Episode 1 of "Behind Grindstone."

Dillan (CEO of Grindstone) and Colby (Head Coach of Grindstone) sit down and have their first-ever recorded debriefing of how they started the company. The goal is to track their journey, remember the hard times, and share all the mistakes and lessons as they try to scale Grindstone.

They discuss: the origin story of Grindstone, why accountability coaching works, starting with pro bono clients, learning to work as a team, celebrating small wins, handling problems as growth opportunities, why building a business is like eating glass, and much more.

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0:00 intro
2:24 why Dillan & Colby recorded this
4:27 defining a business through its problems
6:28 the idea for Grindstone
17:07 the power of accountability
19:40 benefits of having a team
21:40 getting your first clients (Alex Hormozi style)
32:18 first paid clients
39:26 entrepreneurship is “eating glass”
46:06 first $197 client moment
51:33 reflections and what’s next

Dillan interviews Mario Joos.

Mario is the CEO of the Stokes Twins and founder of Brightrock, a research and consulting company helping creators grow strategically. He previously worked on the MrBeast team and now helps creators scale through data, systems, and hiring.

They discuss: the controversy around the Stokes Twins, how creators should think about copying versus inspiration, building a team to scale faster, how the YouTube algorithm actually works, outsourcing and hiring globally, the future of AI in content, and much more.

Mario's links...

Website: https://brightrock.com/index.html

Twitter / X: https://x.com/MarioJooss

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mariojoos/

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor 

Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter

Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy: https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 intro
1:13 why Mario became CEO of the Stokes Twins
2:25 Stokes Twins controversy
12:23 how to survive controversy
15:31 growth, mistakes, and creator redemption
20:23 running 2 companies at once
24:26 10x is easier than 2x
32:06 advice for creators hiring for the first time
37:17 on paying less for overseas work
41:37 the "algorithm" explained
53:20 Mario's YouTube homepage
55:40 new rules for AI & YouTube monetization
1:00:12 music & sound effects
1:02:22 changing your niche
1:13:07 hooks
1:15:25 outros
1:18:00 stakes & storytelling
1:21:45 attention span
1:26:36 what's getting easier / harder?
1:29:28 Mario's hottest take
1:33:38 Mario's favorite creator
1:34:56 what he sacrifices
1:36:16 Mario's #1 piece of advice
1:38:23 bye bye bye

Dillan interviews Josh Cirre.

Josh is a software developer, content creator, and former actor who blends his creative background with his technical skills to help others navigate web development and creator life. His YouTube channel shares developer insights, Laravel tutorials, and his journey balancing creativity, fatherhood, and a full-time job.

They discuss: combining creativity with tech, getting fired and starting a YouTube channel, building an audience around Laravel, how to balance ambition with reality, why repeatability matters more than perfection, niching too early, and much more.

Josh's links...

Website: https://www.joshcirre.com/

Twitter / X: https://x.com/joshcirre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joshcirre

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor 

Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter

Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy: https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 intro
0:53 what "keep creating" means
4:32 the start of Josh's creative career
6:51 how tech entered his life
9:27 figuring out what to do
16:50 getting laid off with 2 kids
26:04 Josh's first YouTube video
36:00 asking for $1
39:59 what is work to others, but play to you?
45:33 ambition vs. what is repeatable?
56:05 to niche down or not to niche down?
1:07:59 how Dillan & Josh met
1:09:30 what's getting easier, what's getting harder?
1:16:53 #1 lesson Josh learned the hard way
1:19:09 a belief Josh has that most disagree with
1:25:11 Josh's favorite creator
1:27:37 what Josh has sacrificed & not sacrificed
1:30:03 bye bye bye

Dillan interviews Bryan Ng.

Bryan is the founder of Viral Bangers, a YouTube scriptwriting agency helping education creators make content that actually gets watched. His videos and newsletter break down viewer psychology, storytelling, ideal video structure, and virality.

They discuss: how video games train you to win in business, building a life of total freedom, the mindset behind Bryan’s viral scriptwriting course, how to create content people trust, why good AI writing is still mid, and much more.

Bryan's links...

Website: https://www.viralbangers.com/

Twitter / X: https://x.com/boomerrbryan

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boomerrbryan

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor 

Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter

Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy: https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 Intro
0:50 How video games teach business
6:09 Designing a business for autonomy
16:19 The downside of solo travel
26:38 Can you get freedom without grinding?
34:49 Writing vs idea generation
38:20 AI can’t write great scripts
42:59 The YouTube course that changed his life
50:13 Advice for educators building a free course
53:40 You only need 1,000 true fans
56:22 How YouTube changed his business
1:02:24 Good selling vs bad selling
1:08:55 Breaking down Bryan's business
1:13:41 Rapid-fire questions
1:23:14 Bye bye bye

Dillan interviews Jon Barr.

Jon is a travel and food content creator with nearly 600k subscribers on YouTube. His channel began as "Here Be Barr"—focused on New York guides—but has evolved into a personal brand built around food, storytelling, and high-quality production.

They discuss: the transition from niche to personal brand, how he revamped his thumbnails, focus, and team, the revenue breakdown of his content business, why short-form sponsorships are outperforming long-form, how creators can stay present while filming, his advice for creators who want to pivot their content, and much more.

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Jon's links...

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HereBeBarr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/here.be.barr/

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor 

Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter

Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy: https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 Intro
0:51 Why Jon changed his channel name
3:53 How Jon's branding has improved
7:02 Behind-the-scenes of Jon’s workflow
13:30 How to pivot content successfully
18:01 Getting comfortable on camera
24:00 The power of telling your story
27:10 Jon’s revenue breakdown
38:07 Rapid fire Q&A
48:21 Bye bye bye

Dillan interviews Chris Orzechowski.

Chris runs The Email Copywriter. He's a world-class emailer, direct response marketer, and the #1 kielbasa salesman on the planet. He’s helped e-commerce brands, creators, and consultants generate millions through storytelling and email content writing.

They discuss: how to sell to your audience without being sleazy, building an audience of buyers and #1 fans, the real reason most creators fail, what separates amateurs from pros, how to build systems that print money, and much more.

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Chris's links...

Website: https://theemailcopywriter.com/

Twitter / X: https://x.com/chrisorzy

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chris-orzy

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor 

Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter

Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy: https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 Intro
0:37 Being different vs being better
7:17 Why most people give up
14:18 Pros vs amateurs
29:12 Be the architect of your life/business
39:51 Why start an email list?
49:00 How to get your first 100 email subscribers
51:57 Using ads to get subscribers
53:59 What makes a good vs crappy lead magnet?
56:07 Common emailing mistakes
1:03:14 What's getting easier / harder?
1:05:59 #1 lesson Chris learned the hard way
1:08:04 Chris’s hot take on content
1:09:48 Chri's favorite creator
1:13:35 What Chris sacrificed to grow his business
1:16:50 Chris’s advice for new creators
1:19:23 Bye bye bye

Dillan interviews Michelle Varghese.

Michelle is a writing coach who helps creators express themselves online with more honesty, vulnerability, and soul. She’s worked with programs like Write of Passage and now coaches writers full-time.

They discuss: how to spot (and avoid writing) AI slop, the rise of performative content on LinkedIn, why vulnerability in writing matters more than ever, how to know when you're ready to share a personal story, the difference between wounds and scars in creative work, the 5-step exercise to help your audience feel 10x more connected to you, and much more.

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Michelle's links...

Substack: https://substack.com/@michellevarghese

Twitter / X: https://x.com/mvarghoose

Writing Coaching: https://michellevarghoose.gumroad.com/l/writingcoaching/

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor 

Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter

Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy: https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 Intro
0:45 Best and worst things about AI writing
7:57 The “dead internet theory”
18:04 How AI fails to replicate human error
29:40 Can you even tell when writing is AI?
35:42 The power of stories in content
39:35 Michelle’s advice for creating vulnerably
52:30 Being human is the whole point
55:31 A 5-finger framework for connection
1:04:22 Michelle’s turn: her 5-finger reflection
1:17:24 Bye bye bye

Dillan interviews CPreds.

CPreds is a full-time Call of Duty content creator with over 400,000 YouTube subscribers. He built his audience from scratch while working full-time as a middle school teacher, editing videos on NYC subways, and uploading daily.

They discuss: the harsh realities of going full-time, how to build a sustainable content system, what still surprises him at 400k subs, evergreen content strategies, how to package viral videos, why copying won't get you far, and much more.

CPreds’s links...

Website: https://linktr.ee/cpreds

Twitter / X: https://x.com/CPreds_

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CPreds

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor 

Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter

Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy: https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 Intro
0:43 The CPreds tagline
3:18 What's different & the same at 400K subs
8:10 Evergreen content explained
14:25 Looking back at his first videos
20:36 The biggest mistake new creators make
30:21 His early grind while teaching full-time
34:29 His step-by-step plan to grow from 0 to 100k
42:54 Behind his most viral long-form video
51:29 Building connection with your audience 
56:53 Breaking down the CPreds content business
1:06:29 Rapid-fire questions
1:12:54 Bye bye bye

Dillan interviews Jack Bly.

Jack is a former online fitness coach who scaled his coaching business from zero to $100k/month. Now he runs Acquisition Pilot—a program that helps other coaches scale through client acquisition systems, pricing strategies, and no-BS sales tactics.

They discuss: what keeps most coaches broke, how to start making real money online, why lead gen is the most important thing under $50k/month, how to build an offer people actually want, the five steps to landing high-ticket clients, the right way to give your coaching away for free, and much more.

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Jack's links...

Website: https://www.acquisitionpilot.co/opt-in1747914755357

Twitter / X: https://x.com/TheJackBly

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejackbly

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor 

Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter

Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy: https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 Intro
0:46 Why Jack made $0 for 16 months
5:05 The 2 big shifts that made money
8:11 Jack’s 5-step client acquisition framework
11:22 Cold outreach without being sleazy
18:32 Pricing when you’re just starting out
23:45 Building a high-ticket offer that sells
30:00 How to NEVER get clients
33:40 Finding a niche and a real problem to solve
37:27 Why Jack pivoted to helping coaches
41:09 Content vs. active lead gen
46:01 How to identify your biggest business bottleneck
50:08 How to build a killer course
54:02 The pain of leadership and hiring
59:24 What Jack has sacrificed (and won’t)
1:02:08 Jack's #1 advice
1:04:46 Bye bye bye

Dillan interviews Tyler Cook—aka TCaptainX, aka TFitX.

Tyler is a full-time Call of Duty creator and former registered nurse turned personal trainer, who’s built thriving online businesses around gaming content and fitness coaching.

They discuss: how storytelling made his basic gaming clips go viral, what creators can learn from his pivot into online personal training, how to turn your audience into clients, building a two-business flywheel, balancing burnout with well-being, creator-friendly health habits, and much more.

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TCaptainX's links...

Website: https://pillar.io/tcaptainx
Twitter / X: https://x.com/TCaptainX_
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TCaptainX

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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor
Newsletter: https://grindstone.coach/newsletter
Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/

Music by myboy.scoochy:
https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/ 

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0:00 Intro
0:38 From nurse to full-time COD creator
3:38 Why his early content sucked
7:20 Good storytelling = curiosity + stakes
12:30 Pivoting from gaming to fitness
20:35 Using content to grow a service business
41:16 Creating "flywheel" content
45:04 What creators can do to improve their health now
1:03:38 Tyler's creator revenue streams
1:16:04 Tyler's #1 creator advice
1:18:36 Bye bye bye