In this conversation, Blake interviews Chris and Matt from Driftwood Guitars. This is an EXTREMELY YouTube driven episode. (Thanks Rhett Shull!) As the Driftwood Guitars channel has grown, so has the guitar building business and we talk about their approach, how to balance the guitar building side with the video side, negative troll comments, mental health, and a whole lot more! Head over to the Driftwood Guitars website HERE! https://www.driftwoodguitars.com/ And their YouTube HERE https://www.youtube.com/@DriftwoodGuitars Takeaways Building guitars was a hobby that turned into a business YouTube played a significant role in growing their business and connecting with customers. YouTube has revolutionized the guitar world, making it more accessible and exciting. Balancing marketing/promotion work can be difficult, but it's necessary. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:58 Getting Started in Guitar Building 03:01 Transition to YouTube 06:02 The Impact of YouTube on the Business 08:08 The Evolution of YouTube and its Influence 09:31 The Growth of Guitar Podcasts 12:21 The Shift in YouTube's Perception 15:36 The Journey into YouTube 19:46 The Early Days of YouTube 20:45 Creating Quality Content 21:14 Finding Your Voice on YouTube 22:09 Listening to the Audience 23:08 The Power of Momentum 24:18 Discovering Your Niche 25:14 Analyzing Video Performance 26:09 The Importance of Thumbnails and Titles 27:11 The Viewer's Perspective 28:05 The Unpredictability of Video Success 29:24 Balancing Passion and Views 30:27 The Impact on Business 31:09 Expanding Reach and Sales 32:08 Direct Connection with Customers 33:09 Competition and Quality 34:27 The Power of YouTube Algorithms 35:51 The Work Behind the Scenes 38:47 The Balance Between YouTube and Guitar Building 41:27 The Path to Success 44:03 The Role of Luck and Algorithms 45:53 The Power of YouTube Collaborations 46:35 The Importance of YouTube for Creators 47:03 The Evolving Landscape of YouTube 47:55 Balancing YouTube and Guitar Building 48:23 YouTube as a Tool for Business Growth 50:15 Dealing with Negative Comments on YouTube 51:13 Developing Resilience through Online Criticism 52:47 Appreciation for the Online Creator Community 53:32 Final Thoughts and Shoutouts 56:26 Favorite Boss Pedals 59:06 Favorite Kind of Pizza 01:04:02 Closing Remarks Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices