There are a lot of seismic shifts happening all over culture right now. It’s hard to notice and name everything. There is a whole world of YouTube that many people know very little about. But with over 2 billion monthly users, YouTube has become a cultural force that cannot be ignored. What started in 2005 as an online place where anyone (the “you” in YouTube) could post a video, the online search engine has grown into a platform on which some are building brands, careers, and—in some cases—entire companies.
If all of this makes you feel like you’re lost in a strange and disorienting jungle of technology and jargon, then fear not—you have help in the form of faithful guides named Colin and Samir.
Colin and Samir began their YouTube career developing a niche channel for lacrosse players in 2012. After growing substantially, they sold that concept/channel and began a journey of discovering who they were and the kind of content they were excited about making long term. They eventually landed on a channel dedicated to YouTube creators who are making and posting videos, building an audience, and riding a wave of a new American dream called “The Creator Economy.” Some of their most-viewed videos have featured some of YouTube’s most popular creators, including MKBHD, Mr. Beast, Shelby Church, Nas Daily, Ryan Trahan, Airrack, Rhett & Link, Lilly Singh, Tai Verdes, and Justin Kan. (If you don’t recognize these names, then it's time to tune into Colin and Samir!)
Since focusing their vision and settling on a video podcast style format where they interview YouTube’s most successful creators, they saw their own subscribers count steadily increase. Recently, Colin and Samir posted a video of the exact moment their channel reached 1 million subscribers.
It was an exuberant moment that was a culmination of years of focus, hard work, posting videos, and a passionate pursuit of their dreams.
About the Author
Sam Gutierrez is the Associate Director at the Eugene Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. More of his creative work can be found at printandpoem.com