From its launch, in December 2015 this site had a special something about it. My first encounter with it was in early 2006 because it was a source of crazy videos. Youtube dominated the user-generated video content space so well that Google was forced to buy as its own attempt failed. All this to say youtube is its own type of internet space. We’ve done articles on websites, facebook pages, podcasts for entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe and this one continues the series by looking at youtube channels to subscribe to if you like to consume content via video format. My only regret with this list is the lack of a Zimbabwean channel to recommend so if you know one please do let us know.
Vusi Thembekwayo
The eloquently spoken South African thinker has a brilliant youtube channel which features a lot of footage of him live in action and delivering top-level business lessons in his unique style. It’s not really a place where I would say you go to learn any one thing, this channel teaches you lessons as you watch him in action at workshops and masterminds. So it’s about opening your mind to some unheralded issues in business that are none the less important. Perhaps the best thing about Mr Thembekwayo is how he uses simple language to explain the most complex of concepts.
Financial Bunny (Nicolette Mashile)
Nicolette Mashile can best be described as being focused on personal finance. So she is not straight forward business but financial management is, of course, a big part of business. Her discussions and ideas are very much focused on the South African context so you have to listen for the concepts rather than the specifics. That said she does great deep dives into important issues in finance while telling her story and real-life experiences with many of the cases she discusses.
TED
TEDTalks has always been focused on curating some of the best ideas from the best thinkers, leaders, and entrepreneurs from all over the world. This channel takes that process a step further, curating the talks from TED conferences and presenting them in video form. This is a fantastic channel for general inspiration and deep thoughts.
Skillshare
This online learning community, which is “home to an abundance of talented and accomplished teachers, as well as over 3 million students,” is perfect for those of us with side hustles and ambitions to learn more and expand our knowledge sets. It’s also ideal for people who are serious about starting a new business and succeeding with it because it allows you to be a solopreneur while still connecting with a community of mentors. Skillshare allows creators to subscribe for $8 a month, as part of its “mission to unlock universal access to learning.” Once you do, you can access any of the thousands of classes in business, design, photography, and other topics and take them whenever you have time. You can also teach a class of your own, growing your audience as an expert.
Robin Sharma
With clients like GE, Microsoft, Nike, and 15 best-selling leadership books to his credit, Robin Sharma’s YouTube channel has a lot to offer business owners. Sharma’s focus is on self-help advice for businesses, in a sense, and his overall message is that if you find your passion and do your best work, fame and success will naturally follow.
Startup Grind
Startup Grind is a smaller yet still global community of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other business professionals. The purpose of the YouTube channel is to connect everyone in this community, to allow members to educate each other, and features discussions with entrepreneurs from an array of industries who can share their lessons and experiences that might be helpful to others. The channel also helps connect entrepreneurs to monthly events all over the world—and if you can’t go, you can watch videos and see what happened.
Gary Vaynerchuck
Serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck can’t sit still, but on YouTube, that’s a positive. The author, expert, and business guru provides advice and strategies on social media and marketing on this channel, along with Q&A videos with viewer input. Vaynerchuk can be a little rough around the edges, and so what? He talks like a regular guy until you listen to what he’s saying and realize he’s telling you things that can help you grow your business into a winner—and he knows from experience.
Stanford Graduate Business School
Think you can’t learn anything from going back to school? Think again. The Stanford Graduate School of Business channel is a fantastic source of information, featuring everything from talks with notables like Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook and Debra Lee of BET, to thought-provoking videos with graphics on topics like “Why Hollywood and Silicon Valley Need Each Other” and “How Women Can Overcome Bias at Work.” A useful channel for just about anyone doing business anywhere.
Y Combinator
This channel is a must for anyone interested in startups, and it can add a ton of value even for people just interested in running a smart business, too. Here you can find “how-to” videos on creating and running a startup, podcasts with guests like Elon Musk and Anu Hariharan, short videos about business and startups from people like Mark Zuckerberg, and from Y combinator conferences featuring the latest in unicorn businesses.
Evan Carmicheal
Evan Carmichael’s channel is a must-have. Evan does great compilation videos of lessons from business and thought leaders all over the world and has even featured business lessons from Strive Masiyiwa. It’s a great way to learn and Evan himself also gives some really good insights and lessons as he sometimes posts videos of himself in action.
