Commencement speaker leaves the football field for viral feeds

Myles Montplaisir came to Minnesota State Moorhead because it was close to home, had strong academic programs, and had a stellar football coach in Steve Laqua. He applied his relentless work ethic by making a name for himself on the Dragons football field and as an aspiring entrepreneur.

As this year's featured commencement speaker, his story is a testament to the power of showing up and working hard every single day.

On the football field, Myles was every man's guy. He played several positions to help the Dragons stack up wins, joking that he was the "running tight quarterback receiver." The daily grind of tough practices and working together as a team were not only football lessons but life lessons.

"Football played a big part of my time at Moorhead, and it continues to impact my life," Myles said. "Coach Laqua was amazing. He instilled the lesson of showing up and doing the work every day to achieve your goals. That's what I've tried to do in my business and my life."

Myles brings that spirit of resiliency and consistency to all that he does. He used that tenacity to dip into his first business enterprise as a college student-utilizing his exercise science degree as a personal trainer and later selling T-shirts. He recalls a former professor who shared personal stories about his successes and failures in business. "That was a real inspiration, and I still apply some of those lessons learned to my business," Myles said.

After graduating from Moorhead, he and a friend started pitching their marketing skills to local businesses.

"It was me and him trying to convince people to let us run their social media. We were busy, but it never really took off, mostly because we were still figuring it out on our end," Myles said.

Myles was hired to produce a video for a client and struck up a friendship with one of the client's employees, Ryan Sheeley. They started talking about the Midwest and its many stereotypes. They came up with the idea of creating an entertainment page catering to the Midwest.

"We thought the Midwest and its people should be celebrated. We love living here and no one was putting content like that out at the time," Myles said.

What began as a scrappy marketing gig evolved quickly once Myles leaned into poking fun at himself. His first video was a wacky review comparing Busch Light and Wisconsin's famous favorite beer: Spotted Cow. Since its June 2018 debut, the video has been viewed more than five million times. That hilarious comparison became the unlikely springboard to the highly popular You Betcha brand.

"I was surprised by the success," he said. "After we shot the video, I felt it wasn't my best work, so I held on to it for a few weeks before posting it. I couldn't have been happier to be wrong because that video helped us get to where we are."

Today, the Fargo-based media company You Betcha has expanded from posting videos about people and life in the Midwest on YouTube to a multi-platform brand that sells merchandise, airs three podcasts, and forms business partnerships. You Betcha "celebrates Busch Light, blue-collar people, construction workers, and all things midwestern."

He still makes funny videos, which you can see on all the social channels (Facebook: 2.8M followers, TikTok and Instagram: 2M followers each, YouTube: 850K subscribers). However, the You Betcha brand is now in the ever-growing podcasting space.

"Podcasting is fun because it allows you to build a relationship with the audience in ways a one-minute video can't," Myles said. "There are story lines, conflicts and reoccurring bits that make it enjoyable to make every week and help connect with our audience on a deeper level."

He's on with his original You Betcha gang - Ryan Sheely, Tyler Ziegler and Jerrod Schumacher. They spend their time "talking man culture, nostalgia and being from the Midwest since 2019." You Betcha also produces a golf-themed podcast called , hosted by below-average golfers for below-average golfers. Myles also co-hosts the with fellow content creator and comedian Charlie Berens. In this "a one-of-a-kind comedy show…they belly up at a small-town bar and take live callers from all over the Midwest and the rest of the world."

The content works because it reflects real people in real life.

"The Midwest in pop culture has been underrepresented and considered an afterthought. I think our content helps tell the world we are here, have something to offer, and the Midwest is a great place to live," he said.

Myles derives content ideas from a variety of people, places and experiences.

"Character development is about all of the people in your life you've come across, from school, sports or work," he said. "Some of the characters in our videos are definitely a compilation of former Dragons."

His dad and family are also sources of inspiration, as are fellow creators like Charlie Berens, Dad Dude, and Penn Holderness.

"During the summers, I worked for my dad's concrete construction company, and every day was like a new comedy sketch," he said. "We have a video about the 'weird construction worker' that was directly based on an old coworker. I even used some of his lines. You can't make some of this stuff up! It's where many of my Midwest characters came from."

Content creation isn't simply turning the camera on yourself and making fun of something you see during the day. It requires knowing your niche, delivering high-quality content, maintaining consistency, and engaging with the audience.

"We're constantly trying to create new content in new ways," Myles said. "We're also trying to balance putting the correct amount of effort into the content while still getting the views our page needs for us to do our business."

He's excited to get back on campus and is grateful for the opportunity to speak to future entrepreneurs.

"The key to my success is simple: focus on today and give it your best. You don't have to be great every day-just show up. Over time, that consistency builds a great life."

That's the message Myles will share with the Class of 2025: Show up. Do the work. And if you can laugh along the way-even better.

You Betcha.

Myles is married to Anne Dunham, a 2017 communication studies alum. They have one son, August.