IAM271- Content Creator and Podcast Host Focus on Gaming and Tech Industry News

Samuel Adams is a content creator and podcast host with work on a variety of platforms online. Specifically focusing on the gaming and tech industry news and analysis pieces, Sam has reached over half a million people worldwide over the course of 6 years of work.

• CEO Hack: Gary Vee podcast
• CEO Nugget: You'll learn something from everything you do or life experiences
• CEO Defined: Taking each day as it comes and being a leader

YouTube: http://youtube.com/samueladamsmedia

Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettychillguy
Instagram: http://instagram.com/samueladamsmedia

Full Interview

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Transcription

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of.

This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:27

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I've Samuel Adams of Caffeinate. Samuel, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Samuel Adams 0:35

I appreciate you reaching out, I'm glad to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:37

No problem. Super excited to have you on. And what I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Sam so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing. And Samuel Adams is a content creator and podcast host with works on a variety of platforms online. Specifically focusing on the gaming and tech industry news and analysis pieces, Sam has reached over half a million people worldwide over the course of 6 years of work. And he can be found at youtube.com/samuel Adams media. Sam, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

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Samuel Adams 1:06

Yeah, absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 1:07

Awesome. Let's do it. So the first question I had was to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story. And what led you to start your business?

Samuel Adams 1:14

Well, my business has just become a business recently, because obviously, with most businesses, you don't really start out profitable, you kind of start in the red, and then you work your way up. But in high school, I was always really into gaming and YouTube, and technology. And I thought that I would just give my best try at it. And so over the years, I've gone from having a basic entry-level microphone and webcam to moving up and getting better lighting and green screens. And just as it's gone on, it generated the following. So I've just kind of continued to do it. And now we're here. So it's been a really cool journey.

Gresham Harkless 1:48

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's one of the reasons I wanted to start the podcast was right in line with different ways that maybe 10-20 years ago, you may not have been able to create a business, but have an opportunity to be able to create content, be able to take some of the things you're passionate about to be able to build a business and build opportunities around. That's been absolutely huge.

Samuel Adams 2:06

Yeah, absolutely. Because especially with the growth of stuff like Twitch and Mixer and YouTube itself, where all these various platforms, give you a platform to share a message of any type. This wasn't possible, even in 2005, when YouTube began, I mean, the fact that it's grown in the way that it has allowed me to grow into it, because I'm graduating college in May. And I had no idea what I wanted to do going into college, but after throwing so much time and effort, and resources into this, obviously, the overall industry is shifting in such a way that this is actually a viable thing now. So it's pretty cool.

Gresham Harkless 2:43

Yeah, definitely. Cool. And definitely a lot of times it's funny when you start school, and you're not sure what to do, you're looking for jobs and things like that, because I went to the exact same thing. By the time you graduate. There are different jobs and opportunities that didn't even exist, maybe three or four years before that.

Samuel Adams 2:57

Yeah, absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 2:59

Yeah. So I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper and hear a little bit more about what it is that you're doing with your podcast and all the content that you're creating. Could you tell us a little bit more about that?

Samuel Adams 3:06

Yeah, sure. So whenever I first began, it was always kind of like just random videos here, and there didn't really have any kind of rhyme or reason to it. But obviously series is a better thing. And so about a year ago, we just had our first anniversary, and I started the daily gaming podcast. And so basically, it just takes little nuggets of news from the gaming industry and packages it up into basically a between 20 to 30-minute show, where it's not overwhelming for people to listen to. But if you're at the gym, on a jog, or whatever it is, it keeps you informed. And so it's seen an incredible amount of growth. Thanks to Anchor a podcast platform that's pretty new to the scene, it's been getting a lot of funding, but to be able to record it live on Twitch, rip down that audio, and put it up on podcast services.

And YouTube has shown incredible growth, both algorithmically for the channel. And also just as a native podcast, it's been nuts. But on top of that, I've done a series throughout the years, I have the drop, which covers new games and stuff coming up. And then I have a couple of other ones here and there that come on and off as the seasons pass. But it's pretty cool to get a rhythm to it, and Gaffney has just been great for the channel and me overall.

Gresham Harkless 4:08

Yeah, absolutely. And are there any different platforms that focus on different aspects of gaming? Is there a specific genre? Or is it just any aspect of gaming?

Samuel Adams 4:18

It depends, obviously, I cover more in my own shows the stuff that's more like a stock fluctuates, or if there's a company that shuts down, or a new company that starts up with founders from another previously successful developer or publisher, whatever it is, I don't necessarily talk about what the best guns are in column duty, or what's happening in a fortnight I break down the science behind the gaming industry and how it works and what specific moves mean for the future of it because I'm a very business oriented guy. And so I love that and it turns out that a lot of people love that and there's a giant lack of that kind of content out there that people are really looking for. So I found my niche.

Gresham Harkless 4:58

Absolutely. I love that and everybody's always Looking for the niche and opportunities because that's usually where those happen, where somebody's not covering it and doing it at that level, you get to kind of come in and create that.

Samuel Adams 5:08

Yeah, for sure. There are a lot of gaming podcasts out there. But there are some that don't take it as seriously as it could be taken. You know, not that obviously, gaming is always just about fun and entertainment, but at the same time, there's a lot that can be analyzed. And that's where I've found my thing. So it's been pretty fun.

Gresham Harkless 5:24

Nice, nice, nice. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And you might have already touched on this, but this is what you feel kind of distinguishes you or your organization and makes you unique, what do you think your secret sauce is?

Samuel Adams 5:35

I think that I have a pretty good blend of being somewhere between a novice and a professional in what I do, you I still maintain that kind of guy in his bedroom, that makes videos kind of thing. But on top of that you can take it to the next level with complex thoughts and genuinely deep discussions that a lot of people don't normally touch on, I think to be able to take a piece of news and analyze it and even just give it between five and 10 minutes instead of just touching it and keep on going. I think there are a lot of people that don't really do that. And so I think that to give a brief yet deep analysis is something that I bring to the table that a lot of people don't. And so I think that's something that I do pretty well.

Gresham Harkless 6:15

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's definitely a great example of a secret sauce because a lot of times people are so advanced that they don't know how to necessarily talk to the beginners, I guess you can say, and then there's so much of a beginner that they can't talk to the advanced people. So to be able to kind of navigate both of those waters is definitely huge.

Samuel Adams 6:30

Yeah, absolutely. I think there are a lot of news podcasts out there that will touch on it. And as you said, they might go a little bit too in-depth, or they might assume that their audience knows something, which there's value there. Because if you have a knowledgeable audience, you don't necessarily need to go as deep. But I've caught myself sometimes where I'm talking about something that builds off of a previous store. And it's like, Wait, let's break this down. Because some people might just be joining in. So I think that's something that a lot of people could benefit from doing more as well.

Gresham Harkless 6:55

Absolutely, absolutely. And now I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Samuel Adams 7:06

I don't know if anybody said this before on the show, but I am a follower of Gary Vee with his Gary Vee podcast and shows and this Facebook content. And I take a lot of what he says to heart. Of course, there's a lot of vulgarity like Gary Vee.

Gresham Harkless 7:22

Yeah, whatever you got to say, I was like, let me get the bleep ready.

Samuel Adams 7:25

Yeah. The thing with Gary Vee is that although it is you know, laced with profanity, there is a lot that he does, right, and that he approaches everything from a very business-savvy perspective. And there's an incredibly huge just plethora of tips and tricks and mindsets and practices that he throws out on a daily basis. And so I just kind of have collected that over the years. And I've tried to abide by a lot of the stuff that he says. But I think the main thing that my hack would be is just following his stuff.

And then looking at also online guides that help maintain a balance of work in life. Because as somebody with a small business, it's difficult to not get sucked into it to the where you wake up and go to bed and fill your entire day with that kind of thing, especially in the comfort of your home. It's incredibly tempting to work constantly. And so I think it's a good way to strike a balance between that and using your time efficiently.

Gresham Harkless 8:19

Yeah, absolutely. And I know Gary Vee talks about this a lot or touches on this a lot about kind of creating a business for what you want, understanding what your goal is. And I think that you kind of touched on that, where if you want to have that work-life balance, you can create your business a certain way. But if you want to work 25 hours a day, you can definitely do that as well.

Samuel Adams 8:37

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's something where I can turn that on if I need to if I have contracts with companies that reach out to me to make videos, I can work for 14 hours on these videos. And then I can turn that off and not do anything for a couple of days, because I run it that way. And it's been nice to be able to kind of figure out a good balance, but also not become lazy with it. I think there's also a sensation.

Gresham Harkless 8:59

Absolutely, absolutely. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice. Or if you could happen to be a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self,

Samuel Adams 9:10

If I could hop into a time machine I guess first I would take a picture and be like this is what actually happens whenever you keep making videos. But I think the one nugget that I think I could share with people is that even if you don't realize the lessons that you're learning while you're creating whatever you're doing, whether it be any kind of small business, whether it be a podcast or an online content creation group, whatever it is, you will learn so many valuable skills that can be applied in so many different areas of life. Even just as a perfect example. Before I began doing all the podcast stuff, I had a deep Southern accent and wasn't great at public speaking.

And now I'm giving my commencement speech at my college graduation and it's that kind of stuff. I wouldn't be doing that if it wasn't for this. you can learn so many things through just life experience in creating a small business and being a CEO.

Gresham Harkless 10:03

Yeah, absolutely. And it takes a lot of guts and courage sometimes to do that. And to understand that it's part of the process. And like Gary Vee talks a lot about documenting, not creating, but documenting the process. But understand that Rome wasn't built in a day. That's not just a cliche, that's something that's real.

Samuel Adams 10:19

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you can look at any content creator, myself included, and go back to where I was starting with, as I said, a terrible camera, terrible mic. And I was terrible at presenting things and talking, but you grow through the years and you grow through these experiences. And that brings a lot of value to any business in any kind of thing like that at all.

Gresham Harkless 10:37

Absolutely, absolutely. And, and I know you touched on this, but I want to ask you my absolute favorite question: the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different, quote, unquote, CEOs on this show. But I wanted to ask you, Sam, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Samuel Adams 10:50

I think being a CEO, to me means that you have a vision. And you might not necessarily know every step that it takes to get to that vision. But at the same time, you know, what you want to do, and you have a general idea of the first step. And it's just taking these steps time after time, and learning from each step to place your own way on your own path to achieve whatever dreams you have. And so where I'll be in a year, two years, three years from now, I'm not entirely sure. But at some point, I would love to own my own kind of content-creation Media Group or something like that. And so I think being a CEO what I've got read here, is just taking it day by day and figuring out the needs of you and your organization as they come. I think that's what it really means to be a CEO to be a leader in that way.

Gresham Harkless 11:35

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that a lot of times when you're able to do that, you're able to pay attention to it, just like you mentioned with you being able to give your kid minimum speed, if you just take it day by day you master that day be the best at that day. You never know what's going to happen down the line. And all of that work that you did prior to that actually builds into what you are and where you are at that time.

Samuel Adams 11:54

Yeah, absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 11:55

Awesome, awesome, awesome. And I appreciate your time. Sam, what I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, to see if there's anything additional, you can let our readers and listeners know and then how best they can get a hold of you.

Samuel Adams 12:05

I think the best additional piece of advice, an additional piece of content that I could give is to always take care of yourself and ensure that you are grinding but not grinding too hard. And also, if I could go back and say one thing about anybody that starting up wanting to start up, don't let opportunities pass you by. Because there are so many times you can be passive and everything that you do, and it's kind of in our nature to be passive in a way.

But to be able to embrace the opportunities that come your way and to be able to explore every nook and cranny, I think is incredibly valuable. But yeah, if anybody wants to follow me and figure out my content, I'm on youtube.com/samuel Adams media, you can follow me on Twitter at pretty chill guy. And you can always find me on Instagram at Samuel Adams Media. And through that, you can find a plethora of other content, information context, and all that good stuff.

Gresham Harkless 12:53

Awesome, awesome, awesome, man. We'll make sure to have all those links in the show notes as well. But I appreciate you I appreciate getting the opportunity to hear from you and all the awesome things that you're doing and congratulations again on graduating and giving the commencement speech. That is an awesome story and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Samuel Adams 13:08

I appreciate it and I appreciate you having me on.

Outro 13:10

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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