Hey Reader!

It's been unbearably how lately. We’re somewhere between homeschool, summer survival mode, and “should I just burn it all down and start a homesteading YouTube channel?”

The 7-year-old who maintains that pants are optional but narration is not, so I now live with a full-time background commentator who insists on providing a play-by-play of his Minecraft world while I try to edit summit content. Or Roblox. He'll talk to me the whole time he's playing while I'm sitting next to him, working.

But I gotta say, it's been interesting hearing him crack jokes and laugh at his own jokes. It's neat listening to his play by play and what’s going on inside his head, usually some mix of ninja battles, fart sound effects, and deep philosophical questions like “do hot dogs have bones?”

That definitely reminds me of the time when my now-14-year-old asked me when he was aorund 5 or 6, "Back in the old days, did you see in black and white?"

I was SPEECHLESS. How dare he? There's so much wrong with that question.

Meanwhile, said now-teen has “borrowed” my phone charger for the sixth time this week (it now lives in his room, apparently), and I caught myself trying to use the remote as a mouse. I’m fine. Totally fine. 😵‍💫

Have you ever been driving down the road and you couldn't see clearly (from rain or bad eyesight or bug guts muckin up your vision), and so you turn down the volume to see better?

Like that. Because obviously, turning down the volume sharpens your vision. Science can’t explain it, but moms get it.

Basically, we’re thriving. If thriving means creatively balancing work, homeschool, and the question, “what’s that smell?”

Here's what I've been working on....

Like, even though we have the summit around the corner, I'm still working on things in the backend.

I’ve been adding some seriously meaty new content inside the VIP Bonus area, especially in the “How to Start a YouTube Channel” section, and trust me, this is one bonus you don’t want to overlook if you're a VIP Passholder. And you get to access it now and not wait til next week.

I figured it only made sense to throw in an extra VIP bonus about starting a YouTube channel, even though it’s not directly about homeschooling per se. But come on... homeschoolers practically live on YouTube for supplementing lessons, solving math mysteries, listening to documentaries or biographies, watching history lessons come to life, or just getting five minutes of quiet while a science video babysits. No judgment.

Since most of our summit speakers are homeschool YouTubers, it felt like the perfect opportunity to give you the tools to start a channel of your own. Because honestly? You’ve got a voice and a perspective that no one else can offer. The way you help people is completely different from how anyone else does it. So if YouTube’s been whispering your name, there’s definitely room for you. Just saying.

Some of the things I've been adding in are:

• 🔥 Short, to-the-point videos walking you through getting started without overthinking yourself into paralysis
• ✂️ Video editing tools and tips (including which apps are worth it, and which ones will steal your soul)
• 🤝 Collaboration + brand partnership email templates (because the awkward cold-pitch days are over)
• 📈 Analytics tools and walkthroughs so you actually understand what’s working and why
• 🎵 Resources for royalty-free music, b-roll, stock elements, and templates
• 🎯 Tips on thumbnails, titles, SEO, and making your videos click-worthy—not cringe-worthy

Oh and we’re not done. More videos are coming very soon, and this bonus section will keep growing. I'm adding two videos there myself, and one is about speaking techniques. (I forget what the other one is about. haha)

One such mom said this about the YouTube Channel bonus section:

She went out to explain her channel idea about California homeschooling, and it's an awesome idea, really.

But anyway...I thought this was a fun perk to add in this year.

I think one other year in a previous summit (the Winter Summit of 2023, maybe?) we added in bonus videos about starting a business or a blog, and honestly? I was living for it. I love this stuff. Helping people turn their ideas into something real – whether it’s a blog, a business, a YouTube channel, or a barely-held-together Etsy shop you run from your kitchen table....it lights me up. It’s like a mix of coaching, cheerleading, and creative scheming all rolled into one. I just can’t not want to help someone build something.

I think that's just the marketer in me, though. Because marketers are the ones who are literally wired to see potential in everything. A recipe? That’s a content series. Your kid’s meltdown? That’s a viral Reel. A random idea you blurted out in the shower? Boom – signature offer. We can’t help it. It’s not a hobby, it’s a personality flaw with conversion tracking. 😂

So I must say, if YouTube is on your radar (or even if it’s just a whisper in the back of your mind while you're cutting strawberries and negotiating screen time), I think you should go check it out. It is part of the VIP Pass of the summit, by the way, but it's one among MANY bonuses you get with the VIP pass.

I call it the VIP Premiere Pass because ....stay with me here....video = movie = premiere....get it? 😜 Like, roll out the red carpet, cue the dramatic lighting, it’s your homeschool mom moment.

But honestly? I don’t think anyone actually put that together. 😂 Which, to be fair, isn’t on them – it’s on me. I'm a fan of those kinds of messaging. Goes to show that my clever little wordplay moment may have been a touch too subtle. Word play fail. Next time I’ll throw in popcorn emojis and a standing ovation gif just to really drive it home.

These VIP videos though...they aren't just fluff, they're a full-on creator jumpstart that meets you exactly where you are, even if that’s “filming with one hand and holding a popsicle stick science project in the other.”

​👉 Once you get in VIP, head to your VIP dashboard and look for the YouTube Channel Bonus section. Watch a video, try a tool, and maybe—just maybe—record something today. Even if it’s messy. Especially if it’s messy.

And if your 7-year-old wanders into the shot dressed as a dinosaur? Just roll with it. That’s YouTube gold.

Have a great night, girlie.

xo,

Richie

PS: I did not write this email intending on talking about VIP bonuses, really just more about what I was working on (which happened to be VIP bonuses 😂). You can take a nice weekend and relax and go through the workshops at your own pace, or listen to them via the podcast. I did this while cooking the other night (listened to the workshops on the podcast) and I was pleasantly surprised of just how much more it stuck in my memory! Some really great stuff in there that will UNDOUBTEDLY serve you well this homeschool season of your life.