Authority Through Streaming with Sean Stockell

January 16, 2025

MIN

Authority Through Streaming with Sean Stockell

What does it take to pivot from a traditional career to becoming a pioneer in digital media and streaming? How do you build trust, authority, and a loyal audience in a fast-changing digital landscape? In this insightful conversation, we dive into the journey of transforming challenges into opportunities, the power of collaboration, and the strategies that can help anyone break into the booming world of streaming. Are you ready to discover how innovation, education, and building alliances can redefine your success?

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Authority Through Streaming with Sean Stockell

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Welcome back to The Daily Mastermind, George Wright III here, bringing you your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education.

Today, I’m excited to dive into a topic we haven’t explored before: connected TV and streaming. As many of you know, I’ve been a strong advocate for building authority and visibility, and today’s guest is an incredible example of just that.

Sean Stockell, our guest today, is the CEO of Your Home Digital, the founder and executive producer of Your Home TV, and the publisher of Your Home, One Source. Partnered with Cathy Ireland Worldwide, Sean leads digital media and marketing strategies for numerous top-tier brands and influencers. Just this year alone, Sean’s platforms have achieved over 6.3 million new mobile viewers and amassed 53 million total views.

Let’s jump right in and get to know Sean’s incredible journey.

You didn’t start in the digital media space—you came from banking. Tell us a bit about your background. How did it all begin?

I grew up in the Midwest, in St. Louis County, Missouri. I got my start in the savings and loan industry after working with my father at his real estate company while attending community college. I first earned my real estate license, followed by my broker’s license, before transitioning to the savings and loan sector.

That was in 1984—showing my age a bit here—and I spent the next 32 years in mortgage banking, wholesale mortgage banking, and community banking. I began my career in the Midwest and eventually relocated to Tampa, Florida, 27 years ago.

Moving from banking to digital media is quite a leap. What prompted that transition? Was it a forced pivot or a new opportunity you identified?

Great question! Change is inevitable in every industry. The rise of the internet in the late ’90s, and by the year 2000, made it clear that no matter your field, being active online was essential to stay relevant.

I’ve always been someone who listens, observes, and learns. While at South Trust Bank and later Bay Cities Bank in Tampa, I raised my hand to help develop websites and online interactions for our customers. That’s when I discovered how much I loved the creativity and strategic thinking that came with the tech side of things.

For instance, at the last bank I worked at, I built their lending division and developed their website. By the time we sold the bank seven years later, 80% of our mortgage business came through the website I helped create. That was a turning point for me—I realized the potential and excitement of working in digital.

‍Did you have any tech experience before diving into digital media? Or did you learn as you went?

I actually had some early experience. Back in 1993, while on vacation in Virginia, an old friend called me with an idea: to create a system like TurboTax, but for navigating the home mortgage process.

I thought it was a fantastic idea, so we spent 1994 and 1995 working on it as a side hustle. We called it Loan Source, and it was built for floppy disks—this was well before the internet was mainstream! The product guided users through mortgage terminology and qualification processes.

This experience taught me the basics of tech development, and while it wasn’t directly connected to what I do today, it laid the foundation for understanding digital tools.

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Transitioning to the Digital and Streaming Space

What was the transition like from banking to digital and, eventually, the streaming space?

It wasn’t an easy journey. Around 2008, the housing crisis hit, and the industry was in turmoil. Thankfully, I had already started building the foundation for Your Home, One Source as a side project.

At the same time, I was still working full-time at a community bank, building their residential lending division. This dual approach—working full-time while developing my platform in the evenings—was similar to what I had done with Loan Source a decade earlier.

What really made a difference, though, was surrounding myself with people smarter than me. I put together an outstanding board of advisors, including our chairman, David McCain, who was previously the Chief Legal Officer at Lennar Corporation, the largest publicly traded homebuilder at the time. Building the right leadership team was crucial to our success.

What strategy did you use to attract such a strong leadership team? Many people have innovative ideas but struggle to bring in the right people.

That’s a great question. For me, it came down to presenting a clear vision. I’ve always been a writer, so I created concise business development plans and turned them into engaging presentations.

These presentations were highly illustrated with great graphics, which became a hallmark of Your Home, One Source. Whether we were talking about interior design or homebuilding, we ensured the visuals were captivating.

The presentations were kept short—about 10 slides—because you don’t want to overwhelm people. Then, I set up in-person meetings, often over lunch, to explain my concepts. Within 30 minutes to an hour, I could share my vision and invite people to join me.

I always approached these meetings as opportunities for collaboration. Smart executives know they don’t have all the answers, so I sought feedback and invited them to team up with me. Together, we figured things out.

How did this strategy evolve into what we now know as Your Home, One Source?

The turning point came when the bank I was working for sold, creating a cash event for me. With four growing children, I told my wife, “I’m going to take this nest egg and dive full-time into the digital media space.” That decision marked the end of my banking career in September 2015.

By January 1, 2016, we officially launched Your Home Digital and its platform, Your Home, One Source. Over the years, we gradually expanded our leadership team, bringing in experts from various industries. For example, one of our early advisors was a former general manager of Home Shopping Network.

We decided to focus on education. The home industry at the time was highly fragmented—there was no one-stop-shop for homeowners to find resources. If you wanted a mortgage, you’d go to LendingTree; if you wanted to buy a home, it was Realtor.com.

We aimed to centralize all these resources, creating an Amazon or Walmart-style platform for the home industry. Over the first five years, we partnered with over 40 brands, including Home Advisor, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and BobVila.com.

Education isn’t always the obvious path for a business. What made you choose it?

Great question. Two main reasons influenced this decision:

First, the housing crisis taught me that a lack of education can lead to poor decisions. If more people had been properly informed, perhaps the financial collapse wouldn’t have been as devastating.

Second, I learned during my banking career that trust and service are key. People do business with trusted advisors who offer exceptional customer service. By educating consumers, we positioned ourselves as trusted advisors while also providing unmatched value.

In the first five years, we built a massive platform with 900 pages of content, nearly 400 articles, and tools like checklists and calculators. We even had 22,000 outbound links to resources like Realtor.com, FEMA, and the National Association of Realtors.

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Pivoting to Streaming

How did Your Home, One Source lead to the creation of Your Home TV?

The transition to streaming started early on. In 2016, during our first year in business, I purchased the domain Your Home TV. Initially, we partnered with a company called Content Puppy to create a library of short-run educational videos for the home industry.

We produced over 200 videos for brands like Anderson Windows and focused on visually engaging, story-driven content. This set the stage for more video production, including commercials for home industry brands.

About three and a half years ago, we began placing these commercials on streaming platforms like YouTube and HGTV. That’s when our CMO pointed out that streaming was growing at 30% year-over-year, with projections for continued growth.

After a year of research and planning, we launched Your Home TV in November 2022 as an independent OTT (over-the-top) streaming platform. While we’re on Roku in 20 countries, most of our viewers access us through mobile devices in over 80 countries.

For those unfamiliar, Your Home TV is a free global streaming network offering live streams and video-on-demand content. It’s family-friendly and covers a wide range of topics, including home trends, real estate, finance, and more.

Our platform stands out because of its focus on short-run programming. While platforms like Netflix and Disney+ focus on movies, we deliver shorter content—ranging from 3-minute videos to 60-minute shows, with an average length of 17-20 minutes.

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The Future of Streaming

Where do you see streaming heading in the next 3-5 years?

Streaming will continue to evolve. While cord-cutting has been a major trend, people will still pay for subscriptions alongside free options. It’s similar to how newspapers and print media adapted to the internet—they didn’t disappear but found a new equilibrium.

We believe in focusing on mobile streaming because that’s where most viewers are. Platforms like YouTube, with 2.7 billion users, far outpace traditional connected TV audiences. The future lies in creating accessible, engaging content for mobile devices.

What advice would you give to producers, creators, or businesses considering streaming?

First and foremost, control and own your content. Don’t enter into licensing agreements that transfer control to another party. These arrangements often promise monetization but don’t always deliver, and you may struggle to regain control of your content later.

Flexibility is also critical. Work with a company that allows you to maintain control over your production schedule. Whether you want to release one show per month or one per week, the timing should be up to you.

Many larger networks impose rigid requirements, such as specific time formats or strict production standards. We encourage creators to prioritize authentic storytelling, which resonates more with audiences on mobile platforms.

It’s also worth noting that YouTube is the largest streaming platform, with 2.7 billion users, compared to 450 million households across all major connected TV networks combined. Mobile streaming reaches an even larger global audience—3.7 billion people.

The takeaway? Focus on mobile-friendly content, as it offers the widest reach and aligns with how viewers consume media today.

You’ve mentioned collaboration as a key component of Your Home TV. Can you elaborate?

Absolutely. Streaming platforms often have high barriers to entry—financially and logistically. Building your own independent streaming service can cost millions of dollars and take years to develop, with no guarantee of success.

That’s why we designed Your Home TV as a collaborative platform. We act as a technology host, providing the infrastructure and even marketing services for influencers, brands, and filmmakers.

By partnering with us, creators can focus on what they do best—producing content—while we handle the technology and distribution. It’s a turnkey solution that lowers costs and accelerates time to market.

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Building Trust and Authority

Why is trust so important in the streaming and digital space?

Trust is everything. People do business with brands they trust and return to those that provide exceptional service. That’s why we’ve always emphasized education and transparency.

By offering free, hassle-free access to resources and content, we remove barriers that might otherwise deter users. Our partnerships with respected brands and institutions further reinforce our credibility.

When you’re seen as a trusted advisor, your audience stays loyal, which in turn attracts new partners and opportunities.

What’s next for Your Home TV?

We’re focused on expanding our reach and refining our content strategy. Short-run programming remains our core, as it aligns with modern viewing habits. Whether it’s a 3-minute segment or a 20-minute episode, the goal is to deliver value quickly and efficiently.

Streaming isn’t just about entertainment; it’s about creating relationships and building communities. By continuing to prioritize education, trust, and collaboration, we aim to become the go-to resource for home industry topics worldwide.

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Final Thoughts

What parting advice would you give to someone completely new to streaming?

Start by creating a clear vision for your content. Focus on storytelling and delivering value to your audience. Partner with platforms or companies that align with your goals and make the process simple.

Remember, control your content, choose flexible partners, and focus on mobile-friendly formats. Streaming offers incredible opportunities, but success comes from authenticity and consistency.

For those interested in exploring Your Home TV, simply type “Your Home TV” into your browser. You’ll find us there.

Thank you for Sean, and as always, remember: it’s never too late to start creating the life you’re meant to live. Keep innovating, stay inspired, and we’ll see you on the next episode of The Daily Mastermind!

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