Getting to 6 FIGURES on YouTube & in your Business!

I'm here with Sean candle of video influencers, and think media and we are gonna talk to you no matter what level you're at about, growing, your business using. YouTube to get your first 100, thousand subscribers and your first six figures in revenue. Welcome. To the sunny show for, the bright side of being, your own boss and, building. O life. How. Did we do it and what was the process from start to finish so let's. Dive into that how, do you feel like you've progressed. And evolved yeah, I think for me I'm, looking, back now I look at it in seasons, of really, the side hustle season the, solopreneur. Season, and the scale season, which is we're kind of both and now we're we're scaling our businesses and I think that most, people and if they're watching they're aspiring to maybe be entrepreneurs, make, money online figure. Out a way to create a business around their lifestyle that was definitely my dream, and my passion, and if we take it all the way back it actually was a spark, that was kind of started a lot of by a book called crush it by Gary Vaynerchuk and, I. Read that back in 2009, and I started to dabble on YouTube and what I discovered, was the combination of YouTube and affiliate marketing and so. Being, a video production person. Myself have been doing video since 2003. I just took my passion, and started talking about what I knew about online helping, people find cameras, lighting microphones. Whatever, it was but, because of doing YouTube and affiliate, marketing, and doing what you teach a lot which is helping people rank videos right yeah I was, getting these videos that would show up around search terms and then people would click products but you know what's funny is before I even did tech I actually did a video called gift ideas for him oh so I have a whole channel just my Shawn candle channel I don't really do much with it now but it gave me a place to experiment, just, get started and I really recommend that people do that if you don't know what to do experiment. And test first experiment, and test yeah and what's funny is I also like to say I have a couple YouTube channels that really didn't, work right helped me get to the one that did or the two that did and so, that experiment, though even to this day I think if you type that in it still ranks like four or five it, has almost a million views and all I did was gather up some things from around the house some, headphones some, books whatever, I think that you know to give people, some ideas for, their husband their father their boyfriend, whoever gift ideas for him and it was all affiliate links and then I was like wait a minute we're making five bucks online in. A month Oh in a month but still yes that's, amazing it's like proof of concept and it was like 25, a month later yeah we just continued, to scale that and while that, is not you. Know life-changing, by any means it really is because, as soon as you make your first dollar online you're. Like it's like a it's like a light bulb goes off all, I need to do is scale this was. The first time you ever just like had that aha. Similar, content, so I created, a video I actually my first business was an online magazine and it, was for men written, by women and. One. Of the first videos I ever created was about, Valentine's, Day ideas, and that, video started ranking I was like oh my gosh where's all this traffic coming from and stuff didn't, really think anything of it it didn't really go back to it but. With that business. Because of the traffic that we had accumulated and, it got a little popular I remember, selling my first ad on, my, website. Yeah, and it was about $500, yeah and I was like oh my gosh I've made it yeah, completely. This. Is Christmas every, day yeah, so, it, really does change everything because you, have the proof that you're able to do it whether it's five dollars or five hundred dollars you. Know that it's possible and you, know that you're creating something that people see, is valuable, yeah so, to give some context we're gonna kind of go through each of those seasons and you, know where you need to start with your YouTube channel and building your business using, YouTube all the way up to the state that we're at now I have a crew I have a team who helps me produce my videos but kind of like taking it back to grassroots of where, you actually start and for context, let's just say you, know where are you at in your business today versus when we first met a couple years ago yeah well today in our business were actually.

But Like a seven-figure, annual, per. Year business six, team, members based in Las Vegas and, that's actually just my personal, business think media over, a couple years think about that and, I know you're doing similar, things yeah it's funny how how. It's. Been very aligned like our growth has been very aligned. And yeah, same same situation we're at a place where we now have 17, members would you playing our revenue last year so we're, in really good spots and very similar spots but it's. Really important to remember that we started from very humble beginnings completely, and I think one of the biggest, mistakes, that we, see people making online we were talking about this off-camera is is really we listen all these different people we follow think about the other people you follow the, business gurus, the entrepreneur, gurus, whoever, and people. Are dispensing, advice but. One of the things that I think we all can, sometimes miss is that it's, contextual, advice, yes that, if Gary, Vaynerchuk or whoever Marie Forleo is, is, saying something sometimes, they're saying that from a perspective of, they've got 700, employees they've, got unlimited money in the bank they've and so if they're saying this is what they're focusing on that's not necessarily, what you should be focusing, on because. It depends on what season you're in a lot, of aspiring. And online entrepreneurs, are in that side hustle season yeah and it's, funny because both of us were have built our businesses in similar, ways leveraging, the power of YouTube has. A search, engine yes where traffic and the reason I love YouTube the most was because all these other social networks they're great and we do some course invest energy in them but, I kind of consider Facebook, you, know Instagram, Twitter snapchat. These. Other platforms, they're not search engines and they're kind of like the social media hamster wheel yes 100%. I kind of call it like the viral platforms, versus the value plot for sure I see YouTube as I wish. Everyone in the world could understand how amazing it is it. Works for you and it's this long-term, play, and I have videos that are bringing me hundreds. Of leads every, single day yes. So I know I'm not doing anything yeah I post it I did the job I created value I'm getting leads from it whereas, for other platforms it's kind of like you gotta strike while the iron's hot post content hope, people see it hoping you generate some business from it and the demand they say like you know to be relevant on Facebook it's four times a day yessuh gram it's twice a day the cool thing about YouTube and why in the side hustle season I loved it was because I had a full time job I'm trying to balance family, I'm trying to balance even other side hustle side work and build.

My Youtube channel my online influence, my business, on the, side and so, I would focus on trying, to put out quality videos but I couldn't even do them every week right I might have been I might have been able to do like three in a month but then I would go dark for like two months but because they would rank and search then, I could get as the, line I still from you all the time views. While, you snooze. Yeah. You get views where you snooze which is cool because I would I would be at Red Robin waiting, tables on the cob up right and and, I would be thinking and I'm getting views though like even, if any day people. Are discovering, me for the first time and so I'm here Wayne tables making tips I've also got even, if it's slow my business is growing online, yeah, absolutely and that's really the beauty of YouTube and I think it's so, important, to say that because it really is easy to know you know you know preach, consistency. And if. You're at a certain level you need consistency, but, if you're in that side hustle mode for. YouTube I think it's all about quality. Versus. Quantity mm, focus, on creating, videos that you know are gonna get picked up in search and you're using the right keywords and you're focusing on you know frequently, asked questions from your audience that you've heard me talk about tell them blue in the face that's. What you want to work on and create videos that will work for, you for years. To come, I totally agree and I've heard it said that YouTube is kind of like a Content, library, yes and a library, is full of books books. Take time to write books are organized, books are thoughtful, you know snapchat, Instagram, stories, those, are like pamphlets, yes they're like flyers they get thrown away so, even. Though you don't need to write a book every YouTube video I do like to approach it with an intentionality, to create something that can work for you just imagine if you think about the video you put out it's gonna be viewed three years later you probably want that to be yeah, it's not only how you approach it but also how. Much you're willing to put in upfront yeah I had that unlock, and I know you did as well to say this is a lot of hard work and early on my name when you're in that side hustle season you're, not getting the return, on investment of your time your, energy or, your money based. On the effort you're putting in it's always heavier upfront heavy. Lifting yeah, but you, can do that because you have that commitment to the vision of what's possible I'm, gonna do a really great job on these videos now because, and even if some of them don't rank some. Of them might not last because if a few dude, could change your whole life it changed ours it just seems one doesn't, think I have one video that went, crazy, and, it ended up in the first page of Google, and that. Video alone has brought in so many new people to my tribe to figure out who I am and then they become customers, or clients and, so it's really understanding that, I like, to treat each, video is this individual, traffic machine basically powerful. I had last year had a viral video and same thing commitment, to the Dania and day out weekly process, sometimes it's not that sexy it's not that glamorous but. One just got knocked out of the park 2.3, million views are, you talking about your iPhone video yeah, that. It's just boom all the sudden and you don't know which video was gonna be no but she committed to consistency. And. I committed to creating content that I knew my audience would actually care about that's powerful that's really what it is so I think it's important to understand if you're in that side missile phase focus, on quality versus quantity don't, put pressure on yourself to be doing something every week if you can that's amazing. But really focus on having these individual, videos that are gonna work for you for years to come and the. Other piece of that is let's talk about the tools that stage, so for me I've got, started with a webcam a window. For natural lighting which I still love natural lighting yes my favorite lighting yeah and, I, had a stack of books as my tripod, and I would just sit in front of my window, in my apartment on my couch and film and literally was wearing like pajamas from down here. And I was wearing you know something, nice up top just. So I looked somewhat professional so. That's how I sort of what were your tools when you first got started so I'm, not probably a good example because I am a video, guy, and. So I would I've been to a video production since 2003. But I think I would speak to people, in my tribe in my community, actually Heather on my team she's our operations, officer but she has a home school channel and she's.

Doing Exactly what you and I teach about ranking videos and same thing her, homeschool channels like number eight on her list to do right she's got family she's got her kids she's got our business she's got everything she's working on but. She, just, started with her iPhone and she, just started shooting on her iPhone but, sunny her Channel she's only put out about 23, videos and she hates when I talk about this cuz she's been doing it for about a year so not even one a week right and her. Channel doe, 7500. Subscribers a quarter, million video views yeah, iPhone. Getting, started because the reality, is especially in the side hustle season but it's true almost in any season is that it's never about, the camera, it's, always about the content, yeah you know the content, value is infinitely, more important. Than the production value yeah absolutely and, I think people get so I, really do see it as almost like a limiting belief when, people are like what camera do I need what lights do anything it's more so just you being afraid to put yourself out there than anything so, it's really just starting. And trying, it and hoping. For the best and, then, you get comfortable, and then you can do it more consistently, so that's a great example so iPhone, when it's that like side hustle season for. Me it was watch at webcam and for you obviously was different cuz you're a video guy and. We can talk more about those more impressive, tools in, a second but yeah so that's really side hustle so then we go into the solopreneur, yeah season so let's talk about that yes, the solopreneur, season, for, me started actually just, in January of 2016 and, that, was about the time where, finally. We didn't have clients anymore we, didn't have like agency work or whatever anymore, it was all YouTube an affiliate marketing actually only and it, was a different season because one you know maybe note if we went back to that early season I also would run and whack you know mention the power of focus you, definitely, cannot, do everything and you can never do everything, but, the, power focus you know so many people are like you need to be on every social media platform that will kill you if you're in the side hustle season when you move into the solar printer season I realize we have a little bit more time I was still like pretty, much just me and and. Just kind of going all-in for about eight months before I could on board some people, and and. So in that season it was still the power focus but now I could deploy a lot of energy and so it's hustle, every season but I found, a new level of hustle, in that. Solopreneur. Season that, like you have to wear every hat you, just are wearing everything you do and I think it's interesting how I kind of like visualize, that solopreneur, season, is that you're kind of halfway up the mountain so you've built you've built momentum you're, already halfway there you don't really want to turn back and you, feel a responsibility because. We have clients, you have customers, you kind of built something so if you stop you're, letting people down. So obviously have to be aligned with it excited about it but like that's really the solar pretty where so it is it's kind of like you have no choice, yep but, to just hustle, and you will get through it we, did yeah and you. Get out on the other side and go oh my gosh now I can now I know what, I need to do and how to do things now I can teach other people to take that off my plate and actually, scale. Yep, and so I think of some tips for that solopreneur, season is that even, if you can't, do, it yet because some people say we say you should get a team you should get a t-shirt but you might be like I don't have I can't I don't have money for myself let alone somebody else you, should still be thinking about a team you should still be looking for a team yeah and actually I. Mentioned, you know we were so lone as far as YouTube creation, of content, you. Know writing emails doing, all the social media was all me but one person, that did come on was Heather who's now full-time with us and actually, our initial conversation, though she started saying I could help you create some courses I could help you do.

Some Things where I just didn't have the confidence to do that alone and, sometimes. To go ask well how'd you guys meet I think part, of the reason we met was because of committing. To excellent, content, or that, attracted. Awareness. Because she saw what we were doing online and was interested in getting involved she sat, down mentioned. Some of her skills and I said wow you're perfect, we need to work together I can't, pay you. Ella. I'm sure everyone, watching this news to Ayla is my, right hand she's my unicorn. When people ask me how I found her I say she came from heaven and. She'll get really embarrassed about this too but we met yeah and I was at that breaking point of being a solopreneur where I needed help we, were introduced through a friend I will never forget the day I met her and I sat down and I was like you're, it you're hurt sorry I can't pay you right now I need you to intern, for a little bit and then I promise, you like I see this for a lifetime, relationship. Between the two of us to grow this together I promise, you I will reward you when I can and that's been the case she's been with me now for almost. Three years and, she is the. Greatest thing that's ever happened man this is so weird intentionality, I think, you should know what you want start, architecting. Start dreaming, and mapping. Out even journaling, the, ideal business even if it can't all be a reality right now because, if you don't start, talking about it right now you'll really never get there you. Have to visualize it, in order for it to come true and so what I did was I when, I first knew, I needed to hire somebody I wrote down a list of the things that I just wasn't really good at and it was taking so much of my mental space and time and it wasn't my genius own and. Those were all the first things that I sort of trusted and allowed to take over and. I do believe in that growing together and something else you said when you're thinking about hiring a team from that solar newer phase is you, want to make sure that you're working with people who already sort of bought in to your brand, yeah so, pretty much everyone on my team now knew, of what, I did beforehand, and was bought in and bought into the mission and the vision of what.

Is For, us our vision which is really empowering people to shine and creating those success ripples so we can help people grow in their own terms and be their own boss and build their own life so, you, have to work with people who get that and for me it's always about personality. And drive, and willingness to learn persons. Needing to know everything, completely, that's what we say too we say character, and chemistry. Like, that the person's gotta have integrity they gotta have character they gotta have chemistry, if you don't vibe with them these are people you work with especially we have home businesses, we, work from our apartment in Vancouver, you, know but you're gonna buy with these people all the time you want to have chemistry, even if they have the greatest skills in the world but you hate being around yeah you don't want them on your team and so. Those are the first two things competency. I think it's more like a willingness to learn because the crazy thing about our industry we were just a traffic in conversion here and the, reality is you can't even know all the skills you need no no, way if you feel discouraged right now by you feel like man I wish I knew like what, sunny knows and I wish I knew here's the crazy thing is like in in, six months, you, don't know what you need to know I don't it's, such a fast-paced, world if you have to continue to learn and I think that's where growing. Up from the solopreneur, phase to scaling the business is really where you and I have. The time and space to do what we need to do to be on top of those things absolutely when you're in the hustle of doing everything you really don't have that time in space so, that allows us to continue to scale and grow the business because, we're staying on top of it yeah and I would say to really thrive in that solopreneur. Phase the, power focus matters in every face but it really matters there because now all of a sudden I had all this time I could do a million. I think the key is to find one thing that works and to, work it until that. Can scale to enough revenue, that. You can be in the scale season who began to hire it if, you start spreading yourself too thin shiny, objects, you're like I should create a course but, I should also be getting sponsors for my podcast and I should be doing affiliate marketing, and I'm gonna start coaching and I'm gonna start doing client work and I'm gonna do all this stuff and there are all trickles, you. Kind of need to get that geyser yeah focus, on that because that's the thing that will be your ticket to the next step so true there's a really great book called the one thing if you read it yeah okay highly, recommend it it talks about focusing, on that one thing and using that and it's similar to in business, I always talk about YouTube in that way too is like you focus on the one platform that's gonna give you the biggest return and it grows everything else and then you can branch off me like I want to have my Instagram, game now so, that's something to remember too you don't have to do it all in every sense in business and in social and whatever else you, just really have to put your momentum and effort into that one thing is that's gonna work for you everywhere else so I think to, recap the solopreneur, phase I think it's at that point you, want to be a little more consistent so ideally, if you do one video a week which is what I was able to do just sit in front of my webcam. And. What I did to help me stay, consistent, was I would do four videos at a time so it sit down for about two hours a month, and I do four videos at a time and if you can't do two hours a month to create these four videos that are gonna work for you for years to come and bring in leads for you you, got to reevaluate so, I knew it was gonna grow the business so I committed, to it and that was my one thing that I really focused on that's super powerful and I love what she said because, by, focusing on same thing I focused all on YouTube and to, the neglect of my Instagram of my Facebook but, what's crazy is now today those things are growing so fast but.

Because One thing grew big enough you got the influencer there so you could shift audiences. Rather than trying to build a bunch of things at once yeah and your energy you're overwhelmed, or stressed, yeah. So yeah so now we're at the stage of scaling, we're just continuing to grow the business we built the authority, we're seen as experts which is awesome we have these amazing communities. So thank you. So really at this point I am, now which, is incredible, and hopefully a little inspirational, for you if you're and you're in that side hustle phase I started. At the side hustle I had no help it was just me went. To the solopreneur, still, filming by myself and that. Built, my business those those 101, video week for, two years built. My business to a place where I now have a team of seven people and, I have a crew who helps me with my videos and makes them look as great as they do and. I'm able to focus on everything else in the business as well that. Puts, me in my zone of genius and makes me you know even further as an authority, so, scaling. Your, business when you get to that point it's time to really invest in up leveling, everything which we've recently done with the videos and our set and all of that and that's, when you really have some fun with it I think I totally agree and you know I love what you said investing, in uplevel and everything if we even just go back to that side hustle season I do think, that once you hit that and this is true for every season that, what mistake entrepreneurs, make is as soon as you have a little bit success, you kind of get crazy, and I think that what I have always tried to do and on our team is whenever, we've had success we tried to reinvest, it back into the business and sometimes, that's back into the brand you've done that back. Into up, levelling gear and so, I would definitely say as soon as you when you start making some income some revenue, there is something about getting, better gear hiring. Somebody or just contracting, somebody even solopreneurs. Maybe, hire out a videographer. Yeah. Maybe something like that or you, level up your camera level up your lighting because, in today's world it does help your brand it can help you stand out to have crispy video, have, the good lighting start. Thinking about your set but as we get into the scale season it's funny even just, this year, we cover CES, that's when we first met you know years ago and we did our first video, influencers, interview, but. That. That, we even started thinking about like merch, we even started thinking about like how's our brand standing, out and the, reality, is is again I feel like that could be a shiny object for people I'm glad, I wasn't thinking about that I was kind of just bootstrapping, scrappy. Solopreneur. Yeah, just trying to get it done but. Then once I started we had more revenue a little more time being in that more mastermind, position, as we moved into team on that scale season, I started thinking how, we make the we just shot CES and all 4k amazing. Really crispy, like. Great video quality you know yeah and we start you know got a little merch so we showed up as a crew we see more professional, you know all this kind of stuff we have business cards. And. You know I think it's so funny because even, like we have business cards for a couple years not that you need business cards who even uses business cards and what you need them at CES for some reason at CES that's like they'd said you need them be good, but. But whether that's your website, whether that's I think you really even, at every stage want to be committed to done, is better. Than perfect, yeah. But, again. You know more so that as you as you move on like, trying, to think about how to level up and that's what we definitely did and, investing. Investing, in our set we're changing our house now we're best thing in building it out you've built things out home studios podcast. Microphones, and so when you get into that season I think you want to how can you make your brand, stand. Out from other brands maybe you need a refresh, and overhaul of your, brand and not also keep, in mind can, take time as well and can allow, you you, know this space to kind of walk away and I've done this I've taken you know a month off to really just tune, into what it is that I want to do with the business and the brand and how I want to uplevel it and then execute, so don't feel like you, have to just keep going to keep going I think, it all comes back to having the intention of what the greater vision and mission is and then, sticking to that and executing, on it moving, forward I agree, for, scale I think probably the biggest things if we just thought about a couple actual things I think paid traffic was something that became a big that's something that scales but it's hard to pay for traffic, it.

Really Isn't it's kind of like which, comes first the chicken or the egg but never you know because you like, you need to pay tit for traffic to actually make revenue but you don't have revenue to pay for traffic but when you get to that scale season that's another way to reinvest, rather. Than spend your money here or there we thought man we could reach more people by paying for facebook ads YouTube ads I, think also investing, in even things like this yep you know I there, was this is my first trafficking, conversion, you know and I'm. All about investing in big events and plane tickets and so on and so forth but sometimes you might feel that you're like I wish I could go to that stuff well, I remember watching, a lot of free stuff I remember buying tickets. To just the online recordings, or the online webinars. But. At every level leveling, up that education, and investing, at a higher level I think. I. Think we definitely, know if you need help with the tools as, well because, I know you have a lot of recommendations when it comes to tools there any overarching. Right now like if you're in that scale season you want to invest in good in good cameras, what, would you recommend yeah. I think I, definitely check out think media the channel and it depends, I think that for, like, 4k content, which, I don't think people need to do but, it is definitely like the premium I think Sony cameras, right now are pretty impressive some of the Sony cameras even the a 6500. Other, ones that are coming out but, I think that most DSLRs, what do you shoot on right now do you know Sony, something yeah, could. You tell me and no jury's gonna add a best year as my column. Jer-bear he's my videographer and editor and he's incredible, with media, and so he's, up leveled our gear every step of the way as well so I went from the Logitech webcam to, now we're using some, Sony camera that looks awesome yeah, and so definitely, I think Canon, Sony there's a lot of good gear there and and, some of the basics that Sonny teaches so well is also, that the most important, part really a video ironically. Is lighting. An audio. You're. Good yeah and so if you haven't maybe invested, in a good light kit even, the one there's, one that $75, that I love and that's over on my channel too it's the evening on Amazon, there's also one that's about five hundred dollars like an LED kit. That's really nice and so, that's that's it's within reach and, then you know good microphones, and you're good to go well, and we'll put links to of, course your Channel and also to the lights that you mentioned sure sure the description so you guys can check them out thank, you so much hey hope you guys found this valuable if you did put vos in the comments below and let us know so. Before, you go we did this on your channel about lightning round and I love doing these so I have just three questions for you so first, question what. Is the best piece, of entrepreneurial. Advice and mentors ever again we've given you that's. Super hard I got a lot of good advice but I think one of them was, that, good. Is the, enemy. The great yeah want. To explain that one yeah. I mean that's that there's a lot of good things to do I think it plays just so much like, there's there's so many like good, things you could do in your business but there's one probably vertical, of your greatness there's, so many shiny objects, you could focus on but, there's one great thing out there there's a lot of good fish in the sea for you but there's one great, person. Yeah, just and that the good if we fill our lives up with the good we may actually might be missing, out on the. Great great I totally, agree with that and I feel like that's been a common theme of this whole conversation, the. Focusing, on the one thing that you're gonna really like soar at okay. So that's question, one a question two best book, that every, boss should, read man. Best book every boss should, read I think I definitely think crushing had changed my life personally, I think though a lot of people in this community are probably already kind of thinking. About crushing ya and taking advantage of the opportunity, of things that are happening right now I want to give too I'm gonna go to my man John Maxwell, and say, the 21, irrefutable laws, of leadership and I think it's the seventeen laws of teamwork I think every boss should, be thinking about how they can level up as a leader and lead.

Great Teams even if you don't have one yet I love. That I haven't even read those and I'm gonna read them okay. So that's awesome and then the final question is my definition of being your own boss is showing up for yourself so you can show up for everything else personally, professionally what's, your definition of being your own boss I feel. Like being. Your own boss is creating. A business around a lifestyle, that allows you to do what you want when. You want, where. You want with, the people that matter most to you and so. That's the kind of business we're trying to build a life kind of on our own terms, with. The people that we love the most and in places, that we love to be and obviously that's an incredible, thing to aspire to and. But. I think it's possible for us and for everybody watching and. That's, what I would say it's and that's a perfect answer and I think it's important to remember no matter what fades you're at we started at a place where that was not even a reality, and we've built it to a place where it absolutely, is and we're very fortunate but, it does take it takes work it takes dedication it takes work it takes being an expert and it takes constant education. So thank, you so much this is so wonderful where can people find you where you want to send my audience to I think that the first thing that they should do is, check out our interview with you over on video influencers, in, the cards yeah we'll link that up and so a lot of good content shared there that's, a great channel with tips for video as well but over on think media is probably the best place to go you could just search it on YouTube or link in the description, right and. That definitely helping people with gear even if it's no matter what budget you're on from from premium gear to if you're just starting out we have a lot of videos and playlists, to help you find the right tools, for. Building your influence online and never let that be a hindrance we already talked about it let's start with what you have but, as you scale be. Thinking about how to level up your gear your content, your lighting and all those types of things think media awesome, think media is the place to go we'll link to all of that below thank, you so much for watching this is a little longer than usual but I think it was value-packed. Info so thank you to Sean thank, you do you for watching remember if you like this video hit that like button below share, it with your fellow bosses and be sure to subscribe we'll, see you in the next video.

2018-04-04 15:20

Other news