

The Karat Podcast
Karat Financial
Ever wondered what your favorite creators are like behind the scenes? Karat Financial co-founders Eric Wei and Will Kim talk with today’s biggest creators to get to know the humans behind the content. Tune in to go deep, with topics covering hopes, dreams, philosophy, and insecurities.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 13, 2024 • 1h 15min
EP. 70 - I sold Quest for $1 BILLION after fixing my brain: Tom Bilyeu interview [VIDEO]
 Sign up for free access to Karat Insights: https://link.trykarat.com/yt-insights
@TomBilyeu sold Quest Nutrition for $1bn. He used to hate his life & his own mom thought he'd fail - until he fixed his brain. 
Today he shares why you don't have free will & why that's ok, how to overcome the evolutionary impulses keeping you unhappy, and how to build a $1bn business.
Check out Tom's courses at http://impacttheoryuniversity.com/
Follow Karat at
https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/
Follow Eric at 
 https://www.instagram.com/erictway/
Follow Tom at
@TomBilyeu 
https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu
https://www.facebook.com/tombilyeu
https://twitter.com/tombilyeu
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombilyeu/
Check out Tom's upcoming video game at https://www.projectkyzen.io/
---------------
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:12 - Success is never guaranteed 
00:05:39 - The secret to succeed at anything 
00:09:06 - Wanting more will ALWAYS lead to failure
00:10:21 - Holding yourself accountable 
00:11:35 - You become what you REPEAT
00:15:21 - Act as if YOU ARE in Control
00:18:20 - Tom's #1 rule to live by
00:21:51 - Motivating 98% of the world
00:25:50 - Video games are BETTER than film at storytelling
00:28:46 - One thing Tom and his dad bonded over
00:31:55 - How Tom's mom SCARED him straight
00:34:14 - Tom's psychedelic experimental phase
00:38:16 - Filling the God-Shaped Hole in the Heart
00:41:42 - The Brutality of History
00:45:24 - Nature's Brutality and the Concept of God
00:48:38 - The Decision of Having Kids
00:51:41 - Finding Fulfillment in Life
00:54:49 - Fear of Death and Living Fully
00:58:02 - The Importance of Accurate Predictions in Behavior
01:01:07 - Balancing Business and Relationships
01:04:20 - The Role of Equality in a Successful Relationship
01:07:24 - Mapping Strengths and Weaknesses
01:10:49 - Project Kyzen: Blurring the Line Between Real Life and Video Games
01:13:50 - The Impact of Technology on Society 

Mar 7, 2024 • 1h 27min
EP. 69 - How I built a $100M YouTube empire: Preston Arsement's story [VIDEO]
 Sign up for free access to Karat Insights: https://link.trykarat.com/yt-insights
@PrestonPlayz made over $35M last year through YouTube. He's CEO of TBNR - a media empire with 100 employees, 9 channels and over 80M followers - but started as a kid making Runescape videos.
Other top YouTubers are quitting. What keeps Preston going? Today he shares how he avoids burnout, how he scaled from creator to CEO, and he makes consistently compelling videos.
----------------------
Follow Karat at
 https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/
Follow Eric at 
 https://www.instagram.com/erictway/
Follow Preston at
@PrestonYT
@PrestonPlayz
 https://www.instagram.com/prestonplayz
----------------------------------------------
Timestamps: 
00:00 - Intro
1:29 - Will Preston ever leave YouTube?
5:41 - Preston's #1 secret to success
10:43 - Where Preston's faith comes from
18:10 - ChatGPT is Preston's sensei
21:27 - Mr. Beast's formula will NEVER work for Preston
24:39 - Viewers always come first
26:01 - Hiring my first editor
32:53 - Growing up with Call of Duty XBox LIVE chat
34:54 - How to be 100% honest
36:13 - Preston's Mom: business partner and biggest critic
40:31 - "Fake" Preston
42:44 - I will NEVER retire
43:38 - His Minecraft server has made HOW MUCH?
46:17 - Does Preston need to be in his own content?
47:59 - Why Preston doesn't believe in work hierarchy
49:56 - Expanding the team
55:33 - Preston's hardest interview questions
56:46 - Preston's biggest flaw?
59:13 - Preston's greatest piece of advice
1:03:44 - What philosophical principles has Preston gotten from anime?
1:06:55 - The last time Preston cried?
1:08:27 - Is there an inherent meaning in what we do?
1:12:35 - Preston discusses alcoholism in his family
1:13:30 - Preston go to nutrition hacks
1:15:01 - Thoughts on AI and does Preston use it in his content
1:16:27 - Breaking down Preston's different brands
1:20:43 - Will Preston ever make more personal based content
1:21:59 - Why did Preston get married so fast?
1:24:24 - Looking to the next 10 years 

9 snips
Feb 28, 2024 • 42min
EP. 68 - I quit my job in consulting for YouTube: Taylor Bell's story [VIDEO]
 Sign up for free access to Karat Insights: https://link.trykarat.com/yt-insights
@TaylorBell just quit her prestigious six figure corporate job to do YouTube full time - because passion is more important than money and prestige. Today she shares when she knew she had to quit - how to make smart bets on yourself that payoff - and how to build a YouTube empire part-time.
----------------------
Follow Karat at 
https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/
Follow Eric at 
https://www.instagram.com/erictway/
Follow Taylor Bell at
@TaylorBell
https://www.instagram.com/taykbell/
 
---------------------
Timestamps:
00:00 - intro
01:37 - Taylor quits her job
01:57 - how did your boss take it?
02:56 - why Eric left Instagram
06:18 - Taylor's dream
07:23 - Taylor has crazy Ivy League credentials 
10:19 - what Taylor's mom did and how her parents met
12:09 - Taylor's first youtube video
12:42 - Taylor was a model
14:38 - Taylor did a music video
16:15 - Was Taylor cool in high school?
17:45 - Taylor's college application essay
19:40 - Taylor spills tea on consulting
21:30 - How Taylor made a risky decision not risky
25:49 - Taylor's changing her content
27:43 - is Taylor more of a creative or a businesswoman?
29:00 - who are Taylor's friends?
31:00 - Why Eric's friend group changes every few years
33:36 - Taylor opens up on her romantic relationships and being single
35:14 - how being single pushes you to develop friendships
37:12 - Taylor feels lonely sometimes
40:53 - Does Taylor take big risks?
41:32 - Taylor & Eric talk about therapy 

Feb 21, 2024 • 42min
EP. 67 - I sacrificed everything to become a rap legend: Dumbfoundead's story [VIDEO]
 Sign up for free access to Karat Insights: https://link.trykarat.com/yt-insights
Jonnie Park grew up alone on the streets - so he hardened himself - becoming Dumbfoundead a battle rapper who'd *make* you respect him.
In a life of machismo, partying, and clout - he got millions of fans, praised by Drake, featured in movies - but now he shares why he's going sober, reconnecting with family, and looking for his feminine energy.
----------------------
Follow Karat at
https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/
Follow Eric at 
https://www.instagram.com/erictway/
Follow Jonnie Park aka dumbfoundead at 
https://www.instagram.com/dumbfoundead/
https://www.instagram.com/funwithdumb/ 
----------------------------------------------
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:43 - Touring colleges when I was just a teen
02:46 - Balancing masculinity and femininity in my life
03:40 - Phone calls with my dad only last 1 min
06:02 - Family gatherings make me uncomfortable
06:53 - Unconditional love is complicated
08:30 - Trying not to forget childhood memories 
09:43 - Why waste your time with stubborn relatives
10:25 - After everything, I just want my dad to be happy
12:23 - Why I'll pay my mom's rent until the day she dies
14:40 - I'll always keep my "shitty" friends around
16:18 - Don't just ghost your toxic friends - try to fix the friendship
17:14 - Seeking validation is worthless
20:30 - Death is my deadline for accomplishing my goals
21:47 - Why Eminem is WRONG
24:06 - Dumb's podcast is not his only project in the works
25:29 - Why I move in silence
26:30 - Defending the Asian community in my first rap battle
27:36 - T.V. raised me when my parents didn't
29:09 - I wanna be the Scorsese of my craft
31:47 - Why I'm going sober after drinking since I was 15
35:08 - What still gets me insecure
39:04 - Dumb's advice to young artists
41:06 - Outro 

Feb 14, 2024 • 60min
EP. 66 - Why Graham Stephan is Quiet Quitting (interview) [VIDEO]
 Sign up for free access to Karat Insights: https://link.trykarat.com/yt-insights
Graham Stephan is quiet quitting his main channel - and he's focused now on the podcast he started with Jack Selby - a former bus boy who cold emailed Graham in 2019 to work for him.
Why is Graham quitting? How did Jack convince Graham to partner with him? How have they tripled the podcast's audience in the past year?
Find out today on the Karat podcast 😉
----------------------
Follow Karat at
 https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/
Follow Eric at 
 https://www.instagram.com/erictway/
Follow Graham & Jack's podcast at
 @TheIcedCoffeeHour  
Follow Graham at
@GrahamStephan 
https://www.instagram.com/gpstephan/ 
Follow Jack at
@jlsselby 
https://www.instagram.com/jlsselby/
 
----------------------------------------------
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:35- Competing with @CalebHammer 
2:10 - How we went from 300k to 1M subs in 1 year
4:18 - Why Graham is quiet quitting his main channel with 4.5 million subs
7:30 - Why @TheIcedCoffeeHour is Jack's BABY
8:33 - Why bring on such CONTROVERSIAL guests?
9:48 - Who WON'T they have on the podcast?
10:51 - Jack and Graham's Bromance
13:33 - How Graham took a chance on Jack
16:16 - Does Graham consider Jack a friend?
17:59 - What Jack and Graham WONT agree on
21:02 - Why @TheIcedCoffeeHour guests need to mediate Jack & Graham 
24:36 - Why Graham is willing to loose money for this...
28:52 - Why we started a podcast in the first place?
29:51 - Jack's cringe content he doesn't want you to see
30:59 - Graham's skateboard/jackass phase 
33:15 - Why Jack & Graham DON'T want their kids to be YouTubers
35:40 - Jack dropped out of college to make $6k a month
39:41 - How our content is maturing with each guest we bring on
41:19 - What guests made us change the way we think
42:43 - If it doesn't bring me value, it doesn't matter
45:15 - Graham's dating advice for Jack
45:52 - Eric does his Graham Stephan impersonation 
47:07 - The secret to @TheIcedCoffeeHour's success 
49:00 - Jack's feedback to Graham
51:13 - Graham's feedback to Jack 
52:39 - We resolve everything with a coin flip
59:02 - Outro 

Feb 14, 2024 • 1h 26min
EP. 65 - I nearly died but the theater saved me: Stanzi Potenza interview [VIDEO]
 As a kid, @Stanzipotenza nearly died. She suffered PTSD but couldn't afford therapy - so she found escape in theater & comedy. 
Today - she's a top creator & comic with sold out shows, millions on TikTok, and a feature in the NY Times. She helped Biden win the Senate and successfully fooled Dr. Phil on national television.
On the podcast today - she shares why you need therapy, how to channel emotional pain into creative work, and how to be funny!
----------------------------------------------
Learn more about Karat at 
https://www.trykarat.com
Follow Karat at
 https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/
Follow Eric at 
 https://www.instagram.com/erictway/
Follow Stanzi at
@Stanzipotenza 
https://www.instagram.com/stanzipotenza/
https://www.tiktok.com/@stanzipotenza
----------------------------------------------
00:00 - Introduction
01:54 - My parent's divorce got me into theater
03:14 - Theater helped me escape my trauma
04:37 - Reliving a traumatic childhood experience
04:55 - I couldn’t afford therapy after my near-death experience
05:29 - How I almost DIED at 11
06:25 - A stranger sacrificed his life for me
07:56 - My world was falling apart
08:52 - Seeing my mom struggle
10:16 - No one wanted to be my friend
10:57 - Theater was my lifeline
11:58 - The Pacific changed my acting career
13:20 - The turning point in my acting career
14:08 - What are people saying about me on Reddit?
16:19 - My first viral video
17:49 - My parents are my biggest cheerleaders
18:41 - Giving people confidence and validation
21:41 - My teacher humiliated me
22:30 - Receiving male validation 
27:32 - Acting is more than playing pretend
28:23 - I was emotionally unavailable to protect myself
29:53 - The moment I changed
35:16 - Being vulnerable is scary
36:37 - Therapy invited Scumbag Dad into my life
38:17 - I’m telling you the truth because I care
42:25 - I prioritized my relationship and not my career
43:29 - Therapy gave me the confidence to post online
46:42 - The best advice for posting on social media
48:40 - The New York Times called me cringe
52:14 - Dr. Phil was wrong about me
56:51 - How becoming an artist changed my life forever
1:00:04 - Why people don’t become artists
1:04:38 - I want to be a household name
1:07:19 - I sold out my first stand-up comedy show
1:11:42 - Rejection is redirection
1:16:01 - How I view my content
1:19:03 - I helped Joe Biden win the election
1:24:10 - I want my art to have an impact on people 

Jan 31, 2024 • 1h 18min
EP. 64 - This TikToker Joined the Ukraine War & Nearly Died: Phillip Vu interview [VIDEO]
  @PhillipVu  filmed TikToks on the frontlines of the Ukraine war to raise money for refugees. He nearly died when a bomb exploded 30 meters away- 
and suffered through PTSD to begin therapy and confront his demons & family trauma. 
Today he shares how to heal when you’re hurting, how he raised thousands of dollars for refugees thru TikTok, and why he wants to settle down to do laundry & taxes.
----------------------------------------------
Learn more about Karat at 
https://www.trykarat.com
Follow Karat at
 https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/
Follow Eric at 
 https://www.instagram.com/erictway/
Follow Phillip at
 @PhillipVu  
https://www.instagram.com/phillipqvu/
----------------------------------------------
0:00 - Intro
3:00 - Why would a TikToker go into an active warzone?
5:34 - Phillip on growing up in OC, moving to Newport, and drug use
7:17 - Why Vietnamese people are the most TOXIC Asians
7:58 - His parents ESCAPED Vietnam
10:46 - Phillip's short-lived corporate career
12:11 - Phillip's dad died
13:56 - Nearly dying in Ukraine
19:15 - Why people hate Phillip for not giving enough
26:14 - Helping a friend w/ cancer
30:53 - Why is Phillip poor
37:34 - Why Phillip can't have a relationship
40:18 - Why Phillip posts unfiltered content
41:24 - Phillip's assistant is also his bodyguard
45:04 - Settling down and doing laundry and taxes
46:50 - How Phillip picks up girls
49:11 - His goal in life is to do mundane tasks with someone else
51:12 - How do his friends grapple with his near-death experiences
51:53 - Phillip NEEDS therapy
52:52 - His dad is in the UCI hall of fame
54:00 - Why Phillip's mom beat him as a child
56:07 - Why Phillip let his abusive mother back into his life
58:08 - Eric shares the abuse he faced as a 5-year-old
1:00:24 - Why Phillip's mom doesn't remember beating him
1:03:29 - Root reason as to why Phillip is afraid of commitment
1:05:48 - Eric made his therapist cry
1:08:36 - Phillip HATES animals, why did he save them?
1:10:06 - The Racism he faces traveling the world
1:11:31 - Why a masked man followed him through LA
1:13:14 - What is Phillip most excited for?
1:14:56 - Why Phillip is happy living in poverty
1:16:38 - Phillip can't afford to eat out
1:17:27 - Outro 

Jan 26, 2024 • 1h 14min
EP. 63 - HasanAbi & Will Neff’s Secret Weapon: Marche the producer (interview) [VIDEO]
 Marche quit community college to work at a gaming center for minimum wage so he could use the computers to stream a dying video game.
Those life choices led to today - where Marche is the secret boss of Twitch. He’s co-owner & producer of  @FearAndPodcast   with @HasanAbi @WillNeff @QTCinderella @AustinProductions - and shoots content for @Valkyrae.
Today Marche shares how to take massively risky bets on yourself that payoff, why partying can help your career, and how to find meaning if in life- even when you're down.
----------------------------------------------
Learn more about Karat at 
https://www.trykarat.com
Follow Karat at
 https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/?hl=en
Follow Eric at 
 https://www.instagram.com/erictway/?hl=en
Now available on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5iL6RT6SOPFKXA4148hBPc
Follow Marche at
https://twitter.com/Marche
https://www.instagram.com/actuallymarche/?hl=en 
----------------------------------------------
00:00 - Introduction
01:38 - Filming Talent to becoming one
04:03 - Creating content for the viewer and the streamer
05:26 - I deserve just as much pay as you do
06:43 - My boss likes to empower workers
07:57 - 100 Thieves discouraged me to interact with talent
08:59 - I view popular streamers as equals
09:46 - Having no experience producing The Courage & Nadeshot Show
11:44 - I've always been a Hasanabi head
13:09 - From being a fan to a terrified employee
14:33 - How I got to produce the Fear& podcast
15:18 - My first Fear& podcast is taking a downfall
17:17 - A Hasanabi head let us use their boathouse
17:45 - My adrenaline refused to let the first podcast fail
18:51 - Getting praised by my favorite streamer
20:11 - Building Fear& from the ground up
21:46 - Surrealism within the podcast
24:32 - I'd rather have a scuffed podcast
27:46 - I just wanted to be a pro gamer
28:47 - Gambling my future
30:10 - Working a minimum wage shift to make my dreams come true
32:44 - Making $8/hr to part owner of a successful company
34:56 - Why I skipped high school
37:22 - High risks always led me to high rewards
38:33 - Gambles that might’ve not worked out
39:46 - Ignoring the adverse outcomes
40:09 - Getting punched by life
40:37 - Turning my life around
41:21 - My life philosophy
42:23 - My best friend got me a job at 100 Thieves
45:12 - Experiencing self-doubt and imposter syndrome
47:07 - I spoiled Will Neff’s dog
49:08 - Controlling my different mindsets
50:35 - Partying escalated my career
52:43 - DO NOT gain confidence this way
54:15 - Partying as a teen taught me how to hang
57:21 - I don’t want to scale into a production company
59:01 -Say yes to every opportunity
1:00:00 - Working with Valkyrae and MGK
1:01:09 - Saying yes to jobs I don’t know how to do
1:02:45 - I’m my boss’s secret weapon
1:03:32 - What I had to unlearn
1:04:46 - Professionalism isn’t everything 
1:09:23 - Would I change anything?
1:10:38 - This is what I want in 10 years
1:11:28 - A more fulfilling life 

Jan 26, 2024 • 1h 17min
EP. 62 - I got answers from the CEO of Twitch (interview) [VIDEO]
 Dan Clancy is the CEO of Twitch. He plays dodgeball with Ludwig, met streamers 1:1 while living in his van during a cross country roadtrip, and went viral singing Country Roads on Twitch. He cares about streamers.
He’s also is trying to make Twitch profitable and making hard decisions around layoffs, exiting Korea, and streamer payout changes. Today- Dan shares his plan to save Twitch, why Twitch is so culturally important, and his personal story on *why* he started streaming.
Recorded 12/29/2023
----------------------------------------------
Learn more about Karat at 
https://www.trykarat.com
Follow Karat at
https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/
Follow Eric at 
https://www.instagram.com/erictway/
Follow Dan Clancy at 
https://www.twitch.tv/djclancy
https://twitter.com/djclancy999
https://www.youtube.com/user/djclancy997
--------------
0:00 - Intro
1:17 - Who is the coolest CEO in the world?
4:29 - Why Dan was REJECTED as CEO of Twitch
6:03 - Why Dan streams to such a small audience
7:37 - Susan Wojcicki doesn't watch Youtube
10:34 - Twitch's CEO lives in a van
11:53 - Does Dan want to be CEO?
15:40 - Do Twitch streamers even like the CEO?
16:25 - Will Twitch last the next 20 years
21:05 - Twitch's BIGGEST competitors
28:07 - Is Dan confident in the changes he has made?
31:33 - Why Dan stayed at NextDoor
36:32 - How Twitch keeps its creators happy
38:09 - Measuring trust at Twitch
40:44 - Metrics can be dangerous
43:22 - Improving Partner Plus
41:44 - Should Twitch 'gamify' the creator experience?
44:11 - Small creators are crucial to streaming
47:01 - The best way to grow on Twitch is....
50:42 - Is Al taking over the world
52:58 - Why AI doomers are WRONG
56:09 - AI is not the worst thing going on in the world right now
57:04 - How Dan thinks and lives linearly
59:47 - Can AI be used as a tool to create?
1:03:08 - Producing an online stream or a television show
1:06:37 - Telling Nick Cannon to lower his production value
1:07:49 - Amazon would NEVER do this
1:10:22 - Why creators will continue to stream to a small audience
1:13:35 - Twitch CEO is a theater kid 

Jan 26, 2024 • 50min
EP. 61 - He’s saving YouTube from MrBeast & the algorithm: Max Reisinger interview [VIDEO]
 Max Reisinger, the guest of this podcast, is saving YouTube from the algorithm. He talks about what's wrong with YouTube, the need for change, and how to create good art. Max also shares his experience as an entrepreneur and his dream of being a stay-at-home dad. He discusses the impact of loneliness and personal growth, as well as the power of narratives in shaping our identity. The podcast also explores themes like anxiety, transformation, memory, therapy, and the impact of breakups. 


