Today we’d like to introduce you to All Cool Entertainment (Ace).
Hi, All Cool Entertainment; we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is All Cool Entertainment (Ace) and this is my story. I started creating digital content by playing popular video games that I also enjoyed, especially those with interesting storytelling and deep lore. Gaming had always been a form of escapism for me, so to turn that hobby into content that other people could enjoy excited me. The content that people enjoyed the most, based on YouTube views and interactions, was content that focused on showcasing purchasable in-game items, my opinions on those items, and deep character lore. While others focused on gameplay and performance, few were in this niche space at the time. Still, I was providing value to my subscribers and viewers to make informed decisions on products they could not see in these video games without having purchased these items themselves and through my storytelling.
In Boston, MA, where I was born and raised, I would start to fund the in-game purchases with my six-figure salary from my IT career that I had obtained by climbing the corporate ladder. Without a college degree, I could only climb that corporate ladder by constantly pushing away time with my friends and family and working extremely hard on my IT craft. I would constantly miss birthdays and regular nights out on the town to focus on my day job and this new content-creating adventure. Even then, the idea of going out and drinking for fun never appealed to me. I would then take the money from my video views on YouTube as part of their partner program as a sort of a ROI and put that towards future videos, similar to models we see from successful creators like “Mr. Beast.” That worked for me for some time until other creators started to occupy the same niche gaming space and did so in ways that I couldn’t and wouldn’t so it was time to pivot. While working on the gaming content I occasionally tried to talk about movies, tv shows, and other forms of entertainment as is my name, ALL Cool Entertainment. Unfortunately, and understandably, my gaming YouTube audience responded poorly to that content, so pivoting would not be easy, but I would still try. I had to find a way to provide value to my audience while also offering something unique, as I did with the gaming content. I believed I needed another niche or less occupied space, but what would that be?
In the meantime, my fiancé and I started to enjoy coming to Orlando for little weekend trips. We would discover the theme parks and beautiful weather and started to appreciate what all of the fuss was about. No snow? Sounds great to me! This is one of the reasons my late father and some other family members moved to Florida years ago and now I understood. We would end up booking more and more trips throughout the years and I would soon realize that this was what I was looking for based on my confusing theme park experiences. Park Hop? Dining plans? Specially ticketed events? Reservations? Fast Pass? What does any of this mean? Can’t I just come here, purchase a ticket, and go to a theme park? Those questions would keep coming up every trip and I would lose myself completely. So my goal was to provide value to my viewers by informing them of the best practices, food, and “how to” guides for the theme parks that I love and more.
To properly do this I realized that I couldn’t follow this dream by staying in my hometown and that the pandemic allowed me to take a chance and leave. It canceled my wedding and plans so my fiancé and I decided to pack up everything and go. We didn’t have a lot but let’s say the car on the drive down here was as full as possible. Also, I couldn’t keep my Boston job and had to forfeit it for a job that pays almost 3-4x less than what I was making even though that job was making me miserable.
We drove through heavy storms that we were not used to and through new places we had never been to together until we reached our new temporary home. Temporary because we needed to figure out if this would work out. Those first few months were tough, working 2-3 jobs to get by. There was even a moment between Airbnb’s and whatnot where we were technically homeless for a few hours. I kept asking myself why did we risk it all? Thankfully, my brilliant fiancé found us a place that we love.
Now that we were settled in Orlando it was time for me to create content. My YouTube audience, now at over 6,000 subscribers and still growing, seemed to only care for some of the non-gaming content I was putting out and the competition in that space was fierce. Competition is good, but I want to provide unique original content to my community as best I can. I thought I would post my non-gaming content somewhere else and thus the age of my TikTok began. TikTok has been such a huge boost for me. It helps me reach audiences with quick, straight-to-the-point content directly with my viewers. There is no need for high-budget editing on a PC. Everything is done on my phone and instantly pushed to a huge audience. Now at over 13,000 followers, I am seeing a 500+% growth rate, which is still going up! Of course, focusing on TikTok had me neglecting my other platforms, so YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and even Twitter will get much more content in the coming months. That is where I am today. This next year you will see a lot more of All Cool Entertainment.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a challenging road! I do not profit from content creation, so the little money I make, which I appreciate, goes back into it. I gave up a job, granted I was miserable there, making 3-4x what I make now to move down to Florida and follow my dreams. Whether that was necessary may be debatable but what’s not is the hardest part of all this: telling people what you’re doing and having them truly understand what you’re trying to do in this new age of social media. Watching people you know look at you differently and not understand what you’re trying to accomplish can wear you down. It’s unfortunate that until they see actual growth that they do not really believe in you (if they ever do) but if you want something and are unhappy then you need to follow your dreams. Moving somewhere new, not knowing anyone and making friends are challenges. It is very lonely and isolating at times.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Creating content and engaging with other people online, teaching them something, is always rewarding. It can get very lonely out here, and having that connection to people means a lot. Telling stories with my Lore videos, showing people how to save money, or giving my honest opinion on a product or service can help them plan their vacations. The key enemy to a good vacation is Time. Utilizing time properly can make or break a great vacation or trip.
Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share? We’re always looking for lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis.
The Covid-19 Crisis was terrible for many people, and I am very fortunate in how I got through it. As horrible as it was, I have to be thankful that it gave me perspective and pushed me to make the necessary changes to a miserable life. As challenging as life may be, having to balance work and content creation, I love living in Orlando and I am so much happier now and love the community I am creating. Although Hurricanes, I could do without.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/allcoolentertainment
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acefromallcoolentertainment
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087607415227
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AceChirps
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@AllCoolEntertainment
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@allcoolentertainment
Image Credits
All Cool Entertainment
