I Was The Only One at VidSummit 2023 to Ask About the Environment

My Experience Asking Famous People How to Use Content Creation to Protect Nature

In October of 2023, I flew from Michigan to Dallas to attend the annual VidSummit, a YouTube and video marketing conference. Speakers ranging from MrBeast to Zach King and Paddy Galloway to Peter McKinnon were all there. They shared some incredible advice, information, and stories with the audience. The audience consisted primarily of creators or employees of creators looking to learn more about growing on social media platforms (mainly YouTube). Overall, I’d say the event was worth it. I certainly learned a few things I did not know, and am currently applying this knowledge to the videos on my channel, Wild Primal!

Famous creators and business people were scheduled to speak over the course of three days. I stayed at a hotel nearby. I remember one of the very first speakers was Michelle Khare. Her presentation was great, but I was not expecting her to open the floor up for questions. Otherwise, I would have chosen a seat a lot closer to the audience microphone, which was positioned right in the middle of the first few rows. I was seated more toward the left. It was my first time attending a conference like this. You live, and you learn.

I was far better prepared regarding my seat selection for the next presenter, the next one, and so on. Even so, I was often cut off just before I could ask the speaker my question. It was very dog-eat-dog in terms of getting seats close enough to the microphone. On top of that, they only let the first 3-6 people that were lined up at the mic even ask their questions. The rest were just given an apology. I remember being one of the last people to be cut off before I could ask Zach King my question. I was so close! It was the same question I wanted to ask every other speaker: “How can we tie entertainment with education so people take action toward important causes, such as saving our planet?” Zach King did toss me a deck of his cards, though, which was pretty cool.

At the very end, I got my last shot. This time, I was finally given the microphone. The speaker was Lisa Bilyeu, co-founder of Quest Nutrition, host of Women of Impact, and president of Impact Theory. I’ve seen her pop up here and there while scrolling through social media, but other than that, I was just then getting to know what she was all about by listening to her presentation. I was more of a fan of her husband, Tom Bilyeu, who I got to speak with for a while backstage. More on that later.

Then, the lights and cameras all turned in my direction. Everyone in the building had their full attention on me, waiting for me to ask Lisa my question… and I got nervous. My vision focused on the microphone, and I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of 8 Mile (2002). Kind of felt like I was in a weird dream for a second. I was like, SH*T- I’m B-Rabbit all of a sudden! My words didn’t want to come out right. They wanted to come out like mom’s spaghetti! But away I asked:

Me asking Lisa Bilyeu a question in front of everyone at VidSummit 2023, Dallas, TX

I couldn’t fully digest Lisa’s answer to my question while I was up there. My knees felt wobbly even after I finished asking the question. I’ve rarely ever spoken to that many people in real life (I have through some of my YouTube videos), let alone in a building full of famous creators and world-class business people. I had to rewatch the video to hear exactly everything Lisa said to answer my question.

Upon thoroughly relistening to her answer, I realized how great an answer she gave. She said not to try to change people’s behavior because they don’t like that. Instead, I should be trying to leverage their behavior. That is what she and Tom did with Quest Nutrition- they made a snack that tastes great and is the healthier option (I hope they make it environmentally sustainable soon! That will only increase how healthy it is! A true win-win). Lisa also said, “Use what people are already doing and insert empowerment.” Meaning, be entertaining first and then subliminally give them the education.

She gave the example of how Tom Bilyeu became a Daoist. It all started with Star Wars. Like most kids, Tom watched TV as a kid. When he watched Star Wars, he came across Yoda. Yoda introduced him to Daoism. Daoism changed his life and turned him into a Daoist. He then developed further and thought about mindset.

So if I understood her answer correctly… I, Saadat Faiz, am trying to turn people into nature supporters. Therefore, I must first entertain them and subliminally include my message for conservation. I need to “think about that thing that my audience is desperate to hear.” I need to entertain them, and I need to do that first. If I prioritize entertaining them, I can then subliminally give them the education along the way.

Now that I think about it, this is exactly what I did in this video! I didn’t start this video off asking for donations to conservation funds- I started it off by entertaining viewers with fascinating facts about gray wolves!

Let’s get one thing straight. I am not an alarmist. You won’t find me complaining about much. I am one of the most optimistic people I know. Heck, I bet on myself, just one guy, to start a sustainable YouTube channel! You HAVE to be optimistic to do something like that. But there are certain things, certain facts about reality, that I just cannot ignore.

The world is steadily warming and added greenhouse gas emissions from humans are speeding up that process. Not only does this mean that thousands of square miles of coastal lands will literally be underwater in the coming years, but this unnatural rise in temperature is negatively impacting species' migration patterns and natural cycles. About 20% of the Amazon Rainforest has already been deforested. The Amazon Rainforest is often called the “lungs” of our planet because, without it, all life on Earth would cease to exist. This rainforest is the size of the entire Lower 48 states of the US. 20% of that is so massive that it is inconceivable to the human mind. That chunk of the Amazon rainforest is now destroyed, and scientists predict that if this percentage increases much further, there will be a series of negative effects that will cascade throughout the Amazon Rainforest, destroying the entire ecosystem and that will lead to the destruction of all other life on Earth.

I am sad that I was the only attendee at VidSummit 2023 to ask about ways to help our planet. Most questions were on how to market products, get more views, and just expand the visibility and impact of companies. I’m all for that! This isn’t to knock VidSummit or the attendees in any way. But we can’t ignore what makes all of this possible- the Earth!

I hope that in the future, there will be more VidSummit attendees conscious of, dare I say it, THE ENVIRONMENT than just me. Yes, I’m looking at you, Jordan Peterson. I DO care for our planet’s wild places and wild creatures, and I will NEVER stop caring for them and working to raise support for them. I have nothing against Mr. Peterson, I’m actually a fan, and I’m actually reading his book, 12 Rules for Life. But he has got to stop downplaying our environmental problems because they are some of the biggest problems we face today as a species. I get it, he doesn’t want the public to feel alarmed. Neither do I! I think that is the last thing we need as a species- to feel worse.

That is why I have been constantly brainstorming ways to influence the masses without worrying them about environmental problems in a negative way. But I think I’ve been overthinking things a bit. As Lisa explained, I must continue to first entertain and then subliminally provide my message.

Oh, and as promised, I’ll share a bit about what Tom Bilyeu told me. I spoke with him for a few minutes, and he was very friendly to me. He basically told me to stay focused on what I was currently working toward- amassing a following on the YouTube platform. I told him about the various ideas I had and the tremendous potential each of them held. Talking with him about my goals made me realize I cannot do everything at once. I have to focus on making one of my ideas work. And now, I choose YouTube.

Here is a picture of me and Tom after our conversation.

To cap off this article, I want to share some of the good that is happening in the world right now on the environmental front. There’s a ton of great news. The deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is slowing down. This year, the Amazon Rainforest has been deforested LESS than it was last year. This is a great trend to see. Also, extraordinary people such as Mossy Earth and VETPAW are working on the ground and producing content that is getting hundreds of thousands of views on the YouTube platform! It is this kind of work that will lead us to a new chapter of human history. A world that is sustainable and one where both nature and human ingenuity coexist in harmony.

What are some industries or products you believe will help preserve the environment for future generations? I know for a fact that shade-grown coffee is one! Leave a comment below to share your thoughts!

Thank you for reading this article! Stay tuned for more, and remember, keep it wild!