James Dumoulin – The School of Hard Knocks
In the modern age, human capital is an untapped resource. James saw this, decided to tap into it, and he struck oil. He saw the desire in young people to learn more about entrepreneurship, and how to be successful, so he created a bridge between those who had knowledge and those who were seeking it. He calls it “School of Hard Knocks.” The whole idea around the name is that you have to learn lessons the hard way. But he created an avenue for all people to learn these difficult lessons without having to personally go through the physical struggle. He does this by conducting interviews on the street with successful business leaders and entrepreneurs, picking their brain on their hardest struggles and biggest pieces of advice for the younger generations. He has scaled this business to over 17 million followers across multiple platforms, in only 4 years. His actual revenue isn’t based fully off his videos, but it comes mainly from brand deals, ads, and his Skool Community called “School of Mentors” that he charges $99/month for and has over 6,200 members. He himself first became a millionaire at the age of 23. His work as a content creator has inspired millions, and serves as the perfect example of how valuable the distribution of knowledge is.
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Love this guy… I still can believe that Billionaires actually give him the time of day to be interviewed. I think it just goes to show that people are more open to talk, especially about themselves, than you think. And every answer started with a question.
I just watched his latest video with Matthew McConaughey. It shocks me how quickly he has grown his platform, not only his viewership but also his network with these extremely well-known individuals. My favorite aspect of his work is the fact that he always ends the video by taking the next step of asking to personally connect with them in the future; that is the necessary leap of faith that a lot of people need to learn how to take!
I have seen James popping up on my for you page all the time, and he has really taken off recently. I think he does a great job of creating short-form content that is engaging to young adults and experienced professionals. I also appreciate his determination in these interviews, usually not taking no for an answer.