248: From 'safe & soft' to doing the hard things - How brand strategist Mark Drager built a YouTube show generating 4M views

CRANK THE 3RD: Exploring the entrepreneurial + creative side of life post 50

One of the trends I've been highlighting for a while now is producing a 'destination' show instead of simply doing a podcast, or just a YouTube video.

Add a bit of meat to it. Theme it. Make it multimedia so people can listen if they prefer that, or watch it on YouTube, or read about it if necessary. Cut it into snippets to share across social media. Give it a name, create a sub-branded media property, as I've been calling it for years now: turn it into a platform with editorial integrity!

It's a destination show for a couple of reasons: (a) people go looking for it, they subscribe to it, they opt-in - it's a regular thing in terms of their content consumption. And (b) with all the bite-sized snippets you're putting out there - micro videos, quote cards, photos and images, pithy lessons learned ... these act as digital breadcrumbs to draw people back to your show, it's the destination, as it were.

It's a doorway into your personal brand orbit. For some people, it's how they find and interact with you.

So if you're an entrepreneur, a professional expert, an emerging thought leaders and you want to take things up a notch or two, creating a show is potentially something you might like to think about.

This is the key theme of today's episode.

My guest is brand strategist and agency owner, Mark Drager.

Mark produces a combination YouTube show and podcast (We Do Hard Things), through which he delivers terrific interviews with big names in their respective fields e.g.

• Lisa Bilyeu (BILLyou), cofounder of billion dollar company Quest Nutrition;
• motivational speaker Les Brown;
• TV presenter, Charley Boorman, who did the Long Way Around series with Ewan McGregor;
• author and podcaster James Altucher;
• Anthony Trucks, a former NFL Athlete, American Ninja Warrior.

Mark's YouTube channel has generated close to 4 million views, and his podcast continues to grow in leaps and bounds.

How does Mark approach the production of such a show, and what motivates him to put himself out there, to play big and be bold?

Our conversation covers a lot of territory, and it zips along at a decent clip.

Mark discusses:

• why being "safe and soft" was the impetus to create his show WE DO HARD THINGS 2 years ago: "It's for dreamers and entrepreneurs who need to hear the stories of people who have the courage to put themselves first and pursue their passions at all costs"
• how he secures high calibre interview guests: entrepreneurs, athletes, professors, authors ... "bad ass people", as he lovingly describes them
• how getting your pitch right can help you stand out
• the differences between the video and audio-only experience (and how that affects how the show is produced)
• the reason why he is going all-in on YouTube: "We are producing a level of assets ... I want this to look and feel like a television show"
• The 'e' storytelling technique, which he's found useful in developing his interview style

We also address the vexed question: Should a lawyer produce a podcast about coffee? (Mark's answer might surprise you).

MARK'S QUOTABLE QUOTES:

• "Eventually, people don't come to you because of the thing you make, they come to you because of how you think."
• "There's an audience for everything. It's your job to create content that's worth listening to ... to stand out and be different."

It's an inspiring high-energy conversation: I think you'll like it!

CONNECT WITH MARK:

• Website
• YouTube channel

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