On July 15, 2016, as a sophomore in college, I launched AdOutreach from my dorm room.
10 years later, I'm sitting here reflecting on what has truly been the journey of a lifetime.
Myself Launching AdOutreach in 2016 & Recently Speaking at an Event in 2026
The story actually starts back in 2009, when I was just a kid who started a YouTube channel called AppFind, reviewing apps & technology.
That channel grew through high school & college to hundreds of thousands of subscribers (over 600,000 today)… & it completely changed the direction of my life.
Because in 2015, I discovered YouTube Ads & started running them for some of the app developers who sponsored my videos.
The results took off – fast.
Fast enough that I was faced with a choice: take a lucrative Silicon Valley job offer & drop out of college… or bet on myself.
I bet on myself.
& on July 15, 2016 – AdOutreach was born, right there in my college dorm room.
,
If you had told that wide-eyed college sophomore everything that would happen over the next decade, he never could have imagined it…
– Growing AdOutreach into an 8-figure business
– Landing on the INC 5000 three years in a row – including #60 Fastest Growing Company in America
– Helping 3,000+ businesses generate over $300 Million in client results with YouTube Ads & Video Marketing
– Moving from our first office in Cambridge, MA to our home in Austin, TX
– Writing my book, Video Authority – which became a #1 Amazon Best Seller
– Speaking on stages all across the country & around the world
Launching a software company, ThumbnailCreator
– & most importantly, building an incredible Dream Team & getting to work with clients who inspire me every single day
There have been so many tremendous blessings along the way & I just have so much gratitude for this journey.
But I'll be honest with you…
A decade in business isn't all highlight reels.
There have been real challenges, too.
A few years ago, we went through one of the most difficult seasons in AdOutreach history. The market shifted & we had to make hard decisions to downsize & pivot.
In the moment – in the micro – it felt heavy.
But here's what that season taught me…
We may not be the same size we were in 2022, but we've grown in so many other ways. Today we have a stronger business, better systems & an incredible team doing some of the best work we've ever done.
& when I zoom out & look at the full picture – from that dorm room in 2016 to today – what felt like a setback becomes a single chapter in a much bigger story.
Dan Sullivan writes about this in The Gap & The Gain…
Most of us measure ourselves against our ideal – that's the GAP. And there will ALWAYS be a gap.
But when you measure backward, against where you started – that's the GAIN.
When I measure AdOutreach against some perfect ideal, I can always find a gap.
But when I measure backward against that dorm room? The gain is extraordinary.
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄… 𝗭𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝘁.
Look how far you've come.
Look how much you've grown.
Because I promise you, it's more than you're giving yourself credit for in the moment.
I have a quote hanging in my home office that I come back to again & again:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗜𝗦 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
& after 10 years, I believe it more than ever.
The milestones & awards are amazing… but they pale in comparison to the journey itself.
The people. The growth. The memories. The lessons. The wins & yes, even the challenges.
At the end of the day, the Journey IS the Reward.
Now, something interesting happened as I approached this 10-year milestone…
It naturally gave me a bigger perspective & a bigger vision.
For years, I thought about the next year… maybe the next 3.
But now I find myself thinking about the next DECADE – & where we're going.
& our Mission has never been clearer:
“𝗪𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 & 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱”
That's what the next 10 years are all about.
To my AdOutreach Dream Team, past & present – thank you for pouring your heart into this mission.
To our incredible clients – thank you for trusting us with your businesses & your dreams.
& to my mentors, friends & family who have supported me along the way – thank you. This milestone belongs to all of us.
Here's to 10 incredible years…
& to a decade ahead that I believe will be our best yet.
Because the best part is…
We're just getting started. 🚀
