WEBVTT - Rebroadcast Ep3 James Pumphrey 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:08.400 Welcome back to another episode of Car Stories with Some 0:00:08.600 --> 0:00:12.040 King and Amelia Hartford. Today we have a very special guest. 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:15.560 Yeah, we get to share the man behind the myth, 0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:18.040 his myth to the madness if you will. 0:00:17.960 --> 0:00:21.400 And he's not afraid to really open up. We talked 0:00:21.440 --> 0:00:25.759 about physical, mental health, his business, how he's come to 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:28.040 where he is today, where he started, where he hopes 0:00:28.120 --> 0:00:28.360 to go. 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:31.240 Yeah, he's just a great ambassador for the car community. 0:00:31.560 --> 0:00:34.640 The way he keeps, you know, the enthusiasm for the 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:37.800 content that he makes and why he does what he does. 0:00:38.200 --> 0:00:40.600 Was just a very inspirational conversation. 0:00:41.000 --> 0:00:45.240 Yeah, it's clear that he loves what he does. Without 0:00:45.240 --> 0:00:51.920 further ado, James Pumphrey. 0:00:50.600 --> 0:00:54.360 It's so interesting to meet somebody in person, James, because 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:59.440 like your persona on screen, Oh yeah, is like so big, 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:02.160 then when you meet in person. 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:04.119 You're downright quiet, you are. Yeah. 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:06.240 I always say, like when we have new hosts, I'm like, 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:09.520 be one hundred and twenty percent of your personality, and 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:11.840 so like I think I'm generally one twenty to one 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:14.320 hundred and fifty percent of myself on camera, but then 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:16.960 like in real life, like I always tell people if 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:18.720 I acted like that, all the time. I wouldn't have 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:24.520 any friends that would be the most annoying person who 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:25.120 I was just like a. 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:27.360 Baby. 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:31.440 Yeah, I'd just be like impossible to be around. And 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:33.920 I also think I'm like a pretty shy person, like 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:37.240 in general, you know, like I came up doing comedy, 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:39.080 like that's what I moved to La to do, and 0:01:39.120 --> 0:01:41.440 so like I think being on stage and being in 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:43.480 front of the camera just like yelling is like the 0:01:43.520 --> 0:01:47.520 way that I am personable. Whereas like I'd much rather 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:50.520 talk to like three hundred people than one person. 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:51.120 For sure. 0:01:51.320 --> 0:01:54.560 I don't like parties very much. Same I don't like 0:01:55.240 --> 0:01:57.520 I like the talking at not so much the interaction. 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:00.400 It seems like that's common thread with a lot of 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:03.800 people from comedy is that their stage persona is so 0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:05.800 different from their off stage Yeah. 0:02:05.800 --> 0:02:08.280 I think, like, yeah, my on screen persona is like 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:11.760 who I want to be, and no one can talk back. 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:12.520 This is getting a. 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:17.400 Real deep, real fast it happens, yeah, and so no 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:19.639 one can chime in, I'm just talking. 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:22.359 Do you find it exhausting to socialize? 0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:23.280 Uh? 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:27.840 Yeah, Like what is that like your social battery? I 0:02:27.880 --> 0:02:30.960 definitely think my social battery gets drained I'm trying to 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:33.360 be better about it though, especially now that I'm like older, 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:36.200 like I've been doing Donut for almost eight years now, 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:38.480 and so like there's like a number of like kids 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:42.240 who when they meet me, like that's like something that 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:44.920 means something to them. So I'm trying to be more 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.000 like give them like the experience that they want to 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:49.600 like take away and be like, oh, I'm at James 0:02:49.639 --> 0:02:52.000 from Donut versus like me being like, oh, I'm just 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:54.720 like shy and they're like okay, but I'm like fifteen, 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:57.320 you know, so it's like it's not it's I have 0:02:57.360 --> 0:03:01.400 to like overcome my insecurities and and you know, give 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:02.880 people what they want. 0:03:03.240 --> 0:03:06.040 I can relate with that because when people meet me, 0:03:06.360 --> 0:03:08.639 they think that they're going to meet Han and they 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:12.079 end up meeting like the grouchy guy. Yeah that's insecure. 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:14.120 Yeah you lucked down. 0:03:14.240 --> 0:03:17.760 You made your like best known on screen persona like stoic, 0:03:19.200 --> 0:03:21.200 Like I wish I would have done that, Like looking back, 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:23.720 like I'm like, dang, like I wish I would have been. 0:03:23.600 --> 0:03:27.040 Like good looking dude. Staring at stuff is like eating snacks, 0:03:27.280 --> 0:03:30.280 eat like you really like you picked a good one. 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:33.359 I mean you'd be surprised how many snacks I get 0:03:33.480 --> 0:03:37.160 is like gifts from fans. But it's interesting when fans 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:39.800 think like you are the person that they see on 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:42.120 screen for sure, and at the end of the day, 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:44.680 we're just people with like people problems too. 0:03:44.800 --> 0:03:46.480 Yeah, man, I got a lot of problems. 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:49.160 Yeah, And that's something that I relate with you is like, 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:51.840 you know, when I was younger, people would see me 0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:53.880 and they're like, can I get this picture? You know, 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:57.200 and you know I would many times I would say no, yeah, 0:03:57.280 --> 0:03:59.560 because I'm you know, doing my own thing. And then 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:02.880 Dwayne Johnson actually shared this with me, you know, like 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:05.680 I asked him. I was like, hey, you're way more 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:08.200 famous than me, and you've been famous for a long time. 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:12.120 How do you deal with like the fans? And he 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:15.520 put it in this like really amazing, like zam perspective. 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:18.120 He said, you know, there are very few people in 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:20.880 this world that it's gifted with the opportunity to make 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:24.599 somebody happy just by asking their name, yeah, you know, 0:04:24.720 --> 0:04:28.160 putting your hand on their shoulder and taking a picture, 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:30.599 you know, because it might mean the world for them 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:33.000 for that day or that week, or for their life. 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:35.120 If you look at it that way, like you know, 0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:38.640 there is a responsibility and a great opportunity. 0:04:38.800 --> 0:04:42.039 Definitely, That's definitely something I've come around too, because, like 0:04:42.480 --> 0:04:44.599 I mean, I made no means like super famous, but 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:47.320 I'm more famous than I thought it would be, you know, 0:04:47.440 --> 0:04:51.440 like I get recognized in the store, and it got 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:53.840 to a point where I was like annoyed by it. 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:56.360 Then like one day I just kind of like opened 0:04:56.480 --> 0:04:58.160 my eyes and was like, who am I to like 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:01.120 be annoyed by this? You know, because those people like 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:04.960 are one hundred percent responsible for really my entire life, 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:07.880 you know, like my house and my cars and the 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:09.919 fact that I get to do what I really like 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:13.480 to do with my friends every day, Like that's my job. Yeah, 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:16.479 like you said, like making someone happy, like that's like 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:18.800 an extension of it. And you know, I really have 0:05:18.920 --> 0:05:22.599 turned it around and realize like how fortunate I am 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:25.719 to be able to like have some kid, you know, 0:05:25.839 --> 0:05:30.160 make his day by like seeing me at sprouts. 0:05:31.160 --> 0:05:32.880 In the produce section. 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:36.159 Well, dude, do you like vegetables too? What do you 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:40.640 got carrots? Due? Carrots? Dude? For sure? 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:42.760 I mean I was definitely like uncomfortable with it though, 0:05:42.920 --> 0:05:44.560 for sure, Like early on. 0:05:44.600 --> 0:05:46.320 You have to learn I think you have to grow 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:49.440 into it, yeah, and then find purpose behind it. Yeah, 0:05:49.480 --> 0:05:51.560 and then it becomes a positive thing opposed to you 0:05:51.640 --> 0:05:53.120 like running away from it, right. 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:55.280 And I think it was also like in being like 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:58.760 in this situation or whatever, like you welcome criticism a lot, 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:03.719 people correcting my videos, and you know, like I put 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:06.480 so much into my work and creation is like a 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:09.720 very vulnerable process and so like whatever we put out 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:13.520 is like a representation of ourselves. And like when somebody 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:16.919 who like you don't know, is like, hey, you suck. 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:20.159 Like I think early on that really like affected me 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:23.039 and I think probably influenced like those feelings of like 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:23.920 just like. 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:27.200 Let me be Yeah, you get older and stop caring 0:06:27.240 --> 0:06:27.960 what people think. 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:31.120 Yeah, And I would really hate it if people stop 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:36.040 liking me, you know. That's I think that also contributes 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.240 to me being cool with it now, is like what 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.120 if they stop coming up to me, Like then I'm 0:06:40.120 --> 0:06:40.960 in trouble, you know. 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:43.320 So, I mean we hear it all the time with 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:45.799 the fast movies. You know, they're like those movies suck 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:49.279 and oh yeah, you guys suck and you're sucky. 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:49.680 Actor. 0:06:51.160 --> 0:06:54.039 I had to shift my mindset as well, and like 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:58.080 hate comments, hate mail even and a lot of just negativity. 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:02.039 It's like, well, you're a comment on my video. I 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:04.440 hope you enjoyed the video, hero because you watched it 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:06.279 enough to have this opinion. 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:09.000 I mean, I'm sure you don't. I mean, with so 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:11.760 many more levels, like being a woman in this industry, 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:14.920 you sure you're recognizing the fact that you're a woman 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:15.320 or that you. 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:18.640 Either way. 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:18.960 You know. 0:07:20.560 --> 0:07:23.320 Yeah, people have some audacity, but they're the ones who 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:24.000 watched the videos. 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:27.840 Actually, Yeah, stepping back now, I admire these people that 0:07:27.960 --> 0:07:31.520 give negative criticism because damn, like first you have the 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:34.080 time to do that, and then you have the energy 0:07:34.280 --> 0:07:37.080 to spew out that hate because that's not easy, man. 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:37.600 Yeah. 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:41.800 I mean sometimes we get like legit good criticism that's 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:45.360 like not necessarily positive, and like we'll take it to 0:07:45.400 --> 0:07:48.360 heart and like kind of we've shifted like last year 0:07:48.640 --> 0:07:51.320 around like the end of last year beginning of this year, 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:55.920 we kind of like got too far into like YouTube 0:07:56.760 --> 0:07:59.560 and our fans like let us know what's that mean 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.360 to you to be so like we're playing like the 0:08:02.400 --> 0:08:05.200 YouTube game in addition to like doing what we want, 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:08.240 like we rarely work on our own cars. That's like 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:09.720 just one way to do it, is like you build 0:08:09.760 --> 0:08:12.400 cars and like people like watch it or whatever. But 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:15.280 then like we play like the YouTube game, you know, 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:17.920 and like we think of like what's going to perform 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:21.120 well on YouTube almost before like or at the same 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:23.960 time as like what's valuable as like a car thing 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:29.440 that's like a very delicate rope to walk, you know, 0:08:29.640 --> 0:08:34.440 like between being like click baity or being like two niche. 0:08:34.600 --> 0:08:36.480 Like from the beginning, we've always said, like I want 0:08:36.480 --> 0:08:38.680 to make car videos that my aunt would watch. You 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:40.679 don't have to like cars, but if you do like cars, 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:44.160 then like that's like this is your shit, right, And 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:47.360 so like at one point, I think, like last summer 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:49.760 we hit just not even car. 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:52.160 Like I think the video. 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:54.600 That we all kind of agree was like us jumping 0:08:54.600 --> 0:08:58.559 the shark, was we filled an engine with blood. Yeah, 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:01.440 not a lot of people did, but like I still 0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:02.640 think we could have pulled it off. 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:05.280 We could have made a good video about it. 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:08.240 But yeah, we like went to the butcher bought a 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:10.840 bunch of pigs blood and we were like, well, like 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:13.800 blood is just oil for your body, and so like 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:15.680 we put like a bunch of stuff in an engine 0:09:15.720 --> 0:09:17.040 and then like finally. 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:18.640 You put blood in that see if it would run. 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:20.160 Blood and an engine to see if would run, and 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:22.200 like we were shooting it and we were like, this 0:09:22.240 --> 0:09:22.920 is not good. 0:09:23.880 --> 0:09:25.000 This is gross. 0:09:25.120 --> 0:09:27.680 Like I think Pete is gonna shut us down, like 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:29.680 it's stunk, Like blood is gross. 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:32.440 Yeah. So yeah, so like our audience was like, what 0:09:32.440 --> 0:09:35.200 are you guys doing and we're like, yeah, you're right. 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:39.720 So we kind of like refocused because like, yeah, everything 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:42.600 has to be actual car and. 0:09:42.559 --> 0:09:45.199 Not if you're in the business to get views on YouTube, 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:48.440 it's certainly become more of a stunt based platform than 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:49.079 it has. 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:53.640 Wrenching we're still making videos around the same time. Yeah, right, 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:57.440 And like back then, like Nicetat was like god of YouTube, 0:09:57.520 --> 0:09:59.839 but yeah, it was like very lifestyle, very like oh 0:09:59.840 --> 0:10:01.680 the this is a way to like get a more 0:10:01.720 --> 0:10:05.079 intimate look at like these people that I admire, and 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:07.800 you know, like yeah, a lot more vloggy stuff, a 0:10:07.800 --> 0:10:10.480 lot more video essays, which is like what we started doing, 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:14.800 and now like it is like big stunt, big title 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:16.079 influenced stuff. 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:19.800 I've always been curious about, first your origin story, Like 0:10:20.000 --> 0:10:23.640 I don't know if the listening audience knows, like how 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:26.360 did you become the persona that you are or the 0:10:26.400 --> 0:10:28.439 person that you are? Because first, you know what I 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:32.800 love about you, James is when I watch the videos, 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:38.160 I use this like you know, analogy. Your headlights are 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:41.760 on full, like you know, they're like on high beam, 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.440 And anytime I have a question about anything carbulated, I 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:48.400 go straight to you because you make it so fun. 0:10:48.720 --> 0:10:50.920 Thank you, and you know you shared with us briefly 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:54.360 that you know you started in comedy. But how did 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:56.920 this journey start? Like like where did it begin? 0:10:57.160 --> 0:10:57.400 Yeah? 0:10:57.440 --> 0:10:59.920 So, like I as a kid, I like two things. 0:11:00.200 --> 0:11:04.719 I liked comedies and cars. Like I remember like a 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:08.360 Z thirty two three hundred DX I saw at the airport, 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:10.640 like my parents were divorced and my dad was taking 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:12.000 me to the airport to go back to my mom's 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:14.120 house and I saw three hundred DX. 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:16.240 I was like, oh no, I like these. 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:23.480 Similarly, in fourth grade, I saw Billy Madison and like 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:25.920 my dad loved like comedy and stuff. But like Adam 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:29.000 Sandler was like the first dude who me and my 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:32.280 friends like got And I think that's very like a 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:35.920 very similar parallel to like, oh I liked imports, and 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:39.520 I liked Japanese cars and like European cars, where like 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:42.480 my dad liked muscle cars and like old British cars. 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:44.640 So like it was kind of at the same time, 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:48.440 these two things that like were mine and like the 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:51.320 first time I had taste that was different than what 0:11:51.480 --> 0:11:54.320 was just fed to me. Those two things are just 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:57.240 like the main constant through my life. So like I've 0:11:57.280 --> 0:12:00.160 always had a dumb car, and being a comedian has 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:02.920 always been like my dream. So when I was nineteen, 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:09.160 I moved to Los Angeles from Louisville, Kentucky, and say Louisville. 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:11.440 I do, because I'm not like I grew up all 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:14.439 over the Southeast but landed in Louisville. 0:12:14.640 --> 0:12:16.439 I went to high school there, so that's why I. 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:19.960 Say I'm from there, but yeah, Louisville, it's also acceptable. 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:21.480 So yeah, I moved here from Louisville. 0:12:21.679 --> 0:12:25.880 And this theater called Upraad Citizens Brigade was just opening 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:30.120 their La branch and I just got in really early 0:12:30.240 --> 0:12:33.120 and like luckily got like a bunch of stage time 0:12:33.920 --> 0:12:36.080 and was able to work with like a bunch of 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.000 people that I had seen in movies. 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:40.160 Like an improv group. 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.199 Yeah, so like I did a lot of improv, a 0:12:42.280 --> 0:12:44.680 lot of improv and then sketch comedy. So like I 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:47.640 had a number of sketch groups. 0:12:47.760 --> 0:12:49.680 I had a group called the Midnight Show. 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:52.640 It was a monthly show and we all like lived 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:56.600 in this big mansion on Wilton in Hollywood together and 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:59.800 we would like argue about comedy like as a science, 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:03.439 like there's like rules that make things funny, right, and 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:05.440 like that's like really how we approached it, and like 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:09.679 what just the nerdiest stuff like listening to like National 0:13:09.760 --> 0:13:13.439 Lampoon Radio Hour, or like watching like scenes from movies 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:15.240 and like pausing them and being like all right, so 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:18.679 what's the game in this scene? Really just like dissecting 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:23.400 really making comedy not fun, but we'd like, yeah, getting 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:27.960 fistfights or what's funny? And did some movie stuff? Was 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:29.280 on some TV shows? 0:13:29.640 --> 0:13:32.000 Was this all through people you met at UCB? Was 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:33.960 this through an agent? How did you get these opportunities 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:35.160 early on? I? 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:39.760 Yeah, I got like representation pretty early when I was younger. Yeah, 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:41.720 And like I was doing Hollywood pretty hard, So I 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:43.920 was like going auditions a whole lot, and like I 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:46.480 was just like so tired. 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:48.600 Of doing it. Three or four years in a row. 0:13:48.720 --> 0:13:51.559 I was like tested multiple times for like a sitcom 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:54.199 during pilot season, you guys know, but if you don't 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:57.480 for like two months in the spring they cast all 0:13:57.480 --> 0:13:59.680 the new TV shows, and so like I would be 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:03.600 going to like eleven auditions a week, and so like 0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:06.280 that's like eleven job interviews that I'm not getting. But 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:09.199 every single one of those job interviews could potentially make 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.920 me a millionaire, you know, if like a show gets 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:15.560 picked up. I remember my manager telling me, he's like, 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:17.880 if you get in syndication, then that's fucking You'll have 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:20.400 like fifteen million dollars. And I was like, yo, I 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:23.800 don't have any dollars. So I get just like this 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.440 constant up and down. So like when I started with Donut, 0:14:26.480 --> 0:14:29.440 like this guy Ben Conrad who directed a lot of 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:32.280 the Jim Connas, I just wanted to be around him, 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:34.880 and I was like done being on camera. And I 0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:37.720 thought like, oh, I'll just like shadow Ben. He can 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:39.880 mentor me, and I'll be a director and I'll just 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:43.480 like direct commercials and like that'll be my job. And 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:48.920 kind of did that for a year. And my boss 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:51.800 at the time at Donnut was like, make one video 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:54.160 with you in it where you tell the history of 0:14:54.200 --> 0:14:56.800 a car, any car, just do it and put it 0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:58.720 out and like I was like all right, So like 0:14:58.760 --> 0:14:59.160 I did. 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:00.760 And that was the first episode of Up to. 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:03.920 Speed and it got like three million views on Facebook 0:15:03.960 --> 0:15:05.720 in like twenty four hours. And he was like, all right, cool, 0:15:05.760 --> 0:15:08.160 you gotta do that every week. And that was seven 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:12.160 years ago. So in some form or fashion, been doing 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:13.000 that ever since. 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:16.680 So is the acting hat just kind of hung up? 0:15:16.800 --> 0:15:21.720 It's weird, Like I was totally like done, but like 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:25.160 I feel like this year, like, oh, I don't know 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:26.720 what I want to do, you know, Like I feel 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:30.200 like maybe there's some sort of next chapter coming up. 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:30.600 I don't know. 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:32.920 It'd be a shame for you not to like spread 0:15:32.960 --> 0:15:35.360 your wings because yeah, you're so funny. 0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:36.440 Dude, Thank you man, I appreciate it. 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:40.280 You're so talented, because how do you make car information 0:15:40.640 --> 0:15:44.520 content like so entertaining? Yeah, that's that's that's a gift. 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:46.720 I mean, that's that's your superpower. You know. 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:49.560 Well, you guys have done so well, I would say, 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:51.480 leading the carnistry. Can I say that? 0:15:52.040 --> 0:15:52.320 Sure? 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:56.680 Yeah, we're not technically the I think we're like the 0:15:56.720 --> 0:16:00.920 fifth biggest automotive YouTube channel. But I do think like 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:03.920 our other businesses and stuff like all combined, I think 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:11.640 we have a pretty big footprint. 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:23.720 It's really cool to hear your journey because for the 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:27.960 listeners out there, it's a testament to how sometimes when 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:31.359 you think like you have a certain road that you're following, 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:34.920 and then there's a roadblocke, these other doors or these 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:38.480 other windows open and that journey that you were initially 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:41.040 on actually prepared you for the whole Downut thing. 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:41.680 For sure. 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:45.920 Yeah, definitely I am more aware now than I was then. 0:16:46.240 --> 0:16:49.640 How fortunate, like the timing of this whole thing was 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:53.680 because like these three guys, who were very experienced in 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.040 all of the stuff that I'm not good at, were 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:59.840 just like, hey, we're starting this company. You and Jesse 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:03.960 our chief creative officer, and like my main like creative partners, 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:06.359 just like you can do whatever you want creatively, and 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:09.720 so like we were just given like all this space 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:12.960 to like fail like a lot, like you know, take 0:17:13.000 --> 0:17:15.200 a lot of swings and like come up with something 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:18.720 that at least works for now consistently. And I think 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:21.639 one of the strong things about the Donut team is that, 0:17:21.720 --> 0:17:24.439 like you know, We're never satisfied, I guess, so, like 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:28.240 we're constantly like evolving what it means to be donut. 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:32.040 And I think that early like encouragement to do things 0:17:32.080 --> 0:17:34.640 that might not work continues to be like part. 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:35.159 Of what we do. 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:38.680 Does it get scary to try new things because it's 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:40.920 not very forgiving on YouTube. If you put something out 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:43.600 that flops, you may not be promoted again for the 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:44.280 next post. 0:17:44.720 --> 0:17:48.639 Yeah, YouTube right now at least rewards consistency. I've always 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:52.640 like really enjoyed being creative within confined, like whether it's 0:17:52.640 --> 0:17:56.960 like budget or like just like resources or like rules 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:59.280 or like I think that's why, like the way that 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:02.720 I approached was like, all right, there's like all these rules, 0:18:02.920 --> 0:18:05.280 you know, like you set up a reality. All right, 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:07.520 we're all on the same page. Like the audience knows 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:09.880 that this is the reality. Then you break the reality. 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:12.560 That's the joke, and so like then you return back 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:14.439 to the reality and like we kind of catch them 0:18:14.440 --> 0:18:16.840 off guard, break that same joke again. That's the second 0:18:16.920 --> 0:18:20.720 be And like I always like kind of liked rules. 0:18:21.000 --> 0:18:22.400 Gotta know the rules to break them. 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:25.040 Yeah, Yeah, I'm a big, big proponent of knowing the 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:27.639 rules and they break them. That's probably my my ethos 0:18:28.040 --> 0:18:29.840 of being a creator for sure. 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:34.680 Now, is there a method to the madness of how 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:38.880 you approach your content? Because you're literally a Wikipedia of knowledge? 0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:43.040 I go, does this guy know all of this information beforehand? 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:44.960 Or do you go and study up on. 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:48.760 It from the very beginning? Like writers have been a 0:18:48.800 --> 0:18:52.199 big part of Donut, So everything's like super written, Like 0:18:52.240 --> 0:18:54.800 we have punch up sessions, like not so much anymore, 0:18:54.800 --> 0:18:57.159 but like all those early videos. So yeah, it's like 0:18:57.320 --> 0:19:00.480 a lot of research, you know, and like making sure 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:03.080 we get it right because we've definitely got it wrong before, 0:19:03.080 --> 0:19:05.960 and like that's the worst, Like that's when they come 0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:08.439 for your throat, especially when we're doing up to Speed 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:11.320 the car history show. We'd like, the worst thing we 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:13.919 could possibly do is if I'm like talking about like 0:19:13.960 --> 0:19:17.560 a fourth gen something and like an editor shows like 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:22.280 the wrong generation car and just like lit up, just 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:24.280 like I was like, I don't know, I haven't even 0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:27.760 seen that edit. But yeah, but like a lot of 0:19:27.760 --> 0:19:31.399 research and then a lot of care put into like 0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:32.640