There are a lot of things about the Internet that are amazing…and there are many things about living in an online world that have undeniably made things more challenging or seem to make the world worse. As much as I love living in the online age, I couldn’t argue with anyone who said it was a mixed bag.
But I do my best to focus on the better aspects and the truth is that YouTube is potentially one of the great inventions, and potential boons, in human history. Because never has there been a resource that allows for individuals to learn so much for basically a $100 a month or less internet connection.
The literal knowledge, experience, and ideas of millions are available right there at the tips of your fingers. All you need to do is look for videos that teach or explore instead of being sucked into political echo chambers or endless mindless entertainment.
For people who use it correctly, YouTube could be a life-changing tool.
Everyone is different and what affects one person might not affect another. So I try to organize these as good as possible, so keep in mind they’re not “Number 1 is best and 50th is weakest” these are just 50 amazing channels across a variety of topics so use the TOC to jump to the topics that interest you most or scroll through them all and build towards that incredible life that’s waiting for you!
Channels to About Life Philosophy and/or Self-Improvement
Modern Health Monk
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/user/ModernHealthMonk
A great channel that I found when looking for motivation that wasn’t just about “rah, rah” feel good stuff, but actually gave actionable advice. Modern Health Monk features Alex Heyne, an empathetic individual with a great story. He has a journey many of us can relate to about wandering lost in during our 20’s, is passionate about health and his career of choice (Chinese medicine) and a well-organized channel that actually helps.
“Tangible outcomes” is a term that comes up a lot in these videos, and they’re great. He’s charismatic, knowledgeable, and has life experience to back it up. Playlists include “How to Master Yourself and Build an Incredible Life,” “The Tiny, Daily Habit Series,” “How to Lose Your First 20 Pounds,” and more!
Healthy Gamer GG
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/HealthyGamerGG
Exploding in popularity due to his reputation as a psychologist who carved out an amazing niche working with gamers, YouTubers, and Streamers, he is a professional clinical doctor specializing in mental health who talks about common psychological challenges on stream, gives easy to relate and understandable coaching talks on topics (including open question sessions from audience members during streams) and has an incredible
There are a wealth of videos here that really explain many mental concepts and can give you the vocabulary and tools to really dig in whether it’s to understand the world or make changes within yourself (whether small or radical) to put you in a better place to take control of your mind and shape yourself to a better life.
Some of his interviews with YouTubers and Streamers are off the charts.
Better Ideas
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/BetterIdeas
This is one of my favorite personal channels, and in fact one of his videos is on the short one-hour play list of my Daily Affirmations which I play every single morning to get motivated, get tuned in, and which I’ve used to condition myself to start the day with one insanely productive hour of work right after I wake up (How Talking About Your Goals Is Secretly Destroying Your Success).
This isn’t motivational in the conventional sense. It’s better. It’s a look into how creating good habits actually work, takes on unpleasant truths many motivational channels ignore, and the About Page’s simple message of “Inaction is a Slow Death. Better Ideas.” says it all.
Discussions on sticking to happiness, overcoming boredom, creating good habits, and beating ego are just some of the topics. His videos on changing mindset and training/tricking the brain into loving the grind of improvement are some of the best I’ve found on the topic.
This can absolutely be a life-changing channel.
Daily Stoic
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkUaT0T03TJvafYkfATM2Ag
Stoicism is a philosophy that has done amazing things for me personally. I love the fact the lessons it teaches can supplement any modern religion or belief system – making that philosophy a powerful tool for personal power, personal responsibility, and the ability to control your own mind and emotions – and therefore gain more control over your life and fate.
There are many good videos on Stoicism, and when you need some philosophy influenced inspiration don’t sleep on an hour of Stoic quotes, but from what I’ve found so far Daily Stoic is simply the best.
Ryan Holiday is an accomplished author who I was first introduced to via the amazing book “Trust Me, I’m Lying” and needless to say reading that and then watching a change to a Stoic journey has been nothing short of
Timothy Ward
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/TimothyWard
This is one of my favorite channels, and it’s the hardest one for me to put in its “proper” place. Tim’s awesome philosophies on life and work come through on picking experiences over money, the amazing benefits of seasonal work to live a traveling independent life, and looking at things differently.
Part minimalist, part travel junkie, all about having wonderful life experiences, Tim’s channel is incredible and his need to move and see new places, meet new people, is something that speaks directly to my heart. It was an incredible find, and I don’t know if this is travel, money, philosophy, side hustle, self improvement…maybe it’s all of them.
Great points of view on life, great info on seasonal & gig work, wonderfully open and very engaging, I’m hoping there are many more years of great travel for Tim.
Or maybe it’s something else altogether. Whatever it should be classified as there’s no question it’s one hell of an amazing YouTube channel!
WheezyWaiter
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/Wheezywaiter1
WheezyWaiter is strongly in the self-improvement part of this category as opposed to philosophy. This channel is fantastic because the narrator is relatable, as is his wife, he has great laidback charisma, and he embraces the idea of using his body and his life for experimentation.
Biphasic sleep? He tried it out for two months to see if there was a major difference in his life. No sugar for a month? That was entertaining to watch. Do cold showers really work? He tried it.
Journaling, dancing with the wife every day, walking 10,000 steps, this just scratches the surface of all the different experiments that he tries to see how it affects his mind, energy, relationship, health, productivity, and more.
His video editing is exceptional, entertaining, and the sheer variety of experiments
Several great examples of entertaining & educational “tests:”
- Eat Vegan for a month
- No sugar for a month
- Cold showers every single day for a month
- Dance daily with his wife for a month
- Tried Bullet journaling for 4 months
- Worked out for 350 straight days
- Intermittent fasting for a month
- Experimented with sleep positions for a month
- Maintained good posture for a month
There’s a reason he shot past a million subscribers, and it’s well deserved. Give him a sub and have a look!
Better Than Yesterday
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/BetterThanYesterday
Better Than Yesterday is a channel that I really appreciate. It’s a unique style as every video is a whiteboard animation style, but it’s one of the best channels using that style that I’ve found.
This channel puts out 8 to 15 minutes videos with each one giving a great study of one specific thing whether a productivity hack, budgeting, scheduling, health improvements, and more. These videos do a great way of using animations that keep the attention while explaining how to use each method, step-by-step, taking information and making it actionable.
The wide series of topics tackled provide a bundle of ways to improve various systems, mechanics, and habits which can add together to make some really monumental progress in your life over time.
While not everyone will like the animated videos, I find these to be fantastic and I appreciate the way that step by step drawing of the animation really seems to properly follow the advice on changes, growth, and advancement. Great channel, worth checking out.
The Art of Improvement
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheArtofImprovement
An excellent channel that takes on many common challenges and uses step by step systems or actions to help people learn how to challenge the bad habits, overcome them, and move on towards the life they want. Similar to the Better Than Yesterday channel, this is an outstanding whiteboard animation channel that uses studies, examples, and stories to help people pick up the habits they want while leaving the others behind.
Some videos are on very niche topics, other longer videos tackle much bigger and broader challenge like learning to change personal philosophy in order to see broader changes in life.
This is a very good channel that doesn’t go the motivation route but focuses on explanations, science, psychology and actually making noticeable progress in one’s one life in tangible ways.
Worth the listen for sure, and one of my favorite laid back improvement YouTube channels.
Cole Hastings
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/ColeHastings
Cole Hastings has a channel that I’ve come across relatively recently, and I’ve become a huge fan in a very short time. While some channels refuse to use terms like “Self-Improvement” or “Self-Help” for marketing reasons, some don’t use these terms because words like Evolve, Grow, and others aren’t just catch phrases but powerful words with in-depth meanings that really encapsulate what they believe in, live by, and share.
Cole is with this excellent second group, and he is more than willing to experiment on his own life, test the advice with others, and share the results whether good, bad, or otherwise. Cole does a fantastic job of mixing skill videos, tactic videos, and mindset videos. This combination leads to a wide education that can help individuals looking to push themselves in all areas of life.
A list of sample videos he’s released to show the topic variety:
- Why I HATE all productivity advice
- 3 Weird things to do when life feels empty
- Leave your hometown or stay average forever
- Trying to make friends in a brand new city
- Why you should work out less to gain more muscle
- How I climbed out of my worst depressive rut in years
Check out this channel and give it a look!
Struthless
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/struthless
This is a channel I love. The relatability of this Australian as he talks about his life, going into hustle culture, how it both worked and failed for him, and how he went about finding a better life, one that focuses on creativity, projects that he loves, and how others can do the same.
The intertwining of stories from his own life, relatable experiences many of us have had, and great advice on making important life changes to figure out the best life for yourself, and how to get it without sacrificing everything else, makes this channel an absolute winner.
One of my personal favorite channels as the relatability factor is through the roof and watching him talk about what he’s learned through self-awareness and reflection acts as an example of how to further develop your own ability to self-reflect, as well.
Channels on Side Hustles
Mission Side Hustle
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/MissionSideHustle
Of course the top channel on a section about side hustles would be called something like Mission Side Hustle. I love this channel for multiple reasons. For one, the guy is a hardworking blue collar dude who isn’t afraid to do hard dirty work other people don’t want to do.
The channel starts with a crystal clear goal, the channel net worth is revealed every single episode, and you get the logic and progression of every step of the journey as Corey moves to turn $500 into $1 million while showing every single step of how he gets there.
Trash hauling business, furniture flipping, Uber Eats, Turo, junk cleanup – you can watch it from step one until now as Corey tries many different things, shares all the numbers, and will admit when an idea busts. Great channel to show what’s possible and how to level up step by step.
Ralli Roots
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/RALLIROOTS
There are a lot of amazing channels with online arbitrage, and Ralli Roots is one of my favorites. Hitting Good Will, Thrift Stores, other second hand stores and then listing and selling on eBay – you can dig through this channel for information on every part of the process.
From starting out finding you first items to flip online to moving towards wholesale, Ralli Roots is entertaining, it’s very educational on what they look for and what they don’t, and you can pick up a lot of incredible second hand knowledge from this channel – which is exactly what I’m looking for.
I don’t want to see people bragging, I want to learn how to replicate their successes. And I love the honesty when they say, “Hey, we do A, B, C & D to make what we make, if you only want to do this, this, or this, here’s what you need to know.”
Great honesty and that’s why their channel makes a cut above the rest. It’s not just about the finds, it’s about the info.
Affiliate Marketing MC
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/user/affiliatemarketingmc
We have blue collar hustle and gig work, eBay flipping from thrift store and Good Will finds, and now here is one I appreciate: the hustle of online affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing has a bad rap, and to be honest there’s a good reason for it.
The number of scams or scumbags in online marketing is enormous. And there is something inherent about “getting a percentage” that sets some people off and I get that. But it’s not the system that bothers me, giving leads and driving business is legitimate, it’s finding an online channel that is honest and shows all the steps WITHOUT having to pull out a credit card for an absurdly high number.
Affiliate Marketing MC is goofy, he’s direct, he shows every step of what he’s doing, the tools he’s using, and how he makes it work for him every single step of the way in free YouTube videos. He’s done the make money online with affiliate marketing for 20 years so he’s the real deal.
And he’s shown resources that I’ve never seen despite my 15+ years working online. Great site, entertaining, and even if I’m not going to follow five different make money online strategies (amazing energy this guy) the videos give me new tools, insights, and ideas to apply to my own efforts. Highly recommend.
Our Rich Journey
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/OurRichJourney
This is another one of those channels that could be side hustle or finances depending on how you look at it. Our Rich Journey is a heavy FIRE channel and though they have now reached that goal, you can go back and watch their journey take place year after year as they worked to get there.
This channel is great. They talk about house hacking, finding grant programs, finding jobs that offer free housing, side hustles of all kinds, building a YouTube video, making money, investing in stocks and dividends, and more. In other words, you get a plethora of information that can help you in all aspects of making more money and preparing for an early retirement.
Finding out many cities that had “tool exchanges” like a library completely blew my mind and shows just how many options there are.
What makes their advice so relatable is going back to the beginning and seeing their evolution working for this goal before achieving it, starting out clearly nervous on YouTube and watched them grow as YouTubers, as well.
They talk about not only what they were doing then but also what had worked in the past, where to look for unusual opportunities, and being extremely transparent on how YouTube sped up the process.
Fantastic FIRE channel. In fact, in my opinion, the best FIRE channel out there although now that the dream has been achieved some of the early videos might be better.
Financial/Real Estate Channels
Bigger Pockets
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVWDbXqQ8cupuVpotWNt2eg
You may know them from their various podcasts, but their YouTube channel has all these podcast episodes as well as shorter videos tackling individual questions, ideas, or other potential topics. This can focus heavily on real estate, which is what a lot of the channel is focused on, but there are also financial, life philosophy (in regards to money), and retirement topics.
This channel interviews thousands of successful individuals who started from nothing and talk all about how they did it. The sheer number of strategies for getting properties, the type of properties acquired, flipping & renting, the famous BRRR method, and many other topics.
This makes so many seemingly complex topics very accessible. No matter how in debt or far away that you feel, there are options and these videos show so many different people from different backgrounds using different strategies to get things done.
The strategies are there for us to pick up, and the hosts of these podcasts made into YouTube videos are charismatic, comfortable talking, and make for fantastic viewing experience.
Graham Stephan
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrahamStephan
This is another channel where I personally feel that going back to the beginning of the channel when the heavy focus was on real estate and savings are much better for practical advice, help, and use as compared to the more recent ones.
Which is fair. Much like Meet Kevin’s channel, they’ve transitioned from real estate first to investment and serious YouTubers first. Based on the number of subscriptions I can’t blame them, and there are still many amazing videos from Graham Stephan (also his house tour is amazing if you want inspiration for what is possible if you work smart and hard).
But if you want serious education on getting going in real estate when you think you don’t have the savings, assets, or income for it then look at those early videos for serious nuts and bolts about programs available and how to make them work for you.
Meet Kevin
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/user/KevinPaffrath
Personally I think the videos from the first two years are by far and away the most useful for the majority of us and where we’re at, but that’s not to knock the information that comes out now.
A lot of financial news, learning stock trading, but the real estate videos early on in this channel are just freaking gold.
Since Kevin jumped into real estate this channel is gold for how to stand out and become outstanding in not only as a relator in a competitive market (which he was) but also in the actual investing of real estate using programs that allow you to scale and grow and levels that are impossible if you have to go 100% cash out of pocket.
Investment Joy
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/InvestmentJoy
If you want some serious information on how to make money, how to build businesses, and how to outright grind it out in so many ways, Investment Joy is a great channel based out of the Midwest (Ohio). Why do I think this detail is so important?
Because becoming a real estate agent in Los Angeles where one commission of 5% can easily net $50,000 to $70,000 before hitting the upper class neighborhoods, or using a federal system to asset grow a house in a market where the house is worth a million dollars and then declaring yourself a millionaire…it can work.
But that’s not how things work in most of the country.
So having someone show how to turn a disaster laundry mat into a money maker, how to rehabilitate a trailer park with a reputation for drug related shoot outs, how to buy property that goes for $40K and make it into a $60K property with multiple tenants per property – this is it.
Someone who came from a poor family evicted more than once, stayed in an area he came from, and made it there when many believe it’s impossible – that’s someone whose channel I want to watch. Especially when the videos give an INSANE amount of information on how to do the same.
Great channel that is worth the watch and one of my favorites in this space.
Income School
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/IncomeSchool
Income School is an amazing channel. If you want to know how to build affiliate sites that make money online, then this is the channel you want to see. I’m a huge fan of Income School and use many of their methods for my actual money sites.
The videos are incredible and offer more than most paid courses I’ve reviewed about building profitable websites. From choosing topics to monetization to what SEO really matters and how to make a profitable site off of writing skills without massive SEO outreach, this channel is the real deal.
Several years of videos give a mountain of knowledge and it truly is incredible just how much you can learn about every aspect of building not only a profitable site but an online business and earn the type of passive income that can truly be life-changing.
This is definitely a channel I highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn what it takes to build a successful and profitable website. The actual tools and knowledge provided are amazing.
Alex Hormozi
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/alexhormozi
Talk about business advice from someone who has walked the walk – and continues to make his fortune through business and not with courses, videos, or anything else teaching how to make money. Hormozi’s story is pretty amazing and shows how execution makes all the difference. A gym chain isn’t a cutting edge tech idea, and it’s certainly not a market that was considered wide open.
There are plenty of gyms in a market that’s often considered low margin and saturated, if not overly saturated. Yet Alex created gyms that were huge money makers and received rave reviews from members. He figured out what worked best versus what didn’t, duplicated it, and was a multi-millionaire many times over in less than a decade.
His videos are direct, to the point, and since he’s not selling a course, the videos tell everything you need to know if full detail from someone who has done it, and continues to do it. That’s something I approve of!
Travel Channels
Ace Live
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW5NNtTSY5z5mENZ8dt-RCw
Awesome travel channel from a YouTuber whose most recent video (when I wrote this section originally) was surprising his Momma by coming home and paying off her mortgage.
Super cool, super emotional video. Ace does a ton of traveling in Central and South America, and the videos are outstanding.
They’re fun, it’s great seeing him interact with locals, and you get to check out some really cool places. His video on what it took to get to full-time at YouTube was incredibly honest and open, showing that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows on the way to fulfilling your dream. If Travel YouTubing is your dream.
If not, this is still at outstanding channel for seeing different countries, seeing what they have to offer, and to start mentally planning out those future vacations.
Great travel channel and one that I know many of you will enjoy as much as I do.
Jacob’s Life in Vegas
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/JacobslifeinVegas
Watching this channel grow over years has been a joy to see, and it’s about one of my favorite cities, so even better. Jacob is obviously very passionate about his chosen home and it shows with each videos. From tackling local topics to working with local relators, to during both walkabout streams of Las Vegas as well a hiking outside the city, you get to thoroughly get a look at Las Vegas.
This channel has years of great content and Jacob’s chill demeanor and easy going persona makes each of these videos a pleasure to watch.
Just try to watch this channel and not start making plans about moving to this desert jewel of Nevada.
Bald & Bankrupt
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/baldandbankrupt
Bald & Bankrupt is one of the best travel channels that has EVER been on YouTube. I’m willing to stand by that fairly grandiose statement. A middle aged Englishman with a passion for Soviet history and the Russian people, his adventures through Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine, and other former Soviet states has been amazing.
His ability to speak fluent Russian, talk about the old mosaics from Soviet times, and socialize with babushkas leads to a truly unique travel channel where you really get to see the real Russia, meet the real Russian people, and get a look at isolated areas that you would never ever see on another travel channel.
It’s beautiful in a way that’s hard to describe, like the unique land and people that Bald and Bankrupt introduces us all to.
Minority Nomad
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/Minoritynomad
Minority Nomad is an awesome travel channel, one that I enjoy because he shares his favorite things, hits up great hidden spots, and also talks about topics that I think are very important for frequent travelers. While I’m not a minority, I do like many of the minority traveler channels because I believe they often tackle potential issues that other channels want to shy away from.
Minority nomad talks about racism when traveling, safety in different parts of the world, and paints a full and realistic picture that includes good, bad, and doesn’t sensationalize any of it. I love this because while I’m a travel junkie and love it, a realistic picture of what you need to prepare for is important.
And if you want a lot of food options, you’ll get it here!
Through My Lens
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThroughMyLens
Wonderful travel channel on YouTube that is less about super refined 20 minute videos are more about giving a wide and detailed look at trips whether taking the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Fairbanks, a weekend at Key West, or several days in a National Park. There are the short 20 minute videos focused on a very specific place or aspect, but there are many longer videos giving the full slice of life experience of each trip.
This combination leads to a great video that really makes the full travel experience come to life in a fuller way, with just enough polish to be quality but not so much to seem overly produced or to take you out of the feeling of actually seeing the place in its actual nature.
One of my favorite travel YouTube channels.
Skill Channels
Scam Nation
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/user/scamschool
Scam Nation’s host take you through a variety of different and remarkable videos. Some are about solving riddles, some are card tricks, others go heavily into talking skills with experts on topics like cold reading, body language cues, getting out of hand cuffs, picking locks, recognizing common scams, and more.
This is a channel that can fall under things to know for travel, street smarts, and set you on the right course for learning a wide variety of skills, as well. Scam nation’s url reads “Scam School” which seems appropriate as the videos on this channel can give you a very wide education on an array of different topics.
Including a surprising number of practical skills that can be used for things other than crime or scamming. Take a look at the long catalog of videos and the many topics covered and you’ll be itching to try out new skills in no time.
Game Dev Unlocked
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/GameDevUnlocked
This channel is all about independent game development, aka indie game dev. This is from the perspective of someone who learned how to develop indie games hard way, loves it, and had an indie game that took off. Not the first one.
This makes his videos relatable as he gives good advice on every aspect of game development from the challenges of new developers to creating a game that sticks out from the competition to the challenges of coding and learning all the ins and outs of how things really work.
This is a great channel that teaches coding skills, marketing skills, planning skills, and goes through everything it takes to see an indie game development from beginning to end.
Fantastic channel, and if you’re into indie gaming at all and have thought about developing one, check out this channel to see if it’s the way to go.
Devin Nash
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/devinnash
This is a very narrow area of skills 2/3 of the time, and a very important general skill the other 1/3 of the time. Nash focuses heavily on streamers, growing YouTube, social media, and being found online. If you are remotely thinking about building a channel on YouTube or Twitch or understanding online streaming, his channel should be one of the first that you subscribe, follow, and devour every single video on.
These are great videos, and even if you don’t necessarily care about streaming, the other 1/3 of the time Nash’s videos are about the 80/20 principle, how to experiment for more productivity, staying undistracted in an online world, how to acquire and effectively use data and more.
This is a fantastic channel that is definitely worth it for insane marketing knowledge and a deep understanding of how this online space works.
Frugal Repair
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/FrugalRepair
Frugal Repair is all about learning how to repair things you usually need to call an expensive specialist to repair and how to do it effectively, safely, and cheaply. This is a great channel idea, and the most important part is he delivers. These aren’t all obvious repairs.
He talks about an optimized grid of solar panels, repair a non-heating instant pot, fixing a broken flat screen TV, a trackpad on a laptop, a damaged cell phone, and more.
The educational value is fantastic and for information on repairs that don’t come naturally to most of us.
Charisma on Command
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/Charismaoncommand
Charisma is a skill that can absolutely be learned, and is a social skill that can take many forms. When you think about it, courses on body language, “pick up” artists, certain types of psychology, and other things all play into charisma. Social skills, social interactions, and being able to attract positive attention through the way you act, appear, and carry yourself.
Charisma on Command is one of the best channels I’ve found that really delves into this and does so on all levels. They show examples by video, how different celebrities who look/act completely different can still have a commanding or charismatic presence in their own styles. Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves, and Craig Ferguson are three completely different individuals and yet each one is considered wildly charismatic in their own way.
This is a channel that talks theory, that shows practical examples, that shows how little things can help you find charisma and tailor it to your personality so you’re not being fake – just a better version of you who understands social cues and social situations all the more…which ironically allows you to be even more like yourself because when you command a genuine charisma, you don’t have to curtail yourself to expectations nearly as much.
Great channel that is educational, entertaining, and 100% delivers on the title.
The Modern Rogue
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/ModernRogue
Oh MAN is THIS a channel! In Dungeons & Dragons rogues are considered skill monkeys who have skills polite society might consider untoward, but are undeniably useful. This channel delivers with two entertaining and charismatic hosts who talk to real professionals and show how two idiots (their words, not mine) can learn an incredible array of skills.
They bring an eagerness to learn and an obvious lack of experience with each skill coming in, which is great because it breaks down the wall of “That person is a natural” as they interact with actual experts and specialists who guide them through the process of going from complete novices to learning the basics of how things work and practice them up.
The sheer range of topics takes on an old “Smithsonian Effect” which makes the channel great. This refers to how the Old Smithsonian was so interesting in part because you never knew what you would find. The lunar module was next to Abe Lincoln’s hat next to Fonzie’s jacket from Happy Days.
As of this writing a glance at their video channel shows a wide array of topics like:
- Making the perfect party punch
- Dueling with small swords
- Can you tell how expensive a cigar is
- Stilt Walking
- We did a lot of explody things
- Radiation myths
- How pickpockets steal watches
Entertainment Channels (That Also Show How Passion Can Make Your Own Way on YouTube)
FlemLoRaps
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/FlemLoRaps
Incredible channel that focuses on college and professional athletes, this is NOT just another sports channel. And it’s not a gossip channel despite often focusing on “What happened to…” type questions that can easily go that way if you’re lazy with your journalism.
These are like mini-documentaries that go in-depth into looking at the background that led up to these stories, tries to explain what influences led the situation, dive into what happened (and what we can see about those situations now after the fact when time has allowed everything to settle out), and even follow up of where they are now.
The deep digs are amazing and fully cover players and situations, doing his best to cover all angles without judgement, and he does so in a way that makes it entertaining and enthralling.
Some of the former NFL players who he did stories on even reached out to him after some videos, amazed at how full a picture/story he could paint.
This is how you take a passion for something, deep dive it, and build a channel around that love that then can create amazing connections and help you make a living, too.
MrLboyd Reacts
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/MrLboydReacts
MrLboyd is a reaction channel where the individual reacts to various videos. I love this channel. You can tell this individual is incredibly intelligent, has an openness that comes from an incredible wealth of life experiences, and brings a very polymath/Renaissance Man vibe to his reactions.
Lines like: “I refuse to live a life where I am (willfully) ignorant to a single topic,” explain how he has charmed and endeared himself to so many subscribers.
This shows you don’t have to be young, super charismatic, or loud & outgoing to make it on YouTube or attract an audience. A deep philosophical confidence can do it, too. It’s all about playing to your strengths, being genuine, and offering something interesting and you will find an audience that wants what you have to offer.
James Vs Cinema
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesVSCinema
I’m a really huge fan of this channel. James is a filmmaker who clearly has a passion for film, for storytelling, and a really chill charisma that keeps you coming back to watch more. He’s young enough to have missed many of the old modern classics and he takes Patreon choices for all kinds of movies not only from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s but also more recent movies.
His reactions are fantastic as they not only show the genuine joy of seeing a great, amazing, or weird movie but he also brings attention to lighting, camera angles, and brigs that strong film school style knowledge in an understandable way that helps you notice details you may have missed from your favorite films and makes you appreciate it even more.
Fantastic chill channel that delights me every time I see a new video up. Definitely worth adding to your entertainment queue…and you might even learn something about film along the way.
Assorted Meeples
Current URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/AssortedMeeples
Okay, okay, I get it this is kind of a cheat and a blatant shoutout, but why else would I write a blog attached to my name without taking advantage of the platform? The gaming group I love and am a part of is all about board games, video games, MTG, and TTRPGs. We absolutely love gaming in its many forms and have two YouTube shows in addition to multiple playthroughs, review videos, best of Twitch streams, and more.
We’re getting better and better at the video work and there is something for every type of gamer…with a lot more to come in the future. Whether you want great D&D and other tabletop RPG information, funny sketches, or in-depth video game playthroughs, we’ve got something for you!
Brandon Likes Movies
Current URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrandonLikesMovies
Right up there with James Vs Movies as one of two movie reaction channels that I absolutely adore, and in fact it is one of the only two that I am currently subscribed to. Great insight on movies, a super calm and fun presence, and a clear love for movie combines with good analysis to bring together a truly winning reaction channel that really hits the spot.
This is a wonderful reaction channel that covers a very broad array of movies and if you like the chill almost Dude-like vibes (Lebowski reference) along with some actual good insights, this is a movie reaction channel for you.
Education Channels
HistoryMarche
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/HistoryMarche
I’ve always been a major history nerd, and so finding a history-based YouTube channel that gives me graphics of the historical battles while going in-depth on the details of the time, the kingdoms, the armies themselves – just beautiful. There are many really fantastic choices when it comes to history channels on YouTube.
In fact, it’s one of the areas where you could say that viewers are spoiled for choices. However, HistoryMarche is my favorite. Their research is in-depth, you get the full background leading to these battles, wars, and moments, and the narrator’s voice is just top notch.
In other words, these are history lessons that give you the total package without sending you to sleep. Give them a look and enjoy some of these incredible videos as you sharpen your knowledge of history.
Mr. Terry History
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/MrTerry
I have always loved history, and it was a topic I almost picked up as a third major from my college days. Mr. Terry is a teacher who knows his stuff, clearly loves the subject, and does reactions to various videos from good history channels across YouTube. He stops every so often to add in additional details, thoughts, and really does a great job invoking thoughts or different points of view on traditional views of historical events.
Watching the videos he reacts to teach something about history, but it feels like watching the reaction adds just that much more knowledge and in-depth understanding around the events that the videos are covering.
Fantastic reaction channel that finds the best history videos on YouTube, including some from channels that have managed to translate historical texts only in one language, thus adding more information to stories and historical events that were otherwise unavailable to scholars who didn’t speak the initial language. That type of exposure to channels is amazing.
If you love history, you will adore the Mr. Terry History channel.
Podcast Style Channels
Lewis Howes
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/lewishowes
Host of the “School of Greatness” podcast, Howes consistently has an upbeat attitude, a great life story, and excellent interview style that brings high amounts of energy to interviews and helps get the best out of a wide array of impressive guests.
Covering a variety of topics from brain health to wealth to productivity to physical health, you get a smattering of everything here to tackle every area of life. Even in an interview form, the energy Howes exudes comes through the picture and makes this a channel (and a podcast) worth giving your attention to.
The Tim Ferriss Show aka Timothy Ferriss
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/timferriss
I’m not sure what else there is to be said that hasn’t been said many times over. The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the best podcasts out there with an incredible range of guests from generals to billionaires to athletes to entertainers to scientists, the group of guests on the hundreds of episodes here is astounding.
Tim’s interview style just gets better and better, and the sheer depth of topics that get covered is nothing short of astounding. Experts on psychedelics talk about the potential medical miracles, but also the cautionary need for supervision.
Tim helped launched Jocko Willick in to the Podcast world, and information on everything can be found here. Advice from true experts on wealth, fitness, health, and more – this is a podcast that keeps on delivering even above and beyond what even the best books he produced could. It provides thousands of hours of incredible content.
Channels for When You Need a Laugh
I’m not going to lie…these are some of my favorite channels. Because laughing is just great. Obviously taste in comedy varies greatly so what has me splitting my sides might not do it for you, but you never know.
Some of these might reveal an entirely new treasure trove of videos that hit your funny bone just right.
Taskmaster
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/Taskmaster
How did I find out about Taskmaster? Through Would I Lie To You? How did I find out about Would I Lie to You? Through 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Honestly I am 100% all-in on the British comedy scene at this point and I’m loving it all.
This unique show is hosted by comedian Greg Davies, aka The Taskmaster, and the contestants are all British comedians set to compete on various tasks that range from seemingly simple to utterly absurd. The combination of clever ideas, utter fails, and the genius of having every contestant a renowned comedian means there is no shortage of laughs, craziness, or hijinks that ensue.
One of my favorite shows all-time, and there are many full seasons available on You Tube for your viewing pleasure. A few episodes, a couple clips, and you will be absolutely hooked.
Channel 4
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/channelfour
I don’t necessarily buy into the entire channel, but there are just multiple shows I love that fall under this brand. The 4 that really stick out for me are:
- 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
- Taskmaster
- Would I Lie to You?
- Big Fat Quiz of The ____
I know Taskmaster has its own channel at this point, and many of the other shows have clips shared by other YouTube channels, however this is the official one and it has provided me with countless hours of entertainment. And the number just continues to grow as new seasons come out.
You’ll see a lot of crossover when you watch enough of these shows, but the entertainment level is extremely high and there are no shortage of shows to jump in between depending on what your taste for British comedy is for that day.
Just Do Something Example Channels
These are examples of channels where a massive YouTube channel, and the funds, fame, connections, or interests that come with it result from someone simply doing something odd, unique, different, or amazing – and how “Just doing something special” opened the world. Most of us could do something but find every excuse not to.
These might be channels, they might be single videos that kicked off a channel, but they show how taking that adventure or doing that thing can create openings or positive repercussions even beyond the amazing experience.
Oliver Vittel
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/OlivierVittelEntertainment
The Big Adventure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leHb2hdCLqo&ab_channel=OlivierVittel
How many years go by feeling stuck, or how many times in our 20s did we feel like having an adventure or doing something amazing but didn’t do it? In this video Oliver spends 300 days alone on an island in the Pacific Ocean, starting with only machete and a Swiss pocket knife for beginning tools. This goes through the experience of building a livable shelter from his own hands, getting reliable food and water, the joys of the adventure but also the very real psychological effects of loneliness during a nearly full year away from people.
At nearly 28 million views from the 52 minute version of the 10 previous YouTube videos that are also on the channel, this shows how many people want an honest assessment of an honest adventure, and it shows how taking that genuine adventure can be the launch point for something huge.
Primitive Technology
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA
One important thing to note immediately: there are tons of blatantly fake primitive building channels (see this video for a great breakdown) but Primitive Technology was the original YT channel to display these skills and he is proven 100% the real deal. The channel owner, John, had a hobby he had practiced since a young teenager: using truly primitive technology to build ancient shelters.
These simple structures built over weeks made for incredible videos. No vocals, just the sound of work, bare feet on forest leaves and twigs, the sounds of hard work being done to make a very simple shelter. He “simply” made primitive shelters and recorded it to show to others, and that led to millions of views, some serious YT paychecks, and a book that is due to be released in late October.
You wouldn’t equate primitive technology with modern Internet videos and a potentially multi-million dollar career, but in the Internet Age doing something interesting enough can kick it all off.
Mossy Bottom
Channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/MossyBottom/featured
Give up a corporate job, move to the countryside of Ireland, forage for wild mushrooms, explore some bogs, and buy a long, LONG abandoned Irish cottage farm and begin the extensive renovation process to create a self-sufficient homestead and live a simpler life. Is this Stardew Valley? Well, maybe, but in this case it’s the theme of the earliest videos that caused the Mossy Bottom YouTube channel to take off.
This isn’t a high-excitement, cut every 8 second, high-charisma type channel. It’s quiet, calm, detailed, and really shows various aspects of how life goes on a restored homestead, the work that goes into it, the challenges, but also the quiet joys of consciously choosing the simple life.
He chose to walk away from a corporate job to renovate and restore an abandoned Irish farming homestead – and aside from rebuilding a country estate also ended up with a YouTube channel out of it to boot!
What Else Do You Need to Know?
With that much YouTube goodness, what more could you need? There’s entertainment, self-improvement, new knowledge, and just an amazing array of different viewing experiences. If you haven’t been able to find what you’re looking for or something to at least catch your interest, I’m not sure anyone can help you at this point 🙂
This list has plenty to offer on so many levels, and hopefully if all goes well in a couple years I’ll be adding a channel or two of my own as many plans are in the work…but that’s for another day. If the last couple years have taught us anything, it’s not to make plans too far ahead as the world is more than happy to throw a curve ball unlike any others.
For now, thanks for checking out my blog, thanks for checking out this article, and I will leave you to exploring the many many amazing YouTube channels just introduced to you via this gigantic monster of a post.