YouTube Creators Hub Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: He Grew to 55K Subs With Under 90 Uploads | Here's How
Host: Dusty Porter
Guest: Brady Bagley ("City Geek" YouTube Channel)
Date: November 7, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Dusty Porter welcomes back Brady Bagley, creator of the City Geek channel, who previously appeared on episode 309 when he had just 4,000 subscribers. Now at over 55,000 subs and with fewer than 90 uploads, Brady shares in-depth strategies, lessons, and practical insights about growing a YouTube channel efficiently—especially when working in a search-based, "evergreen" niche. The discussion is candid, actionable, and particularly valuable for creators looking to combine strategic content planning, audience engagement, and intentional channel branding.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Building an Evergreen, Search-Driven Channel

• Longevity through Search Optimization

  • Brady's content thrives on search and “long tail” views; his city overviews continue to bring in hundreds of daily views years after release.
  • Quote (03:48):
    "My videos... over time, they just keep getting views and the subscribers keep coming in and so it's grown that way." – Brady

• Evolving Beyond Search

  • Initially, nearly all content was search-optimized, but Brady now mixes in more subjective, list-based videos ("ranking skylines", etc.), which can go viral and help build community.
  • Quote (05:18):
    "In the last year to two years I have maybe one out of every five videos is more of like a ranking... Things that aren't really geared toward being ranked on search, but it's more for people like me that enjoy this type of content." – Brady

Choosing Content Types, Branding & Flexibility

• Naming and Flexibility

  • Brady intentionally chose the name "City Geek" over more specific names, so he could produce any city-related content without being pigeonholed.
  • Quote (07:50):
    "I changed it to City Geek so I could basically do any content that I was in the mood for related to cities. I wasn't pigeonholed into doing one type of thing." – Brady

• Returning to Early Ideas, But Better

  • His early opinion/ranking videos flopped due to limited skills and audience, but revisiting them with better editing and a larger audience has paid off.
  • "I've revisited some of these ideas that I had four years ago... I'm better at editing now and I know more about cities. My opinion probably carries a little more weight." (08:43)

Content Quality: Audio, Editing, and Scripting

• Major Improvements & Immediate Impact

  • Upgraded from phone-in-car audio to a proper microphone and acoustic treatment, resulting in immediate increases in engagement and watch time.
  • Quote (09:52):
    "My audio is significantly better than it was early on... the engagement, the average view duration immediately went up." – Brady

• Embracing Subjectivity

  • Early videos were fact-based and metric-heavy, but Brady learned that sharing bolder personal opinions (even when controversial) drives higher engagement.
  • "When they click on a top 10 ranking, they want to hear my opinion on it." (10:34)
  • "I would have been a little more bold to just share my opinion rather than completely leaning on just whatever the objective metrics were." (11:28)

Fostering Engagement & Community

• Opinions Spark Interaction

  • Expressing genuine, sometimes divisive views encourages robust comment debates and discussions—valuable even when not everyone agrees.
  • Quote (12:19):
    "I've realized that having again sharing some of those opinions leads to people commenting on the video and I have embraced that." – Brady

• Beyond YouTube AdSense

  • Brady is now exploring sponsorships and city/business collaborations, leveraging the evergreen nature of his videos (e.g., themed videos for upcoming city features).

Technical Upgrades & Practical Audio Tips

• Budget Upgrades That Pay Off
  • Investing early in a mid-range mic (Blue Yeti) and simple foam paneling made a huge difference. DIY efforts (car recording, beanie-wrapped phone) are outperformed by dedicated gear.
  • Advice: Prioritize clear voice audio and keep background music subtle.
  • Quote (14:49):
    "Go buy the microphone. Stop messing around, taking your phone into the backseat of your car. The audio is going to be so much better..." – Brady

Thumbnail & Title Optimization

• Simplicity Sells

  • Early thumbnails crammed with multiple city landmarks performed worse than single strong images with minimal text.
  • Color cues (matching local sports teams) increase click-through rates for city fans.
  • Quote (18:55):
    "The simpler the better with the thumbnail. Some of my early thumbnails I would basically include four images of landmarks of the city... those did not perform as well." – Brady

• Brand Fit & Relevance

  • Uses Adobe Stock for carefully chosen, high-contrast images and city-specific color schemes, e.g., Pittsburgh’s black-and-yellow theme to appeal to local pride.

Analytics & Strategic Channel Decisions

• Key Metrics Monitored

  • Focuses on the rise of search views post-upload; patience is needed as ranking now takes longer.
  • Strategy includes analyzing which types of videos to alternate (e.g., city overviews vs. listicles) and balancing regional coverage to avoid audience drop-off.

• Content Scheduling

  • Strives for strategic variety and careful selection of next cities to profile, avoiding regional saturation.

Embracing Opinion, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

• Confidence with Growth

  • Early imposter syndrome (not being a credentialed urban planner) held Brady back from sharing opinions. As knowledge and audience grew, confidence followed.

  • Quote (25:39):
    "Not being scared to share my opinion on things... I was definitely a little more reserved in terms of sharing some of those opinions. Whereas now... I don't feel that same imposter syndrome like I used to." – Brady

Tools, AI & Efficiency

• Selective Use of AI

  • Uses ChatGPT to summarize historical background sections, shaving time from script research—but always adds a personal touch.

  • Avoids AI-generated video content after one mistaken use.

  • Quote (29:03):
    "What I'm using right now is... I'll use ChatGPT... with a section like I briefly cover, like the history of a city. And that's something... that would really bog me down... AI is very helpful with that section." – Brady

Motivation & Final Advice

• There’s Always Space for New Creators

  • It’s not too late to start. Ignore larger channels copying your format—YouTube's audience is vast.
  • Quote (31:29):
    "It's not too late to start a channel. There's plenty of Room on YouTube... just keep doing your thing. Upload more consistently, improve a little with each video." – Brady

• Persistence Matters Most

  • Brady didn’t make a cent for the first year, uploading three videos a month, but grit and perseverance paid off as momentum built.
  • "It took me a year before I hit the 4000 watch hours before I hit a thousand subscribers... just keep clicking upload, keep starting on the script for the next video. And now I'm really grateful..." (33:18)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Evergreen Content:

  "My videos... over time, they just keep getting views and the subscribers keep coming in and so it's grown that way." (Brady, 03:48)

• On Sharing Opinions:

  "I would have been a little more bold to just share my opinion rather than completely leaning on just whatever the objective metrics were." (Brady, 11:28)

• On Audio Quality:

  "Go buy the microphone. Stop messing around, taking your phone into the backseat of your car." (Brady, 14:49)

• On Thumbnails:

  "The simpler the better with the thumbnail... just simply a really clean picture of the skyline." (Brady, 18:55)

• Advice on Starting:

  "It's not too late to start a channel. There's plenty of Room on YouTube... just keep doing your thing." (Brady, 31:29)

• On Grit:

  "It took me a year before I hit the 4000 watch hours before I hit a thousand subscribers... just keep clicking upload, keep starting on the script for the next video." (Brady, 33:18)

Section Timestamps

• [02:42] Channel background and early growth trajectory
• [03:48] Value of long-tail, search-based content
• [05:18]/[07:02] Shifting to include subjective and list-based videos
• [09:52] Audio and editing improvements
• [12:19] Fostering engagement via opinion and community debate
• [14:49] Technical audio upgrades—from beanie-wrapped phone to Blue Yeti mic
• [18:55] Thumbnail evolution and click-through optimization
• [22:47] Analytics: key metrics, search ranking, and balancing content types
• [25:39] Overcoming imposter syndrome and embracing authority
• [29:03] Using AI (ChatGPT) for workflow improvement
• [31:29] Brady’s final advice for new and growing creators

Tone & Takeaways

This episode highlights Brady's methodical, humble, and deliberate approach—showing that strategic consistency and small, iterative improvements can lead to remarkable growth. The conversation is friendly and supportive but isn’t afraid to offer tough-earned lessons about patience, authenticity, and the importance of offering your unique voice, especially in a crowded niche.

If you’re a creator considering starting (or scaling) a channel with limited resources, Brady’s journey is a testament that late starts, low budgets, and fewer uploads can still lead to impressive success—with the right strategy, mindset, and focus on evergreen value.

Creator & Channel: City Geek on YouTube
Host: Dusty Porter
Podcast: YouTube Creators Hub

(Ad sections, intros, and outros have been omitted for clarity and focus.)