The Netherlands-based YouTube strategist Leroy Ter Braak isn’t a creator in the traditional sense. You won’t find him starring in challenge videos or daily vlogs. But behind the scenes, he’s quietly helped turn content into companies.
Ter Braak is the creator of the IDEAL Framework, a five-step system that helps YouTubers go beyond viral moments to build sustainable, revenue-driven channels. Since launching his consultancy full-time in 2022, he’s worked with everyone from early-stage creators to big names and many early-stage YouTubers who grew faster since he got involved.
His framework centers around five core pillars: Spending most of your time on Ideas, backing them with data, executing better in some capacity versus what’s already out there, analyzing where your video falls flat, and putting out videos optimized for longevity.
“Most creators focus on views and views alone,” Ter Braak says. “But views don’t mean everything. Business fundamentals matter — and YouTube is one of the best places to apply them.”
His work with WeAreNoCode, a channel led by entrepreneur Christian Peverelli, is a case study in strategic clarity. After shifting their content from broad tech commentary to hands-on no-code tutorials, the channel then grew.
Another example: A dog rescue channel called the Golden Kobe Family embraced emotional storytelling under Ter Braak’s direction, turning their 30,000 subscriber channel into a 300,000+ subscriber channel in a matter of months.
So what separates Ter Braak from other strategists?
According to some YouTubers, it’s the combination of creative empathy and his understanding of YouTube. He breaks down analytics not just by the numbers, but by narrative, identifying drop-offs in audience retention as storytelling gaps, not just metric failures.
“I work like a true partner for my clients,” he says. “Each upload isn’t an isolated video; it’s part of a larger arc we develop. When creators understand that, everything changes. It’s hard sometimes because I live in the Netherlands while most of my clients live in the US, but the good thing about my obsession is that it is stronger than any inconvenient timezone.”
Before launching his consultancy, Ter Braak returned to a more focused mission: helping creators build businesses, not burnout.
Now with over 75,000 followers across platforms, frequent podcast appearances, and a book in development, Ter Braak is turning the IDEAL Framework into a full ecosystem: one-on-one strategy, group mentorships, free online education, and potentially a tech-enabled product down the line.
For a strategist who started by uploading homemade videos in English from the Netherlands in 2009, long before “creator economy” was a buzzword, it’s a full-circle moment.
“You don’t need to go viral,” he says. “You need a system. That’s how creators turn into lifelong brands.”
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