Читать книгу Eating Across America - Daymon Patterson - Страница 15

My story is a unique one and I love to share it when people ask, “What made you want to do food reviews?”

If you recall the old TV show on Travel Channel, Man vs Food with Adam Richman, he had (to me) the BEST JOB a person could have−eat food, travel and get paid for it! My only thought was, “How could I get that lucky?”

Now at this time, YouTube was still fairly new, but it was also a platform to film your passion as you saw fit. In mid-2009, I decided to start talking about the places that I would frequent on my lunch breaks at Walmart in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.

I mean, why not? I had a Kodak Playtouch (Vloggie Camera) that I would prop up on my steering wheel, look into the camera, and speak my mind on whatever I had for lunch that day from the surrounding fast food locations.

This all started out as nothing more than a hobby since I had an hour to kill on my break; and honestly, there was nothing else to do but sleep after I ate…until it was time to go back to work.

I started my YouTube adventure with a new food review each week and over time this started a small base of subscribers (that I would later start calling, Foodie Fam).

My Foodie Fam was made up of like-minded foodies who enjoyed my direct yet enthusiastic way of describing fast food. Over time they would start leaving comments as to where they wanted me to go next.

This interactive style of doing requested food reviews definitely helped to shape my YouTube channel. In all reality, the YouTube Community is who I strongly credit for my food review style and persona.

No fast food was considered SAFE! If I did not like something, biting my tongue at that moment was never an option. You are supposed to lay all of your cards on the table regardless of which QSR is being reviewed, good or bad. I gave the facts straight and broke down each bite with AUTHORITY!

Let us be honest with ourselves, when you watch a commercial all you will see are smiling faces that seem to be impressed by whatever the “next big thing” is at these fast food locations, and because it is a commercial, the food is made to look its best. But on the consumer end, certain locations fall FLAT on their delivery of what was shown in the commercial.

You get yourself ready for that first bite that then only sends your attitude quickly spiraling downhill into a pit of despair all over that new signature burger. What a great way to ruin your lunch, right?

This is how I would feel constantly on my lunch break. But no one knew… prior to my channel. But YouTube allows me a platform to verbalize those thoughts and share them with the masses. Ultimately, this created the brand, “Daym Drops.”

Daym is part of my first name, Daymon, and Drops because (as I phrase it) I am dropping a new review each week. The channel name that you pick is important; it is the name that will represent you across all forms of social media and becomes a large footprint many others seek out over the years.

You want to choose something that best describes you and most definitely a name that speaks out LOUD AND CLEAR to the YouTube Community. This would be your next step after setting up your Google Ad Sense account as you begin learning the process and procedures of YouTube.

Perhaps you are thinking, “Why fast food?” When I look back on my YouTube Career, had I started with a healthier option not as easily accessible without travel versus doing a meal prep schedule at home, had I gone THAT route, would I be where I am today, working with Rachael Ray and executive chefs? Would THIS all still be my story? Perhaps it would be but in a very different way.