And then all of a sudden one day I was like, I had the idea. I'm like, yo, let's go. And people really seem to like this idea of me being like a bigger dude, right? Like, oh, they probably have never seen a guy that mountain bikes. It's my size before. 'cause I'm obviously a pretty big dude. I'm like 330 plus pounds, you know, I'm six foot four.

So it's like, I'm not really like the, I'm not at all the average, like mountain biker, right? Sebastian Bauer, AKA normal mountain biker or sea bass has become a social media sensation. He exploded onto the scene in 2020 and has had multiple videos with hundreds of millions of views. He uses his size to his advantage to create comedy style MTB content, which is relatable.

He is now known all over the globe and has some big plans in the pipeline. Yeah. Can you speak more about the kind of future plan? Yeah, yeah. I, I'll say it here. I've, I haven't really talked about this publicly, but we're starting a company called Filthy and that's abbreviated just like normal. So.

F-L-T-H-Y and I, oh man. I haven't said anything publicly about this yet. When did this whole thing kind of start? Was it like a plan between you and your brother where you were like, okay, we are gonna do this now? Or was it kind of just, let's just see how it goes and make some funny videos? Yeah, it was definitely the latter.

Like we didn't have any plans for any of this to be this way. You know, originally it started as during 2020 when the world was going crazy. Especially if you get things that don't do well a few times in a row, what the hell's going on? I mean, there's multiple times it, it, it a week where, you know, something won't go to how I was planning and then like, just like exactly what you said, like, like, ah, crap.

Like, I'm such a failure, you know? What did I do? Like, like I'm such a loser. Like, look at this. I just put out this dumb video of me.

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So your name is, uh, Sebastian, right? Yep, yep, yep. Um, but people call you CBAs. Yeah. Sea Bass is a name, a nickname that I've had for the majority of my life. It's funny, it originally comes from a, like literally the fish, a sea bass. Uh, yeah, because I used to be a, a swimmer, so I actually did competitive swimming back when I was younger, and I would travel all around the country for that.

That's. Something not very many people actually know about me. It was when I was really young. I used to do that and I mean, I did, like, I went to the Junior Olympics and all that stuff for swimming. What? No. Yeah. I'm not even joking. I'm not even joking. Yeah. Yeah. That's a, that's a completely different part of my life.

Uh, and I actually, after that, did water polo, like water polo was like a huge, like, huge thing for me for, for quite a while. Like, that was one of the things where I was planning on, you know, going to college to play professionally and, and all of that. But, you know, mountain biking really kind of was, mountain biking at the time was more of like a fun hobby for me.

But, you know, water polo and swimming was more of like the, Hey, there's an opportunity here for me and I could actually go places with this. And as you may have come to see it never really went anywhere other than, you know, just ending in high school. But, but, uh, yeah, yeah, mountain biking stuck around and that's ultimately what was, what was the demise for, for me doing any kind of aquatics sports whatsoever.

And. I don't, I don't remember the last time I was in a pool. So crazy. It's been, it's been quite a while. That is quite a, quite a 180 degree swing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's interesting. Like I, you know, my mom, you know, she was the one who was primarily the one Bri bringing me around to all these places as moms, you know, would do.

Right. And so I feel like she, she lost the most out of it because, you know, she was so like, hopeful of like, man, one of her sons is gonna be, you know, a professional in something. And, and as, as the table turns, uh, my, my brother, uh, ZY, who, he's Andreas is his real name, uh, he's also part of normal empty beer.

He's the guy who you guys will see in videos and, and, you know, he's behind the stage for a lot of stuff. He actually became a professional soccer player, uh, back a few years back and No way. So he, he was actually living in, uh, in Nunberg. So he was out there for Yeah. I'm not even joking, man. It's, I like when you really look at like, the history of my family, it's like the weirdest, like, like twists and turns of like athletes Yeah.

And people doing things. It's, it's very strange. So I, I, I'm, I don't, I, I see why I've kind of ended up in this position because we have a tendency, like in my genetics to just like full send things and just try to do like the absolute like maximum that we can with whatever we've been given. So yeah, if you're ever wondering why this is all kind of how it is, that's, that's why we've just got a crazy family, so.

Yeah. Crazy. That is, that is so interesting. Yeah. I mean, you obviously did the, did the water sports thing, and obviously your brother, you said your brother's involved as well. Yeah. When, I mean, I can't remember, maybe it was about 2021, I would say the first video I saw of yours sounds about right. Yeah. And.

Like, when did, I think the first one I saw, or one of the first ones I saw was the one where probably your biggest video ever, the one where you rode along and then your seat you didn't have a seat on. Um, um, when did this whole thing kind of start, like was it like a plan between you and your brother where you were like, okay, I want, like, we are gonna do this now?

Or was it kind of just, let's just see how it goes and make some funny videos. Yeah, it was definitely the latter. Like we, we didn't have any plans for any of this to be this way. You know, originally it started as, uh, you know, during 2020 when the world was going crazy. It was like we, we were both just at home and, and at the time, uh, we actually both worked for the same company.

We were both in construction, so I was building solar systems. You know, if you, I, I know you guys have them in Germany, it's like the massive solar fields that you'll see if you're driving along like the Audubon or the highway or something. And, and so I was actually building those and my brother was working for the same company as well.

And then 2020 hit and that whole year was just super, super weird as it was for many people. Uh, so I was working, but there was a lot of time off where there was, you know, there was the whole, in, in America we had this thing called like the essentials workers or, or whatever. They wanted to label it as work.

You know, there was like certain projects you could do, certain people could work. And I was one of those people, uh, because we were actually building infrastructure for the country and stuff. And, but it was still weird. It was still unpredictable. And so we were spending a lot of time at home. And I actually had had a, a background, uh, when I was in high school I used to do a lot of videography, photography, stuff like that for like professional riders.

And in my area, you know, really small time at the, at the, at the time. And, and I would travel around and, and film race events. So I, I already had some gear, you know, I already kind of knew, you know, some people in the bike industry I kind of already knew like how, how to make videos and we just kind of decided, oh, pretty much out of boredom and desperation we're like, you know, it was like, man, I gotta do something different with my life.

Like, I can't, I can't keep going down this path of. I, I've, I've never really liked to do like regular jobs, even though, like, obviously the, you know, paychecks are nice to have every, you know, every, you know, every two weeks. And my brother and I were just sitting around, we're like, you know, hey, I've got all this camera gear, like, like, you look like my brother looks like a, you very, you know, typical mountain biker, right?

Like, he's like the perfect size. He's got like the, all the gear, all of that stuff, right? So I was like, yo, like let's go out and let's go do photos and videos of you and, I mean, Instagram exists. You know, let's go post some pictures on Instagram and create something called the normal mountain biker.

'cause ironically, it was my brother who was the original normal mountain biker, and because he's like the most normal looking dude. So, so that was the whole thing actually started with him being the focus of the videos or of the pictures and stuff like that. So if you, if you go on my Instagram and scroll all the way to the very bottom, you'll see that like the first like 50 or 60 posts are literally just my brother, like pictures of my brother.

And I haven't deleted any of those too. So those are still there. And um, yeah, so we were just like, you know, going out to our local trails and, and, uh, you know, doing videos and filming, just edits, you know, nothing funny, nothing, you know, nothing creative. It was really just like, oh, let's just go put something out there.

And, you know, our, our, our goals when we started it was, let's just. Create something and maybe we get like a couple thousand followers and you know, maybe we get a bike sponsorship or something. I don't know. Let's just see where this goes. Right. And then it actually didn't really take off for like. Quite a, quite a bit of time.

It must've been six months, maybe, maybe eight months. I, I don't remember the exact timeline, but it was a while, like we were posting consistently for quite a while and, and then reels became a thing on Instagram and. Uh, once the reels function popped up, like I was like, for whatever reason, I was like, oh, that'd be funny.

Just to, you know, to, to start making reel videos. And so I would say within the first like couple weeks, the reels became a thing back when Instagram was really pushing that kind of content to people. Yeah. We just started posting videos and one day I was like, yo, like let's, let's go to this trail that we've been working on.

And at the time we did a lot of trail building too, and like, we're like, let's go for this trail and we're almost done with it. Let's just film a quick edit of me like. Railing some corners and stuff. And so we posted, we made some video to like, uh, you know, the, you know, those, those, those rappers, suicide boys?

I think they're called like super, super hardcore rap, right? Yeah. And I made like a quick, like 22nd edit, like all like in Slowmo, you know, back when like the iPhone started to have like the Slowmo function. Yeah. And, and it was just, it was literally just a video of me, like, like coming into corners, like hard, hard rear break, you know, just, just sliding in like dirt going everywhere and like the cheesiest thing ever.

Right. And, but somehow, like that video just like did really, really well. And I was like, oh, like that was the first like. Like little spark for us, where it's like, oh, okay. So all these videos of my brother have been like, you know, getting like maybe a thousand views. You know it at best, right? Like, but then this video of me got like 50,000 views.

It got like 50 times better engagement. And I kind of understood at the time, like the whole thing with engagement. 'cause, 'cause uh, years, years prior, I actually had an automotive YouTube channel, uh, that did actually pretty well. It doesn't exist anymore. But, uh, I was just working on cars and I had like a few videos that did really well.

So I kind of knew the whole social media thing slightly. And this one particular video of me riding did really, really well. And I was like, oh, like, it was kind of that, that like, that like light bulb went off in my head and I was like, dude, like, like what if we just start filming me, like coming down?

'cause I've, I had never been the subject of any kind of videos. Like, like that was Leo my, like, my first time like being the focus of. Like a proper, you know, social media thing. 'cause it was like the car channel that was just car stuff, right? So I wasn't like, I would say, oh, hey, we're doing this today. But it was like, then I would like turn the camera around and like, look at me, like my hands doing stuff to the car, right?

And so once we kind of realized that, it turned into like, okay, so, so let's, let's start doing this type of video. Like let's start doing that type of video. And we just really just kind of experimented with a whole bunch of different types of, of content, like different ideas. 'cause at the time it was really the wild West for social media.

I mean mm-hmm. You, you had fine and stuff that had existed a couple years prior, but there wasn't really like, like the, the, the, the, the identity of what social media is today to don't exist back in 2020 as nearly as much as it does now. And so we were, you know, we were, we were literally just trying anything we could.

So like, so many videos were absolute flops. And, you know, we tried everything from like, edits to random things that are like, you know, like, like this is what a break pad looks like. You know, stuff like that, like random stuff, right? And uh, and then all of a sudden one day I was like, I had the idea. I'm like, yo, let's go.

And like, people really seem to like this idea of me being like a bigger dude, right? Like, oh, they probably have never seen a guy that mountain bikes that's my size before. 'cause I'm, I'm, I'm obviously a pretty big dude. I'm like 330 plus pounds, you know, I'm six foot four, so it's like, I'm not really like the, I'm not at all the average like mountain biker, right?

Yeah. We had the idea one day, like, let me, let me go, let me take my mountain bike, which is like a Yt Capra at the time, and let me, let me take all the air outta the suspension and just like, ride this bike. One shot, like just start on the top of this road and then just ride down. And then have my brother followed me on his bike with a camera and it'll just be me with the suspension completely clapped out.

I could walking me out the suspension and, and just like, roll down a hill. And so we filmed that and I put the, I put the song, uh, riding Dirty by Chamillionaire, like everyone's, everyone's heard that song at this point. And, and I posted that and it was like a, I dunno, 15, you know, second video, but it like exploded.

Like that, that video, I think that was our first video that got to like a million views possibly over the span of time. And then that was like the final nail in the coffin for ideas where it was like, like, oh, people like the comedy stuff. People like to see this unique thing that like, you know, like nobody really had been doing it.

Like, I think at the time there was, there was only one other creator, uh, that was making comedy videos that was like, pretty prevalent in the, in the, in the bike world. And his name was Bobo and he's, he's probably, you've probably seen his videos before. He is been doing it for years, but he was doing more skit style stuff on YouTube.

And so there was, it was literally a vacuum, you know, there was no, there was nobody doing like the short form, like comedy stuff around mountain biking and so. It was really, you know, part of it was really, you know, there was, there was a gap and we filled it and the other part was we just kept on going with it.

And then after that, then the video, you know, cut like a year or two later. The video that you're talking about with the No Sea Dropper pops up, that one just explodes. And for from there it's just been, you know, whatever, whatever happened. And now we're here. So now I'm, now I'm on your podcast, so, yeah.

Yeah, I mean it's pretty crazy. 'cause I think, I mean obviously I think the, you being. Such a unique look on the bike as well. Being a bigger dude, I think that's definitely a part of it. Like that captures people's attention. 'cause they're like, wait, like, you know, so I think it's, it's really cool how you've, how you've changed that and used that to your advantage.

My, yeah. I, I would say, I mean obviously you've had a lot of videos now a lot of them, majority of them have done well, especially the recent ones. But how do you. How do you keep coming up with ideas? Because like, I, I found that for me, being challenging, so I could imagine being your position, putting out so much content.

It must be, yeah, quite difficult sometime, or maybe not. I don't know. No, it's definitely hard. I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna lie, it's, it's definitely challenging at times. It comes pretty easy, you know, because like, I, I don't know, I don't know if you ever experienced this with yourself, you know, whether it's like racing or ideas or whatever it might be.

It's like, you know, sometimes I'm just. You know, banging out ideas after ideas. Like I'll have, I'll have times where like for like two weeks at a time, like every day I'm just writing notes down on my phone of like, this is a good idea, that's a good idea. Like, let's do this, this, this. And then there's some weeks where I'm like, all right, I need inspiration.

Let me just go through reels or TikTok and then see what comes up that other people are making. And I'm like, lemme see how I can like, create something similar, but turn it into something mountain bike related, right? Like, I'm not, I'm not gonna lie, I'm not gonna say that every idea is like a hundred percent original, right?

No creator makes a hundred percent original ideas, like we're all getting something from somewhere else. Right. So that's why you'll see like a lot of videos where I'll, like, I'll have, you know, I'll put, like recently I had a video where, where a dude in, I think it was in Washington, like crashed super, super hard and, and then I put like, my reaction to it afterwards and the video super well, it's like, yeah, I just, I just took off like, like five or, or six seconds of someone else's video and then repurposed it.

It's like stuff like that, right? Where, I mean, obviously I give, I give credit to those guys and, and whatnot, so it's not like I'm stealing their, their content, but, but you know, it, it really ebbs and flows. I mean, that's the. That's the truth behind all of it, you know? And, and, and I like to, like, I, I do a lot of, like, I, I keep up, I keep track of everything on my phone.

So that's like a really, really important like, thing that comes with, with making these ideas. Like you write down an idea and then like I'll work on like a script or you know, a, a plan for the video. A lot of the times I don't really need a script because it's, you know, there's no words and it's just like, maybe a couple, couple different shots.

But yeah, it, it is definitely hard to come up with ideas. And, and that's actually one thing where we've been gravitating a lot more towards the, the side of, of, uh, like YouTube long form. 'cause, 'cause with long form is you could imagine that you can take one single idea and then turn it into like a 20 minute long video, which is a lot more engaging, you know, and it's a lot more valuable as well.

So that's one thing where, where as time goes on, it's like, I can't ha help to have this like, lingering feeling just at the back of my mind of like. There's very few ideas left of how I can, you know, bring like really, really original content, like so much, especially now with so many creators that are out there.

Like the idea pool is shrinking every single day. Like, and, and it's a thing that, that I have, you know, I have my own group chats with like a, a bunch of other creators, like in the space and, and we're all kind of thinking the same thing, where it's like, yo, we've all already tapped into this specific idea, or that idea, or this idea over there.

And it's like, at what point are we gonna realize that we're gonna have to start remaking a lot of the old stuff? Yeah. And so, and so that's one of the things where, where, where luckily, you know, one of the hacks to that is that like, not very many people that are like the, the consumers of the videos, of the social media side of things, like not very many of them are keeping a mental note of specific ideas.

It's more so, as you might imagine, like Instagram and TikTok, they wanna show something that's gonna, you know, that's gonna hook people, that's gonna want to keep them on their platform. So they don't really care if it's, if it's a, a video that existed from, you know, two, three years ago, as long as people don't remember that it happened and then you could repurpose that idea for something else.

Like the video will still do good. And that's one of the things where I see a lot of creators, they'll just tap out. Like instantly. Like they'll, they'll, they'll run of ideas or they'll have a, a streak of videos that'll just not do super well. And like they'll just be like, oh, well I failed, you know, whatever.

And then they disappear and then you never hear from them ever again, which is unfortunately a big reality nowadays, uh, with kind of how the bike industry is going. You know, sponsorships are drying up, like all that kind of stuff is, is a big factor to, to like, are you gonna make it in this space or are you gonna just be one of the people that taps out, you know, and, and, uh, yeah.

Yeah, it's, I don't know, that's a long answer to what, what, what you asked, but yeah, it's, uh, it's, yeah. And it's interesting because it's something that I've. I mean, I've struggled with as well, and I think as you mentioned, probably a lot of creators struggle with, um, is coming up with coming up with fresh content and like of course, you're watching what other peoples do, what other people do, but you don't wanna, you know, you don't wanna just copy what someone else does.

You need to kind of make it your own, but. It's not always easy to take another idea. And so some, sometimes someone's does done it so well that you're like, well, if I change this, it's not gonna, it's not gonna really work so well. So, and you asked me earlier, now I've got a second Instagram account and, and that's kind of like maybe part of that as well, because like over the last few years, my account, my other account had done really well and I got a lot of inspiration from other people and tried to, and, and jumped on trends and things like that.

And, and then like, I just found myself like in this place where I was just like, I can't keep up with this. Like, I can't, it's not sustainable because like. I was having to spend so much time just on the platform just looking for ideas the whole time. Like looking at looking and also, not just in mountain biking, but you know, I'll look at like skiers and um, motorcycles and other kind of niches as well to try to find ideas.

But it was kind of like, not, not all of them were true to me, but like I knew an idea. I was like, this is gonna do well. Like, I, I kind of knew it before I posted it that it was gonna do well. But it was like, then you kind of just chasing numbers and that was, that kind of got a bit old. Like I didn't want to kind of keep doing that.

And so the new account was like a more value-based account, more storytelling, more stuff that I'm, that I was stoked on. Of course. I knew that it's not gonna be as easy to grow with if you're not, you know, jumping on every trend and, and kind of having these quick, quick videos that, you know, people are gonna engage with.

But I was like, I feel like from a brand's point of view and, and from, from a following community point of view, if you've got this type of following that's really invested, that are willing to sit down and watch a longer video, I feel like that's more valuable from, you know, if you, if you ever drop merch or you know, if you've got sponsors that the chances they actually buy a product is way higher.

Actually, I think you, you probably know him, Christian Pepper. I think he does a really good, great job at that. Like, 'cause he's a really good writer, but I really enjoy his content. Like, I think he's super creative and he like, tell, and he's very good at storytelling. So I, I don't know, if I was a brand, I would feel like that's more valuable than necessarily even, even like you can do some sick writing, but there's so many good writers in the world.

Like how do you stand out? You know? I mean, you do a back flip, someone does a double back flip, you do double back flip. Someone does a triple back flip that's like it. There's always someone doing something better. So it's, yeah, but I think it's hard, like with where I've been, 'cause it's coming from the racing side, like I've had this kind of racing influence and a lot of the followers that I had earlier on were focused on that.

And now I'm not racing. So kind of like maybe some people, that's what they followed me for and now they're not getting that. So it. Yeah, I found it a bit tricky with that, but um, but yeah, back to the point, I think it's definitely, it's, uh, I, I found it and I, I guess you did as well. At some points. It's quite a lot of, I feel the pressure, like, you know, when you've had stuff do well and then, and then you're like, no, it, you need to keep doing well and the next video needs to do well and the next video.

And then when it doesn't, I feel like. Kinda like a failure. I'm like, man, I suck. Like, you know, especially if you get things that don't do well a few times in a row, then you're like, what the hell's going on? So I don't know if you can speak to that at all, but, uh, yeah. Yeah, I definitely felt that. No, I mean, the, the, what you're feeling is something that.

Everyone that's in this space goes through. I mean, there's multiple times it, it a week where, you know, something won't go to how I was planning. And I'm like, just like exactly what you said. Like, like, oh crap. Like I'm such a failure. You know, what did I do? Like, like I'm such a loser. Like, look at this. I just put out this dumb video of me and I only got a few, you know, whatever, whatever numbers, right?

It's like, like you said, one thing I really liked was that the, the numbers chasing, right? Yeah. And like, that's such a real thing. And unfortunately, I'm, I'm also guilty of that too, you know, every single day. It's like, that's like, I, I, I almost revolve most of my life around the numbers changing because, or, or, or numbers chasing because.

Like, I mean, that's ultimately, it's, it's a way to quantify success, I guess, in some weird sick, you know, modern, you know, postmodern way, right? It's like, it's one of those things where, where, like we've been, we've been taught that you don't have value in the society unless you have some kind of social credit like that, where it's like, oh, you get, you know, pe you have this many followers, like you're the coolest guy in the world.

It's like, yeah, but like, you meet a lot of people and a lot of people in the non bike space are super, super cool. But I've, I've been fortunate enough to meet a lot of people in a whole bunch of different, you know, spaces and, and, and, and you'd be surprised how, how, how much people like the mo, like the pe, like, like those guys people are looking up to, like so much of their life is ran by numbers as well.

And I feel like a lot of people don't realize that is like, they create, you know, we're able to, as social media creators, we create this persona online that is, at the end of the day, like super, super fake. And, and I'm sure you've had this with, with fans and stuff, but, but like, especially if you're doing a lot of stuff on YouTube or where, or a lot of like the long form stuff where you're really putting yourself out there.

Like people almost think that they have a relationship with you, like they know you. Right. And that, that can get a little bit, a little bit tricky. I'm sure you've had, you know, some experiences like that in your, in, in your career, right? It's like, you know, like you'll meet people at a race or at an event or something and they're just like blabbing off, like, you know, telling the things about yourself that you forgot about yourself and you're just like, oh my God.

Like, like you've real, like you really know like who I am on this long line persona. But you know, they've never met your mom. Like they don't know what your typical was like. Like, you know, they don't, they don't, if they don't know anything really beyond that, oh, excuse me. They don't really know anything beyond that.

So it's like, there's like, there's just this like really weird thing where I am sure you've thought about this too. Like let's say like, you know, you've had plenty of videos that pop off really like that do awesome, amazing numbers, right? And like you think of like, okay, even a VA video that got a million views, which in today's world is not even that many V views, like all things considered, right?

Like even 1 million views, that's a million people that saw that like saw you on their screen. Like that's bigger than most cities in America like. Like that is mind blowing when you really put that into perspective. It's like if you were, if you were sitting in like a stadium, right? Like you're at the Super Bowl or like the World Cup or something, right?

You're in a stadium that, what do those stadiums have? Like a hundred thousand people, like at most like 70,000 people. And it's like, yeah, that's like your video just got 10 times as many people as there are in those stadiums that where people go to pay to sit and watch some dudes play football or something.

Right? And it's like, it just, it just blows your mind when you really put it into perspective. And I think that's one of the things going to your point of like chasing numbers, I think that's one of the things where eventually everybody who's in the space realizes that simple fact, and this is a lot of people and they get addicted to it.

Like it literally becomes an actual, like, that's why it becomes such a big part of their life and why they become so focused on like, like let me get more views. Like how do I fi hop on the next trend? How do I create content like that's gonna be able to get, engage a bunch of people? Or how do I go from like.

200,000 followers to 400,000 followers. It's like, it's like all of that kind of stuff. And, and, and what's interesting about it is that it can either go two ways, and I've seen this with, with a lot of different creators. It can either heavily improve your life or it can completely ruin your life. And it, uh, and I've, I've realized that it kind of comes down to the personality of who it is.

That's creating those posts, because I'm sure you've seen it with a lot of other creators. I haven't seen it so much in the mountain bike space, but you'll have, you know, creators that'll pop off, pop off after, uh, like out, literally out of nowhere. And they'll get like millions of followers within the span of a, you know, a couple months because they hopped on some trend or they created a new trend.

And, and then all of a sudden, you know, like, especially this happens on TikTok, like they're, they're big for like two months and then they'll get millions of followers and then all of a sudden after two months, the algorithm changes and their videos don't really matter anymore. And then all of a sudden they can't cope with anything new.

They can't create anything that lasts and then they just die off. And then you're like, then you have a graveyard of, you know, a bunch of, you know, 5 million, you know, follower accounts that get, get like 200 views per video and then you're just like, oh my God. Like it's, you know, it could be devastating.

And I, and I think, you know, and then these people, you hear about them going crazy or, you know, like getting into drugs and stuff like that. And then you're just like, oh man, like that's. You know, it's, it's a hundred percent of personality thing. Like you have to be able to, to, to, to take those highs and take those lows and not let it def define who you are as a person.

And I think that's, that's the most important thing where, like, for me, it's like we've been around for so long because I do have that separation with my life where like, all, like, there's times where I'll go to events and it's like, okay, we're playing, we're probably, we're playing rockstar. Today. Today, today the goal is to just be a rockstar.

Right. And then I'll, you know, once the event's over, I. Cut it off. I go home, I spend time with mom and dad, like I go and cook dinner. I go and like go to the grocery store and walk around, you know, and, and just get into my regular car and drive around, go to the regular spots that I used to go to as a kid and ride the regular trails and try to become, you know, the person that I actually am, you know, be, go back to that rather than this like, persona that's this online, you know, spectacular look.

He's got all these followers. It's like separating those two is like the most important thing that I've been able to do. And especially at first, you know, when I was really starting off with this whole, you know, virality and social media and followers and all that kind of stuff, like, it was hard. Like I, I, I had a lot of moments where I was like literally talking to my mom.

'cause I don't know who else to talk to about this stuff. And it's like, I'm like, mom, like I can't, how do I deal with this? Like. You know, like that, the video you brought up of the, the Noea dropper or the, the no seat on the, on the dropper. Right. Like that video did like insane. Like I stopped counting after it got shared.

Like, uh, it got like 400 million views or something, and I stopped, like I, on my own page, I only got like 30 something million, but it was shared by so many massive creators. So I was keeping track of like who was sharing it and how many views. And it I saw, I literally stopped counting after about 400, uh, four oh million views.

And I was like, okay. Like, that was the first time where I was like, uh, I had to really figure like, okay, this is either gonna destroy me or it's gonna like. Enlighten me in some kind of way. Right. And, you know, I had to have a moment where I was like, you know, took, had to take a step back for a little while after that and be like, okay, like this is something that's, first of all, it's completely unnatural.

Like nobody should have this kind of attention. And like, even like, you know, and it's one of those things where it's like, uh, you look at the days of old, right? When you had kings and monarchies and, and you know, there, there was, you know, one guy ruling the entire kingdom. And like even this, even the kings back then, like only a couple hundred thousand people who knew who they were at most.

Yeah, and that was like best case scenario and like that. And like the people who ever had access to the king, it was even less than that. So it's like, it's like even, even back in those days, like we haven't evolved, like humans don't have the mental capacity to be able to really actually quantify what, like the viewership that they're getting on social media and then also process it.

Like, how, how do you do that? And I think that's one of the main reasons why when you have like a lot of these big, you know, huge celebrities, you know, the Kardashians or whoever it might be, it's like, not to throw flame on them, but like a lot of, a lot of these like huge, huge celebrities like. They're all batshit crazy.

Like, like they, they're all bonkers. Like, like you always hear these crazy stories of them going down doing really weird things and like getting in confrontations with paparazzi and all this stuff. And it's like, you know, I never really understood that. I just thought, oh, they're just crazy people in drill.

It's like, no, no. Now I understand. It's like, oh, like, like they literally can't handle this and they're trying their best to, but this is how man, like, like their struggles internally manifest is just by them doing crazy stuff. So it's so, it, it makes sense, you know? So I, I don't want to go on, on a huge tangent about it, but it's like, it really puts things in perspective when you have that, that understanding that like, wow, there's a lot of people watching this.

They're probably from all over the world. Because everyone's on social media nowadays. You can go to, to the middle of the, you know, the, the Congo in Africa and you're gonna, you're gonna find people who have an, who have an iPhone or some kind of smartphone, and they probably have Instagram and they probably have TikTok and they're probably watching YouTube videos, you know, and it's like, it's the craziest thing when you really quantify it and really try, like, sit down and think about it.

So I, I'm sure you've, you've experienced the same things. I mean, like I said, you, you've, you've absolutely killed it on, on everything you've done, so I'm sure you've seen it as well. So thanks man. I appreciate that. Uh, I mean, not, I haven't had quite the view numbers that you've had, but yeah, I've had some that I've, I've been, that I've been stoked with.

But yeah, I definitely understand a hundred percent people, human beings are not meant, like, they weren't designed, we weren't designed to have that many people looking at you. It's just, yeah. It's like, it's cr it's actually crazy. And, and you know, you referenced there the old days versus now, I mean, it's like millions.

I mean, that video, four oh million people, I mean that like. It's just unfathomable. It's like how you would never, there's no physical way for that many people to see you without technology and social media. So, and yeah, movie stars. It's, I guess the, and also the, and that's another point as well. Um, have you ever had to deal with, with any negativity?

You know, um, because I know myself, like I've, there've been times I remember what it was a few years ago, maybe 2017 now. Um, it was kind of before I was really like pushing Instagram that much, but I went on holiday and I went to Thailand and I was really ignorant at the time. And we did like this day tour and there were like 10 activities and one of the activities was riding on an elephant.

And I honestly, like, we didn't like plan. It was just like part of the thing and I didn't really think about it. And anyway, posted a photo. Dude, like I've never had so much backlash in my, I've, it was crazy. Like I delete, I had to delete the post like, because there was hundreds of comments, like, and it just made me realize, and there's been obviously other things.

That have happened as well. And sometimes people are just, just like, what is wrong with you? Like, you are so mean. Like, it's like you have nothing better to do with your life than just sit there and write nasty comments. Um, yeah, it was, yeah, I asked was, was that because of like the, the, the ethical reasons for writing?

Uh, uh, uh, an elephant? I, I guess so, yeah. People were saying that, yeah, it was animal cruelty and you know, obviously I wasn't really aware of, I mean the elephants that we, that we rode were in really good condition. They didn't look like, you know, they were mistreated. But yeah, then afterwards, after the fact I did some research and kind of realized that a lot of the elephants in Thailand are, are not kept the way they should be.

And um, so then I kind of understood, but like, yeah, I was just ignorant at the time, but I realized then that going forward that you have to be super careful what. You say, and don't say and post. And don't post. Because like people, if there's anything that people can grab onto, people will just like, yeah.

It'll be hectic. And I had a, had another podcast with a tennis player, um, a few months back, and he was saying he got death threats because of, because when he'd like lose a match because of sports betting and tennis. And I was like, what? And he's like, hundreds people. And then say like, yeah, I wish you get cancer.

Hope your mom dies. Like crazy stuff. Like I was just like. Yeah. How, how's it been for you? I mean, have you had to deal with anything, any negativity online? Uh, I mean, there's always some kind of negativity, right? You know, whether it's, it's, you know, you have people who are just making fun of you for like, honestly, pretty mean reasons or, you know, I, like, I've been pretty lucky, you know, going back to your, your elephant example, I haven't had anything like that happen because there, there is like, like I do kind of really limit about what I, what I post.

Like, I'm very like conscious that like, I like, you know, that exact exact example. Like, I could be doing something that's non bike related and I could post that and you're gonna get like someone who is gonna get pissed off about something, right? So I just try to avoid that. But simultaneously I do kind of poke the bear sometimes because I also understand that like, if you are.

Like, like there's no such thing as bad publicity to to, to a large degree. So, so even if like I post something and it gets people to comment bad things or people, people's displeasing, you know, opinions about it, it's still engagement. Like that's still, like Instagram or TikTok is, is still gonna see your comment and be like, oh, this is engaging, let's show this post to more people.

So that's why, I mean, I kind of almost encourage. In some regard, you know, some, you know, people to, to share their opinions, but simultaneously, like I do avoid a lot of topics, right? Like, I don't talk about politics like at all. You know, especially in today's climate. Like I don't go anywhere near it on social media, you know, like world events, you know, stuff like that.

Like, there's always times where I feel like I want to use my platform to vocalize certain things going on, but I always think, okay, like for as many people who feel the way I feel about this specific topic, like there's the exact amount of people who feel completely differently than me. And it's like one of those things where, where even for like morally just things that people would, you know, most people would agree with, I'm just like, okay, like I'm not.

I can't put this here. Like, like maybe one day I'll start my own, you know, my own persona online and I'll put my opinions out there. But, but right now is not the time. Like, and, and so I really keep it to mountain biking as far as like, mean comments. Like yeah, a hundred percent. Like all the time. I find the TikTok is the worst culprit for that.

Like, you'll get like a, a bunch of, like, TikTok is mostly just little kids on that platform. So you'll, so you'll get like, I'll post a video of me doing something that's very obviously like me, like I'm a bigger dude. So that's, there's no secret there. And so you'll get, you'll get people like. Like just post on my most like rancid comments.

And I'm just like, oh God. Like these people, like, like they, they, they need to find something to do with their lives. Like, like, what's going on here? Like, like what compels you to write that on a comment on someone else, someone else's video you've never met before? Like, what's wrong with you, dude? But, um, but like I said, I always see it, I, I see it in a negative light or I'm, I'm sorry, in a positive light.

So it's always like, okay, cool. I'm getting more engagement from this comment. That sucks. You're probably right about what you said about me. But like, okay, I'll take it, I'll note it, and then thanks for the engagement. You know, like that's, that's really my attitude about it, which is why you'll never see me like.

Creating any beefs online or like responding to comments like, I really don't like. And most of the time I, I also don't really like read the comments too much, like, like I will for certain videos and certain things that I'm doing. So it's kind of like a, it's kind of a gamble as to what I'll read, but like 99% of the things that are said online about me, I, I have no clue.

Like I genuinely have no idea what it is. So, um, I feel like that's why I've been able to stay, for the most part, sane, or at least I think I'm sane. I don't know, maybe, maybe my, my close friends will tell me otherwise, but like, it's, but I've been, I mean, like, I really try not to, to fill my, my heart and my space with, with negativity really.

So, so yeah, I, I try to keep that balance going. But yeah, dude, yeah, I, I can definitely say that it's probably a good thing to not read the comments just because I, it's, I can't believe, like, as you mentioned, I, I can't believe that people could take the time. Sometimes to write the things they do. I'm just like, what?

You have clearly nothing to do, nothing better to do with your day. Like yeah, I, I mean, it must take you ages, like, you know, it's just, yeah, it's pretty wild. Um, and also like on Pink Bike and other platforms as well, like, sometimes even, I dunno if you've seen, I've done a, I've done a YouTube series called Swapping Lines, and I'm riding with various writers around the world and, and like the last one did with Ace of A Met and we did in Video Gang and we used, um, Nickelback was a, was a song.

The reason I used Nickelback was because AA is a big fan of Nickelback. And dude, people hated it. Like there were the comments to the Head Nickelback song. They were just like, this is the worst song ever. Like, I needed to put my computer on mute. Like, like hectic. And I was just like, what? Like, I don't get it.

Like, yeah. It's so, it's so interesting, dude. It, can I back a quick story dude, that's, do you mind if I share a quick story on, on Asa? I know you just brought 'em up. Yeah. Yeah. So I gotta tell you guys the story of the first time I met him. Like this, this kid, like, I, I think so highly of Asa it's unreal. So the first time I ever met him was in Utah.

Uh, like maybe at this point, it's gotta be like three years ago. And this is before he started getting all the, you know, all the international fame and, and, and in really the growth that he's had over the last year or so, right? And. So I was, this is the first time I ever went to Rampage. So I was literally at the old Rampage site, you know, I was jumping, you know, hitting all his jumps and drops and stuff.

And, and like, it w it must've been like the second to last day we were there and there was a little bit of a esh going on. As you might imagine, once, you know, all the, all the world's best riders are there for like a week. And so the last day was happening, and like, you got everyone, like Thomas Lemoine was there, like, like, I'm pretty sure Fedco was there.

Like, all these really, like top tier, top top top riders are there. And so they're all doing their thing. And I walk up, up the hill to, uh, the, the, there's, there's a feature called the, the Bender Sender. And so that's Josh Bender's drop, and there's like a big bender and like a small bender. And, and it's pretty iconic for those people who follow, follow, like the whole rampage free ride scene.

And like the drops are massive. Like they're huge. Like, you stand on the top of them and you look to where the landing is and you're just like, dude, how, how are people hitting this? Like, like it's, it's mind blowing how massive it is. And then this group of like, little kids starts walking up the hill and there's like three or four of them.

And there was like a, a dad there too, and they're all walking up the hill and like, this kid on a bike, you know, that like a down, like some kind of cool built up download. I don't remember what it was at the time, but like, walks up and he like, he looks at me, he's like, Hey, like, you're normal to be. And I'm like, yeah, dude, what's up?

And he is like, he's like, oh, my name's Asa. And I'm like, Hey, good to meet you, dude. And like, I shook his hand and like his bros were there too. I shook their hands and they're like, they're like, they're like, what do you think? Have you hit this drop? And I'm like, I'm standing on the top of the drop. I'm like, no, like I haven't hit this drop.

He's like, oh. And he like, he all, he does, he walks over, like, looks over the edge. He's like, yeah, I could do that. And then he, I'm like, what? He like walks up. Doesn't he even do like a run into it, just drops straight in and hits the, the, the be the big bender sender. Like first time I was like, what? Like my mind exploded.

'cause I don't, I don't know how old he was at the time. It's been like, like, you know, 14 or 15 years old. I'm not sure how old he is, he is now, but like, just this kid comes outta nowhere, hits the biggest drop I've ever seen in my entire life. And then like, sure enough, one of the dads that was there, there was a like, I guess one of the kids' dads was there.

And I am, and I'm like standing next to him when he hit this thing and he's like, he like looks over at me. He's like, watch out. He's gonna be the best rider in the world one day. And I'm like, what? No way. And, and then sure enough, I, I, you know, I sure enough like went for three years and like now look where he is.

It's like one of the most mind blowing things. And I'm pretty sure I actually filmed that clip for him. I'm pretty sure on some old phone somewhere, I still have the clip of him hitting that drop. Like it's gotta be somewhere. So I'll look for one of these days. But yeah, one of you should. You should post that and tag him like that's, that's sick.

Like it's, um, honestly, like it's cra It's interesting that you said that because I mean, I, I met him for the first time when we shot together and we just had the one day and I realized very quickly that he is crazy. Yeah. I mean, in a good way. But like, dude, we dropped in like to Liang. I don't know if you've, have you ever been to Liang?

I have it now, now you, so they got, they got quite a big jump line and he drops in, like, so he leads out first run. He's never ridden the line before. And I mean, it's not like Rampage big, but it's still like, it's not, they're not small. Like there's some big jumps and, and they're pretty steep as well. And dude, he was like doing suicides and some of the jumps.

First run, never seen the line before, like, doesn't know how long the jumps are. Doesn't know how the takeoffs are just hitting jumps and like doing suis. And I was just like, dude, you are. I mean, yeah, that was quite eye-opening. Um, I, I don't know if that's, um, there, you probably could be melt more calculated on that one because see he's 18, but, uh, and then there was a, there was a shark fin gap, which I afterwards did as well, but we were like walking up the trail and this trail builder's like putting a lip on the edge of this turn and it's a long gap.

Like, and he says to us, he's like, you think this is possible? And we were like, what? We both turn around and like, look at this thing. And both of us at the same time, we're like, no way. Like that's, there's no chance. And then we, like, we walked up a bit further and then kind of got a better look at the takeoff and he kind of wasn't saying anything.

He was just like quiet. And I was chatting to another filmer and then he just all of a sudden starts walking up the hill. I was like, where you going? He is like, no, I'm gonna hit it. And I'm like, what? Like, and everyone's like freaking phones out. Like, like phones out and yeah, he just like, he didn't even no speed check, nothing, just like cruised in, greased it first time.

Wow. Like, no worries. He is, and I think this year, like he hasn't, I don't know, how do you follow like the World Cup? Quite a bit or, or as much as I can. I kinda, I I, I'm really bad with a lot of the names 'cause I'm, I'm still stuck in the era of like, when, when, when, like Aaron Gwynn was there and Sam Hill.

Yeah. And like, they were just like, you know, I'm stuck. That's the era I grew up with. Right. So a lot of these, these newer guys, you know, they're, they're so fast that like, my brain just can't comprehend what's going on. Like, like it's like the speed, like just, not just like the speed of the riders, but the speed of the World Cup in general Yeah.

Is so far beyond what my brain can comprehend that I'll, I'll watch clips like after the fact and, 'cause it usually happens at really weird times, so I can't watch it live, but like, I'll watch it after the fact and I'm just sitting there just like. I, I just dunno how to process it. Like, I, I literally can't 'cause of how fast these guys are getting nowadays.

So I think that's honestly, yeah, I think that's why people resonate so well. Like, why your videos resonate so well with people, because it's way more relatable to them. You know, like if someone's watching a video of AA or Loic or, um, brick and brand dog or whatever, it's so unrealistic. You know, they're kind of, they're watching it and they're like, this is sick.

But they can't even imagine being anywhere remotely close to that. Um, yeah. You know, or even like a World Cup track, a lot of people have never seen a World Cup track or never walk down a World Cup track. So like, it's like, oh, okay, that's steep and it's rough. But unless you've actually stood there, like being to Val the Soul, or being to Rampage in that case, like, and actually stood there and looked at the stuff, it's like, you can't.

Actually really imagine how big it is and how gnarly it is. And so, and I think like with, with your videos and also guys that do really well now are like, um, urban videos, the guys that are doing like stair sets and stuff because people, people are like, they know what a stair set is, so it's like, yeah.

And they see a guy going downstairs. It's like, wow, that's. That's gnarly. Even though some of the stuff that the, like, rampage is way gnarly, but it's like they say it's gnarly because they know what that is, you know? Yeah, no, absolutely, man. I mean that's, that's the thing. And when, when I'll watch those, those urban riding videos when they're in like some third world country in south a or South America somewhere, right?

And it's just like, it's, dude, it's incredible how thin it gets. And, and for me, especially, like, I'm a very wide person as you'd, as you'd imagine, right? But especially like my, my, uh, my wingspan is pretty wide. Like I, I run, yeah. 800 or eight 10 wide bars. So it's like, even for me, like seeing, seeing them get through those tiny, little, little cre like, you know, little gaps in the, in the street and jumping down staircases and stuff, like, it's relatable.

Like it's, it's, it's like most people that are watching videos live in some kind of urban area, some kind of like. City, city environment. So they, they, when they watch those videos, they instantly think like, oh, there's a spot in my city that you could ride down like that. You know, like that's the, that's probably the first thing that comes to mind.

If they're mountain bikers, most people it's like, whoa, what is he doing? Why is he riding that fast? You know, that it's more of a shock factor. But you're right. For the World Cup stuff, you know, they're on, when they're on a natural track, you know, where it's rocky and steep and all that kind of stuff.

Like, like mountain bikers. Like you and I, we watch that and we're like, yeah, that's impressive. But most people have like, they literally can't comprehend what's going on. Exactly. Like you're, like, you're saying like, like they see Oh, a trail. It's like, I've, I've been on a hike once, you know, like, oh, I could have on fast out, you know, like, you know, it's, it's, that's why you'll see like.

When you watch those videos that are like, whether it's like Mark Matthews or whoever it might be, that's writing some kind of urban environment, like their views always are much, much higher than if they're writing some crazy rock slab in like Pemberton or something. You know, like it's, it's, it's actually pretty interesting how that works.

And, and I think that's why you're seeing more creators going to these, these urban events. Like, I mean, the views are unreal. Like, I, I think, uh, I can't remember who it was, someone got like a hundred million views on some video recently. Like, it's just like what? Like I know, um, you follow Louis Buchanan?

Yeah, Louis the buddy. Yeah. No, he, he did a sta set last year, uh, or this year, I dunno, it was this year or last year. And he got over a hundred million views, like 120 million views or something. Like, and it's, I mean, it's a sick video, like, but as a rider it's like, it's so chill to do that. Like it was just a straight sales set.

Like you just bombed down the stairs and like a hundred million views and it's like, it's. It's, uh, I mean, it's smart on, on, on his end. Um, because yeah, the average person that's watching that, it's like, it's kind of like mesmerizing you, like can't take your eyes off. It's like, oh, I need to see the whole video, you know?

And then of course Instagram's like, oh, this is, they're watching the whole video, so we're gonna push this to more people. So, and he is, I mean, no discredit to him. He is a really good writer as well. But, um, I definitely see, you know, now with the urban, uh, the Urban Red Bull Sarah Barau series, and it's, uh, definitely, uh, an opportunity for people to, uh, you know, to get views and like, um, another one.

Uh, Roger Vira, who's writing for Pivot now, um, earlier this year he had like 30,000 followers and he's done a couple events. He did like Red Bull Hardline and now, and he did some of the street races as well, and now he is at like a hundred and 110,000 followers, like in just the space of this year. So, yeah, you see, and you, if you look at all the street stuff, it's all like millions of views.

There are hundreds of thousands of millions of views, you know? So yeah, it's almost like a cheat code, but it really is. It's not always, it's not always easy to get to those locations though. Yeah. One of the things that I find really cool about those events is you notice how when you see those clips or when you see the, the event replays, like the amount of people that are in the audience watching the beats.

Any other event, any other race, like whatever it might be. And I think that's another really important factor too, where it's like, like hype is, is a huge, huge factor with having something to be successful. Like when you have validation from other people that are watching that, that are stoked, that are cheering on, it's automatically gonna make you think this is something worth watching for me.

If these all, if all these people here are standing around, you know, spending their day watching these guys write down this staircase in a really populated city, then I should probably watch it too. And I think that's one of the things too, where I think just in general, a lot of these events, I think they need to get, they need to focus on getting more people.

To their events. Like, 'cause, 'cause I mean, even like with Rampage for example, like they limit the amount of tickets that they sell, right? So there is a cap to how many people they could have on, on site. And I understand there's a lot of safety factors and all that kind of stuff that goes into it, but it's like when you're watching the live event of Rampage, like you'll see like just a handful of people in the background, like watching, like most of the people you'll see are like the, like the race or the, the organizers, or there'll be camera guys.

Like, you never really see the audience. And when you do, it's like one little bunch of people, like on one little side of a hill, like. Like a mile away from wherever the action's happening. It's like guys bring more people in. Like, let's make this a more like, like, like, like not to sound like super lame, but like an inclusive type thing where it's like, bring people in.

Like have people, you know, watch from the sidelines, like sell more tickets. 'cause there's a lot of people, I mean, imagine like just a rampage, like, like there's a lot of people who after the, the ticket sales go up, like they'll, they'll sell in like just a few minutes. And like all, all your dms from people are like, Hey, do you have a connection to Rampage tickets?

I'm like, dude, like, like, no, I couldn't even get tickets. You know, like that's how hard it's to, to get in there. Right? So I think that it, like that's, I mean, just in general from a, like thinking from a social media like engagement perspective, I think that, like, that could be worlds of wonders for, for a lot of these events.

So I just wanted to throw that out there. If anyone from Rampage is listening, they should hire me as their consultant. No, I think it's, I mean, honestly I think, I mean, people like. In the, in the industry like yourself, are definitely gonna be valuable for these, you know, for these events. You know? So I think the, the people up top should listen up, um, to get like a bit, I don't know, a bit more like in depth or bit more serious is like on the, on the social media side.

Like what is the, like for you, what is the reality of being, you know, a social media influencer, writer, athlete? Because like, I feel like, I mean, I get this, maybe this misconception or people have a misconception about influencers or athletes, whatever, and it's like, oh, you guys just, you know, cruise around or ride your bikes all day and it's like easy money and like what is, you know, if someone's actually asking you what does life look like?

Like what, yeah, what is, uh, you know, what's the reality? Like how do you do the filming? What is, what does an influencer make money-wise? I dunno how much you can talk about that. But yeah, I think like a lot of people would be interested to actually know the, the ins and outs. Yeah, no, I, I can go on all that stuff for sure.

Well, the, the first thing I'll say on this is the day-to-day activities are a lot more boring than I make it seem on social media. That's the number one thing. It's, it's a lot of work that goes into this. Like, just to give you an idea of kind of like an average day for me, I'm not much of a morning person, so I'll usually like get out, you know, like leave my, leave my bedroom around like 9 30, 10, sometimes a little bit later, depending on how, how late I was up, up, uh, you know, editing that night or whatever.

And then pretty much from the moment I walk downstairs and have breakfast to the moment I go back asleep, it's just like, most days I'm not in bed till like 2:00 AM, like 3:00 AM some days just because it's like work, like, like. Whether we have to get a video done or I need to catch up on emails or, you know, projects that we're working on or, or merch or whatever it might be.

It's like there's always something that's going on. There's always some kind of up upkeep, you know, some kind of maintenance. Like, you know, we spend a lot of time actually out in the field like editing, like, you know, like, it's like people think that I just go for a ride and I film a quick video. It's like, no, like, like I have to plan this out.

Like we have to drive to a location. Like we're there for a couple hours, like reshoots, like, like all, all this stuff. If we really wanted to, we could simplify it more. But the thing is that I feel like the quality would just, you know, uh, degrade so much if we did that. So we really have to spend a lot of time, I mean, most, like most days I'm, you know, you know, 10 to 12, sometimes 13, 14 hours of, of consistent work.

Not including having to do dinner and breakfast and you know, shower and go to the gym or whatever. Right. So there is a lot more work than what people can see initially and that's honestly gonna be one of the, one of the hardest things. 'cause I've kind of realized I, you know, just from a sacrifice, sacrificial point.

My, like, I can't really plan too much ahead of time. And that's one of the things that I really, that really kind of has, has affected me in life because it's like, I'd, I'd love to go on like trips with friends. Like I'd love to go on a family, you know, go visit my family at this point in time. I'd love to go whatever, you know, do things that aren't revolved around work and, you know, but I can't just like put in, you know, a, a notice to my job and be like, Hey, I'm gonna go on vacation from this date to this date.

'cause it's like something could pop up a week before where it's like, like, oh man, like this opportunity popped up. We have to go try fly out to here. We have to go do that. Someone wants us to do a video for this. Like, like whatever it might be. It's like, so it's really hard to have a very much of a personal life.

Like, they're like, like I don't really have a personal life. Like, I've got a lot of hobbies. Like I love automotive stuff. Like I, I've got other things other than, than biking. Like, maybe like at best 5% of my life I'm able to dedicate towards that, like, at best. So it's, it really is like a full dedication.

And that's one of the things I, I feel like a lot of people don't really see that aren't in this space. And it's the same thing for, for every one of my friends who are creators. Like they're always doing stuff. Like, and as far as like the, the payout for all of that, uh, it, it can be very worth it sometimes, but it also sometimes can be like, not worth it at all.

Right. And it's that, that never really knowing, you know, it's like, you know, some years you're making like hundreds of thousands of dollars, you know, YouTube's doing awesome. You know, it's like, you know, having consistent paychecks, you know, is it's awesome for some years. And then, and then other years, you're, you know, like this year for example, like, we've basically limited the amount of, of partners that we're working with as far as like sponsorships and stuff.

Right. And there's all, there's all reason It's not because of not being able to find sponsors, it's because like, we're, we're actually trying something, something else. So. So this year we've kind of stepped back from a lot of the main sponsorships. So it's like, obviously like the money coming in from that is gone, right?

Like there's, there's, there's, there's no money whatsoever. So now it's like, okay, the income just got cut by like 60% or whatever it might be, right? So, so it, it's never a consistent paycheck at all. And that's been definitely a challenge for sure, but at the same time, when it does happen, it's incredibly, like, it's incredibly rewarding as you'd imagine.

You, you sign a contract with a company or like you do really well on, on like a, like you go have a couple videos go viral in a month and it's like, you know, that can be in a lot of cases, like more money than, you know, most people's entire salary per year, you know, in, in, in the developed world. Like, literally, like that's like, there's times, like, there were a couple years, you know, where we were, we were like getting viral video after viral video, like had amazing contracts with companies.

Stuff like that. And we were like, we literally, you know, didn't, like, not to say we didn't know what to do with it, but it was like one of those things where it's like, oh, this is more money than I've ever made my entire life. Like the old jobs I used to have, like, yeah, that doesn't, that doesn't mean anything anymore.

You know, it's, it's that kind of stuff. But then, you know, but then next year is like, like, oh crap, we're down 50% this year. You know, it's all over the place. And that's actually one of the reasons why, you know, moving forward, we're actually starting our own thing pretty soon. Uh, so we're gonna be, we're gonna have our own business in the bike industry, and I can go into that if you want, but the main thing is like, we want to kind of avoid having the inconsistency and, and create something with longevity, because that's been my, my main thing through, through all of this is like, it's great having the social media.

Stuff, and it's great getting all the views and, and contracts and stuff, but I, I want to make sure we can rely on something that we're doing, something that's tangible and something that's replicating like that we can replicate. Right? So that's actually why we've been kind of moving away from like having too big of like brand deals because they're year by year a lot of the, Kate, a lot of the time and, and it's, it's really hard to just having to rely on another company to pay, pay you for your work is, is a little bit sketchy and, you know, sometimes companies don't pay out or they ghost you or whatever it might be.

You know, there's 1,000,001 reasons why it wouldn't work out with certain companies. So, although I'm not opposed to sponsorships or anything like that, like I, I, I love all the companies we worked with and, and the ones we continue to work with. So it's, there's no issues on my front there, but it's also like.

You know, having that, that that consistent thing that you created yourself is also super, super important to me. I know exactly how it feels like with, in terms of sponsorship, because basically for the last, uh, I mean not through contents, but through the racing side, I mean, for like 12 years, like basically I was living off sponsorship and Yeah.

Um, it's, it sounds like very glamorous from the outside. It's like, wow, that's sick. Like you, you, you know, you kind of living the dream type of thing, but then people don't realize that most of the time, as you said, it's one year contracts, or maybe two if you're lucky, but then every single year it's, it's like when it gets to this time, you know, September, October, it's like, yeah.

Okay, now it's time to renegotiate and like hope that they happy, hope they're gonna stick around. Like, you know, and as things happen, you know, think some pull out some, you, you get some new ones, but it's like a constant kind of movement. And uh, I just feel like when you're young and kind of got no responsibilities and stuff, it's like all good.

But as you get older, like that was something that really was tough for me. Um, yeah. And that's why I'm kind of pushing, you know, I'm also helping some brands with social media and, um, and doing, doing their content management and stuff. The accounts just to like have something that's more, that's not just brand related because yeah.

It was just like, yeah, it's, it becomes quite stressful. Um, yeah, and especially like now, I wanna, you know, at some point, you know, I wanna have a family and like all that and, and then it's like, oh, now you've gotta support other people. And then you, it's basically like being in a company and then every year you don't know if you're gonna have a job the next year, you know, like, which is pretty for, for some people.

Like, my, my wife now, she's like, she would never want to do that. Like, she needs security and she needs the stability, and that's the trade off that we have, you know, like mm-hmm. You know, you get to do the, the cool thing and ride your bike and travel and et cetera, but it comes at this price. So, yeah. I don't know how, you know, I'm, you've dealt with that yourself, but, um, mm mm.

It's, uh, there's definitely like when I, a friend of mine's a pilot and, uh, I, although I've never wanted to do a nine to five, I can see the being, like having this normal job, like with my wife, you know, just having a normal nine to five job. Like, I can see the benefits as well because like when Friday comes, it's like.

She's off for the weekend, like, and she's completely switched off from Friday to Monday morning. Like, and that for people like us, like it, I've never switched off, like ever. Like, and even, even like, I can go on holiday, but I can try my best, but the brain is never gonna switch off. Like, yeah. You know, and even if you, you know, there'll always be like, ideas popping up or, you know, because when you are the business, it's like the more you put in, the more you get out.

And I guess that's the, yeah, that's the, I don't know if it's like a, a curse or a. Or a gift, but, uh, yeah, uh, I guess that's not for everyone, you know? Uh, I mean, I would say the, the curse of the highly productive person, you know, it's, it's like, like you said, you're, you're constantly working, constantly making things happen, which, which do bring a lot of fruits, right?

But then at the same time, like, you never get rest. And I, I, I suffer the same thing, you know, even when I do have those days where I crash out and I'm just like, dude, like, screw everything. I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna watch Netflix all weekend. You know, like, dude, you know, that happens. Even then I'm like, I, I'm always thinking like, like, oh, I'm pulling my phone.

Like I'm writing a note down, you know, whatever it might be like stressing about, damn, when I get done resting this weekend, like on Monday, it's about to get gnarly, like, like every day that I'm not working. Like, it's like an extra day that's added on, you know, that I'm trying to, trying to turn 24 hours into 48 hours, you know, it's like, yeah.

You know, so you, it's, do you ever get that? Like, I get, I've had that quite a few times where people, you know, like now being with my partner and then, you know, my family or whatever, not my parents, but like the sort of more distant family or, or people that don't know me that well, they're like, yeah. So, uh, you know, your wife works and, and what do you do all day?

You know, like, it's like, oh my, like, you know, and she understands 'cause she sees what, you know, the time that goes into it. But people, the thing is, it's, I guess it's easy 'cause people watch Instagram or whatever and they're like, oh, he's just, he's in a bike park today and he was in the bike park yesterday and he is in the bike park tomorrow.

And Yeah. You know, it's like, no, you go there and you do a batch of videos. Like, so that for the next like two weeks, you, you don't have to ride. Yeah. Like, I wanna ride, but it's like it's, there's no ways that I can be riding every day. There's just like, there's not enough time. Um, no, a hundred percent no, it's, no, I, I definitely get that.

Like, I know, I know what that feels like for sure. Like that it, it comes mostly from, from a lot of people who don't really understand, like the backstage of it, um, how much work comes into this stuff. And then funny enough, it's like, it's like from my grandparents mostly, like they're, you know, they're, they're like, you know, I love them to death, obviously, but, but it's funny 'cause like they're very, like, they're very, like, I, I'm half German, so my, my dad's from Germany here.

Oh, crazy. And yeah, yeah. I'm, I'm half German. They're from Frankfurt, you know, in Munich in those areas. Right. So I've got a lot of family over there, and my grandparents are as German as they come. Like they are, they are literally like every stereotype you could ever imagine. It's hilarious. Right. And. Like they, they, they literally, they come from a background of like really hard work, like construction workers.

Like they built houses, like they were up at like 4:00 AM, you know, didn't go to sleep till the, the sun went away, you know, and, and they have no idea, like, at all, like what we do. Like, it's the funniest thing. Like they always, every time we see them, like, they're always like, what, what? So what do you do?

Like, what, what do you make videos? Like, how do you get paid from that? Like yeah, like the concept is so, it's so new and I feel like there's a little, like, in the back of their minds, they're like, these guys don't do shit. Like, yeah, they're probably sitting around all day, like all this kind of stuff. And I'm just like, no, I promise, like I'm working really hard.

Like, like, like, look, look how many followers I have. And they don't, they just don't, they just don't understand, you know, like it's, it's, it's the most unrelatable thing to them they could possibly imagine. Especially in Germany. Uh, they, you know, Germans are very like. Straight down the middle, like traditional, good old fashioned hard work.

And, you know, this is a very, very new concept. So, you know, when you tell people here, it's like, you do what you do, but like, I don't understand, where does the money come from? Like, what do you do? Like what does course this, it's, uh, I try to tell people, 'cause like, you know, like now, because I'm, I haven't been racing this year.

And then, then they're like, but so what do you do? I'm like, dude, you have no idea. Like, trying to do, like just doing a podcast, like the amount of time and energy and, and editing and as like, as you could imagine, like that goes into it, just that alone, like sourcing guests, doing research, et cetera. And then, you know, then you've got like the, the short form content side, which is your specialty.

Like, and people see like a. Ten second reel and they're like, oh, that was sweet. Like, and then, and sometimes it could be like half a day or a day work, a day's work, like gone into that, like, yeah. Um, but they just like, oh, sweet, like ten second video, you know? Yeah. And or I get comments from people like, oh, you must have so much time on your hands.

Like, you'd put out so many reels. And I'm like, dude, like I make time. Like, that's like my job, you know? Um, and never mind going into like longer form content. And then I don't know who does your, you know, your bikes and stuff. Like for me, doing just like keeping up with everything, like doing bike maintenance, like keeping that, that side, getting new products, selling old product, like.

All that. Like, it's not difficult stuff to do, but it's like everything is, this is a whole big enterprise, you know, trying to find new sponsorships, dealing with current sponsorships, you know, it's like, and then I'm doing the social media, like managing brands. So it's like trying to explain this to someone is, that doesn't understand is really frustrating sometimes because Yeah, I just get the feeling that they, they think that I'm just a lazy bum that watches Netflix all day.

Hey, who knows? Maybe they might be right. I don't know. We could just be living in a delusional world where we're just like making things harder than they need to be, you know? Yeah. Maybe, maybe, um, um, you would've seen on my cap, uh, I'm sure you've seen like, OnlyFans in the space. Yep. Yep. And you talked, you, you mentioned it earlier, you, you were not opposed, you said like any publicity is good publicity.

What's your take on OnlyFans being in sport in general and in mountain biking? Because honestly, like, I think there's a definitely a place for you on the platform. Yeah. Oh, I, trust me, I know there, there has been one of the most common things that I'll get dms for and even in person, is people are like, when's the OnlyFans dropping?

Like, I, I, I'm not joking, but, but the thing is, like, it's different 'cause you know, obviously the only fan has the, the image of being basically like, you know, a bunch of girls on there, let's, let's be real, right? But people don't really realize that there's the other side of it where it's like you're actually putting stuff that's really valuable, like on that, on the platform.

And I don't personally have an account, or I've never actually, I don't think I've ever even actually been on that, on the site before. But I know that there's people putting like, amazing stuff out there. You know, what if, if I were to ever do it, I mean, it wouldn't be what, what I hope most people want for hope don't mean, I mean, it's weird 'cause like, like the people who ask me for it are like, I want feet picks or I want, but like, stuff like that, I'm just like, dude, like I'm.

I'm not gonna do, I'm not gonna do that. Like, thanks though. Like, I'm trying to have like, you know, a somewhat normal life, like that's gonna bring me to a whole nother realm. Right? But as far as like the building a community, you know, something that's beyond just videos, I think it's a phenomenal platform for it.

You know, having, having the ability to, to connect with creators and, and be able to, to create something that, that brings value to the audience. Like people who want that extra step more, I think, I mean, I think it's like one of the most perfect platforms for it. Yeah. I just, I would just personally like, it's, it's funny, I've been asked, I'll, I'll spare the names of some of these creators, but I've been asked by a lot of these, uh, like a lot of girl creators, like multiple times who are like.

Doing the, the, the typical things on OnlyFans to collab with them. And it's like, I'm like, ah, okay, okay. This is, this is strange. I haven't done it yet, so don't, don't go anyone listening. Don't go out looking for videos of me doing dirty things. But, but it's, it's funny man. It's funny. It's, how's your experience been with 'em?

I'm always curious to hear this. No, I mean, it's been really good. Uh, I mean, honestly. We probably wouldn't be having this conversation if I hadn't landed a partnership with them. Wow. You know, it just, it's not easy to, to make a living as a mountain biker and especially as a racer. Yeah. And now that I've kind of pushed more in the social media side, that's, that's helped.

But it's crazy what races, how little racers earn. Yeah, I know. Yeah. So like when having an opportunity to, to partner with the, an outside industry brand was life changing for me and has been for quite a few other creators as well. And I mean, they've got, I don't know, like. Over 300 athletes now globally.

Um, so different sports. And it's been really cool because it's enabled me to, first of all, I was the last couple years being able to travel, race, do whatever events I wanted to, like whatever I needed, you know, bike wise, you know, if it was, if I didn't have a sponsor for it, like I could get it. And now like during the YouTube series, like it's basically, it's not sponsored by them, but they're a big part of why I was able to actually get the funding together to do it and do the podcast, et cetera.

So it's opened up a lot of doors and I feel like, as you said before, any publicity is good publicity. And of course there's gonna be people that hate it. There's also gonna be a lot of people that love it. And generally in the mountain bike world, it's been mostly the latter. Mostly people have been really positive about it.

Um, and people have been super stoked. And when they see the helmet, they're like, wow. Like, yeah, like, who needs a Red Bull helmet? Like, only fans are way better. Like, so way. It's, it's been like, it's been really cool in general and people have definitely taken notice and like I for sure am way better known now than I was before.

And, um. Yeah, I mean, I think you need to be, there's always gonna be that side of the platform, so that is a misconception that people have. Um, and a lot of people just don't know. And before I got involved with them, I didn't know either. And I think that's part of the reason that they've gone down this path to, to try to change that perception and open people's eyes.

And I mean, it's never gonna go away that the adult content side, but, um, they just want people to know that there's a whole nother side to OnlyFans as well. I mean, like, for example, my car is brand with OnlyFans and like when kids walk past or whatever, and they're like, they see the OnlyFans and they're like, whoa.

Like, what are, are you on OnlyFans? And I'm like, yeah, I'm on OnlyFans. And they're like, are you doing OnlyFans? And I'm like, yeah, I'm doing OnlyFans, but I'm doing Mountain by Content. And they're like, but are you doing OnlyFans? And I'm like, yeah, I'm doing Mountain by Content on OnlyFans. And they, they kind of like, you can see their head.

They're like, what? Like, well, there's other content on there, like, you know, so yeah. That's been, it's been cool in general. Like people come up to me like petrol, the gas stations and stuff, and they're like, what? They ask me about the car? They're like, what? Why have you got any fans in your car? You know?

Mm-hmm. So. It's, um, for me it's definitely been a positive and I think it's not for everyone. Like I, you definitely have to be, you're a bit more in the limelight. Like you definitely get noticed Yeah. And have some explaining to you. But I guess that's part of it, you know, like people wanna chat about it and so it's, uh, yeah, it's, and I think people know, sometimes people know me, like when I go to the bike park, they know me for being the OnlyFans dude.

You know, like, they might not, not necessarily know what my name is. They're just like, oh, is that sand dude? That's amazing. Yeah. I mean, if I were to ever do, do anything on that platform, it would literally be just to build a community. You know? I would, I would, I would literally ask my followers, be like, yo, I wanna do this.

Like, what do you guys want on here? You know? Yeah. So, I mean, that's, that's ama Can I, can I ask you another thing on that is how do you navigate the type of content you put on there? Is it, like, how much input do you get from the, from the followers? Like, are you just coming up with stuff right off the bat?

Like, how does that work for you? Um, so, I mean, obviously it's, it's quite a lot of due to the partnership, like there's quite a lot of content that need, that I need to do. It's like three posts a week on there, and then five mass dms a month, and then a live stream. And that's just on the platform. Um, and then they've also got another platform called OFTV, which is their kind of streaming platform.

Kind of similar to YouTube, but it's only for OnlyFans creators. Okay. Um, but the difference is on that platform, it's. There's no explicit content allowed. Um, okay. So I'm doing, and that's like longer form videos and it's, and it's quite, you can't just upload a video, like you have to upload it, send it to them, they vet the video, and then it can be posted.

So it's a little bit more strict. So, and I'm doing that as well. So a lot of the content is, I can't. There's not physically enough time to, 'cause I'm doing content for them on Instagram as well. Um, like three Instagram posts a month and five stories a month. And so I've got to be kind of creative. So I'll do a lot of, I can't post everything on Instagram.

Yeah. So there'll be a lot of, you know, behind the scenes stuff, uh, that doesn't go up. Raw videos, uh, you know, when, when you've done multiple takes of stuff, um mm-hmm. I'll do some personal stuff, some personal family stuff. 'cause I don't generally post that on Instagram. Mm-hmm. Um, and I engage like all, I answer all the messages on any fence.

Always, and I can't do that on Instagram. Like Yeah, it would, it'd be like a full-time job. Yeah. Um, same for you. Okay. I know the deal. Yeah. So like, and I think that's, that's what people want, right? Like they come there, they want the, that personal contact. And, um, so I'm like, okay, cool. If you're willing to come and, and follow me on that side of things, then I'll be i'll, uh, I'll make sure that I give the time to actually, you know, engage with you and, and chat to them and, um, yeah.

Like people asking me, like bike recommendations or like bike setup tips, and I'll do some how to videos on there. Or like, for example, when I got the new, the new Scott gambler before the release, I put the bike on OnlyFans, even though it was like, it wasn't online anywhere. Uh, yeah, except Mario fans. And I was like, well, if you wanna see it, then it'll go over to my fans.

So like, things like that. So if people wanna see stuff before it happens, you know, whatever. If I'm doing a new video, I'll put it on there or put the tra the, the tease on there first. Like, so kind of people, it gives people a, a, an inside scoop kind of thing. Um, nice. But there's, it depends like how much you're willing to invest.

Like if your focus is purely on that platform and you're not doing other content. 'cause that's my thing. Obviously I'm doing stuff on YouTube and TikTok and Instagram and so if I'm only doing that, then. I could do more specific stuff for any fans, but it's all time management. Like Yeah, it is. Only when you're trying to do multiple platforms, it's difficult.

Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, that's the shortest answer, but Nice. I think, like, I think it would be cool, I mean, I think you'd be a cool addition as an athlete for them, to be honest. Like, 'cause you're so unique and obviously on the social media side, and I don't know, I, if it's cool with you, I, I'll, I'm gonna mention you to, uh, to Dylan who's heading up the athlete side.

'cause I, I don't know, I think it would be a cool, a cool fit. Like definitely unique, that's for sure. That'd be sick, man. I appreciate it. It's definitely, it's definitely something where, like I was saying, it's like one of the, one of the struggles I've always had was. How do I create, you know, better, a better relationship with, you know, the community, right?

And like, how do you actually build something up that creates longevity and, and you know, more than just, you know, posting videos online, right? And being able to connect with the people who genuinely want to, you know, whether it's like. Advice for social media, or it's like tips for writing, like all the things you're saying.

I mean, it's, it's one of those things where I've thought about it for a very long time, and not, not just for OnlyFans, I mean just in general. Like, you know, building something that, that, that actually matters. You know, something that really means something to those people who, who genuinely care about what you're doing.

'cause I mean, you, you, you know this, right? It's like most people who watch your videos, like they, and not just yours, like everyone's videos on social media. Like they're just passerby, right? Passerby, right. Like they're, you know, they'll, they'll, they'll scroll through, like you're just that ten second portion of their life and you know, they probably don't even subscribe, you know, and then they just watch one video and they're gone.

Right? And that's how it is for most creators. Then there is that faction of people where it's like 10%, 20%, whatever it might be, of people watching your videos. Like they actually genuinely care. Like, like you are, you know, something to them. And that, and, and that's something that I've, I've had proven to me over and over, you know, multiple times throughout all this, where it's like, I'm kind of at the point now where it's like, I gotta give something back to those people who have been there for, for so long, since the very beginning.

Like, I, I literally to this day still get dms of people where they're like, they're like, Hey man, I, I followed in, I've been watching the videos since 2021 or 2022 or whatever. And I'm just like, holy crap. Like, dude, you've been around for longer than I have. Like, it's, you know, it's, it's amazing to see that.

And we've had a lot of instances where. We will, you know, I'll get like the, the craziest dms were like not crazy as in like lunatic or anything like crazy as in like mind blowing where I'll have, I'll have people that'll tell me like, hey, like all, like I, I had a terrible relationship with my dad and, and we reconnected because, you know, I was sharing him your videos and then we finally decided to each get a mountain bike one day and now we're riding bikes like two times a week together and we have a relationship again.

You know, it's like stuff like that where all get literally people telling me that like the videos change their life in some kind of aspect. And that's ultimately the main reason why I've, I continue to do all this stuff is because like. For every, like if, if, if just one person per video can have like some kind of profound effect or some kind of positive thing, or take away something positive from it, like my mission has been accomplished.

You know, it's like, it's like I'm glad I was able to help out. Um, and so yeah, it's, it's like being able to give back in some kinda way has been something I've, I've struggled with. Because how do you, I mean, how do you, like how like you have a a hundred, couple hundred thousand people that, that like, you know, know your face.

Like how do you say thank you to every single one of them? It's really challenging to do, and it seems like OnlyFans are, and, and just in general like creator community platforms like that are really kind of that bridge between those two worlds where I, I think it's gonna be something that'll become much more popular in the future too.

Like, not just now, but I mean, it's, it's growing. Like how many creators do, you know, have some kind of online community. It's, it just, it just seems like a no brainer, honestly. It really does seem like a no brainer. I think people don't even realize that when the platform was created, when OnlyFans was created, the idea was exactly what they're doing now with the athletes.

Like that was the kind of idea behind it. But the adult creators kind of found this loophole because they re, they soon realized, people are like, oh, like there's no restrictions on here. Like, we can post whatever we want and people are paying a subscription. So it kind of happened kind of by accident and then obviously they made a lot of money.

So yeah, you know, there's that, but that was kind of, so what they're doing now is kind of going back to the, to the roots kind of thing. But yeah, I think it's, I mean, it's gonna take time, uh, for people to kind of, to change the, per the perception and people to jump on board. But yeah, I think it's, it's cool because I mean, people putting these creators, whether they're athletes or influencers, whatever.

They're putting in so much work and all this content is predominantly free. And, uh, yeah, I feel like people are, you know, they're putting in a lot of effort and work and, and it would be good, especially in the smaller sports, then they can actually get something back for that. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. On a, on a more mountain bike notes, uh, on your, on your riding side, I noticed obviously you were specialized for quite a few years, um, at.

Hampton and now you on a Ari Bikes now? Or, or is, are you just riding an Ari, or, or you actually have, do you have a deal with them? I don't have a deal with anybody right now. Uh, okay. As far as like frame companies, bike companies. Okay. I'm riding. I'm, I'm kind of all over the place to be totally honest with you.

Uh, like a couple weeks ago I was riding a ghost, you know, I got a chance to ride ghosts when I was in Austria. Sick bikes. Sick bikes. I think you're the, the gambler. You have the new, the new Scott gambler that came out. I think that's one of the coolest looking downhill bikes, you know, that's ever, ever existed.

You know, it's like I'm all over the place where they, right. Like, like I have, I have a couple s absolutely love those bikes. You know, they're headquarters is only, you know, like six or seven hours drive from me. They're in Utah. So it's like, you know, and I've, I've been running, uh, you know, the Revel bikes as well, you know, they're in Colorado.

You know, I'm, I'm all over the place really with it, you know, it's. Like I want to, I wanted to use this year to kind of try new things because as you mentioned, you know, my, we had been with Specialized for years. Years. I think it was like four, maybe five years, I think about four years we were with them and they were a phenomenal company.

I have, I have, you know, nothing to positive things to say about specialized in general, like the guys over there. Awesome. You know, they've always been great to us, but we were riding specialized bikes for literally that entire time. So I, I don't know, like what the rest of the bike world really is like, I've never been able to extensively, you know, try other brands.

So that's really kind of one of the main things, you know, moving forward that I want to do and just kind of get on, like throw my leg over as many things as I can just to, just to see what the world is like. One of the things that, that, that, and this is not because of specialized or anything just in general, like you would imagine like burnout is a real thing.

You know, especially in the bike world where it's like, you know, you for racing or, or you know, the social media side of things. It's like at a certain point, like it becomes so repetitive and it becomes so mundane to a certain degree where, you know, where. You almost have to change things up in your world to, to continue being able to go on that same path.

And that's kinda where I have been the last couple years, where it's like, you know, we've been doing like so much stuff, like, so consistently doing things that, like, now I'm like, you know what? Let's spice things up a little bit. Let's, let's try different bikes. Like let, let me try different disciplines.

So I gotta, I gotta down hole bike finally for the first time, like, riding an re superior peak, like loving it, like totally changes the game. You know, like, like trying out different components, like trying out, like going to different places to ride. Like really just trying to, to diversify as much as possible.

And it's been very successful for us so far. It's, it's amazing how, how receptive like a lot of people are to new things and you know, as you know, there's like in the bike industry, like there's. Like, like people are so, like, they're so stuck up on like what bike brand they ride. Like for the average person, it's like, some people are like, I'll only ever ride specialized.

Some people are, I'm only gonna ride Sandy Cruz, or like, you know, whatever it might be. And it's just like, it's like, yo, like how about try, like, try like everything, you know, if you, if you can, if you can afford it, like why not? Right? That's where I'm at with things, you know, so. Yeah. Yep. Rad. Uh, that what, so what, I mean, I don't know if you can speak to that, but was that the decision to leave specialize?

Was, was that a Mitchell thing? Or like w what happened there? Because, uh, you him quite a long time? No, I mean, for the, for the most part, like, I don't want to make it sound like, you know, when your girlfriend leaves you or something and then you're just, and you're just like, no, dude, it was a mutual thing.

It's like, no, it wasn't. She left you 'cause she found another dude, you know? Yeah. Yeah. I'm not, I'm not trying to make it sound like anything like that, like really it, it was just a numbers game, you know? And I've, I've asked some talk extensively about this. I made a YouTube video about it where I go really in depth with it.

But I mean, the gist of it was like, you know, we. We had a contract every single year, and I won't get into specifics of the contract, but as the bike industry kind of evolved the last couple years, things have gone a little bit tighter. You know, and that kind of reflected into the contract we had to specialize as well, where it was like, you know, it was kind of like a situation where like, it was like, okay, we need, we need more out of like normal empty beer.

But then also we we're, we're gonna like cut down the amount we're spending and it was a little bit hard to justify it for us because it was like, okay, but we're doing more stuff and this is happening now and you want to add this in. And it's like, it just kind of kept on going down that cycle. Yeah.

Where. It was almost like, like, not necessarily becoming like an employee, but it was, it was like, it, it got to the point where we, we couldn't, we, we just physically were not able to do a lot of the things that they were asking us because of how busy our schedule was. So it was really just a balance of like, of the pay and like, what the expectation was.

And so we kind of just agreed that like, you know what, it's just not gonna work this year. And yeah, that was really it. There was no hard feelings, nothing like that. Like I, like I said, like they were always phenomenal. Like the, the reason I think, uh, in my opinion, one of the main reasons why we were able to be become, you know.

This, this, like the, the, the internet success that you see today is that like large part because of specialize? I mean, they, they were able to send us places, give us experiences, put us in connections with people that we probably would've never been able to meet or do or anything like that. So it's like, you know, for, I, I would imagine that, you know.

Like, a lot of people take the whole contract thing very personally. Like for me, it was nothing personal. It was like the, the, what was personal about it was how good they treated us. Like how many, how, how like, awesome the guys over there are. So it's like, you know, being able to, to say that I had a good relationship with 'em is like really prideful for me because it's like, dude, like, like how many people can work with a company as big and as influential, as specialized and, and come out of it better, you know, than they did before.

It's like, that's phenomenal. You know, like, how lucky was I to be able to work with those guys? So I've got nothing but love for them. You know, I know a lot of people on the internet, like the create drama and like the, the people on Pink Bike comments sections or all like, oh, but Jeremy, you know, whatever the, whatever nonsense or whatever nonsense, they'll make it made up.

So all hear it from the horse's mouth, like, I got nothing but love for those guys. So just didn't work this year. That's, that's it. I mean, yeah. I, I get it. Totally. Uh, I think a lot of people don't understand, you know, that it's. It is a business relationship at the end of the day, and it has to make sense from both sides and sometimes a hundred percent.

Yeah. It's nothing to do with, it's nothing to do with whether you did a good job or, or whatever. It's just like, yeah. Sometimes budgets are just tied to, the industry is not doing the best right now. And, um, you know, I've, I've felt it, everyone has felt it, I'm sure. So it is just, uh, sometimes a case of, you know, this doesn't work, but, uh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm, I have no doubt that whatever the next ventures is gonna be even better. So, yeah. Work on it. What have your, what's your, yeah, I mean, you mentioned it a little bit earlier, you guys, you said you, you guys are working on something. Yeah. Can you speak more about the, the kind of future plan? Yeah, yeah. I, I'll, I'll say, I'll, I'll say it here.

I've, I haven't really talked about this publicly, but we're starting a company called Filthy, and that's abbreviated just like normal. So it's F-L-T-H-Y, and uh, I, oh man. I haven't said anything publicly about this yet. So I'll, I'll tell you, like, I'll give you some hints as to what it's gonna be. It's gonna be a series of products that there aren't very many of in the mountain bike industry.

Like there, it's a common thing that all mountain bikers use, but there's not very many options out there, relatively speaking, compared to like everything else. And there's definitely no creators or like, you know, influencers or whatever you wanna call it, that have like this, like we, we've done, like I said, we've done merch in the past and you know, it's all done super well.

But we're trying to create something that that can build and become. Greater than this has ever been. And I think we found what that is. And I'll probably be releasing in the next, like week or so. Uh oh wait six. Yeah, in like we've been working on this, this project for like, at this point about a year.

Like it's literally been 12 months, 13 months, maybe even longer, of us just consistently like prototyping, testing, like all of that kind of stuff. Like literally going full like mountain bike industry on this. We've like dumped almost like all the money, all the extra liquid we had into this like, like, it's been a crazy last year, but I'm super stoked it'll finally be dropping.

So slowly but surely we're getting there and I'm hoping that people like this. It's gonna be a, a slight bit controversial as I, as I am. And so it'll be right, it'll be right on par with, with the brand. So I'm stoked to do it. And, uh, I'll tell you afterwards, after we're off the show, I'll tell you a little okay, but I, I don't wanna, I don't want to go full, like, like just blow a load, right?

Like on off the, off the pa, you know, just right off the bat. So I, I'm gotta build some kind of suspense. Sick, nah, cool. Nice. That sounds really sick. Yeah, I'm, uh, on wait to, to bowl by the time I think this should, if all goes well, come out on the fourth, so it'll be around that time that you're gonna be bringing out the news.

So, should be good. Good timing. It'll be out by the fourth. Um, that's the plan. Yeah. It's a little bit, uh, it would've been better to get it done earlier. 'cause normally I get them done a little bit earlier in the month before I bring them out. But, uh, the plan is normally I do the first Saturday of every month, so gonna try to keep on schedule.

So, let's see. I have to see, uh, how, how much editing I can get done. If that's the case, I'll just tell you what it is then it's, 'cause we're gonna drop probably this coming week. Um, so, so basically it's a like bike maintenance, like lubricants, tire sealant, bike wash, degreasers, like all like all that stuff.

So we've, we've, and we've, uh, what's really cool about it is like. I didn't want to use any kind of like Chinese, like third world chemicals, none of that stuff. So it's, it's all, it's, it's the, the actual physical product comes from the uk. We have a company in the UK that makes it, and it's all like biodegradable, like really good quality stuff, like no slave labor, none of that stuff.

And then it's shipped over here to Nevada, uh, to our house here. And we're actually packaging, putting the labels on. So it's literally made in the UK and in America. So that's the, that's what we're doing. Yeah. It's, it's gonna be cool 'cause like there's no other creators that I know of that are doing this.

Like, like maybe, you know, there's like smaller companies obviously, but kind of the way we're approaching this is like very, very unique in the sense that the, the structure of it is gonna be, it's gonna be limited drops. So kind of like you would would with t-shirts. Like, it's not gonna be like one product.

And then like, it's the same for like 20 years. Like, this is gonna be every drop we're doing limited run of every single thing. And it's gonna be kind of like breweries, like, you know how breweries like local breweries, they'll have like, you know, they'll do limited drops of a certain kind of beer and they'll put like different artwork on the bottle and like, all that kind of stuff.

Same story here. So it's gonna be different art on the bottle every single time. Different theme. Like, it's gonna be crazy, man. And, and we're gonna like, we're hoping to expand into like. Everything. So, so like, you know, like scrubs, like all, like whatever it is that comes with mountain biking and then even beyond like crons and, you know, all that kind of stuff.

Like we're really, we're gonna, we're gonna see how work goes, but then the idea is to branch this out beyond like just mountain biking. 'cause I, I have a lot of different hobbies, so it's like, I know a lot about a lot of different things, so I know like, what's needed. So being able to, to branch out into different things is kind of the, the name of the game here and just really creating something super unique.

So, but like, like I said, it's gonna. It'll be a slightly controversial because of the, our, like, just to give you an example, like our tire sealant, like, you know, on the theme of OnlyFans, like tire sealant, like looks, looks like a very specific thing, right? Like, looks, that's perfect. That's so good. So, so the, the tire sealant, I don't have one here with me right now, but there's like, the tire sealant is literally a picture of like a super hot girl that's holding milk jugs and it's called jug juice Luck that.

I love it that, I mean, why not? Like, I think it fits perfectly. Yeah. So it's like comedy theme, like hot girls, like we're bringing it back, dude. We're bringing back the olden days when like Marzo girls, you know, I don't know if you ever went, you saw the whole Marzo Girl thing, you know, back in the day. But it's like, I remember when I was a kid and we would go to Sea Otter, the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey.

And dude, I remember being a kid, like walking around when I was like super young, like 12, 13 years old and just, and just looking around like, like half the booths there had like, you know, like, like models, like literally girls like showing off the product that they're selling, you know, like, like, you know, it's like where did that go?

Like why, why did we get rid of that? Like, let's bring it back. You know? And I think, I think the industry is actually going towards that now where, where you're seeing a lot of different brands actually kind of, you know, break that third wall again where they're like, Hey, let's. Let's try to use this again.

And, and especially like out of industry companies too. Like there's like, a good example is, is a company I work with is called Heatwave and they make glasses. And actually the hat that I'm wearing right here, that's a heatwave hat. And they do a lot in this space where like, they'll literally, like half of their, you look at their Instagram posts and like half of them is like some super hot girl wearing the glasses.

And this is like, and you look at the likes and it's like, AHHA, come on. Like, this is awesome. You know, so it's coming back and people love that stuff and I feel like it's something that, that the bike industry is missing right now at this point where like, having that, that third wall broken where it's like, you know, it's like we've been so like, closed off to ourselves for, for the last like 10 or 10 or so years.

And it's like, it's time to, to step, step things back up again. Like make, make marketing like. You know, like as, as, as amazing as it used to be, you know? So that's, that's the approach we're taking with it. So I'm hoping it works. I'm hoping it becomes successful. So we'll see. We'll see. It's definitely gonna piss off some people, like for philosophy, aware of it.

You got a, you got a lot of options like with that space. I mean, if you look at like, brands like Moff and stuff, the amount of products that they have in the lineup, you know, I think there's, there's huge potential. Um, you know, uh, so, and I, I think there's definitely, that's true. There's no other one, no other influencer that I know, like a athlete that's doing something like that.

So, yeah. Uh, and with your, you know, fan base, I think it's gonna be a perfect fit. So, uh, you know, and I love that. The six cells. So, you know, I think that's, you need to get some, like do a shoot where you get some, uh, get some models in there as well. Yeah, like milk, like it's gonna be sick. Oh, oh, trust me, bro.

Like, we got, we got so many ideas around this, so. We'll, we'll make it happen. We'll make it happen for sure. Wow. Crazy. So, looking back, like, how old are you now? I'm 29. Okay, so, and your first, when did you first create, like, or when did this idea to start creating videos first come to you? Uh, for normal mt beer, it was 2020, like late 2020.

So I was, oh geez, I can't even do math. That was five years ago. So that was like, yeah, I was around 24, 25 when I started doing. Yeah. 25 I would say probably. Yeah. Looking back like now, over the last few years, like, is there anything you would've, like, knowing what you know now, is there anything you would've done differently?

Oh, man. Uh, there's, it, it, this is a, this is a hard question because it's like, it's basically asking like, do you, do you regret anything? Right? And, and like that's basically the same question, right? And the thing is like, of course there's a lot of things I would've changed or done differently or, or handled a little bit differently.

Uh, but at the same time, I think everything happens in the right time for, for a reason, right? I, I, I do strongly believe that if, hypothetically speaking, the one thing I would've done is I, I wish I would've started earlier, you know, just, just generally in my, my life trajectory. Like I, if I would've known the things I know now when I was like 18 years old or 19 years old, you know, just getting outta high school, you know, I wasted a lot of time in my life, at least.

It. I, I know generally it's not a waste 'cause everything happens for a reason, but it's like, you know, there's a lot of things that I could've probably done without, but then, you know, if I would've known these things back then, like, then it, you know, it, would it have been as, you know, like it is now? I just, I just don't know.

Would've been better, would've been worse. I don't know. But that would be the only thing I could say is, is I wish I didn't hesitate so much with my dreams. You know, I wish I, I, I had more confidence in myself when I was younger to be, you know, to, to take a chance, take a risk. To maybe not play it super safe at the times that I was playing it super safe.

You know, like that's, that's ultimately like the only things that I'm, I, I look back and I'm like, damn. Like, what, what could I have been if I had started this sooner? You know, if I had, if I did this when I had more energy, when I was younger, when I, when I could ride a bike better. You know, it's like all these different things that kind of play in my mind of the what ifs.

And we'll never know. We'll never know. But that's the number one thing where I, any regrets that I have is like, why didn't I do this sooner? You know? So. Yeah. Um, man, I, yeah. I, uh, I wanna keep, uh, I've got a, a lot more questions, uh, from many of an assets that I'd love to keep asking you, but uh, obviously kinda aware of the time as well.

We'll have to, we'll have to do a follow up at some point. Yeah. We'll have to, we'll have to have it up. Yeah. I got a final question that I'll ask all the guests, and that is, what does success mean to you? Ooh, that's really good. I feel like a lot of people would say, you know, success is happiness and success is this success Is that, I don't know.

That's, I don't think I see it in that same way, you know, like, I feel like to a lot of people, success is, is a, is a personal thing where it's like success. If I can buy that Lamborghini, I'll be happy if I can, you know, if I can, you know, buy the house on the beach, I'll be happy if I can, you know, it's like, but I don't really see the world through that lens.

Like, I don't really seek, like, this might sound really messed up, but like, I don't really seek to be happy. Like obviously it's nice, like I, like, I'm a, I'm a genuinely very like, cheerful person. Like I am at my flat line is happiness because I'm just glad to be alive, right? Like every day I wake up and I'm like, this is phenomenal.

Like, I, I feel successful just waking up in the morning like, okay, I have another day. Like I can, I can do another day where I can move forward with my goals and I can do things and make the world a better place in my own, in my own little ways. Right? But I think to the word success to me really is. Like, what can I do for other people around me?

Like, like, how can I build myself up to where like, I don't, like I can, I can put my parents in a good position where I can, I, my future kids one day don't have, you know, the same barriers I did when I was growing up, you know, where I can, I can really, you know, put 'em in a position where they don't need to work, but I'm gonna make their ass work anyway.

You know, it's like, you know, it's, it's that kind of thing where it's creating something with longevity, not just in the moment, but something that lasts generationally. And I think that for me is, is what true success is. And it's, and of course the things that come with that is like, you know, you can buy nice things like, I'm a car guy, right?

Like, I'd love to buy some nice cars and stuff, but, but ultimately that the thing is like taking struggle away from others. To me is like the, the greatest form of success that you could possibly have because it's like, not only did it do you do it, did it for yourself, but now everybody else you care about, like, none of them have to struggle ever again.

I think that is the true thing of success, at least for, you know, for a man in today's world. You know, not to be all, you know, all, you know, gung-ho, like macho man over here, but like, I really want to, you know, I want to take care of the people that I care about, you know, I really want to provide something for them.

So that's my form of success. Dude. Thanks so much. That was, uh, that was perfect. Thanks. Well beyond man. That's, uh, yeah man, tha thanks again for coming on. Like, uh, it was, it's been really fun. Like, it's interesting for me chatting to people like yourself, like having, especially with the influencer side, like the content side and, and kind of how you've done it.

'cause everyone goes about it a different way. And I, you know, there's definitely a lot of things that, that you've dealt with that I've experienced and, and I'm sure vice versa. And it's, it's, yeah. I find it fascinating. The hardest thing for me is to keep the conversations to like a, a reasonable timeframe because like, honestly, like it could just sit here like the whole day and it's like, oh, well what about this?

And what about that? Like, so it's, uh, yeah, I really enjoy it. Yeah. Well, I, I, it was, it was a pleasure coming on. You know, it's awesome to finally get to meet you, I hope one of these days, you know, I'll make it back up to the, to the, to to Europa and, and we'll get, we'll get some laps in somewhere, you know, and, and, uh, and, and dude, I, I, I'm, I'm happy to see, you know, the, the success that you've had, you know, and, and all the social media stuff.

It's, it's amazing getting to see the progression, you know, happen with, with all regards. So I'm happy to be on the show. I'm very, I'm very lucky to, to, to have, to have, you know, seen you reach out, you know, because it's like, I mean, you know, with dms, yeah, yeah. It's like they just disappear out all the time.

So I'm happy that I came across your DM and boom. We're here. We made it happen. So thank you. Can I have a, I have an idea. I don't know. You, you have to let me know if you'd be, if you'd be game, but I don't know, have you seen my YouTube se like the swapping lines, any of those episodes that I've I have not.

No. I didn't even know you had a YouTube channel. Yeah, I know, I knew the podcast. I nobody, you short form content. I didn't know you had YouTube channel though, so I'll check it out. I haven't, yeah, I only really started pushing the YouTube channel last year, but like, I guess Instagram was still like the main thing, but, and I wasn't doing, also wasn't doing a lot of short form stuff on the, on the YouTube channel, which I am doing now.

But I've been doing the series for the last year and it's called Swapping Lines. And every episode is with is with a one of the, yeah, an iconic rider. And I've done, yeah, I've done like Aaron Gwen, ASA, Greg Minar, uh, Les Bernard Kerr and Andreas kb. And I was just thinking, I was like, what if we did one together?

Like that'd be sick because. I like, it obviously would be a little bit of a different kind of style, but like mm-hmm. I think it could be pretty, pretty cool. Like to do. Yeah. I'd have to like, um, brainstorm a bit, like how, how we do it exactly. 'cause all the other ones have been pretty like, serious kind of like straighted styles, but like Yeah, that would be cool.

Maybe you've, I don't think you've done something like that. Um, that not aware of, never had that. Like, I'd be so, and we could like, we could have some like, sick writing footage and then maybe somehow combine it with some of your like comedy style as well. Like, yeah. I, I don't know. I'd have to like do some brainstorming, but I just, while we were talking, I was just like, maybe this could be like a cool Yeah.

Cool idea under one, uh, under one condition. We Okay. Got a stop halfway through for some AP praying. So was it what I pray. Like, like some booze and some snacks and stuff, like little, little. That's my only requirement. Sick. No, that I, I'm down. I'm down. Yeah. So count me in. I'm in a hundred percent game sick because I, I won't, I don't think I'll do any, any more this year.

Like it's been already, uh, a lot of, a lot of travel and stuff, but, um, obviously thinking about, thinking about next year and yeah, I think it could be, I think it would be pretty cool. And I don't know where we would do it. Like that would depend if depend on, on you and if you had any plans to come out to Europe or not.

But since I didn't realize that you obviously have a, a German influence, but I'm in Munich and so if you ever want to come visit the family, like then it would be a cool opportunity to, uh, to tie it all together and, um, yeah. That's exactly what I'm thinking. I mean, after being there a couple weeks ago, like it made me realize I have to get, I have to go there more often.

So definitely the flight's not bad at all. I mean, it's, it's some, it's some jet lag, but I can deal with that, like no problem. So how about this? I'll keep you posted. I'm, I'm gonna definitely be back in Europe next year, maybe in the spring. And, uh, I'll let you know when I go down. We'll plan something out.

We'll get something filmed sick. That would be, that would be sick. I'm also, I might be gonna whistler next year to going over to that side of the world, so, no, I'm not sure if you had any plans to go to Whistler if it doesn't work out. Yeah. In, on the European side, but yeah. Either way. We'll, uh, we'll make something happen for sure.

Sick. Well, I'm always, I mean, Whistler's obviously very close to me, so I'm only about a day's, it's about a day's drive for me to get there, so I, I, it's, yeah, I, I'm a big fan of Whistler, so if we did it there, or if we did it somewhere in the Alps or something, you know, we'll, we'll make it happen nonetheless.

Sick, maybe. Um, yeah, so if you, if when you've got a bit of time, um, maybe just like, you can just go into YouTube and just type in swapping lines, and I'm sure one of them will pop up and then have a look and kind of see what, what we've done so far. And then you can, yeah, you can just like, send me a message, let me know kind of your thoughts, if you have any, any ideas like of, you know, things we could, I don't know, add in or whatever, but I think it could be perfect.

Perfect. Dude. I'm proud, man. I don't think, I don't think there's ever been, ever been like a, a shredded with, with someone like yourself, so I think that would be new song. Is that it? It'll be a World's first for sure. Yeah.

Safe. Sounds perfect to me, dude. Yeah, thanks so much. And, uh, yeah, we'll, uh, stay in touch for sure. If you guys enjoy this episode, please like and subscribe and to see more episodes, click the link right up here. That was iconic. I.