Evan Carmichael argues entrepreneurs should stop copying peers and instead study figures like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, then extract only what resonates personally. He built his YouTube channel by creating content he wished existed, like the en español and Top 10 series, and is now writing a book the same way.
Questions this video answers
Evan explains he records iPad videos while walking to Whole Foods, enjoys the less‑polished format, and sometimes uses his videographer Jason to help.
Evan says a podcast is a frequent request but not a priority now; he wants to do it right if he starts. He only sporadically listens to Tim Ferriss’s podcast, finding it sometimes too long.
Evan attributes his agitation to a stressful day at the CN Tower, explaining how a bad experience can affect mood and productivity the next day, and stresses the importance of a supportive environment.
Evan says he’s not a great artist but could have his friend Hayden draw it; he’s open to the idea and will consider it.
Chapters
Today I want to talk about being different. So I find that a lot of entrepreneurs are afraid to be different. I find that what, what we often do is look up to other entrepreneurs. We look at the people in our industry and we say, well, that's how things are done, so that's what I'm going to do. And you end up with something that is mediocre, that's average, it's not so different from the competition. And if you're going up against big players in an industry, why is somebody going to pick you over them? They're not, unless you're doing something that's Very different. And, you know, don't get me wrong, I'm a big believer in modeling success. It's the name of my channel, right? Modeling the Masters, the name of my YouTube channel. But when I'm saying that you should model Elon Musk and Bill Gates and Donald Trump and Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart and all these tycoons in the entrepreneurial world, I don't want you to be like them. I don't want you to try to be like Elon Musk. I want you to take the things that you like from each of these people to help you become the best version of yourself. You want to model success in in a way that makes you different, that makes you irreplaceable, that makes you somebody that nobody else can be like. And so don't be afraid to be different. The best thing I found on my YouTube channel is I made the channel because I wish it existed, right? The en español series, the top 10 series, I've talked about a few times. I wish that those things already existed on someone else's channel so I didn't have to do the work. I just wanted to be a consumer and I made it selfishly for me and then shared it and you guys wanted it. It's the same thing that I have with my book, right? I'm writing the book because I wish I wish somebody else had written it because I don't want to have to do all the hard work and research that comes with writing this thing and the year of my life and putting it together. I wish somebody else did it, but it's not out there. And by doing something that I'm passionate about and that I love doing and that I feel is missing, then it's going to be different. And I think you can apply that same strategy to your business. Look at what you wish existed. Look at what you are yearning for. And chances are there's going to be other people who want that too. So go out and create it. Don't be afraid to be different. Alright, let's get to your questions! First up, Tamara: "I totally love your rants." Thanks, Tamara. "And I love your openness. You're honest with us and I never question it. It's about you. Nicely edited video. I will look forward to your walking iPad video next week. I love writing, that's just what you have with your videos. Most innovative channel per YouTube. Love this." Yeah, we're back to iPad day. I usually film these while I'm walking to Whole Foods. I'm super excited, today's editing day of my book. Day 1 of editing day. And I walk to Whole Foods and I go on my rant and then start filming and answering your questions. And sometimes when I miss it, I use Jason, who's my videographer, to help me film. But I like the iPad videos, less polished as well too. Something different. Next up, Eddie. Hey Evan, I've been listening to podcasts recently while commuting to work and back. I just finished season 2 of Startup, it was amazing. Will we ever get a Believe podcast series? And do you listen to podcasts? If so, could you recommend some of them to us? So it's a great question, and I think of all the things that I've been asked to do, the podcast has been probably the most requested. I've looked into it, looked into details of how to do it. I don't feel like it's coming anytime soon. The biggest reason is I just don't want to have an extra platform to have to worry about. And I know it can be hands-off, and I know, you know, once you set it up, it can just automatically upload YouTube videos that I have and it doesn't take a lot of time each time, but I don't know, I don't like doing things half-assed, and I feel like if I'm gonna get into the podcasting world, then I want to be able to do it right, you know, put my stamp on it. And so it's on my maybe list of all the things people are telling me to get into— Periscope and Meerkat and Snapchat and Blab and podcasting, all these different things. Podcasting would probably be at the top of the list, but for now at least, I'm a YouTube mainly person. And who knows, that might change. I might wake up one day and feel inspired and go after it. But those are my thoughts for now. In terms of listening to podcasts, the only one that I sometimes listen to is Tim Ferriss's. In general, I'm a big Tim Ferriss fan. I love his books, "The 4-Hour Workweek" especially, and the other two were okay. I was a huge reader of his blog when he was active on it, and so I followed him to his TV show and his podcast. I find the podcast just kind of boring sometimes. I don't know, too scientific, too long. There are some nuggets, but it takes too long to get to them, so I listen to them sporadically, but that's the only one. I think podcasts work well when you have a commute, where me, I don't really have a commute, and so I don't have to worry about how I'm going to entertain myself during that commute. So some people suggested you could download these, turn them into an MP3 and listen to them. I realize that's an extra step for you guys, and I really appreciate the guys who are doing that, but again, on my radar. But not a high priority at the moment. Next up, Zeno. Evan, I feel like you're an open person and willing to listen to, or in this case read, what viewers have to say, so feel comfortable enough to say you seem kind of agitated in this video. Maybe it's because of the first part of the video, but it shows throughout the entire video. You didn't seem like the usual jolly Evan, which to me made it slightly, just slightly less enjoyable to watch. Just wanted to let you know. Zeno, really appreciate that. I do listen, I do read all the comments, uh, you know, I love seeing them come in. Nina highlights a bunch of them for me too that she wants me to directly answer. I love, I love your feedback. Uh, again, it's— you guys are what drive my channel. It's interesting that the— there's a message there, I feel, in what you wrote. And one, yes, I was agitated. I came off from going to the CN Tower, which was a terrible day the day before. We're referencing my video from last week, Christina. We can maybe link that up on the side. And it was honestly one of the most stressful days in the past 5 years of my life. I hate being late for things. I hate bad service. I hate being shuffled around. I hate not being prepared and being able to get my stuff done on time. And just, it was super stressful. And the CN Tower could have made it so easy, and that carried through to my next day and recording the videos. And so yes, I was agitated. And you know, I try to give you guys an honest view of what I'm thinking, when I'm thinking, why I'm thinking. And so most days I'm pretty jolly. I'm one of them, most optimistic, happy people that I know. But everybody has days when they get frustrated and agitated, and so I share that with you guys too. So, you know, you guys get a sense of, hey, I'm not perfect, I'm not always happy. And I think the deeper lesson, the deeper meaning in that comment was I had a bad experience, and that tainted not only that day for me but the next day, because I recorded that video a day later. And it goes to show you about your surroundings and your environment and how important it is to you being creative, being happy, and getting the stuff done in your life that you want to accomplish. So if you are in that scenario on a daily basis, if you're surrounded by people who make you unhappy, who make you stressed out, who don't believe in you, then you're going to be like that too, right? You're going to be like I was every single day. And so it's important to create an environment that builds you up, that supports you, that makes you want to go out and crush your dreams. Last question, Prophet Prophet: Can you do a Draw My Life? Would be awesome, I really appreciate your work. I know Draw My Life was a huge trend maybe a couple years ago. I haven't seen much of it happening, which is okay. I don't really care so much about trends. I'm not a great drawer. I'm a really poor artist. It might be fun to see if Hayden could draw some things. I tell him what to draw and he puts it together. I'll think about that. It's an interesting idea. I'll think about that and put it on my radar. Thank you for the suggestion. So the theme of today's video was about being different. I would love to know what you've done specifically about modeling success, how you've made— how you've modeled different people to then make you different, what you've pulled from different successful entrepreneurs or people in your life to make you the best version of yourself. I'd love if you could leave that in the comments below. I'm going to join in the discussion. Really appreciate all your support and love. I'm really excited to be heading to Whole Foods now to finally get to editing the book and releasing that, letting you guys know about it. Leave a comment below. I'll join the discussion. Continue to believe. And I'll see you soon.
