🎬 How I Became A Full-Time YouTuber

Hello!  Mark here.

Whether you’ve been watching my videos for a while or you’re entirely new to my content, I thought I’d take a second to properly introduce myself.

I didn’t grow up wanting to be a tech reviewer. I grew up surrounded by synths.

My dad’s a musician, so the house was full of music gear… weird boxes with blinking lights, buttons I wasn’t supposed to touch (but definitely did), and enough cables to trip over daily. That was my first real exposure to tech. And looking back, I think that’s where the curiosity started. Not so much about how the stuff worked, but what it could do. That mindset stuck.

Later, it was my two tech-obsessed uncles and a group of mates who were equally into gadgets that pulled me deeper in. Then the Amiga 500 came along and properly blew my mind. From that point on, I was "the tech guy" in my friend group and family, even if, secretly, I was never that fussed about the technical bits. I’ve never been the “I rebuilt my PC over the weekend” type. I’m more “this works, great, but what else can it do?”

What’s kept me hooked over the years is how fast everything changes. Tech never sits still, and that makes it a fun space to explore and talk about.

But I didn’t always do this. Before YouTube, I worked in marketing. I’ve always liked creating things, especially written content, and spent years publishing blog posts and articles. But in 2020, I hit a bit of a wall. The job didn’t excite me anymore, and I wanted to take the stuff I was already writing and try something new with it.

So I turned on the camera.

Right from the start, the Mark Ellis Reviews YouTube channel was set up as a business, not a hobby. I figured: if others are making this work, why not me? And thankfully, over time, it did work. What started as a small side project is now my full-time job (which still feels strange to say out loud).

The way I approach tech is… different. At least, I think it is. I’m not interested in running benchmarks or pixel-peeping display panels. I don’t dive into the nitty-gritty because, frankly, I don’t think most people care. And neither do I.

I make videos for people like me. People who enjoy tech, but don’t want to drown in specs. I want you to walk away from a video either thinking, “Yes, that’s the right product for me,” or “Nope, I’m good.” If I’ve helped someone avoid buyer’s remorse or feel good about what they’ve bought, that’s a win. Bonus points if I’ve made you laugh along the way.

There’s no hype here. No manufactured excitement. I treat tech like a normal part of everyday life, which it is.

And in case you're wondering, no, I don’t really watch tech YouTube anymore. I did in the early days, and it definitely inspired me to start my own thing. But now I find myself drawn more to car content and music channels. Those interests are part of new projects I’m working on now, and I’m genuinely excited about where they’ll lead (if you’re into cars, check out my other YouTube channel, The Next Drive).

Anyhow, if you’re not yet subscribed to the Mark Ellis Reviews YouTube channel, I’d love to see you over there!

~ Mark