The Hard Lessons in Reaching 100K Subscribers

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So at the start of this year, the channel reached the big “100” milestone and I’m so grateful for all the support over the years! We’ve already grown to over 110K+ subscribers, which is crazy 🤯

I’ve been reflecting on the journey, because I'll be the first to admit it wasn’t an easy or clear, direct path to 100K. It was a squiggly, ugly and confusing line but I learned a lot about the process, YouTube and myself.

Here are some of the lessons learned on my journey to 100K subscribers that hopefully you find value from in your own personal journeys:

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🚦Giving Up vs Moving On

Truthfully, there were plenty of times I felt like giving up on the channel.

I was super busy with the eCommerce store, job as a marketing manager and my personal life. I felt like I had no time for YouTube.

But there’s a big difference between giving up and moving on.

Moving on is making strategic decisions and knowing when to cut your losses. Giving up is walking away from your business or project without any substantial reason or strategy.

🔄 Pivoting is key

Change is always scary but it’s also inevitable.

Only creating dropshipping and eCommerce content was getting stale to me – there’s only so much I can teach when it comes to beginner-friendly strategies.

So pivoting to another passion of mine – tech – was such a breath of fresh air…and…it was an immediate hit with you guys! My most popular video, coming to 2 million views, is this desk and tech setup video.

Don’t be afraid to pivot, good things may come from it.

⛰ Process, not end goal

When I stopped focusing on vanity metrics (views, likes, subscribers) and focused on creating content I was proud of and resonated with you guys – growth became exponential.

It’s so easy to get carried away with being overly focused on your goals that we forget to enjoy the process.

Your energy will be reflected in your work and I mean, what’s the point of it all if we’re not enjoying the day to day right?

🚷 Stop comparing

I was so absorbed with what others were creating in the toxic dropshipping content creator space that I found myself being someone I’m not – loud, showy, caring about big numbers. Because I believed that’s what others wanted to see.

I realised this is not the rabbit hole I want to go down, because it's not who I am. I can provide value and share helpful tutorials without all the silly, unnecessary and often immature showmanship.

So stop comparing, because you are who you are and that's more than enough…which leads me to the last point...

❇️ Be authentic

Simply be yourself in all situations.

People will either like you or dislike you, but who cares – at least you’re being true to who you are. Putting on a mask and being someone you’re not is no way to live and show up every day.

Being truly myself on videos is a big reason I’ve not burnt out and am still doing this YouTube thing years later. Plus, it seems to resonate with my audience when I’m authentically myself and I’m very grateful for that.

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Have a great week ahead!

Andrew
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Best Camera I’ve Ever Used

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Title says it all and I’m not exaggerating.

I can’t believe I didn’t get stuck into the Fuji ecosystem earlier, the aesthetic of film simulations is insane.

Check out the new Instagram to showcase the new Fuji shots here @aez.photos.

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How I Clean My Desk & Upgrades

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Here’s my method to my madness in keeping my desk setup squeaky clean.

Kickback and enjoy this desk tour and “clean with me” type video!

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🌾 Link Harvest – a curated list of useful things

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​Will Facebook Survive? – Good read on whether or not Facebook will survive navigating Web 3.0 and the Metaverse

​Fuji X100V – Personally now my favorite camera and here’s why

​Technics Earbuds Giveaway – Another month, another giveaway! Winners will be announced in March’s newsletter

​@aez.photos – Follow for more film simulation shots off the Fuji

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🌮 Food For Thought

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"The only impossible journey is the one you never begin." – Tony Robbins

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