GabeBult Made $230K (After Almost Quitting at 25K Subscribers)

GabeBult’s story begins with him posting on YouTube while working two jobs and renovating an apartment rental. Gabe’s channel blends topics of minimalism, money, and self-improvement — all shot in a cinematic, thoughtful style and helped him stand out in a crowded niche

For years, he uploaded consistently, made almost nothing, and came close to quitting — right before his channel took off

He has made $230,000 from YouTube AdSense alone through 360,000 subscribers and 30M views in 5 years. But it took years. And hundreds of videos

This week, we're breaking down Gabe’s journey: how he pushed through the plateau, built a system around his channel, and turned years of hard work into a sustainable business

Let’s break down his story—step by step

📹 Phase 1: 0–10,000 Subscribers (The Free Work Era)

• Video Uploads: 3/week → then 1/week

• Timeframe: 7 months

• Total AdSense Income: $2,000

• Sponsors: None

Like most creators, he started with volume. Three videos a week, editing on a basic MacBook Air, learning as he went. At this point, 1 video made about half of total views

He hit 10K subs in 7 months, and then things slowed

⛰️ Phase 2: 10K–25K (The Dip That Kills 90%)

Sound familiar?

This is where most people fizzle. You’re putting in the same work, but the growth stops

He stuck with it through 25k subs, just barely:

• Total AdSense Income: ~$5,900 earned on 1.7M views ($3.50 RPM)

• Sponsors: Brands were reaching out to Gabe with offers for free products in exchange for a review or highlight (no $$ yet)

🚀 Phase 3: 25K–100K (The Momentum Shift)

• Big wins: a few viral videos and paid sponsorships

• He reinvested everything—upgraded to a Sony A7III, new mics, lights, and a new MacBook

Through 100K subs:

• ~$47,000 on 8M views ($5.85 RPM)

• Sponsorships: $2K–$3K each

• Started to feel like a business, though he is still working 2 jobs

The key difference? Compounding success. Each viral video grew the audience a bit more. Views and income became more consistent

💸 Phase 4: 100K–200K (The Business Era)

Gabe started to think about how to turn this into a sustainable business. He was spending too much time editing videos that could be better utilized in content strategy and creation

• Gabe hired his first editor (~$20-25K/year)

• Created systems using Notion

• Increased focus on Sponsorships and Affiliate income

Through 200K subs:

• ~$105K total earnings on 16M views ($6.60 RPM)

• Sponsors: $2K–$5K per sponsorship

• Affiliate income: ~$500/month

🧠 What Changed Everything

After hundreds of uploads, he realized something critical:

That led to:

• Creating a repeatable content engine

• Delegating editing + admin

• Designing a workflow that prioritized quality and joy

📉 Phase 5: 200K–360K (The Reality of Creator Life)

• Total Adsense earned: ~$230,000 on 30M views ($7.70 RPM)

  • $20,000 from AdSense alone in his best month

• Team costs: $30K/year

• Sponsorships: $3-10k each

• Affiliate: $1k per month

He’s transparent: the spikes don’t last. Growth isn’t linear. And the money doesn’t just keep going up. As he approached 300k and at times up to 360k, his subscriber growth, view count and earnings had some dips, but the lows were lower and the highs with were higher

🧭 Creator Takeaways

1. The dip is real—but it doesn’t last
   The “why am I even doing this” phase often comes right before the breakthrough

2. Go beyond AdSense
   Affiliate links, digital products, brand deals—all of it matters. Diversify your monetization options early

3. Organize to scale.
   Notion, templates, systems—if you’re making it up every week, burnout is waiting for you.

Final Word

It took this creator 5 years, hundreds of uploads, and multiple near-quit moments to build a YouTube channel that finally pays like a full-time job

There are no shortcuts and no hacks. You need to

That persistence paid off and his channel nearly doubled in 2024 to 640,000 subscribers and 55M+ views. At an $8 RPM, he earned $200,000 from AdSense alone in 2024

You’re closer than you think