What Max McGadney learned from making 200+ YouTube videos
Hey everyone, welcome to my newest project — Creator Paths! Creator Paths is a series where I interview content creators (YouTubers, podcasters, writers, etc.). My goal is to share how these individuals:
started creating content;
built an online audience;
monetized their content (if they are).
During these conversations, you can also expect these individuals to share some of the lessons they have learned from building an online audience to the gear they use to create. If you’ve considered starting a YouTube channel, podcast, or anything creative, I’m sure you will enjoy this series!
In today's letter, I will be interviewing Max McGadney. Max is a pre-med student at Howard University and has built a lifestyle YouTube channel with over 4,000 subscribers.
Hey Max, tell me a little bit about yourself!
Hey, I’m Maxwell McGadney. I’m a senior at Howard, and I make YouTube videos about my life at Howard University.
The first time I made a video I was 8 years old. My mom sent me to an Apple Camp, and I made a video about me and my brother playing chess!
Since that camp, I’ve made videos for years. At 13 I made Minecraft videos which are now deleted, and I started making vlogs during high school. It was only until quarantine in 2020 that I started taking YouTube more seriously. I made weekly vlogs and started making daily reaction videos.
What inspired you to start vlogging in high school?
I knew I wanted to live the creator lifestyle. I thought it was so cool that people could make videos about whatever they were interested in and build a community of like-minded people. I wanted to create that for myself.
I also wanted to create videos I could look back on. I see creating videos as documenting life, and I want to be able to look back at the important moments.
What were some marketing strategies you used to grow your channel?
“Be really annoying”
What I mean is when I first started I would post my videos to my IG story, send it to all my friends, and put it in all the group chats I was in. This helped me get an initial audience without ever paying for ads. I also didn’t have to completely rely on the YouTube algorithm because I put my video in different places.
I also study the titles and thumbnails of people in my niche.
Also, filming in public has helped because people see me filming a video and ask what I’m filming so I can share my channel with them.
Finally, collaborating with other creators has helped. I’ve made videos with other people in my niche who also went to my school. Collaborating with creators is helpful because I get access to a new audience, but I also get to learn about YouTube from other creators. For example, I collaborated with a fellow creator at my school who has over 100k subscribers, and she taught me about keyword research. Since that collaboration, I have focused on ranking high in search for Howard, so I put “Howard University” in my titles now. I wouldn’t have learned about keyword research if I hadn’t collaborated with her.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while growing your channel?
Staying true to myself has been a challenge. There are many types of content I could create that have more shock value. For example, I could create “smash or pass”, kissing, and prank videos. I’m on a college campus so I’m in the environment to do that. But those videos don’t align with my values.
Also, you need to get a lot of views at the beginning to make this a full-time job. Brand partnerships help with making this a full-time income, but you need to get views to get those partnerships.
Another challenge is overconsuming content as a content creator. When you make videos on social media it is easy to watch a lot of content and be online. I know I need to limit my consumption.
Finally, being too hard on myself is also a challenge I struggle with. Last year I tore my ACL, and I went through a period where I was editing videos with a torn ACL. At one point, I decided to take a break from posting but during that break, I was too hard on myself for not posting.
What tools do you use to create your videos?
When I first started:
Camera: Cracked action (screen recorder)
Mic: Gaming headset
Editing software: Windows Movie Maker
Evolved to:
Camera: iPhone 7+
Editing software: Imovie (later cracked Final Cut Pro)
Now:
Camera: Canon M50
Mic: Rode video micro
Lighting: Ring light
Basic tripod
Editing software: Adobe Premier Pro
Thumbnails: Tried Photoshop but found using Adobe Lightroom, Phonto and Pics Art works better for me.
Laptop: MacBook Air
Phone: wireless mic for public interviews
I also borrow gear from my friends (I use your lens sometimes 😂)
What are your future goals?
My dream is to get the 100k subscriber plaque!
Long term, I don’t want to trade time for money, so I want YouTube to generate enough income so I can create full-time, or the income will pay off the debt I will have from med school.
Finally, I want to build a strong community. Everyone has so much potential but some people don’t live up to it. I want to create a community of people who are driven by passion, love, and joy.
Do you have a challenge for people who want to start a YouTube channel, but haven’t started yet?
Post your first video!
People think a lot about what their video will look like but you have to just pick up the camera and record. The longer you sit on an idea the more likely you won’t start it.
I made 200-300 videos and ⅔ of them are private because they don’t meet my current standards. I’ve gotten better because I’ve put reps in. So many people want advice, but you’ve got to just put a camera on and make a video.
Where you can find Max:
3 Quick Lessons from the Interview
Collaborate with other people on projects. If you do a solo project, figure out a way to get feedback from others and learn from other people who are creating similar projects.
Creating for an audience is about figuring out the balance between what you want to create and what your audience wants (what’s in demand). Be true to yourself but pay attention to what content is working and double down on it.
Just start creating. Most people don’t start because they feel they have to get everything right at the start. You don’t. You will get better over time.
Awesome interview! Looking forward to this series!
Great blog! Very nice to learn about Maxwell and his journey to content creating. Very excited to see more blogs!