EXACTLY How I Blew Up A Business On YouTube (1st Year Case Study)

In just three years, I managed ‪@careerfoundry‬ 's YouTube channel from 16,000 to over 255,000 subscribers while assisting in generating €650,000 in revenue in the first year alone.

Now this isn't a story about viral luck or (ahem...) creative genius - it's about building systematic, repeatable processes that turn YouTube into a sustainable lead generation engine for your business.

I'll walk you through the exact challenges we faced when I joined as Video Team Lead: no strategic direction, zero platform expertise, and chaotic production workflows that could barely manage two videos per month. Then I'll show you the three solutions that changed everything; strategic focus on search-optimized content, platform-native quality standards with tracking discipline, and batched production systems that scaled us to weekly releases.

By December 2021, we were generating nearly 5 million monthly impressions, driving 54,000 website visits, and converting 16,000 qualified leads into 130 course enrolments. The channel went from a scattered brand asset to a self-funding growth machine that eventually generated €95,000 in ad revenue alone.

Whether you're struggling to gain traction on YouTube or trying to prove ROI to leadership, this case study breaks down the frameworks, systems, and strategic decisions that actually move the needle. No fluff - just the process that works.

Check out the CF channel for yourself:    / @careerfoundry  

📺 Subscribe to our channel →    / @humbleandbragstudio  

🌐 Website → https://humbleandbrag.com/

---

⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Growing a YouTube Channel - 16 to 255 Thousand Subscribers
00:06 The Revenue Impact
00:17 Meet Calum: The YouTube Channel Manager at CareerFoundry
00:36 Sustainable Content Engine For Growth
00:51 Our Focus on the Foundational First Year
01:08 Case Study Framework
01:28 Identifying the Challenges CareerFoundry Faced
01:35 Challenge 1: No Strategic Direction
02:17 Challenge 2: Lack of Platform Expertise
02:44 Challenge 3: Operational Hurdles
03:20 Initial Resources and Team Setup
04:02 Pandemic Constraints
04:24 Solving the Challenges
04:29 Initial Channel Audit and Focus
04:49 Strategic Target: UX Design
06:49 Building Platform Expertise On YouTube
07:12 Quality Control Measures
08:33 Thumbnail and Title Optimization For YouTube
09:07 Tracking and Analytics
10:19 Batch Production Systems
12:11 Distribution Strategy
13:26 Challenges in Execution
15:21 Results and Impact
15:52 2021 YouTube Performance Breakdown & Results
21:01 Conclusion and Future Outlook

---

🔗 Connect with Humble&Brag on Linkedin:
💻 Humble&Brag →   / humble-brag  
👾 Ed Maxwell Wood →   / edmaxwellwood  
🤖 Calum Russell →   / calumrussellid  

▶️ WATCH NEXT
🎬 Who Should Be in Your Company’s YouTube Videos? →    • We Scale YouTube Channels For Startups & S...  
🎬 The CEO Effect on YouTube Growth →    • Why Brand Channels FAIL on YouTube (And Ho...  
🎬 How Startups Can Win on YouTube →    • What does a YouTube Strategist ACTUALLY do?  
🎬 Building Systems for YouTube Success →    • Craft a Full-Funnel YouTube Strategy for y...  
🎬 What Makes Business Channels Grow? →    • Turn YouTube into a performance channel [2...  

ABOUT HUMBLE & BRAG
Most agencies are built for big brands, with slow timelines and glossy reels that don’t move the needle. Startups need something different. That’s why we built Humble&Brag, the full-stack YouTube agency for early-stage and scaling companies. We help founders turn YouTube into a real growth engine, building a smart, consistent presence without the overhead of a big in-house team.

Before starting H&B, we grew channels and content systems inside some of Europe’s fastest-growing companies from scaling ⁨@AJSmart⁩ and ⁨@careerfoundry⁩ to hundreds of thousands of subscribers, to leading ⁨@BabbelPlus⁩ 's 20-person content team where video drove a quarter of company revenue.

Today, we bring that experience to startups who want YouTube channels that actually drive traction, proof, and revenue.