Simone Giertz Reflects on 10 Years as a YouTube Inventor and Creator

Simone Giertz

Reflecting on a Decade of Invention and Growth [0:00]

Simone Giertz opens by contrasting her current life, including her LA workshop, product business with patents (e.g., packing tape, foldable coat hanger), and dog, with her life 10 years ago.

• The catalyst for her career was posting the "toothbrush helmet" video a decade ago. [0:26]
  • This video marks her 10-year anniversary as an inventor on YouTube.
• She also works on a stained glass piece throughout the video, which turns out to be a representation of the toothbrush helmet, symbolizing her journey. [0:42]

Defining Personal Success [1:29]

Giertz shares that early in her career, she experienced significant stress from public criticism and algorithmic pressures.

• To combat this, she made a pivotal decision to clearly define success for herself, rather than letting external factors dictate it. [1:46]
  • 1. Being proud of her projects: This was paramount, overriding concerns about views or external recognition. [2:14]

    

  • 2. Being in control of her time: She prioritized autonomy over her schedule and work. [2:24]

    

  • 3. Caring for real relationships: Valuing the love of those close to her over the approval of strangers. [2:34]

    

• Based on these principles, she consciously chose a sustainable pace for her career: [2:41]
  • Releasing approximately one video per month.
  • Avoiding over-hiring or excessive content production to maintain control and prevent the business from overwhelming her. [2:51]
• She also highlights new products she has released through her Yetch Studio:
  • The "Patch Cap," an all-hook-and-loop hat for attaching various items. [1:01]

    

  • The "Spool Table," a giant thread spool-inspired side table, which is now available for purchase. [3:32]

    

The Importance of Authenticity and Saying No [6:05]

Giertz emphasizes the value of honesty with oneself about personal desires.

• She differentiates between "amping yourself up" for necessary tasks (like ad reads) and lacking genuine excitement for the overall direction of one's career. [6:22]
• She shares a personal example of realizing she didn't genuinely want to go to space, despite having discussed it extensively and started a docu-series. [6:33]
  • The primary motivation for wanting to go to space was superficial (to "be cool at dinner parties"). [7:01]
  • Despite the shame and difficulty of quitting a project involving many people's efforts, she made the hard decision to stop. [7:12]

    

• Quitting, though difficult, was the right decision, as dragging it out would have been worse. [7:37]
• The ability to say "no" to things that don't feel right is described as a "superpower." [7:43]

Gratitude and Future Outlook [7:53]

Giertz reflects on a letter she wrote to her past self, asking for advice while unhappy in a previous job and unsure of her path.

• She realizes that since becoming an inventor, she has not felt that uncertainty or unhappiness once. [8:16]
• Her current fulfilling career originated from the "toothbrush helmet" video. [8:21]
• She expresses profound gratitude to her audience for their decade-long support, acknowledging that their viewership enables her lifestyle. [8:25]
• She thanks long-time followers who have witnessed her journey through: [8:40]
  • Awkward content experiments
  • Excessive cussing
  • Health problems
  • Creative qualms
• Giertz feels she is becoming more and more herself with each passing year, concluding by expressing excitement for what she and her audience will create together in the next decade. [8:50]