Meet Isaac Gesler

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Isaac Gesler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Isaac, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

When I was in high school I was super into gaming. Fortnite specifically. I loved playing and at the time I wanted to try to make it a money making opportunity as well. I saved up and bought a PC so I could stream more and began streaming to Twitch during late 2019. I didn’t quite know what I was doing but I did know if I wanted to make money I would need to garner an audience and entertain those who watched. I didn’t have much luck early on and struggled to stream on a consistent basis. That was, until, I decided to promote it on my personal Instagram page. I was really worried about what others would think about me but I decided to take a leap of faith anyways. It instantly took off. I was streaming every day with new people continuing to come in. It put me in a spot where I was tasked with entertaining people for hours on end This situation severely increased my comfortability with public speaking and confidence. It led me to become more charismatic, outgoing, and personable. These traits I still use every day to help network and meet new people in my industry of creative media.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Back in 2022 my parents got me an early graduation gift in the form of a Canon mirrorless camera. The Canon R10 specifically. We were heading out west for a family vacation the next day and my parents got it so I could take pictures out there. I had wanted a camera for a while now as I wanted to take videos of my high school’s football team. Once we got back from vacation I started filming football, field hockey, and soccer. Really anything I could get my hands on. I started to gain notoriety from my class mates and started to be just called “Yumo” which is my online alias for a lot of things but also my legal middle name. It’s from my great grandpa and is Italian. Once I started to build up my brand, teams started reaching out offering pay for my services. And finally as football season wrapped up I got approached by two parents on the lacrosse team who were interested in having me cover the lacrosse team for the full season. This opportunity allowed me to develop my skills and talents while having a steady income while still in high school. At this same time I was looking towards the next step. I had my eyes set on the University of Cincinnati, not only for the academics but also the opportunity media wise. Once I got there in the fall of 2023 I started working for the school filming everything from volley ball to football. I continued to work for athletics until the winter of 2024 where I was asked to join the football media team. That’s where I’m currently at and I’m loving it. We have a great team here at Cincinnati and love the content we are making.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I would say for sure confidence and the ability to be personable goes a super long way in the creative industry. Being able to meet new people and new creatives not only can help you have more friends in the industry but also allows you to have more connections and in turn more likelihood for job opportunities down the line. And I would say to gain that confidence put yourself in different situations that make you uncomfortable, whether thats asking a different question or learning a different technique, confidence is key.

Secondly, I would say the ability to be a fast learner. Lots of different things can happen in the media space in a small amount of time. Whether that’s a new TikTok trend or a new trending song to use, being able to apply those new happenings in society to your content not only allows for your content to do better but also to show future potential employers your adaptability when it comes to new situations.

Lastly, I think a deep commitment and passion for what your doing goes a super long way. In the early days of my journey I shot everything and anything, learning new things as I went. It allowed me to meet new people and opened opportunities to be payed in the future and it really doesn’t hurt to get out there and experiment with new things!

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

I would say firstly, God has been the biggest driver of me overcoming challenges and staying grounded. My faith allows me to not only overcome those challenges but really reflect on them as well. God has given me and everyone with so many gifts and how we use those gifts is how we honor and reflect God’s image. He has been a huge factor when it comes to staying motivated. Without him I am nothing. All of my accolades and content I have filmed is all due to the gifts, people, and opportunities he has given me and for that I am forever grateful. My boss here at UC is a perfect example of that. He has been super helpful when it comes to developing my creative style and work ethic as well as staying organized and optimizing my work flow.

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