YouTube Creators Hub Podcast: "Sarah Funk: The Creator Who Turned New York Into a Full-Time Career"

Host: Dusty Porter
Guest: Sarah Funk
Date: October 17, 2025
Runtime: Approximately 34 minutes

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Dusty Porter sits down with Sarah Funk, a dynamic travel and lifestyle creator who has transformed her passion for New York City into a thriving full-time career. With over half a million followers, 75 million YouTube views, and multiple successful businesses, Sarah shares her journey from corporate burnout to becoming a trusted authority in NY travel, her strategies for multiformat content, business diversification, advice for new creators, and the realities of sustaining an online entrepreneurial empire.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sarah's Origin Story & Early Challenges

• Founding Moment: After quitting her corporate job and traveling the world, Sarah noticed inaccurate “travel guide” content about NYC from non-locals.
• Breakthrough Video: Her exposé on New York tourist traps went viral, leading to channel growth.
  • “I saw all these tourists getting just scammed constantly… I need to make a video to prevent this from happening. And that video went viral and it really caused my whole channel to go viral.” — Sarah Funk [02:19–03:43]
• Early Struggles: Initial efforts focusing only on Instagram in 2017 nearly depleted her savings before YouTube took off in 2018.

2. Niche, Branding, and Channel Evolution

• The Power of Niching Down: Starting with ultra-specific “New York travel” content was essential.
  • “People need to go to your channel, your social page, what have you, and know exactly what you are, and that's what causes them to follow you.” — Sarah [07:40–08:29]
• Expanding Content: Gradually branched into wider travel and lifestyle content while maintaining NYC as the core.
  • “I’d like to do more lifestyle content… but it’s definitely still focused on new city, my life, and travel.” — Sarah [03:50–04:07]

3. Platform-Specific Strategy: YouTube vs Instagram

• Format Differences:
  • Early Instagram: Purely photo-based, no video.
  • YouTube: Long-form (10-15 minute guides).
  • Evolution: Now uses short-form for awareness, long-form for deep engagement and conversion.
  • “Short form gets your… awareness out. Long form… is what's going to cause people to buy.” — Sarah [08:58–09:45]
• Content Cadence:
  • Posts one long-form YouTube video a week and a short-form video daily.
    • “I do one long form a week and I do one short form a day. It's rough out here.” — Sarah [10:02–10:57]

4. Research, Content Planning, and Experimentation

• Competitor Analysis:
  • Actively studies channels in similar niches (not just direct competitors—e.g., someone who covers London tourism for ideas).
  • Focus on thumbnails and titles, but values developed own “presenter” style over trend-hopping.
    • “You have to get them to click on it first... I already have established my own style over the years and I really stick to it because it seems to work.” — Sarah [13:48–14:45]
• Short Form Buckets:
  • Categorized into “aesthetic,” “parody,” “educational,” and “pretty photos”—all supporting the main topic.
    • [11:25–12:26]

5. On-Camera Confidence and Skill-building

• Learning Curve:
  • Initial on-camera attempts were “cringy”—but persistent practice enabled confidence and authenticity.
  • “It takes time to be comfortable to speak on camera… Practice is so key here. Practice is so key. But just pretending the camera is someone, you're like an actual person, that's the only way.” — Sarah [15:15–16:33]
• Tip: Treat the camera as a friend’s eyes for more natural delivery.

6. Monetization & Business Model

• Revenue Streams:
  • YouTube ad revenue
  • Sponsorships
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Tour sales (“almost every single one says YouTube” for tour referral)
  • Video production company
    • [17:12–18:36]
• Income Breakdown:
  • Revenue typically divides in thirds (YouTube, video production, tours), with some annual fluctuation.
  • “It's almost like in thirds… depends on the year.” — Sarah [17:51–18:36]
• Earnings Transparency:
  • Warns against glamorizing gross rather than net income:
    • "If I showed you a check from Instagram, I'm not exaggerating, it's 20 cents… take numbers with a grain of salt." — Sarah [18:43–19:31, 25:05–26:05]

7. Brand Deals & Outreach

• Proactive Pitching:
  • Doesn’t just wait for brands to approach—Sarah pitches actively, even after years in the business.
  • “No great entrepreneur just sat around waiting for a sale. It's not how it works. You got to go out, you got to hustle.” — Sarah [20:15–20:59]

8. Work Ethic, Consistency, and “Hustle Culture”

• The Importance of Quantity:
  • “Absolute correlation between quantity posted and money.”
  • Considers the current landscape oversaturated, so outworking competition is essential.
  • “It's just like you have to do it is constant work. It is not a job… the glamorous part's like just the only part, but the rest is so much work.” — Sarah [21:08–22:34]
• Experimentation & Curation:
  • Deletes underperforming short-form content from Instagram after a few days to keep winning content visible (improves brand-facing metrics).
    • [22:53–24:41]

9. Instagram Monetization Realities

• Main Earning Channel:
  • Brand deals are almost the only meaningful revenue source.
  • Ad revenue is negligible (“20 cents” literal payment).
  • Uses Instagram as a brand awareness tool to amplify offerings and drive traffic elsewhere.
    • [25:05–26:05]

10. Advice for New Creators in 2025

• Is It Still Possible?
  • “Yes, absolutely. It is so possible.” — Sarah [26:18]
  • Key is consistent posting, resolute niche selection, and adapting to current content trends (raw vlog, super-produced style).
  • Niche must have broad audience appeal and be something you’re passionate and knowledgeable about.
• Patience & Persistence:
  • Six months minimum before judging new ideas or channels.
  • “You must first become consistent before you can become exceptional.” — Dusty quoting Alex Hormozi [30:03]
  • “You have to really believe in yourself in the beginning with this… you just have to have a very thick skin and believe in yourself more than anyone else.” — Sarah [31:06–31:40]

11. What’s Next for Sarah?

• Tour Company Expansion:
  • Adding multi-day, vacation-style experiences to her lineup.
• Content Evolution:
  • Dedicated to growing travel-related content, even if it underperforms NY-centric videos, believing consistency will ultimately win.
    • [32:04–32:58]

Notable Quotes

On the Importance of Niche

"People need to go to your channel, your social page, what have you, and know exactly what you are… Niching down makes a clear message to your audience who you are and why they should follow you."
— Sarah Funk [07:40–08:29]

On Platform Strategy

"Short form gets your… awareness out. And then as far as what I call conversion... that's YouTube, long form."
— Sarah Funk [08:58–09:45]

On Monetization & Entrepreneurship

"No great entrepreneur just sat around waiting for a sale. It's not how it works. You got to go out, you got to hustle."
— Sarah Funk [20:15–20:59]

On Consistency and Success

"You must first become consistent before you can become exceptional."
— Alex Hormozi (quoted by Dusty Porter) [30:03]

"Consistency cannot be overlooked. It is single-handedly, I think, one of the most important things you need to do."
— Sarah Funk [31:06–31:40]

On the Reality of Content Creation

"It's like an iceberg. The glamorous part's like just the only part, but the rest is so much work. Most days it's just like I'm sitting at a desk doing monotonous boring stuff."
— Sarah Funk [21:08–22:34]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Origin & Breakthrough: [02:19–03:43]
• YouTube vs. Instagram: [04:07–05:04]
• Niche Down Discussion: [07:11–08:29]
• Short vs. Long Form Strategy: [08:58–10:02]
• Content Programming: [10:02–10:57]
• On-Camera Growth: [15:15–16:33]
• Business Model & Monetization: [17:12–18:36]
• Brand Outreach Philosophy: [20:15–20:59]
• Consistent Posting Philosophy: [21:08–22:34]
• Deleting Low-Performers on IG: [22:53–24:41]
• Instagram Monetization Limits: [25:05–26:05]
• Advice for New Creators: [26:18–27:48]
• Consistency Before Excellence: [30:03–31:06]
• Future Plans: [32:04–32:58]

Memorable Moments

• When Sarah admits she deleted her “cringy” early videos and reinforces that on-camera confidence is a learned skill. [15:15–16:33]
• Her candid breakdown that Instagram pays her literal pennies and the real money is in brand collaborations, undercutting glamorized perceptions of social media riches. [25:05–26:05]
• The “delete low-performing content after a few days” Instagram tactic to boost engagement rates for brands evaluating her. [22:53–24:41]
• The “Still Looking for a Real Job” club banter, poking fun at the persistent challenge creators face with family and societal perceptions. [31:40–31:44]

Takeaways for Creators

• Niche is non-negotiable: Begin specific, only broaden once established.
• Experiment, Research, Iterate: Regularly study competition and trends; test new ideas, but give them time and data.
• Consistency trumps all: The creators who “post the most” tend to win, and “you must be willing to do something for nothing” at the start.
• Diversify revenue streams: Don’t rely on one platform—Sarah’s multi-business approach is key to her longevity.
• Stay Proactive: Always pitch for new opportunities; hustle is ongoing.
• Quality Control: Don’t be afraid to cull or adapt content that doesn’t resonate.

Recommended for

• Aspiring YouTube creators seeking a real-world roadmap to full-time success.
• Multi-platform influencers weighing the relative strengths of YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
• Entrepreneurs interested in digital business models centered on content.
• Anyone needing candid advice on surviving the highs and lows of building an online brand.

Links to Sarah’s channels and businesses are available in the show notes.