Barstool Laid Him Off… Now He Has 1 Billion Views | Austin "Young Mantis" Taylor, Creator

On today's show I sat down with Austin Taylor, aka Young Mantis, a 29-year-old Fishers, Indiana content creator whose videos have surpassed 1 billion views.

Young Mantis remembers starting with the "Ref Daddy" video while interning for Pat McAfee's Barstool Heartland, lessons about professionalism, and creating early YouTube satire about IUPUI. He then won Barstool Idol in 2018, adopted the Young Mantis name, moved to New York, and navigated Barstool's approval and consent-form process before being laid off during COVID.

After returning to Indiana, he DoorDashed, freelanced, and later partnered with Brandon Ames to build a business through brand deals and short-form strategy. Viral stunts like checking into an IUPUI basketball game, Shrek Beef, a 130M-view "corn dog" clip, and free-throw endurance challenges to hit 100 and eventually 135 consecutive free throws, among many others, have elevated his brand.

If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:
- Young Mantis' Journey from Barstool Idol to Full-Time Content Creator
- Viral Stunts Elevating His Brand 
- Building Business Through Brand Deals and Content Strategy

Thank you to our partners:
Pence Media Group
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance

Check out these great clips from the show:
00:00 Followers Don't Matter
01:19 Guest Introduction: Austin "Young Mantis" Taylor, Creator
02:41 First Viral Video Ref Daddy
03:20 Pat McAfee Internship Story
10:59 Barstool Idol Win
17:48 Becoming Young Mantis
19:36 Barstool Life and Pressure
25:11 Sneaking In and Getting Banned
28:59 Shorts Era Breakthrough
30:48 Monetizing With Brandon
35:48 Creator Advice and Adaptation
40:22 Brand Deals vs Pure Views
41:43 Prediction Markets Collab
42:15 Vegas Trips and Hustle
42:38 Next Wave for Mantis
43:21 Creators and Mentors
44:17 Leaving Barstool Behind
45:38 Building Products Long Term
47:05 Process and Handling Hate
49:06 Proudest Moments and Day Jobs
50:27 Indiana Roots and Home Base
51:35 Regrets and Free Throw Stream
53:22 Dream Videos and Collabs
54:58 Fame Misconceptions and Fans
01:01:12 Jack Harlow Storytime
01:05:36 Adaptation and Trends
01:09:36 Indiana Final Three
01:13:15 Where to Follow

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