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From soldier to star: STL man makes a living on YouTube

Mark Watson quit his full time job because his YouTube hobby became a career. 

Another day, another box arrives at Mark Watson's downtown St. Louis loft.

"Every day is like Christmas. Some days I get something I expected and some days I get something totally random, out the blue. It's always fun," Watson told 5 On Your Side.

If you're looking for a friend, he's a good one to have because he gets all the tech gadgets sent to him.

"My friends and family like that a lot. They know where to come get some stuff if they need something," he said.

Watson has made a career on YouTube posting video reviews on the latest in tech, going by the name ‘Soldier Knows Best.’

The Army veteran started the online reviews back in 2007. Eventually he started he started gaining a following and making enough money so that he could quit his job at AT&T.

He said, "The whole time I was doing this as a hobby, making just as much money as I was working with AT&T and one day I just went in there and quit."

Now, Watson has nearly 800,000 subscribers and companies contact him to review a product. The next time you come across a Solider Knows Best video on Youtube, know it’s made right here in St. Louis.

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