Inside a Sports Shorts Empire: The Frank Michael Smith Story

<p>Frank Michael Smith has built what millions only dream of: a digital media empire with billions of views. But he didn't do it by taking shortcuts, using view bots, or getting lucky. </p><p><br /></p><p>Today, we get to the bottom of what it means to be a sports creator and an entrepreneur. We trace Frank's steps from filming sled jump highlight reels in 2007 to pitching an early app to 500-person college lecture halls. Frank breaks down why he refuses to micromanage his creative team, why the NBA needs to abolish its draft, and his aspirations for a feature-length documentary on Mathew Bowyer. (He also explains how a single comment turned into a piece of merchandise that his wife couldn't wait to get out of their house.)</p><p><br /></p><p>00:00 Sled Jumps and Early YouTube</p><p>03:14 Thinking Like an Artist</p><p>04:39 Learning the Hard Way</p><p>07:32 The Failed College App Business</p><p>09:36 The Power of Original Content</p><p>11:39 Why Follower Counts Still Matter</p><p>13:31 Building the Rhino Brand</p><p>16:14 Shifting from Stories to Opinions</p><p>20:22 How to Hire a Video Team</p><p>25:29 Why the NBA Draft is a Mistake</p><p>29:03 Mathew Bowyer Documentary down the road</p><p><br /></p><p>#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtliters</p><p><br /></p><p>WHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?</p><p><br /></p><p>Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.</p><p>The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.</p><p>The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that.</p><p>If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.</p>