Ryan Kelly, known online as “Youth Pastor Ryan,” went from comedy stages to millions of followers across social media platforms. However, his creator journey was far from linear.  

Starting with improv shows in his hometown, Ryan pursued a college degree in engineering while performing stand-up on the side. After a brief stint as a personal assistant in Los Angeles, he worked as an entertainment host at Disneyland.

While at Disney, Ryan first dipped his toes into social media content creation. “I started posting videos online, specifically on Instagram, but this was before Reels,” he explains. “I would post videos to test material.”

A friend’s suggestion to try TikTok proved transformative. “My first video [on TikTok] got more views than I’ve ever gotten to that point,” Ryan recalls. 

His consistent posting strategy – aiming for one original video per day – has resulted in an impressive body of work. Since starting, Ryan has posted around 2,500 original videos.

The St. Louis native’s content now includes clean comedy, scammer-busting videos, and quirky corporate history lessons, attracting a diverse and loyal audience.

However, behind the wholesome persona and viral videos lies a creator grappling with the realities of the digital economy, algorithm changes, and the pressure to constantly produce.

Ryan shares with us how he develops multi-platform strategies, the importance of truthful content creation, and his plans to leverage his online success for real-world impact in cybersecurity.

Diverse Content

Ryan’s content has changed significantly since his early days of sharing “happy, wholesome Disney stories.” A personal experience with fraud led him to a new content niche: scammer busting.

“I got scammed. I tried to get my car shipped, and I contacted a legitimate company that put me in contact with a scammer who stole $712.50,” Ryan tells us. 

Drawing on knowledge from his master’s degree in homeland security, he tracked down the scammers and reported them to the FBI. This experience sparked a series of videos where Ryan exposes and disrupts scam operations. 

“I started scamming scammers,” he states. “I started messing with them and pulling their data, showing them everything they were doing. 

The content resonated widely: “Everybody hates scammers. Regardless of the socio-political spectrum or sexuality — we can all be victims.”

Ryan’s content portfolio also includes educational videos about unexpected corporate diversification. He also loves history and interesting education that “doesn’t make a lot of sense,” citing examples like Texas Instruments, which makes both calculators and missile components.

Building a Wholesome Brand

Despite the diverse nature of his content, Ryan focuses on a consistently wholesome brand, which has garnered him a loyal and friendly following.

His clean comedy appeals to a broad audience, including couples and families. “I love when couples watch me and tell me they love my content,” Ryan shares.

Image: Ryan at a comedy show

The “Youth Pastor Ryan” persona, complete with a signature red flannel shirt, emerged from a casual conversation about branding and is now a core part of Ryan’s online identity.

As the comedian slash scam-buster grows his online presence, he remains focused on creating content that brings people together, proving that there’s a significant audience for positive, family-friendly content.

Algorithms and Audiences

Ryan highlights the importance of maintaining a presence across multiple social media platforms. He currently posts content on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, each serving a different purpose in his content strategy.

“I do repurpose everything,” Ryan says, explaining his approach to content distribution. “I make one video a day [that] goes out across all [platforms].” 

However, he tailors his content to specific platforms while acknowledging the financial incentives of particular platforms. “Facebook and YouTube also pay the best, so having those is crucial,” Ryan notes. 

The content creator also points out the challenges of platform management, particularly regarding account security and customer support.

“Every algorithm is different,” Ryan observes. “Not only that, but every algorithm is evolving.” According to him, this constant change makes it difficult to predict content performance. 

Despite the challenges, he remains committed to a multi-platform strategy, recognizing that “every platform has different people on it.” Ryan credits this mindset with enabling him to reach diverse audiences and maximize his content’s impact.

The Organized Chaos of Content Creation

Ryan’s content creation and organization approach reflects his work’s dynamic, high-volume nature. 

Despite his success, he admits to struggling with organization, partly due to his diagnosed ADHD. “I am terrible at organization,” he confesses. “I think what keeps me creating and moving so quickly is because you’re chasing the serotonin.”

Ryan’s content creation process is characterized by bursts of productivity and periods of creative fatigue. 

“There are some days where I will film four or five videos because I’m in the zone,” he explains. “And there are some videos where I’m like, I need to repost because I am just drained.”

The comedian has recently adopted a more structured approach to managing his multiple projects — including daily short-form videos, long-form content, brand deals, a book adaptation, and software development. 

“I do have a whiteboard now that my fiancé made me get because she noticed I was losing my mind,” he shares.

Collaborations and Creative Synergy

Ryan believes that strategic collaborations have enriched his content career, citing his partnership with “Being Just John” as particularly fruitful. 

“We had such great collaboration, and people loved seeing us together because we’re such a juxtaposition,” Ryan explains. This creative synergy helped both creators expand their reach and explore new comedic territories.

However, Ryan cautions against overestimating the impact of collaborations on follower growth. “Some people think that, if you collab with someone in a video, you will immediately gain followers,” he notes. “No, it’s the account that it’s on. And even then, sometimes it’s iffy.”

Self-Reflection

For those looking to make a career in the creator economy or comedy, Ryan recommends finding a niche they love, filming content, sharing it with people, and sticking to that formula. 

He chooses passion over fame, warning against the pitfalls of pursuing content creation solely for recognition or financial gain.

Reflecting on his journey, Ryan expresses gratitude for the opportunities and connections he’s made through content creation.

“I’m very thankful for where I’m at in my life,” he states. While he wishes he had developed better editing skills earlier, he wouldn’t change his path, as it led to meaningful relationships, including meeting his fiancée through creator friends.

Personal Fulfillment

At the forefront of Ryan’s projects is developing innovative cybersecurity software targeting scamming. 

Drawing from his extensive experience in cybersecurity, he aims to address vulnerabilities that affect various demographics, from the elderly to young adults facing issues like sex extortion.

Ryan is also working on several major scam cases, though details remain confidential to protect ongoing investigations.

Despite these ambitious projects, Ryan maintains a grounded perspective on success. “I’m just really happy if I can pay my bills, buy food for my cat, and just hold my [future] wife,” he concludes. 

This balanced outlook extends to his content creation. He plans to continue making videos and performing stand-up comedy for college audiences, all while prioritizing positively impacting everyone.