rule to what you have to look like or sound like or, you know, be.” (58:37)
• Advice to Late Bloomers:
  • “If it’s freaking you out to just jump on the platform right away, you don’t have to, you know...There could just be a benefit to taking a month and being like, I’m just gonna go make like five videos and not even post them. I’m just gonna make them for myself.” (31:39)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:20–03:00: Introduction to Carrie & her channel’s mission
• 03:35–04:49: Monetization timeline and emotional highlights
• 06:21–07:57: $100 tech setup: what she bought, how it worked
• 11:37–13:40: Earnings transparency, $13k AdSense milestone
• 17:00–18:30: Setting the “no quit” commitment (3 years, 156 videos)
• 20:10–22:53: Titles/thumbnails—learning from mistakes, iterating with feedback, importance of testing
• 24:06–27:47: Community engagement: handling comments, responding to audience, using AI as a buffer
• 32:51–35:19: Clarity: niching down to women 50+, three content pillars, resisting negative tactics
• 42:56–46:35: Business model beyond AdSense—digital products, coaching, motivation
• 49:54–55:24: Consistency amidst challenges, serving audience first, routines, and support structures
• 57:17–end: Final encouragements for late starters, mindset, and practical steps to begin

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Conclusion

Carrie’s story is proof that it's never “too late” to find purpose and success as a content creator. Her journey offers a blueprint to anyone—especially midlife creators—on building a rewarding YouTube business with minimal resources, realistic expectations, and a mission-driven spirit. Key takeaways: start with what you have, serve a clear audience, relentlessly iterate and learn, diversify your income, and stay consistent. Most of all—have fun and “carry on.”

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Find Carrie:
YouTube: Carry On Coaching
For coaching inquiries: Email Carrie (Carrie.S.@—full address in audio)

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Actionable Inspiration:
If you’re hesitating to start, remember: invest in yourself, keep it simple, lean into your uniqueness—your tribe is waiting.

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“You have to decide, like, what’s it worth to you? …I grow faster? Yeah. But then ultimately, when I’m myself, I would lose half of those subscribers anyway because they won’t like me. …I want the people who want a better life. I want the people who know they can have a better life and I can help them do that. So, you know, it’s just not worth it to me.” —Carrie (48:30–49:09)

Transcript

[A]

Hey, before we jump into the show, I just wanted to take a second and say thank you for listening. I know that life is busy and you have a lot of options when it comes to the content you consume. So whether you're new here or you've been listening to the Think Media podcast for years, I just want to say thank you and I appreciate you. Okay, let's jump into the show.

[B]

She started YouTube in her 50s. She told me she only spent about a hundred dollars on her whole tech setup and is about to hit 30,000 subscribers. And she just started last year.

[C]

I did a 30 day challenge before I ever did my first video, film and edit challenge. So every day I would just talk about something, then I would go edit it. I started as a side hustle with the intention of making it my full time gig.

[B]

I want to know about what did YouTube pay her, the video strategy that gained her these thousands of subscribers. Maybe most importantly, an honest take as a midlife creator. As someone who started this as a side hustle, like, what does your week look like to do this? So if you've ever wondered, is YouTube worth it? And especially if you're starting later in life, I'm pumped to introduce you to Carrie. Carrie, welcome to the show. How you doing?

[C]

I'm amazing. Thank you so much for having me. This is a lot of fun. Yes.

[B]

I'm so stoked. It's going to be a good conversation. So a couple quick questions here because, you know, we've gotten to hang out on a couple of coaching calls together, but just so our audience. Hey. Gets a feel for where you're at. What is your, your channel about? Like, what are you doing with your channel right now?

[C]

My purpose is to help women over 50 to identify their purpose and live it with passion. That's my main focus.

[B]

I love it. You're already hitting on one of the points we're going to get to, which is clarity, which is like, I love it. You just know, you know who you're trying to reach, which is awesome. What's your current upload schedule like right now? Like one a week, two a week. Where are you at?

[C]

I consistently always hit one a week. Um, if I get time where I can do more, I'd love to do twice a week, but right now it's been once a week.

[B]

Awesome. And has it always been like that? Have you always aimed for once a week since you.

[C]

No, I went through periods where I did twice a week and I, I got a little burnt out doing that big, you know, and so I Went back to once a week. And Yeah, I would like to add a little like more informal video a week that doesn't take as much effort as my weekly videos do, but.

[B]

Okay, well, maybe we can talk about that. I'd love to hear how your. What your thoughts on that are. I'm also curious really quick. So you got long form videos coming out. Have you messed around with shorts at all? Short form content? What's your stance?

[C]

I did, I did. And Melody wants me to do more

[B]

shout out Coach Melody.

[C]

Yeah, I, you know, my thing is when I did it originally, it. It kind of tanked my channel a little bit for a time. Okay. And it took a lot of work to make $2.74 from shorts. Yes.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

So the motivation.

[B]

Yes. To get back at it might take some convincing.

[C]

So.

[B]

And are you editing yourself or do you have people that help you?

[C]

Yes, I'm still editing myself and I get emails and comments just about every day from people telling me they could do it better. And they're right.

[B]

If you have people reaching out, they're like, hey, I could really help. That's awesome though. It's really, that's encouraging. You're doing it yourself. And then real quick, like, you know, do you remember how long it took you to hit that initial monetization point with YouTube? Like when you got a thousand subscribers and you hit the 4000 hours of watch time? Do you remember how long that was?

[C]

Of course I remember. That's a. I remember that more than every other step.

[B]

Fill us in. What was it?

[C]

How fast? A thousand subscribers. I released my first video August 26th of 2024.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

I. I hit 1, 000 subscribers on October 15th while I was in Seacrest, Florida, and I hit monetization officially on Halloween, but YouTube didn't acknowledge it until election day.

[B]

No way. You've got these, like, literal dates that are marking your journey.

[C]

I can tell you about every moment of each of those three days.

[B]

Oh, my goodness.

[C]

I believe it. It was that important to me.

[B]

It was a really big deal.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

How did you. Well, how did you feel when you first got that? Okay. The initial monetization there when you found out you hit the metrics and then from when you got the approval from YouTube. I mean, what were, what did that feel like?

[C]

Well, first of all, it was very validating and it was so amazing to call my kids and tell them because my goal had been January and they were both like, mom, I don't want you to be broken hearted when you don't hit that, like, that's not normal to monetize that quickly.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

So to monetize in less than 10 weeks. I was very excited to call them.

[B]

I bet you're like, hey, look what happened. And I bet the reaction was just awesome. I bet that was.

[C]

They were so excited and could not believe it. Like, even. You know, just the other day I was telling my son how many views I've had, and he was like, mom,

[B]

I love this dynamic. What is it like for you to talk to your son, you know, about, like, your YouTube channel? Like, how is that. I don't even know. Like, is that a fun dynamic or do they kind of, like, poke fun? Do they get it? They think it's cool.

[C]

Yeah. My son, well, he's an amazing, like, filmmaker, and, like, he's very gifted tech. He is the only person in our family that's gifted, tech wise.

[B]

Okay, good to have in your pocket. Yeah, let's go.

[C]

And I'll never forget, I was in Florida when I hit the thousand subscribers. When he called me, he's like, mom, you got to change the. I forget what it is in imovie about the quality of the video that goes out. He said, you're in the wrong number. So he told me the right number, and I changed it. And so that did affect how my. My videos look when I upload them. So, yeah, it's great having somebody like that.

[B]

I love it. Well, I just love it already. I just hope you're hearing, you know, Think Think podcasts. If you're like, wow, okay, so 10 weeks. Yeah. That is abnormally quick. Also, though, can we jump into really quick? Like, your setup, your tech setup? So. Because you got monetized.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I said at the top, like, you. Then you told me just before we started recording, you're like, I spent like a hundred dollars on your setup. What did you spend 100 on?

[C]

I got a phone stand.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

I got a box light and my first cheap microphone.

[B]

All for under a hundred.

[C]

Oh, yeah, everything under $100. I already had my phone, so I just was filming on my phone, and I already had my MacBook Pro.

[B]

Okay. Right. I already had the computer. Already had your phone. So filming on your phone, that's pretty strategic. So you went for lighting, audio, and, like, stabilization. You got, like, just something to put your phone on to be film with.

[C]

I also bought, like, a gimbal thing that I still have never used because I don't know how, because I am that not tech savvy.

[B]

Like, that's Fair. It's another thing. You can hang out with your son and be like, okay, teach me about this gimbal thing. Yeah, that's right, man. That's very cool. And that's the setup. The $100 setup got you monetized in 10 weeks.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And are you still using that same setup?

[C]

Exactly. What? I. I did upgrade my mic, and it. I didn't upgrade it enough. I'm gonna upgrade again on my mic.

[B]

But so you want to go. When you say, like, didn't upgrade it enough, like, you want something, like, even. Even better or like, instead of just.

[C]

Still just makes. I have long hair. Yeah. So it, like, hits, brushes against. Yeah. And I need to find a different setup because of that. So. Yeah.

[B]

Wow. Okay. So even here, just about to hit 30k subs, it's that same setup. Basically. You've upgraded some audio, but still on your phone.

[C]

Yeah. My husband keeps saying you should switch to a camera. I'm like,

[B]

that's because you know this. Yeah. You know this.

[C]

Don't mess up with my world here. Like, this is my world. I know this world.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

For real. Yeah. I don't want to mess it up and. And have to learn something new, you know?

[B]

Oh, man. Yeah. That's huge. There's a. There's a number of creators that are actually. You might even be familiar with inside the community. Kayla, from his word, My walk, I think Dr. Jamie Morgan as well, who, like her using their phone and are, like, have got tens of thousands subscribers. It's the same setup. I was just on a call with Kayla. Hopefully it's cool to say this, and she has that. She's like, yeah, I got an iPhone 12, you know, and she's, like, on her way to a silver playbook. So it's just. I love it. You're just living proof. Like, start with what you have.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It's encouraging to hear you. You spent a hundred dollars on your setup, and, like, that was it, you know, and you were able to get monetized. And so now here's the thing, though. I want to shift gears to the conversation to talk about. Okay, cool. There's a little bit of tech. I appreciate you filling this in on your world. We're going to go deeper into numbers and what this first year really looked like for you. But I. I do want to shift into, okay, you can spend the money on gear, but just because you get the gear, even if you. If Instead of spending 100, you spend a thousand, great. You got, like, really good gear. But that's not all it takes to get a YouTube channel monetized. Right. We have to think about video strategy and all the good things. So in light of that, I wanted to reveal to you something that I'm affectionately calling the Carry on cycle. And this is for also the viewers as well. This is inspired by Carrie's channel. At the end of her videos, she encourages her viewers. She's got like a branding sign off and she's like, encourages her viewers to Carry on. Right. Riff off your name. Of course, it's the name of your coaching. But so this is the Carry on cycle and I'll share it here on the screen really quick so we can go through this together. And so, hey, if you're listening, no big deal, we're going to talk about it. But if you're able to check it out on the channel, Think media podcast channel, this would be something to definitely write down and take notes. So as we look at this, there are five things. And of course we were just talking before recording. We both love frameworks, right? So of course there are five Cs for carry on. It's the carry on cycle, five things, five Cs that I think explain why your channel worked and why a lot of channels work. But also as an encouragement if, like other midlife creators were kind of to copy this pattern, copy these five things that I know you, you really care about and that a lot of successful creators care about. I think it'll really help move the needle for folks. And so if you're cool with it, I just love to jump into this first one, which is credibility. And the reason I start here is because, well, this could be why someone's listening right here. And I know that you've actually just recently dropped videos on your channel Talking about your YouTube journey openly, like sharing numbers, sharing the ups and sharing the downs. And so I can't recommend your channel enough for people to go check out what you're doing. Carry On Coaching. And you can check out some of her YouTube videos walking through things. But I've, you know, something that I appreciate you starting with is like give is proof, you know, like in these videos, when you're encouraging other people to take on YouTube as a side hustle, it's like, and a lot of us start this way. We ask the question, is it worth it? Will it work? Is it possible? And so if you don't mind, I'd love to dive into this a little bit. Like, hey, you know what, what's been. What are some things you can share about last Year. Like, we can take this however direction you want, but I'd love for you to be able to share with our audience, like, a little bit of credibility. Like, hey, you had your first year on YouTube. Not just the subscriber metrics, but if you're open to talking about dollar amounts, like how much YouTube paid you, wherever you want to kick us off.

[C]

I told you earlier I wasn't going to. To even do that video about how much YouTube paid me. Cause I thought, you know, is that, you know, talk money? I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. A little tacky. Maybe I shouldn't. Yeah, yeah.

[C]

But my surprisingly top video for the year last year, with over 200,000 views, so very viral for me, was 25 profitable side hustles for women over 50. And in that video, I only shared things that either I myself have done or. Or people that I personally know are doing and profiting from. And so when I didn't want to do that video, releasing how much I had made, I thought I kind of owe this to my audience, because when I recorded that video, I was a Baby on YouTube. And so I didn't really have much I could Talk about with YouTube for the side hustle thing. So. So I. I felt a responsibility to share because it fell within my parameters of how much you need to make for a side hustle. And my rule is you have to be able to make at least 500 to a thousand dollars a month to have a good side hustle.

[B]

I love that. That's a really helpful number. I think a lot of people might think it needs to be a lot more.

[C]

Yeah. You know, yeah, but you can grow. But if you can get something that's doing that, you can grow from that. Like the numbers I share in my video on how much I made on YouTube. I'm strictly talking AdSense on YouTube. I didn't share any numbers from Amazon Coaching, you know, anything outside of that. I only shared what I was making, you know, from YouTube. And so that itself justified the side hustle.

[B]

Okay. And so would you mind sharing what. What did you. I didn't know that it was just YouTube. What did just YouTube pay you last year from AdSense?

[C]

$13,119.96, I think.

[B]

Look at you. Do you have a photographic memory?

[C]

No, my husband thinks I do.

[B]

He's like, wow. So, wow. Okay. For your first. Your first full year on YouTube, $13,000. Like, that absolutely qualifies as side hustle money. That's amazing. And how did that feel to hit that marker Because I believe with your story, like, you actually started YouTube. Did you want YouTube to be a side hustle? Was that your init reason to jump in? One of our secret weapons for YouTube success at Think Media has been Vid IQ. They make it super easy to come up with video ideas that actually get views. Optimize your videos. And their new suite of AI tools has been a game changer. For instance, there's this thumbnail tester, thumbnail preview tool that you can upload your image for your video and get a feel for what it would look like on the homepage against other videos that your audience could be watching. And if you haven't tried Vidiq's AI coach or their video idea generator yet, you gotta check it out. The truth is, creators that have better tools have an advantage over those that don't. So if you want to accelerate growth on your YouTube channel this year, I highly encourage you to try Vidiq out. And we got a special deal for you where you can pay just $1 and unlock all their features for 30 days. Again, you spend $1, unlock everything for 30 days. Try it out and see if it's a good fit. You can do that at vidiq.com/think again. That's vidiq.com think. All right, back to the episode.

[C]

It was a side hustle to start because I was still working in a boutique as my empty nest job and I am a coach and a trainer, so I had that. But I started as a side hustle with the intention of making it my full time gig.

[B]

So this is huge.

[C]

And so YouTube replaced my emptiness job in July. I left that.

[B]

Wow. Congratulations. That is absolutely awesome. Okay, so I do want to quickly jump in just thinking about, like, who could be listening. So when you hear YouTube side Hustle, what do you think? And honestly, Carrie, you're in a very cool spot. Like, you're working with a lot of people who are starting to do this kind of stuff, you know, midlife. And what's a realistic expectation? What do you tell people? So we've got this kind of like number between 500, an extra 500 to a thousand dollars a month. And then what's kind of a realistic timeline? Do you give people, like, how, how do you coach people around that?

[C]

I think that depends on the person too. You know, I came into this, I studied Sean, like months, yeah, months before I ever started my channel. I mean, I, I was studying everything Think Media put out. I utilized everything free from Think Media for a long time. So I was like, setting myself up for success. And I think. I think that's. I think a lot of people will just jump in and not really have a plan and not be prepared. And one of my big things is when I started, it was like, I am committed. Like, when I got marri, it was the only end to this. Is death yours?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And so that has, like, made us have to work through things in our marriage, because there's no other options, you know? And so when I came into YouTube, it was the same thing. I'm like, okay, I'm marrying you. The only way out of this is death. The death of YouTube. That's like it. And,

[B]

you know, I love this phrasing. This is great.

[C]

So, you know, I came in ready. Like, my first initial commitment was three years or 156 videos. Didn't matter if I was profiting, if I was. If I was failing, like, whatever. I could not quit for three years or 156 videos. Wow.

[B]

Okay, so that's huge. So you had that. You decided that before you even started. You just gave yourself a marker.

[C]

Yeah, because I'm very adhd. And so, you know, squirrel.

[B]

Totally.

[C]

So I really wanted to stay focused. I didn't want it to be something else that I quit, you know, and so I just made that commitment. And so quitting has never been an option. So even when we first talked originally, I was in the biggest dip. Like.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I mean, I was in a dip. And I was so discouraged and hope, like, not hopeful at all, you know, But I couldn't quit.

[B]

Yeah. Because you'd made this decision. Wow. Okay. So I definitely want to get to that, and I want to hear about how you navigated that, because that is so real for anybody, no matter your age, actually. Right. Like, doing YouTube, you will hit the wall. You will hit that point where you need to decide to keep going or get out. I'm. What a helpful thing that I'm hearing you're teaching me right now is like, oh, maybe a better question, instead of saying, how soon until I get results from this YouTube thing is like, how long am I willing to do this YouTube thing? You know what I mean? Like, it's that posture of obviously wanting goals, seeing things. There's a vision for the other side of this YouTube channel being successful. But I love your mentality of like, okay, like, how long am I going to do this? Like, that's my commitment here. And I do appreciate the sound bite of marrying YouTube. It's pretty great. Well, hey, the second C here is Clickability. And so I love. It's a perfect segue into. Now we're talking about titles, we're talking about thumbnails, we're talking about video structure, even. And I know you've learned a lot here and you have a lot of. Do you have a lot of success here? Like, for real? And I'm sure it's from the other side of learning a lot of things, which is what I want to unpack. But the game of YouTube, as a coach, I'll say just about each and every week, it's like, you have got to learn to be clickable. That's how you went on YouTube is. What is your title? What is your thumbnail? How does that represent an idea that someone you're after, your audience would actually want to click on and engage with and watch? And I know this. This conversation could go a lot of different places. But as you've helped people, the things you've learned about the game of YouTube, making content that gets clicks. Yeah. What have been some of your biggest lessons or insights?

[C]

I didn't realize how bad I was. Titles and thumbnails till I met with Sam. And now you know how you can't unsee something? You know, like, once you realize where you're going wrong now you can't unsee it. Like, even preparing for today, I went on the other day and just pulled up my top 12 videos and my first viral for me, that had 24,000 videos. It's the one that got me monetized. And that 10 things I quit after the age of 50. That that thumbnail jumped out at me. I'm like, that stinks. Like, how have I not fixed that? Like, so I went in yesterday and changed it.

[B]

No way.

[C]

And I even shortened the title because that's changed on YouTube now, too. So now I made it, like, you know, less than 25 characters in the title. And I just changed up the thumbnail a little bit and, you know, maybe it'll get some more steam, but, you know, that's huge. People don't realize how hard you have to work at that. Because my video that I just released on my first full year on YouTube, I've had a lot of YouTubers commenting, and of course, I believe in being very interactive with your community. So I'm going to their channels, I'm looking at their channels and I'm giving them feedback and. And the biggest feedback I've had to give over and over again. It's your titles and thumbnails. It's your titles and thumbnails you know,

[B]

Spoken like a true YouTube coach. Yeah, yeah, it's titles and thumbnails. Yeah, man. Okay, so the ability that you have now to kind of go back and change a title and thumbnail, like, what have you learned about your audience? Specifically that, like, what kind of stuff did they click on now? Like, when you think about an upcoming video, I don't. Do you have, like, a mental checklist now of, like, okay, I'm gonna make sure that this. The title's this sort of way, the thumbnails, this sort of way. Do you have any of those kind of rules for yourself and your audience?

[C]

Yeah, well, they prefer when I'm smiling.

[B]

Interesting.

[C]

Which is really hard when you have a video like I have coming up this week. I sent Melody my thumbnail yesterday. I'm like, I'm not liking this. And she goes, oh, no, don't post.

[B]

What's the topic?

[C]

It's on your nervousness. Improving your nervous system.

[B]

Oh.

[C]

And so it was advised that I look serious, but, you know, I have the answers. Well, my face, if it's not smiling, it just looks angry. I don't know.

[B]

Oh, no. I'm so curious. Have you and Melody, like, tested this? Are you doing any thumbnail testing or.

[C]

Like, she wants to. That's why I have to send her new photos after this. But, yeah, so I've learned that people prefer when I'm smiling. And after trying to edit that picture yesterday, I realized why.

[B]

Fascinating. Yeah. Well, I love that you're just, like, aware, you know, and that's just a good insight for anyone, is just being aware of what works, because there's. There's best practices for sure about, like, what makes a good thumbnail, what makes for a good title. But then what I'm learning even more is that then it comes down to really, this kind of next C that we're going to be jumping into, which is community and community, your audience, the people you're trying to reach, the reason you're on YouTube, for the most important people. The most important people. And that. That your audience can determine what makes for a good title, a good idea, what even is worth creating, what they want to hear from you. And that can sometimes be brutal because what we think is the video to make doesn't resonate. And sometimes it's the thing that we would have dismissed is the very thing that people need us to talk about. So, yeah, I know you've built a really good community. And so I just want to hear about, as you think about your audience, as you think about your journey the last year. What?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

What. What have you learned when it comes to the audience's impact?

[C]

I've learned that you can think, you know the answers, and a lot of times you just don't. So I thought, you know, AI, right? AI's growing. It's.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

And it's confusing for people in my age group and it's a little scary for people like us. And I am married to a songwriter and gave birth to two songwriters. So they, all three of them are very nervous about what this is gonna do for their craft. And so I thought, I'm gonna do an AI series. And Melody said. And I was like, no, I'm doing it. And I did not listen to her. I did a whole series and it failed my audience hate. They just would not watch it.

[B]

Really?

[C]

Yeah. And so I thought I was doing something useful and helpful and it just did not go. And so you have to really be listening. And not just that, but I think part of it is being very vocal with them. You know, Like, I was very surprised yesterday. I commented on another YouTuber's channel and I don't do this a lot. And I took the time to really give her a good comment and all she did was hit the heart button.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And I thought, I would never do that.

[B]

Like, so you will hit back a. And I've seen you do this, but just for audience's sake. Like, you describe your, your replying strategy. You try to hit all the comments.

[C]

I try to hit every comment. Now, if it's. If it's negative and hurtful.

[B]

Yeah. What do you do there?

[C]

I typically, I will take it down if it's. If it's not beneficial, if it's negative about my channel. Like, my most complained video is my travel. Amazon travel video.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Which is also a very profitable video for me. It's done really well. But they're right. They're. I've acknowledged how right they are. I'm a one woman show. I can't zoom in and zoom out. And it was the biggest products I have ever shown.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

So I couldn't figure out how. And they're right. It stunk in that way, you know, and so I just said, you are so right. I'm so sorry. I'm a one woman show. I'm working on this to improve in this area. And I think you'll find improvement in my future videos, you know, So I take constructive criticism and I always answer it. And then if you get a comment like that, I can't quite understand what they're trying to say, you know, sometimes people do, you know, voice to message type.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

And so I'll take those and put them in chat.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And say, I'm not sure exactly what this means, but I want to respond back to it, you know, and so chat will help me. And I do that. I do the same thing with negative comments that I do want to acknowledge.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And so I'll say, I want to respond kindly to this person. Could you help me to do that? And so that has been a great benefit because otherwise I was spending hours dwelling on negative comments and now that allows me to release it and let it go and not lose my energy on negativity.

[B]

Man, that's such a good tip. I love that. That's just applicable for anybody letting AI kind of. And it's also, it's a buffer. It buys you time. So you're not just, I don't know, just reacting in the moment and maybe saying something that really isn't you or it was just emotional and you were kind of fighting fire with fire, so to speak. But having a buffer, that's a really good idea. I'm also curious because I think this is a big concern for anyone starting YouTube is there's definitely fear there. And I think part of the fear is like, what are people going to think? Or like, you know, putting myself out there, like on video. I'm curious, before we move on to the next C here, how. How was it for you getting on camera for like the first time and like beginning to film yourself? How'd that go?

[C]

I'm a performer, speaker trainer. So, like, okay. Yeah, I. So actually being on camera was harder. Oh.

[B]

Because you're just aware there's no audience.

[C]

Like, you don't get any feedback. And so that's why I did a 30 day challenge. Before I ever did my first video, I did a film and edit challenge. So every day I would just. Just talk about something to my phone.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

And then I would go edit it and without posting. Yeah, Yeah. I just did a challenge for myself for 30 days and that helped me to get more comfortable. It helped me also to learn about lighting.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like that. Because I. I had some. I was like, oh, my goodness. And I learned, I learned where the quieter places in my house were and what time was a louder time to at or to film and when I needed to close my windows because I live in Washington, you know, so we have our windows open a lot.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So things like that. I learned a lot doing that and it Got me more comfortable. And by the end of that 30 days, I learned I look at the camera always and always making a video for somebody, you know, it's always based on a talk or a coaching appointment I had or something I saw online. And so I'll look at the camera and I'll just go through, hey, Nathan, how are you doing? You know, and then I start.

[B]

Then I start filming. Yeah, yeah, then you. Then you're into it. I love that. Okay, because just real quick before I move on, because this next C and the final one's pretty powerful, but I just want to hunker here for a second. You just gave two really cool cues for people, and this is something I've become more passionate about. Carrie, is this training season, training camp. Well, I mean, a lot of athletes don't just jump into game time. There's like, you know, and even just jump into practice. There's like preseason conditioning. There's like stuff that you do before you even hit the field. It's usually in a gym. You're like, tucked away. And so I'm thinking about what's the equivalent for someone who wants to be a content creator. It's what you just said, hey, guess what? There's no rush. And at Think Media, you know, Carrie, we're all about. I mean, I got the posters behind me, like, just press, record, punch fear in the face, get it out there, you know, done is better than perfect. We're all about that at the same time. There could just be a benefit to taking a month and being like, I'm just gonna go make like five videos and not even post them. I'm just gonna make them for myself. I'm gonna, like, practice. Where's a good place to film? Being aware of sound, putting, just getting used to putting footage in my editor is just. That's just plenty. Right. That could just take you a whole day to figure out. And so I love that approach of slowing things down and thinking about, yeah, what is your pre season conditioning as an aspiring content creator? Okay. If it's freaking you out to just jump on the platform right away, you don't have to, you know, like. And here's even a next level step. You could film yourself, you could edit yourself, and then you could actually practice uploading to YouTube. You just make it unlisted or you make it private. It doesn't have to be public. And now you get used to that whole flow, putting in reps before you actually decide to go for it. That's genius.

[C]

Yeah. And I actually did End up making a video with that footage because people kept asking for it. So of that whole journey. Yeah. So I did a video with it and you can definitely see improvement.

[B]

Oh, I love that. That's so good. So good. Okay, so let's jump into this next C here. Number four is clarity. And what I meant by clarity, you can see there's, there's a whole system going on here. Right. Like, getting people to click requires you to be aware of your audience and what you're doing on the platform. To be aware of your audience and what you're doing on the platform, you gotta be clear. You have to have clarity about. I think a lot of different things for sake of the conversation today, I think I'd love to hear because I know all of our journeys when we start something are usually messy, they're usually not streamlined and they're, you know, they're not really pretty to try to describe. But hearing you, it just sounds like you're pretty intentional when you were starting and what you were trying to do. So I'm curious, like, how much clarity did you have at the beginning? And then what are some things that helped you get even more clear along the way when it came to your audience and when it came to the videos you'd make?

[C]

I, I rebelled against niching down. I did, I really struggled with that because as before YouTube as a coach, my specialty was upper level management and entrepreneurs. So I had coached male, female, like didn't. It didn't matter. Yeah. And so I didn't see why I couldn't like keep that same perspective going into YouTube. And then I did some more focused videos as a woman over 50 and, and it was Sam who realized every time I had women over 50 or after 50 kind of thing, my videos did better. So he said, let's run that into the ground until it doesn't work anymore.

[B]

Strong, strong coaching. Yep.

[C]

So as I started like seeing that, I realized, okay, I had a lot of men in the community.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But I started realizing, no, I needed to hit the people that I fully understand the most and just share my life experience. Because one of the areas where you get a lot of clarity is choosing your three pillars. And you know, my three pillars are money, wellness and mindset, because those are my obsessions. Those are the things that I, I can talk about all the time and I fully believe in.

[B]

So three pillars. You're talking about your content strategy. Like when you make a video, it would fall into one of those.

[C]

It has to fall into one of those. Or all Three, I will not do. That's why my. My middle pillar, because I like continuity. My middle pillar used to be money, movement, and mindset. And I just recently changed it to wellness because I realized I want to talk about hormones for women over 50, the nervous system improving your HRV. Like, all the things that I'm doing to make my life better after 50, I want to talk about that. And that doesn't necessarily fall under movement, you know?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

It's a broader movement, is still part of wellness.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

Wow. Yeah. So I changed it, but I won't post. I won't do a video on anything that doesn't fall into one of those buckets.

[B]

This is real strong because a big thing that a lot of people run into, and especially when coaching creators, and my goodness, you as a coach, too, you would run in this too as well, is imposter syndrome.

[C]

Right?

[B]

Is this, like, who am I to talk about X, Y, and Z? Who am I to, like, record on a camera and talk about how I figured out something, you know? And that's, like, a really big deal. So how did you narrow it down? And maybe even how do you help people navigate imposter syndrome? Midlife creator, when really, I would argue, like, you. You have a lot of experience. Like, if you are. If you're getting on YouTube and you're wanting to create content and you're like, over 50, even in your 60s. We have someone in our community. I don't know if you know her, Sally, who is in her late 60s, and she monetized her YouTube channel. She's, like, talking about gardening. Right. And she's probably the best person to talk about it because she has so much experience. I think it's a real advantage. There is a big advantage for creators that are jumping in later in life. But how do you. How do you help people navigate that imposter syndrome?

[C]

Well, it's funny because even doing this interview today, I felt like, who am I?

[B]

No way. Yeah.

[C]

You know, like, people who have built faster and bigger and all that. But I've realized that's because that's who I compare myself to. So that's what I think. But when I'm on VRA calls and things, I realize, wow, there are so many people on those calls who are wishing they could have my channel.

[B]

Yes, yes.

[C]

You know, so it's just where your eyes are, you know, like, so I. The way I see things, I'm looking for those people who are growing fast, Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And so I'm chasing The wind right behind. I'm trying to get that tailwind.

[B]

Yeah, that's right.

[C]

But yeah, I forgot where I was going with that.

[B]

Oh, yeah. It's so good though. So like, because you, you said that you felt like you almost had imposter syndrome right here. So you. Something you're still dealing with maybe? Is that what you're getting at? Like it doesn't really go away or.

[C]

And so I don't, I don't. I think it's something we always deal with and I think it keeps you humble, so. Which is a good thing. But I mean, I'm watching a guy right now who started a channel in July. He does no editing. He has thumbnails with nothing on them, just his picture. He's in a sweatshirt, maybe sometimes a baseball cap. Like, there's nothing special about this guy. And he has over 3 million views. He's almost at a hundred thousand subscribers.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Okay. And I'm just like. But that's one of my big lessons lately though, is I had a revelation recently where I had was so focused because, you know, I'm an 80s gal. So we're very driven on. We want the trophy, but we want to earn the trophy.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

We don't like that whole non. You know, non. Earning your trophy. We don't like that.

[B]

Yes, yes. But.

[C]

So I want my stinking plaque. I want my play button.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So I'm just like always so drip. I need my viral video. I need this. I need this. And all of a sudden one day I was in my prayer time and I'm like, I kept just sensing this question, are you ready? Have you prepared for rain? And I was like, I'm not well. Like, I don't have, like, if I had a viral video tomorrow, I would have regrets because I don't have this in place. This in place. So I just got a piece of paper out and I started writing it all down. Like, what would I regret? Because based on my RPM on my average, I would make like $13,000 on a million View video.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Right. Not bad. Nothing to stick your nose up to at all. But if I had that and I had a seven dollar downloadable product and I had my coaching landing page up. Yeah. And I had memberships set up on my YouTube channel. You know, like all these extra things. Or maybe I had a brand deal on that.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That video I would regret. I would be leaving like tens of thousands of dollars on the table with that. So I called Melody.

[B]

Yes, Come on.

[C]

And I said, okay, here's my List. This is the stuff you can help me with, and this is the stuff only I can do because some of them were personal. Like, I want to be stronger physically, mentally, emotionally, because I know bigger videos mean more hate. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So I want to be able to handle that without tanking my nervous system. I would like my house in better order. You know, I. I'd like to be a month ahead on my content so that I can take the time to respond to all the comments, to do everything I need to do. And so it gave me such clarity that I was just like, man, here I've been. My eyes have been so focused on that play button and that viral video that I wasn't preparing my fields for rain. I wasn't. Like, I didn't have what I needed in place. I'm just going by the skin of my teeth every week. And so now I'm focusing on getting my systems in place in my business and in my home. Wow. And so that I can have that clarity of purpose, so that I can help. Because my. My goal since I was a teenager, since I read Norma Vincent Peale's why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful Results.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

My mother gave it to me when I was 17. And ever since then, I have wanted to be a motivational person, an inspirational speaker, a person who impacts the world in a positive way and leaves a lasting impact that remains for generations. That's what I've wanted my entire adult life. And so if I want that, the fields have to be ready for rain. Right.

[B]

So good. I mean, just like, thank you for sharing wisdom. This is what I'm talking about. Like, there's just so much. There's a wealth of wisdom there. And I just appreciate you sharing because this is clarity. Like, this is this piece. And even hearing you still processing in real time, still fighting to be clear and still learning things is actually just encouraging that there's no destination you finally arrive at. You know, it's like, it's just this ever going thing of trying to become clear, which brings more clarity. Which brings more clarity. Having the posture to become more clear and learn things. Right, Right. I really appreciate you. Appreciate you sharing that. I'd love to shift into before we land the plane here on our final C, which is arguably probably the most important that ties everything together. I would love to hear about your money plan. You teased there a little bit about, like, yeah, having like a $7 thing or like, basically architecting a business around your YouTube channel. And I'd actually love for you to share a little bit about that, because I think part of clarity is having a money plan. At least at Think Media. That's how we're, we're trying to help people. Right. Is like you, you know, you can, it's cool if YouTube pays you and the YouTube Partner Program is great. Like, sure. But there's actually a lot more opportunity that you could take advantage of or that you could capitalize on or just be aware of by making a YouTube video. So I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing what are some ways you've been able to monetize and bring in income that isn't necessarily from the YouTube Partner Program, like not just AdSense.

[C]

Well, one thing I learned this year from AdSense, it's not dependable.

[B]

Yeah, there we go.

[C]

You know, when you go from $2,600 a month to 300.

[B]

Okay. Yes. The volatility is real.

[C]

That hurt so bad. That was so painful. And so I realized I can't have all my eggs in that basket. And so I've been purposing to have like free downloadable things. And so then Melody said to me, okay, that's great. You're so sweet. Now you have spent five decades building your experience, you know, and your, your life lessons. So they're valuable. So let's turn those into something. So our first goal that we're finishing up this week is a seven dollar downloadable product.

[B]

Love it.

[C]

Which will then move into a $49 downloadable product which will then lead people and that will build trust with them and that will lead them to a coaching program which. Yeah, because I'm, you know, I deal with health issues, you know, I have, you know, chronic. I was bedridden 10 years ago. So, you know, I, I have to take really good care of myself, which is a full time job too. But it's good because of that. Melody is concerned I take on too many single coaching clients.

[B]

That's a good, good coach there.

[C]

Yeah. So she's trying to move me to a position of group coaching.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, to conserve my energy and

[B]

time more one to many activities.

[C]

Right? Yeah, yeah. Because I mean, everybody goes into stuff like this for a different reason. Like for me, you know, my kids were my primary caretakers when I was sick and now they both have college debt, you know, because of taking care of their mom. Because I was too sick to produce any income and I cost a lot. My illness is not covered by insurance, so quite expensive and a lot of out of pocket. So we didn't have the money to help put them through college. And so now, like, my big dream, my first big dream is to pay off their student loans. Wow. So very cool. You know, And. And then to get rid of my mommobile.

[B]

Hey, there we go. Like, it served its purpose, but.

[C]

Yeah. And I am emotionally attached to it, but I think it's time for a broadcast.

[B]

You know, I love it. I love it. But this sounds like these are the steps you're making this year as you enter into the next season of your YouTube journey is diversifying is okay, great. YouTube is going. But how can I use that to do other things?

[C]

Right. And again, to expand your reach. The thing that's great about YouTube is you can reach the world. I literally have had people from Sri Lanka watch my channel.

[B]

Come on.

[C]

You know, and that is so amazing for especially a perfect person like me who has had the dream of impacting the world in a positive way, you know, so. And that's one of the other hard things on YouTube is I know I could get greater reach if I went negative, you know, but you have to decide what your values are, too, when you're. You're going into this. And my. I am a positive, glass half full, let's see the good in life person.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So that makes me grow a little slower. And that's okay, you know, because that's the tribe I want, too.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, so, you know, you have to have your values aligned and decide where you're not movable. And that was one of the things for me. I'm not movable. There's. I'm not going to fall into the trenches just to gain subscribers.

[B]

Can I just applaud you on that, too, real quick? That is massive. And just to encourage our audience to. This is a part of clarity. I love it. We're just on clarity for a whole bit because it matters so much. But I just want to applaud you there. And I know several creators mentioned some of them in this episode that I've been able to coach and work with who. Who are very clear here. And it's interesting. I'm just noticing a correlation between the creators that are firm on certain things and know their beliefs. They even. They even have a belief system. They know how they want to be perceived. They're aware of the kind of crowd they want to draw. And those values guide them in their decision making. Because I'm sure you've heard Carrie, like, a very common sort of YouTube strategy that I could coach people on is the negative bent. Okay. Like, you know, because psychology's proven all the crazy stuff, right? Like, the negativity, we're drawn to it. This is why we look at car accidents. This is why stop signs are red. This is, you know, like, why all this stuff is a real thing, because we're drawn to it. But I love you already saying, yeah, that's a YouTube tactic. Sure. But I'm not going to deploy it. That's something that people do, but that's not how I do it. And I just hope that freed up at least 2, 3, 27 people listening right now to be like, no, no, no. Like, you can do YouTube your way. Like, you don't have to do it the way all the strategies that are out there, you know, like, this is why I think media, we try to, like, have so many different options, so many different kinds of ways you can go about creating a video. So I love that you shared that. And I think that's a really good teaching moment for someone that you don't have to just do strategies, especially if they don't feel good for you. Yeah.

[C]

You have to decide, like, what's it worth to you?

[B]

That's it.

[C]

But I grow faster. Yeah. But then ultimately, when I'm myself, I would lose half of those subscribers anyway because they won't like me. I'm happy. Yes.

[B]

I love it.

[C]

I'm happy, I'm positive, I'm joyful. And that's annoying to some people. So that's tribe.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

You know, but I want the people who want a better life. I want the people who know they can have a better life and. And I can help them do that. So, you know, it's just not worth it to me.

[B]

Agreed. Agreed. This final C here, which I would argue is probably the most important, is consistency. And I would love to hear for you as we kind of land the plane here, you know, because you mentioned, hey, I went through a serious dip and serious moments of, I'm sure, questioning things, and I would just love to hear through. How have you learned to persist with this whole YouTube thing with a full life with even. Yeah. Health challenges, with just, like, to be honest, anyone who wants to do YouTube. The nature of wanting to do YouTube or anything as a side hustle implies it's on the side, which means the fate. The plate's mostly full with a lot of other stuff. So how have you learned to keep going?

[C]

Well, first of all, there's people that depend on me that show up every single week.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

In particular, I have one who does not fit my avatar. It's a male. He. He's special needs and he shows up every single week and if I don't respond to him within the hour, he gets very upset. So I, like, have to really pay attention on the mornings that I release a video. But he depends on me weirdly. I know, like, that seems odd, but I've learned to care about him, you know, he. He just really. He depends on me because of that I'm always there. And even if I'm going to, like, post late, I'll go to him and let him know I'm posting late so he doesn't get stressed. But I have other people who are actually my avatar, who actually my audience, who. They. They depend on it. They depend on me being there. And I feel a responsibility to be there. And there was a time when I was in that major dip that there were. Sometimes I would just cry. I didn't want to. I just like, I don't want to do this. I don't want to have another failed video. I don't want to, you know, and my husband, like, too bad.

[B]

Oh, hey, shout out man.

[C]

You made the commitment. Let's.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

You know, let's figure it out and do it. But I think consistency is the thing that is. So don't do it if you're not going to be consistent. Like, if you're not going to take on a job and then not show up. Right. This is a job. Like, this is a responsibility. And, you know, if you say you're gonna do it, then show up. And if you're not showing up, you don't get to whine and complain about your channel not being successful. So, you know.

[B]

Yep, it's exactly it. It's really good. It's really true. I would love to hear about. So audience is a big thing. What would you say to the person and even to just yourself when you didn't have the audience there to hold you accountable and to help you navigate and push through things, or someone to show up for. There's people to serve and to be clear, I guess that could be present even when you're just starting. But it's. It's hard when there's kind of crickets. You know, maybe you didn't have a super fan or several super fans who were just there and like, ready. What. How did you move through is. It sounds like you obviously had support from family.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Anything else?

[C]

Well, I think I had a plan going in. I mean, I knew the first two months what I was going to record. And even though I would get some ideas that I would do quickly and just throw up, you know. Yeah. On my channel. I went in knowing what I wanted to do and in so much so that one video, like my first viral type video I had written down a month prior and had I done it at that point, I would have been one of the first ones doing it. And it probably would have been a much bigger video than it was because there were people that were getting half million views on that. And I'm like, I had that idea, you know, But I was so set on my schedule that I. I didn't do it until like a month later. I thank myself for that now.

[B]

But, you know, hey, hindsight's 20 20.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You still jumped in.

[C]

You still. Right? I still got my first kind of viral video for me with that video. But yeah, that's so. Yeah. So I just think, you know, if you're going to, if you're going to do it, you have to decide you're doing it and nothing can stop you. I have recorded with a migraine, like, because I had to get the video done.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, I've crammed and gotten five, six videos done ahead of time because I was going on vacation or like I went on a film set in October and I couldn't do anything while I was there. I was working 12 hours a day.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

There. And so I had to have it all done. I had to push, you know, for weeks beforehand to get, to get that done, to stay consistent, to be there for my audience. So if you're not going to be consistent, don't do anything if you're not going to be consistent. Like. Yeah, especially YouTube rewards consistency.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So my daughter is seeing that. She started a channel when she was 11. She has one song, she's a songwriter. She has one song that has over 40, 000 views. I think she was 12 when that happened and. But she's never had monetized. But she went, when she went to school because she had been homeschooled and she was consistent when she was homeschooled. But once she went to school school and then went to college, she just got very inconsistent. So now she's married, she's living in Texas. She decided, I'm gonna build, I'm getting my thousand subscribers. So she started getting consistent and guess what happened?

[B]

What happened?

[C]

She hit a thousand subscribers just because it got consistent. And now she's working on monetization because, you know, she was just, she was a kid, she was playing with it and I was too sick to, to be able to study it and learn about YouTube at that point. If I knew then what I know now, she would have had a huge channel.

[B]

But, you know, wow. So I, this is crazy. I. The big thing I want to thank you for and then I'd love for you to be able to shout out where people can hang out with you, find you. Because I think, you know, obviously here at Think Media, we are helping purpose driven people use YouTube, building online businesses that are going to fulfill their life and not drain it. And I know you do very similar work. And so I would want to encourage people, like, for you to be able to shout out, like, who you think would be a good fit where they can find you and where they can keep the conversation going to hang out with Carrie. But I do want to thank you for just being real and like having an honest conversation and not trying to like overinflate anything because you're, you know, at the beginning or a little bit ago you said like, imposter syndrome, like, who am I to talk about whatever. But, but to your point, where you're at is where a lot of people want to be.

[C]

Right?

[B]

Channel that. Like, wow, I posted a video and it like really popped off to even have a super fan or have people that you're just always there, always in the comments with. You're living a lifestyle that a lot of people want to be able to do. So I know you're on your next chapter, you're in your next season, but I do appreciate you just being real and taking some time and being honest and giving us some hope here, you know, for people who are at the beginning or could. Who, who could be considering this, so. Oh, I'd love it. Yeah. Where could people hang out with you? Where's the best place to find you?

[C]

Well, my channel is at Carry on coaching, but it's spelled C A R R I E on coaching. And if you're interested in, you know, coaching or, you know, trying to identify your purpose while living your life with passion, I. You can email me at Carrie. S. Man.

[B]

Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Well, last final word, parting words here, Carrie. If someone is quietly thinking it's too late for me or I don't know, what would you tell them?

[C]

I would say, what is the worst thing that could happen? You've invested $100 into dumber things like just, you know, invest the hundred bucks, you know, do your cheap little setup like I did and see what happens. Like, you know, it's. It's fun. It's fun. If you allow yourself to Just get in and enjoy it. And, you know, Think Media has so much free content that you can use, you know, to start out. But then I highly recommend as soon as you can get some coaching, because especially if you're not tech savvy, you

[B]

know, hey, right on. That's.

[C]

Yeah, I actually get things done.

[B]

I love it. Well, hey, and especially if you don't have a son that's well versed, you know, like, if you need, if you need that, we've got someone on our team whose name is Alex.

[C]

Right.

[B]

He can be your honorary son to help you out. I'm sure he loves being referred to as that.

[C]

Carrie, just have fun. Just have fun with it. That's the most important thing. And before you think like, I'm too ug. I'm to this. I'm to this. I hear this all the time. Just look at some of the content creators.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, because there are people of all varying lifestyles and looks and abilities and some. Some people just, they hit the right niche and all of that, none of that mattered. So, you know, there's no rule to what you have to look like or sound like or, you know, be. It's just, it's. It's a whole world out there and your tribe's waiting.

[B]

Cheers. Thank you so much, Carrie, for sharing your wisdom here with us. We're, of course cheering you on. Our whole team here at Think Media, shout out to our coaches who've been able to help you out. And hey, if you are listening, you are interested in what YouTube coaching could even look like, you can jump on a free call if you go to viral Video coach, jump on a call with someone on our team to get eyes on your channel and help you strategize next steps. Again, you can go to viral videocoach.com But Carrie, I hope you have an awesome rest of your day and rest of your week. And hey, podcast, if you got. Come on, there's no way you didn't get value out of this episode. Come on, carry on cycle. Let's go. The five C's. Would you let us know what resonated with you? Which one of these do you need to work on? Which do you wish that we went deeper on? We'd love to hear feedback like comment, 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.