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Successfully building a personal brand with YouTube (3rd time's a charm)

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Matt Lee

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Hey Fastlane friends.

It's been a while since the last time I posted here.

I want this to be a thank you note for all the things this forum has done for me. I appreciate all the members that shared their wisdom when I was down bad. I was deeply moved. I didn't know what to do, but I was damn moved. And I started moving even though I didn't know the direction. After stumbling so many times, I'm finally starting to run, with speed.

I can trace it all back to the golden nuggets left behind by you guys on this forum. So thank you MJ and @Johnny boy (JB you changed my life with your mindset) and many others.

Reason for posting:

The inspiration I felt when I read successful threads on here so many years ago... I want to give that feeling back to someone else with this post. I haven't reach the end of the things I have in my mind, but things are finally making sense.

I find that the Fastlane dream is well alive and living if you don't quit. Much of the process is mastering the mind games with yourself, experimenting, and collecting physical experience that says you'll win.

Some context:

I'm building a personal brand on youtube for the 3rd time after not following it through with my other attempts. And this time it's showing signs of success. Both traction + profitability.

Now, I've paid my dues with a long process of failures/skill acquisition. So I want to say, it's been a long process. None of this came overnight. None of this was me being one of the "special ones". I know the pain of putting in months into something, going broke, and having to start from zero.

I'll show you the results I've got so far. Nothing much, but the ball is starting to move.


youtube.png

As you can see, I posted on this channel for about 6-ish months now and only got serious since late February. Then it exploded last month.

Early February and months previously I worked at dead end jobs to stack money so I can give the brand another go. I hated the jobs to bits, but I was became the best at the roles during the time, always. Learned lots of sales + mindset from dooring knocking.

"How you do the small things, is how you do the big things" was something I told myself when I was in that hell hole. I always smiled knowing that this was "my process" and I'm FINALLY "paying my dues".

But hey, I'm about to hit escape velocity and it was all thanks to the lessons I learned from those few months seemingly mundane 9-5 work.

The change:

I document pretty much everything I do now.

And since last month, I follow a pretty simple formula. It was drastically different from the last few times, because this time I had concrete proof to talk about everything I say on the channel. Plus I've become decently good with editing/storytelling. Previously, I thought I just needed to make cool videos and that the topic don't matter much. Dead wrong.

TOPIC+PROOF is the based of the content cake. Fancy editing +storytelling is the cream/cherry on top. You blend all of that together and you have a high chance of going viral.

Some people just like cream and cherry. But a lot of people want to taste the actual cake and see the toppings as bonuses.

So things I did right: Make content on what I have authority in, solve a problem with each video + make the video production level higher than what's available in the space. Value skews.

I won't lie. It was a bit sad when I had to find out cool visuals/animation is nothing if you can't convince why the viewer should listen to you. (got this from Alex Hormozi Skool freebies... but more about that soon)

Monetization:

So I cleared ad-sense requirement about 3 weeks ago and up to date the channel has brought in $439.21. Nothing crazy. The topic I post on have a low CPM so I'm not depending too much on ad rev as the main source of income.

ad sense.png

But hey, ad rev is kind of like a bonus.

I'm thinking of more community based/e-learning models/high-ticket in terms of business model in the future for serious profitability.

But here's what I've done so far.

1) At one point I had a Skool Community with ~100 free members. Didn't go as planned. Didn't know how to coach/provide a service on that scale. I didn't know how to transition from free members to paid members, so I stopped the community.

I run this offer for about a 1-2 months. Think it costed me $200 for the subscription, but I got to learn 2-3 weeks of Alex Hormozi's freebies + engage with a lot of the viewers(audience research). Not a bad trade for experience.

2) Just last month, I started offering a more physical but time intensive service (1-1 coaching basically) with systems I've built for myself that has been proven to work.

So basically a course based on my experience + weekly 1-1 calls to keep the client on track.

My purpose with this was to get hard wins for clients, build up strong testimonials, and have a clear before/after for these guys.

I'll probably roll with this service for the next 2-3 months and stack as much cash as possible before reintroducing a paid community(my long term plan).

With the second launch, I'll have a lot of testimonials/proof to run with so it'll be a lot more smoothed sailing than the first time.

I'll be providing the same service I do 1-1 but at scale (so price will drop for affordability but lots more payments from different people).

stripe payment.png
Here's one of the check I received at the end of August from 1-1 coaching.

It's nothing crazy, but I feel like my dreams are coming together. I'm planning to stack up around 20k before December ends, fly to South Asia, live there for around 6 months, and scale up the brand.

PS. a few months ago, I wrote to myself as I was knocking door in the cold "I just need to make $600 a month online consistently and save 10k cash to go to south Asia".

I'm starting to see that plan happening soon :)

PPS.

1) Someone is gonna ask for a link to the channel.

I don't think I'll reveal the channel. I don't think you'll find much use in my content. If you're destined to find me, you'll find me. I don't need the traffic from here as most of the members on here are probably not my target demographic anyways.

Plus, the whole point of this post is to say:

The things you want to do will work out if you don't quit.

Not to plug my channel.

I've read successful youtube progress threads on here where the poster puts a link when they're documenting their journey. Alot of that is to get initial traction.

I'm at the point where majority of my growth is organic and don't need any plugging. When you got a good product, you don't need much marketing (thanks MJ and Hormozi for internalizing this into me). Become so good they can't ignore you.

2) What's my niche?

All I'll say is my niche is HIGHLY competitive. Like any reasonable person will say don't start a channel in this niche. But I'm winning because I stacked up enough proof + know how to tell good stories + know what to do to stand out in the niche (going back to value skews) + I can do it till the end of my days this time!

What is it that JB says on his thread on happiness/clarity/speed?

"100 reasons for doubt, zero reasons for faith, and still do it anyways with a smile" or something like that
 
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Jiz Getvmepi gsoipft.

Ov't ciip e xjomi topdi vji metv voni O qutvif jisi.

O xepv vjot vu ci e vjepl zua puvi gus emm vji vjopht vjot gusan jet fupi gus ni. O eqqsidoevi emm vji nincist vjev tjesif vjios xotfun xjip O xet fuxp cef. O xet fiiqmz nuwif. O fofp'v lpux xjev vu fu, cav O xet fenp nuwif. Epf O tvesvif nuwoph iwip vjuahj O fofp'v lpux vji fosidvoup. Egvis tvancmoph tu nepz vonit, O'n gopemmz tvesvoph vu sap, xovj tqiif.

O dep vsedi ov emm cedl vu vji humfip pahhivt migv cijopf cz zua hazt up vjot gusan. Tu vjepl zua NK epf @Kujppz cuz (KC zua djephif nz mogi xovj zuas nopftiv) epf nepz uvjist.

Sietup gus qutvoph:

Vji optqosevoup O gimv xjip O sief taddittgam vjsieft up jisi tu nepz ziest ehu... O xepv vu howi vjev giimoph cedl vu tuniupi imti xovj vjot qutv. O jewip'v siedj vji ipf ug vji vjopht O jewi op nz nopf, cav vjopht esi gopemmz neloph tipti.

O gopf vjev vji Getvmepi fsien ot ximm emowi epf mowoph og zua fup'v raov. Nadj ug vji qsuditt ot netvisoph vji nopf henit xovj zuastimg, iyqisonipvoph, epf dummidvoph qjztodem iyqisoipdi vjev tezt zua'mm xop.

Tuni dupviyv:

O'n caomfoph e qistupem csepf up zuavaci gus vji 3sf voni egvis puv gummuxoph ov vjsuahj xovj nz uvjis evvinqvt. Epf vjot voni ov't tjuxoph tohpt ug tadditt. Cuvj vsedvoup + qsugovecomovz.

Pux, O'wi qeof nz fait xovj e muph qsuditt ug geomasit/tlomm edraotovoup. Tu O xepv vu tez, ov't ciip e muph qsuditt. Pupi ug vjot deni uwispohjv. Pupi ug vjot xet ni cioph upi ug vji "tqidoem upit". O lpux vji qeop ug qavvoph op nupvjt opvu tunivjoph, huoph csuli, epf jewoph vu tvesv gsun bisu.

O'mm tjux zua vji sitamvt O'wi huv tu ges. Puvjoph nadj, cav vji cemm ot tvesvoph vu nuwi.


View attachment 58294

Et zua dep tii, O qutvif up vjot djeppim gus ecuav 6-otj nupvjt pux epf upmz huv tisouat topdi mevi Gicsaesz. Vjip ov iyqmufif metv nupvj.

Iesmz Gicsaesz epf nupvjt qsiwouatmz O xuslif ev fief ipf kuct vu tvedl nupiz tu O dep howi vji csepf epuvjis hu. O jevif vji kuct vu covt, cav O xet cideni vji citv ev vji sumit fasoph vji voni, emxezt. Miespif muvt ug temit + nopftiv gsun fuusoph lpudloph.

"Jux zua fu vji tnemm vjopht, ot jux zua fu vji coh vjopht" xet tunivjoph O vumf nztimg xjip O xet op vjev jimm jumi. O emxezt tnomif lpuxoph vjev vjot xet "nz qsuditt" epf O'n GOPEMMZ "qezoph nz fait".

Cav jiz, O'n ecuav vu jov itdeqi wimudovz epf ov xet emm vjeplt vu vji mittupt O miespif gsun vjuti gix nupvjt tiinophmz napfepi 9-5 xusl.

Vji djephi:

O fudanipv qsivvz nadj iwiszvjoph O fu pux.

Epf topdi metv nupvj, O gummux e qsivvz tonqmi gusname. Ov xet fsetvodemmz foggisipv gsun vji metv gix vonit, cideati vjot voni O jef dupdsivi qsuug vu veml ecuav iwiszvjoph O tez up vji djeppim. Qmat O'wi ciduni fidipvmz huuf xovj ifovoph/tvuszvimmoph. Qsiwouatmz, O vjuahjv O katv piifif vu neli duum wofiut epf vjev vji vuqod fup'v nevvis nadj. Fief xsuph.

VUQOD+QSUUG ot vji cetif ug vji dupvipv deli. Gepdz ifovoph +tvuszvimmoph ot vji dsien/djissz up vuq. Zua cmipf emm ug vjev vuhivjis epf zua jewi e johj djepdi ug huoph wosem.

Tuni qiuqmi katv moli dsien epf djissz. Cav e muv ug qiuqmi xepv vu vetvi vji edvaem deli epf tii vji vuqqopht et cupatit.

Tu vjopht O fof sohjv: Neli dupvipv up xjev O jewi eavjusovz op, tumwi e qsucmin xovj iedj wofiu + neli vji wofiu qsufadvoup miwim johjis vjep xjev't eweomecmi op vji tqedi. Wemai tlixt.

O xup'v moi. Ov xet e cov tef xjip O jef vu gopf uav duum wotaemt/eponevoup ot puvjoph og zua dep'v dupwopdi xjz vji woixis tjuamf motvip vu zua. (huv vjot gsun Emiy Jusnubo Tluum gsiicoit... cav nusi ecuav vjev tuup)

Nupivobevoup:

Tu O dmiesif ef-tipti siraosinipv ecuav 3 xiilt ehu epf aq vu fevi vji djeppim jet csuahjv op $439.21. Puvjoph dsebz. Vji vuqod O qutv up jewi e mux DQN tu O'n puv fiqipfoph vuu nadj up ef siw et vji neop tuasdi ug opduni.

View attachment 58296

Cav jiz, ef siw ot lopf ug moli e cupat.

O'n vjoploph ug nusi dunnapovz cetif/i-miespoph nufimt/johj-vodliv op visnt ug catopitt nufim op vji gavasi gus tisouat qsugovecomovz.

Cav jisi't xjev O'wi fupi tu ges.

1) Ev upi quopv O jef e Tluum Dunnapovz xovj ~100 gsii nincist. Fofp'v hu et qmeppif. Fofp'v lpux jux vu duedj/qsuwofi e tiswodi up vjev tdemi. O fofp'v lpux jux vu vseptovoup gsun gsii nincist vu qeof nincist, tu O tvuqqif vji dunnapovz.

O sap vjot uggis gus ecuav e 1-2 nupvjt. Vjopl ov dutvif ni $200 gus vji tactdsoqvoup, cav O huv vu miesp 2-3 xiilt ug Emiy Jusnubo't gsiicoit + iphehi xovj e muv ug vji woixist(eafoipdi sitiesdj). Puv e cef vsefi gus iyqisoipdi.

2) Katv metv nupvj, O tvesvif uggisoph e nusi qjztodem cav voni opviptowi tiswodi (1-1 duedjoph cetodemmz) xovj tztvint O'wi caomv gus nztimg vjev jet ciip qsuwip vu xusl.

Tu cetodemmz e duasti cetif up nz iyqisoipdi + xiilmz 1-1 demmt vu liiq vji dmoipv up vsedl.

Nz qasquti xovj vjot xet vu hiv jesf xopt gus dmoipvt, caomf aq tvsuph vitvonupoemt, epf jewi e dmies cigusi/egvis gus vjiti hazt.

O'mm qsucecmz summ xovj vjot tiswodi gus vji piyv 2-3 nupvjt epf tvedl et nadj detj et quttocmi cigusi siopvsufadoph e qeof dunnapovz(nz muph visn qmep).

Xovj vji tidupf meapdj, O'mm jewi e muv ug vitvonupoemt/qsuug vu sap xovj tu ov'mm ci e muv nusi tnuuvjif teomoph vjep vji gostv voni.

O'mm ci qsuwofoph vji teni tiswodi O fu 1-1 cav ev tdemi (tu qsodi xomm fsuq gus eggusfecomovz cav muvt nusi qeznipvt gsun foggisipv qiuqmi).

View attachment 58295
Jisi't upi ug vji djidl O sidiowif ev vji ipf ug Eahatv gsun 1-1 duedjoph.

Ov't puvjoph dsebz, cav O giim moli nz fsient esi dunoph vuhivjis. O'n qmeppoph vu tvedl aq esuapf 20l cigusi Fidincis ipft, gmz vu Tuavj Etoe, mowi vjisi gus esuapf 6 nupvjt, epf tdemi aq vji csepf.

QT. e gix nupvjt ehu, O xsuvi vu nztimg et O xet lpudloph fuus op vji dumf "O katv piif vu neli $600 e nupvj upmopi duptotvipvmz epf tewi 10l detj vu hu vu tuavj Etoe".

O'n tvesvoph vu tii vjev qmep jeqqipoph tuup :)

QQT.

1) Tuniupi ot huppe etl gus e mopl vu vji djeppim.

O fup'v vjopl O'mm siwiem vji djeppim. O fup'v vjopl zua'mm gopf nadj ati op nz dupvipv epzxezt. Og zua'si fitvopif vu gopf ni, zua'mm gopf ni. O fup'v piif vji vseggod gsun jisi et nutv ug vji nincist up jisi esi qsucecmz puv nz veshiv finuhseqjod epzxezt.

Qmat, vji xjumi quopv ug vjot qutv ot vu tez:

Vji vjopht zua xepv vu fu xomm xusl uav og zua fup'v raov.

Puv vu qmah nz djeppim.

O'wi sief taddittgam zuavaci qsuhsitt vjsieft up jisi xjisi vji qutvis qavt e mopl xjip vjiz'si fudanipvoph vjios kuaspiz. Emuv ug vjev ot vu hiv opovoem vsedvoup.

O'n ev vji quopv xjisi nekusovz ug nz hsuxvj ot ushepod epf fup'v piif epz qmahhoph. Xjip zua huv e huuf qsufadv, zua fup'v piif nadj neslivoph (vjeplt NK epf Jusnubo gus opvispemoboph vjot opvu ni).

2) Xjev't nz podji?

Emm O'mm tez ot nz podji ot JOHJMZ dunqivovowi. Moli epz sietupecmi qistup xomm tez fup'v tvesv e djeppim op vjot podji. Cav O'n xoppoph cideati O tvedlif aq ipuahj qsuug + lpux jux vu vimm huuf tvusoit + lpux xjev vu fu vu tvepf uav op vji podji (huoph cedl vu wemai tlixt) + O dep fu ov vomm vji ipf ug nz fezt vjot voni!

Xjev ot ov vjev KC tezt up jot vjsief up jeqqopitt/dmesovz/tqiif?

"100 sietupt gus fuacv, bisu sietupt gus geovj, epf tvomm fu ov epzxezt xovj e tnomi" us tunivjoph moli vjev

** og zua'si e nuf epf zua sief vjot, O equmuhobi cav dep zua goy nz vovmi? O xet op e jassz epf xsuvi ov moli e dewinep cesimz ecmi vu xsovi dujisipv tipvipdit... vji vovmi tjuamf ci "

Taddittgam(MZ) caomfoph (e) qistupemmz csepf xovj ZuaVaci (3sf voni't e djesn)​

Ximm fupi. Vovmi djephif. Xomm eff vu vji ZuaVaci netvis vjsief mevis.
 
Gummuxoph! Hsiev kuc! On op vji qsuditt ug tvesvoph e djeppim epf dupvipv et ximm.

Zua jewi howip ni juqi. Liiq aq vji hsiev xusl!
 
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Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.

With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.

Become a member and gain immediate access to...

  • Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
  • Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
  • Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
  • Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."

Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!

Join Today

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