Becoming a True Hooper and Developing a Winner's Mindset with Quicksand Mindset

Foreign. Welcome to the Vision Basel training podcast. Appreciate everybody who's here, who's tuned in, everybody listening. Apple Podcast, Spotify. Shout out to you guys, you guys are on Apple podcast. Make sure you guys go down, leave a review, let me know what you think of the show. Shout out to you guys. You guys have been doing a great job of doing that recently and the show's growing. I mean, every week the numbers are up and it's because of the squad you guys give. So very appreciative for that YouTube, you guys as well. Thank you guys for, for, for watching, for subscribing, for supporting all of my stuff. And today special episode. I believe this is our first recurring guest that we've ever had on the show. Actually, I think Gabe, you might have been the first guest on. So like, you're just milestones every time you're on, apparently. Like my guy Gabe, go ahead and introduce yourself for the people. I mean this is one of like the, for anybody who's been around for a while, like they know you. But I think the last time you were on, honestly, my channel might, my channel might have doubled in size since the last time that you were on. So I'm sure there's some people who probably. And you've got such an interesting mix of what you do. And I'll let you get into it, both your. The Quick Stand mindset brand is fantastic and it's a really unique spin on stuff that people are doing. I think the way that you approach is awesome. So go ahead and let the people know a little bit about you.

Yeah, so my name is Gabe, Gabe Sandoval. The name Quicksand is a nickname so quick because I'm quick on my feet, on the court, and I'm also a quick thinker. And then last, my last name is Sandoval. So Quicksand is when you put it together like that, you know. So that's been a nickname for a long time. It started off with my dad and then it got passed down and then in college, well, you know, I played all played basketball throughout my whole life, you know, elementary to middle school to AAU and you know, college. I played just at the rec center, just, just casually and I just fell in love with the art of training and, you know, looking at people, you know, like D.J. sackman and you know, just Michael Lancaster and those guys and seeing what they're doing and I was like, know, I love the game and I feel like I can, I can teach. And so, you know, I got into basketball training that's where I started quicksand hoops. So we can get into that. You know, you can start that now. So quicksand hoops is how I started. And that was just solely just like basketball training. And, you know, I did that for only basketball training for like a year and a half, two years. And then I started, you know, falling in love with the weight room, so, you know, lifting weights on my own. And then eventually I became a certified personal trainer. And with that, I. I started to. To realize that, you know, when the kids were in season with basketball, they needed more than just, like, basketball skills because now they're. They're in season and they're away from me. So now I'm just like, okay, what can I do to be able to still bring value to people in a. In a different way other than basketball? And so I was like, well, let's become a certified personal trainer and just work with people, you know, adults or just anyone, teens who are just trying to, you know, lose weight, gain strength, just. Just start moving and feeling better about themselves. So, you know, that's kind of, you know, why I ventured into that. And, you know, now the quicksand mindset, this happened in the last. The last few months, actually. You know, I wanted to. To branch away from quicksand hoops because I felt like I was stuck in a bubble of just basketball. And I feel like I have a lot more to offer than this basketball because, you know, I love fitness, I love basketball, but also fell in love with, like, reading and listening to people like, for example, Russ and Jay Shetty and people who are more successful. And they just, they share their mind, they share their mentality and, you know, mamba mentality. And, you know, they. They pretty much. They've found the perfect marriage between, like, being successful in, like, your business and what you're trying to do and then just like regular life, you know. And I think that that's where I wanted to bring the quicksand mindset, to bring it all together, you know, and to, to have. Now the logo is, you know, my mind and brain right here. And then the basketball, like, spin, hack. These are two that go together. Then you have the, you know, the barbell on the back that also looks like headphones because I also love music. So music is just something that all of us use to be able to tap into. Just like if you're looking to lift weights, music just kind of like get you going. If you're trying to relax, go to sleep, or if you're trying to study, you Put certain music on, so just things like that. But the quicksand mindset is something I just wanted to branch out and show that I can do a lot more.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, and I was saying the other day when I saw your. One of your video intros, dude, the logo is Heat, man. It's. It's. It goes so hard. And. Yeah, and. And I think one of the things that I've got to. And actually we. I think last time you're on, we talked about that transition a little bit from. Because at that point you were still quicksand hoop, so it was still predominantly basketball. I think at that point you. You were probably like maybe a month into the. The. The Quick Talks. Um, and so I think you had mentioned then that you were thinking about making some sort of like, merger between. Of like, you know, all the things that you were doing into one. And. But it's awesome to see that now, but kind of to go back to what I alluded to right there. Where are you now with the Quick Talks? I honestly, like, I've lost count of the days. I see it every day. But it's like, at this point, man, you know, it's a, It's a. It's impressive that. Just to be able to put something out every day and something unique and something that's like, of quality as well. I think that's probably, you know, another. Another reason that you've been able to kind of make that transition. And I think your br. That's why your brain works so well is I think you really live what you. What you talk about.

Right? Yeah. So I appreciate the. Appreciate the compliment. And I'm on day 183, so I think 1183 is today, and it's 183 of me. So the Quick Talks is a segment that I have on my. On my Instagram and I post it on TikTok as well. And basically with. With this segment, it's just like I just wanted to give game and just give. Give some kind of like valuable content. Whether it's like me talking into the camera and, you know, telling the people what I've learned through books, what I've learned through mentors, what I've learned through friends around me. And this is. It could be like a quote. It can be just like a concept or an idea where, like, you know, I ask a question to the comment, you know, to the people reading it and stuff like that. And so I've been doing that pretty much every day for 183 days. And there also comes a point where there's people who tell their story better than what I can say. So then that's where I started. Like, I'm like, okay, well I can't say everything or I don't know everything. So let me just, you know, find something that has motivated me in the past for like example, like E.T. the hip hop preacher. He's, he's a guy who just motivates people and you know, I found a lot of his content is valuable to me. So, you know, just screen record it and I'll make that into a quick talk and then to shout him out in the, in, you know, in the description and stuff like that. So, you know, I just, I've been trying to just, just give free game and just try to help people grow their minds.

Yeah, yeah. You know, I kind of. We had talked about earlier with this whole, like, with this episode, you know, Will, again, we're both big time hoops guys. We love it and. But there's also so much else that I think that we can, we can go into. And I think that's kind of the, the I know that we talked a little bit about like some stuff that you had, like, why did I start a podcast? Well, part of it is like I can, like, I can, we can talk about what we want. I can bring people on who I like talking to and we could just kind of, we just kind of talk and have a conversation. So that, that was one thing, I think kind of to keep it in that realm kind of, but I guess it shifts it a little bit more towards basketball. What is. Like, my question is, so especially over the past year, you know, six months now with that, with the quick talks and you growing your brand, all that sort of stuff, what is that taught you? Like, what lessons have you taken from that? And any that you can relate back to, you know, Hoopers who are watching, guys who are, who are coming up trying to make, trying to make a way for themselves, not necessarily the way that you and I are doing it, but even if it's just like, you know, trying to make their varsity, trying to play college basketball, trying to play pro basketball.

Yeah. So I think that's a great question and I think where to really shows and demonstrates 183 days straight is discipline. You know, you gotta, you gotta do the things, you know, you need to do when sometimes you don't feel like doing them. In my case, I love to do it because I love to, to give back and I love to, you know, to Serve and to, to bring content to people. So if, you know, you're Hooper trying to get to the next level, you need to be disciplined. And if you don't feel like working out today or tomorrow, you just have to, you have to get it done because you got to know that there's people out there who, you know, who want that, and they're actually going to go out there and work out in the rain, work out in the snow, work out, work out when the conditions aren't right, when the timing isn't perfect, when, you know, maybe they're out with an injury, an ankle injury, but they're still out there shooting, right? They're doing the things that need to be done. So, you know, discipline is extremely important and, you know, just making sure you're, you know, around people you know, like yourself or know people, you know, like you, who are doing the things you know you need to do. You being really consistent with the podcast. Every week you've been posting it, you haven't missed one. So, you know, it's, it goes hand in hand with that. And I think, you know, you just, you got to start at an early age. If you're, if you're a younger Hooper, just really just be disciplined every day. Work on something maybe, you know, five to 10 minutes of just like, ball handling or just form shooting. Just, just get the work in and, you know, just stick to it. For sure.

Yeah, that's, that's definitely what I would say. Actually, I, I keep on forgetting to bring it up, but this would be. I think it's podcast. I think it's episode 56 of the podcast. So it was just, we just hit a year, like almost a month ago now at this point. So, like, I mean, that's, Yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it doesn't even seem like that. But honestly, like, again, I'm just so appreciative for everybody who's watching right now. I haven't even got a chance to even, like, look back at it yet and be like, oh, man, it's been a whole year since the podcast started. Because I remember when I, like when I first started, I just, I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't really know how to even go about talking on a camera for that long. And it's still something that I'm figuring out. There wasn't really anybody, like, who, like, I saw really doing that in the, what, the kind of realm that we're doing it. Like, everybody, you know, business wise, everybody's Got a podcast. Every celebrity has a podcast. When it came to like, basketball training, there wasn't. I didn't see anything from like, what, what I was trying to do. Like, I didn't see anything from that, that kind of regard as well. So I think part of it is like trying to see. Because I get questions all the time. I think this can relate back to this too. I get questions all the time from players that will be like, hey, should I do this sort of training? Like, should I do, you know, high intensity training? If I want to do this or if I want to get quicker, should I do this? Or should I go to the gym at 5am and then also go back at 7pm because I don't know if I'm going to be too tired or not. And part of it is just like, at some point you just got it. You got to do it and see what works and then see what doesn't. Like, I think a lot of, I think having the Internet, having people to learn from is a great thing, but I think some people, like, can use it as a crutch at times where it's like, I don't have to actually go out and do. I can just, I can just see what someone else did and I can try and like, you know, kind of tiptoe around ever having to make a mistake or fail at something. And like, for me, I, you know, there are podcasts I'll put out that don't get any views. Like, there are videos I'll put out that I'm like, oh, this is a banger of a video. And then like, boom, doesn't get any views. And it's like, sometimes that's just like, sometimes is how it is. I'll put out a video and I think it's great. And then like, you know, someone might comment on your video and say, it's terrible. Like, that's just, that's life though. Like, you have to be able to step out. So I think one thing I would say too is like, you have to, you have to be willing to just go out and do and see what works. And so, so much of like my responses to now, like, now to people, like, when I get DMs or even just like the players that I'm, I work with in person, it's just like the amount of times I just say, figure it out. Like, I'm just like, I'll get a question. And it's like, you just got to figure it out. And more often than not that that's More important than you getting it right the first. The first time. Like, even if you, like, mess that up, like you, you know, I tell you to figure it out and you lose the ball during the, during the drill, but that you losing the ball lets, you know, okay, I can't do that anymore, so maybe I got to do that now. Like, you're starting to figure stuff out yourself. And I think, you know, for me, it's like, you know, you can give a man a fish, right, Eats for a day, or you can teach a man how to fish, and then he could fish for a lifetime. I think that's kind of where I'm trending towards a lot of with when it comes to, like, my interaction with players is like, I'm like, I don't, I don't want to just give you, like, the answer every single time sometimes that sometimes you might need it, but a lot of times it's like, you got to be able to, to step out and, and risk potentially failing if you want to, like, grow at all.

No, I agree 100 with that. And I think it really just takes that player, that person to be vulnerable and to, you know, like you said, be willing to, to take a loss, you know, because the ups and downs are going to be able to teach you those lessons, you know, and you can't. It gets tough because you see, like, for a high school Hooper, even like college and stuff like that, but mostly high school. There's a lot of high school kids that are, like, famous off of basketball now. You know, you. You get to look on Instagram, you see these kids dunking and they have all the followers and they have everything going for them, but you're just like, like an average Joe, if you can think about it like that. And you're just like, wow, like, I don't even want to try to. I don't know what it takes. But also, I don't. I don't want to fail and, like, not be like him or her, you know, And I think that that can be a crutch, like you said. And it, you know, really, it can. It can be a thing of just disconnecting, you know, from social media and just really focusing on, you know, disconnecting from the stuff that. That is bothering you, you know, and then connect with people like you and I like content like ours, where you can actually learn from and you can, you can grow your mind and you can, like, challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone. And I think that, you know, that's really what it Takes for just people in general, but just hoopers and you know, anyone just stepping out, stepping out and trying stuff for.

Yeah, when you bring up those like high school kids, you've got middle school kids, high school kids who are famous playing basketball as seventh, eighth graders. You've got these massive channels with balls life and the, the well not who mixtape so much anymore but like overtime and all those, those channels. And I, I think that the question that I got a DM I got was from a kid probably like early high school and with him it was like, you know, he was like man, I, I really like, I can't stand these channels because it seems like they're. You're trying to paint a picture of like what you're like what you're supposed to be as a player when you're 14, 15, it's like if you're not dunking the basketball as a 14 year old then like you're not, you're not good. When in reality 98 of 14 year olds aren't dunking the basketball but you just have kind of those top guys right there. And it's like a, it's almost, it's a facade really. And, and I think that you know, to, to an extent it, I think a lot of times it, it props players up to be a little bit higher than they probably should be. Especially at an early age. I mean I don't know how like at an age like 13 or 14 you'd be able to handle like having a, you know, having a mixtape blow up and you get millions of people are following you right now. Like I don't know how at that age you'd be able to handle that. But I don't know if you have any thoughts on like the mixtape culture or um, you know, whether you think it's, it's a positive thing because I guess in one regard it for the popularity of basketball, it's definitely a good thing because all these, you know, everybody watches those videos, especially the younger kids then they want to play basketball. So you just as well basketball is, is growing the way it is because of social media honestly. But at the same time I think that there's a pretty sizable downside to it as well.

Yeah, no, I think when, I mean when I was in high school, I'm 26 now, so you know, I'm kind of removed from high school. But when I was in high school I love the mixtapes, you know, so it's for me it motivated me, you know, to be able to see like a, like A Ryan Harrell mixtape was one of my favorites. John Wall, Akio Carr was towards the latter part of my high school year. And you know, you get to see those, those like, highlights that stick out. And I would just like, I would study that exact move that worked for them and why it worked. And then from there, you know, just try to like, mimic it in the best way. You know, there's. There's obviously some moves. They were just like, all right, that was instinctual. You know, I can't really learn too much from that. But if there was like a, for example, like a float, like there was one that Ryan Harrell did in his, in his mixtape, he went, he did a behind the back, behind the back, left hand, behind the back flow. And then you want to cross over. And I was like, what set that up? You know, and I kept studying and it was, it was the float dribble, the flow dribble kind of, or the glider, I don't know how people call it different things, but he floated and he shifted his, his entire body and got that defender to also shift out of his positioning and then he hit him with the crossover and it was just like, that works, right? And then I put that into my game, you know, so if you, if you kind of, if you, if you pick and choose the clips that, you know, that you can actually learn from and put into your game, do that on every level. There could be a middle schooler who pulls off a move and you're like, okay, like, that was a nice move. Let's study it. Let's figure out why that worked for him, you know, but, you know, if we're going back to, like, how it really, you know, how it really feels, I mean, you know, I think I would just honestly have to ask the kids that I work with, right? And see, you know, how does it really make you guys feel to, to know that, you know, if you're not dunking or if you're not 6, 5 as a 14 year old, that you're not going to be, you know, a great player? Like, you know, I think it's important for us to tap in, you know, with, with that kind of age group and see exactly how, you know, how they feel. Because, I mean, for me, you know, it is what it is, right? There's always going to be levels to everything. So, you know, there's always going to be someone better than you, more athletic, taller, you know, so there's not much you can do. It's just now it's just like amplified.

Yeah. Yeah, that. I think that's. That's the thing with the amplification of it, even from when I was in high school, like, it was kind of. It's not what it is now because that was like pre TikTok. So things didn't get viral the way they get viral now. But I was like, you know, back when I was like, especially like middle school, early high school, and it was like you had like, guys got Keel Carr and Marcus Levette. Like those, like, those two were. I remember watching those and those were like seventh woods, his, his mixtape, I think. Yeah, I think, like, to your point there, I think one of the things you can take away from that and one thing that I say when I get messages like that is, is you. You have to stay out of that comparison trap. And it doesn't matter where you are. It doesn't matter if you're a basketball player. Uh, it doesn't matter if you're, you know, a YouTuber or like, if you're just. It doesn't matter if you, you know, work at Starbucks. It doesn't matter what you do. Like, trying to compare yourself because, you know, one of the, you know, you sent me a message earlier today talking about what. What were the two. It was Dharma and what was the other word?

Uh, sonder.

Yeah, sonder. So I was like, I didn't. I didn't know what saunder meant. So I looked that up and so it was like basically understanding that everybody else has an equally complex life to you, even though you don't feel like it at all, it feels like, oh, like everything is me. It's me, me, me, me, me. I don't recognize that that person also is this. They. They think the same way. Like, they also. It's me, me, me, me for them as well. So I think understanding that, like every person, it has so much complexity and so much like there's so much stuff that you have no idea about. So trying to compare yourself and then letting that determine how you feel about yourself is just. It's a. It's a really bad place to put yourself in, I think, especially basketball wise. And at an early age too, like, at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter, like, how good you are when you're 14 years old. It doesn't matter how good you are when you're like. It doesn't really matter for guys who are just like, everything kind of balances out, right? You have the guys who are going to be. I was at a AU tournament this weekend and I was coaching one of our teams, the 14 year team. And that age group is so funny because you'll have kids who are like, like literally full beards, like six, two, dunking, like, and then you'll have also a kid on the same team who's like, he looks like he just learned how to tie his shoes like a couple of weeks ago. Like, it literally, like, that's the age you have. So, like, you have kids who are like at that age are so far ahead just because, you know, they hit puberty a little bit earlier and then. But you check back in three years and that kid might have completely stopped growing and didn't develop at all as an athlete. And then, you know, that kid who, who wasn't, you know, had to overcome that stuff at an earlier age. All of a sudden you have that advantage later on because now you do start to, you know, grow up a little bit and get a little bit stronger, a little more athletic. And all of a sudden you had to take those skills, like, you know, the Anthony Davis thing, right, where he's like, he's a guard his whole career and then all of a sudden he's 7ft tall. So now, because he had to develop those skills and now you're a seven footer, you're, you know, going to be an NBA hall of Famer. So it's, it's, I think just focusing on what you do is such a big thing. And for me, like, when it comes to YouTube or training or whatever, like, there are a lot of guys I can look at. And it's funny. Like you can look at a guy and be like, oh man, like, like, how did I not think of that? Like, they'll put out, they'll put out a video idea like, or like a, even just like an Instagram clip. You're like, man, that's a great idea. What you would have thought of that. And then the choice you have to make there is like, okay, am I gonna let this be like a thing where I'm like, oh man, like, I've got to start comparing myself and I and this guy and say, oh, is he gonna do that first or is he gonna do that first? It's like, no, you just gotta, like, there's so much. There's plenty for everybody. Like, there's, there's plenty out there. And no matter what you do, right, you, with basketball, it doesn't matter how good somebody else is, there's a spot somewhere for you too. So just focusing 100% on like me, like, for me, it's like, I got to focus on making the best content I can, learning as much as I can, because, you know, the players that I do get to work with and the players who, you know, watch my videos, I'm going to have a chance to make an impact there. Even though, you know, again, it might not be for everybody. It won't be for everybody. That's just something to kind of accept.

No, and I think, I think going, going a little bit back to Saunder and to realize that, you know, when you get to talk to other like, creators, content creators, or people who are, you know, like yourself, who are putting out programs, you're putting out YouTube videos, and you're really engaging with the podcast and stuff like that, like, to know that you still, you had the confidence to do it and you have the, you know, the discipline, but also you still have those, like, maybe every now and then you're just like, damn, like, I should have thought of that. Or like, you know, you know, this is stressful. There's a lot of stuff going on. And, you know, to also know that you feel the same that, like, how I feel a lot of times, you know what I mean? It's, it's, it's empowering and it makes me feel we're just, we're human, right? And so, you know, there's going to be mistakes that are made, but as long as you're putting, you're putting forth the best effort possible and you're creating your own unique spin on what you do, whether you're a basketball player or a content creator or just this, just like a person just, you know, have your unique spin and unique perspective on what you do, you know, and because you, you have something to offer that somebody is in need of, you know, it's just a matter of like, you know, everything connecting for you.

Right?

And so, you know, just, just being persistent on, you know, all that type of stuff is extremely valuable, for sure.

I think another point that you made earlier, talking about when you're watching like, mixtapes and stuff and you see a guy do something and then it's like, okay, well, hold up. How did he do that? Like, how did he make that defender do that? Or how did he get that look? I think that's, that's, that's the biggest thing with me now compared to when I was in high school, because I just, I watch so much basketball now and there's so many times where, like, I'll just like, I'll be watching something and then I'll be like, oh, hold on. Like, I got to see how that worked or why that. Why that works, or what were his feet doing that time? Or what were his eyes doing that time? And that, like I was saying this week, I think actually I was saying on last. Yeah, last week's podcast, it was. I was talking about shooting, and I was saying, like, I'm. I'm a. I'm a significantly better shooter now than I was in high school. I was working on every day and going, like, game speed every day. Now I'm not working out every day. I'm. I'm on the. I'm in the gym a lot, just training, but I'm not, like, going through my own sort of game stuff. But because I'm just literally, like, around the basket, just like, working my form all the time, it's translated to me being a better shooter in general and being a more consistent shooter in general. And I think it's the same thing. The other aspect to that is, like, the amount of film that I watch now compared to when I was in high school, I just understand the game so much better. And that's like. So I always say, like, if I was. If I went back to high school now, even though I'm training less than I was back then, like, it's kind of a. It's kind of a weird. Sort of. It's kind of a weird paradox right there. It's like, all I do now is watch basketball and basically, like, play pickup. And I'm. I'm better now than I was back then. But I think one of the biggest things is watching film. And so what, like, what's your. Like? Because I know obviously you're posting drills and stuff. So what's your. Like, where's your. Your influence when it comes to, like, the stuff you work on, your sessions, like, is. Are there. Does it depend on, like, the certain player? Are there, like, qualities that you're trying to build in. In every player, or is it just like a. Oh, you know, this is something that I've been watching recently. And so let's try and work on this. And where do you, like, kind of get your. Your stuff from?

So I think you just hit both of those points right there. I think it also depends on the player and what kind of team and structure they're going to be in. So that's one basis of it. And then the other part of it is just, like, if I see something, for example, that, like, Kyrie does that's not too out of the ordinary or not to, like, what what did he just do? And I feel like that player can benefit from it. Then I'll bring that to them. So, you know, but also there's like intangibles, you know, like the things that I love to teach is just the flow dribble, just different types of, like, hesis. I think just having those two, you know, in your bag, you know, will get you a long way no matter what kind of player you are, right? So the hang dribble, just being able to get people out of position and reading the floor, being able to see, okay, when do I have a shot? Okay, there's opportunity, you know, when can I pass off of this? When can I push off of that back foot and take off, right? And get to the middle. Then once you get to the middle, the teeth of the defense, then you can break down, you know, everything. So I think just teaching players to. To be able to operate and feel like the ball is on a string, I think that's this one thing that's for me. I just love to teach that and, you know, just catch and shoot. You know, I have. We have the doctor dish here. So just being able to just knock down shots, you know, if you can knock down shots, you can be on any team, you know, because you. I mean, you. This is really what it is, right? You can knock down shots drifting to the right, drifting to the left, shots off of the dribble. I love teaching one dribble pull ups. You know, just seeing Kobe do it his whole career in Jordan, you know, they've obviously made a living out of it, and they're legends because of it, you know, so this. The basics, the fundamentals, the foundation, and is really building a good base. You know, the example that I like to use is like a. Like a house, right? If you. If you're building a house, you don't start from the roof, right? You got to start with the foundation. You got to lay the foundation out and you got to go brick by brick or like, you know, however you build the house, it has to start from the bottom, right? So for us, it has to start with the footwork. You have to make sure you're on balance, that you can. You can stay upright as you're jabbing, right? As you're jabbing left, use both feet, right? Be able to put the ball down before you take off to. You don't travel right. Just like those things are extremely important. They're not really. They're taught. But I feel like kids just like we're looking at mixtapes and they're just like, well, that guy didn't do a jump, stop, jab, step shot. He just, he did all this, you know, he started dribbling right away. And so I think it's important to really teach just the fundamentals in the foundation. You know, I think of like all the European players. You know, like Luca, he. His foundation, his foundation is just like, it's immense and he knows exactly what he needs to do and he uses his footwork to be able to get to this. The spots on the floor that he, that he operates out of. So, you know, you know that's important. So that's kind of like that part of it. And then the second part is just like the studying, studying film to like an extent. I'm more like. Nowadays I'm just like, if I go on Instagram and I see Swiss cultures, I don't know if you follow Swiss cultures, but they post like highlights of the day. So like they'll post like a Drew Holiday highlight where he doesn't move. And I'm like, I like that. So then I'll go on YouTube and then you know, like a better, like higher quality because Instagram kind of compresses it. Go on YouTube and find that clip and then just like study it and be like, okay, I can. This player can benefit from it. Like, you know, my guy Josh, he can benefit from you know, a wonderful pull up, like the way that Jrue Holiday did it or like a one foot shot. Like just like the small things like that. I think just trying to just be active and be up to date on what's happening now.

Yeah, yeah. I think going to your footwork point or really not even forward, but just like the basics that I think that's an area like coaching so many players now between like the stuff that I do with my individual, like my, my in person training and then the, the high school team that I coach, the AU team that I work with. And then obviously like players that I, I know through YouTube and Instagram. Like the. It's crazy how, how much the basics, like they're not, they're not basic anymore. Like it seems like those are stuff that you have to explicitly drill. Um, and. And again that's, that's my other thing is like I spend so much time like demonstrating basic stuff. Like, especially when it comes to like shooting footwork. Like in any of my session, we're probably going to do it almost every time. So that's the other reason why I feel like I'm just a way better shooter. Now, because I'm just. My balance is. Oh, it's, it's, it's infinitely better than it was because just the, like the basic footwork part of it, okay, I can come off of a one, two, I can flow into that shot. I can also, if I need to go off of a hop, if I have to get that shot off quicker. And I understand like innately when to use both of those different types of footwork. You know, maybe if I'm coming off of a curl, I know which angle to take off of that. I know, like, where am I supposed to step to come off of this effectively? Do I need to take a long step on my one drill, Pull up or do it? Does it need to be short? Because that defender is, is playing back and I gotta do I have to, you know, turn, dribble out and get to space. And I think just players being able to do that sort of stuff, it's, it's, it's. It will transform the way that you can play because then you can start to layer on that more difficult stuff. Like in my, in my shooting program, so much of like every workout, there's just basic full work stuff and there's a whole workout that's literally called shooting foundations. And it literally, it's just like working form, working footwork, working form again, working more footwork and then just getting comfortable doing that. I think that's an area of shooting that's so underutilized, is like everybody thinks they have to get in the gym, they have to go shoot game shots. You have to shoot, you know, shots sprint out of the corner or lifting up to the wing or coming off a pin down. And those are all, of course, have their place like that. You have to practice those too. But I think there's also a time and place for just getting up shots, like in the mid range, catching shoe, just like seeing the ball go in the basket. Like you got a great feel for it. Say, like, you know that shot felt good, right? Because I think that's where a lot of players, like, they aren't quite there yet where they can, like, they don't just judge the shot based on the make or miss. They can you judge it based on whether or not it felt good. Like that. Did that shot feel good? Did you like, do you execute well? Was your footwork on point right there? And I think a lot of players are just kind of like, again, they don't have that solid grasp of the foundation enough to where they can rely on that and say, hey, that didn't feel good. They just, like, they don't make or miss. So I think that's a point where, like, I constantly have to drive that home is like, guys, you see the. You see Steph Curry do all these crazy things. Now. Steph Curry, is he. I mean, I don't. I don't think anybody will ever be him. He's. He's just, I mean, ridiculous out of this world. But, like, the stuff that you can take from Steph is. I. I saw that he was asked about, like, so what's the, like, what's the number one key to you to, like, your shooting ability? He was like, balance, for sure. So that comes back to, again, like, your footwork consistently. And so Steph's a guy who's preaching the importance of balance. Like you said earlier. Um, I think, like, that basic part of it is something that players need to make sure that they master. Like, you don't skip over that part. Just say, hey, you know, I just gotta go work on my game shots. No, like, when you're in a game, every shot's gonna be a little bit different. So a shot you shoot at the elbow might be a little bit different than the next shot from the elbow at the same spot, because you might have been coming from a different angle. There might be a defender coming from a different angle. There might be less time on the clock. You know, you might just be. Your heart rate might just be up a little bit or down a little bit. Like, there's all these different factors. And so the more mastery that you have over your shot in any sort of situation, which is. That's really what I'm trying to build with a lot of my players recently and with my program too, is like, guys who can just be put on the floor and they're bucket getters, because no matter what the situation is, they're like, they, they can adapt to it. They have that adaptability. I think that's a big. A big key. And I know, like, you post a ton of stuff with creativity, especially ball handling wise and like, adaptability. So talk a little bit about that. Like your, you know, you. Especially when it comes to ball handling, the importance of your kind of creativity and how that has sort of developed for you and your players.

Yeah, I think that's a perfect question because it goes back to what you said about feel. You know, it's. It's hard to teach the feel. The feel of, like, why that went in or how it felt for it to go in all net or how it feels to Be able to, like, flow a certain way when you're handling the ball. And really what that comes down to is reps. You know, it just comes down to repetition. You know, are you getting in your reps every day? You know, for someone like me, myself has been playing ball since I was three. You know, I just feel like I've. I didn't put. I didn't really do too many drills. You know, we did. We did some cone drills growing up, but it was more of just like, having the ball in your hand and just, like, dribbling around the house, dribbling down the street, dribbling at school, dribbling at the gym. When the adults are playing on the sideline, it's dribbling, dribble, dribble, dribble. And for me, that's where this creativity came. And then you get to, you know, hear music. You know, if you have music in your ears. What I like to do is, like, dribble to the beat. You know, it's just like you're. You're dancing. It's like a. It's just like a music. You're making your own music or you're going along with the beat. It's kind of like a Guitar Hero kind of vibe, you know? So I think it's. For me, that's where the creativity just really comes. And just thinking about players like Jamal Crawford, who have been noted in interviews saying that he didn't do any drills growing up. He just dribbled the ball, you know, and one hot sauce. I'm pretty sure he said he just dribbled the ball, you know, and this is. They didn't do cone drills like we're doing now, or like, just drills. And those. These drills work because they're more intricate and they have, like, detail as to why, but have the ball on your hands. If you don't have a rim to shoot, to shoot, like, form shots, you know, to shoot, like, as if the rim is there. You have to, like, tap into, like, your imagination and really put yourself in front of. In front of the rim. Or when I'm. When I. When I'm dribbling at the gym, when I was by myself or even, like, out here in the yard, I'm dribbling as if, like, I'm in a situation, like someone's guarding me, and, you know, I'm trying to get by that person. And, you know, sometimes I literally. I'll do a move and I go to the basket, and then I act like I get stopped. Now I retreat. Dribble then I get into a float, drop, pull up, you know, and I just really feel, I play, I practice as if I'm in a real game. And then you know, we make up games. You can play 21 against yourself. So right here we have lines. So like if you make it behind a certain line, it's a two pointer. If you make it in the pains one, you know, just play 21 against yourself and just play just like play real life games. I think that, you know, that's been, that's been really helpful for me. And you know, the, the reps, you can't, you can't get by the reps because there's going to be bad reps in the beginning and there's going to be good reps and you know, you'll find eventually you're going to be, you're going to have a good feel, you know, for that, for that, for that movement. And you know, if we're, there's an example that I like to use of like, like video games. You know, when we first started playing video games, if you're into that, you know, we have to look at the controller to be able to know what button we're pressing to be able to relate to the screen and stuff like that. Then eventually you can look up and you kind of better at it now, you know, and you're, you're getting, you're making the. If you're playing 2K, you're finally making the shots and then eventually you get to get to the point where you're just like not looking at all and you're just. The muscle memory is kicked in. You got the reps, you can go grab something real quick, drink and still control. Like it's, it's just like amazing how the, the mind is able to adapt like you're saying. So you know, the reps go a long way, good and bad. And I think you just got to put yourself in those situations to be able to, to be able to expose that.

Yeah, yeah, that, that same point. Jamal Murray was basically what John, what John Morant said too. He's like, yeah, when I was growing up, I just always had a ball in my hands like any. I was in the house. Anytime a commercial break, like I got a ball in my house. My dad put up a mini hoop. I was always at that mini hoop in my house. Like that's why like these guys. I think that's it right there. I think the funny thing with him is like he got discovered basically because he was playing like three on three at, like, in the back gym of some AAU tournament. Like, it wasn't even like his team playing. He was just like, hooping. He was just like, playing basketball. I think, like, the players that I work with and the difference between a lot of them is that I have. Some of them are always like, there's their basketball players. Like, they are. If they're not training with me, they're at the park with their friends playing, they're in their driveway playing. You know, they're playing one on one with their, with their older brother or, you know, with like their neighbor or like, they just always are playing basketball. And then I have another group of kids who like, they, they, they love basketball. They like basketball. They work hard. Like whenever they're at our sessions, like, they, like, they work just as hard as the other guys do, but they don't see the. They don't see the results the way that the other guys see it, because they just, they don't have that feel for the game that you get through playing. So I have to constantly be on my guys, like, because I know some of them, like, I know you're not playing as much as you should be. I know you're not calling guys up to go to the park and play. I know you're not showing up to the YMCA to play, even though you could do that. And I know that there's people there who are playing and you could definitely get on the court with them. And that's, that's the biggest thing. It's like, we can't just. You can't just do drills. And I was. That was one trap I for sure fell into in high school, in middle school, like, all, all growing up is like, oh, if I just do these drills, right? If I just lock myself in a gym the whole summer, don't talk to anybody, I'll come back. Cause I did all these drills and I'll be, you know, this level of player now. And that's not how it works. Cause at the end of the day, like, like I was saying earlier, every, like basketball is. It's such an imperfect game. So if your practice is you versus air all the time, then it's going to be pretty much perfect, right? You're going to have a perfect environment. And then you get to a game and there's defense on the floor, and you got coaches who are, you know, yelling at you, pulling you out of the game, putting you back in the game, telling you to do this, telling you to do that. You've got, you know, fans screaming at you, game is very, very imperfect at that point, so you're going to struggle. And I see it firsthand now. I see the guys who use that to their advantage. They get really good at playing in imperfect situations because they're all always like, they're, they're adaptable. I mentioned earlier, they're adaptable because they, they just always hoop. They've seen so much that they're, they're ready for it. And then the guys who don't hoop as much, they just work out. They just, you know, show up to workouts and, you know, maybe watch a little basketball on tv. Those are the guys who struggle when anything doesn't go their way. And anybody, like, they're not winning a matchup against a guy better than that because they just, they don't have it. That's one of the, one of the biggest things that I've recognized, especially the past, like, I would say two or three months watching my players is like the difference between a lot of guys isn't even talent. It's just like who, who's a Hooper and who's not.

What I've really been doing recently is just playing king of the court, you know, with, with my guys or with the girls that I'm training. And you know, I think it's, it's been, it's been good because, you know, I don't, I don't go easy on them, you know, and I, I try to, to really challenge them, especially, you know, if I'm on defense. I'm really trying to, you know, stop them from scoring. Right. I'm trying to cut off all the moves that we just worked on. I'm like, that's not gonna work on me. Like, you know what I mean? So now you have to really find a way to be able to get it to work or be able to, to bump me off and then get some space, right? And so now you get to see, okay, this is, this is, I need to work on this more often, right? I'm kind of good at it now is what they're thinking. But now I know that I need to be able to learn how to create more space. I need to put in hours when I'm not here with you. And then when they're guarding me is, I'm, I feel like I'm a tough cover. So, you know, they're really going to have to be on, on their game and you know, that's where I just start working on like one foot shots and like just fade away shots. That are just like kind of like Steph Curry ish. You know what I mean?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I make them and then they're just like they can't do much about it. Right. And so, yeah, it is, it makes it tough and it makes them know that I need to put in more work.

Yeah.

You know, and I think that's, that's really what I wanted to hone in is it's like you need more reps, you need more game reps, you need more repetition on just like the fundamentals that we spoke about. But really you need to be in front of somebody at the end of the day if you can. A friend, somebody discarding you.

Yeah.

And you know, just like challenging you. I think that always makes me think back to when I remember Kobe, or was it Derek Fisher one of them was talking about. They used to do one on one full courts and they used to go at it every practice and I think it might have been like the first practice ever. They were just like yo, this run one full court and you know, they were just going back and forth head to head and challenging each other. And one on one full court is pretty hard because your conditioning has to be up and you know if you miss, you got to get right back on defense, you know, and so that can be, that can be challenging. So you have to, you have to really step out of, out of what you feel. You gotta, you gotta step out of your comfort zone at the end of the day, you know, you have to really be, put yourself in those environments.

Yeah. Yeah. I think going to hit to your point, like all just like what you said. Like you take that opportunity, you're playing against your players. Like you just, you end up hitting just some ridiculous shots like where you just like taking these fade aways, these setbacks, that's literally, like, that's literally what I've, what I've been doing. Like I'll, I'll play against my players all the time and I, I hit like, I hit these shots especially in the mid range. Like, like I'll have guys who look at me, they're like how, like how are you making those? Like, I know like, like I don't know how you're make, cause like I'm not making those shots. I feel like I'm better than you and you're, and it's literally just because I, I, I, I play like I, I, I played a lot of one on one. And so you, you learn eventually like how to put the ball in the basket and sometimes there's no real rhyme or reason for it. But that was just an interesting point that you had right there. I know you have a few, like, a few things that you kind of docket, so wherever you want to head, just let me know, we'll go there.

Yeah. No, I think what about Dharma, you know, did it having. So when your natural talents and passions connect with the universe's needs, and then that becomes your, your purpose. So what would you feel like your Dharma or like your. Yeah. What would you feel like your Dharma is?

I, I mean, I think, like, I think for me, and I don't know how well this answers it, but it's always been, like, I always look at it as, what can I give that I feel like I didn't have? Like, what knowledge can I give to players? What insight can I give to players? Like, what role can I play that I feel like I could have definitely used when I was in their shoes as well? That's how I always approach things. And that's ultimately what it comes back to, whether it's in, like, a session. And I see, like, I can see patterns that players have, and I'm like, that, like, I did that when I was there. Like, that's something that. And now I recognize it. So we can talk about it. Then I can say, hey, man, like, don't. You can't do that. Like, you gotta, we gotta fix this here. We've got to do this instead. You got to approach it this way instead. You know, you've got to. And that situation, you've, you've got to win that one. Like, how can I help develop, like, the, the dog, like, the it factor? Um, like, what that. Cause that was another thing that, like, I, I, I probably needed more push towards that earlier. Um, so now when I get an opportunity, that's kind of what I do. So I feel like, for me, that's, that's honestly, like, the, the best part about being able to, like, being able to work with players every day is, like, you get to kind of give back in that regard. And it's one of those things where it's like, you know, everybody, like, when, when that sort of relationship happens, like, everybody, everybody wins, right? Because they get better. And then you feel like, man, like, I, you know, I'm doing something, like I'm benefiting, you know, this person in a positive way. And then it's kind of like a pay it forward thing, you know, I know for me, when I was in high school, there was a, so there's a trainer in Our area. And he was, I mean he was a really, really good trainer, One of the best that I've had. And he. So I was planning on playing college basketball, kind of like my, I'll go speed through my story. But then some stuff happened, ended up not going to play and literally I took off. This is, this is right outta high school. I literally didn't touch a basketball. As soon as I like knew I wasn't, I wasn't going that year, I was just like, okay, I guess double basketball. So I, I didn't play basketball for like two months. The longest I've probably ever gone since I was like 12 without touching a basketball. Um, actually probably before that, probably like five years old. That's probably the last time I was about two months touching a basketball. So eventually I get a text from this guy, this trainer who I'd work with a couple times and he was like, man, I don't, I don't want you to quit. Like, I don't want you to. Like, I feel like there's still something more that you could do. And he's like, listen, I'll train you for free this entire year and just show up. Like we work out in the morning. So we work out at like 5:30 every morning. I show up. Usually we have a group in there. And by far the most transformative year of my life, basketball wise, by far. Like, it wasn't even close. Just being in there working every day actually got me more college opportunities the next year, a year out of high school and actually I had more places that were like, that actually were wanting me there. Like it was like, there's a difference between like coaching. Yeah, you know, you could come here and then you got coaches. Like, yeah, like we want you to be here. Like there is like there was a difference there. A year later. And then I ended up not doing that because I was coaching, I was training already. And that was kind of what I wanted to do anyway. And then I started my YouTube channel like right around then as well. So you know, I decided not to go with any of those options. But still, like, had that not, had that opportunity not happened, like, had I not, like, I don't know if like what I have gotten back into, maybe I would have gotten back into basketball. I mean, possibly. But like, who knows, right? Who knows if like would we even be here right now if there hadn't been that one, like the one text I got where I was like, you know what? May as well. And so I think that for me is like that I feel like is my purpose is like kind of paying that forward. That's always what I go back is like, how can I, how can I give value to this person? Like, is this going to help propel their life forward? Because I've seen what, I've seen what this game can do. Like people, people say like tongue in cheek, like, oh, basketball is just a game. And it is like, like, you know, if I'm at an AU tournament yesterday and there's like parents fighting kids and stuff, I'm like, guys, this game, all right, that's where it's applicable. But like it really, it's more than that. Like, it, it's, there's, there's so much that can change like with your life because of basketball. So that's, that's what I would say if I had to talk about like my purpose kind of makes it because again, like the, the growth that I've seen, the lets me know that that's, that's what I'm supposed to be doing, right?

No, I think that was a perfect answer and it, you know, everyone's answer is going to be different, but I think the way you connected it and said, you know, right now I'm, I'm helping, I'm giving, I want to assist. And then it ends up, you end up serving other people just because of what one coach or one person was able to, to give for you or to give to you. And you know, I think that it's, it's perfect, you know, that you're, you're doing it that way because it's really organic the way you're approaching it now. And there's really no, there's no true pressure. There's no, like, like, this is not what you, this is not forced upon you. This is something that you love to do. You already love basketball. You love, you know, the game and helping other people. So now you're just gonna create the content based off of that and think of ideas that are like, okay, how can I help a player who, you know is struggling with pull ups or struggling to see the floor? You know, I can do a series that breaks down how players should move and four different breakdown, like shots that people need to have, right? And so then you're, you're creating content based off of, you know, what you would have wanted to know or what you feel players are missing. And you know this. If you do it in the, if you do it in the realm of like, service and giving back, I think it, you know, it becomes, it becomes fun. And it becomes purposeful and you start to move a certain way. Now I think one of the things that for, for me even, you know, I posted quick talks and you know, I have, I have a lot of confidence in myself. There's, there's still a lot of times where, you know, you're the most famous person who looks confident. All that stuff isn't always confident all the time, you know, and they're, they're not always on point and always like willing to, you know, to give back and to just like be motivated all the time. Like there's times where I just, I don't feel motivated at all and you know, I don't feel like posting or like I don't, you know, I don't, I don't want to do everything and I have a, have to go that way. But I always check myself and did like this, tell my kids it's really all about, about service. Like this is why I'm in it, you know, to be able to give back and to, to be able to help grow other people so that way, you know, they can give the same back to other people. This becomes a cycle of just like, of this real like positive, positive energy that they can flow and really help other people, you know, grow their minds and grow through whatever they're doing.

Yeah, no, for sure. It's like the, the more, like the more that you give, the more that you get back. And that's always how it is. So I think one thing that I try and do and, and at times I have to, I have to like, check myself and be like, all right, are you doing this? Is I should like, you want to over give, right? Especially when it comes to like. Because obviously I have like my, I have my programs and stuff, but there's times where it's like, you know what? This is valuable. This is stuff that you have to over give because it's going to come back to you in some sort of way. And again, it's not always about, okay, it might always be about money. It might be just the impact that you have. And a lot of times that's going to take you and connect you with somebody else who is then going to connect you with somebody else. And then all of a sudden things are coming back to you tenfold what they were. And so that's one thing that I've realized with, especially with YouTube is like, the more valuable that you try to be, like the more that you try and give, the more that you're gonna ultimately receive back. And I think that's the approach that people should have if they want to. If they really want to live that principle out.

And so when did you start seeing success on YouTube or what do you. How do you measure success?

I would take it. I would take it a couple different ways. You know, for me, I think one of the best things is that I. And it's like what I said today, like, this podcast is not. It's. It's different than like, what I would normally have because usually I'm like real laser focused in on a topic or whatever. But like, I, I have the freedom to kind of post what I want and what I want. And there's people who will watch anything that I post. Like, there's people who only watch, like, specific basketball stuff. They'll only watch videos where I'm doing a film breakdown. The only watch videos where it's a workout. Like, there are people who are like that. And that's how every fan base is. Like, you know, if. If Drake drops a song, there's some people who are only gonna listen to the rap, and if he's. If he's doing any singing, they're not. They don't want it. Right? So that's, that's how it is in with everything. But I also have. Have people who like, comment on every single video. It doesn't matter what the video is about. They're gonna. I already know. I can think of like three of them who I know will comment on this, on this podcast for sure, and it literally doesn't even matter. So, like, I think that to me is like, first of all, having a relationship with your, with your fans, people who follow you where, like, they're, they'll support whatever you do just because it's. It's something that you put out. To me, it's like, it lets you know that you're doing something right. Because again, regardless of. Of what they feel like, you know, they got from it, just because it was something like, just because they connect with what you do. Boom. Like, that's. That's. To me, that. That's a powerful thing. But then, you know, obviously it's. It's great to see, like, you know, the numbers go up and all that sort of stuff. But it's always like a. It's always the perspective thing, because the thing. The thing with YouTube especially is like, it's so. It'll be so volatile sometimes. So, like, you'll have a month where you'll like, just go crazy with views and all this sort of stuff. And then literally you might go three months and like, they're half. Like, half of what that month just was. And, like, you'll have like. Like, you'll like. I don't know if it was exactly this trend, but, like, my December. My November through December on YouTube was like, incredible. Like, it was. It was. I had like four videos that. That just blew up. And so I was like, cool. You know, I'm kind of riding this a little bit. And then January, February, and pretty much all of March just like, felt so dead. Like, it was so dead. It would go from like, you know, I'm gaining like 300 subscribers a day to, like, I'd have like a 12 subscriber day or something like that. Like, that's. That's so. I think for me, it's like, you have to stay. You have to stay grounded and just be like, listen, I like, you have to focus on those people who support everything that you do, who support the stuff that you make, because ultimately, like, the numbers are gonna. They're like, you can't. You can't just base go based on the numbers because they'll lie to you sometimes. Like, sometimes you'll put out a video that might not be that good. I know I put out videos that aren't that good that will do well for some reason. And then I'll put up videos that I think are really, really helpful. Especially, like podcasts too. Like, if you look at my channel, my podcasts always do worse than, like, regular videos. All of them. They'll always. I never, like, out of my top 10 videos, I'll never have a podcast crack the top five because I go podcast regular video every week. So it's like half and half anyway. And the podcasts are always at the bottom in terms of views. But I feel like that's where the value is, though. So even though I could probably. If I stopped posting podcasts and I just posted like, workouts or film breakdowns or, you know, any. Any of the kind of shorter, like, more basketball, like, more. More interactive stuff. Like, stuff that's, like, quicker and to the point. My. My channel would probably do way better. I could probably grow a lot faster. But then at the same time, like, am I cultivating the fan base that I want if I do that? I. I don't think. I don't think I am. I have, like, I've had a couple videos and. And it was funny the other day, Cash nasty. He reacted to one of my videos and it was. It's like a test video, basically. So it's Like, I put a clip up there, and there's a read to make, and I paused, like, halfway through. You have to make that or guess what the read is. And so I made, like, three of those, and all of them blew up. Like, all of them got. The Braun actually did the worst, but I had a Luka Doncic one that did, like, 100,000 views, and then I had CP3 that did, like, 100,000 Views, and that was, like, the same month and back in, like, November, December. But then, like, I, like. I probably. Like anybody else to tell you, like, oh, you had two videos. You. You got to keep. You got to keep making those videos. And, like, I just. I didn't want to do it because it's just. It's not like, it just didn't feel like what my channel was about. Like, I felt like I wanted to be more in depth, and I didn't want to just, like, do stuff now. That's not to say I won't ever do them again. Like, I might, but I didn't want to. Like, I didn't want to just rely on that, because am I going to get people from those videos who also are going to be watching my podcast? Probably not. So, like, you have to also think about what. What are you trying to build? Like, what fan base do you want to have? And then target what you do accordingly?

Yeah, no, I think. I think that's. That's good information. And what do you. What do you think about when you first started? Like, when you didn't have a fan base?

Where.

Where did you start to see traction build the most? Was it on Instagram? Was it on YouTube? And then I think from there, like, what?

Really?

So you found some traction, then it's like, okay, where did you go from there? Like, did you. Did you branch into more breakdowns? Because in the beginning, say, for example, your first video when you first started was the. The Luka Doncic breakdown. And then that was your first video. And then you're like, okay, do I keep making these? Because now you have to make a decision at that point. Do I keep making these videos, or do I go into what I really want to do? Right. So what was your. Like, your mindset in the beginning of that?

Yeah, so starting off, like, I would say, when I first got traction, I mean, I was. I think I started, like, July 2019, and I was posting on YouTube, like, not that consistently. I was posting, like, probably once every. Maybe once every two weeks. Um, once every three weeks. And it was pretty, like, sporadic. And it wasn't really like, obviously when you start off, you don't know what you're doing. Like, I didn't know what I was doing with YouTube stuff. I was just kind of throwing what I had together and put it up there from time to time. But I was posting a good amount more on Instagram and I think where things started to take off a little bit were with the player workouts. So I think I had like a James Harden. I was just thinking one day I was like, oh, I should just make a workout that like, you know, work some of the stuff that he does like. So it was like super. Looking back at it now, it's so funny. I just like a bunch of like ISO, like size up moves and stuff. And it was like. But it was cool and, and that was my first video that like people like, I, I probably, you know, I might have had like 50 subs and then I had a video getting like 400 views. So. Oh, this is pretty awesome. And so then I kind of kept going with, with that, with the player workouts and stuff. And obviously people are like searching for those names anyway. They're searching for LeBron, they're searching for Steph Curry. I made a lamello ball one back then in 2019 when he was still in high school. And that one, well, I guess he was playing pro then, but he would have been in high school. And that one did well too. So like that was how I started to gain a little bit more traction as well. But then again like going back to that. It's funny because now I haven't posted a player workout in I think, I think last one I posted was October. I think it was Tyler Hero in October. And I still get requests like all the time for them. And I'll people DM me like, oh, when's the next player workout? And like all that sort of stuff. But it's also, it just goes back to like, well, like is that what I want to do? Because I, there's times where I'm like there I could, I could make a player workout but it's like I feel like I could also make this video, which I think is actually more helpful. I can make this work out, which won't do as well views wise, but it's actually going to be more beneficial. So what it comes back to for me is like again when it comes like developing, you know, people who really support what you're about, I'm always trying to post stuff that I know is going to appeal to them. So people who I know are going to, like, be interested in my programs. Like, I'm trying to post stuff that is going to appeal to them. People who, again, are just going to kind of support, like, they're going to listen to every podcast. Those are the people that I'm trying to target as well. And so that's. That's also why I haven't been on TikTok as much, just because, like, partially because, you know, it's almost like not spreading myself too thin, but it's like, that's another thing that I would have to focus on, but also just look at, like, where am I, like, where am I getting my audience from now? And like, like, what avenues do I want to target more? And that was a big part of it. So I moved away from those player workouts and I went to a lot of, like, film breakdowns, which is stuff that I like to do. And then obviously the podcast came along as well. And I think those are the, like, those are the main areas that I like to be in. And you know, for me, like, I'll still have, um, I'll still have those. Some of those videos that will just kind of blow up out of nowhere, like those older ones, the workouts or like the, The. The read videos or whatever. But, like, I'm pretty content with, like, the direction that my channel's heading in now. And so. But yeah, starting off, it was honestly, it was like just trying to figure out what is. What do people want to watch? And then as you build an audience, you can start to say, okay, what do I now do? I, like, I have people who watch my videos. Like, if I post a video, it's going to get a little bit of traction. So I can kind of now, you know, work on what I want my audience to ultimately be.

Yeah, no, I think. I think you hit it where it's just like really finding that audience and finding what. What people want to watch, you know, because I feel personally that. I feel like every content that I put out is good, is great because I put in all the work to be able to put. Put it all together and to. To really break down with words, because I, I do. I do vlogging. So, like, I do workout vlogs, like, with my clients, and, you know, we go through like a whole session, you know, where I'm mic'd up and we just. We go over different moves and different, like, for work scenarios and stuff like that. Or if I'm working out solo and, you know, I go through like, a solo workout of me Just, you know, being mic'd up and just, like, going through a full workout. And there's other times where, like, I'll break down a move that, you know. For example, I did a Steph move the other day where he. He did like a. It was against the Sixers. It was the last move he did, so it was like a behind the back. And then he floated. He did like a float, and then he changed directions between the leg. George Hill was guarding him, and he did like a step back after that. And after that step back, he. He found space and knocked the shot down. And so I broke down, you know, know, with the mic. I was just, all right, this is why this move works. This is how he did it. And then, you know, after that, I show it in fast motion, me doing it, then I show Steph doing it. And so, you know, I feel like. I feel like I just don't have the audience at the moment or I don't have the people, like, following to be able to, like, benefit from that. You know, like, even, like, with the quick talks, I'm like, or on anything on Instagram, I'm like, I have so much great content, and people that are interacting with it are just like people that I've known from high school or people that are family or friends, but not all of them are like hoopers that are interacting with it or like, the people that I would specifically want to target, like, those people aren't interacting with it. I'm like, Like, I want it to get to those people, so that way it can. Because I want to serve and I want to give to others. And so, you know, I wanted to. To be. I have obviously a bigger vision for everything. But I think what you said, too, is just like, appreciating the people that you do have supporting it and then just being consistent. And then, you know, it'll. It'll hopefully get to those people that it needs to get to. Because if you would have stopped, honestly, if you were to stop doing, like, YouTube videos and breakdowns, you know, you wouldn't have been where you are now in this position, but you stay consistent with it. And, you know, you, You. You kind of. You found what works, what doesn't, but even the ones that don't, you gotta keep, you know, being consistent on it. And I think that, you know, you know, what you just said was perfect. And it just. It made a lot of sense for.

Sure to, like, to that point for when it comes to, like, getting. Cause, like, all people, like all players who I think I've. I've done a better job. Again, like, as you grow, it gets easier of like attracting those, like those people that you want to have follow you. Um, I think for me it's like I have my content that I know is good and you a lot of times my podcast, but also have like, I'll have videos that I'll post, like film breakdowns, talking about like a specific skill. Like, maybe I'll talk about like Tupa finishing, which I think that video did pretty well. So actually I'll talk. Okay. A video that I think was really good that didn't do that well was a. It was actually talking about shooting footwork. So it was like a. It was a workout on shooting footwork. Like just basic stuff working like one, two, hop, coming off of curls. All that sort of stuff I thought was really good, but it is. Wasn't something that players were like, all that interested in. So for me, I think, like, I just try and find a balance between. I'm going to post what I know is valuable, but also like, if I can find a spin on things, like if I could, like, for example, like I have a post on Instagram, I'm going to try and find like the most catchy, flashy part of my video or the most, like what those. What's the flashy headline I can say to describe like this one minute part of my YouTube video and then that's what I'm gonna push forward. So someone comes to my Instagram, they're like, they see all this stuff and it's like, oh, okay, like, that's interesting. I just think about it from again, like my. Their perspective. So when I was in high school, like, what. What would I have wanted to watch? Like, what would I have benefited from? Um, what would I have been interested in? Because obviously where I am now, I'm not like mentally where I was when I was in high school. So I have to kind of put myself back in that position to be like, okay, back when I was in high school, like, what did I care about? Like, what did I did? I have the mental capacity for like some of the stuff that I want to talk about, because I might not have, but maybe I could have gotten there if there was some way that I was kind of like brought in slowly. There's one thing that I see, like, oh, yeah, I understand that. Like, I mess with that. And then I think that's how a lot of players have like, kind of. I think that's why people have gravitated towards my channel A little bit, because I have that stuff that will kind of bring those players in. But then also I'll post stuff that, you know, I'll talk about skill acquisition in a podcast or whatever. And like, they've never heard that before, but, you know, they, they watch my video. So now they watch that, they're like, oh, wow, I never realized that was a whole, I never realized that was a whole part of all this stuff. And so now they, they recognize that content is valuable. But it all starts with like, what's the, what's that first thing they're going to see on YouTube? Usually for me, like, what's the first thing they're going to see that is going to get them there? And then some people again, you'll attract who you do just depending on kind of what you post. That's kind of how I try and go about doing things.

Now that goes to. When I think of, let me see, when I think of like Russ, for example, who has put out so much music and you can instantly become a fan of his based off like his latest song. So you hear his latest song with Lil Baby, it's called Ugly or, you know, it's one of the ones that just kind of blew up. And then you go look at his whole discography and then you see that he has over 200 songs. And then you can instantly become a fan, you know, because he doesn't just have one video that blew up, for example. You know, you have multiple videos, you have a podcast. You have just a realm of different, like, avenues that, that people can really like, just dig in. And I think, you know, that goes to your consistency and you know that it's just, it's truly important and it's, it's an amazing fee. And I think you, you definitely, you know, I know you're proud of that for sure. And you're continuing to grow and people you know around you are also going to grow and learn. So, you know, that stuff is really good, high level stuff.

Yeah, man, that's, that's just what it is like as you're consistent with it. And, and I've got around myself too. Like, you just got to keep even when you don't see the numbers raising or whatever. Like, you just keep going. Like again, I'll have a video from a year ago that'll blow. Like that LeBron video that Cash has. He saw I posted like four months ago and it was dead. Like no one was watching it. And then all of a sudden, boom. Like it, it gets 50, 000 views in two days. Like, it'll just, like, stuff will come out of nowhere. But if you put in, like, the word, you just, like, plant those seeds, then. Then at some point they'll. They'll sprout for you. And. And the good thing, it's like when you have a bunch of. Especially on YouTube, like, people are searching for stuff, so it's like you have all these, like, little, like, salesmen out there for you, right? You just put them out there and you've got all working around the clock. So, hey, somebody sees that video and all of a sudden they're. They're. They're a fan of. Of what you do. I don't. I hate cutting this short, but I have a. I have a Skype call with a. With a doctor in, like, two minutes, so I gotta. Yeah, we gotta wrap up. But before we head out, just, you know, let people know where they can follow you. What you got going on? Anything that you want to talk about?

Yeah, so you can follow me on Instagram and TikTok at Quicksand Mindset. You can also follow me on YouTube where I post vlogs and I post different full body, you know, full breakdowns of, you know, different movements and where I'm mic'd up and just kind of getting involved in the camera. That's also Quicksand Mindset. And so those are the three things I have going on at the moment. And I do want to learn some online marketing and online programming, so I definitely want to tap in with. With E and learn that stuff. So. But that's it. That's all I have, you know, right now. Tap into the quick talks. Those are daily. Get some daily motivation. And. Yeah, that's all I got for having me, for sure.

Yeah. No, I appreciate you coming on. And we'll. We'll. We'll hop on Zoom at some point. We'll talk more about, like, the marketing stuff and all that, because I know that was one thing we for sure would have got to that, but yeah. Hey, listen, everybody who's tuned in again over a year, so I appreciate all of you guys who have been here, who are new, who are now tuned in, and again, our podcast, Leap review. I gotta get on the Zoom call, guys. I'll talk to you guys soon. Peace.