How I became the manager of the Sidemen

Let me tell you a story about how a 17-year-old with a questionable haircut accidentally found himself at the centre of creator economy growth over the past decade.

Back in 2015, I was just a teenager who dropped out of uni after only 12 weeks because I could already tell it wasn't for me.

Instead, I had landed an internship at Vice (after cold-emailing them), which turned into a full-time role as their junior creative.

But my journey with the Sidemen began in 2016 at their first charity football match in Southampton.

I was working for Sport Bible at the time, and I witnessed something I'll never forget - 13,000 young people completely losing their minds over these YouTube creators.

The passion was unlike anything I'd seen before.

After the match, fans literally stormed the pitch.

It was like a scene from The Walking Dead, but with excited 12-year-olds.

The security guards had to barricade us in the tunnel as kids pounded on the doors trying to get to the guys.

In that chaotic moment, I realised these creators had a connection with their audience that traditional celebrities could only dream of.

Fast forward through stints at LAD Bible (where I helped build their agency) and YMU (where I became Chief Creative Officer at just 20 years old), and I found myself drawn back to that observation about creator influence.

So in 2021, alongside my co-founders Sam and Aaron, I launched Arcade Media with a mission to help the Sidemen take their operation to the next level.

These seven best friends who started playing GTA together in 2013 had already built something special.

But we saw the potential to evolve from "just" YouTube's biggest UK creators into something much more.

Now, we've helped them launch Side+ (their membership platform), XIX Vodka, Sides (their fried chicken brand now in 3 countries with 100+ ghost kitchens), and multiple other businesses.

What I've learned working with them is genuinely priceless:

1. Evolve or be extinct (a tweet Josh posted back in 2014 that they've lived by)

2. The team makes the dream (there are 100s people making the Sidemen machine work)

3. Consistency is non-negotiable (the sheer work rate behind their content is unmatched)

4. Make decisive calls (they have what I call the "Supreme Court of the Sidemen" - 4 out of 7 votes wins)

5. Hold yourself accountable (I've seen JJ admit when something isn't right and his audience respects him for it)

6. Always be value-driven (what is your audience getting from your content?)

7. Enjoy the ride (they're having the time of their lives, and it shows)

But there's one secret that stands above all the rest:

Be 100% yourself, 100% of the time, and you'll never get old.

The Sidemen on camera are the exact same people off camera.

They never get tired of "putting on an act" because they aren't putting on one at all.

That authenticity is what's allowed them to build a genuine connection with millions of people worldwide.

And it's why I created Think Like A Creator - to help you apply these same principles to your business, whether you're a creator yourself or not.

I've seen firsthand how the creator mindset transforms businesses.

The strategies that built multiple 8-figure creator brands can be applied to your journey too.

If any of this resonates with you, please hit reply and let me know your biggest challenge in growing your business right now.

I'd love to hear from you & get to know you better :)

Remember, the creator mindset is all you need to grow 🌱

P.S. Missed my latest YouTube video? Check it out below 👇️ 

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