Operator to Creator

After 23+ years building online businesses and 16 years in SEO, I started a YouTube channel from zero. This is where I document what actually happens. Not the highlight reel. The reality. The experiments that work and the ones that don't. The parts of building a creator presence that don't make it into the polished tutorials. Some of it is strategic. Some of it is public thinking. All of it is honest. No guru advice. No finished blueprint. Just real experience, documented as it unfolds.
First aid needs assessment tool displayed on a laptop with workplace first aid kit and assessment checklist.
The Law Won't Tell You How Many First Aiders You Need
Because there's no number to hit, "adequate and appropriate" becomes a judgement you're expected to make and, if it ever matters, to defend. The assessment doesn't have to be a... Read more...
how my YouTube channel found its focus
How My YouTube Channel Found Its Focus — Building Tools That Use, Sell, and Document Themselves
After five weeks, this channel found its focus — and it isn't a topic. It's building tools with AI: one build that I use, sell, and turn into content all... Read more...
what should I build it with
I built a tool because "it depends" is the most useless answer in business
Someone asked me last week what platform they should build their business on. I started to answer. Then I stopped. Because the honest answer was "it depends" — and "it... Read more...
The Severance Survival Kit digital download product image showing a checklist for reviewing a severance offer before signing
Don’t Sign Your Severance Yet: What to Check Before You Agree
Being offered a severance package can feel like the ground has shifted under you. One minute you are doing your job. The next, you are being handed paperwork, told about... Read more...
Drewv Mitchell sitting with arms folded communicating you've got the keys - nobody told you what to do next
The First Year Homeowner's Operating Manual
You've just bought a house. Nobody told you what to do next. Not the mortgage. Not the survey. That bit's done. This is what happens after you get the keys... Read more...
drew mitchell sitting down with foldied arms communicating what he is experimenting with right now
What I'm Experimenting With on This Channel (Week 3)
I'm three weeks into running this YouTube channel and I'm already running two experiments. I don't know if either of them will work. This post — and the video it... Read more...
desktop with laptop calculator and coffee cup promoting mainstream personal finance gets it wrong for entrepreneurs
Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs — What Mainstream Advice Gets Wrong
Most personal finance advice is written for people with salaries. It assumes an employer pension, sick pay, paid holiday and a predictable monthly income. If you are self-employed, a freelancer... Read more...
How to Engineer a YouTube Script for Search
How to Engineer a YouTube Script for Search — And Why This Post Is an Example of It
Most creators optimising a YouTube video focus on the same things. The title. The description. The tags. And they're not wrong — those signals matter. But there's one signal almost... Read more...
the real costs of shopify
The Shopify Costs Nobody Warned Me About (And Why Most Advice Gets This Wrong)
After 23 years building online businesses, I thought I understood what starting a Shopify store would cost. I was wrong — not about the obvious fees, but about the layer... Read more...
the part of content creation nobody sees
The Part of Content Creation Nobody Sees
Most people think content creation is about making videos. Recording. Editing. Publishing. Getting views. Getting subscribers. Growing an audience. For a long time, I thought that too. After spending the... Read more...
I think most YouTube advice is wrong
I Think Most YouTube Advice Is Wrong
When I started this YouTube channel, I assumed years of experience building online businesses, working with SEO, digital marketing, websites and audience growth would give me a head start. After... Read more...
YouTube understands your voice
How YouTube Understands Your Voice: Why Spoken Words May Influence The Algorithm
YouTube Is No Longer Just Reading Titles And Descriptions For years, creators have focused heavily on traditional YouTube SEO factors such as video titles, thumbnails, descriptions, keywords and tags. While... Read more...
I think YouTube uses your voice as seo
I Think YouTube Uses Your Voice As SEO
Most creators think YouTube SEO is mainly about titles, thumbnails, descriptions and tags. But what if the words creators actually say inside videos are just as important? Every time a... Read more...
Why Filming In Public Is Harder Than It Looks
Why Filming In Public Is Harder Than It Looks
The Reality Of Filming Content In Public I genuinely thought filming a one-minute YouTube video in public would be easy. Walk. Talk. Look natural. Done. Instead, it turned into over... Read more...