Interview · moment 5 of 20
Instagram Fame, Vlogging, and Getting Fired from Travel Channel
from Bert Kreischer · #137
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
4 minGuest
Discussion of Instagram influencer culture, Bert's history vlogging and hosting on Travel Channel (Bert the Conqueror, Trip Flip), and how a new network president fired him, sending him into a depression that started his therapy journey.
- 12:27Tim got into vlogging three or four years ago and produced about 40 to 50 episodes, getting deeply involved in editing, music, and the creative process.
- 13:05Getting fired from Travel Channel happened after the vlogging experiment; a new president wanted her own people and drove the network into the ground.
- 13:26Tim started therapy after getting fired from Travel Channel—he says it was the lowest point of his life.
- 13:56Travel Channel gig came with major money—10 grand a week initially, then an overall deal for a quarter million dollars over two years, which fundamentally changed his financial situation.
- 14:20When he got the original Travel Channel deal, Tim lit a joint, opened champagne, and told his wife they didn't have to worry about money for two years.
- 14:40Tim kept renegotiating contracts with Travel Channel for more money, thinking that was going to be his career path until he got fired.
- 14:50He found out about the firing while taking a walk, trying to lose weight during a fat-shaming period with Tom.