The REAL Reason I Left My SIX FIGURE Job for Content Creation!
In this episode, I spoke with Hamish, originally from New Zealand and with a background in civil engineering, who recounts his journey into the realm of video creation, with a particular focus on street interviews.
He articulates that his foray into this domain was spurred by a longstanding fascination with YouTube content, particularly street interviews and prank videos, which he had been contemplating for years. After a transformative period working in the mines of Australia, he decided to pursue his passion, ultimately leading to his first video being filmed during a festival in Bali. Throughout our discussion, he emphasizes the importance of consistency and the need to overcome initial nervousness, as he navigated the transition from engineer to content creator. This episode delves into his experiences, the dynamics of cultural interactions while filming across various European locations, and the intrinsic motivations behind the popularity of such engaging content.
Takeaways:
- Hamish, originally from New Zealand, transitioned from civil engineering to creating engaging online videos, inspired by his youthful fascination with street interviews.
- The initial impetus for Hamish's journey into video creation stemmed from a desire to pursue a passion that had long lingered in his mind.
- Throughout his travels across Europe and Bali, Hamish has encountered diverse cultures, often interviewing tourists and gaining unique perspectives on their experiences.
- Confidence is essential in approaching strangers for interviews, and Hamish notes that the presence of a camera can often alleviate social anxiety.
- The popularity of street interview videos may be attributed to the human desire for connection and vicarious experiences, particularly in the context of social interactions.
- Hamish emphasises that persistence and consistency are critical factors for success in content creation, advocating for perseverance despite challenges.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Fousey Tube
- Jack Jones
Transcript
So, heyish, why don't you tell people where you're from and how you got into doing these sorts of videos?
Speaker B:So I'm from New Zealand, kind of a bit of a weird background because I studied civil engineering.
Speaker B:Yeah, Kiri, I studied civil engineering and worked as an engineer the last four years, pretty much.
Speaker B:And then basically I was working in Australia in the mines, earning quite a bit of money, and I saved up quite a lot and kind of got to the point where I was like, okay, what do I want to do with my life a bit more?
Speaker B:And I always used to watch, like, street interviews on YouTube and all these prank videos when I was younger.
Speaker B:And I always had it in the back of my head, why am I not doing that?
Speaker B:Or why can't I do that?
Speaker B:And I think it just finally, like, after thinking about it for so long, I was like, all right, I want to give this go.
Speaker B:It took me actually quite a while to actually get into it, but pretty much just asked my friend, hey, I really want to give this a go.
Speaker B:Can you record for me?
Speaker B:And I was at a festival in Bali or end of.
Speaker B:Not last year, the year before, about a year ago, and then that was my first one.
Speaker B:And ever since then I just kept with it and slowly building followers.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I really enjoy it, though.
Speaker B:It's good fun meeting people.
Speaker A:Who did you watch when you were.
Speaker A:When you were younger?
Speaker A:Do you know how.
Speaker B:Top my head.
Speaker B:I can't quite remember.
Speaker B:There's.
Speaker B:There's a guy in Florida.
Speaker B:I don't.
Speaker B:I don't know if you ever used to watch that stuff when you're a little teenager.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Is it like Fousey Tube?
Speaker A:He did it.
Speaker A:It didn't.
Speaker A:He did sort of stuff like that.
Speaker A:He obstructs me.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:He did a backflip.
Speaker B:Someone will remember this.
Speaker B:He did a backflip over some place and got arrested.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Okay, cool.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, Prank videos.
Speaker A:There was a guy in the UK called Jack Jones who sort of eventually was like, what would you say, called out for being fake and all his videos were fake.
Speaker A:But, yeah, there's that.
Speaker A:I'm sure that that happens quite a lot, a lot of prank videos.
Speaker A:But, yeah, I remember growing up, prank videos were very, very popular, but now it's more sort of like interviewing people and approaching girls is always a very popular one, isn't it?
Speaker A:The amount of the guys that go around approach girls.
Speaker B:I've.
Speaker B:I've seen some of those.
Speaker A:Yeah, carry on.
Speaker B:Actually, I've thought about branching off and just doing one or two of those just say if it hits or anything.
Speaker B:Yeah, a lot of those videos pop off, so.
Speaker A:They really pop off.
Speaker A:Yeah, the people love to watch.
Speaker A:It's that sort of mirror neuron thing where people that don't have the courage to do it in real life watch other people doing it and they.
Speaker A:And they like doing it.
Speaker A:So definitely it says you've got the confidence now of going up to people, then just, why not?
Speaker A:And I feel like the camera sort of makes it feel like it's not real in a way.
Speaker A:It's like you're recording for something.
Speaker A:It's sort of like a safety net kind of.
Speaker A:Which I guess will help with confidence.
Speaker A:Maybe, maybe not.
Speaker A:I don't know, I haven't done it.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker B:No, I do agree.
Speaker B:Yeah, I do agree because I feel like whenever I go ask people and we've got the camera and stuff, it just feels like I'm doing my job rather than kind of.
Speaker A:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:Somewhat randomly.
Speaker B:So almost an excuse to talk to them.
Speaker A:And it's sort of hyped for that inner cheerleading motivation because you see the camera and I guess they see it as well, which probably.
Speaker A:I reckon if you walk up to someone with a camera, you're probably more likely to get a better reaction than them.
Speaker A:Just because people are selfish and they think, oh, look, I'm on camera.
Speaker A:How interesting.
Speaker A:I'm going to talk to this person now.
Speaker A:Is it just.
Speaker A:I mean, is it just one guy walking around with a camera?
Speaker B:So sorry, my resonance gone a bit slow.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, that's all right.
Speaker A:You are clearly on the side of the world.
Speaker B:Yeah, that is true.
Speaker B:Sorry, I must pretty much last 20 seconds.
Speaker B:I'd say.
Speaker A:That's all right.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:What did I say?
Speaker A:So I'm guessing it's just.
Speaker A:It's just one guy, your.
Speaker A:Your mate with a.
Speaker A:With a camera just following you around.
Speaker A:Pretty easy setup, isn't it?
Speaker B:Yeah, pretty much.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:Yeah, I just get whoever is around me at the time to help out just any of my friends.
Speaker B:So I just change all the time and it's pretty relaxed.
Speaker A:That's what you want.
Speaker A:That's what I.
Speaker A:So what.
Speaker A:Where in the world have you been to talk to these people?
Speaker A:And like, have you.
Speaker A:I suppose a slightly deeper question.
Speaker A:Have you noticed any, like, cultural changes of like, differentiation from different people from different locations?
Speaker B:Yeah, I'd say I've been all through Europe.
Speaker B:I pretty much started in Bali and was in Bali at the start of last year a lot.
Speaker B:And then all through Europe I was doing it as well.
Speaker B:I'd Say generally where I was interviewing was quite touristy spots, though it kind of meant that even in Bali I was interviewing a lot of tourists, so I was getting a lot of Europeans anyway that didn't really matter too much and all of them were drinking.
Speaker B:So I find you kind of get like more of a always typical traveler drinker type person that you're interviewing in general.
Speaker A:What was it like in Europe?
Speaker A:Whereabouts in Europe did you go?
Speaker B:I think it's like 10 in different countries.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:UK, Portugal, Spain, Montenegro, should have a bit of filming there.
Speaker B:Croatia, Poland, a few, few other countries.
Speaker B:But yeah, all round.
Speaker B:It was my big Europe trip.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And did you, how'd you get.
Speaker A:Did you, is that, did you use the money that you saved from what, working as an engineer or do you do.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Okay, cool.
Speaker A:So you've done it all off your own back?
Speaker A:Yeah, cool.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I don't know if you've heard about the mines, but it's like just quite popular for just going there and you kind of work rosters and you work two weeks straight every day, like 12 hour days.
Speaker B:And then you get some time off, you go back, but they just pay you well because of the amount you work.
Speaker A:So what are the mines?
Speaker B:So there's like coal, gold, iron ore.
Speaker B:But it's really popular for.
Speaker B:Yeah, people overseas come over to work in the.
Speaker A:Decent, like the dwarfs from Lord of the Rings.
Speaker B:That's the one.
Speaker A:Decent.
Speaker A:That's what you want.
Speaker A:So how sort of putting it back on you did.
Speaker A:Were you nervous when you first started doing this or was that never an issue for you?
Speaker A:Did you just think, oh, I can just do it, I don't care.
Speaker B:No, I was definitely nervous.
Speaker B:It took me probably even a few months to actually go do it.
Speaker B:I was like always tossing and tossing it up and it was only until I was with like a really good group of friends that I was like, hey guys, I really want to do this.
Speaker B:And one of my best mates helped me film.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Because you, you don't seem like the most extroverted person ever, but in your videos you.
Speaker A:I guess it's as we were speaking about earlier.
Speaker A:It hypes you up, doesn't it?
Speaker A:And you sort of go into that character mode of heightened version of who you are and like a new aspect of your personality.
Speaker A:But that's, that's really good that you, that your friends did, you just did.
Speaker A:They sort of all gather around you and say, yeah, let's, let's go and do it.
Speaker B:Yeah, pretty Much.
Speaker B:He was just like, I got you, got you back and.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And then.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Even now, even now I'm like just so used to it that it's really good.
Speaker B:But even every now and then I'd get a bit nervous, especially if I'm doing like specific jobs or important things.
Speaker B:Then it's like a bit more nerve wracking than my usual just outside the clubs in Bali, which I'm really used to.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:What do you mean by like specific things and difficult jobs?
Speaker B:I've just done some like collaborations with some businesses, like not pay anything but just like meetups and that sort of thing.
Speaker B:They were really friendly.
Speaker B:But yeah, I mean even things like this.
Speaker B:I've never done a podcast so.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:Well, you're doing a good job so far.
Speaker A:Don't worry about it.
Speaker A:It's dog podcast is off to learn to try out.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:Big sort of, big question.
Speaker A:There's loads of, there's loads of potential answers to it.
Speaker A:But why do you think these sorts of videos are so popular?
Speaker A:I know what I think, but do you have any ideas given that you're far more of an expert in it than I am?
Speaker B:I'd say probably a few reasons.
Speaker B:I mean I'm more of like an analytics person so I'm pretty sure Instagram just goes off view duration and shares and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker B:So I think it's just quite like visually appealing to watch and it's either like entertaining or relatable that people go, okay, wow, I want to watch this or share it with the videos that I've done that have done well.
Speaker A:Anyway, I also think people.
Speaker A:Yeah, sorry, carry on.
Speaker B:Oh, I was just going to say also a lot of controversial stuff or people disagree, agree.
Speaker B:Seems to fire up the comments and then people kind of go back completely.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:What sort of controversial stuff have you done?
Speaker B:I've done like politics works right there on the age.
Speaker B:I haven't.
Speaker B:Yeah, actually, yeah, so that's always a good one.
Speaker B:I think I ended up having someone, you know, have her opinion of.
Speaker B:So sorry, this was another video that it was talking about how old is to too old to attend a festival.
Speaker A:The festival.
Speaker A:Yeah, I saw that one.
Speaker B:And she was about younger, so she said, I mean in general, maybe a younger age.
Speaker B:27.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I think a lot of people got offended by that.
Speaker B:Yeah, A lot of people in the comments were just not happy with it.
Speaker B:But a lot of my stuff's pretty light hearted so I think some people can take it to heart a bit too much.
Speaker B:I'm Never too serious.
Speaker B:So, yeah, when I.
Speaker B:When I see some comments like that, I just.
Speaker B:Yeah, laugh, laugh.
Speaker B:I'm just like.
Speaker B:It's not that deep.
Speaker A:And I also think, as I sort of alluded to earlier, just people like the confidence of someone approaching someone they think is.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:My answer would be because of the lack of sort of human interaction that we.
Speaker A:That we experience nowadays as a result of our way of living that allows people to see someone being brave and striking up conversation with a random person.
Speaker A:And they like that.
Speaker A:So they live vicariously through watching other people do it.
Speaker A:And it just seems fun, doesn't it, as well?
Speaker B:Yeah, that's a really interesting take on that.
Speaker B:I've never actually thought about that.
Speaker B:I definitely agree in terms of the.
Speaker B:Especially guys picking up girls and doing those videos because, yeah, people must watch them, or guys especially and just be like, wow, how can I be like this guy?
Speaker B:But they'd never take the next step to actually try to do that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So what, what, what could you say?
Speaker A:Yeah, where courage lacks in one person.
Speaker A:I don't know, I wanna call it some bullshit quote, but I'm not gonna do it.
Speaker A:I can't do it.
Speaker A:It's too early.
Speaker A:But yeah, it's.
Speaker A:It's a good opportunity if everyone else is not doing something and then you see that window and then you go out and do it.
Speaker A:I mean, lots of people are approaching people.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:Yes, it's.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:As we've already said, it's very popular.
Speaker A:Where's the favorite place that you've been to?
Speaker B:Favorite place?
Speaker B:I'd probably say.
Speaker B:Yeah, Bali, I think.
Speaker A:I was just.
Speaker B:Yeah, come over, come hang.
Speaker A:We know some about where you are at the moment.
Speaker B:Pretty much based there.
Speaker B:I'm just back home, just visiting for Christmas and New Year's.
Speaker B:But I'm gonna go back in a week or two.
Speaker A:Yeah, good.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's just good.
Speaker B:It's good fun there.
Speaker B:Really friendly local people, good food shape, nice way to.
Speaker A:Whereabouts.
Speaker A:Where's like the most touristy place in Bali?
Speaker A:Where does everyone go?
Speaker A:Because obviously it must be quite a big place.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I say in Shangu, and that's probably the biggest party spot in Bali that everyone goes to.
Speaker B:And then.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, Remember that one?
Speaker B:Avima's, Seminyak and Uluwatu and Ubud.
Speaker B:And those are probably considered the main tourist spots.
Speaker A:Okay, I'm just gonna write down Shanghu because I'm not there to remember those other names.
Speaker B:I'll message you after.
Speaker B:How to spell it.
Speaker B:If she can't, thank you.
Speaker A:What have you learned about yourself whilst doing this?
Speaker A:On top of the confidence aspect, I.
Speaker B:Would say this sounds really cringe, but like, consistency is key, I think.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because I think a lot of people fail as because they just stop trying.
Speaker B:And if you just never stop trying, then you'll eventually get there.
Speaker B:And I'm definitely not there by any means, but I know I'm gonna get there because I'll just keep trying until I get there.
Speaker B:It's pretty simple.
Speaker B:But I think I was also lucky with the work I did that I managed to save up enough that I could kind of take this time off and really focus on it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, that's very handy.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You should wear the high vis jacket more often.
Speaker A:That could be like your usp.
Speaker A:You could change your name to the hi Vis guy.
Speaker B:Would come in handy.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:It was like big rigma.
Speaker A:Like, oh, is the high vis guy.
Speaker A:Yeah, let's go and talk to him.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Have you had like one interaction with someone that really stands out from.
Speaker A:For, like, for any reason?
Speaker B:Yeah, I've had a few.
Speaker B:I'd say more people that I remember.
Speaker B:Unfortunately, I was drunk for this one and we didn't.
Speaker B:The camera wasn't actually working the whole time we were recording.
Speaker B:But he was talking about his whole life story of how he built up his life from nothing and started his business and was like, really switched on.
Speaker B:I was like, wow, this guy's amazing.
Speaker B:Completely forgot his name.
Speaker B:Don't have the footage.
Speaker B:So I'm actually really upset.
Speaker A:Oh, no, we need to track him down.
Speaker B:Yeah, I know.
Speaker B:Bit of a shame.
Speaker B:And then just other people.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, there's just other people.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Other people that probably aren't as drunk.
Speaker B:I tend to have more meaningful conversations with.
Speaker B:I actually met someone that was quite into his confidence and that sort of thing and interviewed him a couple months ago and he gave me some tips.
Speaker B:So I'll have to send you his contact.
Speaker B:He.
Speaker B:He might be good to talk to as well, but he was just traveling around doing his thing.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:What were his tips?
Speaker B:I remember what one quote.
Speaker B:He was like, be the first on the dance floor.
Speaker B:Like, just go.
Speaker B:Be the first person to do it.
Speaker B:Like no one else cares.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker B:No one else is watching and actually gives a shit what you're doing.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's sort of.
Speaker A:That's what I was trying to say earlier when I couldn't think of a quote to come up with.
Speaker A:It was a.
Speaker A:It was associated with that.
Speaker A:Be the first on the dance floor.
Speaker A:It's like if no one else is doing something, that's a perfect opportunity to go in and do it and.
Speaker A:Yeah, but then no one, no one cares.
Speaker A:So I think, I think that's really good.
Speaker A:You see those videos where people are like at airports and stuff, they just start like singing really loudly or they're even seeable work.
Speaker A:They're on a plane and they just start singing really loudly.
Speaker A:And that's like ultimate confidence because at an airport, you're going to move and they're going to move and you'll never see them again.
Speaker A:But on a plane, stuck with those people for like a couple of hours.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Or at least.
Speaker A:At least a couple of hours.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think that's.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's.
Speaker A:That's what you want.
Speaker A:Have you seen those videos?
Speaker A:Yeah, sorry, you go.
Speaker B:Sorry.
Speaker B:No, you carry on.
Speaker A:No, no, no, you go.
Speaker A:I'll make my point after.
Speaker B:I was just going to say that is true confidence.
Speaker B:If you're doing that, because there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.
Speaker B:But Evan, I haven't got to that level yet.
Speaker B:Maybe one day.
Speaker A:Definitely.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:What.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:Could you.
Speaker A:You could.
Speaker A:I mean, you gotta be careful in an airport.
Speaker A:Cause obviously it's a bloody.
Speaker A:They're quick to react, these airport police.
Speaker A:But yeah, a plane.
Speaker A:That, that.
Speaker A:That's always funny.
Speaker A:Just randomly singing it during a plane.
Speaker A:Have you seen.
Speaker A:That's what I was gonna say.
Speaker A:Have you seen those videos where, like, people are in public and they like roll a football or a basketball at someone and then they have to try and like, get it in the hoop?
Speaker B:I've seen one of the.
Speaker B:One.
Speaker B:I've seen like boxing gloves, like put them on and, you know, give me a wee fight.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Yeah, you should.
Speaker A:I mean, they were really popular.
Speaker A:The guy that did it was really popular.
Speaker A:Maybe like a couple years ago, like probably a couple years ago, he would.
Speaker A:As you just be out in the streets, his crew would walk around holding one of those sort of like, they're not really portable, but like when you're a kid and you've got like a basketball hoop in your garden, they'd walk around with one of them, they bounce the basketball and they would like do like this, this countdown or they would put two codes down.
Speaker A:People would have to shoot with a football.
Speaker A:So, yeah, they were always quite good, to be fair, quite addictive.
Speaker A:But I think we'd sort of progress now onto the.
Speaker B:Create a new idea based around that.
Speaker A:Yeah, literally.
Speaker A:What else could you do?
Speaker A:Tennis paddle.
Speaker A:Tennis people love nowadays in the UK at least that's really on the.
Speaker A:That's really on the.
Speaker A:Grow up.
Speaker B:It's flowing in Bali as well.
Speaker B:It's insanely popular now.
Speaker A:Yeah, it isn't.
Speaker A:I don't play it.
Speaker A:I've never done it.
Speaker B:Me neither.
Speaker A:You should do some video of paddle tennis court.
Speaker A:Stay tuned, stay tuned, stay tuned, stay tuned.
Speaker A:Credits to Ollie Jones yeah.
Speaker A:What's the.
Speaker A:What is the future?
Speaker A:What are you looking to do like doing the future?
Speaker B:Currently I'm hoping to get a visa to actually work in Bali so I've got response.
Speaker B:Luckily I actually met someone at a festival maybe like six months ago, a year ago she worked for like a social media company so yeah they're drafting up a contract and then hopefully from there I can just keep building my connections, growing a following and just keep really traveling around the world just meeting people even like yourself and just having interesting conversations really.
