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Rich Bollin
And I just thought, well, I don't have any original idea, so I'm just going to copy these dudes that are doing it and doing well. So I just copied a bunch of stuff and then, you know, kind of threw in my, my own style. But if you're getting started today, man, I'm telling you, YouTube is a great place to be.
Dusty Porter
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week's conversation on the Creators Hub podcast. I'm joined today by another wonderful guest as always, uh, Mr. Rich Bolan. Uh, his name is spelled B O W L I N and his YouTube channel just matches that. He's got over 200,000 subscribers, not even 250 videos uploaded. So you know he's doing something right. He covers technology. Little bit about Rich. So he's a retired attorney, He's a C E O of religious nonprofit. His YouTube journey began when his siblings and himself bought his 90 year old mother an iPad. And we're going to touch on that a little bit later. It's a pretty special story. She struggled using, so he made a few short tutorial videos for her to watch. That video got quite a few views, so he ended up making a few more simple videos for seniors on how to use their iPad and iPhone. Should cross 200,000 subscribers this month. When he wrote that to me, he is now well surpassed that. So that's awesome. It's an awesome journey. Rich, how are you doing today?
Rich Bollin
I'm doing good. Good. Thanks for having me.
Dusty Porter
So this thing started on a whim and I'm just going to say this off the top here. Your mother was 90 year, 90 year old when you kind of started the channel. And we're trying to show her kind of how to use her technology. I've been there. I think a lot of us listening have been there. And unfortunately, your sweet mother passed away just a few days ago. And so we're going to dedicate this show, this episode for her. But give us the full story of that. How did the channel come to be.
Rich Bollin
Yeah, it's crazy. I, you know, my. We bought mom an iPad, you know, just kind of like the base iPad, and got it for her for Christmas and she wanted it to just. I don't even know what she wanted. She just said she wanted an iPad. So we got it for her. And then, you know, I live in North Carolina, mom lived in Ohio. And so I wasn't, you know, able to run over and help her use it. And she called me and she said, yeah, I'm having a couple struggles. I can't it was crazy. She said, I can't turn the volume up. You know, my sister's bought her one of those cases that, you know, you could run over with a tank, and it's really hard to push the buttons on it to raise the volume, that kind of stuff. So I said, mom, I'll make a little video, and I'll show you how to do that in Control center, where you just swipe and you can, you know, do the volume. So I did that. I put it on YouTube and I called my sister and I said, hey, I made a little video. Show this to Mom. And, And. And mom called me and she said. I said, mom, did you watch the video? And she said, yeah, I did. You. You were so handsome on there. I just. I couldn't believe I saw you on that. And I said, well, you know, did.
Dusty Porter
Did.
Rich Bollin
Did you learn how to change the volume? And she said, no, I. I couldn't hear anything you were saying. I'm like, what? I mean, the whole video, mom, is about how to use Control center to raised the volume. And she's like, oh, well, I couldn't hear you. So anyway, we got that fixed. And. And. And it just. It was the craziest thing because I had literally no intention of starting a YouTube channel or anything like that. And. And I did, you know, and I just made a few other videos and things sort of started clicking and. And. And I started getting responses to it and. And it just took off from there. And, you know, that was nuts.
Dusty Porter
What. What was the moment or the video or the time when you might have said to yourself, okay, there may be something to this thing? And you decided to. Okay, now I'm going from sending mother, you know, sending mom videos across country to actually uploading videos with intentionality of trying to grow the channel.
Rich Bollin
Yeah. So what happened is I decided that I would do. I was watching a lot of YouTubers at the time, and, you know, a lot of them would have personal stories that they would tell and all this kind of stuff, and I found that kind of interesting. So I thought, you know, I'm pretty smart guy. I'll share my wisdom. So I made a few videos on that, and I got, like, negative views. It was. It was. Nobody gave a crap about. About my wisdom or anything and want any advice from me? And so intermixed in that. So that there was a little bit of intentionality there, but it didn't take off. I made, you know, maybe a dozen videos or six or seven videos and just trying to impart some Wisdom somewhere about life. And nobody gave a crap about that. And then mom was like, hey, how do I use the books app? You know, I want to read a book. So I'm like, okay, mom, I'll make a video on books. And then I put that up, and all of a sudden it takes off. And so, you know, it didn't take long to figure out that what people, particularly seniors, were interested in was how to use the iPhone and the iPad. And so I just thought, you know, I'm going to. I'll just make a few more videos and I'll see what happens. And at the time, I was filming with, you know, my iPhone and, you know, no real microphones, nothing interesting like that, no cool equipment. And. But, you know, I was getting subscribers and I. Some, I think at the time, you know, a few years ago, I think YouTube had. I think you had to have like a ,thousand subscribers and 4,000 watch hours or something like that. And I think I had maybe 25 or 30 videos that were up when I hit that mark. And the first month, I think I made like a hundred bucks or something. I was like, man, this is cool. That's like twelve hundred dollars a year. You know, I can. I don't know what I can do with it, but I'll do something. And, and, and so that's when it. When. When I got monetized is when it sort of felt like this, this might be a real side hustle. And. And so I just sort of kept going from there.
Dusty Porter
How important do you think the niche are as far as you niching down to targeting seniors? Because, you know, I do tech tutorials on my main channel, have been for almost 15 years now. And I don't really niche down to a specific demographic like what you've done. I just do a wide gambit of, hey, here's, you know, a new bit of software, here's a full tutorial showing you how to do it, and then I'll do breakdown videos of how to do even specific tasks within that software. But for you, on your channel, you decided to make these evergreen videos for a specific demographic of people. How important do you think that decision was? And obviously, you kind of stumbled upon it with kind of what you were doing with your mother. But how important do you think that was for the rapid growth? Because you haven't even, as I mentioned, uploaded 250 videos yet, and your channel's already over 200,000 subscribers. Do you think that played a role?
Rich Bollin
Yeah, I do. And. And again, it was. It was sort of Stumbling into it to some degree. I would look at the comments that would come in and you know, my mom, she would like, look, if you're going to make a video, don't talk fast and don't tell me the 27 things I can do with my iPhone. You know, just tell me two or three things I can do with my iPhone, you know, So I thought, well, maybe I'll just, maybe I'll just keep it real simple, you know, I mean, really simple. Like, here's how you use the phone app and you know, all of a sudden that video, you know, gets a couple hundred thousand views and it's like, what the heck? You know, and so, so you, you know, I'm, I'm looking at the, the data and all the Google Analytics that came in on, on some of those videos, the ones that performed well. And, and then I just started basing everything off of that and I could, I, and I started getting better at editing videos and you know how it takes a little bit of time so you don't stumble around when you're talking and be a little more comfortable in front of the camera and all that kind of stuff. And then, you know, I was fortunate I had the money. I decided to really build out sort of a studio and I was making enough money to. Off of YouTube to pay for, you know, fancy cameras and a bunch of lights and all this kind of stuff. And I also got to know a couple of other YouTubers that are in Europe and I would ask them questions, you know, how did you grow your channel? It's kind of the stuff you're asking me. And what did, what did you guys do? I mean, how, how do you film? How did you get stuff like that? And they were more than happy to share with me their, their information. And so from that, I became a little bit better at, at doing this. And, but it all sort of, to answer your question, hung around the idea of a simple video. You know, nothing, nothing really complex. And, and so that's just, that's just where I stuck. And, and it seems, you know, I don't, I don't know, you were, you're commenting. You know, you don't have 250 videos, but you have 200,000 subscribers. I don't even know is that normal or abnormal or.
Dusty Porter
That is definitely abnormal. In today's time, people, there's. Most creators upload hundreds of videos before getting their first 10,000 subscribers. So I think that really what that, what that shows me as a, as a YouTube coach is that you, you really learned from each upload and you tried to improve every single time. And you, you took the things that weren't working and you kind of let those to the side and the things that were working and you leaned into those and that's kind of what you do with niching down. And you mentioned, you know, had some extra money from, you know, the side hustle and, and just from your future, your previous endeavors. It's so interesting to look at that first video you uploaded to send your mom and I did before we got on this call and now look at your new videos and you're like a different person. I mean your, your studio set up so nicely. The videos look so clean. So talk about now in the current day, what is your process? Like, what gear do you use? How do you, you know, script a video? Walk us through the whole thing?
Rich Bollin
Yeah, so first of all, I have a third floor in my home and it looks like, you know, Channel 11 studio because I've got, you know, lights hanging everywhere. I bought, I. There was a YouTuber, a guy named Everyday dad and I was watching some of his videos, you know, and I thought, man, his, his everything seems to be such in focus and so sharp. So I sent him a message on Twitter and I said, hey, I like your videos. What cameras do you use? And so he told me he was using the Lumix series of cameras from Panasonic. And so I bought one and man, it's definitely not a point and shoot camera. You know, there's a big learning curve on how to, how to get the most out of that camera. But I did lean into that and really took time to learn how to use that camera and learn how to use lighting and some of the other stuff. And so I now have seven Panasonic Lumix cameras and I have different sets on the third floor of my home. And I can, you know, I have all of the lighting connected through Siri through Smart plugs. So I can tell Siri to just turn on the set lights and one set lights up and you know, and I'm ready to go. The cameras are all in place, the overhead cameras, all of the lenses that I've learned how to use through all of that to get the best, you know, photography out of it. Because when you're, you know, shooting an overhead shot of a phone or an iPad or something, glare and things like that can really get into it and, and that can mess it up, you know, big time. So I learned how to get all of that stuff together and, and you know, I have spent quite a bit of money in the studio and I'm, I appreciate you noticing the difference between the first videos and the ones that I'm doing now. For me there, there's a big difference. And, and I, and, and, but the process for me, I, I actually used Notion. I don't know if you're familiar with that application.
Dusty Porter
Use it every day. Yep.
Rich Bollin
Yeah. And, and I, and they've even been a sponsor on my, on my channel and Notion and I use Notion in my jobby job and, and I use Notion for years and. But what I found, at least for me, was that I, Notion is one of those applications that you can just go down a rabbit hole forever and you know, tweaking it and tweaking it and tweaking it and I was doing that all the time, constantly. And I'd even hooked it up to Google Analytics through, you know, if this, then that, and it could pull data off of everything and update all of the views and the comment numbers and everything and pre fill it every Monday and I would look at that and see what was performing well and what wasn't performing and that kind of stuff and. But I decided to make a move and I moved from notion to Monday.com and I really simplified the process I wanted for me. I needed to have as the least amount of friction possible when it comes to creation because if it's too difficult to do, I'm not going to do it. You know, I need to be able to write a script and to, to have a process that allows me to move into making a video, editing and getting it uploaded pretty quickly. And so I moved from Notion to, to Monday and, and then I realized I wasn't all that happy with Monday because I don't know what's wrong with me. So I then went to Claude and I said, hey, here's what I really want to create. This is what I need to run my YouTube channel. Can you help me create a bespoke application? And Claude's like, yeah, sure. So I've built out what I need to run my, my business with Claude. So I have bespoke applications that I use to maintain all of my videos, to maintain all of my sponsors, the sponsorships, every bit of that. The way we communicate everything runs through these applications that I figured out how to build through time and it's made my life so much easier. So now, you know, I'll have a Kanban board in one of the apps that I built with all of my video ideas. And by the way, I Downloaded all of the Google Analytics, literally every last analytic you could have into a CSV sheet. I put it into Claude and I said, analyze all of this data for me and tell me what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong, what videos have performed better, what was the nature and notion of those videos and that kind of stuff. And so Claude gave me all of that information. And so from that I had Claude, you know, I created a workflow within Claude and I could say, based upon that Google Analytic data, which I do upload from time to time to keep that data fresh, give me video ideas, you know, video topics that you think would perform well based upon what the channel's done. And so from that I have this big giant list of ideas and I choose one of those each week. And then I turn that into something. I use a script writing thing that really is a script for the beginning of the video where I said I'm a talking head. And then there's no script for when I'm doing the thing, you know, showing you how to open Control center because I'm actually looking at the iPad. I'm not looking at a teleprompter. And so I just go through that and then when that video is done, I take the rolls from the three cameras. Most of my shots are all using three different cameras. And, and I put it in Final Cut Pro and edit it from there and then, you know, upload it and. And that's, you know, sort of a high level view of how I do that.
Dusty Porter
I interrupt this interview just for a few seconds to remind you about the offerings that we have for creators. I do one on one coaching if that's something that you might be interested in. We also have YouTube channel reviews where I record a six to eight minute screencast talking about, I think you could be doing better with your channel right now. And then we also have the five to ten dollars monthly Mastermind call gets you free extra bonus podcast episodes every single week that I record personally, as well as a part of our Discord forums where you can chat with other creators, we do monthly Mastermind calls and so much more. So if any of that is of interest to you, please check the show notes down below. We also have a bunch of free offerings like our email newsletter written by me each and every Friday. And then we also have the Entrepreneurs Toolbox, which is just a Google spreadshee sheet of all of the things that have been mentioned here on the podcast. And with that said, back to the show, not to go down too much of a rabbit hole. But being the technology person that I am very passionate about it, I love learning all the new bits and pieces about AI. You know, before it was AI, it was just general technology. You know, go leading into where we are today. How hard is it or is it possible for a normal person to, to go into these AI coding agents and these tools that, that we're hearing so much about right now and actually come out on the other end with a usable app that would be helpful. So a lot of, a lot of my creator coach friends are creating these tools and I love them. I'm using all of them. My buddy Nick Nimmin's creating a bunch of them. Roberto Blake's creating a bunch of them. These are all friends of mine. And so I'm getting to kind of see the behind the scenes of kind of what they're doing. But you just sat down and said one day, okay, notion Monday. All these tools that are already out there, these SaaS tools, they can be over complicated and a lot of times they have a lot of extra stuff that you don't need. And so you're now creating soft, which I believe is the future by the way. You're now creating your own tools that are tailor made for what in what you need. So is it possible for normal humans to do this that aren't too tech savvy?
Rich Bollin
I think so. I mean, if they're willing to dive in and give it a try, I mean, what have you got to lose? I mean if you pay Claude 20 bucks and you say, hey, I want you to build me an app that's I started out, you know, for those people that don't know, it's just a box. Almost like Google. When you open up Claude and you tell it what you want it to do and it'll ask you questions about that to refine it. So I do think unless you're just a total luddite, you know, and if you are, you probably don't care about creating anything anyway. But if you're somebody who's looking to create something that may fit what you're trying to do, I, I do think it's possible. I'm blown away. I'll just be honest with you. I mean I, I'm blown away by what I can do with, with Claude and, and I use chat GPT too. I, I started using that chat GPT to look at my thumbnails and you know, help me, help me sort of look at that and make sure that I've got, you know, the thing the way that it needs to be. Because honestly, if the thumbnail doesn't grab you, nobody, you could have the most killer video in the world, but if nobody clicks on your thumbnail, what difference doesn't matter? So that thumbnail is the big thing. And so I've really been sort of leaning into trying to do a better job with my thumbnails and keep track of my click through rate on all of this kind of stuff. And my click through rate is not where it should be. But when people do discover the videos, it seems like they're subscribing and they're watching.
Dusty Porter
Do you believe, Rich, that it's possible to grow a new channel or a smaller channel or a struggling creator thinking that they're not making any progress in 2026 going forward? Do you believe it's still possible to grow? And if so, what are a couple of tips or a couple of things that you've learned along your journey that you could give to those folks?
Rich Bollin
Yeah, I, I actually do. I, I think it is, I mean it's, you know, felt when I got started, I mean, I've only been in it, you know, about four or five years myself, but sort kind of felt like the wild, wild west when I was getting started. I mean there's, I couldn't find, I mean, Nick Nimmons, I learned from him and I watched a whole lot of other videos about how people were doing things that were similar to me and I just thought, well, I don't have any original ideas so I'm just going to copy these dudes that are doing it and doing well. So I just copied a bunch of stuff and then, you know, kind of threw in my, my own style. But if you're getting started today, man, I'm telling you, YouTube is a great place to be. You can might just just, you know, not to share a whole lot of details but you know, I'll probably make somewhere between, I'm guessing 75 and $100,000 this year. And you know, that's one video a week and maybe, I don't know, maybe three or four hours worth of work time a week for that. So that side, that side, Hustle money, man. I mean, that's like, that's not nothing. I mean it's not the greatest in the world, but it's not nothing.
Dusty Porter
Yeah, I was going to ask you, my next question was going to be about monetization and there are going to be, there's people who listen to this show weekly and they always send me an email or they're always find me on social media and they'll say, your guest this week told me they're making five to seven thousand dollars a month. And they said, oh, it's not that great. And these people get upset when people say that. I think what Rich is saying is that for the amount of time that he's putting in, you can see that he's able to make a real living. I mean, even with inflation and things being like it is, if you're in a, a household and you have two people making money and you're making 75 grand and they're making just as much, you can live very comfortably. And so being on YouTube can provide for a family. YouTube has provided for my family for over a decade now. I will always tell people, don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Which is why I do this podcast and I offer consulting and different things outside of YouTube. But with that said, that 75 to a hundred thousand dollars. Rich, can you break down the different buckets that you're making money and, and talk about kind of how that has grown over time? Because I believe 75 to 100k for what you're doing is, is rather low. I know that sounds crazy. I think that the potential for Your channel is 3,5x that amount, because I know what you can do if you're willing. If he's putting in four to six hours right now to make this, Rich could put in 10 to 15 hours, but he may not want to. So break down your monetization strategy for us.
Rich Bollin
Yeah, so, so, so I'm learning. And, and I asked Claude the other day, I said, am I charging the right amount of money? You know, so I, I didn't know what to charge. I mean, if, if, if a sponsor. First of all, there's two, there's two sources of rep. Well, I have a few sources of revenue. I have, you know, Google Ad revenue. So we start there, and that's based upon views and stuff and time, watch time and stuff like that. So that's one bucket. Another bucket is sponsored videos where sponsors reach out to me and in exchange for me, you know, hawking one of their products or something, they, they pay me. And then I have a third, a deal with Amazon, just affiliate marketing where, you know, I'll, I'll make a video about Amazon prime products that I like. And you know, and so I got money that comes in. So those are the three sources of income that comes in. So, you know, I didn't know when I would make a dedicated video. I mean, do I charge $50? Do I charge $50,000? I mean, I have literally no idea. And so I asked Claude, I said, can you, can you look at my dedicated videos and tell me any information or just whatever you can tell me about them? I don't even know what to ask you to tell me. So just analyze all the data and come to some conclusion. So Claude said, look, your dedicated videos don't do very well. You know, when you've, when you're doing that, the subscribers that you gain is very small. So if you're going to do a dedicated video, you need to be charging quite a bit for that. And so, you know, I was charging three or four thousand bucks for a six to eight minute video and you know, I finally just contacted my friends in Europe who do the same thing, channels, similar size, they were getting 10 to 12,000 bucks for the same thing. So I didn't know Dusty what to charge, you know. So I'm retiring from my jobby job at the end of this year and I'm going to be sort of a full time YouTuber starting next year. So I'm getting all of my ducks in a row and I really believe that the income can grow considerably. I was talking to my wife about it and I said, you know, I don't, I think I've been really cheap on, on what I've been charging and I need to, I need to move that needle quite a bit. So I've done that recently for both an integrated video and a dedicated video. I've upped my prices tremendously and people are still biting. It's crazy. So that means I was grossly underselling, you know, what I, what I was doing before. So, you know, we'll, we'll see what happens next year. I'm, I'm looking forward to it. But man, I, I, you know, I'm, I have, I, I won't say I have dollar signs in my eyes but you know, I, I've not been doing it the right way. I think I can do better with it, you know, as I learn more about the process.
Dusty Porter
Sure, yeah, that, that's amazing. It's to hear. I love the potential that YouTube provides to all of us and I think that there's a lot of fear about AI and the future of. Okay, well is, you know, all these announcements that Google are making about search engines and things of that nature. I believe that there's never been a better time to be a creator if you are willing to lean into this stuff and learn it and use it as a companion for what you're doing and just be able to work more efficiently and do things quicker and get to the end result quicker. I just, I think it's just amazing. Can, can we, can we. I. To ask you a specific question though, Rich. Is there something that you wish you would have known sooner? Maybe now that you're five, six years into this thing, you can look back and say, man, I just wish I would have known that sooner.
Rich Bollin
Yeah. What to charge sponsors. That would have been helpful to know that. Yeah, man, I probably could have made a whole lot more than, than what I've, what I've been making, but, you know, live and learn. So, you know, now I know. And we'll, we'll see what happens. We'll see if, if, if sponsors are willing to pony up that kind of money for, for my channel. And you know, if they're not, then I'll, I'll fiddle around with pricing until I hit whatever point it is where I can get the most out of it for, for what I'm doing. But, you know, I'll just say this, Dusty, I'm, I'm an old guy, but I spend more time watching YouTube than I do regular TV. And the reason I do that is because there is literally a plethora of things that I'm interested in and I can find all of it on YouTube. And so I've got an Apple TV hooked up in my family room and, you know, I got a big screen TV and I just click over to YouTube and ask Siri to search for something. And, you know, and then I watch it and there's almost nothing that you can't find on YouTube. And I was looking, I saw an article, I think it was in the Wall Street Journal about. I think YouTube has now surpassed. Is it surpassed public television? I think it has.
Dusty Porter
I think it has a while ago.
Rich Bollin
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, I'm sitting here thinking people are spending time on this platform and man, if you have the inclination to get out and try to do this, golly, man, I mean, this is like the Gold Rush era to me. You know, there's just so much opportunity out there, and if you can learn your craft and, and get better at it and be willing to be nimble enough to jump around and fix stuff that you've made mistakes on, you know, the sky's the limit almost. I mean, at least that's how it feels to me.
Dusty Porter
You know, oftentimes people listen to these interviews that I do with creators and I'VE been doing this now going on 16 years, and this will be episode 501 or 502. So I've, I've done, between this podcast and my other shows, I've done probably over 13 or 1400 interviews with creatives, people like yourself, people listen to these shows and they say, well, yeah, you can do it, but not me, you know, And I would say that if you ask Rich of seven years ago, before he made that video for his mom and sent it, you know, across the interwebs for her to, to watch and she couldn't hear, I think that Rich would probably say something similar, like me on YouTube in front of a camera talking about technology. What encouragement would you give the creators listening to this who may have a channel now for years, not see much growth, or they're on that edge of wanting to start a channel. What would you tell those creators?
Rich Bollin
You know, it's perseverance is, you know, always, is always a good key. And you know, getting, getting better at what you're doing always helps. I mean, it's not, it's, it's really not, at least to me. And I've watched so many videos from coaches and so forth and, you know, I kind of got hooked on Ali Abdaal when he was first getting going and talking about how things to create, how a way to create a channel. But, you know, if you're a small creator and you're trying to, to get going and you're not seeing the kind of growth you would expect to see, you know, there's some things at least if it were me that I would examine and that would be, you know, what area am I, am I in? And if I'm in a highly competitive area, then how, how do I make my videos stand out? You know, what would. I mean, I, I make videos that I would want to watch. Let me just put it to you that way. You know, if I saw the thumbnail that I make, I try to make a thumbnail I would click on and then I try to get into the video quick enough to where it keeps people's attention, it would keep my attention. And if I watch some of my videos and I have, you know, I'm editing them and when I'm done, my wife will say, well, how did your video go? And I'll say, well, it's like Ferris Bueller. I was so low energy at Bueller. Bueller, you know, it's like, God, I should have done a better job on it. So, you know, I would examine those kinds of things. If you're trying to do this, it's funny that you're asking this question because my, My younger sister, who is a few years younger than me, she. She's wanting to start a YouTube channel and she makes cakes, she makes wedding cakes. She makes all different kinds of cakes. And so she's wanting to do this and she's asking me how do I get started? And, and she got started and. And it kind of came in fits and starts and she got a few subscribers and. But her views weren't there. She'd make a video and it get like 120 views, you know, and then she'd make another video and it, and it, and it. And. And I would. And so, you know, with, with the passing of our mom this past week, she told me, you know, I'm going to have some time to work on this, so maybe you can help me some more. And so I'm going to spend some time with her just, you know, how to film and how to write a script and how to tell the story enough to where the people who would watch it would find it interesting and stuff like that. So, you know, if you've got that kind of channel and you're trying to get it off the ground, at least for me, there would be a moment of perseverance. And then before you give up on it, because there's so much opportunity, I mean, it's crazy. It is absolutely crazy what can happen on YouTube if you're willing to do it.
Dusty Porter
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And I think I'm gonna end this right there. Rich, you've been an amazing guest. Again, very sorry for the loss of your mom. I'm going to give her at least a percentage of your success here on the show today because it was because of her need for tech advice that your channel even started. And so very sorry for your loss. But again, Rich is rich Bollin on YouTube. B O W L I N Even if you don't need tech help, even if you're not a senior, I think that I would go and take a look at Rich's channel and just take notes on some things that he's done. I love going to people's oldest videos and take some notes of where they started and then go to their newest videos and see all the tweaks and changes they've made getting the success that they've accrued thus far. So, Rich, thanks again for being a guest this week on the podcast. And we'll talk to you later. And that's a wrap on this week's episode of the podcast. I hope you enjoyed that conversation. If you did and you are not subscribed, whether it be on your podcast player of choice or over on YouTube, if you prefer to watch the video version of the show, do so. It's absolutely free. Don't forget to check the number of things that we have as far as offerings for creators, one on one coaching, YouTube channel reviews, mastermind group. All of that will be linked down below. With that said, if you know someone who you think would be a great fit as far as a creator to have on this podcast, please send me an email dustyustyporter.com and with that said, we'll talk to you guys next week.
Host: Dusty Porter
Guest: Rich Bollin
Date: May 29, 2026
This episode features Rich Bollin, a retired attorney and nonprofit CEO who turned a simple tech tutorial for his 90-year-old mom into a thriving YouTube channel with over 200,000 subscribers and a six-figure annual income. Rich shares his origin story, approaches to content creation, use of technology (especially AI), monetization strategies, and advice for creators navigating today’s YouTube landscape. The conversation is infused with humor, practical insights, and heartfelt moments—anchored by the recent passing of Rich’s mother, to whom the episode is dedicated.
First Video for Mom: The channel started on a whim when Rich’s mom needed help with her new iPad.
Unexpected Growth: Early tutorials, especially those focused on seniors using iPads and iPhones, started gaining traction organically.
Memorable Moment:
Growth is Still Possible: Rich and Dusty agree YouTube remains full of opportunity in 2026.
Key Tips:
Personal Story: Rich is helping his younger sister start her own cake-making channel, illustrating his belief in opportunity for all.
On Not Overloading the Audience:
“Don’t tell me the 27 things I can do with my iPhone. You know, just tell me two or three things I can do with my iPhone.” (07:12 – Rich, channeling his mom)
On Initial Monetization:
“The first month, I think I made like a hundred bucks or something. I was like, man, this is cool. That’s like twelve hundred dollars a year. You know, I can ... do something.” (05:35 – Rich)
On AI-Powered Workflow:
“I downloaded all of the Google Analytics, ... put it into Claude, and I said, analyze all of this data for me and tell me what I’m doing right and what I’m doing wrong ... Claude gave me all of that information.” (14:30 – Rich)
On Financial Potential:
“That side, Hustle money, man. That’s like, that’s not nothing.” (20:41 – Rich)
On Opportunity in 2026:
“This is like the Gold Rush era to me ... if you can learn your craft and ... be nimble enough to jump around and fix stuff ... the sky’s the limit.” (28:42 – Rich)
On YouTube’s Ubiquity:
“There is literally a plethora of things that I’m interested in and I can find all of it on YouTube ... there’s almost nothing that you can’t find on YouTube.” (27:26 – Rich)
On Starting Out:
“If you asked Rich of seven years ago ... Me on YouTube? In front of a camera? ... What encouragement would you give the creators listening to this?” (29:16 – Dusty)
“It’s perseverance ... I make videos that I would want to watch ... If you try to do this ... there would be a moment of perseverance.” (30:15 – Rich)
This episode is a testament to how even the most personal, humble endeavor—a video for a loved one—can lead to large-scale impact and real income. For those thinking about starting, or feeling discouraged, Rich’s journey suggests that with focus, simplicity, and dedication, 2026’s YouTube is still full of promise.