🔥 Quick Intro
YouTube Shorts can grow your channel - or wreck it. Jeremy Vest breaks down why both stories are true, and how to make Shorts a “surgeon approach” instead of a shotgun. You will learn the YouTube Shorts strategy behind niche-first virality, the 3 metrics that matter, and the hook + payoff patterns used in viral YouTube Shorts and long-form YouTube shows.

👉 Episode in a Nutshell
Jeremy Vest explains why YouTube is shifting from “lean forward” to “lean back” viewing, especially on TVs (verify). He argues creators must rethink long form YouTube show formats, but start by mastering short form storytelling first. He shares the 3 signals for viral YouTube Shorts: niche fit, watch time, and swipe-away rate. You also get a simple anatomy for short form videos (showing vs talking), plus repeatable interview hooks like the “Golden Nugget” formula. Finally, Jeremy shows how Creator Unlock uses competitor data to generate strategic ideas and audits.

⏰ Timestamps
00:00 - Shorts can help or hurt your channel - and why both camps think they’re right
01:08 - YouTube watch time shifting to TV screens (verify) and why it changes long form
03:19 - Why 45-minute episodes can beat 6-8 minute videos on watch time
07:30 - Deep dives vs podcasts - the real driver is YouTube hooks and storytelling
09:20 - Turning “how-to” into story: the leaky toilet title rewrite
12:53 - The big myth: YouTube Shorts “hurt your channel” - when it’s actually true
14:02 - Start with Shorts first: master 15-45 second short form storytelling
17:24 - The 3 viral Shorts signals: niche, watch time, swipe-away rate
19:14 - Two types of Shorts: showing a thing vs talking about a thing
21:08 - Hook + payoff: anticipation is the engine of a viral short
22:14 - Talking head example: “no prenup” hook and why captions matter
26:33 - Creator Unlock: niche detection + top competitor videos + transcripts
32:47 - The real edge: make 100 videos, get 1% better, keep going
35:15 - “I” and “You” - the two most powerful words in hooks
37:33 - The Golden Nugget formula for podcasts: “Did you see that? Pull that up.”
44:53 - Shock and polarization: how to open with a contrarian idea
47:06 - Long form YouTube show advice: good headlines are not clickbait if true
51:37 - 2026 playbook (verify): deep conversations + deep dive videos in your niche
54:08 - Where to start: free channel audit + coaching options + Niche King program

💡 Key Takeaways
- YouTube Shorts strategy starts with niche alignment - go viral outside your niche and you can fragment your audience.
- Viral YouTube Shorts are measurable: watch time + swipe-away rate + niche fit.
- Under 30 seconds: aim for 100% watch time (Jeremy’s rule). Over 30 seconds: aim for 80% watch time (Jeremy’s rule).
- Swipe-away rate target: under 40% swipe-away (meaning 60% keep watching).
- Short form storytelling is hook + anticipation + payoff. The payoff is the moment viewers wait for.
- Two short formats win: “showing a thing” (visual payoff) and “talking about a thing” (instant clarity + strong idea).
- Long form YouTube show growth now favors deep dives and podcast-style conversations, built around repeatable formulas.
- “Clickbait” is not the headline - it’s whether the headline is true.
- Repeat what works. Don’t reinvent the wheel every upload.

🔗 Resources
- Creator Unlock | Free channel audit and AI video strategist mentioned in the interview | https://creatorunlock.com
- Colin and Samir (YouTube) | Example of long-form creator interviews Jeremy references | https://www.youtube.com/@ColinandSamir
- MrBeast (YouTube) | Example of repeatable show formulas and idea-first storytelling | https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast
- vidIQ | YouTube education channel Jeremy references | https://www.youtube.com/@vidIQ

🔥 Quick Intro
Pat Flynn shares the real story behind his “Should I Open It?” Shorts series and why video #35 was the turning point after weeks of low views. This episode breaks down persistence, open loops, and why daily reps matter more than chasing viral hacks.

👉 Episode in a Nutshell
Pat explains how he committed to a 60-day Shorts experiment with strict rules: no help, no cross-promotion, and daily uploads. For the first month, most videos sat at 200-500 views. Then video #35 hit 750,000 views and everything changed. He unpacks what he learned about hooks, curiosity, storytelling, and why quantity plus value beats perfection when you’re building momentum.

⏰ Timestamps

• 00:00 - Why video #35 took off
• 00:38 - The 60-day Shorts experiment
• 02:23 - The “Should I Open It?” hook and open loops
• 03:56 - Why curiosity makes people lean in
• 06:14 - Storytelling lessons from movies and books
• 08:34 - Being stuck at 200-500 views
• 10:06 - The breakthrough on day 35
• 11:12 - Patterns that helped performance
• 15:12 - The fishing analogy for content
• 17:07 - Quantity vs quality (with value)

💡 Key Takeaways

• Commit to a fixed experiment window before judging results
• Open loops and curiosity drive retention
• Daily reps dramatically speed up skill improvement
• Patterns matter more than guesses
• Quantity works best when value stays high

🔗 Resources

• Lean Learning (book by Pat Flynn) | https://amzn.to/4pcTBjz
• Save the Cat (book) | https://amzn.to/3YQJBle
• ScreenFlow | https://www.telestream.net/screenflow/
• Smart Passive Income Podcast – Episode 824 | https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/podcasts/spi-824-quality-or-quantity-shorts-update/

🔥 Quick Intro
Daily short-form video sounds simple - until you try doing it every day for a year. In this episode, Leslie Samuel breaks down what actually happens when you commit to Shorts, Reels, and TikTok, and how AI and automation made consistency possible.

👉 Episode in a Nutshell
Leslie Samuel shares the results of a one-year daily short-form video experiment on his Interactive Biology channel. He explains why engagement mattered more than virality, how Shorts stabilized subscriber growth year-round, and why community exploded. Leslie also walks through how he uses AI and n8n automation to generate ideas, write scripts, batch record months of content, and remove editing and publishing bottlenecks without losing authenticity.

⏰ Timestamps
00:00 - Was the one-year short-form experiment worth it?
00:21 - Why Leslie started short-form after Pat Flynn’s success
01:50 - How long Leslie posted daily Shorts and what consistency looked like
02:38 - Views vs engagement - what actually mattered
03:23 - How short-form created real community for the first time
05:51 - Engagement signals and why they matter to algorithms
06:15 - Subscriber growth before and after short-form video
07:27 - Consistent growth during normally slow seasons
08:16 - New opportunities and interviews from daily Shorts
09:39 - Monetization realities of short-form video
10:33 - Why Leslie paused daily posting
12:09 - Editing as the biggest bottleneck in video marketing
14:14 - The “Truth or Trash” short-form format explained
15:01 - Using ChatGPT for ideas and scripting
16:27 - Automating idea generation with n8n
18:11 - Batch recording 30-90 videos at a time
19:31 - Teleprompters, AI scripts, and authenticity
22:26 - Training AI to sound like you
26:23 - Prompt refinement to hit a 95% voice match
27:31 - Live walkthrough of Leslie’s n8n idea generator
33:13 - n8n vs Zapier vs Make.com
36:35 - Turning automation into a new business
38:29 - Using AI for research, promotion, and growth
43:25 - Where AI and short-form video are heading next
45:25 - Final thoughts and where to find Leslie

💡 Key Takeaways
- Consistency beats virality for long-term growth
- Short-form video drives deeper engagement than long-form alone
- Daily Shorts stabilize subscriber growth year-round
- AI can handle ideas and scripting without killing authenticity
- Teleprompters work when scripts match natural speech
- Automation removes the biggest friction in content creation
- Batch recording is the key to sustainability

🔗 Resources
- https://iamlesliesamuel.com - Leslie’s content and automation services

🔥 Quick Intro

What really happens when a founder stops hiding behind the company brand and commits to showing up every single day? In this episode, Foundr founder Nathan Chan breaks down his 90-day personal branding experiment, the mindset blocks that held him back for years, and why founder-led content is becoming non-negotiable for modern businesses.

👉 Episode in a Nutshell

Nathan Chan shares why he resisted building a personal brand for over a decade, despite running a highly successful media company. He reveals the exact moments that pushed him to finally commit, what changed after posting daily for 90 days, and how that decision unlocked new opportunities, authority, and revenue. The conversation covers storytelling, carousels vs video, using AI to scale ideas, the dark side of personal branding, and how founders can build visibility without burning out or derailing their core business.

⏰ Timestamps

00:00 - Why founders must build a personal brand in 2025
00:00 - The 90-day daily posting challenge explained
01:18 - Feeling unqualified and hiding behind the Foundr brand
01:36 - “If I had started 10 years earlier…” mindset shift
02:04 - What changed after the first 90 days of posting
05:39 - Shark Tank as the personal brand wake-up call
06:34 - The book that unlocked the blueprint (90 Day Personal Brand)
07:00 - The biggest blocker: not knowing what to post
08:28 - Making time for content as a busy founder
14:04 - Why storytelling carousels outperform video
12:23 - Turning personal content into seven-figure product sales
12:52 - Using AI and NotebookLM to extract winning stories
18:22 - Storytelling formats that drive inquiry and trust
23:12 - Vulnerability example: anaphylaxis story and massive reach
27:10 - The dopamine trap and dark side of personal branding
33:42 - Balancing a personal brand with a growing company
41:03 - Calendar systems and practical content workflows
45:07 - Where to find Nathan and what Foundr is launching next

💡 Key Takeaways

• Founder-led content builds trust and authority faster than company branding alone.
• Consistency matters more than production quality or perfection.
• Storytelling carousels can outperform video when time and resources are limited.
• Vulnerability creates connection, but vanity metrics can become dangerous.
• Personal brand and company brand should follow one clear, aligned strategy.
• Content works best when treated as a long-term commitment, not a short-term play.

🔗 Resources

• Foundr Membership - Access courses, interviews, and founder-led education - https://foundr.com/membership
• 90 Day Personal Brand by Dain Walker - Blueprint for launching a personal brand
• Mindvalley (Vishen) - Example of founder-led content at global scale
• Steven Bartlett - Personal brand combined with media and venture building
• Rory Vaden - Monetising personal brand with integrity

🔥 Quick Intro

If you want your short form videos to look instantly more pro without buying a new camera, this episode is your shortcut to studio quality lighting, tiny rooms that look huge, and even using an AI avatar to keep publishing when you're too busy to film.

👉 Episode in a Nutshell

In this episode, Simone Ferretti breaks down how to build a high impact home studio lighting setup on a realistic budget and in almost any room size. You will learn why a simple 60W key light, softbox and smart background lights can beat an expensive camera, how to choose lenses for depth, and how to pick colours that match your brand. Simone also shares how he grew huge audiences with value first short form video and how he now scales his face with an AI avatar channel that runs without him on camera.

⏰ Timestamps

• 00:00 - Intro: Simone’s short-form success and why lighting beats buying a new camera
• 00:55 - Simple upgrade: affordable key light + softbox close to your face for pro-looking video
• 07:52 - Home studio lighting mini-masterclass: key light position, softbox angle and background lights
• 10:10 - Why Simone tells you to close the curtains and stop relying on natural window light
• 18:41 - Making small rooms look big: lens choice, distance from the background and depth/bokeh
• 23:44 - Styling your background with plants, floor lamps, blackout curtains and set balance
• 26:26 - Colour schemes that match your audience and offer, plus Simone’s critique of Gideon’s studio
• 31:59 - Value-first short-form strategy, daily posting and staying one step ahead of your audience
• 41:10 - Inside Simone’s AI avatar Instagram channel and the workflow behind it
• 43:53 - Growing the AI channel to ~83k followers in 10 months and why niche positioning matters
• 52:55 - Simone’s upcoming AIX “content creation equals money” programme and where to follow him

💡 Key Takeaways

• Great video quality starts with audio and lighting, not with buying another camera.
• A 60W key light at 5600K plus a 50-60 cm softbox, placed just out of frame and slightly above eye level, can transform your home studio.
• Light yourself first, then light the background separately with lamps, pocket lights and practicals to add depth and mood.
• Avoid natural window light for important shoots because it changes constantly and ruins consistency in the edit.
• In tiny rooms, step away from the wall, use wider lenses or fast primes and create blur (bokeh) with a low f-stop.
• Choose a warm or dark colour scheme that matches your audience and product, then balance both sides of the frame for symmetry.
• Short form video growth comes from consistent, daily value: teach what you learned yesterday to the person one step behind you.
• Think in processes: break your expertise into pillars (lighting, audio, background, camera, etc.) and turn each micro step into a short.
• AI avatars remove the recording bottleneck so entrepreneurs can publish at scale while a team or workflow handles scripting and editing.
• Monetisation is fastest when you sell your own products or programmes to the right niche, even with a relatively small but focused audience.

🔗 Resources

• Simone Ferretti on Instagram (@sferro21) | See his main short form channel and lighting examples | https://www.instagram.com/sferro21
• Sferro.ai on Instagram (@sferro.ai) | Simone's AI avatar channel that posts daily AI generated content | https://www.instagram.com/sferro.ai
• Home Studio Blueprint | Simone's flagship course on building a pro level home studio on a budget | https://www.instagram.com/sferro21 (link in bio)
• vubli | Distribute your short form videos everywhere with one workflow | https://vubli.ai

🔥 Quick Intro

Can AI slop, troll comments, and 10,000 short form videos really be the recipe to go viral? In this episode, Austin Armstrong breaks down exactly how he did it - from MySpace teen to multi platform virality, bestselling author of Virality!, and founder of Syllaby.

👉 Episode in a Nutshell

This episode is a crash course in going viral with short form video. Austin shares his 20 year journey, how he rebuilt after losing a 600k TikTok account, and the repeatable processes he uses to grow across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, and more. You learn his START video framework, how to craft hooks that stop the scroll, simple ways to test hooks fast, why AI content is exploding, and how to turn trolls into free reach.

⏰ Timestamps

00:00 - Cold open: AI slop, virality, and why this matters
02:00 - Austin’s book Virality! and the social media friendly cover design
06:20 - From MySpace kid to seven figure business owner
13:30 - Agency years, mentorship, and burnout
19:40 - TikTok: 600k followers, bans, and lessons
25:10 - Cracking YouTube Shorts: the 21M view breakthrough
31:30 - The START viral video framework
38:45 - Hooks that truly stop the scroll
45:40 - How to test hooks fast
52:10 - Why AI slop works and the future of AI content
58:20 - How to use trolls for free engagement
1:04:30 - Austin’s final advice

💡 Key Takeaways

* Viral success comes from volume, testing, and persistence
* The START framework makes videos more share worthy
* Hooks are headlines that must create curiosity fast
* Visual pattern breaks can outperform text hooks
* Test hooks with TikTok, Instagram trial reels, and cheap Facebook view ads
* Intuition comes from creating a lot of videos
* AI is a tool - strong ideas still win
* Trolls boost reach
* Easter eggs and light controversy create comments
* Consistency beats randomness

🔗 Resources

Virality! by Austin Armstrong | Viral video playbook | https://amzn.to/3KwxHcP

Austin Armstrong on YouTube | See viral hooks in action | http://youtube.com/@AustinArmstrong

Syllaby | AI powered content system | http://syllaby.io

Pat Flynn short form case study | One short can unlock a channel | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwgmXdoxnfs, https://www.youtube.com/@ShortPocketMonster

Vubli | Post everywhere with one upload | http://vubli.ai