How I Grew My YouTube Channel for Five Years

It’s hard to believe I am celebrating my fifth year on YouTube this month. It’s been quite a journey, but the best part has been getting to know you! In this post, I talk about the why and how I started my YouTube channel five years ago and have grown it to almost a million subscribers today. (And many thanks to Sean Cannell and his Think Media team for helping me learn all about YouTube!)

Why Did I Start a YouTube Channel?

I am often asked WHY I started my YouTube channel and the HOW behind starting and growing it. I started my channel because I had entered a new season in my life with our son, Ben, heading off to college. I had taught traditional cooking skills in person for years right here in my kitchen, but at the nudging of my son and my husband, I was encouraged to put my cooking classes online so that I could reach a broader audience.

This struck me as such a splendid idea—being able to reach lots of people outside of my immediate community who may want to learn how to be a traditional foods cook.

There was just one problem. I had no idea how to start a YouTube channel. The extent of my exposure to YouTube was—like many of us—simply watching the occasional video as I folded the laundry. But I have never shied away from hard work, so I set out to learn all I could about how to start a YouTube channel.

How I Learned How to Start a YouTube Channel

I literally started my research by putting the phrase, “How do you start a YouTube channel?” in the search bar of—yes, you guessed it—YouTube. My search returned a whole host of videos teaching what I needed to learn, but one person stood out to me above all others: Sean Cannell and his channel, Think Media. I started watching lots of his videos and taking copious notes. Then I learned that he offered a course to help people wanting to start a YouTube channel or creators who were already on YouTube but wanted to learn more.

Sean’s course was called Video Ranking Academy, and it was exactly what I needed. When my husband got home from work that night, I showed him the course and told him that the classes could help me learn how to create a YouTube channel that would benefit viewers who wanted to learn how to cook traditional foods. God bless my sweet husband because he had confidence in me, so the next day, I signed up for the course. This was in 2017, and by July 2018, I uploaded my first YouTube video. And as the saying goes…the rest is history!

How You Can Start a YouTube Channel

The great news is that if you are interested in starting a YouTube channel or jumpstarting the one you already have, Sean periodically offers free online classes throughout the year.

Sean offered one of his free week-long online seminars this week to help new or struggling creators. It’s called the YouTube 1K Challenge in reference to helping creators get their first thousand subscribers. (He also talked about my Mary’s Nest channel during one of his broadcasts.) In case you missed this seminar, be sure to watch the replay videos that will be available through next week.

In addition to Sean’s courses, you also have access to the massive library of free videos he has on his Think Media YouTube channel and his new Think Media Podcast channel. And he and his team are adding new videos to both on a very regular basis!

I was honored to be on a recent episode of Sean’s Think Media podcast, where I talked all about starting a channel and the advice I would give creators today.

• Learn about the video gear and services I use to create YouTube videos

Five More Years

Being on this traditional foods journey with you has been such a joy, and I look forward to many more years of continuing on this journey together. Thank you SO much for being here with me as we have forged ahead, embracing the joy that comes from roasting a whole chicken and using the carcass to make bone broth! (How to Make a Simple Roast Chicken was the first video I published.)

Whether you have a YouTube channel or are just a happy viewer, I am so glad you have been here with me on this journey. Now, let’s plan for another five years together! 😊

Learn How to Create YouTube Videos

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Mary’s Nest at Sean Cannell’s Grow with Video Live Conference

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be speaking at Sean Cannell’s Grow with Video Live Conference this year.

Mary’s Nest 1 Million YouTube Subscribers!

Thanks to all my sweet friends for helping me get the YouTube Gold Creator Award.

Mary’s Nest 2024 Channel Update

Get a tour of what I have planned for my Mary’s Nest YouTube channel in 2024.

Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List

For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!

And if you’re looking for a printed book full of my traditional foods recipes that shows you how to create a traditional foods kitchen, be sure to preorder your copy of my new book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook.

Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy

Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos, live streams, and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.

Kitchen Academy Videos

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Does Eating Food in a Specific Order Fight Disease?

Research suggests that the order in which we eat our food may significantly impact our health and ability to fight disease.

Why I Created The Modern Pioneer Cookbook Curriculum

I chat about why it was important for me to create this comprehensive curriculum for students in grades K-12.

Taking a Sneak Peek at Upcoming Recipes on Mary’s Nest

I share upcoming recipes and what I have planned for my Mary’s Nest YouTube channel in 2024.

Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest

1. Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
2. Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
3. Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy (Optional Paid) - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
4. Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook (Optional Paid) - Get a printed book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.

I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!

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Shop for items used in this blog post or video

Favorite Kitchen Supplies

• Favorite Aprons
• Spice Grinder
• Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
• Handheld Vacuum Sealing System
• Vacuum Lids
• Whisk
• Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
• Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
• Flour Sack Towels
• pH Strips (Helps you check on the acidity of your vinegar)

More Kitchen Supplies with Discount Codes

• Mockmill Grain Mill (for making homemade flour)

Learn more about Mockmill electric grain mills for making fresh flour and their Flake Lover's Flaker that flakes whole grain in minutes.

• Masontops Fermentation Kit

Use promo code MARYSNST for a one-time 15% off Masontops and Breadsmart products on Amazon.com.

Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide

• Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
• Visit my Shopping Guide page
  Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman's, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!

Recommended Reading

• The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
• Nourishing Traditions