Make a Living Doing What You Love

We did it and you can too!

Published: Friday, September 10, 2021
By: Jordan Balbresky

A couple of decades ago, I left the corporate world with a one-way ticket to somewhere I’d never been and knew nothing about, the island of St. John. During my time in the Virgin Islands, I jumped at every chance to get on a boat, which resulted in some fantastic trips including a trans-Atlantic, a delivery to the Panama Canal, and tens of thousands of miles under the keel. I eventually worked my way up from snorkel and dive trips to racing sailboats to captaining power yachts. In those days, I wasn’t on social media and didn’t even have a smartphone—but times were changing. A friend posted a video of his cat on YouTube and enough people watched it that he got a check in the mail. It wasn’t a lot, but I had no idea that was even possible.

Nowadays I find myself spending less time than I’d like on boats and more time in front of a screen. So, when I recently spoke to Eric Haataja, Gene Jensen, and Jay Siemens—professional content creators, videographers and fishing guides who make their living on their boats—I was genuinely curious about how they got started and asked them to share their experiences and tips.

How did you get started?

Jay
I got my start at 16 as a fishing guide. While spending my summers in some beautiful locations, I found my love for photography and later videography. I started my YouTube channel mostly to document the cool places I was traveling to, even if it was just my mom watching. When I saw the memories I was able to create through video, it turned into a whole new passion. From there, I slowly made the transition to full-time photographer/cinematographer and phased out guiding. Now, my work on YouTube takes up about 90% of my time. I feel really humbled when people give up part of their busy lives to watch my videos.

Gene
My career was a complete accident. I’ve always been very involved in the Boy Scouts and enjoyed taking them fishing, so I started making videos as a teaching tool for the kids and shared them on YouTube. I did this for years and didn’t know you could make money from it. I noticed the early videos posted on forums were typically, “Look at me fish and buy stuff.” My channel grew mostly because I was doing how-to videos, which were fairly new at the time. Once I realized I could make money on YouTube, I did it on the side for years. I made a plan to grow my channel so that, when it was successful enough and it could meet my financial needs, then I would take the leap. The key was to stick to that plan and not get ahead of myself.

Eric
I always loved to fish. I started guiding when I was 18. About 25 years ago, I got my captain’s license and a boat and learned how to market myself. I started by writing articles and doing TV shows. When social media took off, I started posting pictures of my catches on forums and videos on YouTube and realized the power of social media. Now, I’m a full-time guide and I own an ice fishing rod company and a lure company.

How do you get paid without an “employer”?

Jay
You have to have multiple revenue streams. First, for YouTube, you get paid when people watch the ads during your videos. Second, and one of the most important sources of income while you’re gaining viewers and growing the total number of views, is sponsorships. This can be a one-off where a brand pays for a specific video or endorsement. My preference is to have a longer-term relationship where you and the brand work together to spread product awareness throughout your videos and they’re able to provide you with the products needed to make your videos or they just pay you outright. It’s always great to partner with brands that I’ve already been using for years and trust in. I’ve owned an Alumacraft for over 10 years, long before I was part of their team. My Competitor 185 is my "office," and without a good boat I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. Third, is selling merchandise. If you have a loyal fan base, they’ll want to support you and selling clothing, hats, or t-shirts is an easy way to give your fans a little part of your world.

Gene
When it comes to sponsors, you’re building a relationship—and my relationship with Alumacraft saved my career. I wasn’t looking for a sponsor; I was looking for a boat. The boat I had was from another manufacturer that had been bought out, so it was no longer under warranty. While out filming one day, the welds started popping and I almost sank. I somehow made it back to the boat ramp and got home. At the time, I was just breaking even with making videos and I found myself in the position that I needed to buy a new boat to keep doing what I loved. It broke my heart because I almost had to give up on my dream. That was when I got the call from Alumacraft. They never had an influencer program before but saw my videos and wanted to take a chance on me. They gave me a boat and told me to keep doing what I do, so I did.

What advice would you give someone that wants to make a living on their boat?

Eric
Do you know there’s more professional basketball players than there are fishing guides? Sure, you can be gifted in any sport or activity, but spend as much time on the water as possible. Put in more time and work harder. It takes a lot of guts to go from working for someone else to working for yourself, but the fish are always moving and you have to adapt.

Gene
Don’t quit your day job. I talk to people all the time who say, “I’m going to start a YouTube channel.” My response is, “Why haven’t you?” You don’t need fancy equipment. Use your phone, make videos, make mistakes, put yourself out there and see what happens. I deleted my first 20 videos because I was learning. Once you make 20 videos, make 20 more just to learn how to shoot and edit. Then make 20 more so you can learn how to bring people in and engage. Make sure your viewers feel special, they’re the reason you’re doing this in the first place. Also, ignore the trolls. Negative comments are part of the game. Just delete them and move on.

Jay
Don’t compare yourself to others. We live in a world of comparison, it’s easy to look at the best tournament anglers and YouTubers and get caught up in the numbers. It’s best to keep your head down and keep grinding. It can take years to make it a full time career and patience is a key virtue along the way. Whether it’s making fishing videos, guiding, or competing in tournaments, the passion needs to be there. If you want to turn fishing and owning a boat from a hobby to a full time gig, it might take years of grinding to make a profit, but I assure you it’s absolutely worth it. Don't put extra pressure on yourself to follow the path expected of you. Hard work will pay off. Stay focused on your goals and enjoy the process as you chase your passion.

About the Author
A former public relations practitioner serving the high-tech and consumer electronics industries, Jordan Balbresky returned to the agency world following a decade of hands-on marine experience. Living in the Caribbean and working in all aspects of the marine industry—from boat building, restoration and maintenance, to charter captain and delivery crew of sailing and motor yachts—Balbresky has a first-hand understanding of the outdoor and maritime markets. Fully immersing himself in the industry, he is a licensed scuba instructor, as well as master mariner and has lived on-board a custom-built schooner while skippering charters on boats of all sizes in the US Virgin Islands. In between articles, he works as a public relations and social media professional and enjoys fly fishing every chance he can.