Monroe Mann – How I Got Started as a YouTuber

Dive: Artist - YouTuber
Description: Is a YouTuber
Level: Level 1
Level Requirements: Has started a channel either solo or as part of a team
Certified On: Feb 9, 2020

Editor’s Note: On all dive certifications, we try to edit the writing as little as possible to preserve authenticity, personality, and writing style. We typically fix spelling errors, but minimally modify grammar and sentence structure (just enough to ensure readability).

Name: Monroe Mann Break Diving Level: Level 1 Number of Certified Dives: 14 From: United States In: United States

1. When and Why Did You Decide to Pursue This Dive At This Level? What was your inspiration and motivation?

I started my channel on June 3, 2006. I did so shortly after I returned from my service in Iraq with the US Army as a place to promote a comedy documentary I was working on about Iraq. You can still see some of those videos on my channel! An editor and I had put together a few random clips from my service there, because he believed if I did so, it might help with promotion and feedback. YouTube had just launched the year prior in 2005, so it was still very new—it wasn’t, at that time, even owned by Google. It was its own separate company. And in fact, as a fun fact side note, here is the link to the very first YouTube video ever posted, by one of its founders, Jawed Kareen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw So that’s how this started. I didn’t really do it for the traditional reasons people do so today–to get famous, to find subscribers, etc. It was honestly just an easy place to showcase these original videos.

2. How Long Did It Take For You To Accomplish This Dive At This Level From The Day You Decided To Pursue It, And Why Did It Take That Long?

I think it took just about 10 – 15 minutes to start the channel. It was easier back then, though, because today, I believe you need a gmail account, whereas back then, you could start it with just any email address. Nonetheless, it’s still pretty simple to start one today. Back then, I believe you could get your custom domain immediately, whereas now, you first have to prove yourself with 100 subscribers.

3. What Was The Hardest Part About Achieving This Particular Dive Level?

The hardest part was just visiting the site and launching it. I know many people today who talk about wanting to start a YouTube channel, but they never take this simply step of just doing it. It’s free! It takes 10 minutes! Do it already!

4. What Was The Easiest Part About Achieving This Particular Dive Level?

The easiest part was that I didn’t really even think about it. I just did it. My editor friend suggested it, and I didn’t know much about film making and videography at the time, so any advice was good advice. I guess the easiest part is also the hardest part: just start the channel already.

5. What Is Your Advice For Someone Who Is Pursuing This Dive And Level?

Don’t worry too much about what your channel is about, who the audience is, what type of content you will share, etc. None of that matters as you’re getting started, and you won’t get a custom domain until 100 subscribers anyway, so… stop coming up with excuses. Just go to YouTube.com and start your channel. As you start to gain subscribers, you will have a better idea what your channel’s focus will be. It will likely morph and change as you experiment.

6. What Are Some Of The Best Resources You Recommend to Those Pursuing This Dive At This Level, And Why Do You Recommend Them? Please Include Relevant Weblinks, If Applicable.

There are a bunch of great YouTube videos and channels that help you grow your YouTube. VideoCreators is one such channel (VideoCreators.com). There’s also a YouTube for Dummies books that I bought that helped me grow my channel too. Also, Amazon has some great high quality yet inexpensive equipment to help you out, like a tripod camera mount for a cell phone; ring lights; and other stuff that will help you grow your channel.

Resource 1: Break Diving - Come and get advice from other Break Divers!

Resource 2: Video Creators - This is a great resource as you're getting started with your channel.

Resource 3: Amazon - You can buy lots of great equipment here.

Resource 4: -

Resource 5: -

7. Tell Us A Story Of One Of Your Adventures While Pursuing This Dive (At This Level).

I honestly can’t really remember much about starting the channel, because it was over 14 years ago (wow), but I can say this. I started the channel in 2006, and basically did nothing with it deliberately until 2018.

During those 12 years, looking back, I now realize two things: a) my channel grew on its own up to about 140 subscribers, and b) it stopped at that point.

Now, I don’t remember if ‘subscribers’ was a feature back then, but I do remember promoting my channel via my email list for at least a year, and so I guess that’s how I initially got some subscribers. However, thereafter, and for over 10 years, the channel basically just grew stagnant. I didn’t start to again gain subscribers until I actively started working for them in 2018.

The lesson I learned: you can get some initial subscribers initially if you ask your friends, but very quickly, the number of friends who will subscribe disappears. At that point, unless you keep at it, and develop a clear strategy for promotion, you probably won’t get many more subscribers. As a case in point, you’ll often find channels that have videos with hundreds of thousands of views, but the channel itself still has only a few hundreds subscribers. Why? A viral video alone many not bring you subscribers. Gaining subscribers needs to be a separate and distinct strategy.

And you’ll hear more about all this in my future certification posts as a YouTuber.

8. What Evidence Did You Submit to Prove You Met the Requirements for This Dive and Level?

You can find my YouTube channel at youtube.com/monroemann. Here is a screenshot:

I also submitted the URL to my YouTube page to the dive committee on Break Diving, and a number of members certified that I did indeed have my own YouTube channel. I hope you will check it out yourself too, watch some videos, and if you like, please subscribe! Help me get to 1,000! I’m over halfway there!

9. Will You Be Pursuing The Next Level For This Dive? If Yes, Why? If Not, Why Not?

I absolutely will! I already have a little over 545 subscribers, so I’ve met the requirements for Level 2, and I look forward to getting certified for that shortly as well!

10. What is the Break Diver's Creed?

No Rules. No Excuses. No Regrets.

Certificate photo:

And having made this post, and provided adequate evidence to the dive committee, Monroe Mann is now hereby certified by Break Diving, Inc. as: Artist - YouTuber - Level 1. Congratulations ! Thank you for being an inspiration to others!

Certificate number: 23

The author above wrote this WYSEguidance post as one of the certification requirements to become certified by Break Diving, Inc. for a dive completed. Would you also like to find greater success, happiness, and friendship, and make genuine supportive connections with others around the world pursuing your same dreams? Come join us at Break Diving and soon your story will be the next one you read about on this site!

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