Hello Yakezie brothers and sisters. I’m Kevin McKee from Thousandaire and this is my Yakezie Member Post.
I want to take this opportunity to talk about what makes my site unique and why I do things a little bit differently than any other site I’ve seen. Let’s start with the “why” first. I believe there is a huge untapped market for personal finance content. This market is so incredibly massive, and yet so blatantly ignored, that I believe anyone who can reach this audience will have no limit to their success as a personal finance writer and influencer.
This market is young people.
Personal Finance for Young People
Have you ever spent a minute to think about how different your life would be if you had all the financial information you have today when you were a teenager?
All the debt you could have avoided. All the savings you could have accumulated. All the money you spent on interest charges, late fees, and penalties that could still be in your pocket? We’ve all learned valuable lessons via our mistakes when we were young, but wouldn’t it have been nice to learn those lessons without actually paying for them?
You might be thinking, “Young people can find my blog just as well as people in their 30’s or 40’s can.” Of course young people CAN find financial information online; the problem is that most of them WON’T.
As a self-proclaimed young person (26 is still young, right?) I honestly wasn’t even sure what blogging was a year ago. And despite the fact that I have been financially independent since I was 18 and always had a strong interest in money and personal finance, I never once attempted to find information on these subjects online.
How to Reach the Young Person Market
I’m willing to bet that most young people use their computers the same way I used mine in college; check out pictures of the hot English major from class on Facebook, get football scores from ESPN.com, and watch stupid videos on Youtube. Maybe throw a little bit of homework in there too.
If we want to tap the average young person market, we need to stop expecting them to come to us and actively go to them. I believe the best way to appeal to the average young person is with humor, music or a combination of both.
That’s why I started Thousandaire. I write blog posts like any other Yakezie blog, but my site is unique because of the personal finance videos and songs that I’ve recorded. My goal is to mix personal finance with entertainment to the point where people aren’t sure whether they are learning or just having fun.
I could try to tell you all about what I’ve done, but I’d rather show you. I put together a video that includes clips from some of the best videos I’ve made over the past year.
My Yakezie Member Video
And before I get to the video, I just wanted to make the Yakezie Community aware of why I’ve put off my member post for so long. I did this because I wanted to wait until I was done recording my newest song.
I recently recorded a new song entitled “Thousandaire” that lays out a five step plan for how young people can start their journey to financial freedom. I hope to build a lot more content around this song over the coming months and use this as a basis for how I teach personal finance. This will be the flagship song of my website and brand and I couldn’t be happier than to share it with this group of people before I publish it to the rest of the world.
Thanks for reading my member post, and thank you all for being a part of Yakezie. I would be completely lost as a blogger without this group.
[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL_ih91Z-L8 width=620]
Video Guide
If you want to skip to the certain parts of the video, here is a guide to save you some time.
0:00 – Discussion: Why I focus on young people
1:19 – Clips of fun videos I’ve already published
3:18 – Discussion: New Song “Thousandaire”
4:46 – Full length version of “Thousandaire” audio
If you want to watch any of my other videos in full, you can find them all in the videos section of my blog or at my Youtube Channel.
I love that your target audience is young people. I was a decently wise as a teenager, but I still bought items that I shouldn’t have and I racked up debt in college. Looking back, I probably could have avoided many of these expenses and would be much farther ahead today if I avoided them. I hope you reach millions!
I like to think I was a smart teenager as well. And then I look at all the stupid things I did and want to punch my young self in the face. I’m just trying to help other young people not make the same mistake.
I love the idea. Keep up the great work. Have you done any speaking at your local high schools or anything? I’m thinking about doing that in my area.
Great stuff, Kevin! Your personal finance videos are entertaining and help differentiate your site from any others. As far as younger people are concerned, that’s an age where the foundation of one’s financial future is started. Many people get older and say things like “If I just would have done things differently when I was younger….” It’s a great market to go after.
Thanks! That was one of the biggest lessons I learned in my personal finance course in high school. Our teacher was a financial planner, and he said he had clients that literally would have given their right arm to know about compound interest when they were in their 20’s.
Kevin — as a “not young person” who has led numerous Financial Peace University classes, the most common comment I hear from people who are 40 or 50 or older is “I wish I had known this stuff when I was young.” I applaud your focus…you are going to help a generation NOT have those regrets when they are no longer young. Great stuff!
Thanks Joe. I’m just hoping that I can reach enough people to make a big difference!
Kevin. Great story. I think your take on things is really unique and I can see why it would appeal to young people. Your videos are really creative too which is awesome. Doing something different than the status quo is the way to go. I think making personal finance and fun, people won’t be so afraid of dealing with it. Great job.
Thanks. I’m doing my best to make it fun. I hope to be able to spend more time doing videos in the future. I might need to blog a little less so I have more time to make videos. We’ll see what the future holds. :)
Good stuff Kevin! I look forward to your next video hit! How long on average do you think it takes to record, edit, product a 3-4 minute music video? What equipment do you use?
thx
I’ll put some rough estimates out there:
Writing the song: 2 hours
Recording the song: 2 hours
Writing the video script: 3 hours
Filming the video: 5 hours
Editing and Producing the video: 5-10 hours
The hardest part of doing videos is convincing your friends to spend a whole day either acting in or filming the video.
My camera is nothing special. I have a flip mino HD and a Sanyo Xacti. Both are entry level HD cameras. Then I have a greenscreen and lighting, which I used for this video, but am still learning how to use more effectively.
Wow, definitely a lot of work you’ve put in! I’m glad you highlighted this, because it goes to show folks that things don’t just happen. We’ve got to put in the time and effort to make things happen. I can’t stand it when people complain about their “situation” when they aren’t really busting their butts to really make some improvement.
I look forward to the Billionaire video parody!
Nice site, Kevin. I just subscribed. I wish I had the stones to put myself out there on video like that. Your number of youtube subscribers is also impressive, which means your voice is getting out there. Way to make an impact!
Thanks for subscribing. The secret to being willing to put yourself out there in videos is simple: be willing to laugh at yourself. In fact, I find that’s pretty much the secret to almost any social situation in life.
I am a huge fan of the videos…there are some blogs where I can check out a post or two, but every time I visit your site I end up getting stuck there for a while lol Great stuff!
Thanks. I’m glad I’m keeping at least one person entertained!
Kevin this is awesome! I am defintely a fan and I appreciate the humor you mix in with your writing. Looking forward to more!
One more thing, I always leave your site with the Bruno Mars song stuck in my head. Just wanted to properly thank you. Thanks lol
Actually, Bruno Mars is one of the only popular artists that actually sings without tons of autotune, so I find I parody his songs most.
Awesome video, great focus and plan! Nice job with the public speaking, I’m sure you’ll do great with your speaker series. Kudos for your singing and creative lyrics, too. “Rich as LeBron and just as many rings.” Nice! Very inspiring stuff, keep going Thousandaire, the next generation awaits you!
Thanks Buck. I’m just waiting on pins and needles for the day when I am reaching a large number of young people and actually helping them figure out this crazy money thing.
Welcome Kevin! I’m so glad I found your site many months ago in the blog swap – you have some great content and I really like checking it out! We share the same vision of personal finance education for young adults!
It’s good to know I’m not fighting the good fight alone. I love your site so keep doing what you’re doing!
Great work with the video kevin and it’s nice to see your membership post. I enjoy your site, and really liked the “personal finance music video” about the guy downsizing to get married – nice work!
That’s my favorite so far! It was my first video ever and holds a special place in my heart.
good video blog, agree with others commented bfore, you have a bright future. You have a charming persona
Awesome job! I really like where you’re going with Thousandaire – keep it up!
Videos were impressive! It got my attention I am old(er) than your demographics. I taught a financial literacy class in high school, I wish I had your video then. If blogging doesn’t work out you can fall back on entertainment!
Great idea and great target market! I really enjoyed your videos. Congratulations on becoming a Yakezie member!
Just want to say, I love your videos too. Sounds like you have it altogether financially!!
Congratulations on becoming a member!
I love that you plan to go out into high schools and colleges to teach personal finance and I think your flagship video will definitely get their attention!
Your passion and commitment to the younger market really comes through and I’m sure that has a huge impact on your success, Kevin. Your videos are hilarious and they get the point across in such an engaging way. Thanks for a great post, and here’s to your continued success!
Great song lyrics, Kevin.
Congratulations and well done.
Hi Kevin, I’ve been a fan ever since you teased me during a former blog swap. ILOVE HUMOR!!! I am also very interested in your market and am writing books for that market as well!!!! Your YouTube Channel is great and I really like your focus!!!! Wonderful article-keep it up- we have got to get those 20 somethings before they bury themselves in debt :)
Kevin, It is good to read your story. I like your unique take on the personal finance market and the way you try to reach young people. Keep up the good work!
This is awesome. Your visually engaging approach is perfect for your target audience. I also like that your branding is uniform throughout your blog. It all fits together very well. Can’t wait to see you succeed even more.
I’ve got to give you props for spending the time to make your videos engaging, entertaining, and informative. At such a young age, for you to be so ambitious is rare. Here’s to hoping you reach the younger generation (and some older folks too).
LOVE IT! :) Kind of reminds me of School House Rock! I always thought high school lacked a personal finance class. This is actually one of my goals…. I think you’re doing a great job. Keep up the good work. I don’t think I was the typically kid, as I didn’t like the idea of going into debt to go to college to GET a job…. I didn’t think it made sense. I made sure to go to a college where I could get almost a full ride. I think a lot of a person’s perspective on personal finance comes from their background.
I just want to let everyone know that I’ve read all of your comments and have been trying to respond but have been having issues with the site accepting my comments. Thank you all for your support and I really appreciate you reading my member post and checking out my website!
Welcome!!!
What a unique concept–I will have to check your videos out (can’t at work). I am also young–28. (Wait…that is still young too, right?:)).
Love your videos and songs! That is great idea- to make videos. I know that they will go viral on You Tube :) I think it helps that you are easy on the eyes too ;)
If you can’t be smart, at least be good looking. That’s why my mom always told me.
Actually, she never said that. I figured it out myself. Maybe I am smart???
Kevin, LOVE the videos! The strange attractant force they project seems to be working. I went onto your site and have had a hard time pulling away.
The videos are great, the Michael Buble one’s been stuck in my head ever since I watched it. ;)
Wow, I didn’t realize you were a Gamma participant too. I’ve been all about the videos; they’re great. The willingness to share your opinions no matter how unpopular or controversial is cool, too.
Even if we may disagree on some things, there’s something that is always respectable about telling it like it is. Keep it up!
Great job Kevin. If I knew want I know now a decade ago I would be much better off financially. However this demographic is a hard nut to crack. All the best; I can’t wait for your next video.
I love the videos AND the blog … your site rocks, as always. I’m pumped to finally hear the Thousandaire theme song!
Awesome Video! Good luck with your site! Will be visiting often :)
I gotta say, we hold entirely different political views but I love your approach to your audience. It’s engaging and it works! I love the new site design and you can see the progress in the quality of your videos. Anytime you want to do one for me…
Kevin your videos are so much fun to watch! Love your creativity and energy for young peeps. Keep up the great work!
Very impressive with the video! Gamma Class Valedictorian perhaps??
I think that you have a good thing going with trying to reach young people with non-traditional methods!
Kevin, glad to see you as a member! Of course, you blew my member introduction post out of the water with that great video!
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