The Enthusiasm Project

Send a text message to the show! Have you ever thought about what it’d be like to resign from your job? What if that job was a career that you originally planned to follow through to retirement? That’s what I did this week, so this second installment of “The Secret Series” breaks down the how’s and why’s of resigning along with the first stumbling block in my full time endeavor (which of course ha...

Send a text message to the show! This is the first in a series of episodes documenting my decision to leave my 11 year career as a teacher to become a full time content creator. In this first episode, Heather helps me to embrace the fact that this is something I want to do and helps me work through the initial rush of feelings (both good and bad) that come with that decision.  🎙Ready to start your...

Send a text message to the show! Thank you to everyone who sent in questions via Twitter and Instagram! This week I answer literally all of them, and we cover everything from finding motivation to start a creative project to pieces of gear that ended up being surprisingly underrated (and of course a sprinkling of Rodecaster Pro tech support). 🎙Ready to start your own podcast? Check out The Podcast...

Send a text message to the show! How can you tell when you should follow a trend, or “buck” the trend and blaze your own path? What’s the difference between being inspired by your influences and having your creativity tampered by the influence of others? This week's episode dives into the creative challenge of trusting yourself and your instincts to create something uniquely you that will be...

Send a text message to the show! In the final chapter of the "YouTube Business Breakdown Trilogy (Real Name TBD)", I go over all of the current expenses for my channel.  This is definitely not financial advice, but I hope it's a helpful glimpse into some of the behind the scenes things that go into creating a solid foundation for your creative endeavor. In the previous two episodes...

Send a text message to the show! In this companion episode to S4E03, I wanted to break down the highs and lows of revenue from my YouTube channel in 2020. All in all, there are currently ten revenue streams, so this episode covers the why's and how's behind each one, along with how much each stream earned at its highest and it's lowest.  I can't emphasize enough that this is no...

Send a text message to the show! This week I break down the nuts and bolts of how my YouTube channel is set up as a business. You might remember that Season 2 ended with Heather and I forming an LLC, but how have we actually been able to use our LLC since then? How do we handle income, pay ourselves, and keep everything the up and up?  •Here’s the app that we use to track our expenses: https://www...

Send a text message to the show! Why do we spend our time creating and making stuff? Over the holiday break I had a few key experiences that really made me remember the initial spark of excitement that goes into making creative content and I wanted to share them with you.  •My Interview with Eliseo Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_JHyrk6guY&t=161s 🎙Ready to start your own podcast? Check...

Send a text message to the show! Season 4 kicks off with the man behind one of my favorite Youtube channels, Rafael Ludwig. We dive into Rafael's extensive history in the film and media industry, his YouTube journey, and the process of building your video and filmmaking skillset.  •Check out Rafael’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/rafaelludwig •Connect with Rafael @Capricorn8 on Twi...

Send a text message to the show! Heather is serious about helping fellow filmmakers learn their craft through useful reviews, tutorials, and insights. After establishing her own video production company, she's built a thriving YouTube channel around "growth for the serious filmmaker."  I've been a fan for a long time, so I was very excited to talk with Heather about her journey...

Send a text message to the show! If you’re struggling with a goal, how can you tell if it’s something that’s not possible or just an issue of motivation? That’s the million dollar question. I’ve got a great strategy that I “borrowed” from a friend to help make that differentiation super clear, and I wanted to share it with you.  I also wanted to share a few updates on why I moved my podcasts all t...

Send a text message to the show! Jared Spink hosts The Hive podcast where he interviews creatives and entrepreneurs  and own his own photo/video company. This week we dive in to the sometimes tragic circumstances that happen in life to make you reevaluate your priorities and light the fire to get started. The Hive Podcast: https://www.hivepodcast.org/ Jared's Web Site: https://www.growthehive...

Send a text message to the show! The goal of this episode is to get you excited about making something. In 6 months, Bhav Sharma has created a video podcast and YouTube channel where she's been able to invest her time in herself and work towards the goal of being an creator.  This was a super fun interview where we talked not only about Bhav's podcasting journey, but her entire process a...

Send a text message to the show! If you want ot create high quality content, you have to invest time and money into it– there's no way around that fact. This week I want to share how a $150 light improved my videos more than a $4000 camera, and I also reached out to the YouTube and Twitter community to see what lesser-known investments have had the biggest impact in audio and video production...

Send a text message to the show! My YouTube channel crossed the 40,000 subscriber milestone this week, and while I don’t like to place too much of an emphasis on numbers for creative endeavors, for whatever reason, 40K is a big one in my mind. Heather and I did a celebration Livestream Q&A, which was an incredible experience, and ended up running for over two hours! I feel like our podcast com...

Send a text message to the show! What’s the difference between inspiration and emulation? If you create something to share with the world, like a YouTube channel or podcast, it’s natural to look at what others are doing as a guide. But what if you don’t see anyone else doing things the way you do? What does it mean to be authentic, and how does in play in to the long term growth/sustainability of...

Send a text message to the show! It's a full studio this week! I'm lucky to have three awesome creators share what they do, how they do it, and why they got started in the first place. This is a great conversation for anyone who creates and shares something online, I hope you enjoy it! •Heather Ramirez (aka my Wonderful Wife) @heatherjustcreate http://youtube.com/heatherjustcreate •Kevin...

Send a text message to the show! For years, the online creator community has proclaimed “Story is king! Gear doesn’t matter!” But is this doing more harm than good? Has it helped to create a new generation of creators who feel entitled to "pro" results without investing the time and money to get there? And alternate title for this episode could be “Old Man Yells at Cloud.” 🎙Ready to star...

Send a text message to the show! Do you have innate responsibilities when you have a platform/audience? Last week I talked about my goal of one day being able to generate a full time income via YouTube. This week I explain how I seem to be actively undermining that goal with my over the top ethics statement in a discussion sparked by the impossible-to-ignore gender gap in the camera/video/photo sp...

Send a text message to the show! If you work full time but also want to create a YouTube Channel or podcast, how on Earth is it possible to balance everything, especially once your creative endeavors begin to grow? And at what point, if any, should you consider leaving your job to become a full time creator? 🎙Ready to start your own podcast? Check out The Podcaster Playbook, a step-by-step DIY cou...

Send a text message to the show! It’s time for my second Question & Answer episode! Thank you to everyone who sent in questions on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Anchor. Many of the questions were gear related, but I tried to give answers/context in ways that would be helpful to anyone who creates any kind of content, so I think you’ll really enjoy this one! It was a ton of fun to record. 🎙Re...

Send a text message to the show! Let’s revisit my rebranding escapades over the past month because I think there are quite a few valuable lessons for anyone who creates and shares their work online. I was incredibly nervous to rebrand my YouTube channel, which lead down a rabbit whole of other questions. But I’ve ultimately learned a lot and now feel very excited (or should I say…enthusiastic) abo...

Send a text message to the show! If you have a creative spark that’s been in the back of your mind, or you’ve had the little urge to get started on something new. Just go for it. Don’t wait, just create! I know firsthand the frustration that cmomes with waiting for things to be perfect before you get started, but I’ve also learned the value of just jumping in and figuring it out as you go. 🎙Ready...

Send a text message to the show! Why does every creative endeavor need to become a money making venture? This week I wanted to dive in to some thoughts I’ve been having on why it seems that “having fun” isn’t as much of a priority on YOuTube as it used to be. Is there a way to be strategic with the content you create while also staying true to yourself and hanging on to the spark of fun that made...

Send a text message to the show! This week’s show is a journey. We’re going to talk about cameras, but that’s really just for context. More importantly, I’m going to share a creative identity crisis I’ve been dealing with that forced me to reconnect with my roots in terms of why I originally wanted to share anything with the world in the first place and how authenticity plays a key role in every p...