S4E10 - Kyle Roebuck
This week’s guest is Kyle Roebuck, host of the Small Stuff Podcast and videographer. Kyle is from North Carolina and studio at East Carolina University. It was there that he held a job as a school bus driver until two years after graduation. During that time, he came to the realization that a traditional job was not for him, and, he left.
Throughout his life, Kyle had always been a visual artist during things including drawing but it wasn’t until he tried photography and then videography that he also found a new career path for himself. Following his college job, Kyle gave photography a try, immersing himself YouTube videos to teach himself photography. He is someone who will try anything but will not continue to pursue it if he isn’t good at it and he was good at photography.
To make ends meet, Kyle did get another full-time job eventually and that drove him to build up his photography skillset and business more quickly so he could be free of the “9 to 5”. Having the newfound love of photography gave him a purpose at his full-time job and helped shift his attitude towards working as being something that would enable him to do what he really wanted to do sooner.
Kyle shares a lot about his experience with imposter syndrome and how it affects him. It is a subject that has come up on the podcast before but his insight was very relatable to those of us that don’t take compliments very well. He is also a believer in positive thinking and explains how it works for him.
Note from Rabiah (Host): I have done in a few times but it was interesting to host a podcast host on my podcast. Kyle was nervous but then the conversation mode kicked in and things went great.Kyle’s experience working at his campus job until after graduation was similar to mine but we both moved on in different ways. I really admire those who chose the creative career early on!
Rabiah and Kyle connect for one of two chats in the same month as guests on each other’s podcasts.
Transcript
Rabiah (Host): [00:04:13] Welcome to More Than Work. The podcast reminding you that your self worth is defined by more than your job title. I'm Rabiah, an IT Project Manager, comedian, nonprofit volunteer and sometimes activist. Every week, I'll chat with a guest about pursuing passions outside of work or creating meaningful opportunities inside the workplace.
As you listen, I hope you'll be inspired to do the same. Here we go.
Howdy everyone. So I am recording this intro from Austin, Texas. I have made my first trip since January 2020 back to the States and I'm staying at Rob's house who you've met many times by my introduction on the podcast but never actually met him. One day he's going to be on.
It was interesting traveling. It was [00:05:13] fine. Just had to wear a mask all the time, which I kind of preferred because I'm someone who falls asleep on the plane. So it's kind of nice to just have your mouth open while you're sleeping and not have anyone see that. This week my guest is Kyle Roebuck. We met via an app where podcasters and podcast guests can connect with each other.
It's called Podmatch. And so he contacted me and we had decided that we were both a good fit for each other's podcasts. So it's fun because his podcast, Small Stuff Podcast, is dropping the episode with me on it tomorrow when this, I'm recording this day before I'm releasing, and, I'm dropping my episode with him tomorrow.
And so if you want to hear both of us twice, you can do that, but they are very different conversations because in this one, we're talking to him about what he does and how he got there and on his podcast we're going to talk more about my comedy than the pod so that's a different thing that you'll hear about me and just kind of how I got into that creative space.
So I [00:06:13] encourage you to listen to small stuff, podcasts I'll be on that. And then, also to enjoy this episode. In this one, we talk a lot about imposter syndrome. It's come up a few times, but we talk about it again in this one and Kyle really shares what his experience has been with that.
And I think it's going to be really helpful for people to hear. And also just how he decided that the nine to five wasn't great for him. So he's pursuing a different kind of work. Creative work. I hope you like this episode. Please share it if you think someone would benefit from listening to it. Like, subscribe, follow, write a nice review
if you'd like. That'll really help me with rankings. There's different apps you can do that. Podchaser Goodpods, Apple. I just appreciate being here and listening this week and we're just going to make it short and sweet and get to the episode.
Rabiah (Host): Hi again, everyone. This week I have [00:07:13] Kyle Roebuck. He's a fellow podcaster , an artist, photographer, videographer. He's got a few things going on. How are you doing Kyle?
Kyle Roebuck: I am nervous. But I'm good. I'm good. Nervous, but I'm good.
Rabiah (Host): You're nervous but good.
Well, hopefully you won't be nervous for very long. So this is Kyle's debut as a guest on a podcast, even though he does have a podcast.
Kyle Roebuck: Correct. Yeah. And it's, it's, it's definitely strange to be on this side of it. I'm telling people, like, don't be nervous. It's okay. It's fine. And now I'm over here freaking out.
Rabiah (Host): no. Well, you'll be good. So first of all, where am I talking to you from?
Kyle Roebuck: I am in Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Rabiah (Host): Cool. Cool. Yeah. So that's a nice part of the country.
Kyle Roebuck: It is, we're a pretty close to the beach, pretty close to the mountains, pretty close to it's like, I mean, really any say any coastal place in the world, but maybe any coastal place in the U S I don't know about the rest of the world, but, you know, a California Hollywood was set up there because you had [00:08:13] mountains, desert, ocean, and snow.
Like you had everything you needed right there. And North Carolina is similar. There's, there's a reason there's a big film industry here. Closer to the coast.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, that's really cool cause it does sound like when I lived in LA and San Diego, you're close to everything. You could be in the desert, at the beach and in the mountains on the same day. So it was pretty nice. Yeah. Cool. So your primary work is now as a photographer and videographer now, but you didn't do the traditional art school path to get there.
Kyle Roebuck: not at all.
Rabiah (Host): So yeah. What'd you start out doing?
Kyle Roebuck: I've always been an artist, but I never thought that that was what I would end up doing, you know, like for a living, I'm sure I had a dream when I was like 12. That was squashed by somebody, maybe me, but No. So like, I always did like visual art stuff growing up. Drawing was my thing which you can't really go to that, I mean, you can, if you get really, really good at it, but you get to expand in other mediums and that's kind of when I started to fall apart, I tried to paint and I wasn't good at [00:09:13] it. And I'm the type of person who like, if I'm not immediately good at it, probably because I'm afraid of failure, I just stopped doing it.
And, uh, so. I tried to paint and do other things and it just wasn't really there. And then I picked up music. Out of nowhere. I just wanted to play guitar and learn how to play guitar. And that was my thing for a few years, was in a band for a very short lived amount of time. And then I was working at, uh, the college I went to, East Carolina University in North Carolina. My sophomore year, I got a job as a bus driver for the campus transit service and the next five years worked there. I wasn't in college by the time I left. I had graduated. I graduated about two years after, beginning to work there and moved to like management, which is as fun as it sounds.
I was super duper stressed out, like all the. I mean, I brought it home and it wasn't good. I had very [00:10:13] problematic anger issues that I attribute to just not being happy. But parted of ways with that establishment. It's nothing against them, by the way. It's just, I'm not built for that kind of work.
Rabiah (Host): Right.
Kyle Roebuck: And I don't, I don't handle that. I don't handle being boxed up, like doing the same shit every day. Like I just don't, it doesn't sit well with me and uh, so I left and decided that with no other real like options that I wanted to pursue, I had started photography at that point, but like, it was kind of just a hobby. I'd kind of fell in love with it a year before I left the bus company, I was watching YouTube videos of guys like Peter McKinnon, Maddie Hoya, Chris Howe. These like Uber popular influencer people. now. I started watching their videos cause they're, they're also entertaining as well as informing and fell in love with the way they did everything.
And Peter was a big influence on why I picked it up but I, I couldn't get good at it because I was doing something else. You know what I mean? Like I had [00:11:13] an eye for it because I've always been a visual artist. Like I've been that I can, I can picture something and now I've got a much easier tool than drawing or. painting, to put it together. It's just as easy as click done, you know? So I had an idea for composition, I guess, uh, or an eye, an eye for composition. Once I left the bus company, I was able to further pursue that and make it better cause I kind of had to. I didn't really have any other options. It was like freshly married and had to not, not pay my half of the rent.
Rabiah (Host): Right.
Kyle Roebuck: So over the course of the next three years or so, just built upon the little foundation I had. We're good now. Like I'm pretty well established in the city and do a lot of work around town and, uh, I'm very, very, very happy people who run into me from ECU transit days who haven't seen me since then have, without prompting, just told me that I seem happier because I was [00:12:13] not a happy or very good to be around person.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Kyle Roebuck: So.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah. So, the obvious change then is just you're happier. But just getting into the photography side and deciding your pursuit was instead of getting formal education from a school, you decided to go to YouTube. And can you talk a little bit about how you dedicated yourself to that? Like when you were working, how did you establish your schedule?
Kyle Roebuck: Okay. So going back to what I said before, where, like, I don't really pursue things unless I'm good at them, and there's probably a complex there, but guitar was one of those things. Uh, I was able to not know how to play anything on a guitar.
I had the person who was teaching me, show me kinda how to play Sweet Home Alabama. And like I can kind of learn certain things, not like super complicated stuff, but simple things like Sweet Home Alabama, the beginning, like the intro to that.
I learned that in like three days, which isn't a [00:13:13] huge accomplishment, but it is testament to me just being obsessed. And I played absolutely nothing and didn't do anything in my free time, except for that for three days. That was how I scheduled quote unquote, the learning on YouTube. It was just, I was obsessed with it.
And so any free time I had, I was watching videos by these guys or other people and learning everything I possibly could. Cause it's all there. I've always been a, I'm a big proponent of like, if this is something that in my w my wife knows, this drives me nuts. But it's, we're different people. I'll be, I'll be driving down the road and she's with me and I'll have like a, I don't know, something will pop in my head.
Like, I wonder why this is like this. And she's like, I don't know. And she's like, you know, on Facebook, on her phone or something, It was like, okay, can you look it up like real quick, with the thing, the computer in your lap, can you look that up real quick? So I [00:14:13] know that the answer is there. We have so much information at our fingertips.
I don't necessarily believe in higher, I do believe in higher learning to an extent,
but like certain things, you can just go learn that on your own, with practice and less filtered research. You're going to get through with a whole lot of mud and, you know, crap before you get to the real stuff, which is what you pay for with college.
And, you know, you pay for it direct source, but you know what I'm saying?
It's all there. And when I get obsessed with something, I will find the information.
Rabiah (Host): Well, I think that with the whole education thing, I mean, higher education is not accessible to everybody.
Kyle Roebuck: Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): I'm still paying my student loans. Some people don't want to take on that debt. Some people don't have to. It just depends. I was meeting with some, this mentor program I do. And it's a previous guest I'll just mention, cause I think she's great at the Sandy Kastrul.
If anyone wants to hear that episode, she's the CEO and founder co-founder ofi.c. stars which is [00:15:13] a program that does training in leadership and technology for young people or even middle-aged people who are from a certain demographic. But the thing is like, school's not accessible to everybody, but it doesn't mean not everyone can learn.
It doesn't mean not everyone's capable of working in tech or working in art or photography or whatever. And so what I find interesting, and I have a few friends like this too, are self-trained at different things, especially around art. And I just find it interesting when someone has the wherewithal to say, Yeah, I'm just going to pursue that.
And I think you're a Testament to that of just saying, look, I want to do well, whatever I want to play Sweet Home Alabama, probably not this song. I would, I would probably go for a Dylan tune. That's fine. But, uh, you know, but like then you have, I want to do photography. And so I just, I'm always curious about how people find that drive and dedication.
Kyle Roebuck: You got me. I don't know. I don't know what it is. It's just, I, I don't, I just know that I don't want to the idea and I want to [00:16:13] preface this with, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this., And I feel like I have to do that. So I don't step on anybody's toes or whatever, but, or feel like I don't want anybody to feel like I'm attacking what they do.
But the idea of a nine to five job every day, and it's the same thing over and over again is nauseating to me. Like I don't like how it feels. I feel trapped. I feel, I don't know. It, it, it does not bring out the best in me cause I can't get out. I guess a lot of what I want to get out. I don't know. It just doesn't, it doesn't sit well with me.
Rabiah (Host): Well, I think that the expectation that that's for everyone is not, is kind of silly. Cause I know people who it's not good for and then other people it is, I happen to work in one, but, I know when there are rote tasks within that. I do, I get nauseated. Like if I have to do the same thing over and over and over, it's awful.
So I get that. And I think the thing that actually, I was just thinking about that you said too about the whole idea that if you have a question, you look up the answer. [00:17:13] And so one of the pet peeves and I'll step on toes here too so then we'll be even so don't worry but one thing that drives me nuts when people say, "I wonder why."
And then they repeatedly say that, or they'll ask you why, but they didn't bother looking. And then like, it's easier for me to Google than it is for them to Google. I don't know why, you know,
Kyle Roebuck: think it's, they're not, I can only assume, cause I know exactly who you're talking about, you know? They don't, the curiosity within them is not as strong as it is in you. It probably doesn't bug them at all. Like they're, they're probably just asking you for a conversation. You're like, I don't know, look it up.
Like,
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Kyle Roebuck: here I'll do it fine.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah. I'll do it for you
Kyle Roebuck: Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): It's so
Kyle Roebuck: like, you didn't have to do that, you
Rabiah (Host): I know. Well then you want to know too. Well then the whole, like, "let me Google that for you". I used to think that site was so funny. Have you been on that site?
Kyle Roebuck: No.
Rabiah (Host): Oh, so this is a, this is a tip that's probably 10 years old for everyone, but there's a site called, [00:18:13] "Let Me Google That For You."
It's like L M g T F Y. And you, you go on the site, you type in the search terms, hit Enter and it creates a little video of someone going to Google on a screen-share and sending and so passive aggressive. But it's so funny if it's the right person. Like, I wouldn't, I will say don't send that to your wife, for example,
Kyle Roebuck: no, she'd think it was funny.
She was
Rabiah (Host): in case, I just don't want to be the one who causes something. So I've talked to a few people, Kyle, and about that whole transition from one job to another, I think most recently there would be like this guy, Dave Wiener, who was the CEO of like a major, like a global software company and then he left and he says in the podcast, in the episode, him and his wife had a plan,. Like, it'd be okay for. For him not to work. And then he could go back to his industry or he could, if he didn't start his business or it didn't go well. And [00:19:13] one thing that struck me there was, and he acknowledged it, that that was a safety net.
He had that, not everyone has. And so I would say you didn't have that safety net. And so what I want to talk to you about like, not the safety net of a CEO,
Kyle Roebuck: Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): Is how did you go about making that decision to leave a job that you knew had your regular pay? And you'd been for a long time and then just go and start something new where maybe you hadn't built the equity up yet.
How did that work for you?
Kyle Roebuck: With the job that I left, it was, it wasn't so much that I had a choice necessarily. I wasn't fired. I just had a contract that ended and I decided not to pursue, like, I, I didn't fight it. I just let it end, and I was like, okay, whatever. I will find something else if photography doesn't work. And Crystal, my wife is awesome and she picked up a lot of slack. We were, we were not living very, uh, [00:20:13] very high on the hog as we would say here. And, uh, so it made it kind of easier for us cause we were pretty broke already. But she picked up a lot of, so, I mean, there were multiple months where she had to pay the rent because I, I couldn't and she was allowing me to do this.
She was, and I, I mean, I beat myself up over it. The fact of the matter is she was okay with it. I was just beating myself up for no reason. It was a pride thing probably,
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Kyle Roebuck: but, uh, that's how we got through that. Eventually I eventually did get another full-time job because I was tired of being broke.
There it is. And I had that full-time job for about a year, While I continued to build behind the scenes. Uh it's when I started this podcast,the Small Stuff Podcast, shameless plug, uh, and it's when I made the most growth in photography because I had a full-time job to finance it. I thought I could just jump into it.
And [00:21:13] sometimes you can, I just couldn't, you know, maybe I wasn't dedicated to it as much. Maybe I didn't love it as much as I do now, but Yeah, having that full-time job and having to like report again made me realize, okay, you know, this is not for me. So I was constantly building- 2020 oddly enough was a very, very large year for me- for building the photography and videography business.
Rabiah (Host): So having the new full-time job that was different than the one you had before, but having the perspective of trying the photography for a little while, realizing you needed to do a little bit more to build the business, to make that your full-time job. Was there anything different for you in doing the work?
I mean, you realized it wasn't good for you to do a regular office job, but did you have a different attitude or point of view in doing the work or were you still facing that anger kind of thing?
Kyle Roebuck: Yes. I had a very different attitude. So when I was working at ECU transit, that was where I belonged, in my head. This is where this is what I'm going to do. [00:22:13] Cause I'm learning all this stuff that not a lot of people know, and I can apply this here. I can, I can continue to do this for the rest of my life if I have to, you know, When I left and I had spent almost a year just not having a normal job, it made me realize that's actually where I thrive and going back to a normal job, my perspective, I was able to keep a level head about it because I knew this is nothing but a lily pad. Like this is just a stepping stone.
I don't belong here. I am here to do a job and go home. And that's all I did. I showed up in my job, made my money, went home, used that money to pour into the business. So that one was basically just a money tree. Like that's how I saw it. I just have to go in, do the simple thing, get paid, leave.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Kyle Roebuck: So, yes, much [00:23:13] different outlook. And I was a much happier.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, but that's good. I think that's good for people to hear that it's part of it's mindset, right? And realizing like, okay, it doesn't have to be everything to you.
Kyle Roebuck: Your entire human experience takes place in your head.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Kyle Roebuck: You control a lot
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Kyle Roebuck: with mindset, with the way you think about the world, the way you take in the world. I said this on a recent podcast. It sounds cliche and corny, but there's a lot of power in positive thinking. A lot. If you think negative all the time, everything that comes in to your eyeballs, everything that enters your brain, you're going to see it in a negative light, because that's what you're used to seeing.
That's what you're used to thinking about. It's the patterns you're used to looking for. If you think positively, everything becomes much more colorful and fun. If you just practice that. Life just seems happier. Even in the, even in the [00:24:13] worst times, it's a little better.
Rabiah (Host): You just, you're approaching things from a place of strength in a way, because anger seems so powerful just because in a way sometimes it is enjoyable to be angry and then you can just be negative and it's easier. But then ultimately when something really bad happens, you have no where to even come down from. You're already there, you know, for one thing.
But yeah, no, I agree. So now, now you're doing the photography full-time right?
Kyle Roebuck: Yes. Yup. That's all I do. Photography. Videography mostly now. I still have a few regular photography clients and I still offer it obviously, but, uh, yeah, mostly videography. Trying to make my way into most of my work now is commercial videography and photography. So businesses are hiring me instead of, you know, Karen over here, wanting her family pictures taken, which I still do, but not a lot of people contact me for it
Rabiah (Host): Did you face the whole, it sounds like you did, but I'm going to ask it anyway in a very specific way. [00:25:13] Did you face the whole imposter syndrome thing?
Kyle Roebuck: my entire life. Yes.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah. And more recently. And how, how do you feel now? I mean, I've just entered a new job myself relatively recently, and it was a struggle for a bit too, even though, even though I thought I built all the resilience against it.
No. And so how did you deal with that? Or how are you dealing with it?
Kyle Roebuck: I don't know that I am. I don't know. To be entirely honest with you. I am constantly being told that I'm- God, this sounds, this is, this is it right here. This is, this is imposter syndrome taking over because it is, it is true that I have people constantly telling me that I am too humble, but saying that out loud I feel like a douchebag. I feel like an asshole. I don't want people to think that I'm an asshole. I don't want people to think that I think I'm too humble. Like w I, I just, I just want my work to speak for itself. Like that's, that's all I want, you know? I don't want to sit here and have to [00:26:13] convince you that I'm good enough to work with.
Here's what I made. If you like it. Cool. If you don't later, there's 15 other people who I can go shop this to, you know what I mean? Or who may or may not be coming to me? Imposter syndrome was really weird and I'm not sure that it's something that you can get over necessarily if it's kind of something that's followed you your entire life, because trust me, I've tried.
I think it's something you can learn to wield. You can learn to shape it, to fit you, to fit the mold you want it to go into. And for me that I'm just gonna let my work speak for myself. I don't have to brag. I don't want to have to do that because I don't like the way that it makes me feel about other people when they do it.
And I definitely don't want that coming to me. And I don't know. It's just uncomfortable for me. It's not who I am. I don't like it. So I'm just like, I'm cool with imposter syndrome. Come on, bring it on whatever you're coming along for the ride. We're just, you're going to do what I tell you to do
Rabiah (Host): it's [00:27:13] interesting just to even see your body language changes. People won't see it. Cause I don't do the video for the podcasts, but I think imposter syndrome takes a little bit, there's some self-awareness that you are actually good at or okay at or capable of whatever the thing is, I feel like, but then there's this part of you that's just denying all that too. And does need some external validation, no matter how much you think you don't. need it. It's a weird thing. The imposter syndrome, it's like, you need reassurance that you wouldn't normally need for something else .
Kyle Roebuck: Yeah. I don't want people to think that I don't. I know that I need external validation. So the reason I have imposter syndrome, you know what I mean? Like it, and at the end, like I know that I need that, but I'm not going to ask for it. If you gave it to me, great. And I'm probably not going to take it well. I'm probably going to do this.
Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you very much. Toodaloo. Don't worry about it. I was just doing my best. It's all good, you know? I'm that [00:28:13] awkward compliment guy. But I don't want people to think that I don't take it to heart. Like I'm like that in front of you, but just know when I get in my car.
I'm like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, we did it. We're good. All right. Go. You know, I freak out. I've called my wife and my mom, like after situations like that, where I'm just freaking out, you know. Something has happened and I'm super chill in the couch that I'm having this meeting. And I'm saying, I'm thinking of a very specific situation that happened not too long ago.
And you know, I left and I mean, I literally cried because it was amazing, that this happened and I couldn't believe it. And, uh, that's how it is when I get in the car. Like when I'm away from you. So it's, it's a motivator imposter syndrome. It's kind of fuel. It's nice. It's nice to tap into it. I guess that goes back to what I was saying.
You can wield it
Rabiah (Host): What do you love about doing what you're
Kyle Roebuck: [00:29:13] Honestly, I like a few things about it. I, see, this is kind of a difficult question because it's not something I think about every day, you know, I think about aspects during a shoe and I'm like, this is sick. Like this is awesome. Sometimes I get to meet really cool people. And, you know, people who are like super interesting or maybe sometimes, I've met people who are there's this this boat company, Fountain Power Boats.
I don't know if you've ever heard of them, but they are a very, very large, uh, boat manufacturer, like power sport, boat, luxury boat manufacturer. And they're like Forbes lists and crap. They're huge. I didn't know all this. I just knew that their plant was in a little town called Chaka winter, the North Carolina, which is about 30 minutes from where I am.
And, uh, I started working for them maybe six months ago. And because of that, I got to meet, uh, Reggie Fountain, who is, I have no idea how old he is, but he's, he's up there at this point. But it was just [00:30:13] cool to be able to meet that guy who started this company who's like this champion boat racer. And I'm just sitting there eating barbecue next to him at this press event.
It was, uh, it was, it was a cool that, so stuff like that is really cool. Seeing something go from my brain, into my camera, into my computer, back to a client as a finished product is really cool, regardless of what it is. Making stuff is probably the thing that I liked the most.
Rabiah (Host): Well, and so speaking of stuff, just the word stuff, you have, your podcast, Small Stuff Podcast. I'm going to be a guest. I don't know if I'll be one I'll be on before or after this one goes up, but I'm going to encourage people to listen to it. But why don't you talk a little bit about what your podcast is about and why you started it.
Kyle Roebuck: So I'd been kind of wanting another like creative outlet. And I had started listening to a lot of podcasts. The job that I was in before I was able to go full time required a lot of seat time.
[00:31:13] And so I was driving a lot and listening to audio books and podcasts and all that kind of stuff. And I was thinking, I think I could do this. Like, I think this is a thing, like, this could be a thing it's going to take some getting used to it. It's gonna take some practice, but I think I can do this.
And then Joe Rogan signed a hundred million dollar Spotify deal. And I was like, yeah, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do that. If there's a chance that I can invest like a little bit of money and maybe do that, I'm going to do that. Let's do that. So about two weeks later, everything was at the house and I had everything set up and I had like five guests booked to just people that I knew from photography, business owners around.
I just recycled those contacts and I'm like, Hey, you want to be on a podcast, promote the business and cost you anything. Come on. You know, you just had people talk about how to make pizza. The first guest was a very close friend of mine, Jamie Bullock, who grew up in this area in the eighties and nineties and was heavily involved in the music scene has a lot of cool stories.
So I thought it was a good place to start. And then I moved on to business owners from there.[00:32:13]
Rabiah (Host): So is there anything you wanted to cover that we didn't cover?
Kyle Roebuck: I think the name of the podcast, the origin of that name. "Small Stuff". If you listen to the podcast, it doesn't really like a lot of people thought at first it was a podcast just about small businesses cause that was a lot of people that I was having on, but, uh, that was just a misconception and understandable misconception, but the name actually comes from a science teacher of mine.
And it's a very common saying it's all small stuff. I feel it is. But I had never heard it. When I was in. And I was freaking out about a science test or some homework or something. I don't know, some grade on something. And I was a very like highstrung worry wart kind of kid, you know? And a lot of that goes back to the imposter syndrome and insecurity issues and all that crap. So I was freaking out about this test and I think it was just me and him talking in his [00:33:13] classroom. And I was probably on the verge of tears if I wasn't already crying. And he was either just trying to get me to not cry because it was weird.
Or he was actually trying to give me some profound piece of advice. I like to think it was the latter cause he was a super cool dude. He asked me if I knew what they said and I'm just like, I don't know what you mean. No. What are you talking about? And he said, don't sweat the small stuff. And I'd heard that before.
And I'd heard it's all small stuff before. But when he asked me. Do you know what else they say? And I said, what? And he said, it's all small stuff. That I don't know if it hit me at the time, but it stuck with me. And that has been a mantra for me my entire life, since then, you know? I could be worrying about the, the biggest problem I've ever faced, but in the grand scheme of things, it's okay.
You know, it's going to be all right. Even if it's not going to be all right, it's small. [00:34:13] Worst case scenario, it's still small in the grand scheme of things that goes along with the positive thinking, you know? And I've tried to use that to just change the way I see the world and interact with the world. And it's been pretty good.
Rabiah (Host): good. Cool. Well, that's great. Yeah. And that's good to know that that's where the name comes from too. So normally I'd ask if you have any advice or mantra you want to share, but you kind of just did, so I think that probably works.
I have a set of questions called the Fun Five that I like to ask every guest, just because I like to have a control group for things, I guess.
And I think they're fun. So what's the oldest t-shirt you have and still wear?
Kyle Roebuck: I'm going to disappoint you on this one. I don't think I own a t-shirt right now. That's more than a year old.
Rabiah (Host): Oh, you got rid of everything?
Kyle Roebuck: I started buying these, like I wanted to simplify my closet, I guess I just started buying t-shirts from a bulk manufacturer.Like it's just a regular gray [00:35:13] t-shirt and I have like seven black ones I ordered. I ordered like a hundred dollars worth of t-shirts and there's just like seven gray, seven black to green. And I'm good. Same pair, same, same jeans that I order every year. Yeah. I don't have anything that's very old mainly cause I changed size so quickly.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Kyle Roebuck: And to do.
Rabiah (Host): That's understandable for sure. All right. And one thing that it felt like it was Groundhog's Day for awhile because we were all kind of doing the same thing every day, day in and day out. And I love that movie. So I want to know what song would you have your alarm clock play every day? If it really was Groundhog's day and every day was the same?
Kyle Roebuck: Hotel California.
Rabiah (Host): Okay.
Kyle Roebuck: I could wake up to that every day and I probably would never get tired of it.
Rabiah (Host): You could. Well, you could wake up anytime you'd liked anyway. right? Just couldn't leave.
Kyle Roebuck: Yeah, exactly.
Rabiah (Host): Awesome. Uh, all right. Coffee or tea or neither?
Kyle Roebuck: Coffee, [00:36:13] coffee, sorry, coffee.
Rabiah (Host): coffee. And how do you take your coffee? What kind of coffee do you like?
Kyle Roebuck: it depends. If I'm going straight function, which is usually what I do, I'm just taking it straight to the face. I will go to Starbucks and get a Trenta or Blackbeard Coffee if you happen to be in Greenville, North Carolina is delicious. Starbucks is just a little more convenient for me sometimes. So, Starbucks Trento, which is the gigantic one that I have, I think it's, I don't know.
I think it's like 32 ounces. It's it's huge. So I'll get that black iced coffee with a couple extra shots. Like it's like licking a battery. Yeah. It's not, it doesn't taste good. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you it does. I like to get Crystal to to taste it. Yeah, coffee. Very very black most of the time.
Rabiah (Host): Wow. Okay. And can you think of a time.
that you for laughing already cried or just couldn't stop or something that makes you do that?
Kyle Roebuck: Hmm. Oh God. Yeah. Well, Like fail compilations on YouTube will make me do that [00:37:13] especially if I'm in a place where I shouldn't be like laughing, you know, like if I'm in, like I used to do this in college a lot, I would, when I'm, when I should've been studying, I was in computer labs, watching YouTube compilations of just people blasting their asses in funny ways.
And I know it's terrible, but there's absolutely no chance. If you fall in a funny way in front of me, I'm going to be like, are you okay? All right. Now I'm laughing. I'm laughing so hard and I'm sorry. Yeah, that people getting hurt. I'm
Rabiah (Host): you're not, you're not the only one. Believe me, this that's been an answer before, like similar or kids falling is my favorite one, just because it's so mean and true. All right. And who inspires you right now?
Kyle Roebuck: Mm, Rhett and Linc inspire me. Rhett McLaughlin and Linc Neil of Good Mythical Morning, Mythical Entertainment. Those two guys are legitimately the only people I've ever thought to call my idols. I don't know if you've ever heard of them but they are, they have a very, very large [00:38:13] YouTube, not only channel, but multiple large YouTube channels.
And they have a whole production company now in Burbank, but they are from a place called Buoys Creek, North Carolina, which is about an hour away from me. And that is very inspiring that they can, they started that in that area in a place called Buoys Creek, few Quave arena, Raleigh around there. They started what they, what they now have in Burbank,
they started it there. And I kind of want to try that, but not move.
Rabiah (Host): Nice. Well, that's cool. So if people want to look you up, where do you want them?.
Kyle Roebuck: Instagram, you can find me at "roebuckvisuals" and "smallstuffpodcast" on Instagram. You can find us. Also with both of those handles on TikTok, Small Stuff Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, everywhere you get your podcasts, we're there. We've got a few other shows coming out, but we'll hear more about later, more about that later.
Rabiah (Host): Awesome. Cool. Well, Kyle, thanks so much. It's been nice learning more about you, and [00:39:13] I appreciate you sharing all that.
Kyle Roebuck: I appreciate you having me. This has been fun. Very fun. I enjoyed it.
Rabiah (Host): Thanks again for listening this week. You can find out more about the guests in the show notes and at rabiah said dot com (rabiahsaid.com). Joe Maffia created the music just for this podcast. Find him on Spotify. That's Joe M A F F I A. And Rob Metke is responsible for our visual design. You can find him online by searching for Rob M E T K E. Thanks, Rob.
Let me know who you'd like to hear from or about your own experiences to finding yourself outside of work, follow at more than work pod (@morethanworkpod), or send a message on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, or visit our website more than work pod dot com (morethanworkpod.com). Give us a follow on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you like. Thanks for listening to More Than Work. While being kind to others, don't forget to be kind to yourself.[00:40:13]
