✅ Why I gave myself this challenge (and why it pushed me outside my comfort zone)
✅ The rules I set for myself to stay on track and avoid decision paralysis
✅ The biggest hurdles I faced (hello, thumbnail struggles!)
✅ The tools I used to streamline the process—TubeBuddy, Canva, and more
✅ What happened months later—was it worth it? Did it change my approach to YouTube?

I’ve been helping clients optimize their YouTube channels since 2015, but I had never committed to creating consistent public content for my own channel. I knew that by challenging myself to produce 30 videos in 30 days, I would accelerate my learning curve, push past hesitation, and build a system that worked.

🎯 30 videos in 30 days – no minimum length requirement
🎯 Follow best practices (SEO, thumbnails, descriptions)
🎯 Stick with the first thumbnail template I picked – no mid-challenge redesigns!
🎯 Upload consistently but not necessarily daily

One of my biggest challenges? Thumbnails. I knew that if I spent too much time deciding on designs, I’d get stuck in perfectionism, so I forced myself to choose a template quickly and stick with it.

🔹 Pushing myself to create regularly helped me improve quickly
🔹 Committing to a challenge removed overthinking and hesitation
🔹 Sometimes, "done" is better than "perfect"—iteration is key!
🔹 Even with the best-laid plans, unexpected obstacles will happen (and that’s okay!)

Months later, I’ve updated my thumbnails and refined my content strategy. This experiment gave me clarity, confidence, and a system for YouTube content creation that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.

Have you ever challenged yourself to try something new in your marketing? I’d love to hear about it!

Interested in working together? Start with my intake form here.

Learn more about the Build Your Marketing Muscles membership group.

More ways to connect:

Website: www.gwenmontoya.com
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@gmontoyapdx
YouTube: www.youtube.com/gwenmontoya
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdx