One of Ranveer Allahbadia’s several projects is the podcast The Ranveer Show, where he speaks to successful people who have done path-breaking work. But the digital content creator and entrepreneur’s story is pretty inspiring too. As a young engineering college student, Ranveer started 
putting up fitness videos on his YouTube channel BeerBiceps back in 2015. As part of his plan to start a fitness-based start-up, he even trained AIB comedian Tanmay Bhatt, who exposed him to the world of social media. There has been no looking back since.
The 27-year-old now has three YouTube channels, a digital entertainment start-up called Monk Entertainment, and the podcast. But hold on, because Ranveer wants more! The engineer-turned-entrepreneur shared his future plans with TMM…
What’s the story behind the name BeerBiceps?
I wanted to promote the idea of having fun and being fit at the same time. It was a gimmick back then but the name just caught on. I wanted to change it later but people associate me with it now. Even my mom started calling me BeerBiceps during the lockdown – it’s gone that deep! (laughs)
Looks like you always had an entrepreneur bent of mind?
Yes, that’s the undertone behind everything I do. Everything I do is created with a business perspective in mind. I don’t take on any kind of creation unless there is some business opportunity in it. Also, it has been a lot to do with being at the right place, at the right time with the right people. So, while I wanted to be an entrepreneur, luck also played a big role.
The last time we checked, you had 3.14 million subscribers on BeerBiceps. Are you someone who is constantly looking at the numbers?
I have a company called Monk Entertainment which I started in 2017. That was my first ever legitimate real-world business and I feel my career is split into two phases. The first was when I was just a YouTuber. Then I had nothing but numbers to look at. When you have a business where there are so many other forms of success, whether it is money or the number of team members – all that changes your definition of success. So, I stopped looking at numbers. Having said that, I have hired a team of people for BeerBiceps who constantly study analytics and data. We create content that people want to see and at the same time has long term value. All the forms of content we create are created with that intention. Even if they don’t get numbers now, they will get numbers ten years from 
now.
What are the things you do to motivate yourself?
I think if you are a self-help YouTuber, your offline self has to be all about challenging yourself. You have to ask yourself what is the next phase you can grow in – whether it’s knowledge, books, activity, or something else. These are all case studies I have done on myself and then I put them out. We created grooming or personal finance-based content years after I practiced them myself. Now, I’m at a stage where I have gravitated towards yoga. I’m 27, my body doesn’t heal the way it used to when I was 19. So, it’s something I need to do. Also, a year of practicing yoga myself will pay off a year or so later in the form of content.
You have interviewed a bunch of inspiring people on your podcast The Ranveer Show. Is there someone whose story has been truly inspirational for you?
Arnold Schwarzenegger is my childhood idol, so interviewing him was huge for me! It doesn’t get better than that. If I could tell my ten-year-old self that I would get to meet Arnold on such a deep level, he would have had a heart attack! (laughs) You do gain something from every podcast but there are some moments in your life that are just very special and this is right up there. He is also an entrepreneur and has this really famous speech called Six Rules of Success. I had the speech on my phone and I used to listen to it when I was a teenager and when I was starting BeerBiceps. I would hear it to motivate myself, so it was really emotional and crazy for me to do an interview with him.
What was the vision with which you started Monk Entertainment and what’s the plan ahead with it?
We started Monk with two things in mind. One, I needed talent management myself because YouTube didn’t have any talent management in 2017. If I needed it, so did others, so we started with that, and then we started working with brands and started digital marketing. Going forward, the plan is to expand in all those directions and build multiple units under it. We are also starting a production house. On the entrepreneurship level, I see it as my foray into the media world. Also, on a personal level, I’m getting into technology and starting a content house of my own through BeerBiceps.
What are some of the other things you are doing?
We are creating a tech product that will have Artificial Intelligence as a crucial part of it. The aim is to create an AI version of myself within a phone. That takes 4-5 years to program. Although it’s not a unique idea, but we have the power of content. We are going to learn a lot about our customers and create the best possible product to help them elevate themselves. I’m co-founding this with Schbang’s founder Harshil Karia. It’s very early stages but that’s my next big game. Other than that, I’m starting more YouTube channels.
You recently acted in the music video Sang Rahiyo with Jasleen Royal. Any acting aspirations?
I want to do one successful tech start-up business in my life. That’s what really gets me fired up. After I do that, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Having said that, I enjoyed shooting for the video. Let’s see what happens once I am done with the tech start-up. I’m confident I’ll reverse age by then and look even better! (laughs)
Lastly, it’s been a difficult year for most people. If there’s one piece of motivational advice you have for people, what would be it?
I feel your habits really add up in the long term. With most of us spending so much time at home now, it’s a great time to build new habits – whether it’s meditation, weight training, yoga, or anything else. Just begin that habit. That’s what I have embraced lately. I have had breakdowns and have burnt out in the past but there is always the return to discipline that stabilizes things. Discipline is hard but its gift is that it makes your life easier.
The post Success Saga: Ranveer Allahbadia aka BeerBiceps appeared first on TMM.