Nerv with Ryan Williams

Ty Hildenbrandt joined the show this week, to talk all things Serial.  Ty has been hosting podcasts since before it was cool, back in 2007.  His show, The Solid Verbal is one of the largest sports podcasts on the planet. 

We wrapped up our own theories on the show.  And talked about why people were addicted, and how it hooked the listeners.  Ty also weighs in on his take on the future of podcasting, and how Serial will affect and inspire new creators.

 

Check us out on iTunes!

Follow Ty on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/tyhildenbrandt

Follow The Solid Verbal on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SolidVerbal

 

Listen

Direct download: Ty_Serial_Serial.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 1:14pm PDT

Alan Sepinwall the writer of the wildly popular online TV recap column, What's Alan Watching?" and the best-selling book "The Revoluation Will be Televised.  On this week's show, Alan details how he originated his career as a TV writer, how he wound-up writing for Hitfix.com, and the keys to his successful self-published book.

Listen to our archives:  http://www.influencereconomy.com  Follow Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Alan's history as a TV writer dates back to the 1990's. He's a pioneer in the TV journalism industry, specifically in defining and shaping the category of online TV Show recaps.  He is a great example of a successful creator in The Influencer Economy, as he self-published his book, selling it directly to his community.  He has built an incredibly loyal following from writing online, and was able to deliver a book that his community wanted to read.  He details his unique model of self-publishing which we can all learn from. 

Alan's column:  http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching

Alan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/sepinwall

Alan's original What's Alan Watching blog:  http://sepinwall.blogspot.com

From this episode you'll learn:

  • How Alan launched his writing career writing online in the 1990's about NYPD Blue
  • The history of Alan's "What's Alan Watching?" TV Recap column
  • The background of how Alan went from working for the NJ Times Ledger to writing for the entertainment website Hitfix.com
  • The secrets of how Alan self-published his book and got the attention of traditional publishers
  • The origins of Alan appearing on Bill Simmons' BS Report

 

 

Direct download: Alan_Sepinwall_1.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 2:30pm PDT

Jonah Keri is a NY Times best-selling author, sports writer for ESPN's Grantland, and told me some fantastic stories on this week's show.  He has been a paid journalist his entire professional life and he details his journey as a writer. Jonah dives into how he started his podcast, writes his best-selling books, and how he wound-up working for Bill Simmons at Grantland.

Great Jonah Keri quotes:

“Somebody is always paying attention to what you’re doing somewhere.”

"One of my favorite quotes is by Branch Rickey: 'Luck is the residue of design.'  Meaning you need a lot of luck in life, but if you work hard and you have a baseline level of skill - things will come to you."

What you'll learn from this episode:

  • Jonah's book writing process, how long it takes him to research and interview subjects  
  • How his girlfriend helped him get back into baseball during Major League Baseball's '94-'95 season
  • How he bookd early guests like Rickey Henderson, Evan Longoria, and Death Cab's Ben Gibbard for his podcast
  • The story behind his first job as a sports writer
  • How posting on baseball message boards helped him land his first book deal
  • How he connected with Bill Simmons to start writing for Grantland 

Connect with us:

  • Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanjwill/
  • Stories from The Influencer Economy website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com

Connecti with Jonah:

  • Jonah writes on Grantland:  http://grantland.com
  • Find Jonah on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jonahkeri
  • Joah Keri’s “Extra 2%” NY Times Best-seller: http://amzn.to/dmz0hk 
  • His new Montreal Expose book “Up Up & Away!”  goo.gl/EwWQtS 

 

Direct download: Jonah_keri_FIN.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 2:03pm PDT

Freddie Wong joined me on the podcast to talk about his hit webseries Video Game High School.  Freddie's series has been watched over 85 milion times online and his YoTube channel RocketJump has over 7 million subscribers.  Freddie also have crowdfunded over $1.3 Million for the series via IndieGoGo and Kickstarter.

Our website: http://influencereconomy.com/

We talk at length about how he built his audience and fans online.  And how he raised crowdfunding dollars, and his 7 million YouTube subscribers.

Direct download: Freddie_Wong_1.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 12:30pm PDT

I was excited to have Troy Carter on the podcast.  He is the founder of Atom Factory, and the conversation was inspiring to say the least.

Troy and I talked about hip-hop, entrepreneurship, life, failure, success and finding passion around your work.  Troy used to work with Bigee Smalls and Puff Daddy back in the day and we started talking about the paralelles of technology entrepreneurs and hip hop music artists.  And the conversation turned into so much more afterwards.  

A great quote from Troy: "In life in general, there are no guarantees.  Failures are a part of life.  As cliche as it may sound, the way I look at it as there are no rewards without taking risks.  We take a risk every time we step out the door, every single day.  Life is full of risks and failures, but at the same time life is full of triumphs and hapiness."  

 

Direct download: TroyCarter.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 5:32pm PDT

In this episode I talk with Willie Geist, co-host of the TODAY Show and Morning Joe, and a multiple time NY Times best-selling author.  Willie is an old friend from Vanderbilt and I enjoyed interviewing at his office in NYC a few weeks ago.

Willie chats about his book Good Talk, Dad:  The Birds and The Bees…and Other Versions We Forgot to Have  that he co-authored with his father Bill Geist.  Good Talk, Dad became a NY times best-seller, without having any orders pre-sold through Amazon. This is a big deal, because the bulk of book orders in this modern day come from pre-ordering on Amazon’s website.  Willie details why and his Dad wrote the book together, and how they marketed it to their audiences around Father's Day. 

Additionally, we dive into various chapters of the book. This includes reminiscing about the famed Big Sky Basketball Tournament @ Vanderbilt University that we both played in back in college. And a funny chapter he wrote about taking his daughter to a Harvard/Columbia football game. 

Willie also talks about how what it’s like crossing over to other shows like Andy Cohen’s Bravo Show, Joel McHale’s The Soup, and working with The Olympics with Brian Williams and Michelle Beadle. Andy Cohen and other friends were instrumental in helping to market “Good Talk. Dad,” helping it reach best-seller status.

Buy Willie and Bill Geist’s book “Good Talk, Dad”: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Talk-Dad-Conversations-Forgot-ebook/dp/B00EXTVSMI

Follow Willie Geist on Twitter: https://twitter.com/williegeist

Watch Willie on the Today Show: http://www.today.com/

 

Direct download: Willie_Geist_2.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 8:29pm PDT

Lance Ulanoff is Chief Correspondent and Editor-at-Large at Mashable.  He joined the Stories From the Influencer Economy, to detail his work as a journalist, and discuss how the journalism industry is evolving in the era of social media.

We also discussed how journalists can build their personal brands on platforms like Twitter & Vine.  Lance has covered Apple since his days writing PC Mag, through the current job at Mashable.  He also has makes regular appearances to talk tech and products on shows like Fox News, the Today Show, and Good Morning America. 

I had Lance on the show to discuss: 

  • How journalists can market themselves, and find their POV
  • What type of content journalists can create to stand-out in the media world
  • What’s it like covering Apple event in 2014, vs. 1990

 

Follow Lance on Vine: 

 

What you’ll get out from this episode (Show notes):

 

  • How Lance uses Vine animations to tell stories via journalism 
  • The importance of having a personal brand in social media 
  • How Lance went from writing a column for PC Mag, to creating social media stories at Mashable 
  • How social media creates real-time news at Mashable
  • The differences between news rooms in the late 1990’s to today
  • What its like covering the Apple iPhone launch events
  • What it was like writing 20 page features on technology compared to his work today in journalism
  • How he connects with Levarr Burton, William Shatner and other influencers via social media
  • Lance’s advice to journalism students for “how to get into writing for a living”
  • What’s next for Mashsable 
Direct download: LanceUlanoff_.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 8:45pm PDT

This episode is supported by https://www.trumaker.com

Justin Jackson joins the Influencer Economy for Episode #25.  Justin a product manager by day, and does a million other things in his spare time. He details how he hosts his Product People podcast, works his day job as a product manager, and finds time to blog and write his email newsletter. Justin talks at length about the important of "shipping" your ideas and building products.  So often people focus on big ideas, and Justin talks how the virtues in building smaller ideas, that can turn into bigger ones.  This episode also dives into how to interview and reach important people as well as how building side projects can help re-define your career.

 

Product People:  A podcast focused on great products and the people who make them  http://productpeople.tv

Justin's website:  http://justinjackson.ca

Justin on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/mijustin

Direct download: ProductPeople_Justin.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:17am PDT

Caleb Bacon is an network TV writer and host of the popular podcast Man School.  He's a jack of all trades in the modern media world.  He currently writes for the TBS comedy Sullivan and Son, while also hosting the weekly Man School Podcast.  Man School is a show where he interviews men about their exciting or difficult experiences.  He often interviews guys about major moments in their lives that shaped them as a person.

On this week's Influencer Economy, Caleb details what it's like writing on Sullivan and Son, and how he started writing for TV Shows.  He details his creative process for not only TV, but how he broke into the podcasting world. We talked at length about his creative ambitions, and how to become successful in Hollywood.  The show also goes deep into the pitfalls of working in entertainment, living in Los Angeles, and Caleb's sobriety.

This is a really great episode.  Caleb was forthcoming about how he built his writing and podcast careers, while also opening up about his creative process. We explore why we both podcast, and the ups and downs of working in Hollywood.

Subscribe on iTunes:   https://bitly.com/InflTune  Find us on SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/the-influencer-economy

Support for this episode comes from Trumaker, a new menswear brand that combines ruggedly refined original designs with a modern approach to made-to-measure clothing. Call for a 30 minute fitting: http://www.trumaker.com

 Connect:

Man School Podcast:  http://manschoolshow.com

Caleb Bacon on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CalebEatsBacon

Man School Podcast on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ManSchoolShow

Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

 

Direct download: Caleb_Bacon_ManSchool.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 6:40pm PDT

This episode is presented by Trumaker.com.

Ryan Ford is the EVP Chief Creative officer, at Cashmere Agency. Cashmere is a lifestyle agency based in Los Angeles that focuses on multicultural millennials and building out communication strategies that can speak to people authentically wherever they’re at online.  Their sister company is Stampede Management, and their client list that they advise and manage include Snoop Dog, Riff Raff, Far East Movement and more.  

There are a lot of great stories and nuggets from this talk with Ryan.  He and I grew-up in Des Moines, IA back in the day. We catch up about our freestyle rap days,the melting pot of our high school, and how that shapes us today.

Ryan Ford also details how Cashmere, and specifically artists like Snoop Dogg bridge the gap between hip-hop communities and Silicon Valley's tech companies.  Snoop Dogg was the first celebrity on Instagram and their company helps Silicon Valley understand how to communicate with millienials and diverse communities online.  Ryan’s company thinks a lot about MMXLII, which is the year 2042 when minorities in America will make-up the majority.  Ryan also explains Snoop Dogg's crowdfunding campaign to provide football equipment to inner-city youth in Iowa.  There's a lot of great stuff in here.  The article about Snoop helping Des Moines football:  http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/des-moines/2014/10/22/snoop-dogg-campaign-youth-football-reaches-target/17745215/

Direct download: Ryan_Ford_Cashmere.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:10am PDT

Brian Koppelman joins The Influencer Economy as this week's guest.  Brian is the co-writer of films such as Rounders and Ocean's Thirteen, as well as the co-director of the Emmy Award winning "30 for 30," film on Jimmy Connors This is What They Want. Ryan met Brian on a trip to NYC, and they spoke in Brian's New York office.

 

He's also a prolific podcast host and hosts a show called The Moment, a weekly podcast that is part of the Grantland network.  Brian is interested in the way people accomplish remarkable things and how they process the big moments in their lives.  That is the thesis of the show.

 

http://www.influencereconomy.com

 

He was invited on the show to talk about his creative process around filmmaking, and his embracing of social media in the digital age.  As a creator, he has launched many big ideas online, and is a defining member of The Influencer Economy. 

 

Brian also created the extremely popular "Six Second Screenwriting Tips" on Vine.  The Vine series came out of questions received from Twitter.  He created one Vine every day (for 300 days), and one Vine has over 20 million loops.  The videos were focused on the idea of “giving yourself permission to create.” 

 

Brian is an avid podcast listener and"loves the intimacy of the conversations ." He talks about how Marc Maron's WTF inspired him to get into podcasting. Brian also details how he connected Bill Simmons and Dave Jacoby of Grantland, and how The Moment podcast came to be. 

 

He is currently working on a series for Showtime and shooting the pilot in the beginning of next year.  The show title: Billions, the setting is the financial industry in New York.  He is collaborating with his long time writing/directing partner David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin. 

 

Quotes:

   “I’ve never calculated one part of my work. I’ve always just led with what fascinates me.  That’s why having the conversations is easy too. That’s what led to every movie… All this came from only being obsessed with chasing down my passions and being unrelenting with the desire to be able to tell my children that I fought to live the creative life I wanted to live and that they could do the same.” 

   “I want all the things that I say to be things that I believe and have some value.”

   “I actually don’t think that there is such a thing as remarkable people; people are the result of the actions that they take and then how they process the feedback from those actions.”   

   "A blocked artist is probably a bad wife or husband.”   

 

Connect:

   Brian on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/briankoppelman

   Brian on Vine:  https://vine.co/briankoppelman

   Brian's website:  http://briankoppelman.com

   At the end of the show, he suggests that you watch his film Solitary Man: http://www.solitarymanmovie.com

 

Direct download: Brian_Koppelman_The_Moment.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:27am PDT

 

Bernie Su: Creating The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

 

Bernie Su chatted with Ryan about writing, filmmaking and entrepreneurship. Bernie details the journey of adapting Pride and Prejudice, and creating The Lizzie Bennet Diaries for the online world.   Bernie and Hank Green of the Vlog Brothers are the creators of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and Bernie shares the story of how they adapted Jane Austin's famous book, for the modern digital day. His interactive series went onto win a PrimeTime Emmy and was the first ever YouTube Channel to receive such an amazing distinction.

http://www.influencereconomy.com/

He also explains what it was like launching their extremely successful Kickstarter campaign for the DVD distribution, and the follow-up online series:  Emma Approved. Bernie and his team at Pemberly Digital currently working with PBS Digital on Frankenstein MD, a modern adaptation of Frankenstein for the digital age.

Ryan asked Bernie to be on the show to talk about building properties like Lizzie Bennet on multiple platforms and taking risks as a creator. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries started as a web series, then became a DVD, and is currently a book “The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet.” Bernie shares his refreshing perspective that is guided by the philosophy: "If you want to win big, you have to bet big."

 

Direct download: BernieSu_Lizzie_Bennet_Diaries.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 8:27am PDT

Harrison Barnes of the Golden State Warriors is one of the more tech savvy athletes in the NBA, and sports.  Harrison tells Ryan about how he embraced the technology community upon getting drafted by the NBA’s Warriors as the 7th Pick of the 2012 NBA Draft.  When he moved to the San Francisco Bay area, Harrison met with executives at Facebook, Google and Yahoo!, wanting to learn as much as possible about the tech community. 

 

Harrison grew-up in Ames, IA. and Ryan grew-up in Des Moines, IA.  They had a lot to discuss about The Hawkeye State.  Harrison details his journey from Ames, IA to University of North Carolina to the Warriors, and how he interacts with those fan communities online.  Harrison is a forward-thinking and modern athlete who embraces technology and with the swipe of his fingers, he can reach his fans across the globe. 

 

http://www.influencereconomy.com

 

Harrison also recounts stories about how he chats with his fans via social media and describes his P.O. Box, where fans can send him items to be autographed. Harrison and Ryan also talk hypothetically what would it be like if Michael Jordan had Twitter back in the day, and how much a Tweet from Jordan would mean to a fan. 

 

 

In this episode you’ll learn:

 

  • What it’s like playing for the Golden St. Warriors
  • How athletes are interacting with fans over technology
  • How NBA players like Harrison Barnes embrace the entrepreneurial tech community
  • How Michael Jordan may use Twitter
  • How to reach fans as an athlete
  • How to creatively interact with your fans online.

 

Follow Harrison and the Warriors:

Direct download: HarrisonBarnes_NBA.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 2:55pm PDT

Ty Hildenbrandt: The Solid Verbal, College Football & Podcasting

 

 

Ty Hildenbrandt, host of the college football podcast The Solid Verbal, chats with Ryan on the show.  The Solid Verbal is an independent, bi-weekly college football podcast hosted by Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein. Ty joined Ryan remotely from his studio in in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  The show is a 7 year old podcast, and pioneering in the podcasting world.  It’s one of the most popular independently produced podcast on the web. 

 

Ryan and Ty spend the first few minutes re-living Ty and and Dan’s infamous conversation with football coach Houston Nutt.  Ty also describes the process of hosting a bi-weekly show, and getting through the "tire fire" of college football Saturdays, to produce their shows.

 

Ty details how The Solid Verbal broke into the sports media world, gaining the respect from journalists to fan sites to fans.  He also dives into how the show was previously was part of Bill Simmons' Grantland Network.

 

Ty and Dan have developed a strong online community and also have a phone number for fans to call during the games on Saturdays.  Ryan left a call on the hotline this weekend, when he was in Nashville for the Vanderbilt/Ole Miss game.  They also talk about Derek Mason + Vanderbilt football at the end.

 

In this episode you'll learn:

 

·      How the Solid Verbal launched

·      How to create and produce your own podcast

·      How to pursue a passion project while keeping your day job

·      How Solid Verbal partnered with Bill Simmons’ Grantland network

·      How to grow a tone of voice for your podcast

·      How to start slow and grow your audience

·      How to involve your community into your show    

 

 

Direct download: SolidVerbal_Ty_Hildenbrandt.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 2:40pm PDT

Brenden Mulligan details his journey from graduating Vanderbilt University, to designing and building products in San Francisco.  Ryan chatted with Brenden at the Cluster Home Office in San Francisco, where Brenden is Founder and CEO.  
 
Brenden spoke with Ryan about his entrepreneurial career, starting in Chicago, where he built the website Artist Data after graduating college. He shares the story about its acquisition and his ultimate move to the bay area.  He also speaks about about becoming a mentor with 500 Start-ups, what inspires his writing for TechCrunch, & how he built his network early on. 
 
Brenden has built many projects for fun and some became start-ups:s Photofile, Webbygram, and Morning Picks, and OneSheet.
 
Cluster is a photo-sharing app. "Private spaces for you and your friends." is  currently available on the iTunes and Andoid:  https://cluster.co/
 
Tripcast  - "A living travel journal for your friends back home" is on on iTunes and Android:  https://tripcast.co/
 
ArtistData: http://www.artistdata.com/us/
 
Both Ryan and Brenden attended Vanderbilt University. #AnchorDown
 
In this episode you’ll learn:
 
  • The inspiration behind the photo-sharing start-up Cluster
  • How working at Vanderbilt's Rites of Spring, helped Brenden's career  
  • How creating fun passion projects can turn into full-time jobs
  • How to have meaningful conversations while networking
  • How important mentoring is in the start-up community 
  • How to add value to your network and friends
  • How Brenden is re-thinking how we share photos and interact with our friends online
  • Much more.....
Direct download: BrendenMulliganEntrepreneur.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 3:54pm PDT

Ep. 17 - Hunter Walk: VC Investing, YouTube, The Bottom Up Economy (Partner @ Homebrew VC)
Ryan and Hunter chat it up!
Ryan and Hunter chat it up!

Hunter Walk:   VC Investing, YouTube and The Bottom Up Economy (Partner @ Homebrew VC)

Ryan chatted with Hunter Walk, Partner at Homebrew Venture Capital, during Ryans’ recent trip to San Francisco.  Homebrew is a seed stage investment firm, that focuses on the “Bottom-Up Economy.”  Hunter calls his company a start-up, and instead of "writing code," he is "writing checks" to help founders build companies.

Hunter previously lead consumer product management at YouTube (Google).  Hunter and Ryan discussed what it was like working at YouTube very early on in the company's history.   They each talk about their love for platforms “that bet on people.  And that give people the tools to create where their efforts can turn into dollars.” 

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/165053662" params="color=ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

When reflecting on his time at YouTube, Hunter said with YouTube:  “You can build a TV-sized audience without having to ask for approval from anybody wearing a suit.  There are no gatekeepers.  It doesn’t mean that everyone succeeds to the same success, for there’s near equal access for everybody.”

Please subscribe to The Influencer Economy  on Stitcher and on iTunes

Ryan also asked Hunter about his blog, and how that effects deal flow (Thanks for the listener Edward for that question).  Hunter says blogging does help his investment business, although he doesn't know to what extent. He also believes in paying it forward and that it's important to be accessible to entrepreneurs via the blog/Twitter.  

Finally Hunter talked specifically what types of investments he likes to make. Hunter details how his investment philosophy was shaped by working on Google Adsense and while at YouTube.  Getting down into a few of his investments, Hunter dives into his portfolio companies:   Shyp and TheSkimm.  He discusses why he bet on them and what types of companies he is looking for. 

Hunter and Homebrew's info:

Homebrew’s website:  www.homebrew.com

Hunter’s blog:  www.hunterwalk.com

Hunter on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/hunterwalk

Hombrew on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/homebrew

Homebrew’s investments discussed:

The Skimm:  Daily email newsletter that gives you what you need to know to start your day:  http://www.theskimm.com

Shyp:  Enabling users to simplify the process of shipping items basically anywhere in the world.  http://www.shyp.com

 

Direct download: HunterWalkHomebrew_VC.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 2:34pm PDT

 

Founder of The Causemopolitan
Sloane Davidson:  Founder of The Causemopolitan

Sloane Davidson, the founder of The Causemopolitan, chatted with Ryan about her journey as a social entrepreneur and about her “giving philosophy” for life. Sloane is also the author the Giving Manifesto, and has pioneered the category of “Cause-Filled Living.” She is the real deal, and through her writing, helps people find more meaning in their business relationships and friendships.  She details the launching of the Causemopolitan and how she writes her personal essays and grows her community.  

Sloane is an new class of entrepreneur, who has defined her career on her own terms.  One of her most memorable quotes from the podcast was: “The things I have done and not gotten paid for, have by far impacted me the most and made me feel alive. They have brought me the greatest connections and opportunities.”  Sloane and Ryan discuss the upside of working on passion projects and pursuing work outside of your day-job.  They agree that often these projects lead you to to more satisfaction and can shape your career in un-imaginable ways.  Many times Sloane has re-booted and re-launched her professional live, through creating value for the world.

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/163000467" params="color=ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

Sloane was named a top influencer at the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative and "Top Woman to Follow" on Twitter by Forbes.  She has also raised more than $1.5 million dollars for non-profits, including creating the Gulf Coast Benefit, an effort to support Gulf Coast communities after the BP oil spill.

MOBILE:
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes:  http://bit.ly/InflTune
Subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher:  http://bit.ly/Infstit

Subscribe to The Causemopolitan: www.thecausemopolitan.com/signup

Giving Manifesto: - Listen to the episode for a discount code for a free copy! galore.cc

Sloane’s website: sloanedavidson.com

Sloane on Twitter: twitter.com/sloane

Learn from her email newsletter successes: us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2822bb515…d=de7d1607f7

Direct download: SloaneDavidson_Causemopolitan.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 11:47am PDT

This week, Barbara Dunkelman, Community Manager of Rooster Teeth, details the journey of how she began working at Rooster Teeth.  While her job is Community Manger in title, she wears many hats in her community and fan driven role.

She and Gus Sorola are Co-Directors of the RTX Event, a fan and industry gaming conference hosted by Rooster Teeth in Austin, TX. The Event in 2014, featured over 30,000 attendees.  Barbara chats about what it’s like interacting with Rooster teeth’s impassioned fans both online at RTX.

Barbara tells Ryan what she’s learned working for Burnie Burns and the story about she found herself working at Rooster Teeth, after growing up a fan of the series Red vs. Blue in Canada.  She also talks about what it’s like voicing the character Yang in the Rooster Teeth anime-series RWBY, and gives Ryan pointers on what makes a good pun.  Finally, they discuss Project Lazer, the recent IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign, where Rooster Teeth shattered film crowdfunding records by raising over $2.4 Million dollars.

Barbara’s Greatest puns video (created by a RT fan)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ59UVFQJII

Follow Barbara on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bdunkelman

Find Barbara on the Rooster Teeth site:  http://www.roosterteeth.com/barbara

 

Learn more about the RTX Event:  http://rtxevent.com/home.php

 

Rooster Teeth’s Lazer Team:  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lazer-team-by-rooster-teeth

 

Watch Episode 1 of RWBY:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sGiE10zNQM

 

Barbara in the Daily Dot Ryan referenced: 

 

http://www.dailydot.com/geek/barbara-dunkelman-rooster-teeth/

In this episode you’ll learn:

 

  • What makes a good community manager
  • How to create a community of lifetime fans
  • How Barbara Dunkelman got started at Rooster Teeth
  • What makes the RTX Event special
  • What is the anime series RWBY
  • What is the machinima series Red vs. Blue
  • What it’s like working at Rooster Teeth
Direct download: Barbara_Dunkelman_RoosterTeeth_RedvsBlue_RWBY_RTX.mp3
Category:technology -- posted at: 2:08pm PDT

photo.jpg

This week Ryan chatted with Michael Wolf, host of The Next Market Podcast. Michael and Ryan discuss the art and science of podcasting, Michael gives the podcast download.  He's somewhat of a podcast historian (even though the industry is very young), and Michael started podcasting in 2006.  He is also a writer and researcher, who has written for GigaOm, CNN, New York Times, Forbes.

Michael shares insights into how to start a podcast, and they chat about the Mt. Rushmore of podcast hosts.  Michael talks about some of his favorite podcasters like Bill Simmons, Roman Mars, Ira Glass, The Accidental Tech Podcast (Marc Ament), and Adam Corolla - and what makes them so good.

Michael’s start-up podcast network: Technology.fm, which is a collective of tech/media podcasts to help listeners discover great technology shows.   His new podcast is:  Smart Home Show, where talks about home technology (think Nest and Dropcam).

Michaels podcast:  The Next Market Podcast, features "conversations with technology and media makers. Topics include digital publishing, web, investing, podcasting, crowdfunding and pretty much anything else on the frontiers of tech innovation.” 

 If you want to check-out his Next Market Show (which you should), The Next Market Podcast: http://www.technology.fm/nextmarketpodcast/

Technology.FM: http://www.technology.fm

Michael on Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelwolf/

Smart Home Show:  http://www.technology.fm/thesmarthomeshow/

What you'll learn in this episode:

  • How to start podcasting
  • How to book guests on a podcast
  • How to build a podcast business
  • The reasons for starting a podcast
  • Who are the podcast leaders
  • What is the ROI of podcasting
  • What is Technology FM
  • What's the Next Market Podcast
Direct download: MikeWolf_How_to_podcast.mp3
Category:technology -- posted at: 1:35pm PDT

In Part 2, Ryan talked with Andy, about "Making A Living Doing What You Love," and how Andy launched the XOXO Festival.  The next XOXO is coming up in September, 2014 in Portland, Oregon. and you can register/view the speakers: http://2014.xoxofest.com/ Dan HarmonHank Green, and Kevin Kelly.  (You can listen to Ryan and Earwolf CEO Jeff Ullrich, talk about Kevin Kelly's inspiring  1,000 True Fans article on Episode 7 of the Influencer Economy).

Andy chats about how a theme of the XOXO conference is about "going independent" as a creator, and how it is difficult to go independent, often the pros outweigh the cons. When someone by-passes publishers in the book/gaming/board gaming/movies world (all creative industries), it can be incredible to see how far people's ideas can go.  

Ryan asked Andy about creating projects online (Kickstarter or otherwise), without having a large (pre-existing) fan following, and how one goes about that.  Or if it's even possible.  Andy said creators with free-standing ideas that are high concept can often succeed, if you tap into a subject that people care about.  

Andy sites Indie Game the Movie as a great example of a project where you don't need a pre-existing fan-base to get off the ground.  By inviting people into the story& engaging people through the creative process, you can build a base in the process, like the creators of Indie Game did.  (You can listen to Ryan chat with VHX Founder Jamie Wilkinson about Indie Game the Movie on Episode # 8.

 

On this podcast you’ll learn:

  • The story of Upcoming.org: the launch, acquisition and re-birth
  • How to leverage the power of Kickstarter
  • How to run successful Kickstarter campaigns (Andy’s projects as examples)
  • How Kickstarter was founded
  • What the XOXO conference is all about (you should sign-up for updates: http://2014.xoxofest.com
  • How awesome the internet is and can be for givers
  • How to "go independent" and by-pass publishers as a creator
  • How Indie Game the Movie, built-up a fan-base and launched a movie with a large (pre-existing) following
  • How board games were re-vitalized via crowdfunding 

 

Andy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/waxpancake

Sign-up for updates on the XLXL Festival: http://2014.xoxofest.com

Sign-up for the re-launch of Upcoming.org: http://upcoming.org

Direct download: AndyBaio_XOXO_EP2.mp3
Category:technology -- posted at: 8:33pm PDT

Ryan spoke with Michael Goldfine, producer of the ultra-successful film, Camp Takota.  The summer camp comedy movie, Camp Takota stars YouTubers Grace  Helbig, Hannah Hart and Mamrie Hart.  The film was distributed exclusively online, and turned a profit within four days of its release.  It is an online film juggernaut based on the passion of their Takota Nation fan base. 

 

Michael’s company Rockstream Studios, produced the film, where it was #3 on the indie film iTunes charts, behind major studio films like Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave.  Ryan and Michael talked about the dilemma that every person creating in media faces:  Do I go traditional or exclusively digital?  He elected for digital only, and the film was a massive success – without any initial mainstream attention.  It was independently financed, distributed, and marketed.In this episode you’ll learn:

 

 

·      The benefits of releasing your movie, book, music album exclusively on digital platforms. 

·      How to persist in business when you keep talking to people who say “no, no, no”

·      How to launch a film or idea, without mainstream press

·      How to create your ideas in film, and break into the film industry

·      How to create a new business and distribution model for your passion projects

 

Website:  http://camptakota.com

Tumblr:  http://camptakotathemovie.tumblr.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CampTakota

Direct download: MichaelGFINAL.mp3
Category:technology -- posted at: 2:44pm PDT

My guest this week is Adam Grant, the author of the New York Times' best selling book:  "Give and Take:  A Revolutionary Approach to Success."  Adam is a professor at Wharton, and their highest rated teacher ever.  His research around giving and taking has revolutionized how people can achieve business success.  Listen to hear more about how "giving" actually helps everyone achieve more success in the long run.

Adam broke down with Ryan the three key styles in the work environment: 1) Giving 2) Taking 3) Matching.  

Givers are the types of people who show-up early at work, mentor others, and stay late to help-out.  They give without expecting anything in return.  Takers are the types of people who "take" and look out for only themselves.  While matchers are the most common type of person at work.  Matchers have the philosophy: "You help me, and I'll help you" (tit for tat).

Buy the Book here

Follow Adam on Twitter

What you'll learn from this episode:

  • How to learn more about giving, and how this is greater for you in the long run
  • The characteristics around the key styles in the work place:  giving, taking and matching
  • How to take the long view in business, as life is NOT a zero-sum game
  • That takers have a short view towards life and work
  • How takers can learn to become givers 
  • How five minute favors and making 3 intros a day changed Adam Rikin's life (and the lives of others)
  • How givers like the venture capital investor David Hornik succeed more by giving

Listen on SoundCloud Here

Listen on iTunes Here

Listen on Stitcher Here: 

 

 

 

Direct download: AdamGrantGive__Take.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:58am PDT

Filmmaker Freddie Wong is on for Part II of his conversation, on the "The Influencer Economy." You may know Freddie for his popular web series "Video Game High School, which has reached over 65 million views online. To state it simply, it's "Harry Potter for video games."  Ryan and Freddie had such an interesting conversation, he had to divide it up into 2 episodes.  To catch last week's episode:  http://bit.ly/Influencer8

We talked about what it's like to run a modern day media company, in the day of the internet. And the conversation takes an unexpected twist when Ryan's memory runs out on his camera, which we'll leave for your to listen to. This was one of our favorite chats, Freddie is a true professional when it comes to creating and conversing.

In early 2014, he shattered an online video crowdfunding record for Video Game High School, raising over $900,000 for his IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign. He is also the filmmaker behind the popular YouTube Channle /FreddieW which features video game / sic-fi / and special effects heavy content. The Channel has over 7 million subscribers, and has an amazingly loyal online following.

The Influencer Economy is also on Stitcher and on iTunes

Find Freddie on Twitter twitter.com/fwong
Find Freddie on YouTube www.youtube.com/user/freddiew
Find Freddie at Rocketjump www.rocketjump.com
Watch Video Game High School www.rocketjump.com/category/vghs

Direct download: Freddie_Wong_VGHS_YouTube.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 7:42am PDT

Filmmaker Freddie Wong is guest # 8 on the "The Influencer Economy."  You may know Freddie for his popular web series "Video Game High School, which has reached over 65 million views online.  To state it simply, it's "Harry Potter for video games."
 
In early 2014, he shattered an online video crowdfunding record for Video Game High School, raising over $900,000 for his IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign.  He is also  the filmmaker behind the popular YouTube Channle /FreddieW which features video game / sic-fi / and special effects heavy content.  The Channel has over 7 million subscribers, and has an amazingly loyal online following.    
 
We had a funny and enlightening conversation, Freddie and I met at his RocketJump Studios, where his team is creating VGHS.  We chatted about the real definition of crowdfunding, what it's like being famous on YouTube, and why it's smart to build a community before you launch your film or project.  He's a super funny and intelligent guy, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
 
The Influencer Economy is also on Stitcher and on iTunes 
 
In this episode you'll learn:
  • How Freddie created his crowdfunding perks for Video Game High School
  • How to build a community around your video content
  • What it's like getting recognized if you're a YouTube creator and how accessible YouTube creators are versus celebrities 
  • How Freddie as victim to inversed digits, and kept getting wrong number calls
  • How Crowdfunding really evolved from bands like Radiohead and musicians like Trent Reznor 
  • What is the real definition of crowdfunding
  • Why it's important to build an online community before you launch a film or any media-driven project
 
 
Find Freddie on Twitter  https://twitter.com/fwong
Find Freddie on YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/user/freddiew
Find Freddie at Rocketjump http://www.rocketjump.com
Watch Video Game High School http://www.rocketjump.com/category/vghs

 

Direct download: FreddieWong_VideoGameHighSchool.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

It was a pleasure to have Fula on "The Influencer Economy," he's a well-respected DJ/musician/host on YouTube.  Flula has over 500,000 YouTube subscribers on his channel and has built a loyal global audience. 

 
Flula shows the power and everything that is right with the internet.  He created a video "Flula in Germany" video which found the front page of Reddit, and garnered over 400,000 views.  This video was in made in response to his deportation to Germany, which made him sad.  However, the video had such a popular online reaction, it propelled him to prioritize making videos on YouTube and the web.  
 
Growing up in Germany, one of his heroes was Dirk Novitzski.  He made a video entitled "German Moses," and also sang The Rolling Stones "Satisfication," in his patenteded "auto-tune" series where he sings/raps in a car.  You can see the Dirk collaboration here:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk-kTaNOFI4
 
I was grateful to have Flula on "The Influencer Econony," he is an inspiring artist and successful YouTube entrepreneur.   
 
Flula in Germany is here:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxKivzjCFNg
 
Flula on YouTube:  http://youtube.com/flula
Flula on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flula
Flula on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/flula
Flula on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/flula
 
Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill
Ryan on Instagram:  http://instagram.com/ryanjwill
Direct download: Flula_youtube_video_boom.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:40am PDT

Earwolf's Jeff Ullrich joined me on the show to talk about how he launched the Earwolf podcast network, with his business partner Scott Aukerman.  We speak about how the role of talent, producer, and entrepreneur are all merging in the world of media.  Shows you may have heard of: Comedy Bang Bang, Sklarbro Country, and Jeff's podcast The Wolf Den, are produced in-house at Earwolf.  He also founded The Mid Roll, which is a advertising tool for artists to monetize their shows.  Nerdist, Marc Maron's WTF, and an entire network of shows leverage The Mid Roll product.  

 

We talked about how he got to 1,000 true fans for his early podcasts, how the innovator's dilemma inspired him to create the business.   He's built a podcast network with over 7 million monthly downloads, and over 10 million in revenue, it's an inspiring conversation.  

 

The Mid Roll:  http://www.themidroll.com

Earwolf:  http://earwolf.com

Jeff's Wolf Den Podcast:  http://www.earwolf.com/show/wolf-den/

Direct download: Earwolf_podcast_comedy_bangbang.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:22pm PDT

Excited for episode #5 of The Influencer Economy, with my guest Jamie Wilkinson. Jamie and I had an awesome chat about media, video , and making stuff on the internet. It was so good, I had to divide it up into two different episodes. The conversation is a fascinating glimpse into the world of where the film industry

Jamie is currently the CEO and co-founder of VHX , a direct distribution platform where creators can sell videos, TV, film and content directly to their fans. They are paving the way for creators to connect with their fans, and empowering a generation of artists to generate revenue around their passions.

In the 2nd episode we chatted about VHX, and early successful projects Indie Game the Movie and Camp Takota. We also chat about VHX's projects within undervalued deep verticals like Kung-Fu, religion, and Korean Starcraft gaming. These are some of the more marketable movies that a studio would not consider marketable, but they are perfect for online distribution.

We also dive into how Indie Game the Move revolutionized the art and science of launching a film. He suggests that filmmakers should create a website, branding, and start making content well in advance to when their film debuts. Building an audience in advance of a film premiere is imperative to one's film success in the modern day launch.

We chatted about Camp Takota, which starts the Hannah Hart, Mamrie Hart and Grace Helbig, major YouTube stars, who leveraged VHX for their launch. In general Jamie believes you should have your film on all platforms, not only VHX, but Netflix, TV, iTunes, etc. And the team from Camp Takota did a wonderful job on their launch strategy.

Jamie is also the co-creator of Star Wars Uncut and won a Primetime Emmy – for “Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Media Non-Fiction in 2010. The film is an amazing crowd-sourced re-creation of the original Star Wars film.

In this episode you will learn:
How to launch an indie film
How Indie Game The Movie partnered with VHX and created a blueprint for how to self-distribute a film
How Camp Takota distributed their movie via their YouTube followings
How the future of film is direct communication and collaboration with the film’s audience
How to launch a film brand, create a film, and build audience ahead of your film’s release
How one Tweet can change your career path, and how Andy Baio Tweet’ed the Indie Game the Movie filmmakers about VHX and the rest is history
That the next generation of filmmaking is fans and creators directly communicating throughout the filmmaking process.

Watch Star Wars Un-Cut:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ezeYJUz-84

Follow @JamieW on Twitter: twitter.com/jamiew

Follow me: twitter.com/ryanjwill
Influencer Economy website: influencereconomy.com

Watch Camp Takota: camptakota.vhx.tv/buy/camp-takota
Watch Aziz Ansari's comedy special: azizisbored.tumblr.com
Watch Indie Game The Movie: buy.indiegamethemovie.com

Checkout VHX: www.vhx.tv/

Direct download: IndieGametheMovie_VHX_CampTakota.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 5:35pm PDT

 

Excited for episode #5 of The Influencer Economy, with my guest Jamie Wilkinson. Jamie and I had an awesome chat about media, video , and making stuff on the internet. It was so good, I had to divide it up into two different episodes. The conversation is a fascinating glimpse into the world of where the film industry

 

Jamie is currently the CEO and co-founder of VHX , a direct distribution platform where creators can sell videos, TV, film and content directly to their fans. They are paving the way for creators to connect with their fans, and empowering a generation of artists to generate revenue around their passions.

 

In the first episode we chatted about VHX, and and early successful project they worked on with the comedian Aziz Ansari. They helped Aziz distribute his comedy special via the platform, which made six figures of revenue within the first day.

 

Jamie is also the co-creator of Star Wars Uncut and won a Primetime Emmy – for “Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Media Non-Fiction in 2010. The film is an amazing crowd-sourced re-creation of the original Star Wars film.

 

http://influencereconomy.com/

https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

 

How to Aziz Ansari and VHX teamed up for his comedy special

How Indie Game The Movie partnered with VHX and created a blueprint for how to self-distribute a film

How Camp Takota distributed their movie via their YouTube followings

What types of risks filmmakers can take to keep the rights to their film

How the future of film is direct communication and collaboration with the film’s audience

How to launch a film brand, create a film, and build audience ahead of your film’s release

How Star Wars Uncut was created and crowdsourced from the community

How one Tweet can change your career path, and how Andy Baio Tweet’ed the Indie Game the Movie filmmakers about VHX and the rest is history

That the next generation of filmmaking is fans and creators directly communicating throughout the filmmaking process.

 

Watch Star Wars Un-Cut:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ezeYJUz-84

 

Follow @JamieW on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jamiew

 

Watch Camp Takota:   https://camptakota.vhx.tv/buy/camp-takota

Watch Aziz Ansari's comedy special:  http://azizisbored.tumblr.com

Watch Indie Game The Movie:  http://buy.indiegamethemovie.com

 

Checkout VHX: https://www.vhx.tv/

 

 

Direct download: Star_Wars_Uncut_VHX_Aziz_Ansari_Video.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 12:16pm PDT

Adam Kovic and Bruce Greene are the hosts of Machinima's Inside Gaming. The show reaches 7 million views per month, and has built a loyal and staunch gaming following. I was excited to have these guys on the show, as I have known Adam for years, from my days at Machinima. While I have gotten to know Bruce since he joined Inside Gaming 1.5 years ago.

On the show, we talked about Adam's early days at Machinima, where he did everything from building chairs to editing shows. He eventually became the host of Inside Gaming, a show that has now evolved to a mix between "Mystery Science Theater," and "The Soup."

The two of them have great senses of humor and we chatted about their day in and day out work for the show. They are modern day creatives in that they are hosts/editors/producers, and have lots of hyphens in their roles/responsibilities.

To succeed in the gaming/YouTube world, we talked about how you have to have passion, and be dedicated to the brand that you're working for. We chatted a bit about how Adam went to visit gaming jaugernaut and past guest Burnie Burns of Rooster Teeth, and how that inspires his work for Inside Gaming.

We also talk about their loyal audience, how the show gets produced, and how their fearless leader Joel Rubin keeps them forging ahead at Machinima.

In this video you'll learn: What it's like working in the gaming industry. how to get a job in the gaming industry, what it's like working at a start-up, how to work in the YouTube video world, how to get a job at a YouTube company.

Follow Adam on Twitter: twitter.com/adamkovic Follow Bruce: twitter.com/brucegreene Follow Inside Gaming:twitter.com/insidegaming Find them on YouTube:www.youtube.com/user/InsideGaming

Direct download: Machinima_InsideGaming_Career_Startup.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:18am PDT

Taryn Southern epitomizes the modern day actress who is an entrepreneur.  She has created her own path towards an entertainment career in the online media world, which includes a YouTube following of over 400,000 subscribers.  While she has had reoccurring roles

TV shows like "New Girl," "The League," and "American Dad."  We are excited to have her on the show.  

 

Originally from Wichita, KS, Taryn moved to L.A. working with most L.A.-based media online companies.  From MySpace, to Verizon, to eventually YouTube she quickly embraced the digital video world.  As a writer, producer, and actress -she has created her own opportunities. 

 

In 2007, Taryn produced and starred in the first social media integrated original series, Project MyWorld for DirecTVwhere Taryn traveled the world to meet her MySpace friends.  And as a singer, Taryn’ debut comedy album, On My Face, hit #11 on the iTunes Comedy charts.  She is a jack-of-all trades in how she has built her online business. 

 

In 2012, she invested her own money in a YouTube channel, and founded her own production business.  She says the key to YouTube success is not only relying on YouTube for money, but also making your money from opportunities that come from YouTube.  

 

In this podcast, you'll learn how to build a YouTube based career, how to work as an entrepreneurial actor, how to build a personality-based media company, how to create your own creative career as an actress, and how to produce/act/build your acting career through online media.    

 

She also realizes that the end game isn't just TV and film.  She can be highly diverse in her media career, while controlling the work that she does.  It’s fascinating to see how she connects directly with her fans online, while working as an actress in 2014.  We’re happy to have her on the show.

Follow Taryn: http://twitter.com/tarynSouthern

https://www.youtube.com/user/TarynSouthern

http://instagram.com/tarynsouthern

We’d love to hear what you think www.influencereconomy.com http://twitter.com/ryanjwill and leave a comment or question below. 

 

 

 

Direct download: Taryn_Southern_YouTube_Influencer_Economy.mp3
Category:management and marketing -- posted at: 10:54am PDT

On episode 2 of The Influencer Economy, we're happy and proud to welcome Shira Lazar to the show.  Shira is the founder and host of the Emmy nominated show What's Trending and an inspiration in the media and YouTube world.  In order to launch her career, she defined her own 'beat' as a journalist, essentially creating the news category that "bridged the gap between Silicon Valley and celebrity."  

Shira is the essence modern day media entrepreneur in every sense, and she has creatively and instinctively built What's Trending to serve over 2 million views a month on YouTube, and 20 million views per month across all their syndicated platforms.  We talked at length about her career starting in Canada, and how she moved to L.A., building her career on her own terms.  It was a fascinating conversation and snapshot into the life of a modern day media/social media entrepreneur and online social media businessperson.   

This podcast will teach you:  How to build a start-up media company, how to become an entrepreneur, how to build a modern day media brand, how to create and instinctively build a successful business online.  

Shira goes into detail about how to be a leader at a start-up, gives advice to future creators and aspiring entrepreneurs.  Shira feeds off of collaboration, and works hard at nurturing relationships, while thinking about how to play the long game in friendships/work relationships.  She kicked-off her career in Canada, and came to Los Angeles as a producer/host/broadcaster/creator - working as a freelancer in the broadcast world.  She has not forgotten her roots as a mult-skilled founder at What's Trending.  She has the ability to relate to the biggest YouTubers like Toby Turner, and can switch into tech/start-up mode with Mark Cuban at the drop of a dime. 

She interviews people for a living, and her start-up business is inspired by her passion and curiosity around meeting new people.  Achieving her success did not come easy, and as an early vlogger helped transform the medium into what it is today.  Vlogging was barely a word when she started creating videos.  She was an early voice in covering online 'viral video stars' for CBS back in 2008, when no one else was speaking to them.  She created and identified an emerging market, where people on the internet were become personalities in the news world.  Shira pioneered the 'human interest stories' beat around interviewing web personalties like 'The Double Rainbow Guy" or "Antoine Dotson."  These stories are now common place on national news like the Today Show or CBS This Morning, influenced by Shira's work.  

We also dig into the format of What's Trending, and how she runs the show, books guests, promote the episodes, and interviews her guests.  What's Trending is a modern day media brand, and this podcast is a great listen for anyone passionate about media, or someone who wants to understand what it's like running a social media start-up enterprise in 2014.  Shira is a true pioneer in the influencer economy.  

 

 

 

Direct download: Shira_Lazar_v3forweb.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:28am PDT

Burnie Burns of RoosterTeeth:  Red vs. Blue, Online Video, and YouTube

Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/ryanjwill Website: influencereconomy.com/

Welcome to the Influencer Economy, my name is Ryan Williams. We’re really fired-up for our first guest on our inaugural podcast: Burnie Burns. Burnie is an entrepreneur and the founder of Rooster Teeth, an online video studio and production company, based on Austin, TX. He is a YouTube visionary and online video expert, we talk to him about the origins of Rooster Teeth. He’s a pioneer in the online video entertainment world, and he started Rooster Teeth as a passion project in 2003.

Burnie and I got to chat about how they built their YouTube Channels to have over 10 million subscribers, and how those channels have served over 3 billion total video views in aggregate. That is incredible. Burnie and I also dive into Rooster Teeth’s major tent pole show, the series Red vs. Blue, that was one of the biggest and most successful early examples of the machinima art form. Red vs. Blue is one of the biggest fan films ever. They created the series within the gaming of Halo, and Microsoft was even okay with them making the series.

For those who don’t understand the machinima filmmaking style, machinima is “digital pupeteering” as Burnie puts it. It’s when creators tell narrative stories within video game engines, record the content, and post it online. They use of real-time computer graphics engines to create a cinematic production. Red vs. Blue uses the characters in the game of Halo to act out lines, behind the games animation. It’s fascinating stuff, Burnie was an original in the Machinima industry, even going to Sundance film festival.

It was fascinating to hear that initially Rooster Teeth was a labor of love, working with his friends, who worked on the company after working normal day jobs. And now they still maintain that type of culture in their office.

In this podcast you’ll learn: How to build a YouTube channel, how to launch a online video company, how to work in the gaming industry, how to build a brand online, how to launch a career in gaming and YouTube.

We also talk about his advice for creators, and people wanting to work in the online video world now, versus when he started Rooster Teeth 11 years ago. We talk about his early inspirations and how much the industry has changed since he launched Rooster Teeth.

We even get into a conversation about Texas BBQ and how Texans love big cups.

www.Influencereconomy.com
www.twitter.com/ryanjwill
itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-i…id820744212?mt=2

 

Direct download: Inf_Ep1_Burnie_For_iTunes.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 7:14pm PDT

1