Shay Carl (@shaycarl) got his first computer at age 27.
He was a manual laborer for ages and uploaded his first YouTube video while on break from a granite counter top job.
Flash forward to today:
- His SHAYTARDS channel now has roughly 2.3 BILLION views. Celebs like Steven Spielberg have appeared alongside Shay and his family.
- He co-founded Maker Studios, which sold to Disney for nearly $1 billion.
- He has been married 13 years and has 5 kids.
- He has lost more than 100 pounds since his overweight peak.
Shay came to San Francisco to spend 2 days with me, we did a bunch of weird shit together (a lot of firsts for Shay), and we covered a ton, including:
- The most important decisions and inflection points in his life
- Tools of the trade and tips for creating on YouTube
- Favorite books, quotes, etc. that he lives by
- Stories he’s never shared anywhere before
- And much, much more
If you only have 5 minutes, listen to Shay’s thoughts on the decisions that helped Maker Studios become a massive success.
And here is the pic of his hilarious driver’s license that we mention a few times 🙂
Enjoy!
You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.
- Listen to it on iTunes.
- Stream by clicking here.
- Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another podcast related to YouTube stardom? — Listen to my conversation with Casey Neistat. In this episode, we discuss how one renegade filmmaker breaks rules, reinvents himself, and gets thanked for it (stream below or right-click here to download):
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
- Connect with Shay Carl:
- Shay Carl’s Instagram video with Joe Biden
- As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
- Watch the first episode of SHAYTARDS
- Watch Shay Carl’s first YouTube video or the leotard video
- Check out Philip DeFranco’s YouTube channel
- Check out Kassem G’s YouTube channel
- Watch Amy Cuddy’s TED talk on body language and happiness
- Check out Shay’s driver’s license (Don’t be alarmed by the video title. See 3:16 in the video.)
- Listen to my podcast with Tony Robbins on priming
- Learn more about Maker Studios
- Shay Carl’s clothing company, Trixin
- Join a diet betting pool to win or lose money with DietBet.com
- Shay Carl’s vlogging equipment:
- My simple podcasting equipment:
Zoom H6 | XLR Cables | Shure Microphone SM58
- How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
- Shay Carl’s favorite podcasts:
The Joe Rogan Experience | Dear Hank and John | This American Life
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Learn more about Hank and John Green on their YouTube channel, the vlogbrothers
- A Facebook page focused on cutting-edge technology – Hashem Al-Ghaili
- Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University
- The Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith Jr.
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- Read Chapter 2 of the Book of Mormon, The Book of Alma (Some commenters have pointed out that it might be Alma Chapter 32 (specifically versus 26 – 43))
- Interested in immortality? Check out Transcendent Man with Ray Kurzweil
- Want to learn about vlogging? Check out Vlogumentary
- Captain Fantastic with Viggo Mortensen
- Check out Boosted Board – Shay Carl’s favorite electric skateboard
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- Use SocialBlueBook.com, a tool for influencers to find their value
Show Notes
- Shay Carl’s origin story [11:05]
- On growing up a Mormon [13:33]
- What Shay looked for in a mentor [23:11]
- On near death experiences [31:17]
- On the duration between starting and experiencing success as a YouTuber [34:21]
- How Shay got his first gig in entertainment [39:11]
- How daily vlogging helps Shay choose to be happy each day [43:09]
- A funny story about great driver license photographs [46:07]
- When did Shay Carl realize daily vlogging could be more than a hobby? [50:07]
- From grocery money to mortgage money on YouTube [52:55]
- The day Shay Carl decided to drop out of college [57:41]
- How Shay Carl defines success, and who is the first person who comes to mind when you hear the word “success?” [1:04:27]
- Thoughts on how physical tranformation impacts your mental state [1:10:08]
- Discussing alcohol abuse [1:12:57]
- Important decisions that allowed Maker Studios to succeed [1:36:00]
- The story behind Trixin Clothing [1:51:03]
- Suggestions for someone interested in vlogging [1:56:42]
- Shay Carl’s vlogging camera equipment and editing software [2:16:02]
- Favorite motivational quotes [2:22:12]
- Fatherhood tips for first-time dads [2:23:25]
- Favorite podcasts and audiobooks [2:29:08]
- Most gifted books [2:33:34]
- Chapters from the Book of Mormon that can help non-believers [2:35:31]
- What purchase of $100 or less has most positively effected your life [2:41:35]
- Morning rituals [2:45:30]
- If you could put anything on a billboard, where would it be and what would it say? [2:47:19]
- Families are forever [2:48:08]
- Advice to your 25-year-old self [2:51:05]
People Mentioned
- Philip DeFranco
- Kassem G
- Danny ‘Diamond’ Zappin
- Lisa Donovan
- Casey Neistat
- John & Hank Green
- Ray Kurzweil
- Morgan Spurlock
- Matt Mullenweg
- Eric Weinstein