Dad Takes Matters Into His Own Hands After Noticing Daughter’s School Needed Repairs (Exclusive)

In a small corner of Oregon, one father of three is turning everyday renovations into community-wide transformations. 

Known for his hands-on projects and big heart, Mason Smith has built more than just basketball courts and school projects, but also a combined following of 15 million people inspired by creativity and purpose. 

The 32-year-old’s work recently earned him a 2025 WEBBY Award for Best Kids & Family Creator, a nod to the impact he’s making far beyond his own backyard. 

“I’m just humbled to be in the space and be a positive light,” Smith tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I hope to always keep doing that and always be a place where people can enjoy the internet without the negative or dark downside that the internet can bring.”

After realizing his platform was bigger than just himself, the YouTuber began looking for ways to use his skills to make an impact beyond his home.

It all began when he arrived at his daughter’s school early one day and had some time to look around. After inspecting the basketball court, he asked the principal where the students played. She explained they used the indoor gym when available, but the outdoor courts hadn’t been used in a decade due to missing rims and damaged backboards. 

Smith offered to fix the courts, and the school agreed despite not having the budget for it. They also allowed him to film the process. Although the initial basketball court transformation videos weren’t profitable, it opened the door for other opportunities.

“Now I’m on court number 12, and paved two of my county schools’ tracks – their entire tracks – from dirt to full-blown striped running tracks,” he reveals. School projects have found a special place in Smith’s heart. He has already transformed three school cafeterias and renovated a teacher’s lounge.

“I think my personal favorites [are] the school projects, for sure…they will live a lot longer than I will live,” he says. “I love those ones.” Smith enjoys seeing students’ and teachers’ reactions to his work. The brightened spaces often bring joy and reflect the care and effort invested in the school.

When asked how he developed the skills to take on such large transformations, Smith admits that, although YouTube and the internet are great resources, his real education stemmed from his dad, a lifelong contractor. 

Since childcare was expensive, Smith’s father often brought the kids to his job sites. He didn’t formally teach them, but he let them explore. “I kind of just grew up around it,” Smith shares. “And then I bought my very first house when I was in my 20s, and I remodeled it…but my dad is mostly where I learned.” 

New followers are often shocked when they find out Smith handles all his projects on his own, aside from when heavy lifting or operating large machinery – like a field paver – is involved.

“Sometimes I’ll have a videographer help me lift a basketball hoop up if it’s too heavy, like, too dangerous,” he admits. “But it really is just me…if it’s somebody else, you’ll see them.”

Balancing large projects with smaller ones at home can be a challenge, but he thanks his wife and team for allowing him to have the flexibility to do what he loves. 

“I can do some small projects. I can do five or six in a day, you know, small ones, and I can batch, and I can edit those and have those ready. But the big projects are taking me longer and longer,” he says. “Like at a school, I had a project where I was there for eight days straight, 10 hours a day, every day…but then it’s definitely worth it for the kids in the end.”

Smith says his content has evolved a lot over the past four years, shaped by personal preference, audience feedback, and his wife’s input. 

He often edits videos, then has her watch them before they go live. If her attention starts to drift, he knows which parts need work. By having his wife’s input, he can better understand what his female demographic might want to see.

Smith wants to ensure his content is suitable for everyone, especially his younger viewers over on YouTube. “I always want my songs to be appropriate, my jokes to be appropriate, like everything, so that if a seven-year-old was watching it, I’m not introducing them to something they’ve never seen, or their parents wouldn’t be proud of,” he emphasizes. 

Over the years, Smith has had the opportunity to work with iconic brands like LEGO, Nike and even organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Earlier this year, Tonies funded one of his entire projects. 

“I’m so thankful for every brand that trusts me with their brand, and I understand it’s no light duty…to represent them. And so I understand that it’s a big deal,” Smith says. “They’re the ones that make it all possible and make the bigger scale possible.”

This Mother’s Day, Smith hosted a free workshop for 50 people, which lasted three hours. With help from a couple of construction friends, he kept the class safe while attendees learned how to use tools to build a hanging plant holder. 

“People look at DIY, and they initially think it’s easy, and then they realize it’s tricky,” he says. “Tool safety is the very first step, just learning how to use them safely, and then being confident. Because safety comes with confidence. So I think that’s so important.”

At the end, everyone left with a handmade gift and tools donated by RYOBI Tools USA  – an experience he’d love to offer again.

Despite filming nearly four days a week and taking an additional day to edit, Smith still manages to find time for his family. Since his work is on his phone, it’s easy to blur the lines between work and downtime, so he and his wife agreed to keep their phones away when spending time with their children.

“That way, whenever we’re with the kids and doing stuff with kids, the phone’s in the pocket, you know, and we’re enjoying the moment,” he says. “That really did help to turn off the creative mind and the filming aspect of it all.”

Although Smith is grateful that this is now his full-time job, he warns others not to compare themselves to what they see online. 

“I never want people to compare their life to mine, because I do it full-time and I don’t want them to feel discouraged,” he tells PEOPLE. “Rather, for them to feel inspired and pick one or two things a year to do that I do…and do it with their family.”

Smith says he gets tons of messages, photos, and videos from followers recreating his projects, which motivates him to keep producing content. 

“I want my platform to be a place people go where they can laugh, they can learn something, they can smile, they can share with their kids, and they can feel better, and also feel inspired and like, hopefully, maybe do something smaller, micro, in their community or with their kids,” Smith explains.

He would love to share his work on a larger scale, and dreams of having his own TV show where he could work on school makeovers for underfunded communities and potentially donate his earnings back to those districts. 

In the meantime, Smith is focused on the projects and renovations near and dear to his heart that will be enjoyed by the numerous families in his own community.