Project 2 (Polished Draft)
Austin Balon
Mat Wenzel
ENC 2135
24 July 2017
Importance of Being Transparent
Excitement seemed to run through me as I stepped through the doors of the Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. There were so many booths set up that seemed to fill up the enormous amount of space available in the building. Each booth was advertising their brand name and giving away products such as samples, shirts, stickers, and many other free things that seemed appealing. Knowing exactly the first booth that I wanted to go to first my girlfriend and I walked as fast as we could towards it. There was already a large line beginning at the optimum nutrition booth. The optimum nutrition had the largest booth since it had been the event sponsor of this year. Although the size of the booth stood out the with its modern design and also the number of items they were giving away. Such as, t-shirts, fitness journals, and many supplement samples. However, people were not just waiting in line to walk through the booth and get their free stuff, but also to meet one of the most influential athletes in the fitness industry, Steve Cook. Cook, an athlete sponsored by many different companies, had begun his fitness career competing in multiple physique competitions, but now has a very successful YouTube channel. Which is where I found to be motivated and pushed into fitness. So, knowing that there was a possibility that I’d get to meet him I could not help but stand in line. However, with the size of the line it was obvious that I was not the only person he had made an impact on. I thought it to be inspiring to see that an individual could make an impact on such a large number of people. With this thought in mind I had wondered what separates him from any other vlogger in the fitness industry and what had made him such a motivational figure in my own life.
Brett Fitzgerald made a statement that could be described by stating individuals tend to lose track of their fitness goals because of a lack of found motivation to achieve a goal. (Fitzgerald 2006). Luckily, within the fitness industry YouTube has been a platform for people to help spread information and motivate individuals to live a healthier life. YouTube has been very popular because through YouTube individuals may watch for similar reasons that they watch television, but YouTube allows for social networking. (Paul Haridakis and Gary Hanson 2009). Therefore, individuals who are creating videos can publicly release information that can be beneficial to those watching. However, this could also mean that individuals are putting out a video to please the viewers instead of being true to them self. This can be a problem in the fitness community because if someone is not transparent and only shows when they have positive changes or good workouts a new viewer may be discouraged if they do not always feel positive about their progress or workouts. The reason they may feel discouraged is because they may think that since they are not always having good results like the individual they watch then they are to blame for not being as successful. However, there are some individuals in this community that can motivate others by giving “information on how to reduce present uncertainty.” (Lockwood, Shaughnessy, Fortune, Tong 2012). This is one way that the fitness vlogger, Steve Cook, is able to separate himself from other individuals in this community. His transparency allows those who subscribe to him to see that even though he is very successful with what he does; he still has his bad days. For example, in his video titled Disappointed in Myself, he talks about how he has not been as on top of his training as much lately and does not feel as strong or athletic. (“Disappointed In Myself”).This quality shows to people that is he is honest and is going to be real about his progress in fitness. Also, after he mention how he is disappointed with himself he talks about how he is going to improve and set new goals. This is important because it shows his viewers that even when everything is not going right for him he is looking for a way to better himself and the situation he is in. This is a quality that sets Steve Cook apart from a lot of other fitness vloggers. As there are specific fitness vloggers that may only show you their new personal record lifts or the new fast car or etcetera.
Since Steve Cook is transparent he is able to easily show his passion for pursuing his purpose. His transparency to his viewers allows for him to express what he feels is his purpose and express how important he believes it is for an individual to find their purpose. This is evident because of the statement in one of my favorite vlogs that he has released. This statement is, “when you are enthusiastic everyday about getting up and doing something in life, that is what you are meant to be doing”. (“A Message You All Need To Hear”). This stuck out to because it shows that he is not only passionate about expressing his purpose, but also is passionate about others trying to find theirs. This is obviously effective as another successful fitness vlogger, Christian Guzman, left a comment stating, “You’re the man, Steve.” (Guzman 2017). This comment may seem simple, but I saw it to be important because it shows that Steve Cook does not only impact those that are seeking to be successful, but also those who already are also. Christian Guzman, has also become very successful with YouTube, creating a clothing brand, and owning his own gym. So, it is obvious that Guzman is definitely a figure that is also successful within the fitness industry. So, when he states in a video, “I would watch Steve Cook videos and envision being able to help others on that kind of scale.”, it shows what effect Steve Cook has on his viewers. (“Gymshark “My Vision”- Episode 1-…”). This also proves that the purpose that Steve Cook has to help others is very evident in his work, but also inspirational to others with a similar passion. Through all this it is evident that Cook’s passion towards himself and other individuals, being the best person to their abilities has attracted many to listen to the content he produces. Also, with one of his purposes being that he “wants to educate people on how to be healthier in all aspects” he creates content that is beneficial to his viewers. (“A Message You All Need To Hear”). So not only are his viewers entertained with his workouts, travels, or humor, but also educated on topics of becoming healthier. For example, he has many videos called, “trainers”, that walk the viewers through a full workout that he is doing. (…”Trainer Edition”). This allows the viewers to notice movements and techniques that can be applied to their own training. This is a very beneficial way that he provides information to his viewers about training.
Through Steve Cook’s transparency he also keeps his viewers entertained by his humor. His transparency allows for this because he is not shy to hide who he is behind the lens of the camera. This humor is entertaining because as with multiple other fitness vloggers they may only record their workouts and always have a serious attitude. With Cook’s humor the viewer is able to laugh and become entertained with what they are watching. An example, of Steve Cook’s humor is in his video titled, Do We Compete with Each Other?; Steve Cook & Christian Guzman, he laughs about how he was unable to wake up in time for a morning workout because he was up late with a sugar rush from eating a lot of food. (“Do We Compete With Each Other?...”). I believe just him sharing this information, although it can be found comical, shows that he does not care to share things that may be seen as negative in fitness industry. However, even though he can be very laid back humorous he is also able to have serious conversations as he does in the same video recently mentioned. Steve Cook and Christian Guzman talk about how they are competitive with each other, but still have a strong appreciation for each other and their friendship always comes first. (“Do We Compete With Each Other?...”). This versatility of Steve Cook’s attitude allows for individuals to be entertained, but also inspired by the respect he has for everyone around him. Therefore it shows that Steve Cook is not only transparent on his videos, but also to those with whom he surrounds himself with.
Steve Cooks passion for his followers is a key element in his success and has impacted the lives of many individuals. An example of an impact he has had is in his video, Do We Compete with Each Other?; Steve Cook & Christian Guzman. At the beginning of the video Steve Cook is at an Expo event, similar to the one I attended in Ohio, talking to many individuals that get to meet him. However, one individual tells Cook that he has lost “89 pounds in the last fifteen months.” (“Do We Compete With Each Other?...”). This proves that the content that Steve Cook produces has a positive effect on some of his viewers. Also, on his channel are many other videos that contain evidence that Steve Cook has inspired many people to better themselves. It is clear to see that many people enjoy his content due to his 799,569 subscribers on his YouTube channel. (YouTube). Seeing an individual entertain that amount of people is inspiring to me. It is hard not to question what makes Steve Cook so successful at inspiring people. With all the research it is easy to conclude that it is simply his transparency. His transparency allows him to be real with his followers, express his purpose, provide entertainment, and connect with many individuals whether they are successful or not. So, when looking back at the time I got to meet Steve Cook was truly when I saw how transparent he wars and this had made him one of the most motivational figures in my life. He did not seem to put himself about anyone else and I was surprised when he took the time to talk to every individual that got to meet him. When I reached my turn to meet him I began talking about my passion to be successful in the fitness community and how he has inspired me. He responded by saying, “If you believe in something deep down in your heart. People always told me you will never make a living here; you will never do that. So, if you really just believe in what you are doing; that is the name of the game”. This statement has been important to me as I try to move myself forward in life and take the next step towards development. It helps me to remember to always chase what I feel like my purpose is in life. No matter how much scrutiny I may face I must continue working at whatever it is I want in life. One thing that I believe I want in life is to have an impact on people through YouTube. Although, I have not begun publishing videos on YouTube I intend to start as I get adjusted into college. Also, I have been able to stay driven and motivated with my health knowing that it is something that I believe is important for my success. Other factors that are important as I move forward into pursuing my passion is that I remain transparent and truthful along the journey of my fitness, but also determine a purpose and allow that to be the focal point on each piece of work. The purpose that I would like the apply to each piece of work that I produce is to inspire people to be the best that they can be. Whether it be in fitness or any other aspect of life.
Works Cited/Bibliography
Fitzgerald, Bret. “The Psychology of Motivation”. Fitness Business Pro. April 10, 2006.
In, “The Psychology of Motivation” it talks about the “activation” or getting an individual to go to the gym or exercise.” Then it backs that up by saying that the individual must have an “emotional reward.” This is where the source applies to my writing. I believe that those watching the videos of Steve Cook are given this reward or goal to shoot for. When seeing the success of Steve Cook in this industry it can be inspiring. This may cause an individual to set goals in order to make themselves more successful or just to improve their health.
GymSharkTV. "Gymshark "My Vision" - Episode 1 - Steve Cook & Christian Guzman." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Oct. 2015. Web. 25 July 2017.
Haridakis, Paul. Hanson, Gary. “Social interaction and co-viewing with youtube:blending mass communication reception and social connection”. Journal Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 53.2, June, 2009, pp. 317.
This is one of my scholarly sources that was used within my writing. This source talked about the motivations individuals have towards watching YouTube and why it may be becoming so popular. I used this in my writing to compare YouTube to television. This comparison helped developed my ideas of how YouTube is becoming a popular form of entertainment, but also includes community because of its social abilities.
Miller, William R.; Rollnick, Stephen. “Motivational Interviewing, Third Edition.” Part 1. pp. 1.
Part 1 of this writing is titled, “What is motivational interviewing?”. This section talks about how a person may be motivated or what causes an individual to become motivated. One question that is asked about motivation is, “Why would I want to learn this and how would I use it?”. This question is important because those who are viewing fitness videos may be wondering how the video could be beneficial to what they are trying to do. So, when a Fitness vlogger is able to provide viewers with quality information that is beneficial to fitness it causes one to continue watching. This is a reason Steve Cook is successful with his work.
Milyavskaya, Marina. “Inspired to get there: The effects of trait and goal inspiration on goal process.” Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 51, Issue 1, Jan. 2012, pp.56-60.
In this journal I specifically took a look at the first section called “inspiration”. This section talks about the study of motivation, but also makes the point that one characteristic of motivation being, “inspiration is brought on by some idea or person instead of occurring without any apparent cause.” Noting that a lot of individuals are inspired through the content that Steve Cook provides in his videos this quote provided direct evidence that individuals can be motivated by a person. This source is another example used to help develop the idea or them within my writing.
“Social Comparisons in Novel Situations.” Social Comparisons in Novel SituationsPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin - Penelope Lockwood, Sarah C. Shaughnessy, Jennifer L. Fortune, Man-On Tong, 2012, journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0146167212447234. Accessed 19 July 2017.
From this source I was able to use a quote that helped develop a point in my writing. I used the quote, “people who are seeking a role model may compare their own abilities with those of a superior other to gain information on how to improve their own circumstances in the future.” This worked perfectly into my writing as I could use as evidence to why individuals enjoy watching fitness vloggers such as, Steve Cook. So, with this quote I had the ability to further prove my point.
Swoldiernation. "A Message You All Need To Hear." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 July 2017.
This video was used as a large staple in my writing. Since in the video Steve Cook expressed his passion for finding his purpose and utilizing it to benefit those of the fitness community, I was able to develop many ideas off of this video. In my writing I had used quotes from this video more than once because of their importance to my topic. Which is what makes Steve Cook stand out among other fitness vloggers and why has he been such a motivational figure in my life. This video and some research has been able to help provide me with answer to that question. Although, I do believe it is necessary to perform more research, in order to, develop my topic.
swoldiernation. “Disappointed In Myself | BIG Strength Progression 01.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPBSpslINN8. Accessed 19 July 2017.
This video helped me form conclusions about Steve Cook within my writing. Forming these conclusions helped answer my question to why Steve Cook stands out compared to other Fitness Vloggers. This video specifically shows the transparency that he shows to his fans. It proves that he’s not always going to put on this persona to remain positive. During this video he talks about how he has been of his game, but intends to improve it. I believe this can be pretty motivational to his viewers to see that even someone as successful as him has moments that are not so great.
Swoldiernation. "Do We Compete With Eachother? | Steve Cook & Christian Guzman." YouTube. YouTube, 20 Mar. 2017. Web. 25 July 2017.
Swoldiernation. "Grow Your Chest and Back - Trainer Edition." YouTube. YouTube, 08 May 2017. Web. 25 July 2017.
Swoldiernation. "Steve Cook." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 17 July 2017.
This source was used to provide a statistic of Steve Cook’s popularity on YouTube. The number ,even though it may change, was 799,569 subscribers. This helped prove the point that Steve Cook has been able to entertain and impact a lot of individuals. It also proved that he has been very successful with his YouTube career.
The most impactful source used in my writing was my interview with Steve Cook. Even though I did not interview him recently I had the opportunity of meeting him in person and part of our conversation was recorded by someone else on my phone. This allowed me to use information from our conversation into my writing. This conversation was important in my writing as it help conclude my thoughts by mentioning how Steve Cook has inspired me personally. The quote I used was, “If you believe in something deep down in your heart. People always told me you will never make a living here; you will never do that. So, if you really just believe in what you are doing; that is the name of the game”. I believe this was a great piece to include because it was a personal message that affected me directly, but it also helped prove a point that was made prior in the writing.