This is me begging... #VidSummit2018

As weird as it may sound, I feel like I have a family on YouTube. I spend 85% of my day in-front of a computer or camera, both creating & consuming for a platform I love. That's why I'm writing this blog.

In late 2017, I was made aware of an annual conference that opens its doors to creators, business owners, entrepreneurs, hustlers and dreamers. This event is VidSummit. When I heard about the conference, I was already too late to go, key speakers have already addressed the crowds and given them all the most valuable information they would ever need to succeed. I was devastated. When one day, after continuing to follow VidSummit on Twitter, as well as all other connected parties including, keynote speakers, sponsors, attendees... there was a light at the end of the tunnel. VidSummit offered a digital replay of all the content for the 2017 event.

Without wasting a second, I signed up.

Time stood still, and I won.

To this day, I watch replays of Gary Vaynerchuck, Shaun "Shonduras" McBride, Ricky Ray Butler, Roberto Blake, Garrett Gee, Derral Eves and so many more. I pull new value from them with every watch. The only thing missing from this experience, is the contact.

I watch live-streams of many creator help channels, and have slowly gained the knowledge needed to build a solid strategy to thrive. Again, what I'm missing is the face-to-face networking connection. This is only available at VidSummit. VidSummit 2018 should without a doubt be in the cards for me, unfortunately I live in New York and on-top of pretty heavy travel costs, there would be a flight & hotel accommodation cost. While I work as a full-time creator, I'm also a full time dad of an 8 month old baby girl. At this point, you may be asking yourself, "You're not starving as a full time dad, who is a "YouTuber" and has a subscriber base of <300... how?" My simple answer, hustle. I actively seek out opportunity, build connections, and work from sunrise to sunset on things that make me happy. I left my personal cubicle-prison about a year ago, with no idea of how I was going to make it work. It was at the moment the doors closed behind me, that I promised myself I would never let my job or the pursuit of a career define me. This is part in thanks to one of your keynote speakers, Peter McKinnon. He recorded a video back when he had about 200k subscribers, the video was called "Taped a GoPro to my foot" & in this video he tells a short story about getting fired from the same company as I was working and then pursued his current creative field.

This video changed my life and hit home to me on so many levels. So selfishly, I also want to thank him.

Wanting to go to VidSummit is an understatement. I need to go, this is me begging...