Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Scotty Taylor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Scotty, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I guess the most meaningful project for me would be starting the YouTube Channel Flat Track Flashback. In the spring of 2020, my full time job become a hybrid of remote work and in-office work. When I would be working from home, I could digitize a lot of old footage from motorcycle racing that my dad and I had shot over the years. I knew we had a large collection of never before seen racing and wanted to be able to share that.

What makes it meaningful has changed over the years. Initially it was a cool idea to give people some seriously “throw-back” racing to watch when no sporting events were taking place due to the pandemic, and also to protect the footage in case the original VHS or Hi-8 tapes were ever damaged. The reason that it is more meaningful now is that, for all the years my dad sacrificed going to races and filming my favorite riders for me, now I have the chance to honor him and showcase his footage.

In addition to showcasing what my dad captured, there is also something very special about who he captured. A dear friend of his was named Will Davis; Will was like family to us. Sadly in 2001, Will lost his life racing in Missouri. This was the most devastating moment of my childhood and still to this day hurts every August as another year passes. We miss Will Davis dearly, and are lucky to have been able to witness him doing what he loved, racing motorcycles, and being able to share some that with the world is really special.

Scotty, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Well I’m Scotty Taylor from Charlotte, North Carolina. I have lived in North Carolina my whole life. I might be the only person with a Communications Degree who is terrified of actually communicating with new people while also being deeply afraid of being alone. I know this isn’t a therapy session but be prepared, my lack of self esteem is very likely to spring up quite a bit while answering these questions.

I am not a business owner nor an entrepreneur. Even calling me a “content creator” might be a generous stretch. Truthfully I am just a lifelong motorsports fan currently working a full time job as an AP Specialist with a construction company so that I can try to keep a roof over my head, while also contributing to a YouTube Channel related to the underappreciated art of Dirt Track Motorcycle Racing and, since 2019, have been truly fortunate to be a member of a broadcast team that covers the most prestigious Dirt Track Car Racing Series in the United States.

I can’t say that I am proud of any of this, honestly I feel like the weakest link in any room. But I do count every day as a blessing and I am endlessly thankful to have the opportunity to make even the slightest impact in the the world of motorsports broadcasting. Truly the team members I get to interact with are inspiring; every individual brings something unique that I can learn from. The broadcasts we do are live events and you have to be able to think quickly, constantly adapting to ever-changing on screen activity. Having worked in those action-packed broadcast settings with immensely talented and experienced professionals has helped me in my contributions with the YouTube Channel. It has given me knowledge and blueprints on how to cover an event especially when it comes to editing interviews and utilizing B-Roll accordingly. The goal is to provide the viewer with the best possible experience, so the implementation of graphical elements is key. We work with various sponsors on these shows and need to ensure that their needs are met and brands are showcased. We work with on-air talent to tell stories and follow the journey of a night from start to finish.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

It’s not so much a lesson I had to unlearn as it is reframing what constitutes failure and success. There have been several occasions on broadcasts where I would beat myself up after a mistake, be close to tears because I thought I let everyone down, that I had failed and come to find out I was the only one who noticed it. Our mind can be our greatest strength and also the greatest liar. We have to be gentile with ourselves. My GM always reminds us that we are in the entertainment business, not performing life and death surgery.

I think when you first start, its important to build on small goals and let those remain the foundation. Did you finish the project? Success! Did you enjoy the final product? In the words of Borat, “Great Success!” Use those measures initially, not the viewership when starting out. When you can find happiness it’s amazing what that can do for motivation and in the long run growth and whatever additional goals you set for yourself. If you tried, to me, you didn’t fail, because even trying something is a successful step past just thinking about it.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

It’s pretty simple. Not some great mission statement you’ll see etched in a statue at a fortune 500 company, might end up in a fortune cookie though. But its “smile every day (hopefully more than once), and take one step closer to a dream you want in reality.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scotty.doesnt.knoooow/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0FarxKphXAlXe-pC0iY5Ag

Image Credits

Scotty Taylor