K atie c ouric

Quick Tips and Recap
• Shoot for the moon.
• Understand who you are so you can give your gift to the world.
• Building a brand gives you a safety net for a longer career.
• Get on multiple platforms to build your brand.
• There’s a difference between who you are and what you do. Focus
on who you are for lasting success.
• Be trustworthy. Trust is at the core of everything.
• Build strong relationships with your customers; treat your fans like
friends.
• Create the best experience on your platform for the users.
• Adapt to changing platforms by testing and learning.
• Create your own opportunities. If you create your own buzz, the
bees will follow.

---

• The only way you can fail is if you quit.
• Do everything in your power to make your dream a reality.
• Take your time. Don’t rush into things. Remember to test.
• Be patient.
• Start today and live your dreams.
__________________
1
 “Total Quality Leadership in a Changing World,” 35th NACDA Convention, Orlando, Florida, June
11–14, 2000, 
http://www.nacda.com/convention/proceedings/2000/00leadership.html
.
2
 Kurt Wagner, “Facebook Is Making a Major Change to the News Feed That Will Show You More
Content from Friends and Family and Less from Publishers,” 
Recode
, January 11, 2018,
https://www.recode.net/2018/1/11/16881160/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-news-feed-algorithm-
content-video-friends-family-media-publishers
.

---

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First of all, I’d like to thank my literary agent, Bill Gladstone, without
whom this book wouldn’t be possible. Bill, it’s truly momentous that
someone with your stature, having represented more than $5 billion dollars’
worth of book sales, has taken the time to shepherd this project and my
career as an author. Thank you for the continuous support and I look
forward to working with you on future books.
Latham Arneson, thank you for being such a great friend. I always
loved working with you at Paramount Pictures, especially when we had our
deep and meaningful conversations about how to achieve maximum results
for all of the movies we worked on. I look forward to continuing these
conversations with you. Thanks again for being a part of this book.
To Erick Brownstein, I truly appreciate all the insight and guidance
you’ve given me over the years. It’s been amazing to see how much you’ve
achieved in even the short amount of time that we’ve known each other.
What your team does at Shareability is truly extraordinary—you were kind
enough to offer valuable insight to the readers of this book on how to create
more significant and powerful content.
Eamonn Carey, thank you for all of the inspirational conversations we
have had over the years, especially when discussing the global picture of
digital and business. Over the last ten years, I’ve learned a tremendous
amount from the information you’ve shared with me.
Thank you Ray Chan of 9GAG; I really appreciate the time you took to
share your wisdom for this book. There’s no doubt in my mind about why
9GAG has been so successful. The many important lessons you provided in
this book can help foster anyone’s growth trajectory and social strategy.
To Ken Cheng, thank you for being such a great friend and collaborator
over the years. It’s always been exciting to discuss different concepts,

---

strategies, and business models with you.
Katie Couric, thank you so much. Working with you the past three years
has been outstanding—a true honor and pleasure. It’s always fun to
collaborate in the creation of compelling interviews and I look forward to
continuing our work together. Additionally, I look forward to seeing the
transformative content you’ll produce in the coming years.
Thank you, Julius Dien, for taking the time for the interview at Web
Summit. The level of growth you’ve generated is truly remarkable. This
premise of this book started with achieving a million followers in thirty
days, but you took it to the next level by generating 15 million followers in
15 months. Your content’s continuous growth and virality is unmatched in
my eyes.
To Pedro D. Flores, it’s been amazing to know you over the years and
hard to believe that it was ten years ago that we created one of the first ever
influencer campaigns on YouTube (around the movie 
Crank
with Jason
Statham). It’s always fun to watch the creativity and content you produce—
you’re one of the true original YouTube creators.
Tim Greenberg, thank you for taking the time to be a part of this book.
I’ve always learned a tremendous amount from your incredibly innovative
approach to fostering a global community around the World Surf League.
Thank you, Phil Ranta. Our meetings have always been motivating—
even way back in the early days when you worked at Fullscreen. What
you’ve achieved thus far in this industry is phenomenal. I continually learn
from you and I want you to know that everything you share is truly
appreciated.
To Jon Jashni, thank you for your eloquence. You’re one of the most
intelligent people I’ve met in the entertainment industry and every word
that comes out of your mouth is like poetry. I’d also like to thank you for
your continuous guidance and the deep conversations we have, not just
about digital and the entertainment industry but also about life in general.
Mike Jurkovac, thank you. It’s been incredible to work together over the
past eight years, starting with our collaborations on Fashion Trust to
Adriana Lima to now VAST. I really appreciate our collaborations and look
forward to developing more innovative projects together.
Thank you, Jeff King. Your teachings about the Process Communication
Model (PCM) have been transformative in my life. I’m grateful for all the

---

support and guidance. I love our conversations about communication and
how it not only impacts business, content, and social but also our daily
lives. PCM and your presence in my life and career have been greatly
significant.
To Rob Moran, thank you for your friendship and continuous guidance.
It’s been wonderful to work with you the past few years and I look forward
to collaborating and working together in the near future.
Nate Morley, your intelligence and experience in branding are
unmatched in my eyes. I see branding as one of the most important and
critical factors for long-lasting growth. Whether working with Nike, Skull
Candy, or DC Shoes, you always find the most innovative ways to create
compelling content that engages and impacts the target audience. Thank
you for the knowledge you provide in every conversation we have.
Thank you for your contribution, David Oh. I tell people that you are
the smartest internet marketer I’ve ever met. Your level of expertise,
experience, and insight is truly unmatched. I learn a tremendous amount
every time we talk, and I’m always amazed by the growth you achieve in all
the companies you’ve built over the years. The impressive growth that
FabFitFun has achieved cannot be attributed to luck, but to your insight and
experience. I look forward to collaborating with you on future projects.
To Kario Salem, your friendship means a great deal to me. I always
enjoy our conversations and look forward to watching your continuous
growth, not only as a screenwriter but also as a musician. Working and
collaborating with you on social campaigns for your music is fun and
exciting.
Jonathan Skogmo, thank you. It’s unbelievable that we moved out to LA
together from Chicago and that you formed Jukin Media out of the
apartment in which we lived at that time. Seeing your personal growth and
that of your company is astounding. When I walk through your office I’m
inspired by and proud of your company’s accomplishments. We’ve come a
long way together.
Thank you, Joivan Wade. Our conversations are truly wonderful. To
meet someone from the other side of the world that has the same mind-set
and goals as I do is really exciting. I always love your inspirational insights
and I look forward to collaborating with you in the future.

---

To AJ Wilcox, thank you. What you’ve achieved on LinkedIn is
remarkable. Managing more than $100 million of spend on the LinkedIn
platform is a true testament to your level of expertise and knowledge. I’ve
always enjoyed our conversations and I look forward to future
collaborations.
Chris Williams, you’re truly a sensational person. I remember the first
time we met, when you were still the chief community officer of Maker
Studios—I knew then that you were one of the smartest guys in digital.
Your insights are invaluable to this book and to my own knowledge and
growth. The growth and scale that you’ve achieved in such a short period of
time with your new company, pocket.watch, is truly inspiring.
I’d like to thank Prince Ea. Thank you for taking the time to share your
wisdom in our interview for this book and for influencing me with your
inspirational and motivational approach to producing digital content. What
you’ve achieved in such a short period of time is truly remarkable. By
creating some of the most viral videos on the planet, you’ve taught us all
how to create great social content and how to live positive and impactful
lives.
Knowledge and insight was gleaned from all of the interviewees who
dedicated their time to this project, many of whom were previously
mentioned. I’m truly grateful for all of your time and participation. A
special thanks to everyone who participated, including Christy Ahni,
Anthony Arron, Chris Barton, and Chris Carmichael.
To the team at BenBella, thank you for your dedication to refining the
content of this book and for preparing it to go to market. A sincere thanks to
all the team, and especially to Glenn Yeffeth, Vy Tran, Sarah Avinger,
Adrienne Lang, and Jennifer Canzoneri.
Thank you to the brilliant members of my team at 
OPTin.tv
. Our own
growth would not be possible without your continuous hard work and
dedication. A special salute to Shant Yegparian, Dave Siedler, Strahil
Hadzhiev, and Mike Seager.
Tara Rose Gladstone, thank you so much for all of your support in
generating this book; it definitely wouldn’t have been possible without you.
It’s been a remarkable process to work with you—there’s been highs and
lows, but I think the final product really turned out outstanding because of

---

your effort, your dedication, and the time you’ve put in. I truly appreciate it
and look forward to collaborating with you on future projects.
And last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank Geyer Kosinski, Gary
Lucchesi, Antony Randall, Pete Wilson, Brian McNelis, and Richard
Wright for their mentorship over the years. I really appreciate your
continual guidance and support.

---