March 08, 2017

John Hill is a skateboarder and Youtube extraordinaire. We got the chance to sit down with him and see what makes him tick.

D
Contributor

John Hill is one of the most positive Youtube personalities out right now. Daily vlogging has pushed him into a role where he can be a full time filmmaker, and he has inspired countless youth and skateboarders alike to chase their own dreams and goals. But, with such positivity, there has to be some kind of driving force. I got the chance to interview John, and talk about his life, his mindset, and his work as a professional Youtuber.

Elevator: What got you into vlogging?

John Hill: Casey Neistat inspired the idea of daily vlogging. The little bit of vlogging I did at the beginning was inspired by some fellow skateboarders who did it, and grew these massive audiences. I realized people wanted to connect with the skateboarders they watched.

Elevator: How do you stay so positive all the time?

John Hill: I don’t consider myself positive. I consider myself a realist. I’ve dealt with situations that have pushed me to the edge of sanity, and I’ve had a few very dark periods in my life. The fact that I get to live the life I live now with shelter, food, and a community of people who support me, makes me appreciate my day every day. I expect the worst in life, and that very rarely happens, so I’m never disappointed.

Elevator: Is there any specific quote that you really like?

John Hill: “The moment that you feel that just possibly you are walking down the street naked, that’s the moment you may be starting to get it right.” -Neil Gaiman

Elevator: Who is your favorite non-skateboarding related Youtuber?

John Hill: h3h3productions

Elevator: How important is the music you use in your vlogs to you?

John Hill: Extremely, it can make or break an entire edit.

Elevator: What is your end goal with Youtube?

John Hill: Reach out to as many people as I can that relate to the struggles I’ve dealt with, and show that life is cool.

Elevator: How do you, so to speak, use “haters as your motivators?”

John Hill: It takes shakers to cause a reaction. If people are reacting to you, positive or negative, you’re doing something worth talking about. I also use criticism to figure out what I’m insecure about. If someone hates on me, and I want to reply, then that’s obviously something I need to be more confident about.

Elevator: How is the relationship with Sarah? How do you manage to maintain a relationship from so far away?

John Hill: The relationship is amazing. We see each other every month. It gives us time to hustle, we both hustle from beginning to end, every day. It’s amazing escaping that with someone who relates, but we both need alone time to cause some noise.

Elevator: What do you want to be doing in 5 years?

John Hill: I try not to plan more than 6 months ahead. I think the only thing I picture from time to time that will probably take longer than that, is owning property to rent out. I also want Progress Daily to be a staple global clothing brand.

Elevator: What’s in the works with Progress Daily?

John Hill: In all honestly I’ve been so focused on the product I haven’t put too much thought on the big picture, haha, which is something I definitely want to focus more on. I’d like to do more community work with it.

Elevator: How would you say that being a professional Youtuber affects your relationships with your friends?

John Hill: I think it helps navigate you towards the friends that relate to you. The friends I spend time with now, are passionate, like me, in the things they love.

If you’d like to see more of John’s life and adventures in the world of skateboarding, click here.


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