Sign up for free access to Karat Insights: https://link.trykarat.com/yt-insights @JustKiddingNews cofounders Bart Kwan and Joe Jitsukawa grew up working in gangs in the "pharmaceutical industry" - but wanted to be better and make good. In 2007 - they started the Just Kidding YouTube empire. 17 years later - despite fellow creators quitting & AdSense dropping - they're still going strong- and today share the secret to their success. ------------ Follow Karat at https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/ Now available on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/ Follow Eric Wei at https://www.instagram.com/erictway/ Follow Bart Kwan here:  @BartGeo   @barbellbrigade  https://www.instagram.com/bartkwan/ Follow Joe Jitsukawa here: @JoeJitsukawa https://www.instagram.com/joejitsukawa/ Follow JustKidding News here: @JustKiddingNews https://www.instagram.com/justkiddingnews/ -------------- 0:00 - Intro 2:09 - Troubled youth to Youtube stars 4:29 - Bart's special high school program 5:45 - How did Bart get KICKED OUT of military school 7:49 - Joe's story of being in a street gang at 15 11:25 - He went to college to buy w**d with financial aid money 11:57 - Why he decided to assimilate into society 16:26 - How would their lives be different if they had Youtube in High School 19:23 - How MMA brought them together 23:55 - How he maintained a 4.0 GPA after being in a gang 24:32 - How Just Kidding Films started 25:56 - How did Bart shift from Marine Corp/Doctor to Youtube? 29:35 - How did Joe get to where he is now & shifting priorities to JK media 37:58 - When did they realize JK media was a business? 42:21 - Did money change their business? 42:54 - Their Youtube EMPIRE: Rise and Fall 50:23 - Their businesses outside of JK media 54:32 - How being a dad CHANGED him 57:08 - The unique experience all Asian Americans share 58:15 - Bart and his family relationship 1:04:00 - Struggling to fill a void in life 1:05:22 - Why have they stayed friends after all this time? 1:09:15 - Eric's strange relationship with his cofounder 1:10:37 - How they each drive each other crazy 1:14:17 - A moment when they needed each other 1:15:46 - What is the secret to their success