1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: What is Up? Runner Gang, Welcome back to Post run High. 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: Today's episode is with YouTuber, entrepreneur and viral storyteller Darman. 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: He's the creator behind one of the most watched inspirational 4 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: content brands in the world, with over one hundred billion 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: views and more than sixty million followers across platforms. Star 6 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 1: is listed alongside mister Beast as one of the most 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: viewed creators on the Internet. And if you're new here, 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: this podcast is all about inspiring conversations that start with movement, 9 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: because we believe movement opens people up in wighs nothing 10 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: else does. And today we kick things off with a 11 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: rainy run through the streets of New York before sitting 12 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: down to chat. What makes Darman's story so powerful is 13 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: how it all started. He didn't grow up with a 14 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: production team or a clear roadmap, just a belief in 15 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: the power of storytelling to inspire change. In this episode, 16 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: we talk about it all growing up as the son 17 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: of immigrant parents, launching and losing businesses in his twenties, 18 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: and how we eventually built Darmond Studios from the ground 19 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: up through purpose driven content. This conversation speaks to the 20 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: power of resilience and never giving up. Before we dive in, 21 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 1: just a quick ask, if Post Run High has been 22 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: meaningful to you, please take a moment to leave a 23 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: review and share this episode with someone who could use 24 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: a little extra motivation today. All right, let's get our 25 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: post run high going. Darmont, welcome to Post run High. 26 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: Thanks, catch my breath, steale from our run. But that 27 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:33,479 Speaker 2: was fun. 28 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: Darman and I just ran a couple of blocks around Brooklyn, 29 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: a couple miles a couple of miles. It was raining outside, 30 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: so we took it easy. But it was really nice 31 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: to get easy. 32 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 3: I was trying my hardest. 33 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: Okay, you did such a good job. Are you a runner? 34 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: Do you like to run? 35 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 2: I used to run a lot back in the day, 36 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 2: and then I don't know. As I got to my forties, 37 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 2: I stopped running as much. But I still love to 38 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 2: play like pick a ball, mountain biking, tennis, weightlifting, so 39 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 2: I love to stay active. 40 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: I feel like it's important. You live such a busy 41 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: life and you have this massive business that you run, 42 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: so I feel like your schedule is probably insane. So 43 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: how do you kind of carve out time to maybe 44 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: move your body or play pickleball with friends? 45 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, So I like to combine, you know, different activities together. 46 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 2: So if I am like, if friends ask like, hey, 47 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: let's do dinner, I'll be like, can we go for 48 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 2: a walk instead, Can we go for a hike instead. 49 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: I try to just make spend time where you can 50 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 2: kind of hit multiple goals at once, where you can 51 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,399 Speaker 2: work on like friendship, have fun, work on your fitness, 52 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: work on your finances. I don't know why every one 53 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: of those started with f that was just coincidence. So yeah, 54 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: it's one of those things that's like not in if 55 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 2: it's just an is like, you absolutely have to do 56 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 2: it to maintain you know, your health and mental well being. 57 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 3: So I love it. And the runners high is so real. 58 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 2: I can even see like a shift in our energy, 59 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 2: you know, from when I first walked in the studio 60 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:05,679 Speaker 2: thirty minutes ago. 61 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 3: So I love that feeling. 62 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: We started running and Darmam was like, oh you really 63 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: like running, Kate, like I could tell this like got 64 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: you going, which it is so true. I feel like 65 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: anytime you pair like movement with being social, it leads 66 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: to just really good energy and good conversation. So yeah, 67 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: I love knowing that. I'm also such a productivity stacker, 68 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: and we were talking about productivity stacking. I just stole 69 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: that term from Darmat. He said it to me as 70 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: we were in the elevator. My favorite thing about being 71 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: in LA and being in New York, but not as 72 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: much as I like, cause I feel like LA is 73 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: just such an outdoorsy, active place is that ability to 74 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: go to the beach, go for a hike, and do 75 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: it with friends. 76 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 2: I get way more steps in when I'm in New York. 77 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 2: People in LA do not like to drive, I mean 78 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 2: do not like to walk. I'm always the one, the 79 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: crazy one that's like, guys, it's not that far, you know, 80 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 2: let's just walk there. So I don't know what it is, 81 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: but the walking culture is not that strong in LA. 82 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: We are in New York. You're an LA boy. What 83 00:03:58,320 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: brings you to New York? 84 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 3: Youw I'm here to do this pod. 85 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: And you're accepting a Shorty award. 86 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm accepting a Shorty Award for Studio of the Year, 87 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 2: which is crazy because you know, when I started this 88 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: whole thing, like, I didn't even think I was building 89 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 2: a studio. 90 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 3: I was just talking to camera, trying to help. 91 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: People that were going through a tough time, and now 92 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 2: our seven year anniversary is coming up. I put out 93 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 2: my first video in twenty eighteen on my birthday, thinking 94 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 2: that because I was posting it on my birthday, I'd 95 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: get extra love and it would help it go viral. 96 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 2: But that video didn't even break one hundred views. So 97 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 2: now just seeing how far things have come, like within 98 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 2: seven years, Like you know, yesterday I was with the 99 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: CEO of YouTube, I'm meeting with different cmos for like 100 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 2: big brands. You know, we're getting invited to like award 101 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 2: shows and pressed opportunities, things that just never existed and 102 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 2: that are all coming to life now. So it's a surreal, 103 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 2: full circle type moment that I'm just very grateful for. 104 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: One of the things that you just said there like 105 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 1: really gave me chills because it's only been seven years 106 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: and you're sitting down having conversations with the CEO of 107 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: YouTube and you're running a business that, as we mentioned 108 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: on the run, your videos are reaching over one hundred 109 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: and thirty six million people around the world in seven years, 110 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: and it all started with you sitting down in front 111 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: of your camera trying to just help people and spread 112 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: a little positivity and say you're not alone and what 113 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: you're going through. 114 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 2: I'm just so grateful to God, and like my life 115 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 2: was at such a low place, you know, Like anytime 116 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 2: I think about like the highs and the accolades and 117 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 2: the milestones, I don't know, my mind just immediately goes 118 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 2: back to like that struggle that I had when I 119 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 2: was in my small studio apartment, recording from my couch 120 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 2: with like no direction, no hope, no resources, no crew, 121 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 2: no industry connections, no experience. I was just a guy 122 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 2: with a camera and a story and a dream. So 123 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 2: I never lose sight of that. 124 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: You know, that's like your core mission. And I think 125 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: it's cool that your mission has never changed, it's only 126 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: gotten bigger, and you've been able to explore it with 127 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: you know, more people kind of watching. I want you 128 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: to take us back and tell us a little bit 129 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: about your childhood. You know, what you were like growing up, 130 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: but your parents were like growing up? 131 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. 132 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: So my parents came into this country gosh, what like 133 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 2: forty five years ago, the traditional American dream type story 134 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 2: that you hear, you know, like they came to this 135 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 2: country with seven dollars in their pocket. I used to 136 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 2: say eight dollars. My mom would get mad. You'd be like, no, 137 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 2: why do you say eight dollars? It was seven dollars 138 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 2: and we had to stretch a dollar a long way. Like, 139 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 2: you know, my earliest memories are growing up in an 140 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 2: apartment where there's three other families living in a one 141 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 2: bedroom apartment. Like we didn't have enough, like for instance, 142 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 2: like plates for everyone to be able to eat at 143 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 2: the same time. So I remember waiting around for others 144 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 2: to finish their food so I could have a plate 145 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 2: to actually get food, even though you know, we didn't 146 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 2: have much. I saw how hard my parents were working 147 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 2: because they had that hustle mentality and so so my 148 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 2: parents were both working at the bank. So my dad 149 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 2: found out from a friend who was driving a taxi 150 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 2: at the time that you can make a decent living 151 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 2: drive in a taxi. So all day he would work 152 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 2: at the bank. All night he would work driving a taxi. 153 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 2: He literally not sleep, or he'd sleep like in the 154 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 2: taxicab to try to get small naps in between. So 155 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 2: I just saw how hard they worked, and slow by slow, 156 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 2: my dad was eventually able to own his first car. 157 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: His first car, our family car, was a taxicab, so 158 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: everywhere I went, I would be driven in a taxicab. 159 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 2: My dad wore a turban and you know, has a 160 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 2: full beard. At that time in my childhood, I had 161 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 2: a turban as well, and there wasn't as much awareness 162 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: that existed around like racism and bullying and those types 163 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 2: of things. So my childhood was a little tough. You know, 164 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 2: my parents weren't aroald much. I was the only Indian 165 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 2: in my city outside of my brother. So when I 166 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 2: got to high school, it was just kind of a 167 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 2: lonely feeling because I went to a very racially segregated 168 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 2: schools where all of the like kinded cultures like sat together, 169 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 2: and I never really fully fit in with anyone, even 170 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 2: though I was so desperate, like for friendship and connection. 171 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 2: I spent a lot of my lunches in the bathroom stall, 172 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 2: just kind of hiding and waiting for lunch to be 173 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 2: over with or with my teachers. So while most people 174 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 2: kind of waited for like recess and lunch, I dreaded 175 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 2: it because I just didn't have like a lot of friends. 176 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 2: But you know, I had a hard work ethic ever 177 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 2: since I was young, and I would say I didn't 178 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 2: really start to like come out of my shell until 179 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 2: I was in college. But I've always been very entrepreneurial 180 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,559 Speaker 2: just seeing my parents, Like I've you know, started every 181 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 2: kind of business that you can imagine. I started my 182 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 2: first business in fifth grade, like selling baseball cards and 183 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 2: you know, magazine subscriptions, and as I got older in college, 184 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 2: I started a real estate company. When I was nineteen 185 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 2: years old, I bought my first house. Like I was 186 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 2: someone who I was worked very hard, but I felt 187 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 2: kind of lost in some ways too, where I was 188 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: trying to find my purpose in the world. 189 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: What do you feel like were some of the values 190 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: that your parents instilled in you when you were younger 191 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: that you think are still there today. 192 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I always felt conflicted, Like I don't know how 193 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: many people listening in this can relate where you're kind 194 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 2: of torn between two cultures. So my value system was 195 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 2: very different, right, Like I had the Indian values from 196 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 2: my parents, like they only speak Punjabi or native language 197 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 2: like at home with me, and so you know, it's 198 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 2: a little bit more conservative, right, like much more spiritual, religious, 199 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 2: superstitious in some ways. And then there's American culture, right 200 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 2: and for American culture, which was like much more progressive, 201 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 2: open minded, valued the self a little bit more than 202 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 2: the individual versus like the familymen's like that Indian culture 203 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 2: comes from. I never fully fit into either one of those, 204 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 2: and I struggled for a long time. So when I 205 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 2: had a turban, I got made fun of constantly at school. 206 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 3: I'd even get beat up. 207 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 2: I'd get you know, every kind of racial slur that 208 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 2: you can imagine. So I was too Indian to fit 209 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 2: in with the American kids. And then one day I 210 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: decided my parents saw how bad I was getting bullied 211 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: and allowed me to cut my hair. And so when 212 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: I cut my hair and I started going to Indian 213 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 2: functions or like our temple or something, all of a sudden, 214 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 2: I was too American to fit in with the Indians. 215 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 2: So I never quite felt like I found my place 216 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 2: with either, you know, community. I always felt like an outcast, 217 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 2: feeling a lot of shame, just like you're letting everyone down, 218 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 2: you know, Like I constantly felt like a black sheep 219 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 2: and here I am, like, you know, being a YouTuber, 220 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 2: like in a conservative Indian family, right Like that did 221 00:10:57,559 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 2: not go well for the longest time. 222 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 3: You know, I just. 223 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 2: Kept thinking, like, why don't I belong in one of 224 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 2: these groups, right, like what is wrong with me? And 225 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 2: ironically I kind of went to social media because I 226 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 2: was searching for a connection, Like I didn't really have 227 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 2: that many friends, so I thought, oh, well, maybe if 228 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 2: I've become popular on social media, like this will be 229 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 2: a way for me to build a community and build friendships. 230 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 2: But you know, it wasn't until I got older where 231 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 2: I realized that, hey, you know what, I actually don't 232 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:31,199 Speaker 2: need to. 233 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 3: Fit into any bucket. 234 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 2: I've been my whole life trying to fit in when 235 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 2: I was born to stand out, right. So once I 236 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 2: came to that realization that I could just be me, 237 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 2: and you know, pathways would open, doorways would open, people 238 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,199 Speaker 2: would accept me as long as I'm my authentic self. 239 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 2: That's when this heavy burden that's just been on my shoulders, 240 00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 2: like since childhood, of like searching for my place in 241 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 2: the world was lifted, and I was like, Wow, it's 242 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 2: such a freeing experience when you can just embrace who 243 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 2: you are and not worry so much about what others 244 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 2: are going to think of you, or how they're judging you, 245 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 2: or how you're not living this certain people's expectations it's 246 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 2: a very freeing feeling. 247 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 1: Being introverted is a common experience that you hear from creators, right, 248 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: Like you ask a lot of creators were you extroverted 249 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: growing up? Like did that make you like have the 250 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: confidence to start posting online? And sometimes it's like actually 251 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: the opposite, where it's like these people were like looking 252 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,839 Speaker 1: for community and wanted to find their place, so they 253 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,319 Speaker 1: put themselves out there and found community through it. So absolutely, 254 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 1: let's go to Darman's studios. In twenty eighteen, you posted 255 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: your first video and that video is called before Deciding 256 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: to give Up on your goals, and in it you 257 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: quoted success on the persistent. So what does that quote 258 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: mean to you now? And what is it like when 259 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: you go back and you watch that video. 260 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 2: You know what's ironic about this whole thing is so 261 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 2: I've spent a lot of my life just giving up 262 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 2: on stuff too soon, you know. And I think we 263 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 2: live in a society today where everybody wants like fast success, 264 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 2: and we're constantly inundated by people seeing people living well 265 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 2: on social media, and we want to get there fast. 266 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 2: We want to be that success story. So I know 267 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 2: a lot of like young men, especially like suffer from 268 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 2: that right of like trying to find the quickest pathway 269 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 2: to success versus building something that is sustainable for the 270 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 2: long run. So you know, throughout my life, I was 271 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 2: always starting over. I whatever business I was in, I 272 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:55,719 Speaker 2: would try it for a year. As soon as it 273 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 2: wouldn't work out, I would move on to the next thing. 274 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 2: If I was in a relationship, as soon as it 275 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,079 Speaker 2: got hard, I was moving on to the next relationship. 276 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 2: So I found myself just always starting over in my life. 277 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,719 Speaker 2: And the first time that I ever stuck to anything 278 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 2: was this studio. And that's made all the difference, because 279 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 2: regardless of where you are in your life, like whatever 280 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 2: dream it is that you're chasing, or whatever goal that 281 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 2: you have, whether that's fitness, whether that's finances, whether that's family, 282 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 2: it takes persistence. Like these things don't just fall into place, 283 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 2: they don't just happen on their own. They're really hard, 284 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 2: and I think, you know, we live in a world 285 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 2: today where people just kind of think as soon as 286 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 2: things get hard, move on, like, go find something else, 287 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 2: Go find something that's better. But the real magic is 288 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 2: staying in that place and trying to make it better, 289 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 2: trying to shape it better. So the ironic part about 290 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 2: all this is when I was recording that first video, 291 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 2: I was having such a hard time being myself because 292 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 2: I was still in that like old mentality a little bit. 293 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 2: So when I was speaking to camera, I had my 294 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 2: wife there and I had my one employee, Reuben, who's 295 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: still with us today, and they would say, just talk 296 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 2: normally because I was talking so stiff, so robotic. I 297 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 2: was trying to say things perfect. I was trying to 298 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 2: like look a certain way, be a certain way. And 299 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 2: when they'd say be yourself, I was like, I don't 300 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 2: know how. I don't know who myself actually is. And 301 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 2: our very first video, even though it was scripted, I 302 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 2: was reading from a teleprompter. It was only three minutes long. 303 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 2: It took me over a thousand takes to do, like 304 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 2: I'm not even kidding you, and I thought so many 305 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 2: times to give up. But ironically, the topic of the 306 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 2: video was about not giving up. So I kept thinking 307 00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 2: that I have to listen to the words that I'm 308 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 2: saying right because I was ultimately trying to give advice 309 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 2: to the world. That was the advice that I needed 310 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 2: to hear. So because of the topic and those quotes 311 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 2: and such. I kept pushing through and video after video, 312 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 2: you know, every single week, I kept putting out until 313 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 2: one ended up going viral. But ironically, and I don't 314 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 2: know if you want to get into this or not, 315 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 2: but the video that ended up going viral was supposed 316 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 2: to be the last video that I ever posted, because 317 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 2: I had decided to give up a day before posting 318 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 2: that video. 319 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: Wow. I mean, if that's not a sign from above, 320 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: I don't know what is. What was the topic of 321 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: that video. 322 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 2: I had been creating content for a few months, and 323 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 2: I had this was a part time thing, right, Like, 324 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 2: it was a passion project that I was doing at night. 325 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 2: So all day I was running my day job and 326 00:16:57,840 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 2: then at night I was creating content. 327 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 3: So I had no. 328 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 2: Time for my relationship. I had no time for social life. 329 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 2: I had no time for any of my goals. I 330 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 2: was just working so much, and it wasn't getting traction, right, Like, 331 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 2: none of my videos were breaking, you know, even a 332 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 2: thousand views at that time. And this is a few 333 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 2: months in, so I'm struggling, you know, with like deciding 334 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,000 Speaker 2: if this is worth it? Did I kind of choose 335 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 2: like the wrong project because I wanted to inspire people. 336 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 2: I wanted to help people that were going through a 337 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 2: tough time. I was very dedicated to that mission, but 338 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 2: I was thinking, maybe there's some other way that I'm 339 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 2: meant to fulfill that calling, through books or through blogging 340 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 2: or something else. So I started thinking the video thing 341 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 2: isn't going to work out for me. So I tell 342 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 2: my wife, I, you know, I'm like, hey, I don't know, 343 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 2: I'm second guessing this. She's very supportive, so she's like, no, 344 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 2: just keep at it, keep at it. And after telling 345 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 2: her for a long time that I'm struggling with this, 346 00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 2: finally we agree that the next video I host is 347 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 2: gonna be my last video, and you could schedule videos 348 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,919 Speaker 2: to go live at a certain time. Right. So the 349 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 2: night before I tell her this is it, I'm scheduling 350 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 2: my last video. You know, this dream is over kind 351 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,959 Speaker 2: of a thing. I go to bed that night. I 352 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 2: wake up in the morning and she's shaking me, like 353 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 2: to wake up. She's like, tar, wake up, and I'm like, 354 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 2: what's going on? You know, I'm like rub my eyes 355 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 2: slowly waking up, and she goes, that video you posted 356 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 2: it's going viral. So sure enough, the last video I 357 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 2: ever ended up, but I ever planned on posting was 358 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 2: the one that went viral, and that video went on 359 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 2: to get over two hundred million views. And you know, 360 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 2: the question that keeps me up at night is what 361 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 2: if I decided to give up one video before, right, 362 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 2: I wouldn't have had millions of followers, it wouldn't have 363 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 2: gotten billions of views. More importantly, it wouldn't have impacted 364 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 2: people all over the world, and none of this would 365 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:11,479 Speaker 2: have happened. And the reason that I share that story 366 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,679 Speaker 2: is that you never know how close you are from success. 367 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 2: So many people have dreams, they have goals that they're 368 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 2: very excited about, and in the beginning, you know, you're 369 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 2: fueled by passion and excitement. But at certain point things 370 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 2: get tough and so a lot of people end up 371 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 2: giving up too soon. But you never know when that 372 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 2: one call is going to come, when that one door 373 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 2: is going to open for you, when that one video 374 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 2: is going to go viral, that can change your whole 375 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:49,359 Speaker 2: life trajectory. So don't give up on your dreams, because 376 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 2: you never know how close you are from making it big. 377 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: On that note, A, we need to shout out Laura, 378 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: because there's nothing like having a supportive partner that is 379 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 1: pushing you. That is a part of your business. That 380 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 1: is like, baby, you were going to do this and 381 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 1: it's going to work, and then it's waking you up 382 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: in the morning being like it worked. You know, there's 383 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: just nothing better than winning with, you know, the person 384 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 1: that you're building your life with. Absolutely, I want to 385 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: ask you're doing it, which I am doing as well. Yes, 386 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: shout out Jeremy, who was sitting literally right there. If 387 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: you could rewind it back then in that mindset, in 388 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: your gut, you know, even when you had made the 389 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: decision to say, Okay, this is going to be my 390 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 1: last video, did in your gut did you almost feel 391 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: like you were letting yourself down by that being your 392 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 1: last video? In your mind? You know, did you know 393 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 1: what was going to work out for you? 394 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 2: That's a great question. So I did experiment with that video. 395 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,160 Speaker 2: I will just kind of tell you this origin story 396 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 2: really quick, because you did ask me what that video 397 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 2: was about and I didn't explain. So at that time, 398 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 2: I was just talking to camera and I would tell advice, right, 399 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 2: So the visuals you would see is just me on camera. 400 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 2: And so before I decided to make that last video, 401 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 2: I was writing my script that I was going to say. 402 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,119 Speaker 2: I used to write my scripts on little napkins at 403 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 2: the time, and I covered different topics in my video. 404 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 2: So some of them are on relationships, appreciation, kindness, you know, manifestation, 405 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 2: all kinds of different topics that inspire people. So this 406 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:24,639 Speaker 2: particular video was about how cheating can happen in relationships 407 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 2: with relatively innocent acts. So what I was writing is 408 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 2: that there was a husband who was liking his who 409 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 2: comes across his ex girlfriend's posts on Facebook and he 410 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 2: decides to like it, right while his wife is in 411 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 2: the kitchen with her back to him, cooking him dinner. 412 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,439 Speaker 2: And so the whole storyline was going to be it 413 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:49,719 Speaker 2: kind of starts off with him liking this post, then 414 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 2: it becomes a conversation between them, right, And so this 415 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 2: was the story I was going to tell. As I'm 416 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 2: writing this on a napkin, I look over in my 417 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 2: kitchen and my brother in law happened to be visiting me, 418 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 2: and he was sitting in a stool on Facebook, scrolling 419 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 2: his phone, and in front of him was one of 420 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 2: my wife's friends who happened to be cooking something in 421 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 2: the kitchen with her back to him, and I was like, 422 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 2: oh my gosh, if this is not like manifestation and 423 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:25,959 Speaker 2: you know, serendipity, like I don't know what is. So 424 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 2: I come up to him and I'm like, are you 425 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 2: okay with being in this video? 426 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 3: And I asked her and they're like, well, what do 427 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 3: you need us to do? Sure? 428 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,880 Speaker 2: I was like, just stay exactly where you are, don't move, 429 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 2: don't do anything. And so they just stay in their 430 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 2: current spot. And then I call Reuben, the person, the 431 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,360 Speaker 2: one employee who was operating like the cameras, I say, 432 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 2: come film this. So he's filming them just doing what 433 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 2: they're doing while I'm narrating this story. So ironically, I 434 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,679 Speaker 2: didn't know. I had no film experience, right Like, I 435 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 2: never intended to create a studio. I never thought I 436 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 2: would be producing, you know, three to four hours of 437 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 2: premium scripted content a week, like right like, I was 438 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,919 Speaker 2: just a guy trying to inspire people through things I 439 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 2: had been through tough times in my life, and so 440 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 2: that was you know, I had no live action experience, 441 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 2: Like I didn't even know what a live action film was. 442 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 2: It was shot on an iPhone, it was shot in 443 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 2: my apartment. 444 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:29,400 Speaker 3: My actors was my. 445 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 2: Brother in law, like zero clue what I was doing, 446 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 2: and that was the video that ended up going viral. 447 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 2: So it was just again it was ironic how it 448 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 2: all happened. But to answer your question, I think every 449 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 2: person feels like they're meant to do something with their life, 450 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 2: you know, like I've never met someone who's like, I 451 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 2: have no dreams, like I don't want to do anything, 452 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 2: Like I'm not meant to do anything with my life, 453 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 2: right like everybody has, I'm sort of calling in their heart. 454 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 2: And I've always felt some deep connection with trying to 455 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,360 Speaker 2: help people, and I found myself like in that role 456 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 2: even as even when I was younger in life, like 457 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 2: I was just that guy that people would come to 458 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,400 Speaker 2: for advice, and whenever I would give advice, people would 459 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:19,880 Speaker 2: say like, hey, your advice really helped me get through 460 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 2: this tough time. So I always knew that my calling 461 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 2: was going to be helping people in this world. I 462 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 2: just didn't know how to go about it. So I 463 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 2: wish I could say I had some magic ball where 464 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 2: I knew if I said, you know, this is going 465 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 2: to be my last video, I was somehow putting it 466 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 2: into the world where it's like, God, please make this 467 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 2: go viral. I'm putting it out there. It wasn't planned 468 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,159 Speaker 2: like that. I honestly would have given up on videos 469 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:47,199 Speaker 2: if that hadn't worked out, but I never would have 470 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 2: given up on my dream to continue to try to 471 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 2: help people in other ways. 472 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,400 Speaker 1: And it's amazing that almost by chance, that was kind 473 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: of your entry way into scripted video content, right where 474 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: you're telling stories with actors, And at what point did 475 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 1: you go from you being the narrator to then having 476 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 1: other people acting out the scenes. 477 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 2: That was the turning that was, Yeah, that was the 478 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 2: eureka moment again, the moment I didn't know that that 479 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 2: was a live action film. Again, Like I didn't even 480 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 2: know how we were describing, how to describe what we 481 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 2: were doing right, Again, this is just something that it 482 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 2: was like, you know, lightning in a bottle that we 483 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 2: just happened to stumble upon. But after that experience, yeah, 484 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 2: that's when I decided that there's clearly something that is 485 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 2: working here. And that's any creator, any entrepreneur. You know, 486 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,360 Speaker 2: you're always experimenting and pivoting and then you you know, 487 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 2: figure out something that works and then you realize like 488 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 2: this is the new direction. So as we started finding 489 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 2: success from there started We're still shooting everything in my 490 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,920 Speaker 2: apartment for the first couple of years. We I think 491 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 2: for our first two years, we were a three person team. 492 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 2: There's a magic in three people teams. I was writing everything, 493 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 2: and then I had a director who would also shoot, edit, color, score, VFX, 494 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 2: everything that's ruben. And then I had a producer who 495 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 2: also ran sound on set. So it stayed like that, 496 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 2: you know, for the first couple of years. As we 497 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 2: started putting out videos consistently, and then we started learning 498 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 2: what was working. It was sort of that combination between 499 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 2: entertainment and education because these videos were entertaining, but they 500 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 2: were also teaching a positive lesson. So that was a 501 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 2: secret to our virality. A lot of people would share 502 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 2: our videos with someone who they thought could benefit from 503 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,159 Speaker 2: learning this lesson, or they'd say, hey, this is a 504 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 2: conversation we were talking about on why you shouldn't give 505 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 2: up on your dreams. You know, I know you've been 506 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 2: thinking about this, so watch this video. This might inspire 507 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 2: you to keep going, or this might inspire you to 508 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:00,919 Speaker 2: reconnect with your father who you've lost touch with, or 509 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 2: to fix that problem in your relationship that you've been 510 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 2: struggling with. And then we built an amazing community because 511 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 2: there wasn't really a place that you could go to 512 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 2: find positive content where the good person always want in 513 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 2: the end. And there's a certain comfort in that in 514 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 2: knowing that, like a lot of people that watch our videos, 515 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 2: they deal with anxiety, and they say that watching our 516 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:27,680 Speaker 2: videos actually helps to ease their anxiety because even though 517 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 2: it's somewhat of a predictable outcome, they know that there's 518 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 2: a positive ending and the good person wins in the end. 519 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 2: And so as we continue to build that community, I 520 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 2: think by our second year, we became the number one 521 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 2: creator on Facebook. Our third year, we became the number 522 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 2: two YouTuber on the platform, as declared by YouTube. 523 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: Alongside mister bast to be clear, like this is this 524 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,159 Speaker 1: is it's so nuts. You know, I can't believe I'm 525 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: sitting down. 526 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 3: With you like it's cool. Oh my god, you're so sweet. 527 00:27:57,440 --> 00:27:59,639 Speaker 2: No, I know the guests that you've had, I'm definitely 528 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:01,880 Speaker 2: a fish compared to other folks that you've had. 529 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 4: Big fish, big fish. 530 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 2: So yeah, you know, it just all started coming together 531 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 2: as soon as we built that community that really understood 532 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 2: the mission, and I think they really felt connected because 533 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:23,879 Speaker 2: I shared my personal story of the struggles that I 534 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 2: went through, the lessons that I learned, and I took 535 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 2: people on that journey with me. So yeah, it just 536 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 2: ended up taking off. 537 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: At what point did you go from a three person 538 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,360 Speaker 1: team to scaling into what you guys have now? Your 539 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 1: company is almost challenging traditional Hollywood studios. 540 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 2: My very first month that I was accepted into like 541 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 2: the Facebook monetization program, I was still confused as to 542 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 2: what it was because a few months in of creating 543 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 2: content and having viral videos start to come out, I 544 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 2: didn't know that you can make money from this. I 545 00:28:56,680 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 2: didn't understand why people put out viral videos, right. I 546 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,719 Speaker 2: just thought it was the same reason that I was, 547 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 2: because they had a mission. And then I get a 548 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 2: little notification one day that's like, you're eligible for Facebook's 549 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 2: monetization program. Do you want to turn it on? And 550 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 2: I'm like, I guess, Like, you know, I didn't want 551 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 2: them to like suppress my videos because it didn't earn 552 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 2: the platform any money, So I only turned it on 553 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 2: for that reason. And the first month I think I 554 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 2: made like one hundred and twenty dollars or something. So 555 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 2: I was like, Okay, you know, this isn't anything that 556 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 2: is going to change my life or like pay for 557 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 2: the bills. So I just decided never to look at 558 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 2: it again. And so, you know, a couple months go 559 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 2: by and I'm not paying attention, but I am looking 560 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 2: at my bank account and there's this month that like 561 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 2: a you know, like a four thousand dollars deposit comes in, 562 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 2: and then like a seven thousand dollars deposit the next month, 563 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 2: and then a ten thousand dollars deposit, and then a 564 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 2: twenty thousand dollars deposit, and I'm like every month the 565 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 2: numbers are getting bigger. And then I was like, oh 566 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 2: my gosh, guys, like there's action really a business here, 567 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 2: like you can actually generate revenue. And for me, it 568 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 2: wasn't like, oh my gosh, I can make all this money. 569 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 2: It was like, I can grow this, I can impact 570 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 2: more people, I can grow my team. And at that point, 571 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 2: we were running the business from my apartment, so I 572 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:22,000 Speaker 2: was running a cosmetics company during the daytime, and so 573 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 2: my kitchen was like the office where everyone was working. 574 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 2: My living room was like where we had all of 575 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 2: our ring lights, my bedroom was where all of our 576 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 2: storage was for all of our boxes. I got like 577 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 2: asthma because there was so much dust all the time. 578 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 2: The hallway to walk to the elevator was our fulfillment center, 579 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:46,640 Speaker 2: so we actually had people packaging products and stuff in there. 580 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 2: And this was like a twenty four to seven operation. 581 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 2: My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, you know, 582 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 2: we didn't even have our own restroom, right, we didn't 583 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 2: even have like our own fridge. So like we'd walk 584 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 2: into the frie and like my wife would go for 585 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 2: her dinner and it was eden, you know, we'd go, 586 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 2: like she'd go to use the toilet, and the toilet 587 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 2: he was always up. And like just all these hardships 588 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 2: of trying to work, you know, live and work from 589 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 2: your place at nighttime. When we were filming our content, 590 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 2: every one of the rooms in the apartment became our 591 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 2: film sets, and so our dining room became a restaurant, 592 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 2: our bedroom became a patient hospital room. Everything you could 593 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 2: imagine took place in our apartment. So it was stressful. 594 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,239 Speaker 2: I wanted to start renting outside locations because we were 595 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 2: actually starting to generate some revenue, but then COVID hit 596 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:46,800 Speaker 2: and so you couldn't rent any sets. And that was 597 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 2: the moment where I had to decide should we actually 598 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 2: get a studio and try to build our own sets, 599 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 2: which I had no knowledge of, or should we continue 600 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 2: running things in my apartment. And even though I didn't 601 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 2: have the funds, you know, to start a studio, I 602 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 2: found this gym that was going out of business because 603 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 2: again it was COVID, and they were looking to sublease 604 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 2: their space, and it was about you know, the building 605 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 2: was about thirty thousand square feet, so it was way 606 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 2: too big for what I needed for my sets. But 607 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 2: I thought maybe if I could take like some small 608 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 2: portion of that space for myself, we could run the 609 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 2: cosmetics company from there, and then I could sublease like 610 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 2: to like four or five other tenants like the rest 611 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 2: of the space. Maybe we could make rent work. So 612 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 2: I took a leap of faith and decided to commit 613 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 2: to a building that I knew I could not afford 614 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,480 Speaker 2: at that time, just hoping that everything worked out. So 615 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 2: we got the building, then I needed the sets. I 616 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 2: had no idea how to build sets, how much sets cost. 617 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 2: So you know, it turns out there's a whole industry 618 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 2: around this, especially in La. So we got some bids 619 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 2: to build the sixth sets that I thought I was 620 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 2: going to be able to fill in my space. I 621 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 2: look at the total and I'm like, that is like 622 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 2: three times more money than the amount that I have 623 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 2: in my bank account. Like there was absolutely no way 624 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 2: that I could build six sets. So I was like, 625 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 2: all right, what are the three cheapest sets that we 626 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 2: can build? And they're like, it's a low income apartment 627 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 2: and a high income apartment, and a school because school 628 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 2: is relatively simple. Some lockers, some desks, and I was like, 629 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 2: all right, we'll just build the three cheapest sets. 630 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 3: So that's all we had. 631 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 2: I literally spent every dollar on building those sets, and 632 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 2: at this time all my traction was on Facebook. Still 633 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 2: I wasn't getting any views on YouTube, so I couldn't 634 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 2: really break like a thousand views for my first couple 635 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 2: of years of posting on YouTube. So after those sets 636 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 2: were done, now we have these sets, I had to 637 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 2: write stories that took place in these sets. 638 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 3: And since I. 639 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 2: Had the school, I was like, oh, okay, well, I 640 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 2: guess I have to write school based stories. But the 641 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 2: audience on Facebook isn't going to care about school based stories. 642 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:10,000 Speaker 2: That's mainly like older people on Facebook. So I wrote 643 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 2: these like school based dramas. I didn't think that they 644 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,399 Speaker 2: were going to perform very well, and they didn't. They 645 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:21,239 Speaker 2: flopped on Facebook, but they took off on YouTube. 646 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:21,760 Speaker 1: Wow. 647 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 2: And every time we posted a new school based video, 648 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:27,719 Speaker 2: my social team would be like that videos number one 649 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:30,120 Speaker 2: on YouTube is breaking a record, is breaking a record, 650 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:31,799 Speaker 2: And all I could say is like, oh, who cares 651 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:35,359 Speaker 2: about YouTube? Like I'm focused on Facebook. But after doing 652 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:39,479 Speaker 2: that consistently enough and our YouTube started taking off, that's 653 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 2: when my eyes opened as to you know, young people 654 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 2: are on YouTube, there's no content that really exists like this, 655 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 2: and YouTube you actually have the ability to build a 656 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,440 Speaker 2: real community. Because everywhere I was going, even though I 657 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:58,520 Speaker 2: had way more viewership on Facebook than YouTube, people were 658 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 2: telling me I watch you on YouTube. I watch you 659 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 2: on YouTube. So I'm like, wow, that community impact is 660 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 2: so strong. So after our YouTube started taking off, that's 661 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:12,360 Speaker 2: when I was like, all right, we need to expand 662 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:16,759 Speaker 2: this whole thing. You know, how far can this go? 663 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 2: We started growing our team and within I would say, 664 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,800 Speaker 2: one year of us getting that first building, not only 665 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:29,360 Speaker 2: do we build out the whole studio for ourselves and 666 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:32,320 Speaker 2: we built like twenty five sound stages within that building. 667 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 2: We ended up getting the two buildings next door as well, 668 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:39,440 Speaker 2: and we got up to now over one hundred thousand 669 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 2: square feet. We have about one hundred film sets, and 670 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:45,279 Speaker 2: fast forward to today. You know, we started with three 671 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 2: to four minute videos a week. Now we're putting out 672 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:51,920 Speaker 2: three to four hours of premium scripted content. We have 673 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 2: about two hundred team members. You know, we employ about 674 00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 2: fifteen hundred plus actors a year. It's been incredible, just 675 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,959 Speaker 2: like how far things have come in such a short 676 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 2: amount of time. 677 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:08,360 Speaker 1: People's jaws must be on the floor listening to this 678 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:10,440 Speaker 1: right now because it is so wild and it's just 679 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:13,400 Speaker 1: so cool hearing kind of how your mind works. 680 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,319 Speaker 2: It is like this creative dream for me to walk 681 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:21,960 Speaker 2: around seeing all these like people that are inspired, that 682 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:26,279 Speaker 2: are mission motivated, that are super creative, and filmmakers and 683 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 2: storytellers now being able to create content that exists without me. 684 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 2: In the beginning, I wrote every single script. So I 685 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 2: wrote almost two thousand scripts. You know, in seven years. 686 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 2: That's a lot of scripts. Whereas like if you ask 687 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 2: somebody in the traditional you know, media world, right to 688 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 2: be able to write like twelve episodes in a season 689 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:51,719 Speaker 2: like once a year or something is a lot. But 690 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:55,520 Speaker 2: the you know, the amount of work that we put 691 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:59,959 Speaker 2: in was like insane. And now that the team is scared, 692 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 2: I'm actually no longer involved in the writing anymore, so 693 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 2: I can focus on other projects that are more like 694 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:08,880 Speaker 2: personal passion projects. 695 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 3: But to see, like, it's almost. 696 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:14,560 Speaker 2: Like watching your child grow and like, you know, start 697 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 2: to become an adult. And I haven't experienced that yet 698 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 2: because my kids are young, but that's what I imagine. 699 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:21,960 Speaker 1: This is your baby, it is it is it's your 700 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: first child. Are there rules that you have built into 701 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:28,320 Speaker 1: your stories and for the writers that come on and 702 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 1: join your team that the team abides by to make 703 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:33,319 Speaker 1: it a Darman video. 704 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 2: So no cussing, no swearing, we don't talk religion, we 705 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:43,440 Speaker 2: don't talk politics, we don't do anything that's controversial. Everything 706 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 2: has to be mission based. So these are just the 707 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 2: values that live within every one of our videos. And 708 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:53,440 Speaker 2: I would say that is our brand standard. So even 709 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:58,160 Speaker 2: when Disney, you know, acquires Star Wars or Marvel or Pixar, 710 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,800 Speaker 2: there's certain things that just need to meet the Disney standard. 711 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:05,319 Speaker 2: And so even as we start to expand and look 712 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 2: at new genres and new different types of content formats 713 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 2: that we go into. Those brand values always stay the same. 714 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 2: But yeah, it was kind of ironic. 715 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:16,600 Speaker 3: Again. 716 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 2: Sorry, There's so many things that were just ironic in 717 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,640 Speaker 2: my life, and that's why I'm just so grateful, because honestly, 718 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 2: I was the underdog that never thought that, you know, 719 00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 2: I would get anywhere, like very far in my life, 720 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 2: and it's amazing just being here at this stage of 721 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:31,800 Speaker 2: my journey now. 722 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:36,120 Speaker 3: But the way that I started. 723 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:39,480 Speaker 2: Delegating things, because I know every creator goes through this challenge, 724 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:44,120 Speaker 2: every manager, every founder is it didn't happen on purpose. 725 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:47,799 Speaker 2: It happened me because I got sick and I was 726 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 2: working insane hours where I was staying up like all night, 727 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 2: not sleeping, neglecting my health, neglecting everything. Again, just like 728 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,279 Speaker 2: a lot of people that are hustling hard and trying 729 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:03,200 Speaker 2: to make it. I would literally drink energy drinks in 730 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:06,080 Speaker 2: bed and chase it with coffee to stay up longer 731 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:09,160 Speaker 2: so I could write more scripts. It wasn't very healthy, 732 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 2: and then I ended up developing panic attacks and my 733 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:17,640 Speaker 2: health got so bad that a doctor told me I 734 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,640 Speaker 2: have to stop working so much, and I have to 735 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 2: focus on my health. So that's what it took, literally 736 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:26,840 Speaker 2: a wake up call from a doctor saying you're not 737 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:28,920 Speaker 2: going to live much longer if you continue down this 738 00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:32,120 Speaker 2: path for me to say that I have to let 739 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:35,399 Speaker 2: go of creative control in some aspects, yeah, because it's 740 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:40,279 Speaker 2: not sustainable, Like I will kill myself literally if I 741 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:45,560 Speaker 2: continue down this path. So that forced my hand to 742 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:48,520 Speaker 2: let go of the reins a little bit, and that 743 00:39:48,719 --> 00:39:52,640 Speaker 2: ended up being the best decision that I ever made 744 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 2: because ultimately allowed all these other very talented, capable people 745 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:02,839 Speaker 2: to really spread their wings and reached their full potential. 746 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:05,480 Speaker 2: And you know, it took a little bit for them 747 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 2: to kind of get things down and understand like my 748 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:12,880 Speaker 2: vision and my voice, but after some time, I truly 749 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:16,840 Speaker 2: believe that they're even better storytellers than I am, and 750 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,800 Speaker 2: more capable than me. So yeah, so it's an amazing feeling. 751 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 2: It wasn't by choice that I started like backing, it 752 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:25,560 Speaker 2: started delegating. 753 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 3: It was like, yeah, I was compelled. 754 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:29,440 Speaker 1: By I mean, I share that story completely on a 755 00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:31,719 Speaker 1: much smaller scale. But when I first started my running 756 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:34,399 Speaker 1: interview show, I was working a full time job in advertising, 757 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:37,480 Speaker 1: and I was waking up every single morning at six am, 758 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: sometimes earlier, filming the first episode around six thirty with 759 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:42,840 Speaker 1: a guest. I'd meet them on the West Side Highway 760 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 1: in New York, and then I would film the second 761 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:47,279 Speaker 1: episode right after I would go home, try to be 762 00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:49,760 Speaker 1: home by like eight thirty, a little bit before nine, 763 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:52,520 Speaker 1: and I would start editing, and I would try to 764 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:54,880 Speaker 1: have my first video out by ten, because at ten 765 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 1: fifteen I was getting on my morning status call for 766 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:00,239 Speaker 1: my full time job. And I was working these just 767 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,000 Speaker 1: like crazy hours where I wasn't stopping. And like everybody, 768 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 1: you know, if you work in advertising or you work 769 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:07,120 Speaker 1: in PR, you know how crazy the hours can be, 770 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:10,200 Speaker 1: especially when you're in a client facing business. And I 771 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:13,479 Speaker 1: was doing that full time while also running the Running 772 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 1: Interview Show and literally running the run Lily Show, and 773 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,000 Speaker 1: oh god, I got so burnt out. And you know, 774 00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 1: it was so nice when I was finally able to 775 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:22,879 Speaker 1: go full time with the Running Interview Show and make 776 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:25,400 Speaker 1: that my full time job. But when I was finally 777 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:27,960 Speaker 1: able to bring on editors, I would have them say 778 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:30,200 Speaker 1: to me like, how did you do this? And do 779 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:32,560 Speaker 1: the show and do the interview prep and schedule all 780 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:34,239 Speaker 1: the interviews and I'm like, I don't know how I 781 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:36,359 Speaker 1: did it, but I just did. And now that I'm 782 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:38,719 Speaker 1: able to like delegate it, it has made it so 783 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,839 Speaker 1: much better because your business flourishes in a way that 784 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:45,040 Speaker 1: you never thought it could. And yeah, it's a I 785 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:47,879 Speaker 1: can relate to, getting really worn down and literally sick 786 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:49,279 Speaker 1: working way too hard. 787 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:51,640 Speaker 2: I know, there's this quote that's like, you know, people 788 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:53,440 Speaker 2: that want to start their own business basically they want 789 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:55,280 Speaker 2: to leave their nine to five to start at twenty 790 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:56,000 Speaker 2: four to seven. 791 00:41:56,640 --> 00:41:57,880 Speaker 3: It literally is that. 792 00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:00,680 Speaker 2: But the goal is to be able to to you know, 793 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:03,319 Speaker 2: find some success and then be able to hire a 794 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:05,240 Speaker 2: great team that can do a lot of those tasks 795 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,440 Speaker 2: for you. And yeah, I'm so blessed to have an 796 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 2: amazing team that makes it all possible. 797 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:12,160 Speaker 1: You went from being in your videos to then removing 798 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:14,840 Speaker 1: yourself from the videos being the person writing the scripts. 799 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:18,040 Speaker 1: When did you decide kind of to stop putting yourself 800 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 1: in the videos? And was that a conscious decision to 801 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:22,360 Speaker 1: kind of bring actors in and bring people in. 802 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,640 Speaker 2: I mean, in full transparency. You know, anyone who's a 803 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:28,520 Speaker 2: successful creator, you have to really pay attention to your 804 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:32,480 Speaker 2: video retention graphs and your analytics, and so I used 805 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:34,520 Speaker 2: to pop on at the end of the videos and 806 00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:37,320 Speaker 2: tell a moral of the story. And when I started 807 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:39,919 Speaker 2: looking at our retention graphs, as soon as I would 808 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:41,880 Speaker 2: come on at the end and tell the moral, the 809 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:45,879 Speaker 2: retention would fall sharply. So I would be lying if 810 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:48,880 Speaker 2: I did not say that retention had something to do 811 00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:51,440 Speaker 2: with it. But you know, as time went on, I 812 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:54,439 Speaker 2: realized that, hey, you know what, even if we lost 813 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 2: some retention, I could still be in the video at 814 00:42:56,960 --> 00:42:59,640 Speaker 2: the very end for a short amount of time. But more, 815 00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:04,879 Speaker 2: our stories are not about me, you know, And if 816 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 2: I am the person that is on camera, I think 817 00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:09,680 Speaker 2: certain people could be able to. 818 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 3: Relate to me. 819 00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:14,480 Speaker 2: Right, we all make we all have certain first impressions. 820 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:17,480 Speaker 2: So I'm a big guy, right, I've got a beard 821 00:43:17,560 --> 00:43:20,879 Speaker 2: an Indian that relates to certain people, and that also 822 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:23,759 Speaker 2: makes the stories kind of center around that. But if 823 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:29,440 Speaker 2: I can remove myself from the content, then this becomes 824 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:33,520 Speaker 2: not about me. This becomes about everybody. And we have 825 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:39,400 Speaker 2: such a diverse group of actors and that has helped 826 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:43,440 Speaker 2: us build such a global audience where a lot of 827 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:46,759 Speaker 2: our community feels like they can really connect with somebody 828 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:52,040 Speaker 2: that oftentimes looks like them or talks like them. So 829 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:56,400 Speaker 2: for me at this stage, removing myself from the videos 830 00:43:57,160 --> 00:44:01,600 Speaker 2: was a more conscious decision about just having our storytelling 831 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:04,560 Speaker 2: be even more universal and not about me. 832 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:06,600 Speaker 1: I think it's incredible. I think if you're able to 833 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:08,920 Speaker 1: create and have the level of success as a creator 834 00:44:08,960 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 1: that you have without even being in the videos, I mean, 835 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:14,320 Speaker 1: it's pretty amazing. You know, you are in all of 836 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:16,800 Speaker 1: the thumbnails. And as we were running along the water, 837 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:18,759 Speaker 1: we passed a group of kids that were probably in 838 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:21,479 Speaker 1: high school and they start screaming. They're like, oh my god, 839 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:24,480 Speaker 1: I watch his videos. So you still are so recognizable. 840 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:27,200 Speaker 1: I think even by just having your face in the 841 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:31,279 Speaker 1: thumbnailtbil little thumbnails, it's a lot of impressions, right, what 842 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:34,279 Speaker 1: is the strategy behind the thumbnail and having yourself in 843 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:35,279 Speaker 1: the bottom left. 844 00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:38,680 Speaker 2: We spend so much time testing on packaging, you know, 845 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 2: so I don't know if you want to go into 846 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:45,000 Speaker 2: a whole like crash course about thumbnail optimization, I do idea. Yeah, So, 847 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:50,040 Speaker 2: you know, every single video we create, probably about twenty 848 00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:53,640 Speaker 2: different concepts now of what the packaging can look like. 849 00:44:54,560 --> 00:44:57,960 Speaker 2: Our thumbs kind of break all best practices as to 850 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,799 Speaker 2: what you would think would work on YouTube where you 851 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:05,120 Speaker 2: have big text on the thumbs, whereas like before us, 852 00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:08,560 Speaker 2: I never saw anybody doing that. But for some reason, 853 00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:12,800 Speaker 2: it just relates to our audience, and so every single 854 00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:16,560 Speaker 2: thing that you see on our thumbs was strategically tested. 855 00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:19,960 Speaker 2: They're often changing because of all the different tests that 856 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:24,680 Speaker 2: we're running. But as we became more successful, there started 857 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:27,840 Speaker 2: becoming a lot of copycats out there that were trying 858 00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 2: to create similar videos to what we were, and since 859 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:34,440 Speaker 2: my face is not in the actual videos, we needed 860 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:38,400 Speaker 2: some way to differentiate what's a Dharman video versus someone 861 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:41,440 Speaker 2: else's video. So that's when we started putting my face 862 00:45:41,480 --> 00:45:42,800 Speaker 2: on the dumbnail. 863 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:43,200 Speaker 3: For that reason. 864 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:45,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's nicer than it just saying Darman because it's 865 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:46,760 Speaker 1: like it's you, It's Derman. 866 00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:47,279 Speaker 3: There you go. 867 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:50,480 Speaker 2: And it actually improves our click through rates by like 868 00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:53,279 Speaker 2: I don't know, by like three percent by having my 869 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:56,839 Speaker 2: face on there. So yeah, there is a community that 870 00:45:56,960 --> 00:45:59,360 Speaker 2: looks for that face before clicking the dumbnail. 871 00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:02,800 Speaker 1: So you went from doing endings where it was you talking, 872 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:05,440 Speaker 1: doing a sign off, but then you guys switched it 873 00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:08,719 Speaker 1: to see you what is it? So you see so 874 00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:11,879 Speaker 1: you see Okay, so let's talk about so you see 875 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:12,880 Speaker 1: how did that come to be? 876 00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:15,880 Speaker 2: Every time I would write a script, before we'd go 877 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:19,760 Speaker 2: into some sort of emotional heavy flashback, it would always 878 00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:21,280 Speaker 2: start with that, you see. 879 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:23,359 Speaker 3: So you know. 880 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:29,480 Speaker 2: It's like, let's say that I'm a only child and 881 00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:35,200 Speaker 2: I find out that my parents have adopted a sibling 882 00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:38,800 Speaker 2: for me, and now I'm so upset that this sibling 883 00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:43,279 Speaker 2: is coming into our household and that's not even my 884 00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:46,759 Speaker 2: real sibling, you know. That's and I'm saying to my parents, like, 885 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:49,680 Speaker 2: don't call her or him, like you know, your real 886 00:46:49,760 --> 00:46:53,640 Speaker 2: son or daughter, right, And then the parents look at 887 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:56,439 Speaker 2: me and say, there's something that we have not told you. 888 00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:00,080 Speaker 2: It would start with that, you see, and then it 889 00:47:00,080 --> 00:47:03,880 Speaker 2: would explain to me that I'm actually adopted as well, 890 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:08,600 Speaker 2: right Like it would be some shocking backstory, like for 891 00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:11,800 Speaker 2: a audience that they would not expect. And just every 892 00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:14,160 Speaker 2: time I would go into the flashback, it would start 893 00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:16,839 Speaker 2: with the U see, And then when we come out 894 00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:20,080 Speaker 2: of the flashback, it'd be so you see. And so 895 00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:22,720 Speaker 2: we'd get made fun of for that as to why 896 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:26,319 Speaker 2: we couldn't come up with anything more original. So a 897 00:47:26,360 --> 00:47:29,600 Speaker 2: lot of the comments are like, does he not realize that, 898 00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:32,319 Speaker 2: he says you see in every single script or so 899 00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:35,200 Speaker 2: you see. And I decided to sort of lean into 900 00:47:35,239 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 2: it and I made merch out of it, and I 901 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:40,239 Speaker 2: was like, this is going to be our tagline now, 902 00:47:40,280 --> 00:47:43,400 Speaker 2: so now people actually love it and if we don't 903 00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:46,160 Speaker 2: say it, they have a problem with it. So it 904 00:47:46,239 --> 00:47:49,839 Speaker 2: was like totally unexpected, but it ended up becoming one 905 00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:50,759 Speaker 2: of our taglines. 906 00:47:51,080 --> 00:48:03,319 Speaker 1: So you see, the next time I'm in LA I 907 00:48:03,360 --> 00:48:05,040 Speaker 1: have to come and see the studios. 908 00:48:05,080 --> 00:48:07,640 Speaker 2: You'd probably get a couple miles in just running through 909 00:48:07,640 --> 00:48:08,280 Speaker 2: all the sets. 910 00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:11,120 Speaker 1: That would be so cool. Honest. Do you still have 911 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:12,120 Speaker 1: the original sets? 912 00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:18,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, original sets, original team, some of the original equipment, 913 00:48:18,440 --> 00:48:22,440 Speaker 2: the original scripts. Yeah, we're keeping it all we You know, 914 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:26,920 Speaker 2: I got a gift for my birthday and it was 915 00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:30,960 Speaker 2: like a check that Walt Disney had signed, but it 916 00:48:31,080 --> 00:48:34,200 Speaker 2: was his signature, And I just can't help but think, like, 917 00:48:34,440 --> 00:48:36,400 Speaker 2: you know, when you're in your early days of working 918 00:48:36,440 --> 00:48:38,920 Speaker 2: on your dream, you never know what is going to 919 00:48:38,920 --> 00:48:42,920 Speaker 2: become like an important, important memorabilia or some artifact or 920 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:46,320 Speaker 2: a part of history. So that's why I was saying, 921 00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:50,759 Speaker 2: even like take pictures, take videos, relish every part of 922 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:53,640 Speaker 2: the journey. Don't take anything for granted, because for the 923 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:56,680 Speaker 2: longest time I was just like, oh my gosh, I'm 924 00:48:56,719 --> 00:48:59,400 Speaker 2: such a small creator, you know, like this is embarrassing, 925 00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:02,280 Speaker 2: My setup is embarrassing, my equipment and is embarrassing. Honestly, 926 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:06,640 Speaker 2: none of that stuff matters. What matters is like your story, 927 00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:09,480 Speaker 2: sharing that with the world, and later on when you 928 00:49:09,560 --> 00:49:12,440 Speaker 2: make it in life, you'll look back and be like, gosh, 929 00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:15,040 Speaker 2: like there was a magic in that low budget space 930 00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:18,200 Speaker 2: and that low budget equipment or not having any of 931 00:49:18,239 --> 00:49:21,160 Speaker 2: these things, that that's where the real magic happens. 932 00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:24,440 Speaker 1: You know, you've mentioned Disney a few times throughout this 933 00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:27,799 Speaker 1: interview and on the run. What is it about Walt 934 00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:32,080 Speaker 1: Disney that you idolize so much and love? 935 00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:34,920 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, there's so many aspects. You know. He 936 00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:37,080 Speaker 3: had a tough childhood. Growing up. 937 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:43,000 Speaker 2: He was very committed to his dream of building an 938 00:49:43,040 --> 00:49:47,799 Speaker 2: animation studio. He went bankrupt multiple times when trying to 939 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:50,000 Speaker 2: start his business. Even when he came up with the 940 00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:53,360 Speaker 2: idea for Disneyland, he was denied by banks over a 941 00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:54,560 Speaker 2: hundred times. 942 00:49:55,640 --> 00:49:56,320 Speaker 3: In the beginning. 943 00:49:56,560 --> 00:49:59,600 Speaker 2: When he started making videos, there were actually only two 944 00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:04,800 Speaker 2: to three minute He can't even call him TV, you know, length, 945 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:07,120 Speaker 2: like it was just two to three minute animations that. 946 00:50:07,080 --> 00:50:10,120 Speaker 3: Would be pre rules before future. 947 00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:16,000 Speaker 2: Films, and so the the industry didn't take him serious 948 00:50:16,040 --> 00:50:19,160 Speaker 2: at all, right, Like they just thought this was some fun, 949 00:50:19,239 --> 00:50:22,920 Speaker 2: silly entertainment before like the real film started. So I 950 00:50:22,960 --> 00:50:26,120 Speaker 2: can really relate to kind of being the underdog in 951 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:30,359 Speaker 2: a traditional industry that doesn't take you serious and kind 952 00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:34,560 Speaker 2: of dismisses you. I can also relate to the failure 953 00:50:34,680 --> 00:50:38,440 Speaker 2: aspect because I felt so many times in my life, 954 00:50:38,520 --> 00:50:40,839 Speaker 2: and you know, the only reason that I've been able 955 00:50:40,880 --> 00:50:43,640 Speaker 2: to find success is every time I've failed, I've just 956 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:47,880 Speaker 2: kind of picked myself up and keep kept trying, and eventually, 957 00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:50,080 Speaker 2: you know, he got to future films. He put his 958 00:50:50,120 --> 00:50:52,960 Speaker 2: whole heart into I believe snow White was his first film, 959 00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:57,640 Speaker 2: and then after having some success, he found a team 960 00:50:57,760 --> 00:51:01,240 Speaker 2: to delegate making movies too while he went and focused 961 00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:04,759 Speaker 2: on his next vision, which was building Disneyland. So there's 962 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:07,879 Speaker 2: just so many aspects that inspire me. But I would 963 00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:11,600 Speaker 2: say most of all when you go to Disneyland and 964 00:51:11,719 --> 00:51:14,480 Speaker 2: in LA I'm going to disney World for the next time, 965 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:16,560 Speaker 2: for the first time next week with my kids. I'm 966 00:51:16,560 --> 00:51:19,359 Speaker 2: sorry side in Florida. Yeah, that's where I'm flying out 967 00:51:19,400 --> 00:51:21,920 Speaker 2: tomorrow morning. So it's really cool to be able to 968 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:24,000 Speaker 2: have them experience, you know, the same stuff that I 969 00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:26,960 Speaker 2: got experienced as a child. But when you walk into Disneyland, 970 00:51:27,239 --> 00:51:31,920 Speaker 2: there's a statue of Walt holding Mickey Mouse's hand, and 971 00:51:32,000 --> 00:51:34,800 Speaker 2: all I can think of is like he had ideas 972 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:39,640 Speaker 2: right in his lifetime that are continuing to still impact 973 00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:45,160 Speaker 2: and shape the childhood of people growing up one hundred 974 00:51:45,239 --> 00:51:49,040 Speaker 2: years after his death. Like, if that's not success, then 975 00:51:49,200 --> 00:51:52,400 Speaker 2: I don't know what is right. Like that would be 976 00:51:52,520 --> 00:51:56,239 Speaker 2: my ultimate dream that like, long after I'm gone, I'm 977 00:51:56,320 --> 00:52:01,080 Speaker 2: still continuing to inspire people through my works that I 978 00:52:01,200 --> 00:52:04,000 Speaker 2: had or through a team that I kind of laid 979 00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:07,160 Speaker 2: the foundation and continue to take things to the next level. 980 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:10,799 Speaker 2: So there's lots of aspects about Disney Story that inspires me. 981 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:13,160 Speaker 1: Again, I just love like hearing how your brain works. 982 00:52:13,200 --> 00:52:15,440 Speaker 1: You're such a visionary and you are so creative. What 983 00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:17,160 Speaker 1: do you feel like is next for you? Like is 984 00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:19,520 Speaker 1: there a massive project that you want to take on, 985 00:52:19,760 --> 00:52:22,040 Speaker 1: or a project even like years down the road from 986 00:52:22,040 --> 00:52:23,920 Speaker 1: now that you are like at some point I am 987 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:25,680 Speaker 1: going to do that or I would like to do that. 988 00:52:25,960 --> 00:52:26,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely. 989 00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:30,400 Speaker 2: You know, when so many people get caught up in 990 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:32,720 Speaker 2: the like what am I going to be like five 991 00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:36,319 Speaker 2: years from now? I just really take things like a 992 00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:39,600 Speaker 2: day at a time and see the things that excite 993 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:41,840 Speaker 2: me and then am passionate about I know I shared 994 00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:44,719 Speaker 2: this story with you on our run, but when I 995 00:52:44,719 --> 00:52:48,320 Speaker 2: started making videos, I didn't, you know, plan on starting 996 00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:51,160 Speaker 2: a studio. I didn't plan on having two hundred employees 997 00:52:51,200 --> 00:52:53,880 Speaker 2: or one hundred thousand square footed studio space. I just 998 00:52:53,920 --> 00:52:57,560 Speaker 2: planned on helping someone. And you know what got me 999 00:52:57,719 --> 00:53:00,720 Speaker 2: through that self doubt that a lot of creator's face 1000 00:53:00,760 --> 00:53:03,480 Speaker 2: when putting out their first video. I was worried what 1001 00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:05,160 Speaker 2: people are going to think of me. I was worried 1002 00:53:05,160 --> 00:53:07,160 Speaker 2: about being judged. I was worried about being in my 1003 00:53:07,239 --> 00:53:09,920 Speaker 2: thirties and trying to start a career in social media. 1004 00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:14,239 Speaker 2: Like all these things plagued my mind. But what drove 1005 00:53:14,320 --> 00:53:18,040 Speaker 2: me was if there's that one person that has a 1006 00:53:18,080 --> 00:53:21,760 Speaker 2: better day because they watched my video, that is reason 1007 00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:25,160 Speaker 2: enough to put that video out there. And that is 1008 00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:29,239 Speaker 2: still my north star. I still just think about how 1009 00:53:29,280 --> 00:53:33,200 Speaker 2: can we impact that one person and the stories that 1010 00:53:33,320 --> 00:53:35,640 Speaker 2: I hear when I meet people face to face that 1011 00:53:35,800 --> 00:53:39,920 Speaker 2: have been impacted by the content. That's the most exciting 1012 00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:43,560 Speaker 2: part by far about what I do. You know, I'm 1013 00:53:43,600 --> 00:53:46,759 Speaker 2: so grateful to be at a place now where we 1014 00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:51,120 Speaker 2: hired a CEO for you know, the first time last year. 1015 00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:55,279 Speaker 2: He was like the former CEO of MTV, which was 1016 00:53:55,280 --> 00:53:58,600 Speaker 2: like a network that I grew up watching. You know, 1017 00:53:58,719 --> 00:54:02,040 Speaker 2: our head of production is now the person that was 1018 00:54:02,040 --> 00:54:04,440 Speaker 2: a show that was the head of production for Beast Games, 1019 00:54:04,920 --> 00:54:07,680 Speaker 2: or head of finance, like the person who ran Warner 1020 00:54:07,719 --> 00:54:11,600 Speaker 2: Brothers like finances. So we have such an amazing team 1021 00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:14,239 Speaker 2: and they're working all the time on so many new 1022 00:54:14,280 --> 00:54:19,480 Speaker 2: exciting projects that I'm always just like, wow, I can't believe, 1023 00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:22,640 Speaker 2: like so much is happening that I'm not directly involved 1024 00:54:22,680 --> 00:54:25,799 Speaker 2: in now, but I would say, you know, stuff that 1025 00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:29,520 Speaker 2: I know that's coming. We signed our first original content 1026 00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:34,080 Speaker 2: deal with Samsung, and so you. 1027 00:54:34,040 --> 00:54:35,920 Speaker 3: Know, I'm not just a YouTuber now. 1028 00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:39,600 Speaker 2: For all theysayers that you know are like, oh, YouTubers 1029 00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:42,239 Speaker 2: aren't to be taken seriously, but. 1030 00:54:42,640 --> 00:54:45,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, so we have really quickly. Didn't YouTube just surpass 1031 00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:47,560 Speaker 1: Netflix in terms of viewership? Is that? 1032 00:54:48,280 --> 00:54:49,600 Speaker 3: Yeah? It is true. 1033 00:54:49,719 --> 00:54:54,799 Speaker 2: I'm about thirteen percent of US households now watch YouTube 1034 00:54:54,840 --> 00:54:59,000 Speaker 2: on their TVs compared to twelve percent for Netflix. So yeah, 1035 00:54:59,080 --> 00:55:03,319 Speaker 2: YouTube is like that the new TV. And you know, 1036 00:55:03,400 --> 00:55:05,640 Speaker 2: I think creators are still trying to find their place 1037 00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:08,240 Speaker 2: in this world. And there's always the old guard versus 1038 00:55:08,239 --> 00:55:11,680 Speaker 2: new guard, you know, type challenge that happens whenever you 1039 00:55:11,800 --> 00:55:15,640 Speaker 2: have people that are changing old industry trends. But yeah, 1040 00:55:15,719 --> 00:55:18,000 Speaker 2: so we've got our first originals deal that we just 1041 00:55:18,040 --> 00:55:20,680 Speaker 2: signed with Samsung, so you're going to see brand new 1042 00:55:20,800 --> 00:55:25,759 Speaker 2: Dharman videos that have never been seen before, exclusively on Samsung. 1043 00:55:26,719 --> 00:55:29,719 Speaker 2: And then I have a podcast that I'm getting pretty 1044 00:55:29,719 --> 00:55:31,120 Speaker 2: close on launching. I would love for you to be 1045 00:55:31,160 --> 00:55:34,280 Speaker 2: a guest on my podcast. At some point, might scrap 1046 00:55:34,280 --> 00:55:36,279 Speaker 2: the running part, but I don't know, we might keep 1047 00:55:36,280 --> 00:55:36,759 Speaker 2: it in there. 1048 00:55:36,880 --> 00:55:39,640 Speaker 1: I would be honored only if we can do it 1049 00:55:39,680 --> 00:55:40,680 Speaker 1: in the original school. 1050 00:55:40,719 --> 00:55:43,759 Speaker 3: So okay, yeah, we'll run up and down the hallways. Yeah. 1051 00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:46,399 Speaker 2: So there's my podcast, and then just trying to make 1052 00:55:46,400 --> 00:55:49,680 Speaker 2: our videos better every single day, like that's really what 1053 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:50,799 Speaker 2: drives me. 1054 00:55:51,560 --> 00:55:54,279 Speaker 1: Yeah all right, Well my last question for you is 1055 00:55:54,600 --> 00:55:57,319 Speaker 1: knowing what you know now, what is one thing that 1056 00:55:57,360 --> 00:55:58,640 Speaker 1: you would tell your younger self. 1057 00:55:59,200 --> 00:56:05,719 Speaker 2: Oh gosh, this is a great question. It kind of 1058 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:07,640 Speaker 2: goes back to what I was describing earlier. I spent 1059 00:56:07,719 --> 00:56:10,920 Speaker 2: so much my life trying to fit in with different groups. 1060 00:56:11,000 --> 00:56:14,920 Speaker 2: I'd be so sad if I wasn't invited to certain 1061 00:56:15,080 --> 00:56:19,040 Speaker 2: social events or certain activities. I felt like I was 1062 00:56:19,120 --> 00:56:22,760 Speaker 2: too American for the Indians and too Indian for the Americans. 1063 00:56:23,640 --> 00:56:25,880 Speaker 2: I was too progressive to be conservative. I was too 1064 00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:29,480 Speaker 2: conservative to be progressive. Like I always just got caught 1065 00:56:30,000 --> 00:56:33,040 Speaker 2: in trying to figure out what bucket I fit into. 1066 00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:37,960 Speaker 2: But my ultimate power that I was able to unlock 1067 00:56:38,440 --> 00:56:40,920 Speaker 2: is when I realized I don't need to fit into 1068 00:56:40,960 --> 00:56:44,319 Speaker 2: any bucket. I can just be myself, and that's where 1069 00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:47,879 Speaker 2: true success is. So for anyone that's struggling to find 1070 00:56:47,920 --> 00:56:50,080 Speaker 2: their place in the world like I was for such 1071 00:56:50,120 --> 00:56:53,480 Speaker 2: a long time, that place is where you are exactly 1072 00:56:53,600 --> 00:56:55,799 Speaker 2: right now. You don't need to be anybody or not, 1073 00:56:56,000 --> 00:56:56,760 Speaker 2: just be yourself. 1074 00:56:57,200 --> 00:56:59,719 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for being here today on Post 1075 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:01,799 Speaker 1: with Us. Your story is incredible. 1076 00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:04,120 Speaker 3: Thank you, This was so fun. I appreciate it. 1077 00:57:04,239 --> 00:57:06,920 Speaker 1: That's a wrap on today's episode. Huge. Thank you for 1078 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:09,480 Speaker 1: being here and for listening all the way through. If 1079 00:57:09,480 --> 00:57:12,480 Speaker 1: this conversation with Dar resonated with you, it would mean 1080 00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:14,520 Speaker 1: a lot if you took a moment to rate and 1081 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:16,560 Speaker 1: review the show and share it with a friend. Don't 1082 00:57:16,600 --> 00:57:19,640 Speaker 1: forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel at kate max 1083 00:57:19,680 --> 00:57:21,920 Speaker 1: where you can watch all the video versions of our 1084 00:57:21,920 --> 00:57:25,480 Speaker 1: episodes and lastly, follow the show at post friend high 1085 00:57:25,520 --> 00:57:28,560 Speaker 1: and me at Kate max on Instagram to stay up 1086 00:57:28,560 --> 00:57:31,120 Speaker 1: to date on everything we have going on. We've got 1087 00:57:31,160 --> 00:57:34,560 Speaker 1: more incredible guests and powerful stories coming your way. I'll 1088 00:57:34,560 --> 00:57:35,520 Speaker 1: see you guys next week.