in this video I interviewed Jax Austin
and he shares how he got a brand deal
before he even started posting videos
went full-time on YouTube with less than
ten thousand subscribers and quit his
job bought a school bus and became a
daily travel vlogger coming up hey
what's up guys Sean here with video
influencers help you build your
influence income and impact with online
video and i'm super pumped to be
standing here with Jax Austin how's it
go man it's going really well it's been
a really fun convention and met a lot of
people and just wish it was a little bit
cooler yeah it's super hot we're out
here in Utah CVX live and man your story
is incredible and I know that
influencers watching gonna love it
because you literally had a sponsor from
day one you have done all this
incredible thing going like as a vlog or
full-time right from the beginning your
channel still relatively new we're gonna
break all that down but let's take it
back kind of to the beginning give us
the timeline of how this all happened
really in just the last few months over
a year or so so basically I was working
at a job I was bartending before that I
was in real estate and really that was
just to pay the bills I had wanted to be
a host of a Travel Channel show etc and
that was just bumping into problems I
had a lot of noes and so basically I had
enough of the job I had enough of the
nose I sold everything got rid of my
apartment on about a school bus and then
I had this crazy idea to become a daily
travel vlogger because I calculated in
advance that this would be the cheapest
way to travel and do YouTube full time
and create videos that is incredible and
one of the coolest parts of this story
was you got literally a brand deal
before you ever posted a video now
people watching they want to get there
they want to get brand deals they want
to get sponsors how did that happen and
how did it also happen with pursuing
traditional media first and all that
story yes so like I said I had a small
background in hosting web series and
things like that
and one of the things I did before
leaving LA was I got ahold of a manager
I cold called her and I said this is
what I've done so far this is who I am
this is what I'm about to do and could I
have 15 minutes of your time and she
said I love your story come on in next
week that led to her wanting to
introduce me to my digital guy and then
you know before I even left I had a
brand deal that's incredible and
influencers I want to encourage you
that's the kind of hustle that we really
want to inspire you to have on this
channel to like just call people to
email people to just grind to just go
for it not just waiting for things to
come to you that's super super inspiring
thank you okay and I can tell you that
when it is genuine and it's true and
it's from your heart and it's something
that you are truly passionate about and
you have confidence in yourself that you
are able to do this and that you are
passionate about something that no
matter what you will succeed some some
way somehow you will succeed yeah I love
that now what have been some of the
lessons you've learned for like kind of
growing your channel it's at 12,000
subscribers now which again is inspiring
because you know it's redefining the
definition of full-time - everyone
thinks you have to have a million or you
have to have half a million and you are
kind of unconventional what are some of
the lessons you've learned and what has
been the progression from 0 to 12 and
how's it been growing so right now about
12 30 days ago is up 8 60 days before
that I was at two and a half yeah you
know what I mean and so it's it's been
growing like quicker because I've been
collabing with people and reaching out
but I feel comfortable to reach out
because I feel I've paid my dues I have
over 260 videos up I have a bus I'm not
trying to copy you know somebody or some
other popular channel this is my own
thing I think I'm the only person doing
daily travel vlogs in a school bus but
you know it's it's unique it's you know
I paid my dues and yeah I walk up to
people and I see them as equals not as
some famous youtuber and I just tell I
just talked you know about myself I'm
like hi this is what I do what do you do
and if somebody likes me great
if somebody is interested in something
else that's also fine you
I'm not here to make everybody be my
friend you shared some advice there but
specifically you're mentioning collabs
you've collab with some pretty cool
people and so like if others wanted to
do that you mentioned a few tips but if
you were to break those down again for
specifically getting some of the club's
you got you know what are some
actionable tips that people could
implement yeah number one be clear who
you are have a unique idea don't try to
copy you know like you know exploring
with Josh exploring with you know John
you do it if you like if you're into
that kind of stuff or something else
like make it a little bit different for
yourself but also put in the time put in
the effort don't go up to somebody when
you have 20 videos up go up to somebody
when you have a 120 videos show up to
networking events go to the vidcon's the
CVX the playlist all that sorts of
things a slide-in people DMs
there's nothing wrong with that you know
and just keep making your content if you
love doing it just do it and you know
that's it people will respect it I love
that now one of my big questions is how
do you actually upload daily videos on
the road like where's the Wi-Fi like
what's happening what how do you do that
well at first it was a huge problem it
was you know my project is called Jack's
Across America I literally thought it
was turning into Jack's tries to find
Wi-Fi across America it was insane
so through networking and meeting
other people in like the van life
community I found a hot spot for 20
bucks a month
it's totally unlimited and if I have
cell phone reserved at this cellphone
service then I have internet
connectivity now and so it's just one of
those hacks that I learned what is that
I mean we can link I'll link that up in
the description because people probably
want to have that I will actually we
need that it's a a TNC mobile e it
supposed to plug in your car you can get
an adapter on Amazon it's awesome fire
that's really cool well are you ready
for the lightning round 90 rounds three
two one favorite TV show the
reservations first celebrity crush Josh
Anderson cat or dog
and lagger licker yes that's my wife's
favorite animal to actually Napoleon
Dynamite right something like that is
that a real animal oh yeah I didn’t think so
favorite social network besides YouTube
Instagram coffee or tea mmm coffee but
it makes my stomach hurt why does one
book that every influencer for watching
should read ooh my personal favorite is
Walden on wheels
awesome what is one of your favorite
documentaries or movies mmm also no
reservations I thought it's like a docu
it's a travel show kind of thing
sweet what is your hidden talent oh my
gosh hidden tell oh I used to
competitively surf professionally
actually for like a year so nice what
are your like no miss morning rituals or
a ritual convince myself to get out of
bed
good you got to do it if you get out of
bed you got to do it if you could give a
TED talk what would it be about probably
following your dreams yeah how has
failure or setback in the past set you
up for future success like learning from
it well if I didn't fail I wouldn't be
here to succeed I've failed at almost
everything before and this is feels like
the only thing I'm 60 yet that actually
enjoy what advice would you give to your
20 year old self don't go to college
okay do you have a quote that you like
to think about often or that you like to
live your life by be your dream which
means if you're dreaming of being
someone then do those activities on a
regular basis and don't call yourself an
aspiring photographer be a photographer
love that and then favorite place in the
whole wide world and why and you've been
a lot of places the beach I love surfing
yes yes lightning round
boom all right Jax so we're of course
going to link everything up in the
description but let everybody know how
they can follow what you're doing and
your YouTube channel plus any other
social platforms yeah everything you can
find me Jax Austin Twitter Instagram
YouTube obviously that's my number one
spot come say hi super friendly and if I
have time I will respond to you I love
it
and Jax can you share like one final
message for influencers watching you
know they're on that grind they're
trying to get subscribers or trying to
get views and so what kind of
encouragement would you give them
just one final thought from my way of
life it is cut your costs it doesn't
have to be on the most expensive camera
it you don't have to have your own place
when you're 18 years old live with mom save
money be smart about it and just you
know just focus I love it I love it Jax
appreciate you influencers thanks so
much for checking out this video
keeping your influence income and impact
by keeping it locked here subscribe to
your check out Jax stuff and we will talk
soon
full full no