Check out our interview with popular YouTuber and Asian pop culture expert Dave Disci who shares news from all around the world. Dave is a social justice warrior who focuses on his heritage and experience emigrating to America and trials and tribulations immigrants face.
Follow Dave @dave.disci
Hi Dave, please tell us a little about you?
I am an influencer that covers news from Kpop on YouTube to out of the ordinary news on TikTok and reels. My work ethic has come from the desire to remain stable and so I often put out 3 to 4 videos a day. Growing up, and seeing my family go so broke after 9/11, I really never wanted my life to be like that again.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Passionate. Kind. Goofball.
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I’ve always wanted to be an actor and even studied it for a little bit. However, I was always very shy and felt like I wasn’t deserving of it. I felt like everytime I walked into a room it was filled with people saying “who does this kid think he is?”
How did you get in the industry?
I always wanted to create stuff. I remember my first attempt at making any sort of content was with flip books. Someone in my 5th grade class showed me their flip books and I was so amazed at how a few stacks of paper could make something appear to be moving and I fell in love with animation. That led to my love of videos naturally. I wasn’t a very good animator so I thought the next best thing was to just use myself to tell a story. And I eventually found YouTube and I’ve been posting since.
What is the feeling of being a popular content creator & influencer?
I don’t really feel like I am popular or even someone that is ever being talked about. Maybe it’s imposter syndrome, I don’t know. But I know that it’s something a lot of Asian men struggle with, including my friends, to try to be a part of the conversation. If an Asian does something bad, it’s all over the news. If they do something good, it’s often disregarded completely.
What part of your job do you find the most challenging?
The actual part that everyone sees. Like me being on screen. Is probably like 1% of the actual job and such a small fraction of what I do in a day. I probably spend 20 minutes recording and then 9 hours doing admin, editing, writing, meetings, and looking at analytics. I would say that part is probably much more difficult than most people would think.
What did you learn from your biggest failure?
That failure is not the end. You only fail once you give up because then the “game” is over. But if the game is still going, then the results haven’t been tallied.
It’s very easy, especially in my line of work, to look at what your peers do and compare yourself to those people. I still make less than half of a lot of what my YouTube counterpart friends make and I’m not even saying this because they get more views. Same amount of views, I just make less. But you can’t let those things upset you. At the end of the day, I can settle for less as long it’s something I love to do. But never give up.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
I’ve read the 4 hour workweek by Tim Ferriss and then also Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, and I think they’re great. But I will say unless you start your own business a lot of these entrepreneur books won’t make any sense. The best book to read when starting out is probably an economic book and an updated book on tax laws.
Did you think one day you will be so popular?
I still don’t think that I am or at least have not gotten to a point where I can say that haha.
What do you think is the secret to have successful YouTube and TikTok channel?
Momentum. Throw 50 things and 50 different types of content at the wall from all different genres you like and see what sticks. And then build off of that and keep doing it.
How often do you post content?
Everyday. And sometimes multiple videos on various channels in one day.
What is the creative process and the editing process for your content?
The creative process for me comes in the editing. Creating content that is engaging by making sure you show all the eye catching parts and then telling the story in a fun and engaging way. It’s often hours of research to find anything that is worth making a video on or a topic that I am passionate about.
Any advice to other influencers/entrepreneurs?
I help a lot of brands and influencers grow their social media accounts and time and time again they still think the secret sauce in creating viral or at least videos that will perform well is to hashtag like crazy. Content is king. Not the marketing of it. Make good videos, everything else you want will come after.
As a popular content creator and influencer you are followed by so many people. How do you feel about that pressure of doing always the right thing, and encourage people to follow their dreams?
There’s a ton of pressure to make sure I don’t say anything that could disrupt someone’s life or scar them for life. I think about all the weird content I saw as a teenager or all the “evil” celebrity stories we hear about and how I still remember a lot of them. However, I got pretty lucky. I grew up very Christian. Like Go Jesus! Yay! To the point where I never cursed growing up. I am not Christian anymore and I have nothing against cursing but it’s to the point where it’s not in my normal vocabulary, it doesn’t come naturally for me to say it. I don’t drink. I simply don’t like it. I don’t party. I don’t smoke. I hate gambling. My content isn’t overly sexual for kids. And I hate fighting people. So with all this, I don’t feel like I need to worry about setting the wrong example. And also with everything I’ve done, I hope people will look at it and see that this is not an impossible journey. I’ve literally had friends, 12 of them, go from a restaurant staff to a full-time influencer.
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
Ask the right people for criticism and don’t be so shy about meeting new people. The only time I started to get better and improve my videos was when I finally had a friend look over everything and tell me my videos sucked. And making connections is something I should’ve done when I was much younger too.
How would your best friend describe you?
I hope he’d say I’m hard working.
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
The Tragic Life of Dave Disci and then it’s me on the cover with a top hat. I think it’d be funny.
What is your own definition of happiness?
The older I get the more I realize, lambos, mansions, and partying are not things that will make me happy. Are these things that are success indicators? Sure. They’re cool things but are they cool things if you have no one to flaunt them with or no one to talk to about your success? And your answer is probably no because the point of those things is to show it off and get acceptance. Which means having a group of supportive, loving, and accepting people around you, that’s actually what will give you happiness.
Best advice ever given?
I was at a networking event one day and I was on the phone with my mom in the bathroom for about half an hour. Just because I was too shy to talk to anyone at the party. My mom eventually asked me “if you’re not going to talk to anyone then just go home, what’s the point of you being there?” And shockingly that gave me the boost to actually go out and talk to people because otherwise I was wasting my time there.
What is next for Dave Disci in 2023?
I’m trying to get myself out there more and hopefully also collaborate with more people within my community.. I also want to cover more Kpop groups on my channel.
Something people don’t know about you?
I’m ambidextrous.
What would be the dream holiday, and who would you go with?
I’m currently in a relationship with a lovely person, and I would love to go visit Southeast Asian with them. Vietnam, Bali, and Thailand have always been a dream.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would love to meet Marilyn Monroe. I look up to her prowess and how smart she was. I would also love to meet JHope from BTS or his sister Jiwoo. I think they both have a very smart business mindset and I would love to learn from them.
Which project is still on your bucket list?
I would love to do a movie or a TV show.
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
Snuggles in bed, for sure.
Do you support any charity?
Yes! Tons. But I’ve donated most to Bowery Mission in New York. They’re a charity organization for the homeless situation in New York.
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
I do a lot of Justin Bieber. I think I feel like his voice is around my range so it’s easier. Love Yourself is a good one.
How important is Social Media for you?
Social media, needless to say, has completely overtook my life. A lot of people think it’s a shallow thing that people do to get approval from strangers or that we have to document the lunch that we ate. But that was literally social media 10 years ago and that’s so strange that people still live in that world. Now we have social media literally changing the economic status of America. Most businesses have to get on social media in order to stay alive and it’s the way most consumers like to buy now.
Where can we follow you?
I’m always scrolling on Instagram so you can find me @dave.disci. However if you want to find me on any social platform, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, just write in Dave Disci. Would love to connect with you!
Quote: “Good things come from those who wait”
Actor/Actress: Chris Pratt
Drink: Pepsi
City: New York City
Movie: The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Sport Team: Jets
Song: Euphoria By Jung Kook
Photo credit: Abraham Kantono @abraham.kantono
