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Daniel McMahon, known as Dodford, is a British creative making a name for himself on YouTube with his impressive filmmaking, VFX skills, and storytelling abilities. His collaborations with big names like Mr. Beast and the Sidemen speak volumes about his standing in the online creative world.
In this episode, he shares:
• His strategy for 6 million views (that actually works)
• The harsh reality of being a YouTuber
• The importance of timing content
+ LOADS MORE!
This might be the first time he’s ever opened up about the true story behind Dodford.
Tools I use:
VidIQ - https://vidiq.com/creatorplaybooks/
Riverside - https://riverside.fm/?via=callum
Get FREE business breakdowns from Callum: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Listen on Podcast Player:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Follow Dodford on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dodford/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@dodford?lang=en
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DodfordYT
Twitter - https://twitter.com/dannymcmahon
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Timestamps:
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:25 Small Creator to YouTube Sensation
07:31 The Sidemen Documentary
14:30 Behind the Scenes: Crafting Viral Documentaries
28:45 Sustaining a YouTube Business Model
33:16 Revenue Streams
37:13 Innovating Content Through Elimination
40:02 YouTube Analytics
44:13 Finding Motivation
49:20 Highs and Lows of Content Creation
57:28 Strategic Content Planning and Future Goals
01:02:03 Closing Thoughts
Growing on social media is now more difficult than ever. So, if I wanted to grow online in 2024, what would I do? Well, I've spent the last few months chatting with masterminds in social media and marketing, and here's what I learned.
Tune in for expert advice from the likes of Grace Andrews (Head of Marketing at Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO), Calfreezy (The Fellas Studios), Michael Corcoran (Former Head of Social Media at Ryanair), Andrew Bloch (Lord Sugar's PR representative), Damien Jordan (DamienTalksMoney), Nathan Barry (ConvertKit, Billion Dollar Creator Podcast), and Angus Parker (Ali Abdaal's manager).
Tools I use:
VidIQ - https://vidiq.com/creatorplaybooks/
Riverside - https://riverside.fm/?via=callum
Get FREE business breakdowns from Callum: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Listen on Podcast Player:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:44 - Understand your "why"
02:58 - Being authentic
05:04 - Banger Banks
08:21 - Disrupting the system
11:12 - Competing on brand
13:06 - Reactive content
16:52 - Answering your DMs
18:08 - Short form reels
22:38 - Ladders of Wealth Creation
Damien Jordan, known online as DamienTalksMoney, is one of the UK's top content creators. Renowned for his trusted insights, he offers invaluable advice, tips, and strategies for mastering money management, investing wisely, and building wealth. However, what often goes unnoticed his how relentlessly committed he is to being a creative (not just a creator).
In this episode, he shares:
• How anyone can achieve YouTube fame
• Behind the scenes of going viral in ONE DAY
• His 1k to 200k social strategy
+ LOADS MORE!
If you've ever considered becoming a content creator, you don't want to miss this!
Tools I use:
VidIQ - https://vidiq.com/creatorplaybooks/
Riverside - https://riverside.fm/?via=callum
Get FREE business breakdowns from Callum: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Listen on Podcast Player:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Follow Damien on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/damientalksmoney
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/DamienTalksMoney
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/damien-jordan-7a7112159/?originalSubdomain=uk
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:07 How to Become a YouTuber
08:19 Viral Success
13:20 Creating Content for Long-term Success
19:21 Diversifying Income Streams Beyond YouTube
21:06 The Ethical Dilemma of Sponsorships
24:44 Expanding into B2B
29:55 Advice for New Creators
32:17 Long Form vs Short Form
33:41 Being an Education Creator
39:58 Navigating the Creator Economy
43:50 Critique (Is Mr. Beast Making The Best Videos?)
45:43 Authenticity in a Saturated Market
46:33 Quick Fire Questions
Andrew Bloch is the PR genius behind Lord Sugar (The Apprentice), and co-founder of one of the UK’s number one PR agencies, Frank. There, Andrew masterminded multiple world-famous campaigns with brands such as HP Sauce and Compare The Market. Andrew stepped back from running Frank in 2020 to launch Andrew Bloch & Associates which has just been awarded Boutique Marketing Consultancy of the Year 2024.
In this episode, he shares:
• The reality of working with Lord Sugar
• How to go viral (using PR)
• Behind the world’s best marketing campaigns
+ LOADS MORE!
If you want to learn from one of the world’s best PR experts, you’re not going to want to miss this!
Get a FREE Email breakdown of this business: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Listen on Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Follow Andrew:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AndrewBloch
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/blochstagram/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbloch
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewbloch
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:10 What is PR?
05:14 Crafting Iconic Campaigns: The HP Sauce Story
11:28 Andrew’s Framework
18:49 Compare the Meerkat
25:44 Successful Agency-Client Relationships
29:27 Partnership with Lord Sugar
32:44 Challenges and Triumphs with Lord Sugar
34:42 Problems With Becoming Lord Sugar
38:54 What Makes Lord Sugar Special?
40:42 Mentoring ‘The Apprentice’ Winners
43:06 Favourite ‘The Apprentice’ Winners
45:18 Greatest PR Stunts
48:55 Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Resilience
51:20 Agency Life to Consultancy
58:54 The Power of Networking and Future Ventures
01:01:02 Quick-Fire Questions
Michael Corcoran is the mastermind who led RyanAir's game-changing social media strategy. With a knack for reshaping brand perception and driving organic reach, Michael has earned a reputation as a visionary leader in the digital marketing landscape. His innovative strategies and expertise continue to redefine the way brands engage with audiences in the ever-evolving realm of social media.
In this episode, he shares:
• How they built the WORLD's No1 corporate TikTok account
• The EXACT social strategy that gave them 1 BILLION in organic reach
• The LIES that make social media a pyramid scheme for most brands
• Why 99% of social content is trash
• The behind the scenes of RISKY tweets about Jadon Sancho and Prince William
+ loads more!
This is an absolute marketing masterclass; if you care at all about social media, you’re not gonna wanna miss this.
Get a FREE Email breakdown of this business: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Listen on Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Follow Michael:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lemachine/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/le_machine/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrichardcorcoran/
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:16 Getting the Job at Ryanair
04:35 Challenges at Ryanair
06:16 Strategy Behind Ryanair's Social Media Success
09:25 Importance of Understanding Your Audience
10:33 Authenticity in Social Media
12:33 The Role of Strategy
17:01 The Impact of Ryanair's Social Media Strategy
22:35 Challenges of Reactive Content
24:55 Ryanair's Reactive Content
33:17 The Call From Kensington Palace
46:52 Red Circle
40:18 The Sancho/Bartlett Incident
44:47 Reality of Being a Brand on Social Media
45:16 Strategy of Disruption
46:09 Always-On Content
46:56 Social Media Pyramid Scheme
54:38 Social Media for Brands
01:06:48 Why Michael Left RyanAir
01:09:38 The Future
Callum Airey, better known as Calfreezy, is a prominent British YouTuber and content creator. He gained popularity through his YouTube channel, where he creates content related to gaming, challenges, and vlogs. He is also the co-founder of The Fellas Studios, the UK's fastest-growing podcast network acclaimed for its shows, including The Fellas, Saving Grace, Growing Paynes, and more. Notably, KSI and the Sidemen recently invested £1.5 million in the network, valuing the studio at £15 Million.
In this episode, he shares:
• His 1k to 4 Million Subscriber YouTube Strategy
• How he's building the UK's fastest-growing podcast Network
• What the Sidemen are really like
• The anatomy of a viral video
+ loads more!
You may know Calfreezy for his funny videos or the R-Rated jokes on his podcast, but he is undeniably one of today's smartest creators so trust me, you don't want to miss this.
Get a FREE Email breakdown of this business: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Listen on Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Follow Calfreezy:
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calfreezy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calfreezy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calfreezy
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:35 Calfreezy Is a Secret Genius
02:28 Start of Calfreezy's YouTube Career
03:28 Challenges of Starting on YouTube
05:14 Birth of The Fellas Podcast
09:01 Importance of Collaboration in Content Creation
13:32 Science of Creating Engaging Content
15:28 Impact of Authenticity in Content Creation
19:06 Role of Collaboration in Calfreezy's Success
20:05 What Is Calfreezy’s Content?
28:37 Relationship with the Sidemen
36:19 Calfreezy Proving Himself
38:53 Unexpected Turn of Events
39:28 Impact of COVID-19
39:52 The Fellas Backstory
40:24 Was It a Hit from Day One?
40:43 The Concept and Evolution of the Podcast
41:22 Drinking
41:50 Transition to Spotify
44:21 End of the Spotify Era
45:15 Expansion of The Fellas Studios
47:53 Strategy Behind Successful Podcasts
50:18 Importance of Building Brands
52:59 Challenges of Talent Management
01:05:42 Lowest Moment
01:09:35 Quick-fire Questions
An end of year update from me.
I hope you enjoy and get some value! Let me know in the comments.
0:00 Biggest wins of the year
01:20 Agency Revenue Growth
03:15 Lessons from Hiring
04:50 Biggest failure
06:50 Removing Mediocrity
07:25 Moving at Pace
09:00 Content is a Superpower
12:00 Personal News
13:10 A message for YOU in 2024
Get FREE business breakdowns from Callum: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Listen on Podcast Player:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Charlie Lawrance is one the smartest operators in social media.
In this episode Charlie reveals the social strategy that grew his TikTok to 300k, built a hugely valuable community and launched a talent agency.
He shares: • How He Grew to 100k Followers in 18 Days• The Anatomy of a Viral Video • How To Succeed From Day 1 on Social + loads more!
The value shared in this conversation is incredible.
Get a FREE Email breakdown of this business: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Listen on Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell
Follow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Follow Charlie: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charlielawranceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlielawrance/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@charlie_lawrance
Olly Richards is the owner of the $10Million online education business Storylearning.
Storylearning is a business built on content with millions of blog visits & Podcast downloads each month (plus 400,000 YouTube Subscribers!).
In this episode Olly shares so much value:
• How to find your USP
• How grow a high value audience
• What makes great content
• How to sell without discounting
• Why you should stop being so desperate & think long term
• How to design a life you ACTUALLY want to live
• Loads more!
Get a FREE Email breakdown of this business: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Follow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/ Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Follow Olly:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OllyRichardsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/realollyrichards/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollyrichards/?originalSubdomain=uk
Grace Andrews is the Marketing Director for The Diary Of A CEO and Steven Bartlett.
In this episode Grace gives us a Marketing Masterclass.
She reveals:
- How The Diary of a CEO became the world's fastest growing Podcast
- What makes a great brand
- Why your social media probably sucks
- What it's live working with Steven Bartlett
- What brands get wrong about Creators
- Loads more!
I really hope you get as much value as I did from this conversation.
Get a FREE Email breakdown of this business:
https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcd...
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Keep Up With Grace:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.socialc...
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-and...00:00 Intro
00:57 Getting the job with Steven Bartlett
09:40 Starting to post on Social Media
11:29 Setting Aspirations
13:16 Why Nobody Cares About Your Product
13:39 Why RedBull is so Successful
15:10 Socials vs Emails
15:56 Don't Publish Your What, Publish Your Why
16:08 DOAC’s Why
18:47 Delegating
20:29 Short Form Video Breakdown
21:47 Maisie Williams
23:55 Level Up Your Short Form
26:34 Secret to DOAC Trailers
28:44 How To Make Them Care
29:32 DOAC’s Trailer Editor
30:12 Alex Hormozi
31:32 Experimentation Manager
33:06 Keeping Steven on Track
34:00 Thumbnail Tests
36:01 DOAC Growth
37:12 How to Sell a Story
39:10 Lessons for Growth
42:56 Utilising Paid Spend
46:07 Book Strategy
48:48 Start NOW
49:36 Key to Successful Brand Partnerships
51:18 Death of Influencer Marketing?
53:10 More Than a Podcast
54:49 Relationship With Steven Bartlett
55:56 The Social Climber
58:40 Hiring
01:02:25 Quick-Fire Questions
01:03:26 Mo Gawdat
Nathan Barry is the founder of ConvertKit - a Creator business worth over $320 million.
In this episode we break down the fundamentals that got him there.
Nathan reveals:
• His Monthly Revenue Growth from $1500/Month in 2013 to $3Million/Month in 2023
• His 4 Step System To Building Wealth On The Internet
• The Flywheel Framework & How It Can Change The Trajectory Of Any Business
• Spotify's offer to buy Convertkit
• Loads more!
I really hope you get as much value as I did from this conversation!
Get a FREE Email breakdown of this business:
https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/
Follow Callum on socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/
Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Follow Nathan:
IG - https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
Twitter - https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube - @nathanbarryshow
Angus Parker is the man behind Ali Abdaal's £5 Million business.In this episode we deep dive in the business behind the YouTube channel.Angus unveils:- How one email changed his life- How they managed the incredible growth from £2.27 in 2017 to £5million+ in 2023- Their 3-step YouTube strategy- Full revenue stream breakdown- Loads more!Get a free Email breakdown of this business: https://callummcdonnell.substack.com/ Follow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/ Work with Callum: https://www.7xcontent.com/Follow Angus:Twitter - https://twitter.com/apmparker?lang=en Thanks for watching!
Steven Bartlett went from recording his first podcast in his bedroom with a duvet over his head to over 10 Million monthly downloads in just 4 years. I estimate he makes around $2 million in direct revenue per year. He has a genius podcast strategy. Here’s the 7 things The Diary Of A CEO is doing and what we can learn from them:Follow me on my socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/ You can work with Callum here: https://www.7xcontent.com/ Thanks for listening!
Rob sells 11,000 books a year self publishing on Amazon.
At £12 a book that’s £144,000 a year.
We chatted about his self publishing journey.
This is the most realistic form of passive income I have come across.
#passiveincome #selfpublishing #amazonselfpublishing
In this episode Callum sit’s down with Rob Dix, Co-Host of The Property Podcast & Sunday Times Bestselling Author.
We explore how he grew his podcast into a mid seven figures business, and his journey from lost PR Manager to fulfilled entrepreneur.
Follow Rob on social:
https://twitter.com/robdix
Follow Callum on social:https://linktr.ee/heycallum
It’s been almost a year since I sent an update.
My bad.
Good news - my little content agency just crossed £18,000 in monthly revenue.
It took 365 days with zero experience and is nicely profitable.
These are the 12 steps of my wild & bumpy journey.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@callummcdonnell/about
Please note this is a video podcast :)
Gaby Mendes is a former teacher turned entrepreneur and CEO of the media brand 'Talk Twenties'.
'Talk Twenties' started as an event company but pivoted to an award winning Podcast during COVID and is now developing into a much bigger media brand.
In this episode we cover why Gaby left teaching for business, her plans for the brand and how anyone can start a media company on a budget.
You can find Gabby:
https://www.instagram.com/iamgabymendes/?hl=en
https://mobile.twitter.com/iamgabymendes
You can find Callum:
https://mobile.twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
Charlie Light is an entrepreneur and the man behind the finance meme account John W Rich on Twitter.
He has grown a following of 140k+ on the platform which has quickly developed into a booming content agency.
In this episode we get into Charlie's plans to take his agency from $40k/month to $100k/month and how this all started as a bit of fun at the start of COVID.
You can find Charlie:
https://twitter.com/charliewrich
https://twitter.com/Cokedupoptions
You can find Callum:
https://mobile.twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
Gabriel Nussbaum is an entrepreneur and TikTok creator.
He has grown a following of 1million+ on the platform in the finance niche.
In this episode we get into Gabriel's journey as a content creator, how he cracked the TikTok algorithm, brand deals and his future plans.
You can find Gabriel:
https://www.tiktok.com/@gabriel.nussbaum
https://www.instagram.com/gabrielinussbaum/
You can find Callum:
https://mobile.twitter.com/McdonnellCallum
https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
Danny Buck is the CEO and Founder of CRAFTD London.
He runs the holding company Brandbuildr, which includes CRAFTD London, Circulr and Honu.
In this episode we get into Danny's origin story, his time building a 100 person e-commerce agency and how he thinks about building successful brands today.
You can find Danny:
https://www.instagram.com/thedannybuck
https://twitter.com/thedannybuck
You can find Callum:
https://mobile.twitter.com/McdonnellCallum