The Diary of a CEOGrowing A 10+ Million Youtube Following At The Age of 22: Joe Sugg | E172
CHAPTERS
- 2:00 – 7:00
Loud Child, Shy Teen: Early Life and Personality Shifts
Joe describes his evolution from a loud, attention-seeking child to a shy, self-deprecating teenager navigating a huge jump from a 52-pupil primary school to a 1,000-pupil secondary school. He explains how early teasing led him to use self-deprecation as a defensive tool and how he always had quiet inner confidence in his abilities despite social insecurity.
- •Transition from loud, “annoying” child to timid, shy adolescent
- •Impact of moving from a tiny rural primary school to a large secondary school
- •Use of self-deprecation to disarm teasing and potential bullying
- •Distinction between academic confidence and social anxiety
- •Early creative interests in drawing and animation
- 7:00 – 13:00
From Archeologist Dreams to Roof Thatching and Plan B Thinking
Joe details his childhood aspirations—from archeology to animation at Aardman—and how work experience with his uncle led him into traditional roof thatching. He fell in love with the tangible satisfaction of finishing a roof, yet kept A‑levels as a safety net, revealing an enduring tension between self-belief and the need for multiple backup plans.
- •Early career aspirations: archeologist, animator at Aardman
- •Discovering roof thatching through work experience and loving outdoor, physical work
- •Emotional reward of seeing a finished roof and wanting that feeling for life
- •Keeping A‑levels to preserve the option of university and media careers
- •Using roof thatching as a psychological safety net when trying YouTube
- 13:00 – 23:00
Self-Confidence, Self-Doubt, and the Roots of Procrastination
Prompted by Bartlett, Sugg explores the coexistence of strong internal confidence with chronic self-doubt and indecision. They discuss procrastination as avoidance of psychological discomfort, mislabeling it as ‘perfectionism,’ and how an idealized vision of creative outcomes blocks him from starting or finishing projects.
- •Joe’s inner battle between best-case and worst-case thinking
- •Procrastination driven by fear that reality won’t match imagined perfection
- •Nir Eyal’s framing of procrastination as avoidance of discomfort, not laziness
- •How calling oneself a ‘perfectionist’ can be flattering self-deception
- •Examples of unfinished paintings and creative projects left incomplete
- •Challenge of having “too many ideas” and trying to spin multiple plates
- 23:00 – 28:00
Chasing Waves: The Highs of YouTube and Pressure for the ‘Next Big Thing’
Sugg uses a surfing metaphor to describe catching an enormous ‘YouTube wave’ early in his career and now paddling for another big wave. Bartlett questions why he feels he must chase another peak when he enjoys varied creative pursuits, highlighting a conflict between genuine joy and externally defined success.
- •YouTube as a massive ‘wave’ that Joe successfully rode in his early twenties
- •Branching out into multiple projects after initial YouTube success for stability
- •Pressure to find a new singular, defining success versus happiness in variety
- •Therapist’s challenge: why chase the next big wave instead of ‘staying on the beach’
- •Internalization of societal narratives that overvalue accolades over personal happiness
- 28:00 – 35:00
The Curse of Early Fame and Becoming a Mentor to Creators
They discuss how early YouTube fame and huge brand deals distorted expectations for young creators, making later declines psychologically painful. Sugg and Caspar Lee founded a management company partly to protect younger influencers, offering them guidance through trolls, press, and the inevitable fluctuations of notoriety.
- •Brands heavily investing in YouTubers when YouTube was the ‘only shop in town’ for video
- •Steven’s observation that early success ‘ruined’ some young creators’ expectations of reality
- •Joe’s acknowledgment that everything he did once became an instant success, now no longer
- •Creation of a management company to mentor and protect emerging creators
- •Warnings Joe would give his 19-year-old self about haters, press, and mental cost
- •Message that positives can outweigh negatives if you don’t let setbacks consume you
- 35:00 – 43:00
Imposter Syndrome, Simon Cowell, Strictly, and the West End
Joe recounts the surreal shift from thatching roofs to flying business class to interview Simon Cowell, and how it fueled lifelong imposter syndrome. He describes how even big opportunities like Strictly Come Dancing and a lead role in the West End’s ‘Waitress’ triggered doubts about deserving his place, especially amid backlash from parts of the theater community.
- •Rapid transition from manual labor to interviewing Simon Cowell in LA
- •Feeling like he was “living a double life” and not belonging in those rooms
- •Persistent imposter syndrome, including apprehension about appearing on this podcast
- •Strictly boosting his confidence yet also spotlighting him further
- •Casting in ‘Waitress’ and criticism that he’d taken roles from trained performers
- •Fear of accepting or declining opportunities due to perceived undeserved status
- 43:00 – 51:00
Burnout, Declining Views, and Redefining His Relationship with YouTube
Around 2016–2017, juggling three YouTube channels, a book, and a BBC feature film pushed Sugg into burnout. He compares that period unfavorably with the structured simplicity of roof thatching, and reflects on changing algorithms, a maturing audience, and his father’s early warning that competition and talent would intensify over time.
- •Running three channels solo while writing a book and filming a feature project
- •Feeling overwhelmed, dreading emails and uploads, and fantasizing about his old job
- •A period where many early YouTubers “vanished” or dramatically reduced output
- •Impact of algorithm changes and longer-form content on his traditional style
- •Audience aging out of earlier vlog formats and wanting different content
- •Father’s advice about rising competition and the difficulty of sustaining top position
- •Struggle to adapt and reinvent himself for a new YouTube era
- 51:00 – 56:00
Is It Worth It? Happiness, Perspective, and Identity Beyond ‘YouTuber’
Asked whether he’d be happier had he stayed thatching, Sugg admits he’s ultimately happier with the YouTube route despite its hardships. He emphasizes the support he’s had from YouTube, his team, and family, and struggles to define himself with a simple label, settling on being ‘a creative person’ rather than a single-role identity.
- •Honest comparison between life as a roofer and as a digital creator
- •Recognition that every path has hard days (freezing rooftops vs. online anxiety)
- •Gratitude for YouTube’s institutional support and close personal relationships
- •Rejection of rigid self-definitions like ‘YouTuber’ in favor of ‘creative’
- •Understanding happiness as relative to life stage and context, not a fixed state
- 56:00 – 1:02:00
Grow: Nature, Gardening, and Finding Balance in a Digital World
Sugg explains how lockdown and a small balcony garden reconnected him with the calming power of nature, echoing his rural childhood. His book ‘Grow’ blends memoir with practical tips on using gardening and the outdoors to balance heavy social media use, focusing on realistic, personalized approaches rather than demonizing technology.
- •Lockdown boredom leading to balcony gardening and caring for plants
- •Emotional benefits: reduced anxiety, increased calm, nostalgic connection to childhood
- •Concept and structure of ‘Grow’ as both memoir and practical guide
- •Framing phones and social media as tools to be balanced, not rejected
- •Encouragement to find individual versions of offline–online balance
- 1:02:00 – 1:10:00
Anxiety, Therapy, and the Mechanics of Overthinking
Joe opens up about two years of intense anxiety that felt inescapable, and how conversations with his sister Zoe and therapy helped. He identifies as a people-pleaser and describes techniques his therapist taught him—like decatastrophizing and time-chunking—to navigate overwhelming social situations such as the Chelsea Flower Show.
- •Extended period of anxiety where escape felt impossible
- •Zoe’s own mental health struggles making it easier for him to seek help
- •Stigma around therapy for men and how seeing his sister do it normalized it
- •Discovery of his ingrained people-pleasing tendencies and fear of offending others
- •Techniques: decatastrophizing worst-case scenarios, breaking events into time chunks
- •Example of managing anxiety at Chelsea Flower Show by reframing time and outcomes
- 1:10:00 – 1:16:00
Strictly Come Dancing, Dianne, and a Public First Relationship
Sugg recounts meeting professional dancer Dianne Buswell on Strictly and how an intense 16-week partnership revealed both their best and worst sides, accelerating emotional intimacy. Previously wary of public relationships due to a young female fanbase, he unexpectedly found his first serious girlfriend at 26 in a very public, documented way.
- •Being partnered with Dianne on Strictly and seeing each other under extreme pressure
- •Experiencing both peak stress and joy together, which built deep mutual understanding
- •Fear of how fans might react to him having a girlfriend and losing mystery/appeal
- •Realization that their entire relationship origin is publicly viewable on TV
- •Discussion of how the show’s structure forced him past overthinking dating
- •Their belief that without Strictly—and that exact pairing—they might never have met
- 1:16:00 – 1:22:00
Paparazzi Chases, Living Together, and Long-Distance Dynamics
Joe shares a vivid story of being tailed by paparazzi while driving an Aston Martin with Dianne, underscoring how uncomfortable he is with invasive fame. He then describes their current life together, often working apart due to her Strictly commitments but finding that distance strengthens appreciation and makes their time together more intentional.
- •Being hyper-aware of a paparazzo following them from his flat
- •Attempting to shake the car while playing the James Bond theme as a coping joke
- •Realization that such scrutiny is far from his comfort zone
- •Living together yet frequently apart due to tours and shows
- •Belief that distance can deepen appreciation and keep the relationship fresh
- •Emphasis on ‘quality time’ over constant physical proximity
- 1:22:00
Loving and Hating the Job: Peak Joys, Burnout Lows, and Support
Responding to a question from the previous guest, Sugg pinpoints a Harry Potter World outing with the original ‘Brit Crew’ as a moment he realized how much he loved his job. Conversely, he describes his burnout phase—when he told his manager he might quit—as the closest he came to hating it, and how a small act of care pulled him back.
- •Fond memory of an early group day out at Harry Potter World with fellow creators
- •Value of being surrounded by peers going through the same new experience of fame
- •Burnout moment when he confessed to his manager he might not want to continue
- •Inner conflict between not wanting to seem ungrateful and genuinely struggling
- •Manager’s thoughtful care package (including a book) as a turning point
- •Reinforcement that supportive people can be decisive in keeping you going
