You've consumed enough. It's time to start creating.

If you told me five years ago. that talking to a camera in my living room with no audience, no plan, Hi, guys. This is Laurie Hi guys. Just want to Hey, everybody. Welcome back. and no idea what I was doing would eventually lead. to everything that's happened in my life since then, I would have just laughed. So. But then I came across a video just like this one. To the haters. The doubters. My seventh grade vice principal. To everyone who's ever told anyone with a dream. they can't.

This video is for you. And that video, it changed everything for me. So today I want to share with you my story. Why publishing your first few videos on YouTube? It just might be the smartest decision you'll ever make in your life. So I didn't. start a YouTube as a creator like most of us. I started as a casual viewer and I grew up online with YouTube. It was where I learned how to put on eyeliner.

as this awkward teenager in high school, how to ace my exams in college, how to interview for my first job after graduation, and eventually, like this rite of passage, even learn how to unblock a toilet in my first home. today I'm going to show you how to unclog a toilet. And YouTube was my invisible mentor who was just always there. when I needed the most. And when I started my own consulting and freelance business years later, I turned to YouTube again.

But this time I wasn't there to learn. But I was there to share. With all the different social media channels flying around these days, There's nothing more powerful than an email list because I heard this. quote and a business event that really stuck with me. Always build it before you need it. And that was my wake up call. If I waited until I needed a personal brand. or an audience, it's not something I can just build overnight. Unless you believe in overnight successes, which in my opinion, rarely happens. And I also realized something.

I spent years consuming content from others, but I never once considered that I could be one of those people. who creates the answers based on what I really know. And you know what I love the most about YouTube? It's one of those few places in the world where anyone can start. It's a platform. built on giving you the power to create whatever you want to create. So it doesn't matter how old you are, what you look like, where you live, or what you do. If you have something to say.

There is a space for you here. YouTube and the only permission that you will need is probably just your own. So this was a huge leap of faith for me. because I was someone who grew up really introverted. I was shy and I hated attention. So pressing the record button was a very big deal for me. I did the thing that scared me the most, with no fancy equipment. and no big strategy in place. It was just me, my camera, and really a lot of nerves. But what happened next completely changed my life.

But there not in the way that I expected. And by the way, if you're looking to start on YouTube, I create this checklist that I wish I had before I started on this whole journey, which is completely free for you to download. Just comment “YouTube” below and I'll send you the link. So what actually happens when you start? You might think you're learning. to make videos, but really you're learning more about yourself. So when I got started, I was really awkward. Okay, maybe I'm still a bit awkward to some extent today. I would just cringe at my own voice.

You know, when you hear your voice being played back to you. So that was me. And when I recorded videos, I always try to say the same thing. ten different times, But slowly, over time, something quietly changed for me. Somewhere between my 10th and my 50th video. I stopped performing for the camera. and I start looking into the lens and connecting with my audience. Because I realized that confidence, it doesn't come from waiting to feel ready. And I'm super passionate about this one because I really feel that it comes from.

repetition and just taking that action, no matter how scary it feels like. And every video you upload becomes this evidence of how much you grow. This is proof. that you can keep promises to yourself and actually finish what you start. And even the views don't come straight away. What you're really building is that self-trust. And it's that confidence that's inside of you that says, I can do hard things. And here's what's even more powerful is that the person you become along.

the way learns a whole skill set that compounds over time. And this is when you develop rare future proof skills. Because YouTube turns you into a creative problem solver. I remember I learned how to write, communicate, edit, design, market, and tell stories. that can capture the audience attention and all of these skills. They are transferable to something and to everything to your current job. If you're working full time, your business, if you are a founder. or an entrepreneur, your relationship with others, even how you think.

So when I worked in tech, I never thought that I need to understand. storytelling, analytics, or visual communication, but these are the exact high income skills that help me to grow my career, to launch my business, and to teach others in my live workshops. and sharing my ideas and speaking at conferences. So even if your channel never blows up, you still walk away. with becoming much more sharper in your thinking,

and you become much more articulate and more creative than you were before. Because YouTube, at least to me, isn't just about making content. It isn't about cranking out videos. It's about becoming the kind of person who follows through and building authority. And you learn so many skills in the process that it makes. you become irreplaceable. in this very uncertain future that we're heading into in the age of AI. And speaking of skills and authority, I'm currently taking on a few VIP students.

to help them build their channel that grows their impact and income, and also authority online with YouTube. And if you're interested to know more, check out the link in the description. or the link here. On the screen. And here is where it gets even better. The longer you do it, the more opportunities begin to appear. So let me tell you about how that happened for me. And this is when you create opportunities that you can't plan for. you probably felt this. You've ever started a channel before. When you first post your first few videos, it might feel like. you're talking to the void, right?

But when you can't see is who's actually watching in silence? And this happens on every social media platform. These are your silent stalkers. It sounds a bit creepy, but it's not really a bad thing. And here's why. So my first few speaking invitations didn't come from doing outreach. to conferences where people who are actively networking with me. It came from someone who watched one of my videos, but. she never commented or light or shared it for years. And another single video that I uploaded led to collaborations, clients,

and friendships I never could have predicted. So every video that you make is like a seed. You don't know when or where you'll grow, but you never know which one will. And here's the beauty of it is that you don't have to be famous to be influential. You just have to show up long enough for the right people to find you. There's a big distinction here is that you don't just want a massive. general audience. Those are the 7 billion on this planet.

The ones are right for your expertise, your business or ideas to come. and find you. Because I finally realized that YouTube is about going viral. It's about being discoverable. And when you create from a place of purpose, rather than wanting to look perfect. or having success, it's a vanity metric of how many subscribers you've got. You realize something much more deeper, and that is you're. creating what I call intentional success on YouTube. So let me explain what that really means.

This is when you're creating from a place of freedom and ownership. So when I started my channel, I never imagined it would lead to anything. beyond just sharing my ideas. But over time, something really surprising happened. So doors started opening for me. A company reached out for a collaboration, and then later on, freelance work as a fractional marketing director. Then a client who found me through my video wanted to work with me. So when I got this initial call with her, the trust that I built through my content was so strong.

that her mind was really made up that she wanted to work with me. And then someone who's writing for Forbes reached out about featuring me. in the article on the platform and all of these calls at $0, but just a bit of my own effort and time to be in the right place. Creating that serendipity along with my content. And that's what I realized, is that YouTube isn't just a platform. for creativity. And don't get me wrong, I love embracing the creative side, but it's a platform for possible and lots more opportunities.

So every video that you share becomes this digital leverage. And that is is working quietly for you in the background while you sleep. Because someone across the world can access watch your video from anywhere. And it reaches people you've never met. It builds this trust before you even speak to them, and opens. all these opportunities for you that you couldn’t really plan for. From paid brand partnerships to online courses, consulting work, or even a completely new career.

But here's the thing the biggest reward isn't just the money. In my opinion, it's the freedom. Because YouTube gives you something. Traditional careers can't do. And that is the ownership. of your own life and your time and the ownership of your reputation, your message, the way that you're taking your life forward to design. a life that you're excited. to wake up to you no longer defined by company name or job title. You own the trust you build with your audience. You own how you communicate through your platform, and you own your future.

So in a world where careers change faster than ever, your channel. becomes your proof of work, of who you are and what you can do. It's a living portfolio that grows with you. It's not just showing what you do by showing who you really are. And that, to me, is the real power of YouTube. It gives you this leverage to create, to. choose, to build a life on your own terms. And remember that your content is your legacy.

Even for that one person. People often say, no one's watching my videos. It's only getting like 20 views. And whenever I hear that, I always think, what if one person. who needs to watch your video is one of those 20 people? What if the person who were in your shoes years ago is watching your video now, and you inspire them to take some form of action to learn from your advice, to upskill themselves with what you know and what you're sharing. If your video helps even one person to feel seen, to feel understood.

or motivated, you already done something really good. You made a difference in sharing your voice and your story. You created a legacy. No matter how small or big. And that is the quiet power of this platform, especially as we're. seeing YouTube becoming more watched than Netflix with over. 1,000,000,000 hours and probably more now watched every single day. So think about this. If you ever wondered to yourself, what is the point of it all? You might never know whose day you changed, whose mindset.

you shifted, or whose path that you inspired going forward. But it happens every single day. And this is what powers me every day to get up and do it all over again. Because I'm doing it for all of those who are coming up after me. I want to share all that I know and document that journey. along the way for them. And sometimes the life that you change is also your very own. Because the person who started that first video by who I was. super nervous, feeling unsure, like who am I to share my story?

Who care about that? and that person is never the same person who hits upload on their 100th video. I can guarantee you that the 100 K or one millionth subscriber plaque. Yes, it feels nice and shiny on the shelf and it gave you some ego boost, but it really feels like nothing until you earned it. And that's the real transformation. That's the real reward because you change someone's life. And that includes yourself. Sometimes I think about how much I've learned and how much my life has changed.

And I wonder about this. What if I had started even one year earlier or five years earlier? How much more further along? I've been in my YouTube journey now, and maybe you ask yourself the same question. So if only I started sooner. Or is it too late to go on YouTube now because it feels so saturated? It will always feel like this. Whether I was thinking about it back in 2013. or 10 years later when I finally did it in 2023.

So here's what I realize is that the best time to start was back then. Hey, the second best time is right now. You don't need the most expensive gear or a big audience. You just need to start before you're ready. Because this is a thing that finally hit me after being on. YouTube on this journey, is that YouTube isn't about growing a channel. It's actually about growing. You as a person. So if you've been thinking. about starting a channel, but something keeps holding you back. Maybe take this video as your sign.

YouTube isn't just for the super confident, or the extroverted or the funniest person in the room. I wasn't any of these. It's for anyone willing to learn in public. and fail miserably, but willing to get back up. Despite all of that cringe and judgment. Because as Casey Neistat once said in one of my favorite videos. from him to the haters to the doubters, to anyone who's ever. told anyone with a dream that he can't do what you can't.

Because it's time to stop waiting. To stop waiting. To share ideas that matter. To connect with people who care. and to leave something behind that lasts longer than just the scroll. Because even if no one watches your first video, you have already done. something extraordinary. Because you started. And now go do what you can't. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you the next video.