He went from from 0 to 65 K YouTube subscribers in a year | EP9

Quick Intro

Rick Mulready reveals how he jumped from 0 to 65 K YouTube subscribers in a year by mixing AI tools with smart content strategy.

Episode in a Nutshell

If you want a repeatable YouTube growth strategy, this chat is gold. Rick breaks down his AI-powered research workflow, why thumbnails and titles come first, and how “topic-angle buckets” keep viewers (and sponsors) pouring in.

He also shares the burnout story that forced a four-month reset, the mindset shift from podcaster to YouTuber, and the single membership that now fuels his entire business. Expect practical tips you can try today - no million-dollar budget required.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro: Rick’s 0-to-65 K journey
03:15 - Podcast vs YouTube – mastering a new medium
07:40 - Defining two “buckets”: AI tools and use cases
12:20 - Burnout, sabbatical, and selling the podcast
18:05 - Going all-in on AI content
24:30 - Title and thumbnail first – the viral Websim video
31:45 - Topic vs angle – choosing winning ideas
38:10 - Consistency hacks and editing workflow
45:25 - Measuring success beyond views – high-value leads
52:00 - The AI Playbook membership and simple business model

Key Takeaways

Use clear topic-angle buckets to guide every upload.

Craft the thumbnail and title before you hit record.

Consistency beats frequency - Rick posts every 7-10 days.

AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude) speed up research, scripting, and hooks.

A single, aligned offer (AI Playbook) can monetize better than multiple products.

Resources

AI Playbook Community | Rick’s membership for entrepreneurs using AI | https://skool.com/ai-playbook/about

Action Step

Pick one upcoming video, write the thumbnail text and title first, then outline the script around that promise - Rick’s favorite shortcut to faster, cleaner content.