How I Got 1,000 Subs in 9 Months (My YouTube Strategy)
Nine months.
1,000 subscribers.
61 long-form videos.
686 short-form posts.
And zero viral miracles.
Just systems, consistency, and a willingness to outwork the version of myself who almost quit.
When I started my YouTube channel, I knew two things:
I didn’t have the luxury of traveling full-time, and
I didn’t have money to waste or time to burn.
So I built a strategy that actually matched my real life—full-time job, normal income, and big ambitions.
This is everything that worked.
The gear, the workflow, the tools, the mindset, the setbacks, the wins—and the single piece of advice that helped me hit 1,000 subscribers faster than most creators ever do.
My First 9 Months on YouTube: The Stats That Matter
The Timeline
I hit 1,000 subscribers in 9 months and 2 days.
Google’s average for new creators? About 15.5 months.
The Output
61 long-form videos (1–2 per week)
686 short-form videos across YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Facebook
Long-form average: ~400 views per video
Shorts average: 1,000+ views, with many hitting tens of thousands
The Growth
I averaged roughly 100 new subscribers per month—slow at first, steady in the middle, faster near the end when all the systems were running smoothly.
This wasn’t luck.
It was a strategy.
The Gear That Actually Helped Me Grow (Simple, Affordable, Reliable)
People think you need a $3,000 Sony setup.
You don’t.
You need gear that works for your workflow, not against it. Here’s mine:
🎥 Cameras
GoPro Hero 13 – the workhorse
iPhone 16 Pro Max – surprisingly great for 4K travel shots
🎤 Audio
Rode Wireless Go – clean audio, no fuss
💡 Lighting
One large softbox key light
Four RGB lights for fill, rim, and background
Mini RGB lights I actually travel with
🔋 Power Gear
12 GoPro batteries
7 SD cards
Multiple power banks
MacBook Pro for editing and file offloading
External hard drives for EVERYTHING
🎒 Mounts & Accessories
GoPro 3-Way selfie stick
Mini handle
Sun visor mount for car travel filming
POV necklace mount
If it’s not portable, durable, or simple—I don’t use it.
The Subscriptions That Power My Channel
Gear is one thing.
Software is everything.
These tools cut hours out of my workload each week:
🎵 Epidemic Sound
Non-cringe music that won't get your channel demonetized.
✂️ Opus Clips
Turns long videos into short-form clips in seconds.
🌐 Squarespace
My website + blog hub for SEO traffic.
🎤 Riverside FM
Podcast interviews + Travel Talk session recordings.
🎧 BuzzSprout
Podcast hosting across Apple, Spotify, and more.
🔍 VidIQ
Keyword research, SEO scoring, thumbnail testing.
📂 Google Drive + Docs
The real backbone. My entire creative life is in folders.
How I Use AI to Run My Channel (Secret Weapon)
After uploading a video privately, I download the transcript and drop it into ChatGPT.
I generate:
descriptions
SEO keywords
short-form captions
titles
timestamps
blog post drafts
email newsletter copy
I use ChatGPT, Groq, and Gemini to brainstorm thumbnail text, research keywords, and improve scripts.
AI saves me hours every week.
Time is the one thing creators never have enough of.
My Content Strategy: Long-Form First, Short-Form Second
This is the system that changed everything:
1️⃣ Create One Great Long-Form Video
This is the anchor—the content with depth, story, and retention.
2️⃣ Pull 5–10 Short Clips From It
Short-form becomes your marketing.
Long-form becomes your foundation.
3️⃣ Each Video Becomes an Ecosystem
For every long-form upload, I also create:
5–10 shorts
a full blog post
Google Maps lists
a newsletter segment
Travel Talk discussion points
Instagram Reels + TikToks
Facebook Reels
Clips for future montages
One video → an entire week of content.
This is how you grow without burning out.
Why Hiring an Editor Saved My Channel
I hired a full-time editor early—and it changed everything.
The Truth
I don’t like editing.
I’m not great at it.
And editing made me want to quit.
My editor:
works 40 hours a week
costs $1,000/month
edits faster and better
keeps me consistent
lets me focus on filming, strategy, and storytelling
But here's the myth:
Hiring an editor doesn’t replace your work.
You still need to:
organize footage
name clips
write voiceovers
provide direction
give feedback
approve cuts
Editing is a partnership, not a handoff.
Six Hard Lessons I Learned Before 1,000 Subscribers
These were painful, but true:
1. The algorithm is random.
Your best video might flop.
Your throwaway video might blow up.
2. Different platforms behave differently.
TikTok ≠ YouTube ≠ Instagram.
3. Long-form video length doesn’t matter.
Topic > runtime.
4. Short-form sweet spot is 10–15 seconds.
My best-performing clips were all punchy.
5. Negativity gets clicks.
Words like “scam,” “worst,” and “overrated” work.
Use wisely.
6. Consistency beats talent.
Most creators quit before they ever give the algorithm a chance to like them.
The Motivational Moments That Pushed Me Forward
Two creators I look up to unintentionally fueled my drive.
Adventures of Matt & Nat told me:
“Never assume you're the exception to the rule.”
So I made it my mission to be the exception.
Island Hopper TV told me:
“I don’t think you can be a travel vlogger unless you travel full-time.”
Challenge accepted.
I live in the U.S.
I work a full-time job.
And I still built a growing travel channel.
Those conversations didn’t discourage me—they lit the fire.
My Three Biggest Struggles Getting to 1,000 Subs
1. Patience
Growth is painfully slow at first.
2. Finances
Gear, software, editors—costs come way before revenue.
3. Fear of judgment
Telling people you're a YouTuber is harder than any edit.
My Two Best Tips for New Creators
1. Short form drives long form.
When shorts go viral, long-form views explode.
2. Act like a big channel before you are one.
People can feel confidence on camera.
I got mistaken for travel YouTuber Drew Binsky constantly—and I leaned into it.
When you act like you belong, your footage improves instantly.
Final Thoughts: You Can Reach 1,000 Faster Than You Think
These aren’t hacks.
They’re habits.
They’re systems.
They’re the things that kept me going when the views were low, the editing was slow, and the algorithm felt like it hated me.
Now it’s your turn.
What’s been your biggest struggle growing your channel?
Drop it in the comments—I genuinely want to hear your story.
If you want more creator breakdowns, travel guides, and behind-the-scenes strategies:
➡️ Subscribe on YouTube
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As always—
Travel far.