Jake Paul: 'New York Pop-Up Shop Will Be An Instagramable Experience"
A lot has changed since Jake Paul first started making Vine videos in 2013. Vine no longer exists and Paul is now the biggest social influencer in the country. The 20-year-old still makes videos every day, but now making hilarious videos is his business. Jake and his brother Logan are pioneers when it comes to monetizing their social media platforms. Paul employs over 50 people and is headed to New York City this weekend to set up a pop-up shop at 508 West 37th Street between 10th and 11th avenue.
Paul chatted with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith about what people can expect at the pop-up shop, why he loves fast-paced atmosphere of New York and how he turned vlogging into a career.
DJ Sixsmith: Why are you and Team 10 coming to New York this weekend?
Jake Paul: We decided we wanted to come to New York for a couple of reasons. Whenever I'm in New York, the Jake Paul and Team 10 fan base is insane. Every other corner, there is someone saying hi. I think a big part of the pop-up shop has to do with Christmas. Whenever I think of Christmas, I think of New York City all lit up. That's something I wanted to capture in the pop-up shops and the snow and the fun.
DS: What are some of your favorite things about New York City?
JP: I love how fast-paced it is. How everyone is on the go and it's insane to me where all of the people come from. You can basically do whatever you want at any point during the day. It never sleeps. There's always a ton of energy.
DS: What's been your best experience in the city so far?
JP: I was walking down the street one time and I'm a big fan of the NYPD. I've always seen the NYPD in movies and I was walking down the street and two of the officers said, "Hey!" I was like on snap, what are they about to say. They come up and say, "Are you Jake Paul, we love your videos." Then, they asked to take a selfie with me.
DS: You've done pop-up shops before in other cities. What can people expect this weekend?
JP: There's going to be a ton of exclusive merchandise that you can only get at the pop-up shop. A lot of it is not available online. There's going to be different Instagramable moments where people can take pictures with my car or act like they are one of the Team 10 members. Overall, it will be a great experience. It won't just be like a store, it'll be more like an experience. Saturday and Sunday will be open from 10am-7pm. We moved the pop-up shop to a bigger venue, it's going to be at 508 West 37th Street between 10th and 11th avenue. It's going to be a lot of fun and people will be able to hang out with some of the Team 10 members.
DS: Who inspires you from a creative standpoint?
JP: That's a good question. I really love Drake and everything he stands for and what he's done with his career. I look up to Drake. He gives me motivation to keep on grinding and hustle. He talks about how hard he works in his songs and I hope to match or exceed his work ethic.
DS: The media landscape has changed a lot since you started making videos on Vine back in Ohio. What's the biggest difference from when you first started compared to right now?
JP: Social media is the new and biggest wave of media. I think it will only continue to grow. When I first started, it was still all about TV and movies and it still is, but it's consumed in a different way. It's done in a social way. Everyone is on Netflix and that has become a social thing where people are talking about their favorite shows on Twitter. You really don't see that anywhere else. I think everything is moving towards being more and more digital and less traditional.
DS: The year is almost over. What is one thing you learned about yourself professionally or personally?
JP: I would say professionally, I've learned how hard you have to work in this entertainment industry. A lot of people don't see the behind the scenes things that go into it. Everyone thinks that being a celebrity or being in the entertainment industry is the easiest and most fun thing. They might not be wrong, but it's also one of the hardest things. It's super stressful and there's a lot behind the scenes that people don't see. I think I've come to realize that in my professional career.
DS: How do you go about planning your videos?
JP: I'm posting a video every single day. Every morning I wake up and basically have to be my own producer, writer and director. I'm also the talent. I have to think about what I want to talk about, how I keep this video super engaging, so it doesn't lose excitement and also promote my merchandise or products throughout the video. I also have to come up with a cool idea or something that I can do within the video that people will be interested in watching or clicking on. I also have to incorporate storylines of things I've said in the past few weeks of videos. There's a lot that goes into this.
