00:00
One Thai word you love hearing from your fiancée.
00:13
one of the nurses at the at the old folks home was thai and she brought me like books for for dek anuban i'm never gonna learn this language probably a few months ago yeah and all the comments were in thai they're like wow Nam Tan was like, speak English to him. I was like, what's this? It's Apple. Apple, nah? And she's like, stop.
00:45
It's not Apple, it's Apple.
00:48
When I watch some old videos now, I'm just like, oh man. It's good to feel cringe because it shows that you've grown or you've changed and you're not that same person from then. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always be where you've always been. Thank you. Thank you.
01:06
I'm done. I'm done.
01:07
I'm done.
01:18
Nate. How's it going? Pretty good. How's it going yourself? I'm doing good. All right. Because usually you speak Thai almost like a hundred percent of time now.
01:32
Usually, yeah, online. So it's, Yvonne used to hear me speaking English.
01:36
Sure, but today it's going to be very special because this is pretty rare.
01:40
Right.
01:41
Yeah, for people, for us too.
01:42
I did like my first interview in English probably a few months ago. And all the comments were in Thai and they're like, wow, they've never heard me speak English. They've never heard me speak English.
01:59
Yeah, but today we get to hear something very special from you.
02:02
I'll try my best.
02:04
All right. Okay. So you're, of course, a YouTuber, one of the most famous in Thailand, and you're a businessman, and now you're a father too. Right. It sounds pretty hectic already. So how hectic is your life right now?
02:16
It's crazy. It's busy. It's fun. It's everything in between. I absolutely love it.
02:21
That's the way you like it, right?
02:22
That's right. So we got the content, we got the business side, the family, and just I'm loving life. Do you feel like you have to balance between among the three?
02:34
Oh, definitely. It's very natural for you to
02:36
Well, I've been doing it for so long, so I think it's not natural. It took time to figure out the right systems, the right robot to figure it all out. But I feel like it's a good balance right now. Good. So just working on that. So yeah, just trying to figure out a good system on which way to balance it. You got to decide sometimes, well, always try to have family come first, but sometimes, you know, to take care of the family, you got to keep the business going. So you got to, it's a balancing act.
03:04
Right, right, right. Just like keep the balls in the air. Three balls. That's right. Right, right. Yeah, but does it make you like put less videos on YouTube?
03:14
No. No. Right now we're doing more. Yeah, you just double down on. Yeah, we're doing a lot more now. Right. And it's not just YouTube. There's YouTube, there's Facebook, TikTok, IG. Right.
03:25
Other platforms.
03:26
But luckily now we can do one content and just post it everywhere. Where in the past you couldn't do it like that. So yeah, we're just making a lot of videos now.
03:35
So how's the new role? Like becoming a father?
03:39
What is that like?
03:40
A lot of new experiences, a lot of fun things, a lot of like, oh, wow. But you got to have a lot of patience.
03:47
But mostly I feel like I get to just have fun.
03:50
Yeah.
03:50
Because during the day I have to work and work is fun. But then when I get home, my job as a dad is to play, have fun, enjoy. And then as we play are the chances to teach. Okay. And right now it's not, his name's Nati. He's not even two years old yet. So it's really fun. He's just learning how to speak. Yeah. So he's learning some Thai, he's learning some English. Right. And just working on that. So it's fun.
04:12
So the vibe is the fun dad. That's what you're aiming for.
04:14
Oh, definitely. Okay. Not just a fun dad, but a fun mom as well.
04:20
Who's going to discipline the kid?
04:23
There's ways to discipline while having fun. Oh, okay.
04:26
You can do it the fun way. Definitely. For example, how do you discipline him when he does something wrong?
04:33
what uh well because he's still young he's he's almost two so it's still learning like uh when you ask for something say please so like if he wants to play with something or if we're holding something and he just comes to try to take it it's like no say please and he's so cute he goes please and then like then we'll teach him the words it's like please nom or please uh basketball right so like trying to teach him to okay have manners be polite so so right now it's not quite it's not quite to the discipline age where it's got to be really strict but he's still young so just have fun so is it everything you like like hoping for.
05:12
It's better. It's even better. Oh, yeah. That's great.
05:14
When you have the right person, the right partner, everything is just better. Wow. Good for you. Yeah. I'm like really, I'm lucky, I'm blessed, so I'm way happy.
05:23
Your English is really good.
05:25
Actually.
05:27
But this is your mother tongue, right?
05:33
So, has your English changed in any way the way you speak it?
05:40
Yes, yes. Okay, so here's the reason. So, in Utah, In the US first, they've got like an East Coast accent. Like if you're in New York, there's a West Coast accent, which is California. And Utah is similar to California accent. It's got a few different things.
05:59
It's just the, for example, mountain. In Utah, they say mountain. They don't pronounce the T. Instead of butter, it's like butter with a D, mountain. But then as I've been here in Thailand, I've been working with people from like Australia, from England, from all over the world, Dubai, everywhere. And so like my accent isn't quite as it was with Utah. And so when I meet other foreigners, they're always like, where are you from?
06:29
I was like, what do you mean? I just speak in English.
06:31
There's like, well, it's not England. It's not Australia, but you don't sound like an American with this thing. So it's like, where are you from?
06:37
It's like a mixed bag of all the accents. Yeah.
06:40
So I pick up, I don't know. I just like to pick up a bunch of different things.
06:42
I think that's the way English is nowadays, like international English, like global English. Big time. So there's like no one accent. Right. Oh, even for Thai people, we don't have to feel like we have to pick up only American or British one, but we can just... Mix it up.
06:57
Just understand. That's the most important thing.
07:00
Just have fun. Whatever feels right to you. I agree. I agree. Right. Okay. So it has changed.
07:06
It's changed. That's my... What's it called? The accent. But then also, just like that, there's times I don't speak English very much because everyone on my team speaks Thai. There's... My head editor speaks English. We always speak in English together. But other than that, nobody on my team really speaks English. So I don't speak English very much.
07:30
And there's a lot of times when I talk to my parents or friends, I'm just like, I can think of the word in Thai, but I can't think of it like, like sometimes like, oh, mom, you don't need to do that. Like, oh shoot, what is in English or what is different words? So there's, it's good now because with my son, with Nati, I'm trying to speak more English with him. But like, for example, the other day, Nam Tan was like, speak English to him. I was like, what's this? It's appan. Appan na? And she's like, stop.
08:02
It's not appan, it's apple.
08:04
She's like, don't teach him like Thai version of English. Okay. Or there's other words like that. So I got to work on that sometimes.
08:12
Yeah, yeah. But you speak both languages to him, right? Or just English?
08:16
Ah, well, in the beginning it was just English. But sometimes, just to make sure you understand, I speak Thai. Or like before we came here, it was like, okay, Dad's going to work today. He's like, where are you going? He's like, I'm going to the standard.
08:29
And it's like, for Americans, I'm going to the standard.
08:33
But then here it's like, ah, okay. Okay.
08:39
But you also have to make sure that he understands. That's right. Right.
08:43
Wow, that's kind of tricky sometimes. It is, but it's fun. It's fun.
08:47
Right. So when you were 19, you moved from Utah to Thailand as a volunteer missionary, right? That's right. Yeah. Why Thailand? Why did you pick this country?
08:57
like straight up i i didn't pick thailand you didn't um when you got assigned to yes okay so me and all my friends we we signed up and and then they chose like one of my friends went to brazil one went to france uh somewhere in new york and then for me like they sent a letter in the mail and it's just like okay nate you are assigned to go to thailand laos and burma okay and i was like Okay, where's that?
09:26
So you had no idea? I knew, as weird as it sounds, I knew about Laos, but I didn't really know about Thailand or Burma. I knew about Laos because when we were in school, we learned about the Vietnam War. There's America and Vietnam had the war. I see. And so I knew about the US was in Laos a lot at that time. So I didn't know much about Thailand at all. I think I knew...
09:49
like about in America, they call them Siamese twins or they call like the Siamese cat.
09:54
Yeah. But like that's that's in my mind.
09:56
I didn't know that Siam and Thailand was the same place. Oh, I see. So I didn't know much. I didn't choose Thailand in the beginning. Did you do some research? I did. Okay. And at the time I worked because I finished high school and I was working at an old folks home.
10:12
And one of the nurses at the old folks home was Thai.
10:16
And so I tried to have her teach me like . And she brought me like books for . And I looked at it and I was just like, I'm never going to learn this language. And so it was like, I'll just figure out when I get there. So I tried, but I think the best option was not learning too much. Just come and just have an open mind and figure out what it's like.
10:40
And when you first came to Thailand, What happened?
10:44
Culture shock. Culture shock, of course. Yeah. I remember I was on the plane and we flew into Sawanapum and I was on the left side of the plane. So I looked out and if you know Sawanapum, to that side, there's just, it's just grass. It looks like rice fields. Right. And I went to my friend and I was like, We're out in the middle of nowhere.
11:06
At first I thought that.
11:07
And then we got in a car and then we drove from Suanapum to Don Muang. And you pass right through, you see the whole city, you see Asok, you see Suquam, you see everything. And I was just like, what? Wow, Bangkok is huge because Salt Lake is actually a really small city. I think the whole state has 3 million people of Utah.
11:29
And I mean, Bangkok has, I think like 18 million people. And so I was just like, oh my goodness, like this is crazy. And then that's just, you know, the buildings. And then that first night, I didn't know where I was going to go in Thailand because it was up to the mission.
11:45
And they said, okay, you're going to a place called Yesotan. And I was like, okay, where's that? I don't know. And so they took me to Mochit and they left me there with one other person. And I was just like, Where am I? What's going on? There's all these buses. It's hot. I'm sweating like crazy. And my friend, he pranked me. He got, it was and he made it really spicy. And I took, I was just like, I was just like, oh my gosh, I don't know where I am. What's going on? And then I got in the bus that night and went to and then that's a whole different place than Bangkok.
12:17
not the very best impression about thailand when you first got here it wasn't bad i think it was more i was just you're tired from flying for like 24 hours you're excited you want to see everything there's the food there's the culture there's the language it's hot and just everything so it wasn't bad it was just yeah i just remember everything but the first time you settled down was in yes yeah and how long did you spend uh almost six months okay and so i was i was learning thai but it's not really thai it's more like and then learning all the foods and everything and it was great the people there are way nice and and it's just amazing but then after six months in yesotan i came i moved to bangkok and in a soul just like five minutes away from here right And I was just like, this is a different place.
13:04
This is a whole different country than Yesotong and Asok. And so I was like, I had to relearn the language because now it's not Isan, it's Thai. And it was just a whole new world. But I absolutely loved that.
13:16
And what were you supposed to do after you came back from Yesotong to Bangkok?
13:21
like more mission or yeah so i was i was as a missionary i was it was two years ah so we're a volunteer missionary we didn't get paid we didn't do anything we're volunteer we would we teach english for free we um would help people we would anybody interested about religion we would teach um and the whole purpose is just to be volunteer and help out with what we can help out with i see so that was two years so yes otan assault and then i went to non-kai i went up to laos and then like but we were like every two to three months you'd moved right so
13:50
And the first moment you thought to yourself, like, okay, maybe I can see myself living here in the long run.
13:57
I think it was almost when I was done with being a missionary. So almost two years.
14:04
I was thinking about what I should do. I was going to go to college.
14:08
I already had been accepted to college in the US.
14:12
But it was like seven months. I said seven months before I was going to start. And I was like, what should I do with my free time? And I was thinking, I was like, you know, I really like it here. Maybe I could find a job teaching English just to make some extra money. And then I'll go back to school.
14:27
And then I went to Laos. I got a job there teaching English. And that's when I started social media. Not my minute, but I just started making videos online. And then I was like, you know what? I think I can make a job out of this. And so then I just...
14:41
So you knew right away after you post the first videos that, okay, this is my thing. And...
14:47
I can earn. That's right. Oh, but well, at the time, it wasn't getting like ads like it is right now. At that time, it was just I was making videos to promote the English school. And then a lot of people were coming to sign up for the school. So at the time, I wasn't thinking social media like people think of it now. Right. It was more like, OK, I could do this, promote a business and then that business will make money. OK. And then that was back in.
15:11
2014 2015 okay when like youtube was i think like yeah you just barely started getting money on it right and so um yeah i was in laos at the time but laos only has so many people because it's a small population yeah and i was trying to find a way to come to thailand because thailand's more developed it's got more opportunities yeah and and that was not my channel yet
15:36
Not yet, no.
15:37
So I was just making those videos for the school. It was also a charity. It was called the Asha Foundation. So I was teaching with them.
15:46
And then I got hired as a photographer, videographer for a tourism company in Thailand. They're like, we want videos down at the ocean. We want videos up in the mountains. We want videos of how to take the BTS in Bangkok for foreigners.
16:00
And so then at that time, I was like, OK, sure. So I didn't know, I didn't know really how to use a camera. I didn't know how to edit or anything really. And so I just like, I'll do it. And then I moved here.
16:10
Okay. But why did they hire you?
16:13
I met them on a scuba diving trip. Okay. And I told them that I could film. Okay.
16:19
So they're under the impression that you can deliver. That's right.
16:22
And so they said, okay, can you move here in two weeks? I was like, yeah. And so for those two weeks, from 8 in the morning until 8 p.m., I just watched YouTube. Like, how do you film? How do you edit? Talk yourself.
16:34
Fake it till you make it. That's it.
16:35
I believe that so much.
16:37
Yeah. Okay. And then you got this. How did this My Mid-Nate channel happen?
16:43
So while I was filming for the tourism company, I would go to, let's say, like Surin to film for the Elephant Festival. I'd go to Lopuri to film the Monkey Festival or go to Chiang Mai for Loigotong. I'd go to all the different places to film what they want me to film. And in the spare time, I was free. So it's like, well, okay, so what should I do?
17:03
I don't know. And I was like, maybe I'll just make videos on YouTube. So I just started, I tried travel videos. Okay. And nobody watched them, which is normal. Whenever you start something like, it wasn't like now on TikTok where your first video can just poof. Back then you had to have followers for people to watch it. Sure. And so I was like, after like a few months, nobody wants to watch travel videos. So I changed to different styles of videos and then it started taking off. Oh, okay. So yeah, that's how it all started.
17:32
Yeah, so the first time you feel like, okay, I have found my thing, I have found my niche, or I have found the character that I'm supposed to be on camera. When was that?
17:45
Did it take you long after you started the channel?
17:48
No, I feel like I've always just been myself. Okay. Which is good and bad.
17:55
So I feel like in the beginning, for the most part, I've always been myself. And I think that's one thing that has helped my channel have the success it has. Because some people, not that it's bad, but some people start and they're trying to be something they're not.
18:10
or they're trying to be something they don't necessarily like. And it might last for like a few months or a year or so, but in the long run, you're not able to do it for 10, 15 years if you're not being true to yourself.
18:20
Yeah. Just learning on the job and listen to your audience. That's right. Listen to your heart. That's right. Yeah. Just, okay. And we're glad that you are being you, as here. Okay, so one word or more. This is a segment where we get to know you more on your own words. Okay, one word, let's go. One English word you're most obsessed with at work.
18:43
when you're working?
18:44
Let's see.
18:46
I say that all the time. That's a word. Let's see. I don't mean to say it, but I think it is. I'm always like this, like, let's see.
18:54
Let's see.
18:54
Let's see. Okay. Let's see. Let's see. It's like, I say it without realizing I say it until all my editors and everyone else says it.
19:03
As you're thinking and processing something. Right.
19:05
So like, if I'm thinking about, let's say, I'm thinking about YouTube. Let's see. Let's see. Let's see. And I just say. So maybe it's not, I'm obsessed with it, but I think it's a way of me thinking.
19:14
Yeah, just natural. Okay. One Thai word you love hearing from your fiancée?
19:22
Chow, when he said, the one who loves is the one who has a lot of money. You have to make a song like this, right? Yes! Chow, man!
19:30
The one who loves is the one who has a lot of money.
19:34
Oh, so sweet. Yes. So sweet. Yes.
19:38
Do you think you feel different if she says it in English, not in Thai?
19:42
Yeah, I think it'd be different. Because Thai is her mother tongue. And so I feel like, I don't know, I feel like the meaning or the cuteness of the words, it's different. Like, I mean, the meaning is technically the same, but I don't know. It's better in Thai.
19:59
One word. Your classmate would describe Nate as a student. Outgoing. Okay.
20:07
You always been the kind of person who is very outgoing.
20:11
Yeah, it came from my mom. My mom was like always like the life of the party, always had fun. Right. And I was a great student. Okay. I will like...
20:22
A students? Yeah, 4.0. Wow.
20:25
Okay.
20:26
No, not that that really means anything, but I always got A's. I was really good at passing the tests and learning stuff, but I never did homework. I never sat at home and did school stuff, but the second school was done, activities, having fun. I did school plays. I did school musicals. I was in band. I did everything. Lots of sports, so just Just having fun.
20:52
Easy to talk to strangers and stuff like that? Yeah. Okay. So that's kind of where it was. Okay. One favorite teacher in high school or favorite class?
21:06
Probably band.
21:08
Okay. I need a teacher's name is Mr. Wolf. Mr. Wolf. Mr. Wolf. Okay. And he teaches band? So whether it's like trumpet or I guess in Thai, they call it orchestra. Oh, okay. So not band like a guitar band, but more like an orchestra.
21:23
Is it like a marching band or?
21:25
Both. So marching band and sit down band. Oh, okay. So with trumpets, trombones, everything. So there, that's where I learned how to play drums or percussion. So like I could play xylophone, marimba, drum set, timpani, kind of any musical instrument. I see. And then that, the reason that was a huge impact because it's what I did in high school and then just a bunch of different things. So mostly you do percussion? Yeah, drumming. So I grew up playing the piano.
21:49
And then, which is the piano is technically a percussion instrument. Really? Yeah. Okay. Because when you hit the key, there's a thing that just, it hits the string. I see. So it's percussion. But then from there, I learned how to drum. So I played in jazz band. I did. And then I did marching band. So that was crazy stuff.
22:06
So Mr. Wolf. Mr. Wolf. Okay. And why do you like him?
22:10
He was strict.
22:12
but in a good way, like he expected a lot from us. So he would teach us, we'd have fun and play. It'd be fun as we're learning, but then when it came time to perform or something that we had to do, it was like he expected high of us and he would pull us up to not, he wouldn't come down to us, but like he would expect us to rise up and improve.
22:32
And that was a huge thing because after that, when I was in high school, I was in marching band on drum line and in drum line, we competed for the world championships. And that was so without the foundation that he helped me with, then it wouldn't have I wouldn't have been able to have all those experiences for all that.
22:48
I see. So is that how you are to to your team?
22:51
Yes, all of that stuff from learning the drums helped me get in the drum line and drum line was really super strict, super like you had to play perfect because we're competing for world championship, not just like maybe state or something else, just like the world with other countries. And so we had to have everything perfect. It taught me how to manage my time. because every day after school we would practice. So there's no time for homework. So I had to finish all my all my work in class. I had no time for other things like so all of that. So the starting of Drumline got me in here.
23:24
And then that is what I use with work with my business with everything. Yeah.
23:28
So so you're more efficient that way.
23:29
That's right.
23:30
By like doing many things and try to manage everything.
23:33
And it all started back when I was in seventh grade with Mr. Wolf teaching me how to drum.
23:39
Wow. Okay. Yeah. Shout out to Mr. Wolf.
23:42
Yeah. I'll send this to him.
23:45
Okay. One of your old videos that makes you cringe so hard that you regret making it.
23:52
Is there anything like that?
23:54
There's a lot when I watch. Really? I don't, okay. I don't regret making them because at the time it was what? It was the time. Right. And when I watch some old videos now, I'm just like, oh man.
24:07
But it wasn't cringy then.
24:09
And it didn't feel cringy then. But I think one good thing is it's good to feel cringe because it shows that you've grown or you've changed and you're not that same person from then. Right. And so it's good. So I even think now maybe even watching this interview in like five years would be like, did I really think like that? You know? So I think it's good. There's not... That shows growth, right? Right. And so that's why I think there's plenty. I could go back to any time like in 2015, 2016, any of that time, just like, oh man.
24:37
Yeah, I love your answer. It makes you cringe, but does not necessarily make you want or make you regret.
24:43
Right. Yeah. Right. Good. And you learn a lot of lessons from that stuff, so. Yeah.
24:48
Okay. One craziest video idea you've always wanted to make, but never got around to.
24:55
Yeah, hide and seek around the world.
24:57
Around the world? Yes. We just finished our season one of hide and seek all over Thailand. Like literally, I got back from the final episode yesterday. Okay. And so we just finished all of Thailand. I'm like, well, what do we do now? And they're like, well, why don't we go all of Asia? I'm like...
25:16
We could, but it's hard now with visas. And the one we want to do is we want to do it all over the world. Okay.
25:22
And that's easier?
25:24
No. It's hard. It costs a lot more. Yeah. And visas. So if I went in Hidden America, nobody on my team could go find me because they don't have a visa. So it's something we want to do, but we can't really do it right now.
25:37
Okay. But you will do it, make it happen one day. We'll try, we'll try.
25:41
Maybe not the whole world, maybe all of Asia, or maybe, I don't know, Africa or Europe, but maybe we'll just do each continent. But I don't know, we'll figure it out.
25:52
Yeah. So I want to know what would be one word that defines Nate's DNA? Like you can see this in all of your work, all of your products.
26:02
Genuine.
26:03
Genuine.
26:05
Yeah, I feel like I'm always myself with the fans.
26:09
And they see, which I think is part of the reason why I think my channel has success is from being genuine and being who I am.
26:19
And like being open, like when there's things going on in life, like I'll tell them about it or if I'm struggling or maybe like if different things go on. So I don't know. But maybe you wouldn't, if you just chose one random video and watched it, I don't think the average person would say that.
26:35
But I think the fans who follow along, I think that's what I would say. Being genuine. And how about one thing that we will never see in any of your work?
26:46
alcohol or any type of drugs because I don't drink, I don't party, no drugs, no alcohol, no stuff like that. You'll never see those in the videos. Never have, never will. Good call.
27:06
One word you want to say to your haters. Got a lot of those too, I guess.
27:11
Because you have like, what, like 15 million subscribers on YouTube and even more if you count all the platforms. Of course, you have a lot of people who hate your guts, basically. That's natural. That's part of the job. Yes. Yeah. And you being you, like being genuine, of course, we cannot make everybody in the world love us. But what would you want to say to your haters? Thank you. Okay. Just... For sticking around and hating me?
27:42
Yeah. Thank you for... Because at least they're here. They're watching. They're watching.
27:47
Yeah, just, I don't know, maybe because there's the hate or there's the bad comments and things, it's kind of like encouragement to improve and keep getting better. So I just say thank you.
27:58
And then don't need to waste any more time on that. Okay.
28:02
One thing boxing or any sport in general teaches you that YouTube doesn't.
28:07
I don't know if it's specifically YouTube couldn't teach it to you, but I think no one's going to be there to save you.
28:14
I'll say that in boxing. I really like boxing because there's good and bad about it. Being hurt obviously don't like getting hurt. But I think one thing I really like about boxing is Nobody is there to save you.
28:27
So you can like talk all you want and say, oh, I've been training. I do all this stuff. But if you don't train and then you get into the ring, it's going to show and nobody can save you. Your coach can't save you. There's no teammates. Like, for example, if you're playing basketball or football, if you have a bad day, like, OK, pass to the team, pass to the team, they can help take care of you. But in boxing, there's nobody. And so I think that's one thing I really like about it. You have to put in the work. in order to compete and if you don't put in the work it shows and they what do they say it's uh they say the boxing ring is the best lie detector so like like did you really do it or not yeah yeah so wow you only have you in the ring and i think that's Another reason why I also do triathlons and I really like that as well because it's the same thing as boxing.
29:19
It's just you. Nobody can run for you. Nobody can pick you up. Nobody can train for you.
29:25
I think it's great that you also have that kind of environment to yourself too because you work with teams a lot. You always have someone backing you up.
29:38
looking out for you, but sometimes in some situation, what if you only have you? That's right. Right. And then also, I got to show the teams, like, I could still do it.
29:48
Oh, okay.
29:49
It's like, I could still do it. Right. And so you better keep up. So, that's good. That's good. Okay. One secret that explains why my snacks is so successful.
29:59
quality quality yeah i think keeping the quality the taste the the just everything keep that i think that's most important because if it's a good quality product then it then it's good not the marketing not the marketing is important but that's only that means i'll only take it once from the marketing but it's got to be good quality to have them coming back to buy it because if you have great marketing and then the product isn't good quality they'll buy it once and they won't come back yeah so i'd say quality right lie detector too yep that's right yeah that's right okay one thing that secretly annoys you about thailand okay or thai culture i i gotta make can i say this one in thai okay because i don't want people to misunderstand it I think that I like to give everyone to me, my parents or my parents.
30:50
But one thing that I may not see too much is to give everyone to me when he does what he does. I see. He can do what he does. But people just say that this person is a good person.
31:06
That's one thing for me. Okay.
31:10
Okay. And do you see that happen a lot? Sometimes, yeah. Okay, okay. Like sometimes they do something wrong, and then all the runon, they're kind of like, like the only reason is seniority. Yeah. Okay. But that's, it's not like it doesn't annoy me or anything, but just sometimes that's something for me, it's like, that's hard. Because in America, it's different. They'll say, like, it does, I mean, like, yes, you respect your elders, but it's more like you have to give respect to get respect. So it doesn't matter if they're older or younger. You call them out if you have to.
31:42
Yeah, right. So it's a bit different, which sometimes it's good being, you know, being respectful and everything. But then sometimes when it's just for me, sometimes when it's like they don't do something like, yeah, that's probably that's probably the thing.
31:58
Yeah, and there's a saying like You heard that, right?
32:05
Yeah. Or the reason it bugs me sometimes because at the company, the production company, we get a lot of new...
32:14
people who just or just finished college and university and they have great ideas or they have great, I think they have great ideas. And then sometimes if we're in a meeting and one of the room P is talking and they suggest something and then like the younger guys don't say anything because it's the opposite of what that person thinks. And then later after it's all done, it's like, what do you guys think? I thought this or this. I'm like, that's way better. Like, well, why didn't you say anything? They're like, well, because that person didn't say it.
32:45
It's like you have to help them save face for the moment. So maybe you would say something later, but not right in the business.
32:53
Right. But for business, it's like you can't. It's like, let's say it now.
32:57
But that's okay. Yeah, totally got it. Yeah. Okay. So agree? Disagree? Talk in the comments. Okay. All right. One career you pursue if you weren't in the creative business.
33:09
Before I started online, I had two plans for university. One was going to be, I wanted to be a surgeon, like whether for heart surgery or brain surgeon. Okay. But one of the reasons I didn't do that was because you got to go to school for like 12 years. So I wouldn't even, I would probably just barely be finishing right now. It'd be, you know, four years to get your bachelor's. Then usually you have to go to medical school and you have to do all the, I don't know, I can't even remember the words in English anymore.
33:40
and all that stuff.
33:43
And the biggest thing for me, I think, was the debt. In America, student debt is crazy. It costs so much money to go to school. So that's one reason I didn't do that. And the other one was I wanted to be a teacher. I like a high school teacher, not elementary school.
33:57
Really?
33:57
Yeah. All right.
33:59
What class would you teach?
34:00
I like history. Oh, wow, interesting. So I like world history or just any type of history. So like Egyptians or the Romans or any of that stuff. Right.
34:12
But you can still do that on your channel if you choose to.
34:15
I try to do like little things. I always try to like have little tie-ins like, oh, you know, this or this.
34:21
But yeah, so I enjoy it. Yeah. So your team got a lot bigger, right?
34:27
Yeah.
34:28
Yeah. So how many people in the team all together now?
34:30
Just for YouTube? Yeah. About 30?
34:33
Wow. And you have different group of people working. Right.
34:36
So we've got like seven or eight editors. We've got three cameramen. We've got the actors. Like there's seven or eight actors. But then the actors also help with like maybe getting the props or the creative. And then we've got creative accounting. Right. So kind of just everything. Yeah.
34:54
So... There's a lot. Well, yeah, you're coming from like only you and probably one or two assistants. But now you've got like so many people. Do you have to adjust your working style? Big time.
35:06
Yeah. Because it's not just when you work by yourself, you know what you're planning. You don't have to explain things. You can just take care of things right then. But at the same time, you need other people to help like the editors. without the editors and I have to spend all my time editing and they have better ideas now. And so you have to learn how to communicate and especially being the main creator or the boss. I think communication is the biggest thing. So rather than focusing on creating, you're kind of focusing on communication and collaboration.
35:39
So that's the biggest change. Management.
35:43
You need to be good at that.
35:45
Yeah.
35:46
Yeah. Okay.
35:47
And not everybody's good at it.
35:48
Right. And how do you teach yourself to be better at those?
35:54
Time.
35:55
I think it takes, you just got to do it. Okay. And then you have to be willing to be open to feedback.
36:01
Is that hard for you?
36:02
Sometimes. Like hearing feedback?
36:04
Yeah. But I think in a good way, one thing is every so often, maybe like six months or like every year, Not the whole company, but with different groups, maybe like with the main six or seven actors. Like if there's problems happening, like we sit down and it's like, hey, everyone, what's going on? Let's talk through it. So you have to talk through it. You have to be willing to take criticism because everyone wants it to be better. So even if they say stuff about you, it's like, okay, I'll try to improve this. I'll try to improve that.
36:32
So they are straightforward with you with all...
36:36
For the most part. For the most part.
36:38
Because we've been together for so long. Right. And we work together every day and we're together. We go around the world together. So you have to. But sometimes maybe like little things happen and they like. And then like it gets to a point. It's like, like we're. And it's like, okay.
36:52
It's time to sit down.
36:52
Let's talk. Right. Yeah. I'm curious, as a foreigner working in Thailand, you run the business, you make content, and you do so many things. Is there any obstacles that you run into as a foreigner that makes it hard for you to do stuff or work at all in Thailand?
37:13
I don't think so. No? Because, I mean, we have a company, and so everything happens under the company.
37:20
It's not under my name. So it's all under the company, and then we just work just as any other company would. I see. So, like, if we want to do an event, then we go reach out to event plannings or organizers, and we just... So for the most part, no. Yeah, okay. I don't think so.
37:34
All right. Cool. Okay. So which part of the business did you enjoy the most and enjoy the least?
37:42
I would say enjoy the most is I'd say there's two of them. One is being able to go and do all the cool fun experiences. Like we went and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, or we go to Mount Everest or do things in America like we drive a tank and shoot tanks and just a bunch of crazy experiences. That's one thing. And the other thing I really love is when we actually meet the fans. because working online, you just see numbers like this many views, this many things or all that. But when you actually get to go out and do events and like meet the actual people that watch the content and to see their faces and their their smiles or when they talk about what they think or what they thought and like they say things that you forgot about from a few years ago, like wow, like that's awesome.
38:28
Like they remember stuff and you get to just see them. And like when you take pictures or autographs and you just see the, you see them smile. So like that's, he's like getting goosebumps. So that's probably the things I most enjoy. I think the things that I don't enjoy is there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don't know. And they just assume that the job is always just fun and happy, but they don't see 90% of behind the scenes of all the, All the grind. Yeah. Because if you stop making content, then somebody else is always ready to make other videos.
39:03
So you got to keep going the grind. You got to I don't know. You got to keep going. Yeah. So that's one thing people don't see.
39:10
I think that's the toughest part too. You can't stop. Right. You have to just keep going.
39:15
Yep. Right. So that's why you got to find a good balance.
39:18
Well, obviously you have figured out what satisfied your Thai audience. But would you say Thai audience is hard to figure out, like hard to make content for?
39:31
No, I don't think it's any harder than anywhere else. But I think the thing that was hardest for me was understanding the culture or understanding the yes and no things and knowing what's good and what's not, what's acceptable and what's not acceptable.
39:49
So all those you have to take into account when making content too.
39:53
Definitely. But then I think now with all the dubbing and subtitles and everything, a lot more content is a lot more global. And I think not just Thailand, but I think everyone around the world is more exposed to a bunch of other things now. So...
40:07
I don't know, I don't think it's hard, but I think to make it good, relatable content, it took a while to get used to because it's different culture, different jokes, different ways of playing.
40:18
Relatability, that's the thing too. Do you think if you move everything that you're doing right now back to the US, would that still work? Like have the same effect?
40:30
I think it would work, but definitely some things would have to be switched. But I think for the most part, yes, it would.
40:38
But like the jokes, because I feel like with the Thai culture, everything comes down to the jokes of the speaking.
40:46
Whereas over in America, I think it's more about kind of big spectacle, more...
40:51
like access to things most people don't see. So I think it's a bit different, but I still think it worked for the most part.
40:56
Yeah, yeah. And you have a lot of people admiring your work, following your work. You've got, like I said, over 15 million on YouTube alone. But...
41:07
There was time, specifically between 2017 to 2020, that you went through some harsh, harsh criticism.
41:18
And think about those times.
41:22
How did you get through it?
41:26
What have you learned from that?
41:30
Yeah, that was part of the thing of learning the culture or learning what you can do.
41:37
How did you get through it? You have good friends or you have people along your side that help you and get you through it.
41:44
And the fans, they send support and just learning and be willing to change because you made a mistake and then you just got to learn from it. So people ask me all the time, would you go back and change that and not do it?
42:01
And I mean, it would be good not to do it. But if that didn't happen, then I wouldn't think or I wouldn't have learned the things I learned to be where I am today. So it's hard because I don't usually I say I wouldn't go back and change anything, even though it was really hard. But it forced me to grow up. It forced me to learn different things. And then it's helped to where everything is today.
42:20
You've been doing this for over 10 years now. And I suppose you have had your burned out sometimes too. Have you?
42:29
And when that happened, what did you do?
42:33
Okay, this one's...
42:35
I think for me, no, I haven't been burned out. Wow. Because I have goals.
42:43
I think whenever, I even talked to my team about this not long ago, I think when you have clear goals and you know what you want to do or where you're going, you don't get burnout. But when you're just doing it to do it or like you're just keep doing the same things not knowing why you're doing it or where this is going to lead or what's going on, I think that's when burnout happens. Because I feel like if you have a clear goal, no matter how crazy it is, if it's too big or anything, you know what you're working for. Like, like, for example, let's say you want to, you want to get a house, you know, like, okay, I'm tired right now, but I know it's working for that goal.
43:16
So it really helps. But if you're just working just to work, I think that's when burnout happens. So for me, I've always, I always have goals. I always have things I'm working on. So for me, I've never, I've never ran into burnout, but then also maybe there's days where you're tired. Like, I don't want to do it like a bit lazy, but not worse to the point of like, I'm done. I'm burned out. I'm done.
43:35
And what is your goal? And has your goal changed over the years?
43:38
Oh, it changes all the time. Okay.
43:40
But you still have like one goal always.
43:43
Right. The main goal is to make enough money that I can retire so I don't have to work. And then I can spend time with my family, with my wife and kids. Okay. And I can make videos because I want to make them, not because I have to make them. Does that make sense? So right now the main goal is like, okay, trying to, we just bought land up in Northern Thailand. And so me and my wife, we want to build a house up there. Or so like on the days right now, it's like, oh, like I don't, maybe I'm tired right now. I don't want to do that. It's like, no. I want that house. I'm working for it, baby.
44:15
So there's stuff like that. So there's goals. So right now the short-term goal is get ready for the house, build the house so we can have a big place to play sports or do things with the kids and everything. But then the biggest end goal right now is I don't want to work until I'm old. I've seen other people who wanted to just make lots of money, but then they make so much money that they have to keep working and they can't stop until like they're 80 or 90 because they're just so into the work. I don't want to do that. I want to make enough money that I can live my life and go like have experiences.
44:47
I don't want to be stuck to work. Okay.
44:49
But how much is enough for you? Do you have that clear number? I do. Okay. All right. And you think it's important to have that clear number?
44:58
Yes, not only have a clear number, but I think it's really important to write it down. What do they say? A goal not written down is only a wish.
45:08
And so if you don't write it down, like physically write it down. For me, typing on the phone or computer still doesn't work. For me, I physically write it down. That's when it's like, it's a goal and that's what we're working for.
45:20
And where do you keep that piece of paper?
45:22
I have it in a few places. Right now I have it. It's all written down. I have personal goals, family goals, and then like business goals. And then I laminate it and it's in the shower. So I see it every day. Laminate it too. I like that.
45:32
Because if I don't laminate it, then it's going to get wet and it's going to get ripped. Yeah. I like that. Write it down so you can feel it in your hand. You can feel the weight.
45:41
Yeah. You can see it. And when you write things down, it goes more in your brain, I feel like. Has that number changed? It changes. Okay. But for the most part, not too much. All right. So it's kind of enough to, like, let's say, for example. Inferno. Yes, that's right.
45:57
Inflation. That's right. It's really important. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
46:00
So having enough, like, in investments, in stocks, in bonds, or in gold or crypto, and kind of just everything, enough that it's like, you know what? If I got in an accident, if I got hurt, or if anything happened, like, my family's good. Yeah.
46:14
So... This is so good because I'm sure a lot of people have the same dream as you, but the difference is they haven't written it down. Right.
46:23
I think everybody, if you ask anybody in this room or anywhere, it's like kind of like, what's your main goal? I think almost everybody will say like, I want to have enough money. But they're like, how much? And people are like, I don't know.
46:34
It depends.
46:35
Right.
46:36
And so I like, yes, I've very much thought about it. Right. I like it. Maybe I'll go back tonight and write it down. Because I do have my number too.
46:48
But I haven't written it down.
46:50
Here's an example. So I have my main goals written down in the shower. And today, right before I came here, I printed out a new, just a one month goals sheet. Because I...
47:02
okay it's important to write it down but then you have to be able to track it as well and so literally for this month right when we're done I'll go back home and I have about 10 things I want to write down and then I'll track it every day like did I do it or not do it I have an app but I feel like I don't know why it just doesn't work for me on the app yeah it doesn't feel the same So now I'm putting it on the wall right when you walk in the front door so that if I don't do it, then my wife could tell me, like, you didn't do it today. So it's just kind of...
47:31
So you share, of course, this number to your fiancé, too. Definitely. Okay. And what does she say? What does she have to say about, oh, this is your goal?
47:39
And then she's like, I'll help you do it. Wow. best partner ever right like the support like all any of my crazy goals or dreams or anything and then our family one she's just so supportive and and and helping and willing to help me work for those things so okay and do you make any prediction or like um
48:01
What is it like? Before I'm 40.
48:03
Yeah. Before you're 40. That's the goal. So seven more years.
48:06
How many more years? Seven. Seven more years. Right. Okay. So seven years time frame. Right. With that amount of number.
48:13
That's the goal. Okay.
48:15
Obviously, I mean, I've got, I've kind of got, what are they called?
48:20
Not stepping stones. markers along the way, kind of like, you know, one year, three years. That's it. Milestone. Okay. Oh, good. So kind of checkers to see like, is it coming along? If it's not, what do I need to change or improve? And then the reason why it's for when I'm 40, because I feel like I'm not too old yet.
48:38
The kids will be growing up. They'll be just like right at that age, maybe nine or 10 years old, where like I can really just go have fun and just live life with them. So that's the goal.
48:48
Wow.
48:48
life well planned yeah that's it because really like uh here's just a quick thing like i i went to the u.s i met mr beast and i saw his schedule they're like it's planned down to the minute it's like he's got three minutes you can talk to you if you're not done he's walking out the door and it's like i gotta do this gotta do this and after i saw that i was like i don't want to live my life like that um That's okay. Some people like it and they want that.
49:13
It works for them, but maybe not for us.
49:15
When I saw that, I'm like, no way. I don't want to be stuck to a schedule. I want to do what I want to do. If I want to go play hockey with my kids and wife tomorrow, we're going to go do it. Not just like, I'm sorry, I got work. That's the goal.
49:28
Yeah. And I'm sure you can reach that goal. Thank you. In seven years, right? That's the goal. Come back in seven years. Okay. Talk to us about that. It's a promise. Okay. I'll write down my number tonight.
49:40
Okay. And then in seven years, we'll see if you got it. okay okay right right perfect good do you still feel like you're a foreigner or you're already thai yes and no um so i i was in america for 19 years i've been here for 14 15 years so i've almost lived here as long as i lived in america yeah so almost half my life has been here there's some like a lot of times i'll be thinking in thai or i i sleep talk in thai It's like Thai and English and so like I know I think are different things and but still sometimes I do things or I speak different ways and my team's like, yeah, you're just a foreigner.
50:23
So there's, I don't know. I'm trying to make Thailand my home. I love it and everything. But I don't know. I think that's one thing that's unique about me. How do you think you can be more Thai than now? I could speak a lot more clearly. But do you plan to fix that or do you intend to keep your accent?
50:46
I think I'll keep it. I love it this way.
50:48
Yeah. I think the person I think of is Jackie Chan. Like he, at least growing up, like he was in a bunch of movies I watched and everything and he has like his accent. And I think that's like, well, that's Jackie Chan. Right. Like if like tomorrow he just had perfect
51:05
Inga should be like, yeah, that's not you.
51:08
So I think now I've been doing it so long. That's where it is. You know, I'm okay where it is as long as people can understand. Obviously, I want to improve better vocabulary, better grammar, but I don't know if my accent will change.
51:20
I think that's what it is. I think that's the problem to a lot of Thai people trying to be better at English too, because they feel like if they cannot speak the way natives can, is not good oh yeah not even yeah no i don't think it's not necessary at all to to like fine-tune your accent to the natives right but you just have to like make sure that people understand you that's the most important thing yeah yeah and and it helps i mean you know if you have a better vocabulary or everything's that's great but that just helps with the understanding so right the accent doesn't matter yeah so good Okay, alright.
51:57
So, anything you want to encourage or say to people who try to better their English?
52:05
Yeah. Well, that's English or just anything. Actually, any goals or anything you're doing in life is just do it.
52:12
You have to start. The hardest thing is the first step.
52:16
That's the biggest thing is getting it started. Get the ball rolling. Once it's rolling, once it's in motion, you can speed up, you can take changes. But if it's just sitting still, you're not going to go anywhere. So whether it's for English, just be brave enough to start speaking or learn to read or learn different grammar or just anything. just start somewhere and then it can keep going. I think that's where most people fail or things don't happen is because they just don't start. So sit still. Yeah. Or what do they say?
52:47
A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. So you got to make that step.
52:52
Right.
52:53
Wow.
52:53
Great. Yeah. I want to come back to your new role as a dad again. Okay. Because you are a bilingual dad who is going to raise a bilingual kid. Uh-huh. Yeah. So what kind of Thai or American values or traits that you want to pass on to Nati?
53:11
Anything that's good from whether it's Thailand or America. Okay. And there's good and bad about everywhere. And so just try to take... Nothing in specific? I don't know. I think...
53:21
Like for example, he could be like all bad, but this he has to keep at least.
53:27
I think being confident, not overconfident, but knowing who you are and what you stand for, I think that's the most important thing. Everything else you can kind of figure out, but if you don't know who you are and what you stand for and where you're going, then I feel like you kind of just get lost in the crowd of, if everyone's moving this way, then you move that way. But if you know what you want to do and what you stand for and where you are, then you're there. It doesn't matter what's going on, you're good.
53:59
There's a lot of good things from Thai. There's a lot of good things from America. And I think just everywhere. I think just learning the best things and just being a good person. Yeah. Can I ask you today?
54:08
What do you stand for?
54:09
That's a big can of worms.
54:13
I think being kind to other people is really important because it's really hard. I mean, just to survive in the world, it's hard enough. with everything that's going on, whether it's the economy or job or food or natural disasters or anything, I think at the end of the day, being kind is really important.
54:34
I really love that.
54:36
Yeah, because you don't know.
54:37
It sounds very simple, but...
54:39
And yet very hard to do. It is.
54:42
You don't know what other people are dealing with. You have no idea.
54:47
And I think it's so important just to be kind. Because it's too easy to be mean these days. Yeah, it's way easy. And especially online, you can hide behind the phone or the keyboard and nobody knows who you are. You can make anything, you can say whatever you want. And yeah, I think being kind and just helping other people.
55:05
Can I ask, what would be your next big thing?
55:10
Next big thing for mymate Nate, what is it?
55:13
Mymate Nate or me as a person?
55:17
How about My Midnight first?
55:19
Let's go for My Midnight would be trying to improve, make better content.
55:23
We're doing a bunch of charity events, whether it's the boxing or the football events. But I think just trying to take it to the next level.
55:31
Whatever it is, make the events better, make more entertainment for the fans, more better quality snacks, growing different things, trying to write, working on a book, working on online games, or just, I don't know, just trying to get that goal.
55:48
By 40. Yeah. And I think, I really think it's a bunch of just, you're just, you're testing out the water and just doing it. And a lot of things fail. I'd say like 20 things fail and then one thing sticks and then you keep going with that. So just try new different things. Try and, I don't know, there's not one specific big thing. Right. From my minute. I think we're just, just keep going.
56:09
You'll do them all. Yeah. You'll do them all. That's it. Okay. How about the next big thing for you as a person? Is it different?
56:17
Growing the family, having more kids, and just being a better person, a better dad, a better husband, a better friend, everything.
56:27
Do you want big family?
56:29
Many, many kids. As much as she's willing to go.
56:32
Because I'm not the one that has to get pregnant or deal with that. But you've talked it over to... Definitely. Okay. So we want to have definitely more. So as much as she's okay with, we'll go with that.
56:44
Okay. All right. So I have a lot of fun. And I'm so glad that you can come and visit us today on Katie today. And I hope this is not going to be your last visit. Come back in seven years. Okay. That's the earliest schedule for us. No, that's going to be the latest.
56:59
That's going to be the latest. Okay. So we got maybe next year or in two years. Sure. Yeah. We can do more updates.
57:05
All right. Okay. Can I ask you what your most favorite word is?
57:11
In English and in Thai, please.
57:13
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always be where you've always been.
57:18
So if you want to end up in a different place or a better place, you have to... You have to do something different.
57:25
You've got to set goals, you've got to work, you've got to change something. But if you just keep doing the same thing, you're just going to keep getting the same thing. Don't expect anything to be different if you're just doing the same thing.
57:35
Yeah, I agree.
57:37
And in Thai for us?
57:40
I love it.
57:42
I have a lot of fun.
58:08
Thank you.
