How to land a job working for a YouTube star and what it’s like, according to Ryan Trahan’s creative director

• Preston White is YouTube star Ryan Trahan’s creative director.
• White helps develop content for the YouTube channel, which has 13 million subscribers.
• White shared what steps he took to land his job and what the role is like.

Preston White had no idea that applying to compete in YouTube star Ryan Trahan’s new video series would lead to a major career — and life — change.

White, who grew up in Austin, Texas, worked as an engineering project manager, spending his days on the field and in sales.

But everything changed for him in 2021, when he applied on Instagram to be a contestant on Trahan’s video series “5 Strangers vs. 1 Imposter,” in which five strangers competed to guess and vote off the “odd one out,” a paid actor who was deceiving them.

White had always been interested in the arts. In college, he studied communications, and in middle school, he made YouTube videos for fun with his friends, idolizing many YouTubers such as Smosh and Ryan Higa.

In Trahan’s three-part video series, White and two other contestants, including Zach Levet (who also landed a job with Trahan), were named finalists. The group will share a $10,000 prize. But the real prize for both White and Levet was meeting Trahan, who would later become their boss, friend, and one of YouTube’s top creators with 13 million subscribers.

The contestants spent nearly a week straight with Trahan for the video series, which led to White, Levet, and Trahan staying in touch after the competition.

Later that year, Trahan posted on Instagram that he was looking for help: someone in Austin who could help him with his YouTube channel. White immediately called Trahan and was placed on trial as Trahan’s producer, which led to his full-time position as creative director.

White’s transition to the creator economy is just one example of a broader industry shift. Many creators are forming in-house teams, and you don’t have to be a “creator” to work in the industry. There are many jobs that work with creators, ranging from creative careers such as video editor, script writer, and thumbnail artist to more traditional roles such as financial advisor, strategist, and producer. There’s even a YouTuber job site where YouTubers can find and hire new teammates, or professionals can apply to work with a creator.

Working for a YouTube celebrity teaches you valuable lessons.

As creative director, White, 28, said he wears many hats and uses skills he learned in engineering, such as managing schedules, talking to clients, and scheduling meetings. White also had college editing and camera work experience.

“For the most part, it was a totally new space, and Ryan definitely guided me,” White explained. “It was definitely scary because it was like a trial period at the time.” So Ryan said, “I can’t pay you what you’re making now, and I can’t guarantee you’ll be working for me in three months.” So it was a big scary leap, especially since my wife was pregnant at the time.”

YouTube creators typically work on their own schedules and can work as much or as little as they want.

“It really comes down to discipline,” said White. “There’s no clocking in and out.”

He said that before he found the right balance and routine, he would spend nights texting Trahan and the team until midnight, unable to turn off his mind and rest.

But, even with a schedule, the life of a YouTuber can be unpredictable, and it can be difficult not to become completely immersed in their online world.

While White does not create his own content, he has made a name for himself in the creator economy through his association with Trahan, and the job requires him to travel across the country, and even the world, for videos. This was especially true during Trahan’s “penny series,” in which the team spent 30 days in a van driving across the United States with one penny and the goal of raising money for Feeding America.

“It was hard because I was away from my family for a month, but it was also the most fun I think I’ve ever had,” White said.

His weekly schedule and behind-the-scenes

The team’s weekly schedule consists of completing a variety of the same few tasks.

They have a team meeting on Mondays where they sit down and discuss the week. They’ll also go over edits and creative direction, which can range from the clothes worn in the video to brand deal execution. The rest of the day is spent on the computer, sometimes planning videos, making phone calls, sending emails, and figuring out travel logistics.

Tuesdays are also dedicated to team meetings.

“We have calls with our clothing manufacturers, and then we spend the rest of that day on a creative kick designing,” White explained. “I spend a lot of time on my iPad drawing up designs and stuff that day and then the rest of the week.”

According to White, the team typically films content on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays every other week.

Other weeks, he said, they’ll spend more time making calls and planning, which often includes placing orders on Amazon or going to Walmart.

“I kind of do it all,” White explained. “Some weeks I’ll create a thumbnail set, while others I’ll have to plan our trips, such as to a foreign country.”