Justin Stuart: ‘the biggest stage that you will ever stand on is in front of your family’

Justin Stuart is co-creator of the popular YouTube channel JStu and now author of The Blobs, a series of fantasy books for children.

Where did you start out in life and how have you got from there to where you are now?

Well, I was raised in a Christian household my whole life, thankfully. We moved around a bit—different states and cities—but my parents were always really invested in my upbringing. I was a really outgoing, high-energy kid. My mom always jokes that she almost didn’t have my sister after seeing how much energy I had!

I loved entertaining people, even as a child. I’d sing to my dad’s friends when they came over. When I was a bit older, my parents gave me a camera—the kind you put tapes in—and I made a tonne of home movies with my sister and then my neighbour, Andrew. As I got older, they got me a digital camera, and that just fuelled my passion for filmmaking. Andrew is now my business partner and we started making all kinds of videos—skits, pranks—and uploading them to YouTube. It was slow growth, but a really fun journey.

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At first, YouTube wasn’t something you could make a living from. I always wanted to be an actor, so I went to film school, and was working as a waiter and busser, though I’ll admit I wasn’t great at those jobs. Eventually, Andrew and I were making content in Denver while I was finishing film school. We kept at it and eventually built up a team of 12 full-time employees, making videos every week and growing an audience we could actually make a living from.

What sort of household was it? Was it a creative family? Was it strict?

I’d say it was a well-balanced family. Faith was always part of the conversation. My dad was more structured and strict, while my mom was creative and open. I got to see the healthy side of both—my dad would talk to me about taking school seriously, my mom would support and encourage me. We did Bible studies as a family. My parents did “thankful journals” with us, where we’d write things we were grateful for every day. That was a great habit, processing what we were thankful for. I did a Bible study group called Man Makers with my dad and his friends, where they taught us what the Bible says about becoming men.

My parents didn’t force anything on me, but they definitely modelled faith. I had to make my own decision, but being surrounded by it made it natural

Growing up, I had a good balance of freedom—do your chores, take care of responsibilities, and then you could go outside and have fun. Technology wasn’t a big thing when I was young, so we were outside a lot. My parents weren’t overly strict; they just wanted us to learn responsibility.

How did your parents impact your faith?

It’s all those little moments over the years that add up. I was always surrounded by people who loved the Lord. My dad’s been in the same Bible study group with about 12 guys for 30 years. I saw real friendship and commitment to faith in action. My parents didn’t force anything on me, but they definitely modelled faith. I had to make my own decision, but being surrounded by it made it natural.

As you grew up and left your parents’ influence, how did your faith develop?

When you leave home, you have to start thinking for yourself. College, moving out, getting married at 21—all those moments force you to ask, “What do I really believe?” I had to look internally, take care of myself, decide for myself. I dove into the Bible, apologetics, listened to sermons, and explored different theologies. I had to decide what I believed, not just what I’d been taught. The foundations my parents gave me stuck, but I’ve taken time to make faith my own.

Having children has been the most impactful and formative stage of my life

If you could thank your parents for one thing in your spiritual journey, what would it be?

Their belief in me and their support. Whatever I did—YouTube, creative projects—they were always behind me. Knowing I was loved and believed in helped me thrive. If my earthly parents can love me like that, it’s a glimpse of how much more God loves me. That’s been huge for my confidence.

Let’s move on to your own parenting. When did you get married and have kids?

I got married at 21. We have three kids—my oldest is a 7-year-old daughter, my son is 5, and our youngest daughter is one. My first child was born when I was 25.

Prioritise your wife and kids over your job or public success

What words come to mind about being a dad over the last seven years?

Having children has been the most impactful and formative stage of my life. Kids can either mature you or break you down. You have to look inside and decide if you’ll stay the same or grow. I’ve had to work on myself, be the best father I can be, and appreciate life in new ways. Kids bring so much responsibility and joy. When you don’t have kids, it’s easy to live selfishly, but when you do, you have to learn to die to yourself and raise your kids to thrive.

Do you think you’ve carried things from your parents into your own parenting?

Absolutely. My parents’ influence is clear, even though we do some things differently. We love our kids, want the best for them, and are always learning. We’ve made plenty of mistakes, but it’s about how you grow from failure, not letting mistakes define you. It’s a journey—just like faith, we’re learning to love, support, and discipline better.

when we’re too busy or life is fragmented, it’s harder to keep faith central

What have been the biggest challenges as a Christian dad?

It’s easy to be selfish, to focus on your own needs and see kids as a burden. I have to check myself all the time—am I prioritising family, leading, protecting, providing? You come home from work and want to relax, but your kids and wife need your energy too. I’m always evaluating how I can do better.

Another challenge is family integration. I want our family to do life together, not everyone going their separate ways. I want my kids to see what it means to follow Christ, not just hear about it. That means being intentional about spending time together, worshipping together, making decisions as a family. I’m moving away from YouTube now, so that gives us more freedom to focus on family.

In raising faith in your kids, what’s working well and not so well?

What works is living out my faith in front of them. Hearing Scripture is vital, but they need to see faith in action. I want our family to be truly integrated, not just running in different directions.

Some things haven’t worked as well—when we’re too busy or life is fragmented, it’s harder to keep faith central but we’re always tweaking and trying to do better, making sure family is a priority.

If you could give yourself one piece of advice before your first child was born, what would it be?

I’d say, the biggest stage that you will ever stand on is not in front of millions of subscribers or fans, it’s in front of your family. Don’t lose sight of what’s really important. Accolades and fame are fleeting, but family is priceless. Prioritise your wife and kids over your job or public success.