My biggest "Marketing" mistake!

Hi Reader,

Only humans make mistakes. I've made a whole tonne of them. Before I get to my biggest "branding mistake", here's a near-miss!

September 2021: After successfully exiting my 15-franchise mobile refurbishing chain, I didn't quite know "What Next?" I'm a huge Gary V fan & he was recommending everyone to start a podcast. I knew the criticality of a brand (we built 3 in the past 3-1/2 years), so I was keen on tapping into distribution.

I bounced this idea off my co-founder, wife & best friend, Arpita, and finalized the name "Brain Box". She right away gifted me a fantastic mic as an (advance) Anniversary gift & since I'm obsessed with ROI, I had no choice but to take up podcasting seriously!

As they say, the rest is history. Another 3-1/2 years later & we have built 2 companies around the "Brain Box" brand. We've worked with 150+ clients for their PR & Marketing, and helped 40+ leaders build their personal brand. Unarguably the biggest "near-miss". So now on to..

My biggest "marketing mistake"

Since we were doing exceedingly well on Spotify (Voted 9th pan-India in 2022, grew 93% in 2023), we weren't bothered with YouTube. It was only when I hosted Praveen Pinto, an ex-client of mine in Dubai, that he underlined how critical YouTube is. This was December '23 & it was only then that we decided to focus on this channel. Though we had started video podcasting in July '23, we didn't pay any attention on this no-longer-optional channel till April '24!

It is the most underpriced attention engine for anyone who’s trying to build a personal brand, launch a product, drive top-of-the-funnel awareness, or even just share their voice with the world. YouTube is the new television — except it’s interactive, searchable, evergreen, and monetizable at scale.

Why YOU should be on YouTube

1. YouTube is the World’s Second-Largest Search Engine (and it’s owned by the First)

People don’t just watch videos on YouTube anymore — they search. For answers, how-tos, brand reviews, productivity hacks, leadership lessons, morning routines, podcast clips, and now, increasingly, people.

Ask yourself: When someone Googles your name, what shows up? A LinkedIn profile or your company website is great, but compare that to a dynamic, living library of your insights, your personality, your perspective, and your presence!

2. The Algorithm favors you!

Contrary to the “YouTube is too crowded” narrative, the platform is favoring quality over quantity, and personality over perfection. This isn’t Instagram. You don’t need viral dances or 10/10 looks. This isn’t LinkedIn. You don’t need corporate polish. This isn’t Twitter/X. You don’t need hot takes every 3 hours.

What you do need? A unique perspective, a repeatable content structure & a willingness to show up consistently (even if imperfectly). And thanks to YouTube Shorts, you can break in faster than ever before — without needing cinematic gear or full-scale production.

3. It’s the Only Platform That Pays You to Create (While You Build Equity)

Let’s talk monetization - not just in terms of ad revenue (which is decent IF you hit scale), but in all the downstream effects: Affiliate Income, Digital Product Sales (Courses, Templates, Workshops), Newsletter Growth (every video can be a lead magnet) & even Speaking Gigs & Consulting (video proves you can hold a room)!

Unlike Instagram where your content expires in hours, or LinkedIn where posts vanish after 3 days — YouTube is an equity platform. Your videos work for you while you sleep. Forever! One good video can be your inbound sales funnel for the next 3 years.

"But I'm camera-shy"...

You wouldn't believe the number of founders & leaders who've told us this! Guess what? So was I. I'm a 93% Introvert on the MBTI scale. Contrary to what people think, I hate being in front of the camera - even today. And while we have written-content-only clients, here's the bottom line:

Here’s a question I often ask the founders and leaders we work with at Brain Box Catalysts: “If I gave your audience 30 seconds to experience your energy, would they choose to buy from you or follow someone else?”

That 30-second window is what video gives you. That emotional resonance — your tone, your authenticity, your passion — it doesn’t translate on a carousel post. It barely scratches the surface on a blog. But on camera? It’s magnetic.

Whether you’re a leadership coach, a SaaS founder, a wellness creator, or someone building the next category-defining product — people want to know the face, voice, and mind behind the mission.

In 2025, attention is currency, but trust is conversion.

When you build a personal brand on YouTube, you’re not just creating content - you’re building career insurance, you’re establishing "Proof of Thought Leadership", an audience you can activate anytime. This is your moat. This is your story in high-definition. And it matters.

So if you’ve been thinking about starting going on video for your personal branding, let this newsletter be your nudge. Your moment. Your green light. Because the best time to start on YouTube was 5 years ago. The second-best time? Is now.

See you on screen.

Doubling down on our videos, here's a note from our sponsor, Sendspark - a powerful AI-driven video platform that helps users create and share CUSTOMIZED videos efficiently, making it ideal for sales and marketing professionals looking to connect with their audience more effectively.