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.

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.)

00:00 Sled Jumps and Early YouTube

03:14 Thinking Like an Artist

04:39 Learning the Hard Way

07:32 The Failed College App Business

09:36 The Power of Original Content

11:39 Why Follower Counts Still Matter

13:31 Building the Rhino Brand

16:14 Shifting from Stories to Opinions

20:22 How to Hire a Video Team

25:29 Why the NBA Draft is a Mistake

29:03 Mathew Bowyer Documentary down the road

#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtliters

WHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?

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.

The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.

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.

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.