When Preston Arsement started his YouTube channel at the age of 15, he had no idea what was in store for him. 10 years down the line, he now has a 360-degree business that includes brand deals, merch, real estate, and even a coffee shop! Here’s how Preston created his YouTube empire.
Started by developing games within Minecraft
Initially, Preston started with a gaming channel where he mainly played Call Of Duty. As his channel gained traction, he reached out to other entertainment networks that could feature him. The partnership with the now-defunct gaming network Machinima helped his channel grow significantly.
Created his in-house merchandise line
After gaining a following, he set up his merchandise line called ‘Fire Merch’. His merchandise line is a significant difference from most other YouTubers, who partner with merch platforms such as Fanjoy and Teespring. This move allowed him to have complete control of his merchandise line.
Started a digital media company
Soon, he expanded his merch warehouse space to a digital production house. Preston hired employees to help him produce his videos. He delegated a majority of production and editing related tasks to his team, so he was able to create a lot more videos and grow his subscriber count faster. The company now produces videos for various channels including his wife Brianna’s gaming channel and their family vlog channel.
Invested in real estate and other ventures
Apart from YouTube-related ventures, Preston along with his family, have invested in the vacation rental venture VRBO. This has a good return on investment from short-term rentals. His family also runs a coffee shop called ‘Fire Cup Coffee’ that YouTubers and locals in the area frequent.
Throughout his journey, Preston has ventured off the track and created unique sources of revenue to make a complete self-sufficient 360-degree business. He continues to create YouTube videos with long-term brand deals on all 11 channels managed by his production company.