The newsletter designed for future entrepreneurs

Story of the Week

Hi, it’s Pat!

It finally happened — 1,000,000 subscribers on YouTube. Many say it was an overnight success, but that’s far from the truth.

In 2021, I started Deep Pocket Monster, a channel about collecting Pokémon cards (“Pocket Monster” is what Pokémon is short for, by the way) after my kids got me interested in the hobby. At the time, I knew very little about it, other than Pikachu and Charizard (I grew up playing Magic: the Gathering, not Pokémon).

From 0 to 100,000 subscribers in 11 months, and then 10 times that just three years later — that’s fast from the outside. But what most people forget is that I started on YouTube in 2009. This new channel came in my 12th year on the platform. All the lessons learned, mistakes made, struggles faced, and skills developed — whether in storytelling, presentations, or fine-tuning strategies — have been put into this new channel. And that’s what helped it explode.

I’m now recognized more for my work on DPM than for my work at SPI. I also host an event called Card Party, which brought in 2,500 attendees in year one and 3,500 attendees in year two. We plan to double that at our two events in 2025. Pokémon has even reached out to work with me as well. And yes, it’s bringing in additional revenue through ads, sponsorships, and even merch sales.

And still, all of this is on the side of my work at SPI, which I love and care about so much. I hope to be an example to others that, yes, you can diversify your work, have a ton of fun, and still be there as a parent.

At 42 years of age (since last Friday), I have to say that I’m more fulfilled than I’ve ever been. Next year will be a big year for me because, in addition to all of this, I’ve poured my heart and soul into a new book that will be published this coming June. It’s called Lean Learning, and it’s all about how I’m able to learn things so quickly and manage multiple interests. I truly hope it’ll help others live a fulfilled, fun, and fantastic life of curious adventure.

For now, just know that winning comes in two parts:

1. Persistence — getting started doesn’t matter if you just quit. So KEEP GOING, keep learning, keep failing, and keep getting back up. You’ve got this, and every day, you’ll get closer and closer to your version of a gold plaque.
2. Getting started — realizing you’re not going to know (and shouldn’t even try to find out) everything before you begin. Go forth knowing that you’ll learn as you go, and there are plenty of resources to support you along the way (like our community at SPI!).