Creators are becoming Educators

Howdy from Eureka, CA,

Welcome to the 8 new subscribers from this past week!

The van broke down a - count it - 5th time. We're already back on the road. There's a brief section on that below.

But first, let's talk about this week's article - how are creators becoming educators?

A guy on YouTube gave me the courage to convert a van.

I've never met the person who inspired me to buy/build my van. I probably never will.

His name is Mav. He's a 26 year-old YouTuber that lives out of a Ford F-150. He spends his time fishing, cooking, and road tripping throughout the US.

I've watched nearly every video that Mav has produced because he delivers on 3 things: 1. He's authentic. 2. He's consistent. 3. He provides tactical advice.

Those 3 steps, in that order, are the playbook for a creator to become an educator because they leave the student inspired to create their own path.

Mavrik Joos has 2.1m subscribers on YouTube as of publishing.

1. Authenticity

If Mav weren't authentic, I wouldn't pay attention to him.

He doesn't take himself too seriously, he's kind to others, and he showcases both the good and the bad of traveling on the road.

Here are a few ways in which he's highlighted what the road is actually like:

• Being transparent about getting sick while traveling

• Talking through the frustration of a rat chewing through his truck's wiring

• Openly discussing the social anxiety of introducing yourself to strangers and making new friends

Sure, his videos also include some incredible scenic views and adventures, but the true value is in his authentic portrayal of both the highs and the lows of the road.

You don't walk away from his proverbial classroom thinking, "I'm not sure about the real world application of these ideas." This man walks the walk, talks the talk, and doesn't put a filter on it.

You know what he says is true, and this builds trust with the student.

Mav had an unwelcome visitor in the form of a rat and spends many a night in Walmart parking lots - no sugar coating his fully authentic life on the road.

2. Consistency

Authenticity leads to trust, but anyone can be true a time or two. The question as a creator is, can you be consistent?

Mav releases a new video every week on Sundays. He is so consistent that, as a student, I know his cadence.

This means that, despite my wacky video consumption habits, I never miss his videos.

I don't have the YT mobile app on my phone, and I don't have YT notifications. I intentionally make these two choices to limit the amount of low-signal content that I consume.

I constrict channels of distribution by design, but it doesn't affect my consumption of Mav's content.

Why?

Come hell or high water, I can count on one video from him every Sunday. There's no guessing game. I know his cadence, so I actively seek out his content when I'm ready to consume.

As a student, the creator's consistency allows me to take a trusting relationship built on authenticity and expand it's depth over a long period of time.

Mav filmed, edited, and published 321 videos over 6 years. Consistency = king.

3. Tactical Advice

The road can be exhausting. Quick tips and advice go a long way in conserving energy.

Mav lived out of a vehicle for years before I did. He is more equipped to offer tips on nomadic living than anyone that I personally know.

Here are some things that I've learned from him:

• I wash my dishes w/ sustainable wipes to limit water consumption & decrease clean-up effort

• I created a minimal water storage system where I can fill-up at most grocery stores throughout the US

• I designed my living space based on how I've watched him interact with his space as someone who is a similar height

There are no credentials or degrees in nomadic living. Mav learned all of this stuff by living it. This applies to so many other subjects online.

Of course there will always be professions that require formal credentials (doctor, lawyer, etc.), but there are hundreds of thousands of untapped niches that creators can quickly become top educators in.

A screenshot from a video that Mav produced on building out his truck camper. Notice that his bed runs the length of the truck instead of from left to right. I used this design in my own van build.

The order of operations matters.

Authenticity -> Consistency -> Tactical Advice

Results in:

Trust -> Cadence -> Utility

Too many folks start with utility without letting their authentic voice shine through. There's no trust with the student.

Or folks will have a great voice online, but their output is sporadic and inconsistent. There's no clear cadence with the student.

Maybe some folks have nailed authenticity and consistency but don't fully know what tactical advice to provide. That means you're on your way.

You're following the correct order of operations and simply need to find your niche.

This is actually where I find myself. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm just saying you're in striking distance.

It took Mav 2-3 years of posting his outdoor activities and lifestyle vlogs to hone in on what he can provide tactical advice on - road tripping, fishing, and cooking out of the back of his truck.

You're not going to figure it out right away, and that's okay.

Focus on the first two steps, and the third will come.

It's hard work, but it's worth it. Once you accomplish all three, you'll unlock the true value proposition of becoming an educator - inspiring and equipping students to carve their own path.

Van Breakdown #5

We bit the dust a fifth time, but we're already back on the road.

It was fuel pump related again. I could hear it right away.

I chose to put myself in this van and endure this lifestyle. This is what comes with it.

With that said, it could've been worse. Here's what I'm grateful for:

• I didn't break down in a remote place (broke down in a Walmart)

• The connector that got fried wasn't something that we had replaced before

• I had access to food, bathrooms, and wifi so I could stream the Eagles/Phillies

All has been fixed, and we're back on the road.

This is the connector that got fried (see brown residue on the port second from the left.)

What I'm paying attention to:

• Jack Raines is the author of Young Money. His tweet above offers a new perspective on the relationship between procrastination and ambition in regards to leading a fulfilling life.

• Nomadic life can be difficult due to the lack of familiarity and community. Kift, a nomad-focused startup, seeks to solve that. Read their white paper on how they plan to empower digital nomads with community-owned gathering spaces across the world.

• If you're a student today, having a tutor is viewed as embarrassing. It means you're behind. It means you're failing. It means you just don't get it. Erik Hoel makes the case that tutors may be the one variable indicative of intellectual genius throughout history: "It appears that would-be-genius children had extremely abnormal amounts of one-on-one time with intellectually-inclined adults, who often introduced them to advanced topics far beyond their age. Once you begin looking, tutors pop up like mushrooms around historical geniuses." Read Hoel's piece titled "Why We Stopped Making Einsteins."

Photos of The Week

Location this past week: Bend, OR -> Crater Lake National Park -> Crescent City, CA -tow> Eureka, CA

Dusk at Crater Lake (pre-breakdown.)

DALL-E 2 is a new AI system that can create realistic images and art from a description. A friend and fellow subscriber (s/o to you, Nathan) gave me access. Here's what AI yielded when I typed in "impressionist painting of a white cargo van driving in a field." I call it "Vincent van Life."

All the belongings I need in a single picture. I'm able to be fully self-sustaining with just a few toiletries, a laptop, and some clothes. I've lived out of just my duffel and work backpack for a great deal of this journey due to the breakdowns.

Downtown Arcata, California outside of Eureka.

I Ubered to my Airbnb after getting the van towed to the mechanic. This was on the bedside table. Coincidentally, it's the quote I turn to when the going gets tough.

Thanks for reading

What creators serve as educators in your life?

Hit the reply button and let me know!

Josh

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