Bret “Hoodie” Numedahl is one of the masterminds behind some of YouTube’s biggest channels, helping creators reach millions while maintaining sustainable, effective workflows.
From uploading videos in his mom’s basement to leading content strategy for top creators, Hoodie has built a reputation for understanding what makes content go viral and how to build systems that keep creators focused on what they do best.
With a deep belief in consistent improvement and a decade of hands-on experience, Hoodie shares insights into content workflows, creator mindset, avoiding burnout, and what it takes to stay ahead in the fast-paced world of online video.
We’re incredibly grateful to Hoodie for taking the time to share his input and insights for this piece. His openness and thoughtful reflections are not only inspiring but also practical for creators and teams looking to elevate their content while staying true to their mission.
IMAGE: BRET “HOODIE” NUMEDAHL
What’s the first thing you look for when evaluating a creator’s content workflow?
The main thing I look for is how optimized the workflow is around the content creator. Every part of the process should be built to support the creator in doing what they do best: making viral content.
A lot of the time when I go in, I see creators focusing on tasks that don’t play to their strengths—day-to-day, mundane work that doesn’t impact virality or views, but takes time away from what actually matters.
The first thing I tend to do is study their breakdown across four areas:
- How much time do they spend deciding?
- How much time do they spend doing?
- How much time do they spend designing?
- How much time do they spend delegating?
All of these are important, but for the creator, the focus should be on designing the future of the channel and where they want to drive their audience. They should then delegate tasks that don’t require their direct involvement but can be approved and executed by someone like me or a team.
You went from uploading in your mom’s basement to leading strategy for some of the biggest YouTube channels—what mindset helped drive that journey?
What drives me is consistent improvement. Ever since those early days, I’ve believed in YouTube and what it could do, so I dedicated all my time to learning the platform, constantly improving, never making excuses, and always pushing forward, learning through failure.
In my mind, if I’ve done everything I possibly can, it’s going to be pretty hard to beat me at what I do. Daily self-improvement for over a decade, doing everything I can to be the best, is my biggest motivator.
What was the turning point in helping Kwebbelkop reach 10 million subscribers and earn the Diamond Play Button?
The biggest factors were consistency and trend awareness.
We dedicated ourselves to uploading every single day, and during my time there, we never missed an upload—even posting two videos a day during the holidays.
Pairing that consistency with keeping an eye on trends put us in a strong position. We could spot a trend exploding, film quickly, turn it around fast, and upload regularly, which helped us stay ahead on YouTube.
You’ve helped content teams avoid burnout while maintaining daily uploads—how do you balance efficiency with creativity?
Nobody is creative when they’re burnt out. Your brain just doesn’t function the same way, and it’s incredibly hard to come up with innovative ideas when you’re running on empty.
Proper time management and understanding what actually matters are crucial. If you spend five hours on something that has a 0.1% impact on a video, you’re taking those hours away from rest or from something that would have a bigger impact.
Making sure teams know what to prioritize while also valuing rest and health sounds obvious, but many people tunnel-vision on things that don’t truly matter.
What’s one thing people often get wrong about the role of a Social Media Content Production Manager?
How hands-on it is. I spend nearly every hour I can working on content—filming, writing, editing, and being on set to ensure it’s filmed properly. People might assume it’s just working from home in a cushy chair all day, but not quite, haha.
What excites you most about working on Beast Games, and how is this project pushing you differently than your past work?
Beast Games makes you think in an entirely different way. It’s expanded my skill set in writing, knowing that every single decision we make affects who could win the largest grand prize in entertainment history.
We’ve had to dive deep into every possible outcome and understand how each impacts the game. All of the content is unscripted; we’re just building a sandbox for contestants to make decisions and create content, but the outcome is entirely driven by how they play.
Knowing there’s a $10 million prize on the line pushes you to create something that justifies the spectacle. You’re not going to have people play tic-tac-toe for a prize that size—you want to create something phenomenal.
For creators just starting out, what’s one lesson from your early days that still holds true today?
Just post. Just do the thing.
Whatever you’re aiming for, start now. A lot of people get stuck in the planning and overthinking stage, but every day you’re not working on getting better, you’re falling behind someone else who wants it more.
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