Meet Jerrod Hankins | Content Creator & Theme Park Historian

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jerrod Hankins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jerrod, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When my aunt came to visit and wanted to see LA, she had a wonderful time and kept encouraging me to take the leap into making travel content. For a few months I watched other content creators asking myself what was missing from the genre and how I could stand out. Then I took some videos and started to post them at Jerrod Journeys on YouTube. Really quickly I started to have fun connecting with others online who shared my passions and interests and who wanted to have conversations.

To anyone out there reading this who has a passion that they might be thinking about turning into a business, I encourage you to start as soon as possible and I wish you success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a content creator sharing original videos and live streams of theme parks in Southern California. While there are a lot of YouTube channels offering glimpses into amusement parks, Jerrod Journeys stands out because of my lifelong love and study of these theme parks and because of my wholehearted commitment to provide the content my audience wants. I love the interaction with my fan base and am really happy to share my passion and knowledge of Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Magic Mountain. We have created a neat community on my channel with people from Australia, Brazil and across the United States participating and that makes me especially excited about my work. The Community we are slowly building is so Wonderful and filled with people who want a place to come and chat about our passions.

In addition to the rides and attractions, theme parks offer a ton of special events or limited time shows. I make it a point to attend as many of these as possible and to get the best seat possible. I’m documenting these live events to serve as an archive but I’m also sharing my insights into the shows to help everyone get the most out of them as possible.

What I think sets me apart is my genuine love and passion for these theme parks and my appreciation for the talent and details of this entertainment. When live streaming, I try to never waste a moment when my camera is rolling. I am an encyclopedia of knowledge about these theme parks and I keep up with current events in the industry so I can also offer analysis that keeps the conversation going.

The hardest part starting out was how lonely it was. My early live streams didn’t have much chatting and the low viewer count was discouraging. If you are interesting enough to watch and entertain people, you will slowly gain a following of like-minded fans who want to talk with you about the latest rumors and reminisce about the past and then it becomes really rewarding to live stream, it’s like meeting up with old friends when you go live. So while it was easy to pick up my phone and offer great content on my YouTube channel, it was frustrating for all that hard work to go unnoticed. But that phase didn’t last long, within a month I had a following and pretty soon the regulars and I were interacting like we had always known each other. I encourage anyone wanting to start a YouTube Channel to push through because amazing rewards await you.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to resist self doubt. If you have a passion and if you have the energy, go for it. I’ve also come out of my shell a lot and I’m now comfortable with new people. I now regularly talk to hundreds — and sometimes thousands — of random new people in a day. My channel’s success has made it easier for me to start conversations and connect with people quicker. The confidence boost is real.

What I would like them to know is that my next goal is to transform Jerrod Journeys into my main source of income. I plan to grow my business enough to be able to travel farther and capture even more of the world. Travel will expand my perspective and let me share that with my viewers. It’s going to be fun.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a week to show off LA and its beautiful surroundings, I would want them to come at a time we could see a performance at the Hollywood Bowl. The Hollywood Bowl is just a wonderful place where I’ve been lucky enough to watch the legend John Williams conduct some of his famous music. Before going to the Bowl, we would walk around Hollywood Blvd and go to one of my favorite places to eat that happens to be quite affordable.
Mel’s Drive-In Hollywood, near the famous Dolby and El Capitan Theaters, is a fun diner to visit if your walking the walk of fame.Also, going on a hike to get a great view of the Hollywood sign is a must for people. You cannot leave LA without a picture in front of the sign and later that day seeing a performance at the Pantages Theatre. To end the evening, we’d grab a themed drink or snack at Scum and Villainy Cantina down the street.

Universal Studios is a must, of course! I would provide my friend an exceptional guided tour to experience the studio backlot and the magical streets of Hogsmeade. We would compete on the Mario Kart Ride and later watch Water World, the highest rated live show in LA for over 30 years. Also I always recommend the Three Broomsticks for the best dining at the park and for getting a cold or hot butterbeer depending on the season. Also Universal Citywalk is a perfect way to end your day with a unique dessert from Voodoo Donuts.

Then we would spend a relaxing day at either the Getty Center or the Getty VillIa or maybe both. You can enjoy not only all the art in the world-class exhibits, but also the amazing architecture and views at these locations. Both were made by some of the best craftsmen of their time.

Lastly I would go for a morning drive up on the coast and stop at a random beach and enjoy the fresh air. Next stop would be downtown LA to explore the many cultural districts we have: Chinatown, Olvera Street, and Little Tokyo are my favorite places to explore. There are tons of interesting shops, authentic decor, and an endless selection of great restaurants.

For dinner or lunch I highly recommend eating at Orochon Ramen in Little Tokyo, it’s really hard to beat. They have excellent service and the option to add extreme heat to the noodles if you’re feeling brave. It’s always fun to pop into the Kinokuniya store here and see what Japanese snacks we could pick up. We might save room for dessert at one of the many great Mexican restaurants on Olvera Street.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wanted to say thank you to my wonderful supportive wife, my number one fan. My aunt who pushed me to post my first videos. My friends and family who have also been supportive of my endeavors. Then a big shout-out to all my viewers and supporters who join me on my live stream and engage in the comment sections on my videos and other social media posts and lastly to my Live Stream Mod team who rock and are very helpful and amazing people.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jerrodjourneys

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JerrodJourneys

Other: https://bsky.app/profile/jerrodjourneys.bsky.social

Image Credits
No credits needed these were taken on my phone. Thank you