Stanley Orchard | What A Guy Kan Do With A 5-Year Old Phone

Stanley Orchard

09 Apr 2026 — 5 min read

Scmoozing at VidCon, 2025

A long time ago on a beach far, far away Stanley Orchard grabbed a fishing rod and a five-year old mobile phone and made history.

Ok… the history is still in the making.

But what Stanley did with that day was impressive nonetheless. He turned his South Texas family fishing vlogs and turned them into a full-time career as the Sr. Community and Engagement Rep. for TubeBuddy.

Here Stanley was given the opportunity to work with thousands of creators from all walks of life, give demonstrations and product demonstrations at events like VidSummit and Vidcon.

In his free time Stanley also assists with the YouTube User Research program where he provides feedback for new and upcoming pre-Beta features being tested for the YouTube platform and he provides blue-collar, guerilla YouTube tips and tricks on his Stanley Orchard Studios channel.

He took all of that information and compiled it into his 2025 book: ‘How To Grow On YouTube - The YouTube Strategy Guide.’

1,000 videos… dozens of which rank in the top-4% of all videos on YouTube… a full-time career in the YouTube industry and a book… all because of the work done on a 5-year old phone.

When Did YouTube Become A Thing For You?

My brothers and I always enjoyed making fun videos… we had done some small festival films and filmed a lot of our daily lives growing up as a hobby.

But one day we were at my parents and we were all discussing what “that thing” could be that would take us away from our oilfield jobs. We wanted to do something together that we were passionate about.

I announced that I was going to do YouTube then and there... I saw that as the opportunity we needed and I latched onto it. I quit watching TV, playing video games and listening to the radio… instead replacing that time with YouTube tutorials and making small vlogs.

I didn’t give myself a day off for over two years but looking back I call that a win and I wouldn’t change a thing. I was able to break into this YouTube world and I am a better person for it.

After everything you've learned about YouTube, what do most creators get wrong early on?

First thing’s first; you gotta get past the peak of Mount Stupid.

Whenever you start something new and you don’t know anything about it there is an inherent feeling that it’s easy.

The pro’s are the pro’s because they make it look easy and you assume it will be for you as well... this rationale is "Mount Stupid."

It’s going to be hard, you will likely need to give up something you enjoy and replace that time with sweat-labor, there will be times when you face writer’s block, troll comments, a lack of views and you are going to think “what am I doing this for?”

You need to be ready, have a ten-year, 4,000 video mindset and be prepared to do what you do because you enjoy and not because of the metrics for a very long time.

What's one mindset shift that changed everything for you?

There are different stages of your YouTube journey. The things you do in your first 5 videos are not going to be the same things that you do in your 500th video or your 4,000th video. Your mindset will change, you are going to grow and learn and adapt.

When you are under 1,000 subscribers it’s all about that sweet monetization, but what happens after that?

You can’t really “hustle” your way from 1,000 subs to 20,000 or 100,000 or 1,000,000. You need to learn to scale, to reach broader audiences and more general viewing characteristics while maintaining what it is tat is special about you.

That was the biggest mindset shift; stepping away from the monetization stage and then learning to scale.

What's something about the YouTube ecosystem that most people don't understand?

It’s not about algorithms… it’s about people.

I am a data-nerd and I love me some YouTube analytics but you have to step away from the numbers and take a realistic look at what they represent.

This isn’t YouTube telling you that this part of your video is bad or that the thumbnail just isn’t a good thumbnail… this data reflects the way human beings have reacted to your work.

Just because you did something amazing doesn’t necessarily mean people will understand or acknowledge that thing when they see it on their phone.

Maybe your content caters itself to viewers who are watching on their break at work while they are a bit distracted but you intend for them to be watching on a TV at home.

Calibrating your content style and catering to the human beings and their habits can take time to figure out… but I would argue this is the single most important thing you could do to improve your channel performance that people just really don’t spend enough time thinking about.

How did you find the Kan Do Creators Community?

I was very blessed to work with Andrew Kan and Ike Do while at TubeBuddy… they took me under their wing and helped me to grow in this industry and learn things that truly helped me become a greater creator.

After I left TubeBuddy it was a natural fit and a fun return to form for the community that really got me started in the first place.

What's something you've learned or experienced inside KDCC that you wouldn't have figured out on your own?

I am an avid and passionate believer in Community. I always have been… so I don’t know that I would have missed this had I not joined the KDCC. But I will say that I have learned aspects of community… particularly the YouTube community… that have been exceptionally valuable.

From the way that conversations are had at the conferences to the way the Discord Server is managed I can attest that I have gained years worth of knowledge that otherwise would have taken me decades to figure out.

It has been that impactful.

The real badge of honor is the friends made along the way.

Best piece of YouTube advice you've ever received?

“Replace the word Algorithm with Audience.”

I already harped on this mindset earlier… but it is that important.

If you aren’t creating content for the single individual sitting just on the other side of the screen then you are focusing your content on the wrong things.

Finish this sentence: "I Kan Do It because..."

“...it Kan be done.”

It might be difficult, but the best things in life typically are. Through the strength and support of the greatest community available for YouTube creators, through the things that I have learned and the inspiration I have gained I know exactly what I must do in order to accomplish my goals.