Zero to 100,000 Subscribers In One Year!
A Lesson in Gratitude
​Love, Wisdom for Wannabes

Wisdom for Wannabes celebrated One-Year on YouTube on June 9, 2026

This June 2026, I stood with my family in San Marco Square in Venice, Italy, returning for the first time in 15 years.

We were celebrating a journey that had already given us more than we could have imagined.

Wisdom for Wannabes reached 100,000 subscribers on YouTube.

The milestone came just one year and four days after the first Wisdom for Wannabes video was posted.

​I still can't believe it... just a year ago, I was nervously hitting "publish", but knew these were stories worth sharing and lessons worth learning.

Wisdom for Wannabes hit 100,000 subscribers on June 13, 2026

Morreales show appreciation at the Bridge of Sighs in Venice

As exciting as that milestone is, what I find myself feeling most is gratitude.
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• Gratitude for the guests who shared their wisdom.
• Gratitude for the viewers who watched, commented, and shared.
• Gratitude for the readers who picked up a book.
• Gratitude for the listeners who tuned into a podcast episode.
• Gratitude for the friends, family members, and supporters who encouraged me along the way.

Most of all, gratitude for the people.

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By the Numbers: ​Wisdom for Wannabes, Year One

🎥 100,000 YouTube Subscribers
A global community built one video, one conversation, and one lesson at a time.

​👀 1.4+ Million YouTube Views
Curious minds from around the world joined us to explore business, beauty, and betterment.

📸 10,000+ Instagram Followers
And more than 1 million monthly Instagram views discovering stories, art, books, travel, and wisdom.

🎙️ 35 Inspiring Interviews
Entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, authors, innovators, and leaders generously shared their experiences and insights.

📚 Six Children's Books Published
Including new adventures, read-alouds, and stories designed to spark imagination and wonder.

🎨 Dozens of Art Creations
From pastel timelapses to illustrations and creative projects inspired by travel and storytelling.

✈️ Thousands of Miles Traveled
From Florida to Austria, Italy, Germany, and beyond, gathering stories, inspiration, and unforgettable memories.

🏰 15 Years Since Our Last Visit to Venice
A full-circle moment celebrating with family in San Marco Square, where the 100K milestone was just days away.

​🌎 Viewers Across the Globe
Connecting through videos, books, podcasts, interviews, and shared experiences.

❤️ Countless Wise Words Found
The most important numbers are impossible to measure:

• friendships formed
• ideas sparked
• courage found
• dreams pursued

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5 Lessons Learned

Over the past year, through interviews, books, art, blog articles, and imagination exercises, five lessons have appeared again and again:​

✨ Post the Post
✨ Make the Page
✨ Take the Trip
✨ Find Your People
✨ Celebrate the Milestone​

Mother's Day 2026 with Lorette Pribil, first ever Wisdom for Wannabes interviewee

1. Post the Post*

The first step is often the hardest.

Not because the work isn't ready, but because we are afraid of what might happen when we share it.

Every interview, article, drawing, book, and video begins with the same act of courage: pressing publish.

The perfect moment rarely arrives.

​Progress belongs to those who are willing to begin before they feel completely ready.

Most viewed post

*MOST VIEWED WISDOM FOR WANNABES POST THIS YEAR:
Imagination Practice for Art
​66k views on YouTube

St. Patrick's Day March for Ken Pribil Jr. Foundation, with Kevin Pribil

2. Make the Page**

Ideas are wonderful. Execution is better.

Many dreams stay trapped in notebooks, hard drives, and conversations because they never become something tangible.

A website. A proposal. A business. A manuscript. A first draft.

A mission.

Making the page is about turning possibility into reality.
​
It is choosing action to complement your intention.

Podcasting course

**WISDOM FOR WANNABES EDUCATIONAL PAGE:
Podcast Content Engine Course
​16K Views on YouTube

Morreale and Schwab families in Austria

3. Take the Trip***

Some of the most meaningful experiences in my life began with a ticket purchased before I knew exactly how things would unfold.

Travel reminds us how large the world is, while also showing us how connected we really are.

Standing in Austria, interviewing guests from around the world, and connecting with people across continents through technology reinforced a simple truth: amazing things happen when we step outside our routines.

The trip doesn't always have to be across the ocean.

Sometimes it's simply saying yes to a new opportunity.

Most viewed interview with Matthias Schwab

***MOST VIEWED WISDOM FOR WANNABES INTERVIEW THIS YEAR:
Matthias Schwab on Golf and Life
​19k views on YouTube

Morreale family with Dr. Roy McGriff

4. Find Your People****

No meaningful journey happens alone.

Wisdom for Wannabes would not exist without the entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, authors, innovators, friends, family members, and viewers who became part of this community.

The right people challenge us, encourage us, teach us, and help us become better versions of ourselves.

One of the greatest gifts of the past year has been discovering just how many remarkable people are willing to share their stories and support one another.

****EXPLORE THE 35 INTERVIEWS FROM THIS FIRST YEAR.

Morreale family in Venice, Italy, celebrating 100,000 subscribers - watch now!

5. Celebrate the Milestone*****

Many of us are quick to move the goalpost.

We reach one objective and immediately focus on the next.

But milestones matter.

They remind us how far we've come.

They give us an opportunity to pause, reflect, and say thank you.
​
Celebration isn't the end of the journey. It's fuel for the next chapter.

*****WATCH THE 100,000 SUBS VENICE CELEBRATION VIDEO!

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35 Lessons in Business, Beauty, & Betterment:
​A Year of Great Conversations with Even Greater People

Entrepreneur Gary Fails

Entrepreneur Charlie Rao

Pilot Johannes Schwab

On Business

​This year, Wisdom for Wannabes explored the ideas, habits, and mindsets that help people turn dreams into reality. Through conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators, authors, and business leaders, we discovered that success rarely follows a straight line. Our guests shared lessons on resilience, leadership, creativity, risk-taking, and lifelong learning, reminding us that every achievement begins with a willingness to start before feeling fully ready. From startups and personal brands to artistic ventures and global careers, these stories revealed that business is ultimately about people: their vision, values, and determination to create something meaningful.

Artist Steven Gonsalves

Filmmaker Dr. Denise Wunderler

Artist Zena Frey

On Beauty

​Beauty was found not only in places, but in the creative process itself. From pastel drawings and timelapse artwork to children's book illustrations and photography to capture everyday moments as well as travels across the United States and Europe, this year was a celebration of creativity, wonder, and the joy of making things by hand. We explored historic cities, breathtaking landscapes, inspiring architecture, and moments of everyday magic, discovering that beauty has the power to slow us down, spark our imagination, and connect us to one another. Through art, storytelling, travel, or design, experiences remind us that beauty enriches our lives and invites us to see the world with fresh eyes.

Wildlife Conservationalist Scott Vogel

Bodybuilder Dianne Marie Nigh

Mental Health Clinician Dr. Kim O'Brien

On Betterment

​At its heart, Wisdom for Wannabes is about growth. Throughout the year, we shared guided imagination exercises, personal reflections, children's stories, book read-alouds, and conversations centered on courage, kindness, purpose, and possibility. Together, we explored what it means to become a little wiser, more curious, and more confident with each new experience. The recurring lesson across every interview, adventure, and creative project was simple: growth begins with action. Betterment is not about perfection; it is about continuing to learn, create, believe, and move forward, one small step at a time.

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Thank You to Our First 35 Guests!
​Click to explore an interview, in order of first (June 2025) to last (June 2026) published:

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Why? ​The People Were Always the Point

Morreale Family at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, home of soccer team favorite, FC Bayern Munich

When I think about 100,000 subscribers, I don't think about a number.

• I think about conversations.
• I think about stories.
• I think about friendships.
• I think about the lessons learned from remarkable people willing to share their experiences with others.

​
The first 100,000 were never the goal. The people were.

​And for that, I am deeply grateful.

Year One was about building.

Year Two is about deepening the conversations, sharing more stories, publishing more books, and continuing to explore business, beauty, and betterment with curious people around the world.

Thank you for being part of the journey with us.

Look forward to what's next!

With gratitude,
Jackie Morreale
Host & Founder
Wisdom for Wannabes

PS - What's the best piece of wisdom you've learned this year?
Always looking for new guests!

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A Milestone Worth Celebrating:
YouTube Silver Creator Award

Every journey has moments that remind us how far we've come. Just over one year after launching Wisdom for Wannabes, the channel surpassed 100,000 YouTube subscribers and 1.5 million views, earning YouTube's Silver Creator Award. Read the official announcement, view photos from the celebration, and discover why this milestone belongs to the entire Wisdom for Wannabes community.

Silver Creator Award Celebration

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How Do You Measure a Year? An Entrepreneur's Guide
​to Returning to the Trail

A Final Reflection

If you've made it this far, thank you!

Writing this page gave me a chance to reflect on an incredible first year of Wisdom for Wannabes, but sometimes it's easier to say those thoughts out loud. If you'd like, I invite you to watch this short video reflection as I look back on the journey to 100,000 subscribers and ahead to what's next.
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🎥 Watch the reflection video, or click to see the full blog article.

One Year Reflection Blog