238. Is Going Viral Worth It? The Vancouver Carpenter Story - Ben Degros

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Sep 24, 2025

Ben Degros, a carpenter and drywall expert, shares his journey from skateboarding to creating a successful YouTube channel focused on drywall, amassing over 700K subscribers. He discusses the surprising appeal of drywall content and the balance between filming and contracting work. Ben emphasizes the importance of starting simply, understanding audience needs through analytics, and the distinction between how-to videos and more viral content. His insights offer a refreshing perspective on building an online brand with practical, value-driven content.

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INSIGHT

High Demand For Practical Trades Content

Drywall content outgrows niche hobbies because demand is broader and evergreen.
People return to useful, well-explained drywall videos and form ongoing connections with creators.

ADVICE

Start Before You're Comfortable

Start creating before you feel ready and accept very low initial views.
Use early videos to get comfortable on camera and iterate quickly.

ADVICE

Mine The Search Bar For Ideas

Use YouTube's search bar to discover high-demand 'how to' topics in your trade.
Beware you'll compete with many similar videos, so aim to present the topic more clearly or distinctively.

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Ben Degros has built an audience on two YouTube channels: one on skateboards and one on drywall. Guess which one has more subs? In this episode, Ben breaks down his process for creating content for his drywall channel, which has amassed over 700K subscribers over the years.

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Today’s guest is living proof that you don’t need fancy gear or a media team to build a killer online brand—just some drywall dust and a camera.

Ben Degros is a carpenter, drywaller, and the creator of Vancouver Carpenter, a YouTube channel that’s grown to over 700,000 subscribers with simple, value-packed videos shot right on job sites.

The content? Just drywall videos. And people love it.

But here’s the twist: Before drywall, Ben was a full-time skater, even running a skateboarding YouTube channel. Now, he’s blended his trades skills with content creation to build massive reach while still running a small contracting operation.

Since Ben is a Vancouver local, we recorded this one in studio and dug into how contractors can build brand, trust, and community—all with a phone and a few smart tactics.

If you’re considering leaning into video content, there are some great insights for you here.

Episode Highlights:

Learn how a larger-scale trades content creator brings videos to life from idea to results.
Understand the challenges of balancing content creation with daily operations, especially when you don’t have a media production team behind you.
Get some tips from Ben on how to incorporate content creation into your marketing, whether you’re committed to the process or just getting your feet wet.

00:00-Intro

01:24-Intro & Origin

03:04-Why contracting content works

12:00-Building an audience

31:28-Process of creating ideas: what works?

36:03-Ben's "how to bend drywall" video

41:07-Quick tips & wrap-up