Looking Back at the Last 6 Years……
Hello everyone, Samuel Leeds here with a special message of thanks for supporting my YouTube channel, whether by watching my videos, liking them, sharing your comments, and or subscribing! I joined YouTube on the 21st of April 2015 and recently celebrated my 6th anniversary YouTubing. Since launching my channel, my videos have received close to 18 million views! So a massive thank you to all of you.
It gets better. This significant milestone coincidentally coincided with the upload of my 1000th video! And I actually didn't know about any of this until one of my subscribers, Trevor Martin, brought it to my attention by commenting, “Your 1000th YouTube video uploaded today AND it’s been exactly 6 years to the day since you made this YouTube account. What an awesome coincidence. Congrats 🎉 🥳.” So shout out to you, Trevor!
When I first started making YouTube videos, my original target audience was the investors who were buying property deals off me. One of my first videos was showcasing two ready-made HMO properties that we got for £80,000 and £85,000, and from each, we expected to make a monthly rent of £1,400. And then, at the blink of an eye, it all snowballed into one far-flung property empire.
So let's take a walk down memory lane and see how far myself and my students have come in six years.
Sheffield Financial Freedom Challenge
One of the things that made my channel blow up was the one-week financial freedom challenge I did in Sheffield disguised as someone else. Like all the other financial freedom challenges I've embarked on with some of my students, I had no money! The goal of this challenge was to show my viewers that anyone can become financially free in just seven days and show them how by doing it myself.
Not only did I become financially free again after starting from scratch, but BBC picked up the story. “This sounds quite interesting, but a little bit risky. You had 50 pounds, that was all. And a hotel room and you had to then make money,” enquired the interviewer, clearly impressed. What this challenge did was show people you don't need money to attain financial freedom through property.
US Financial Freedom Challenge
Now, I may have addressed the “I have no money” excuse people would give when it came to property investment. But there were a few people with the “but I'm overseas” excuse. So what did I do? I went to the Heathrow Airport in London and asked people to choose which part of the globe I'd do my next financial freedom challenge. And the US got the majority vote.
Collaborative Financial Freedom Challenges
The US financial freedom challenge went viral, which led to you guys wanting more. Now, I had people asking me to do the financial freedom challenge with them. And I did just that. I embarked on my first collaborative financial freedom challenge with Glen Kirkham in Blackpool.
“I saw the video that Samuel put on his YouTube channel saying that he's looking to go to someone's house and work with them and make them financially free,” Glen recounted. On seeing this video, he thought to himself, “that has to be me.” So Glen showed initiative by not only coming to my next property crash course but also asking in front of hundreds of people whether he could be the person I elected to go with on a financial freedom challenge.
Glen recognized he was in a bad financial situation and was courageous enough to ask for my help, so how could I say no? “I'll come to your house,” I told him. “When Samuel said yes … I just knew that, you know, the rescue boat had come to save,” an emotional Glen narrated. The challenge was a success, and Glen's story inspired hundreds of thousands around the globe.
Since the Blackpool financial freedom challenge, I've done several other collaborative financial freedom challenges, namely with Evans, Lawton, and most recently with David.
Winners on a Wednesday
Before I knew it, thousands of people had started implementing property investing strategies that I shared on my YouTube videos and taught my property courses. So two years ago, I launched a segment on my YouTube channel called Winners on a Wednesday. So each Wednesday, I interview individuals who have attained financial freedom through my strategies.
Some of the people I've had the opportunity of interviewing include Ian Patterson, a former student of mine. While still working in the corporate world, Ian began looking for lease option agreements. And within 18 months, he bought 24 houses, which saw him attain financial freedom, build a 2.8 million property portfolio, and ditch the corporate rat race.
Another guest I've had on Winners on a Wednesday is Rahim Bah, who I've actually interviewed twice in two years. Rahim came to England as an orphaned fifteen-year-old. And despite the challenges he faced, which include going through foster care, he beat the odds. Today, Rahim is a successful property investor with various rent-to-rents, lease option properties, a letting agency, and a training company.
So again I want to say thank you. Because without your support over the last six years, many of these success stories would probably never have happened. My YouTube videos have inspired many to enter the property market, which brings me great joy and satisfaction. Visit my channel and stay tuned every Wednesday to watch hundreds of people narrate how they’ve achieved success in their property journey.
Interviews and Collaborations
My YouTube journey has also seen me have the privilege of collaborating with other YouTuber influencers, both big and small. I've also interviewed notable personalities. These include Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad; Grant Cardone, bestselling author, real estate mogul, and top sales trainer; James Khan of the Dragons' Den; and fashion and beauty blogger Patricia Bright. And I can honestly say I've loved and enjoyed each of these and more conversations.
My Personal Life
When I posted my first YouTube video, I wasn't even a millionaire, let alone a multimillionaire. At the time, I had just begun scaling up my property deal packaging business, and Amanda and I had only recently gotten married. So you've literally watched my life transform over the years. Here are some of the highlights:
- We moved from the Midlands to Buckinghamshire. Amanda typically chooses our homes, so I have her to thank for the beautiful home we currently live in.
- We’re now a family of five!
- Business growth. I absolutely love to teach and help others become successful and will continue doing so.
- Car upgrades. I currently drive a Range Rover, which is the first luxurious car I've ever owned.
- Holiday upgrades.
A Million Thanks
Let me know the type of content you'd like to see in the 1000 videos to come by sharing your suggestions in the comments of my YouTube videos. Your wish, as always, is my command. Once again, thank you for your support through all the ups and downs. It's been an absolute blast!
