How This Dad Built a 100K Chess Channel (w/ Epic Chess) | 048

05/09/25 • 90 min

Dillan interviews James Gardner—the man behind Epic Chess.
James is a British YouTuber who’s built a comedic and high-skill chess analysis channel with over 100,000 subscribers. His videos blend educational game breakdowns, storytelling, and humor, making chess entertaining for enthusiasts and casual fans.
They discuss: how to build long-term success on YouTube without burning out, the power of storytelling in thumbnails and titles, the challenge of idea generation, finding your unfair advantages as a creator, monetization beyond AdSense, how to create consistently without losing your soul, and much more.
Epic Chess's links...
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@epicchess2021
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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor
Newsletter: https://www.grindstone.coach/newsletter
Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/Music by myboy.scoochy:
https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/

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0:00 Intro
1:04 Why James started Epic Chess
13:44 Breaking down the early Epic Chess channel
18:14 How James has improved his content over 3 years
27:24 The value of just getting started
30:05 When to push vs when to pivot
36:05 James’s creative system for posting every day
39:18 Why he makes the thumbnail first
40:19 Polished vs authentic content
46:09 Thumbnail strategies and AI tools
52:52 Sponsorships, revenue breakdown, and boundaries
1:04:41 Sustainable success and reframing burnout
1:15:41 Epic Chess links & Dillan's tattoo
1:19:06 Dillan vs. James blitz game
1:29:49 Bye bye bye

Previous Episode

How This Creator Made $30K/Month Making TikTok Ads (w/ Tyler Lang) | 047

Dillan interviews Tyler Lang—aka FatalGlytch.
Tyler is a full-time content creator and UGC (user-generated content) strategist who has made over $30,000 in a single month creating viral ads for brands through programs like TikTok One.
They discuss: how Tyler transitioned from gaming content to UGC ads, how to make $20k/month creating UGC, what makes a great ad, beginner steps to break into the UGC industry, how to price and package brand deals, key legal terms like “perpetuity” and “likeness,” and how to avoid burnout while building a full-time creator career, and much more.
Tyler's links...
Twitter / X: https://x.com/FatalGlytch
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FatalGlytch
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Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

•••
0:00 Intro
1:00 What is UGC content?
3:49 Tyler’s creator journey
10:16 Beginner tips for breaking into UGC
21:25 Step-by-step of a UGC brand deal
26:33 How to package and price your content
32:54 Why creators should avoid perpetuity
33:44 What are Spark Ads?
36:29 Explaining likeness, exclusivity, and legal rights
42:39 How and when creators get paid
46:57 Hardest parts of being a UGC creator
50:46 What makes a great ad
55:34 Tyler’s experience in the Grindstone program
58:24 Bye bye bye

Next Episode

34 Lessons Streamers Learn the Hard Way (w/ Katliente) | 049

Dillan interviews Katliente.

Kat is a full-time creator known for her Twitch streams, viral TikToks, and YouTube channel where she shares candid creator advice and commentary. She’s built a loyal following by blending humor, hustle, and brutal honesty about life as a content creator.

They discuss: how she grew from 0 to Twitch Partner, the harsh realities of being a female streamer, how to stop being boring on stream, what makes or breaks creators, how to pivot content without killing your channel, the business behind her $13k/month creator income, how to build real community, and much more.

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Katliente's links...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/katlienteeeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katnchat
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katliente.ttv/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katlienteTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/katlienteSponsor Guide: https://katliente.notion.site/SPONSORSHIP-GUIDE-v2-34073f2fec2644b1b83bd9df0e1b70c0

•••

Follow Dillan on the interwebs...

Twitter / X: https://x.com/dillanroytaylor
Newsletter: https://www.grindstone.coach/newsletter
Apply for Grindstone Coaching: https://www.grindstone.coach/ Music by myboy.scoochy:
https://www.instagram.com/myboy.scoochy/

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0:00 Intro
0:39 Why “being a cute girl” didn’t grow Kat’s Twitch
6:31 Specific improvements she made to stop being boring
11:16 Why she pivoted from gaming to streaming advice
15:43 How to pivot content without killing your channel
22:29 What’s getting easier and harder?
28:44 How Kat builds community and trust
33:07 3 big mistakes streamers make
40:42 Dillan's coaching career
44:57 Her most damaging vs. most valuable mistake
51:40 How Kat makes $13k+/month as a creator
1:11:18 How to get sponsors with a small audience
1:15:50 Kat's systems for sponsors
1:25:50 Talent agency vs. management agency
1:28:49 Kat's #1 advice for a stuck creator
1:32:01 Bye bye bye