The Social Media Playbook.
Enroll nowBuild your YouTube channel. Find your direction on Instagram.
Learn the creative side and the business behind it.
In development · Enrollment inquiries by email
Meet Mike.
I turned my passion for YouTube into a sustainable business. Now I want to help you build something of your own.
I’m Michael J. Mitchell, MikeTheCompass. I’m 32, and I’ve been building this since I was 18. I started with sneakers, grew A Sneaker Life, and expanded into technology, home, and everyday lifestyle content.
Along the way, I’ve built communities across platforms and worked with brands across sneakers, technology, home, and lifestyle. I want to share the creative side and the business side, including the things I wish I’d understood earlier.
Whether you want to make this your full-time work or build a side hustle around something you enjoy, there’s room to make it fit your life.
More of my storyWhere these numbers come from
Audience combines my three main YouTube channels, Instagram, and TikTok. Platform counts overlap and are not unique people. Public YouTube subscriber counts are rounded. Combined snapshot: approximately 871,895.
YouTube views: A Sneaker Life (88,668,831) + MikeTheCompass (15,640,483) = 104,309,314. Public channel totals checked October 19, 2026. Instagram and TikTok use my latest saved snapshots from October 15–16, 2026.
Some of the brands I’ve worked with.
What to expect.
A practical look at building your content, your audience, and the opportunities that can come with it.
We’ll start with finding your direction and creating videos you can keep making. Then we’ll get into YouTube, Instagram, understanding your audience, and preparing to work with brands.
I’m building the course around real examples from my channels, clear walkthroughs, and exercises you can apply to your own content. You don’t need a perfect setup or a huge following to start learning.
Explore the planned curriculumLet’s get you creating.
Interested in the course? Email me with where you are now and what you want to build.
The course is still in development. I’ll share the availability, format, and price before you commit.
Inside the playbook.
The planned curriculum. Lessons and format are being developed.
Your channel, your direction
- Choose who you want to reach and what you want to be known for.
- Find the overlap between your interests and what people want to watch.
- Set up a clear channel identity and content themes.
Build your first content plan
- Find ideas in audience questions and everyday experience.
- Choose repeatable formats instead of starting from scratch.
- Plan a realistic first month of content.
Get comfortable making videos
- Outline a video without scripting away your personality.
- Work with the camera, lighting, and sound you already have.
- Film on-camera segments and useful B-roll.
Edit with a purpose
- Build a clear story and an opening that gets to the point.
- Cut what does not help the video.
- Create an editing workflow you can repeat.
Package and publish on YouTube
- Develop titles and thumbnails that represent the video clearly.
- Set up your uploads and channel pages.
- Build a publishing schedule around your actual life.
Build on Instagram and short-form
- Make Reels, posts, and Stories with a clear purpose.
- Adapt an idea for Instagram and TikTok.
- Use short-form to support your longer videos and community.
Understand what is working
- Read views, retention, engagement, and audience feedback in context.
- Look for patterns across videos.
- Decide what to improve for the next upload.
Turn your work into opportunities
- Build a portfolio and identify brands that fit your content.
- Write a direct pitch and prepare for a partnership conversation.
- Understand deliverables, pricing, usage, and different revenue opportunities.
Before you get started.
Who is this for?
People starting a YouTube channel or building an Instagram presence, and creators who have started posting but want a clearer plan. TikTok is included in the short-form lessons.
Do I need to do this full-time?
No. You can build your content around a job, family, or other commitments. A side hustle is a valid goal too.
Is enrollment open?
Not yet. The Enroll now buttons take you to my email section so you can ask about the course. There’s no payment or automatic enrollment on this page.
Can I work with you now?
My one-on-one personal branding and content strategy consultation is available now: $200 USD for a 60-minute Google Meet call.
Book a consultation