{"id":27942,"date":"2024-05-01T12:08:28","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T16:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/?p=27942"},"modified":"2026-02-06T14:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T19:48:11","slug":"youtube-struggles-to-tiktok-triumph-how-a-creator-found-community-and-built-a-brand-with-spreadshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/2024\/05\/01\/youtube-struggles-to-tiktok-triumph-how-a-creator-found-community-and-built-a-brand-with-spreadshop\/","title":{"rendered":"How A Creator Monetized With Spreadshop"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hey, adventurers!<\/span><\/p>\n

I want to share my journey of becoming a content creator with you and talk about the power of community. This story starts with my goal of getting a Silver Play Button on YouTube<\/a> and ultimately ends with a new dream of building a fully sustainable homestead. But before we dive into the details, allow me to introduce myself. <\/span><\/p>\n

My name is Tom Phan, a first generation, Vietnamese-American who lives in the suburbs of Minnesota. I\u2019m a content creator on a mission to inspire others to embrace self-reliance and connect with nature. And my journey with Spreadshop<\/a>? It’s been nothing short of extraordinary.<\/span><\/p>\n

How I Got Started<\/h2>\n

Starting in 2017 and for three long years, I poured my heart and soul into creating content on YouTube –<\/a> for FREE<\/strong> with no monetization or paid opportunities. I was just hoping to make a dent in the digital landscape. But despite my best efforts, success remained far from reach. It wasn’t until TikTok entered the scene that I got my breakthrough.<\/span><\/p>\n

Within just one year of using the platform, I discovered a newfound audience hungry for my unique blend of bushcraft wisdom and survival know-how with a twist of Asian-American influence. <\/span>I grew my TikTok<\/a> from 5,000 followers to over 200K followers in just a few months: a whopping 3.7 million followers on TikTok. Finally achieves my goal of 100K subscribers in November of 2022, thus receiving the Silver Play Button from YouTube. <\/span><\/p>\n

I was able to achieve the success I did on TikTok and YouTube thanks to the community I built with my merch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And that’s where Spreadshop<\/a> comes into play. Recognizing the potential of my brand and the passion behind my content, they took me under their wing as their first brand ambassador. For over four years now, we’ve been on this journey together! A journey fueled by creativity, collaboration, and a shared vision of a more sustainable future.<\/span><\/p>\n

When they were running their video podcast – Quit Your Day Job – the Spreadshop team interviewed Daniel Batal<\/a> as part of their first episode. That video was so incredibly inspiring that I went and purchased their Quit Your Day Job sweatshirt. <\/span><\/p>\n

That was what really started my movement to quit my full time job and become a full-time content creator.<\/span><\/p>\n