I grew from ZERO TO 100K SUBSCRIBERS in 3 MONTHS (& how you can too)

Imagine a life where you have complete control over your time, location, and finances. Well, the world is your oyster, and every day is an opportunity to live your dreams. But if I told you that you can achieve all this by doing what you love and sharing it with millions of people—welcome to the world of YouTube, where you can turn your passion into a profitable business and gain a loyal following that absolutely adores you, trusts you, and grows with you.

If you want to escape from nine to five and have a flexible lifestyle, you're in the right place. [Music] Trust me, I've been in your shoes. My journey began in 2016, and this is my fifth channel—the one and only that I've strived over the past two to three years. I finally uncovered the formula for success, and now I'm here to pass it on to you.

But let me be clear: it's not all about looks. Sure, being attractive might give you an edge, but even with a growing subscriber base, I struggled to achieve substantial views for over two years. Even on this channel, my views lingered around like 50k, 60k, despite being very consistent. And by being consistent, I mean uploading two to three videos per week, which is insane.

At the same time, I was applying everything I learned from countless YouTube courses I took. Finally, I cracked the code. I dove deep into the nitty-gritty details of what drives views and discovered the crucial elements for a successful YouTube channel. As a result, my views skyrocketed to 200k, 300k, and my revenue tripled. Now, I consistently earn 20k to 30k dollars per month.

And remember: you might find some success with just your looks and physique in short-form content like Instagram reels and TikTok, but long-form is an entirely different ball game. It's like admiring someone with a six-pack and athletic physique and saying, "You're so lucky; it's because of your genetics." People often refuse to acknowledge the hard work behind the success because it gives them an excuse: "I wasn't born that way; even if I try, I can't succeed."

It's time to stop making excuses and go after what you truly want. Can everybody become a creator? The short answer: yes. The long answer: yes, but with a caveat. Everyone can become a creator, but only with the right content—not just any random content. I've heard countless YouTubers say, "If you keep posting consistently for two years and don't give up, you'll eventually make it." I'll be brutally honest with you: that's probably not true if you keep uploading content that nobody is interested in. It doesn't matter how long and how consistently you keep at it; no one will watch it.

Here's an example from my own experience: this is my fifth channel in my seventh year on YouTube. I'm like 22. This is what: over 30% of my life. Only the last two years have been successful. Why is that? Because I adapted my content and embraced how YouTube operates. So, if you're serious about becoming a creator, remember that persistence is important, but so is recognizing what your audience wants and how the platform works.

Don't be afraid to experiment, learn from your mistakes, and evolve your content. That's the key to unlocking your potential and achieving the success you've been dreaming of. With the right approach and a clear understanding of YouTube, you can become a successful creator and enjoy the rewards that come with it.

I hear this all the time: "What if I'm not attractive?" "What if I'm lacking in other areas?" "What am I in this?" "What if I'm that?" Do looks help? Absolutely. Humans are naturally drawn to aesthetically pleasing things, whether it's people, animals, or even objects. However, attractiveness alone isn't enough to guarantee long-term success on YouTube. You might capture attention for a while, but you will be forgotten quickly, as there are countless attractive people who also happen to be funny, entertaining, informative, and engaging.

Relying solely on looks won't yield lasting results because when you're posting a video, you're competing with other videos that are appearing on the same home screen. So, you need to be better than them to gain someone's click, and there are so many attractive people that are really good at the YouTube game.

So, what if you're not conventionally attractive? You can always work towards becoming more conventionally attractive by taking care of yourself, maintaining cleanliness, hitting the gym, and eating healthy. But the most crucial aspect you need to focus on is identifying your unfair advantages. Unfair advantages are distinct qualities you possess that set you apart from others. These can range from your personality, interests, and skills to your background.

To excel on YouTube, you must pinpoint your unfair advantages and leverage them to create content that stands out. While your looks can be beneficial, they're not the end-all. It's essential to concentrate on other aspects as well, and the one thing everyone must focus on is content. Always remember: when it comes to starting a successful YouTube channel, content is king.

Nobody cares about you in the beginning. It's a harsh truth, but when you're starting out on YouTube, nobody knows who you are or has any reason to care about your content. That's why it's crucial to provide value to your audience right from the start. And here's how to do it:

1. You need to provide value to your audience first. When you create content, focus on what viewers want and need. Address their pain points, answer their questions, and entertain them in a unique, engaging way. By consistently delivering valuable content, you will build trust and credibility with your audience, making them more likely to care about you and your journey.

2. Don't film vlogs unless your life itself is interesting. While vlogs can be entertaining, they typically don't offer much value to viewers unless your life is truly exceptional or out of the ordinary. Examples include being a millionaire day trader or having an uncommon lifestyle. If your life doesn't fit this small niche, it's best to avoid vlogs and focus on providing value in other ways. Even if your life is interesting, it's essential to start by offering value first.

Create content that showcases your unique experiences and expertise, such as "How I Became a Millionaire" rather than "A Day in My Life as a Millionaire." "How to Day Trade," or "How to Learn X Language." Once you have built a solid foundation and established credibility with your audience, you can gradually incorporate vlogs and provide a more personal connection with your viewers.

For example, when I started this YouTube channel, I posted vlogs like "A Day in the Life of an Enlightenment Student." Those videos only got like 100 views, and now they're unlisted. But they made me realize that I wasn't providing enough value to my audience, so I shifted my focus and created content around my unique experiences and expertise. I shared how I became fluent in four languages and provided practical tips for language learning.

Additionally, I made a video titled "What It's Like to Be Half Japanese, Half Turkish," where I discuss my experiences as a third culture kid and growing up in an international environment and the struggles and lessons I learned along the way. This content resonated with a diverse audience; it has more than 1 million views, including mixed-race individuals, immigrants, international couples, and future parents of multicultural children. They watched the video, shared their own experiences, answered in the comments section, and learned from my unique perspective.

By tapping into my unfair advantage—my multicultural background—I was able to connect with the audience on a deeper level and provide valuable insights. This shift in my content strategy not only increased my views but also helped me build a more engaged and loyal community around my channel. It's a testament to the power of focusing on value and leveraging your unique strengths to create content that truly resonates with your audience.

Before you dive into your content, it's essential to establish your credibility and provide context for your viewers. They need to know why they should listen to you and what makes you qualified to discuss the topic at hand. And here's how to do it:

Share your background, expertise, and accomplishments. When discussing a topic, make sure to mention your relevant experiences, skills, and achievements. This not only validates your authority but also builds trust with your audience. For example, if you're a fitness influencer, share your fitness journey or maybe your certifications or personal training experiences. If you're a finance YouTuber, talk about your financial accomplishments or educational background or professional experience in the field.

Be genuine and authentic. Always be true to yourself and your audience. Don't exaggerate your qualifications or pretend to be something you're not. Your viewers will appreciate your honesty and are more likely to trust you if you're authentic and transparent about your strengths and weaknesses.

Align your content with your expertise and credibility. It's essential to create content that aligns with your unique expertise and credibility. If you're trying to become a top fitness influencer, you shouldn't be out of shape unless your channel's concept revolves around losing weight together or following my journey type of videos. Similarly, if you're aiming to become a top finance YouTuber, you can't be broke or bad with money. Your credibility is crucial to building trust with your audience and ensuring they take your advice seriously.

By establishing context and credibility, you not only make it clear to your audience why they should listen to you, but also set yourself apart from other content creators in your niche. This will help you build a loyal and engaged community that trusts your expertise and values your insights.

No matter how good the rest of your video is, no one will watch it if any of the thumbnail, hook, and title fail to satisfy the viewer. Immediately deliver value; immediately do not waste time. Avoid wasting time with unnecessary introductions talking about your channel, asking for likes and subscriptions. You can do that at the end of your video.

Focus on keeping the viewer engaged and building tension throughout the video. Make the first three seconds count. The initial moments of your videos are crucial for capturing the viewer's attention. In the first three seconds, you want to give them exactly what they're looking for and create a sense of anticipation for what's to come. If you re-watch the opening of this video, you will realize that I satisfy your reason for clicking on it. I explained why you should care about becoming a YouTuber and why you should listen to me.

Maintain congruency between the title, thumbnail, and the first seconds of your video. If you ever clicked on a video with certain expectations based on the title and thumbnail, if you can deliver precisely what they anticipated, they're more likely to like and watch your entire video. This outcome is determined by your hook and intro. By focusing on the crucial aspects of hook, title, and thumbnail, you can create a compelling first impression that draws viewers in and keeps them engaged throughout your video. This will not only boost your view count but also help you establish a loyal and committed audience.

So now let's talk about how to come up with good content ideas. Step one is to capture. Whenever you come across something that sparks your creativity or aligns with your content ideas, make sure to capture it. Being an observant creator with the right mindset can turn casual browsing on YouTube, reading books, watching movies, or scrolling on Instagram or TikTok into valuable sources of inspiration.

Ask yourself why certain content catches your attention. Is it the thumbnail, the title? What is the effect of the thumbnail that drew you in? Is it simple or flashy, hex heavy, maybe minimalistic, vivid, or muted colors? Analyze the view count and compare it to the creator's other content to understand what works and what doesn't. The more you do this, the better you will grasp your target audience's preferences.

Back when I was 15, I had a YouTube notebook where I would jot down my analysis of various viral videos, complete with my thumbnail sketches. But thankfully, with Milanote, visualizing and organizing your ideas has never been easier. Milanote is a versatile tool that lets you gather notes, images, videos, tasks, and more—all in one place. As a visual creator, having a centralized platform to capture and organize your thoughts is invaluable.

Here's how you can make the most of Milanote. Let me show you step by step how I do it. So now let me show you how I capture ideas and brainstorm using Milanote. When you come to the main page, you can see that there are different cards. Basically, with Milanote, you can add different columns, name them, and create different parts. So whenever I'm trying to come up with a video idea, I create a card called "About the Project." This explains what project we're working on.

This is the video, so if you have watched actually one of my latest videos, you probably know this video is about "Concentration" and why we are getting distracted. As you can see, I've already come up with a title and thumbnail idea. So this is the end product of this project, and I'm going to show you how I came to this idea and how I came up with the title itself.

Whenever I'm brainstorming for a video, I actually have four steps, as you can see here from the to-do list: capture, research, brainstorm, and create. The first step is always to capture, so let's go to my capture board. When we go to my capture board, you can see that I had various inspirations for this video. When I was reading the Japanese book, "The Reason Why You Can't Focus Is Your Room," and then I saw this image that sparked my inspiration.

While I was browsing on YouTube, I saw various videos with a similar taste in thumbnail and similar concepts but with different presentation styles. So I took those, I downloaded their thumbnails and also the video titles, and then I put them into my capture part in Milanote. As you can see, you can like move around things, you can add lines and arrows to different places, you can change the arrow color like this, and you can brainstorm ideas like I did.

I came across all these videos about how to beat procrastination. I liked the thumbnail, and then I came across this video and then I realized a pattern when it comes to videos about messy rooms and focus and all that. A lot of people were using this format: they were lying in the middle, and there were a lot of items representing the themes. You can see here and here and also here. And this is a different video concept—it's about beating procrastination—but you can see that the main person is in the middle and then there is the messy room.

So I captured this for my thumbnail. Once I capture things, the next step is to do research. So as you can see, I've done some research about the video. While I was reading the video, I came across different sources. For example, I found the Microsoft research which found that multitasking can reduce concentration by up to 40%. So while I highlighted that in the video, I also linked that research into my research page so that I can see all of them in one place.

You can, of course, move around things and other things. The great thing is you can clip web pages on Milanote and read them later on. So when I'm researching for a video, I usually put the book that it is based on in the middle, and whenever I come across similar research, I web clip it. You can web clip things to Milanote, and then I write the main highlights of the research. You can use the comments, or you can add a simple note like this, and you can also change the card colors. You can also add various words for example on Milanote, as well as to-do lists.

So maybe you might write "findings from the research" or "this and that," and you can click to "done." You can even draw things on your board, but I'm not really good at drawing, so I never draw. But I usually use the arrows, Web clips, and some notes. As you can see, you can see my various notes about the various researches. By doing this, you can have a general idea of how many research topics you are going to talk about and also what those researches have in common.

As you can see, I highlighted some parts that really resonated with the content that I want to share. After I've done my research, now it's time for brainstorming. As you can see, I have a page for brainstorming. When I'm making a video, I want to give actionable steps so that people can apply the lessons they've learned from the video, not just passively watching it.

For that, I want to give simple yet understandable and actionable steps in my videos. So, in order to give those tips, I watch other videos that talk about similar topics to see how they approach it. I watched a couple of videos about how the environment affects your focus, and I came across, for example, Jordan Peterson says that you should keep your desk clutter-free and that you need to have a clutter-free environment.

Paula Gardini says forget about multitasking, which supports the research I found previously. And then here we have another video that explains the importance of sunlight exposure, change of scenery, and mindset, which also aligns with the research we found. I came across another motivational speech type of video that says simple daily habits can change self-identity, and I also found a book about it that I might recommend to people in my description below, so I added it here.

I also looked at other podcasts, like from Andrew Huberman, since he's very well known in the field, and he cites a lot of research. I usually listen to his podcast when I'm discussing a topic that he also covered in previous podcast episodes, so I can look into the research he is citing.

So in the brainstorming area, as you can see, I put different videos and links to it. For example, if I would click on it, "Welcome to YouTube," it will open the video so I can easily go back to the videos that I brainstormed from. This is a great tool. Once I've done my brainstorming, the next step is to create. By creating, I mean writing a script because when it comes to all social media content, actually writing is the base.

A lot of people think that we do fancy stuff, but when you actually look into what YouTubers are doing, they're basically writing every single day. You write scripts for Instagram reels, for TikToks, for YouTube videos. If you really want to improve your quality, writing is going to be your essential skill that you want to make sure you improve.

When I write scripts, I usually follow a very simple storytelling structure, which consists of hook, context, setup, climax, and character change. If you want to tell a good story, your character—so it can be you, it can be an example—needs to change. Nobody wants to watch a movie where the main character is weak throughout the whole video. Think about Harry Potter, for example. He wasn't strong in the beginning, but then he beats Voldemort. So you see the character development. Development is something that people like to see, and storytelling is something people have been connecting with each other for hundreds, thousands of years.

Learning about storytelling is really important. If you have a concept of storytelling, a method that you use, like a system like this on Milanote, you can apply it every single time. The arrows represent how the story goes. So from hook, you go to the context, then the setup, and then you go to climax, and then the character changes.

So, for example, let’s look at the hook. In the hook, we want to explain what's going on. What is the video about? We need to satisfy this question. From the highlighted part, you can see that I answered the "what" part. So I'm explaining, “Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed, unable to focus on work or studying, and finding yourself getting lost in social media?” This explains what the video is about.

Now we can move to the next part of the script. Now I'm going to give context. Why should you watch this video, and why is this thing happening? I explained in the highlighted part that our brains are wired to social media, and we need to change that.

Then we come to the setup part. Now you need to explain how to do it, how to apply the things you teach in the video into their daily life. Since this is a very long script, I put a document here. You can see the six tips that I give here; you can see the six steps I give on Milanote. You can also create a document like this for things that are much longer.

After I explained how, now we need to do the climax. We need to highlight the impact of the tips and the transformative power of an optimized workspace. I explained after implementing these steps how you can transform yourself. So we covered the climax too.

After that, our character changes. In order to explain it and to show people that the main character changed, you need to share a personal story about the impact of the tips—how they changed your life. So I share my personal experience of how changing my environment, having a tidy environment, changed my productivity, for example.

It becomes more personal. The thing about YouTube is that you don't need to necessarily say something new, like crazy productivity tips or anything. People don't need new things; they just need to be reminded of the things they already knew, and it should be inspiring. Because just saying, "Oh, workouts, sleep eight hours, do this" is not inspiring enough. You should share a personal story that they can resonate with and remember so that it will inspire them to go further.

So after I wrote my script and after I did this capturing and researching, I now have an idea for a thumbnail. As you can see, this is also quite a cluttered environment, and the main character is in the middle again. By doing all these things, I came to the conclusion that I would put myself in the middle, and then I would have a clutter of things that represent me. For example, I lift weights, I love chips, this is my favorite book, and a tommy book, and then my keyboard, and all that stuff.

Then for the thumbnail, when I was doing research, I looked at the words they use often—the concentration, cluttered environment, focus. Those are the very common words used in the research. So I added them to my title, and by doing all these four steps, I created my video on Milanote.

Now we have a general idea of a Milanote. So if you want to capture, create, brainstorm—Milanote is a perfect tool. There will be a link down in the description below. You can start using it for free. By following these steps, you can use Milanote to capture ideas, refine them, and organize them into boards before creating your content. This will help you stay organized, maintain focus, and produce high-quality content that resonates with your audience.

Austin Kleon, in his book "Steal Like an Artist," emphasizes the importance of embracing influences and learning from the success of others to come up with great content ideas. Look at what other successful YouTubers in your niche are doing and find ways to put your spin on their ideas.

Don't plagiarize or copy them outright but use their work as a starting point for your content. As Kleon says, nothing is completely original; all creative work builds on what came before. By studying the techniques, presentation styles, and tones of successful creators, you can understand how they connect with their audience and apply those lessons to your own content.

Another quote from Kleon's book that resonated with me is, "You're only as good as the stuff you surround yourself with." Surround yourself with the best content in your niche and learn. Be curious, absorb ideas, and remix them to create something uniquely yours.

To put this concept into practice, follow these steps:

1. Identify your favorite creators. Make a list of your top five content creators within your niche. They should be individuals whose work you admire and would like to learn from.

2. Study their influences. Research and find out who their favorite creators or influencers are. This will give you a broader understanding of the creative landscape in your niche and expose you to new sources of inspiration.

3. Analyze their content. Go through your favorite creators’ content and identify what you like about it. Pay attention to their techniques—Is it the storytelling? Is it the presentation style? Or maybe the way they engage with their audience? Take notes and see what lessons you can draw from their work.

As you analyze the content from your favorite creators and their influences, try to identify patterns or common themes. Are there certain topics they cover frequently? What kind of video formats do they use? Are there any recurring visuals or storytelling elements?

By recognizing these patterns, you can better understand what resonates with audiences in your niche and apply what you have learned. With the insights you've gathered from studying your favorite creators and their influences, start brainstorming content ideas that incorporate the best elements you've discovered.

Remember to put your own unique spin on these ideas and make them your own. By going through this process, you'll not only learn from the best creators in your niche but also expand your creative horizons and develop your voice as a content creator.

Remember: the goal is not to mimic someone else's work, but to learn from it and develop your unique voice and perspective. Combine multiple influences, experiment with different ideas, and continue refining your content until you find what works best for you and your audience.

Once you have some ideas for content, it's essential to get feedback from others. Share your ideas with your friends, family, or even with your viewers to see what they think. This can help you refine your ideas and make sure that you're producing content that your audience loves.

To get the most out of this feedback, follow these steps:

1. Be open-minded when you're sharing your ideas. Be open to receiving constructive criticism. Remember that the goal is to improve your content, so embrace feedback and use it to your advantage.

2. Ask specific questions. Don't ask vague questions like, "Is my content good?" If you want specific answers, you need to ask specific questions, like, "Do you like this style of editing?" or "Which title is better: this one or this one?" This will help you get more actionable insights.

While it's essential to get feedback from friends and family, remember that they might not be your target audience, so try to gather opinions from people who closely resemble your ideal viewer as their input will be more relevant.

Not all feedback is going to be positive, and that's okay. Use constructive criticism as an opportunity to learn and grow. As a grounded creator, stay persistent and keep refining your ideas. Once you've established your content, keep an eye on your YouTube analytics to see how your audience responds to your videos.

Pay attention to the metrics such as watch time, audience retention, and engagement to help you understand what's working and what could be improved. By actively seeking feedback and using it to refine your content ideas, you will be better equipped to create engaging, high-quality videos that resonate with your audience.

Consistency is key when it comes to building your audience on YouTube. You need to post regularly and stick to a schedule so that your viewers know when to expect new content coming from you. This will help you build momentum and keep your audience engaged.

Maybe this is something I should focus on more. To do this, the first step will be to set a realistic schedule that reminds you how often you can realistically create and publish content without compromising its quality. Whether it's once a week, twice a week, or maybe two videos per month, choose a schedule that works for you and commit to it.

Create a content calendar to help you stay organized and ensure that you always have ideas for upcoming videos. I have like a whole Notion content calendar, which I can share with you guys if you want to see. Save time and maintain consistency by considering producing multiple videos at once.

So, pick a day to script all of your videos, filming day, and editing day. This will allow you to have content ready to publish even during busy periods when you are unable to create new videos. Regularly review your analytics to see how consistent posting affects your channel's growth.

Maybe the best posting schedule might not be every week but twice a week or maybe even less. Use this data to make adjustments as needed and continue improving your content strategy. Be honest with yourself.

Don't assume that the algorithm hates you or that your YouTube channel is doomed just because a few of your videos are underperforming, like I did in the past. If your videos aren't performing as well as you'd like, don't delete the YouTube Studio app—okay? Don't be rude! Instead, analyze what you can do better and face your problems.

It's normal to feel disheartened when a video underperforms. I mean, you spend so many hours on it! But it's crucial to remind yourself that setbacks are part of the journey. Keep in mind that each failure is an opportunity to learn and grow. As the saying goes, "You never fail if you don't quit."

It doesn't matter how many times you fail; each time will make you better, stronger, and wiser. You only have to get it right once. Remember that the algorithm doesn't have feelings; it's not out to get you.

It's essential to approach your YouTube channel with a logical mindset rather than an emotional one. Here are some tips for being honest with yourself and making improvements:

1. Look at your underperforming videos and try to identify areas for improvement. Are there any patterns you can spot? Maybe the thumbnails aren't that good enough, or is there something you could have done differently, maybe the editing style?

2. Ask for input from your audience, friends, or fellow creators. Constructive criticism can help you gain valuable insights and identify areas for growth.

3. Experiment with new ideas. Don't be afraid to try new things on your channel. Sometimes it takes a bit of experimentation to find the right content formula that resonates with your audience.

I mean, it took me two whole years on this channel. And also, YouTube is constantly evolving, so it's essential to stay informed about the latest trends and updates to the platform. This will help you make data-driven decisions and optimize your content strategy.

Focus on your growth and progress. Celebrate your success, no matter how small, and use them as motivation to keep pushing forward, because you will need it. Don't compare your journey to others—focus on your growth and improvement.

By being honest with yourself and facing your challenges, you will be better equipped to adapt, improve, and ultimately succeed on YouTube. I hope this video has been helpful to you, and I'm excited to announce that I'm working on a free Skillshare course for beginners on how to grow and monetize their YouTube channels, so stay tuned for that.

Once I publish the Skillshare video, I will put a link down in the description below so that you can watch it for free and learn more. So see you soon, and bye! Remember: it's not over until you win.