Welcome to the latest edition of Creator Collab House. I’m your host, Simon Owens. For those who don’t know me, I write a media industry newsletter you should definitely check out.

Today’s featured creator is David Pere, who runs From Military To Millionaire, his finance-focused YouTube channel. I’ll start by asking him a few basic questions, but my main goal is for you, the audience, to ask him questions of your own. David is an expert on everything from personal finance to building a successful YouTube channel.

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Ok, let’s turn it over to David…

What's the origin story of your channel?

In 2015 I read Rich Dad Poor Dad and, after reading a few more books, purchased a duplex to house hack. After about two years of learning about real estate, and buying a few properties, a friend recommended that I start a blog sharing what I was learning about real estate investing and document my journey, and I did!

Ultimately, the format slowly morphed over time from writing a blog post every week, to writing a blog post, releasing three YouTube videos, releasing a podcast episode, and much more! I didn’t have a special launch strategy, or any strategy at all. I just experimented with a ton of things, and kept doing the things that I enjoyed, or seemed to work!

What have you found to be some of the most effective growth strategies for getting new subscribers?

I think one of the most effective growth strategies is simply turning on the monetization on your YouTube channel when eligible. I realized quickly that YouTube pushes monetized content more heavily than not. Also, I hired an editor so that I could pump out content more quickly, and with higher quality videos. Some of the major things you need to learn for growth are to collaborate with other YouTubers and to focus on your analytics. It will become easy to tell what content draws more traffic and brings a higher number of views and watch time. Do more of that content! Also, always be focused on providing value and building a community more than just earning money.

Can you walk us through your workflow each week for creating new content?

I would say I put aside five to seven hours for creating content and probably only two or three hours for promoting it. I should probably promote more, but I like trying to remain organic with my growth. I spend a one to three hours writing a blog post, 1.5 hours recording a podcast, and an additional 1.5 to three hours recording videos. Sometimes I’ll edit them myself, but I usually push them to an editor.

Can you walk us through the business model?

I monetize through a few different methods. YouTube ad revenue is one stream of income, but my main income comes through connecting professionals and clients in the real estate community, and finding investors for my real estate deals. We also have a small course, and mastermind group for service members to learn and grow and talk real estate!

What are some of your recent videos that you're particularly proud of?

The Top 13 Benefits of the VA Loan in 2021 - This video is doing very well, and is important for service members to see!

Ballpoint Marketing | How I Made $40,000 In Three Months With Their Mailers! - This has a lot of valuable and actionable advice for real estate investors!

How To Get Rich In The Military (With A Budget For Beer) - This has remained one of my top videos for a year!

Who are some other indie YouTube creators that you absolutely love?

I love:

• JJ Buckner, because he is a friend and gives great stock market advice!

• Spencer Cornelia, because his Authentic or Charlatan YouTube videos do a really good job of exposing fake “Gurus”

• Alexander Felice, because his video content is solid, and he puts a fairly unbiased perspective on important topics. Also, he is the cohost of my podcast!

• Jake Tran, because he creates incredibly detailed mini-documentaries that are almost like watching a movie!

Want to ask David questions of your own?

Go ahead and leave your questions in the comments section and he’ll dive in and answer them.

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