When and how did your YouTube channel get started?
We started towards the end of 2021.
How did your partnership with Jovi Chen come about?
We met through our MBA alumni group. We both have our MBA from the Heriott-Watt University in Scotland.
Do you have any criteria regarding who you interview?
There are no real criteria. Everyone has an impact on their stories. It’s a matter of finding it and sharing it with the world.
Why do you think it’s important for people to share their stories?
The platform was set up to showcase and empower people through their stories, which means it validates someone and the journey they have traveled so far.
It also inspires other people who may be going through a difficult time in their life to find the courage to never give up.
How do you find people to interview?
The internet is an amazing tool. It is so easy to find people who have done amazing things. The challenging part is getting in touch with certain people.
I usually do research on the person and find interesting points throughout their journey that we can discuss.
What resources does one need to do what you do?
A PC, video editing software, internet access, live-streaming software, and a decent camera.
What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered since you started?
Building the audience, in the beginning, is tough as you start off as a no-name brand. It takes resilience and persistence.
Another challenge is getting people to commit to interviews as juggling their business and interviews can sometimes be difficult.
Internet connection has also been problematic and, let’s not forget about Eskom and load-shedding.
What were some of your achievements in 2022 that you are most proud of?
We hit 50,000 followers on Facebook. We did our first podcast which had an interpreter for the deaf community.
We did our first international podcast from Egypt, Nigeria, Japan, Canada, and England.
What plans do you have for this year?
We will be focusing on shorter bite-sized content that will help motivate and encourage people. We will also have more international guests.
We also hope to have more anchors that can help our brand grow by conducting interviews on our behalf.
We want to work with more institutions to collaborate and empower people.
What is your ultimate goal?
To create an impactful ecosystem where we can help businesses and organizations begin writing their stories and also be a springboard into a wider network for current business and organization owners.
Ultimately, we want to create a global community that pushes the narrative of shining light on people’s stories. We want to put projects together that will help communities develop and create long-term sustainable opportunities.
Is there anything else you would like to share with readers about Your Story?
One of the greatest things I’ve seen since our platform started is that you don’t need to be the richest or most successful person in the world to have an impact.
Some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned have been from the smallest businesses and organizations.
We can all make a difference in our families and communities. I am an advocate for self-development and self-acceptance and I encourage people to be proud of who they are because we all have beauty in our stories. When I started I knew nothing about technology, podcasting, or social media and whenever I felt this was too much, I just kept thinking I could change one person’s life for the better by doing what I do. That keeps me waking up every day wanting to make the world a better place.
Contact Ryan at 083-228-3534
Email: ryan@yourstoryglobal.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yourstory1392
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourStoryGlobal
Instragram: @yourstoryglobal
Tiktok: @yourstoryglobal
