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Value/Post Ratio
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- Jun 2, 2024
- 17
- 36
Hi All,
I'm Sam, a 25-year old blonde yogi who sells forklifts and warehouse equipment for a living but is truly passionate about building a life of financial freedom around something I LOVE - Yoga, traveling, adventure & chocolate. I just found MJ DeMarco's book "Millionaire Fastlane " a few months ago on Ali Abdaal's Video - Financial Freedom. and naturally found this Forum, which, for the short time I've been utilizing it, has been SO insightful and inspiring. The feedback loop is alive and well.
The reason I'm going to be documenting my journey is because of the thread recommendation by Andy Black. that he made on my first ever Forum post asking for YouTube feedback on a recent video upload of mine. This thread has some GOLD from the humble beginnings of YouTubers that now have over 1M subs.
A Bit About Me
I started practicing yoga when I was 14. My neighbor happened to be the local hot yoga studio owner in Cleveland, Ohio and granted me a desk yogi job and free classes. I found myself attending 6am classes before high school and 6pm classes after athletic practices. I've always been a real active girl. I grew up playing soccer, basketball, and track and was the most popular girl in school, winning homecoming queen my senior year (this is an important ego note). When high school was over in 2016 and it was time to move onto college, I picked a weird choice - Valparaiso University. I wanted to go somewhere I knew no one and my family urged me to stay close to home even though I wanted to go south. After a year of university, I traveled to Costa Rica to get my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification. And after that returning semester of studying International Business & Spanish with a minor in Mandarin and not enjoying how small the school was, I transferred to Cleveland State University to study Spanish Education, but after one semester, dropped out and went to Mexico for a few weeks. Then in 2019, I traveled to Thailand with 2 other friends to get Thai Massage certified. Then I went to Costa Rica again to surf waves and practice more Spanish. Here I met a neurofeedback psychiatrist that granted me a remote job. For the next year and a half I taught yoga and traveled to a few places here and there, enjoying my $500 weekly check as a neurofeedback technician. But then 2020 hit and the company crumbled. After investing in a cacao farm in Nicaragua, the man ended up using the money for everything except a cacao farm (ha!) and I returned back to the US broke & degree-less (reminded by my familia). I then started cleaning houses for my friends company, realizing I didn't want to do that any longer, got a job at lululemon and then eventually a job as a massage therapist for a year, all whilst finishing my Bachelor's in Business online at CSU. After being physically exhausted and knowing that trading my time for money was not the move, I took a full-time sales job with one semester left in Industrial Warehouse Equipment Sales in Pittsburgh, PA and came here with my boyfriend. Now in 2024, after doing this for 2 years, I'm quite confident in my sales skills and enjoy making stable money - $67K/Year. I enjoy the security and the grounded-ness, which has been instrumental for me to find clarity.
Why YouTube
I've always been an innovator, coming up with new business ideas, inventions, and fun shortcuts. And although I've considered investing my time and energy into a physical product, I also have come to realize the power of a personal brand (where I can always sell products off of that launch pad later on). I've had Instagram since I was 16 and put a decent amount of effort in growing a following on there but always ended up getting burnt out and feeling like I'm constantly comparing myself to other people's perfect life. The reason I love YouTube is because it has a much more personal and authentic approach, both in the style of content and in the way YouTube goes about promoting that content. I think if you genuinely try to make good videos that are well thought-out, filmed well, scripted well and provide great value over a long period of time, you can be successful (or at least I hope, guess we'll find out!)
My Struggles
Like I mentioned, I was the most popular girl in high school growing up. I was famous in my small town, everyone knew my name. This little ego trip actually proved to be harder to overcome that I thought it'd be. Because I grew up thinking I was so cool, I eventually became an adult and realized no one gives a shit about you unless you do or create something to give a shit about.. The harsh reality is that now I need to create or do something that's worth a shit. "I can't just bat my eyelashes and flip my hair for high-value attention anymore"? I know right, poor me.. But actually, this is proving to be my biggest struggle in YouTube right now. I have a lot of self-doubt. I feel like I'm not as pretty or funny as I once was. I question if I'm smart enough or well spoken enough. Since YouTube doesn't care about only looks, I have to develop actual skills now. Do I have what it takes? Am I determined enough to get better at video editing and devote more time into that craft instead of going out on the paddleboard for a few hours? Will I give up? Does anyone actually care what I have to say? Why would anyone care? Do I have enough experience? Is it worth my time? Will I be able to turn this into a business? Is this truly the best Fastlane path for me?
When I Started
My boyfriend is really into YouTube & I always used to criticize him for watching so much content on there, but in 2023 I started following suit and fell in love with the platform. It was only a few short months later that I found Ali Abdaal's $1 YouTube course and got the courage to start my yoga YouTube channel (after 5 years of being told and thinking that I should - missed the covid spike dangit). Near the end of 2023, I started planning video ideas and indulging in YouTube strategy content. In December 2023 I recorded my first few yoga classes and began uploading consistently every Saturday starting January 2024. I've since uploaded consistently every Saturday (except this very past one) and grew from a starting number of 13 subs. I missed last week's upload to take a step back and gain more clarity on my direction. I've since changed my plan to focus on 2 more specific types of content moving forward (based on analytics) that may change again, but for right now they are: 1. 5-10 min yoga flows and 2. Yoga Philosophy.
Lessons Learned 6 Months In
- Yes, there's already tons of people already making the same type of content as you, but no one is you & that's your edge.
- Plan out your videos. You're gunna sound like a tard if you don't have at least a general outline with some lightly researched topics/facts to spice in.
- Get 1% better each video. Whether that's learning a new editing transition, improving video quality, or having a better thumbnail.
- Messy action is better than no action. Every video of mine has been kind of different since I'm still fleshing out ideas and finding my way on the platform. Taking small steps over a long time will add up.
- It's a lifetime pursuit. If you're only giving yourself 2 years to figure it out, you're not in it for the long haul and you're going to make it easier justify quittin. 6 months in and I thought I'd have more subscribers, but it's just a testament to how I need to improve.
Currently
Right now, on July 18, 2024, a day before my 26th birthday:
I'm Sam, a 25-year old blonde yogi who sells forklifts and warehouse equipment for a living but is truly passionate about building a life of financial freedom around something I LOVE - Yoga, traveling, adventure & chocolate. I just found MJ DeMarco's book "Millionaire Fastlane " a few months ago on Ali Abdaal's Video - Financial Freedom. and naturally found this Forum, which, for the short time I've been utilizing it, has been SO insightful and inspiring. The feedback loop is alive and well.
The reason I'm going to be documenting my journey is because of the thread recommendation by Andy Black. that he made on my first ever Forum post asking for YouTube feedback on a recent video upload of mine. This thread has some GOLD from the humble beginnings of YouTubers that now have over 1M subs.
A Bit About Me
I started practicing yoga when I was 14. My neighbor happened to be the local hot yoga studio owner in Cleveland, Ohio and granted me a desk yogi job and free classes. I found myself attending 6am classes before high school and 6pm classes after athletic practices. I've always been a real active girl. I grew up playing soccer, basketball, and track and was the most popular girl in school, winning homecoming queen my senior year (this is an important ego note). When high school was over in 2016 and it was time to move onto college, I picked a weird choice - Valparaiso University. I wanted to go somewhere I knew no one and my family urged me to stay close to home even though I wanted to go south. After a year of university, I traveled to Costa Rica to get my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification. And after that returning semester of studying International Business & Spanish with a minor in Mandarin and not enjoying how small the school was, I transferred to Cleveland State University to study Spanish Education, but after one semester, dropped out and went to Mexico for a few weeks. Then in 2019, I traveled to Thailand with 2 other friends to get Thai Massage certified. Then I went to Costa Rica again to surf waves and practice more Spanish. Here I met a neurofeedback psychiatrist that granted me a remote job. For the next year and a half I taught yoga and traveled to a few places here and there, enjoying my $500 weekly check as a neurofeedback technician. But then 2020 hit and the company crumbled. After investing in a cacao farm in Nicaragua, the man ended up using the money for everything except a cacao farm (ha!) and I returned back to the US broke & degree-less (reminded by my familia). I then started cleaning houses for my friends company, realizing I didn't want to do that any longer, got a job at lululemon and then eventually a job as a massage therapist for a year, all whilst finishing my Bachelor's in Business online at CSU. After being physically exhausted and knowing that trading my time for money was not the move, I took a full-time sales job with one semester left in Industrial Warehouse Equipment Sales in Pittsburgh, PA and came here with my boyfriend. Now in 2024, after doing this for 2 years, I'm quite confident in my sales skills and enjoy making stable money - $67K/Year. I enjoy the security and the grounded-ness, which has been instrumental for me to find clarity.
Why YouTube
I've always been an innovator, coming up with new business ideas, inventions, and fun shortcuts. And although I've considered investing my time and energy into a physical product, I also have come to realize the power of a personal brand (where I can always sell products off of that launch pad later on). I've had Instagram since I was 16 and put a decent amount of effort in growing a following on there but always ended up getting burnt out and feeling like I'm constantly comparing myself to other people's perfect life. The reason I love YouTube is because it has a much more personal and authentic approach, both in the style of content and in the way YouTube goes about promoting that content. I think if you genuinely try to make good videos that are well thought-out, filmed well, scripted well and provide great value over a long period of time, you can be successful (or at least I hope, guess we'll find out!)
My Struggles
Like I mentioned, I was the most popular girl in high school growing up. I was famous in my small town, everyone knew my name. This little ego trip actually proved to be harder to overcome that I thought it'd be. Because I grew up thinking I was so cool, I eventually became an adult and realized no one gives a shit about you unless you do or create something to give a shit about.. The harsh reality is that now I need to create or do something that's worth a shit. "I can't just bat my eyelashes and flip my hair for high-value attention anymore"? I know right, poor me.. But actually, this is proving to be my biggest struggle in YouTube right now. I have a lot of self-doubt. I feel like I'm not as pretty or funny as I once was. I question if I'm smart enough or well spoken enough. Since YouTube doesn't care about only looks, I have to develop actual skills now. Do I have what it takes? Am I determined enough to get better at video editing and devote more time into that craft instead of going out on the paddleboard for a few hours? Will I give up? Does anyone actually care what I have to say? Why would anyone care? Do I have enough experience? Is it worth my time? Will I be able to turn this into a business? Is this truly the best Fastlane path for me?
When I Started
My boyfriend is really into YouTube & I always used to criticize him for watching so much content on there, but in 2023 I started following suit and fell in love with the platform. It was only a few short months later that I found Ali Abdaal's $1 YouTube course and got the courage to start my yoga YouTube channel (after 5 years of being told and thinking that I should - missed the covid spike dangit). Near the end of 2023, I started planning video ideas and indulging in YouTube strategy content. In December 2023 I recorded my first few yoga classes and began uploading consistently every Saturday starting January 2024. I've since uploaded consistently every Saturday (except this very past one) and grew from a starting number of 13 subs. I missed last week's upload to take a step back and gain more clarity on my direction. I've since changed my plan to focus on 2 more specific types of content moving forward (based on analytics) that may change again, but for right now they are: 1. 5-10 min yoga flows and 2. Yoga Philosophy.
Lessons Learned 6 Months In
- Yes, there's already tons of people already making the same type of content as you, but no one is you & that's your edge.
- Plan out your videos. You're gunna sound like a tard if you don't have at least a general outline with some lightly researched topics/facts to spice in.
- Get 1% better each video. Whether that's learning a new editing transition, improving video quality, or having a better thumbnail.
- Messy action is better than no action. Every video of mine has been kind of different since I'm still fleshing out ideas and finding my way on the platform. Taking small steps over a long time will add up.
- It's a lifetime pursuit. If you're only giving yourself 2 years to figure it out, you're not in it for the long haul and you're going to make it easier justify quittin. 6 months in and I thought I'd have more subscribers, but it's just a testament to how I need to improve.
Currently
Right now, on July 18, 2024, a day before my 26th birthday:
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