On today's show I sat down with Austin Taylor, aka Young Mantis, a 29-year-old Fishers, Indiana content creator whose videos have surpassed 1 billion views.
Young Mantis remembers starting with the "Ref Daddy" video while interning for Pat McAfee's Barstool Heartland, lessons about professionalism, and creating early YouTube satire about IUPUI. He then won Barstool Idol in 2018, adopted the Young Mantis name, moved to New York, and navigated Barstool's approval and consent-form process before being laid off during COVID.
After returning to Indiana, he DoorDashed, freelanced, and later partnered with Brandon Ames to build a business through brand deals and short-form strategy. Viral stunts like checking into an IUPUI basketball game, Shrek Beef, a 130M-view "corn dog" clip, and free-throw endurance challenges to hit 100 and eventually 135 consecutive free throws, among many others, have elevated his brand.
If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.
You are going to learn about:
Young Mantis' Journey from Barstool Idol to Full-Time Content Creator
Viral Stunts Elevating His Brand
Building Business Through Brand Deals and Content Strategy
Thank you to our partners:
Pence Media Group
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
Check out these great clips from the show:
00:00 Followers Don't Matter
01:19 Guest Introduction: Austin "Young Mantis" Taylor, Creator
