Hopefully this post topic is okay... if not sorry and feel free to remove. So last year I was focused on a youtube channel and I developed tools to help creators find their niche and develop their channel and it featured AI integration to tailor the tool to the individual. It went NO WHERE. I had made videos about the concept, and created a free software tool with paid add on featuers. There simply did not seem to be an audiance for the tools I was making. Now, this at first sound unrelated but it ties in... At the same time 5 seperate people asked me for help with something I had done in the past while I worked as a pilot. That is to develop a safety managment system for their company. The thing is, to do that you really need to know the individual company well. So then I descided, what if I adapted my tool I made for YouTubers, but instead made a tool that asked aviation companies questions about their operation and helped them develop and run their own safety management system. There is a new deadline that requires a whole bunch of small aviations companies to have something by May 2027. So I became super focused, I set up a formal company (FlyWise SMS), got my first client (who pays monthy for the service) and he was so pleased with what I provided that his company just asked me to help with another related task for an additional $15K. And I am getting other interest as well from other companies now. FlyWise SMS actually resulted in 2 spin off projects (1 is a 2nd company in itself, and the other might become one too). It required a lot of push, I had to teach myself some new programing skills, though I already had software developing experiance. I descided to hyperfocus on the development and stayed put on a 5 acre isolated property in the Philipeans and build the whole first pass of a multi-tenant software as a service tool in 34 days. I am a short sleeper and it is all I did (other than eat and sleep and adopt a stray kitten) for that time period and while I was developing it I made $0. But I stayed focused. There was still more to be done after that window of time but that was the big push.

A kind commenter mentioned I could try talking slower, which is something I’ve heard my whole life... I talk really, really fast naturally, and I especially do so on camera, and often people can't understand me as a result. I decided to finally try a method I’d heard of but never used... shadow speaking. You listen to your script in one earbud (a bit louder than you talk) and repeat it back with a slight delay (a couple of words or so, but whatever feels natural). The first 5 seconds felt odd because I had to figure out the right delay, but then all of a sudden, the difference was huge. My clarity and pacing improved, which skyrocketed my confidence on camera and made the process of making and recording videos even more fun. And the other thing it did that I did not expect is that I didn't have to look at notes or a script to remember what to say (I do practice once without recording first). I just had to follow the voice. I have used teleprompters in the past but for me this was more effective and easier to apply. The first video I applied it to, I filmed the entire 5-minute script in just two takes, and the second take I did all the way through, which made editing so much easier. I was so excited that I even made my following video (after the success) about the experience and built myself a simple software tool to help streamline the process. I found I needed to interject pauses (sometimes the voice got too far ahead otherwise), which is why I wrote my own. But if anyone else out there has the same issue, you can just use any text-to-speech out there, and if you need the pauses, you could just have it say "pause here" or something... (or, if you don't talk too fast like me, you could just record your own voice while reading your script and then listen in one earbud, not both). Anyhow, just wanted to share and say that I love this community!

Hi! I am new here! I want to be more intentional and consistent with growing my channel this year. Are there any resources or tips you can provide?

My channel hit 400 subscribers yesterday morning and it just hit 500 today at about noon. Woo Hoo!!! To reach the first level of monetization I've got the sub count, but my watch time hours are way too low at only about 700 of the 3000 needed. I'll probably hit 1000 subs before hitting the watch time hours needed. It's still progress and it's still fun to see!! :)

Tyrone recently pivoted away from a niche that wasn’t fully aligned with who he is. When he came to me, his channel focused on finances and budgeting. He had successfully pulled himself out of debt and wanted to help others do the same. And while that story mattered, it wasn’t the full picture of who Tyrone is or what he’s here to do. There was a deeper calling he’d been ignoring—and that disconnect was draining his motivation and momentum. Through some honest (and not always easy) conversations, it became clear that what truly lit him up was something entirely different. Pivoting isn’t easy. Admitting “this isn’t it anymore” takes courage. Choosing what you actually want—and fully committing to it—takes even more. I’m incredibly proud of you, Tyrone. Your commitment, clarity, and work ethic are paying off, and the way you’re showing up now is powerful. This level of drive makes you unstoppable. I’m sharing his story because many of you feel this too. You know you’re meant for more. You feel the pull toward something different—but changing direction feels scary. Here’s what I believe deeply: when you know, you know. And when you listen to that knowing and act on it, it can lead you straight into your best life. Keep going. You’ve got this.2026 is going to be miraculous.