We are somewhere over the Atlantic right now, headed home to Vancouver after seventeen days in France...and I keep trying to find a sentence that best summarizes this trip and I don't think one exists.
So I will just tell you what happened.
We walked the cobblestone streets of Montmartre where Picasso and van Gogh once lived. We stood in front of Monet's water lilies, the actual canvas, paint that a real hand moved. Notre Dame. The Louvre. The Eiffel Tower lit up at night. There's a subtle magic about Paris... a synchronistic heartbeat you can feel radiating across every site.
Then we took a train south to Provence and stayed in a tiny town that taught me how to live slower and love bigger. Humble accommodations. Locals who treated us like we were welcome there. We hiked the Mary Magdalene pilgrimage and walked into the Basilique Sainte Marie Madeleine while the organ was playing, and I'm not exaggerating when I say every cell in my body smiled. We stood in lavender fields. We ate croissants that pretty much ruined every croissant I've ever had since. And we did all of it with my favorite travel buddies... the stories from that stretch alone could fill three newsletters.
We finished in the French Riviera for the Cannes Lions Festival and a leadership mastermind, staying in a villa with a view of the Mediterranean Sea. Good humans, good wine, good long talks on a terrace at the end of long days. We even had one day where we had breakfast in France, lunch in Monaco and dinner in Italy! I mean, it was just so perfect.
As I reflect on the past couple of weeks, I'm realizing I really needed this. It gave me enough space to process, to reflect, to actually look at how I want to show up for the back half of this year and beyond.
So, I'm heading into July full instead of empty, which is rare and worth naming.
Here's a look at what's happening behind the scenes at Essetino this month…
Substack Relaunch
Last month, we officially relaunched our Substack 🎉
To date, we’ve shared our expertise through YouTube videos and repurposed those into Substack posts. But lately I’ve been craving a space for deeper conversations, and I’d love to share more of my written thoughts with you on YouTube strategy, content marketing, and visibility as a whole.
Here are a few things you can expect:
Behind the scenes conversations and stories around being visible on YouTube and what it takes/what to expect
Real examples of what’s actually working right now on YouTube for consultants, coaches, speakers, educators, and personal brands using YouTube as an asset for growth
What we’ve learned building a YouTube strategy that has generated multiple six figures in revenue without paid ads, going viral, or chasing trends that don’t feel authentic to us
Insights on how to build a YouTube presence that reflects the calibre of your work and feeds your business goals, pulled straight from what we’re seeing in the field/in our work with client
If you’re the type to enjoy more raw thoughts, stories and behind-the-scenes content, you’ll probably feel right at home here.
To get a taste, I invite you to read these first two articles since the relaunch (if you haven’t already):
I Resented Creating Content for Years
The Viewer Who Hires You is Searching Not Scrolling
Q3 and Q4 Goals
July is also a good checkpoint to re-assess and re-align goals for the rest of the year. We zoom out to look at the bigger picture and ask ourselves what’s working? What’s not? What do we want more of? What feels aligned...and what feels like we’re doing it just because we always have?
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be mapping out and rejigging our plans for Q3 and Q4, including some exciting projects, speaking opportunities, and ways we can better serve our community.
It’s one of our favourite exercises because it brings so much clarity and intention to everything we create.
We ran our first 4-hr YouTube Strategy Lab this past month and it was a HUGE success with our community and the Thought Leadership Collective 🎉
We absolutely LOVE turning that intimidation around YouTube in people into excitement and pure “holy sh*t why have I not done this sooner!”
Some big wins were shared in the room like:
“I’m updating my YouTube channel now”
“I’m so clear now on what I need to do next”
“I’m going to film videos this weekend”
“This finally feels DOABLE!”
We’re considering hosting more virtual hands-on workshops like this, where we actually get work done for your YouTube channel together in the room. I’d love to hear from you - is this something you’d be interested in? Comment below.
What’s sparking joy for us this month is simple: a Vancouver summer. ☀️
We’re hoping to do Widgeon Falls again, the hike near Pitt Meadows where you canoe through the marshes first and the waterfall is only reachable by water, hidden in the forest like it’s testing whether you actually want to find it. You do. The effort is sooo worth it.
And we’re planning a trip to Playland, which is the main amusement park here in Vancouver. Going to take my 3 nephews there (they’re ages 7, 10, 13) when we get back from France. Fun fact: Vancouver is home to Canada’s oldest wooden roller coaster 🎢 it’s rickety as hell but that’s why everyone loves it. I’m not a fan of the roller coaster but reeeaaally love the Atmosfear ride. It’s a next level swing ride - you’re raised 218ft up to the sky while spinning 360° at 70km/hr. For some, it’s a ride that leaves you begging for solid ground but for others (including moi) - it’s a breathtaking experience that makes you feel like flying with a gorgeous panoramic view of the entire city.
“Be the first.”
✅ Later this week, we share a presentation we did with Hailey Rowe discussing our YouTube Authority Formula.
✅ Next week, Jewel explains how to add or remove admin access to your YouTube channel, an updated version of this video for 2026.
✅ Soon after, I share 19 tips to make filming YouTube videos easier for business owners - all tried, true and tested by us!
✅ Then later in the month, we talk about how YouTube invited us to their creator event in Cannes. I go through the process of filling out the form, and will update you guys if we get to go.
Make sure you’re subscribed to our YouTube Channel so you don’t miss a thing…
Talk soon,
Auret & Jewel
By Auret Esselen & Jewel Tolentino
A fresh take on using YouTube for experts, business owners and thought leaders - we call it the Anti-Viral Strategy. Subscribe for weekly insights on growing your presence, getting found in search, and attracting aligned clients through YouTube - all backed by what works now and 11+ years of real-world experience.
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