As many people know first-hand, smoking weed and deep conversations have all the time made for glorious bedfellows. Because of podcaster Thomas Araujo—aka Dope as Yola—this time-honored custom is now going viral because the podcast host and hashish entrepreneur reaches new heights together with his hit present, “Dope As Standard.”
Accessible to stream on Spotify and YouTube, this system’s success has skyrocketed as of late due to help from the platform itself, which Araujo says has come to embrace a present that’s already caught hearth with followers. Nonetheless, the gradual progress of getting mainstream acceptance for a hashish discuss present has led him to supply bonus “unrestricted” episodes to paid subscribers on the present’s web site.
However “Dope As Standard” continues to see spectacular numbers despite these obstacles. To this point, the present boasts greater than 110,000 listeners and a few 5.6 million streams on Spotify alone along with their 373k YouTube subscribers and 40+ million hours of watch-time.
Wanting again, Araujo says he can hint the eventual success of his present podcast to an earlier YouTube collection referred to as “Story Time” that noticed him lastly step in entrance of the digital camera to share private reminiscences from his personal life within the pre-legalization period.
“For the primary 5 years, I did content material the place I by no means talked on digital camera,” Araujo says. “‘Story Time’ was my first time doing that. Folks stored asking me to do extra. Finally, I acquired snug.”
That’s across the time his future “Dope As Standard” co-host/producer Marty O’Neill despatched him a fateful DM suggesting they make a podcast collectively. O’Neill introduced a wealth of helpful expertise to their partnership as a former graphic artwork designer for heavyweight comedy podcasters Joe Rogan, Theo Vaughn and Adam Corolla.
“I checked out his profile and thought, ‘You wish to work with me? I’m only a pothead,” Araujo says with fun. “’These guys are actual comedians.’ However he was severe, and that’s actually how this all occurred.”
Right this moment, the 2 of them are having fun with sturdy success as one in every of Spotify’s high hashish comedy podcasts and a serious draw on YouTube as properly—a lot in order that they’re lastly increasing their small crew—even hiring a reserving agent devoted to “Dope As Standard.”
It is smart given the podcast is only one of quite a few cannabis-related ventures the budding entrepreneur is at the moment overseeing.
Moreover his “Dope As Standard” podcast, Araujo additionally has a clothes firm, one other YouTube channel, a THCA firm and a forthcoming rolling paper model to supervise each day. However the bold workload hasn’t stopped the interview-savvy stoner from reserving a slew of wonderful company, together with Steve-O of MTV’s Jackass, Mario Lopez of Saved By The Bell and the late comic, Ken Flores.
Even when company on the present can’t eat—as was the case for each Steve-O and Lopez—Araujo says he’s comfortable to make exceptions if it means getting to speak to attention-grabbing individuals.
“We’ve executed greater than 50 sober episodes for sure company,” he says. “When Tony Hawk got here, he couldn’t smoke as a result of he’s signed by Disney, so we simply didn’t smoke with him. It’s important to respect the individual’s time and their life-style.”
When requested who his dream visitor for “Dope As Standard” is, Araujo doesn’t hesitate. “I wish to discuss to Arnold Schwarzenegger,” he says.
Perhaps, simply perhaps, he’ll be again.
