Building a Thai YouTube Channel for Kids Into a Family Business [S5.E30]

On this episode Greg chats with his buddy Jesse Davis. You might not know Jesse’s name, but if you have kids, chances are they know his daughter. 

About four years ago Jesse and his daughter started Brianna’s Secret Club, a YouTube channel aimed at kids where Brianna and her pals do things like unwrap gifts, play with toys, build stuff, and do other kid-related things. The channel took off, and soon became a full-fledged family business, with budgets, schedules, assistants, and studio time. As of this airing, the channel has nearly 7 million subscribers, among the most popular YouTube channels in Thailand.

Greg and Jesse chat about being judged by the YouTube algorithm, how a ‘quick video’ is never quick, the balancing act that played out between an office job and this new venture, and how Jesse and his wife ensure their kids stay grounded and treat this as a real job, with real responsibilities. 

Lots of people come to Thailand with a camera in-hand and dreams of a content empire, but as Jesse explains, it looks easy to the casual viewer, but the work that goes on behind the scenes and behind the screens is anything but.

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