Jared Polin aka Fro Knows Photo on YouTube Growth, The Secrets to Success Online & Raw Talk on Making Photography a Business
Also known as Fro Knows, Jared Polin is a multi-hyphenate: photographer, YouTuber, influencer, personality, and content creator. Jared is probably best known for his FroKnowsPhoto YouTube channel, where he consistently posts content related to photography & the photography business, including equipment reviews, tips, and his opinions & critiques to his 820,000+ subscriber base.
- -How he got high profile photography gigs like shooting for the Philadelphia Flyers & Rolling Stone Magazine
- -YouTube growth “tactics”
- -The “secrets” to success online
- -Raw and real talk about the business of photography
- -Building a personal brand online – from his content process to email lists and more!
Timestamps
[00:00:59] Before we get started with today’s episode. For those who don’t know I’ve been really hot on building brand on LinkedIn for pretty much every industry, and if you haven’t been on LinkedIn in a while or if you just haven’t updated your profile, I created a free checklist to make sure you’re up to date and answering the right questions with your LinkedIn bio. You can get it at brittanykrystle.com/linkedin.
[00:01:19] Intro to Jared Polin + my take on his brand (My 3C’s to Personal Branding & Building Influence)
[00:04:12] I know you through Instagram and I think through Gary’s content, and I like what you have to say and I don’t want to stifle it by making it too much like an interview, so I will ask you some normal interview questions and then we’re just going to get your thoughts on shit.
[00:04:26] So just to back up, what do you tell people you do?
[00:05:14] But you’re not a YouTuber, or you don’t call yourself a YouTuber, or sometimes you do…?
[00:05:41] Were you always creative, and when did you actually start taking up photography and thinking that that would be a path as a career?
[00:06:41] When did you discover photography?
[00:08:42] So, you thought you could do a better job, you’re taking these pictures– Where do they end up, and when do you actually think you’re any good? Or did you just think you were better than what they were putting out?
[00:10:19] When you’re taking these classes are you thinking career or are you not even thinking about that at this point?
[00:11:42] Do you like the live moments the best? Like, do you still like shooting sports and concerts, is that still your thing?
[00:12:33] How connected do you have to be to the subject? Let’s say you didn’t even like sports– Could you take good live sports photos or do you need to be an actual fan?
[00:13:52] You mention going to school, and I know this was a different time, is there any situation where you actually recommend going to school for photography at this point?
[00:16:38] What do you tell people about getting paid as a creative/ photographer as a job?
[00:18:27] When did you decide that you want to be putting content online? Was the brand born later?
[00:22:01] How long did it take you to actually transform?
[00:23:17] So you’re wearing the “I shoot raw” shirt. When did you come up with that?
[00:23:51] People prepare for months and months and months to sell one shirt. How did you get it up and running in two weeks?
[00:27:51] So you started at 0 on YouTube. How how often were you posting, who were you trying to speak to, what was the goal for you?
[00:30:16] How long were you posting videos before people were actually paying attention and before growth hit?
[00:31:09] Did it ever translate to jobs? Now I feel like a lot of people are starting channels with the purpose of driving business and I think people know to look for that now, but at the time it wasn’t like that.
[00:34:33] I do want to talk a little bit more about YouTube. We’ve been talking about this passion project that you have. I heard you on your podcast talking about how it’s a bummer sometimes when you have these projects and you put a lot into it and you think that they’re great, but the thing that’s getting views is your review of whatever camera. How do you find a balance? Are you ever sick of giving the same advice and doing the reviews? Like how do you balance the numbers game?
[00:35:57] Did you not give these videos click bait titles and should you?
[00:38:39] You don’t teach anything related to YouTube in that way, right? Your guides and things like that aren’t based on that.
[00:41:27] Do I think everybody who is trying to teach, when it relates to personal branding, when it relates to social media, do I think all that stuff is actually valuable, and do I think those people are qualified? Not necessarily, 100 percent, I completely agree with that. The only part that I disagree with is I do think some people need it. First of all, they like hearing it from certain people. Secondly, I think the packaging of the information is what people are paying for and that group push and the accountability and the clarity. Because figuring out people’s white spaces and figuring out doing the whole self-awareness thing is hard for a lot of people. So I see where there’s a value, but I completely agree with what you’re saying that there is no secret. It’s all of the things you said; it’s the application.
[00:43:22] I think people would be interested to know– so, you’re posting videos everyday, all the time in 2010. At what point are you actually, and I’m sure you get this all the time and people want to know how to make money. But at what point were brands approaching you? At what point were you outbounding? At what point are you making this your own business that you didn’t even need to step out and take photos?
[00:43:51] Did you know that right away, like how did you learn to do that?
[00:53:24] Did you start promoting product for other people? Were you reaching out ever?
[00:54:36] What are your revenue streams today?
[00:56:24] Are you looking to diversify more? Is there anything else in the pipeline?
[00:57:42] How long did this take to develop? It sounds like it would be expensive, too.
[00:59:39] You started by just doing everything yourself. You mentioned you had a team. When do you need to hire a team? How does your process even work now?
[01:02:12] What do you do in terms of batching? Do you come up with all the ideas? Does your team run like that or are you kind of just every day you’re making new shit and then you’re podcasting when you feel like?
[01:03:01] IG TV– Do you think that people will actually sit and watch an hour straight of vertical video on their phone?
[01:04:42] What do you think the secret to influence is?
[01:05:04] I appreciate your time. You always give honest answers, or you at least give exactly what you’re thinking at the time.
[01:05:21] Where can people find you?
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*FREEBIE: For those who don’t know, I’ve been hot on building brand on LinkedIn for pretty much every industry. If you haven’t been on LinkedIn in a while or if you just haven’t updated your profile, I created a free checklist to make sure you’re up to date and answering the right questions with your LinkedIn bio. You can get it at brittanykrystle.com/linkedin
If you’d like your questions answered on a future episode, the next round will be sourced from my email list & from iTunes reviews. If you haven’t already, head to brittanykrystle.com to sign up for my email list OR you can leave me a review on iTunes and include your question.
