Check Out Robert Warren’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Warren

Hi Robert, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As the whole social media scene really started to grow, I developed a desire to be a content creator but always felt like I didn’t have the skill or anything interesting to create; that was really just an excuse I was using out of fear. Sometimes you need a kick in the pants to motivate you past the fear. My kick was losing a long-standing job, which created a financial hole. I worked for a company for over 15 years as their Director of Technology, and for the last 5 years, I have been working part-time remotely as their system admin. Then, one day, out of the blue, they decided they didn’t need my services and laid me off without warning and with no type of severance at all. After losing my job and part of my income, I realized I didn’t want to be reliant solely on someone else for my financial security. So last year, I embarked on a new endeavor, being a content creator on a couple of different YouTube channels that I created.

One is my podcast I do with a good friend who lives in Canada. The name of the podcast is @unitedwestanddividedwepodcast, and it has been a lot of fun. My primary channel is a tech channel called @gadgetguyzgadgets where I do technology product unboxing and reviews. It is the most successful and has grown pretty well over the past 12 months and is now monetized.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey and creative path have definitely been up and down. I came into the content creation world a little naive about the process and really what it took to be successful. I really had to move past my “Imposter Syndrome” mindset that I didn’t belong. I had to learn new skills and really push my boundaries in being creative. That’s not my strongest skill set. But I never shy away from learning; being in technology for over 30 years, you have to be willing to learn because things change so fast that you have to stay current on new trends and processes.

It has actually been a lot of fun learning the skills I needed and watching my channel grow.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Since my YouTube content creation doesn’t pay the bills yet I am still in my full-time career of being a sys admin/IT manager. I love what I do and I love technology. I enjoy finding ways to have the technology work for me and how I can use it to make my life and others’ lives more convenient and fun.

That led me to be very involved in the smart home/smart device technology space. There is so much new innovation that you can really have a lot of fun designing your perfect smart home. I want to help others do the same that don’t have the tech skills and background that I have.

I would say that as far as what I am most proud of regarding my passion and skillset is growing my YouTube channel and getting it monetized. That took a lot of work and still does, but it is so much fun, and I love seeing how I have improved my skills. I am very much a hands-on do it to learn it kind of guy, and I am very good at critical thinking my way through things even if I don’t have a lot of first-hand knowledge or experience. Once I set my mind to something, I am dedicated to doing the best I can to make whatever I am doing successful.

What does success mean to you?
Success is a very relative word, and for me, success is applying yourself 100% to whatever you do and being happy about where you are and what you are doing. Every endeavor you embark on is going to turn out the way you want, but if you put 100% into it and do your absolute best to make it work, then you are successful. As long as you are learning from your failures then they are really not failures because, ultimately, what you learn will help you succeed. Success is also having a happy and full life with family and friends. Of course, you need to have a successful career and make money to do the things you want, but true success comes from you being happy and fulfilled regardless of the size of your bank account.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cloud9teck.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ugcwithrobert
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gadgetguyssmarthome
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gadgetguyz/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GadgetGuysSmartHome and https://youtube.com/@unitedwestanddividedwepodcast