What It’s Like to Be in High Rise Academy: Henry’s Story
Featured Image: Henry on a video call sharing his first week in High Rise Academy (placeholder)
When Dylan and I started High Rise Academy, our goal was simple: give young adults the tools, mentorship, and confidence to do real work for real businesses. Henry is one of the first apprentices to join, and his journey shows exactly how this program works in practice.
This story comes from a Youtube interview we did with Henry, reflecting on his early months in the program. What he shared provides a clear picture of what new apprentices can expect.
Flexibility From Day One
When we asked Henry what he loved most about the program, his answer was immediate: freedom and versatility.
He explained: “I can basically work from wherever I want as long as I have internet access and Wi-Fi.”
That flexibility meant Henry could work from his family’s cabin or his home without missing deadlines. For him, work-life balance wasn’t theory — it was lived experience.
This is the same principle Dennis Yu, Dylan, and I experienced when we spent a month traveling to eight countries and five U.S. states while speaking at conferences. Our output didn’t dip, because we follow documented processes like the Content Factory model.
Starting With No Experience
Henry admitted he had “little to no experience” before joining. His only teamwork experience came from school projects.
Within weeks, he built professional habits:
- Communicating directly with clients.
- Finishing projects on time.
- Following through on commitments.
As Henry put it: “It’s greatly helped me to communicate with others, get work done on time, and finish what you said you would finish.”
Henry proves that even with no experience, the system works.
Real Client Work: Flax Dental in Atlanta
One of Henry’s first major projects was with Flax Dental, a dentist in Atlanta.
Instead of just being handed a task list, Henry collaborates directly with the client to define what success looks like. That means listening, asking questions, and aligning deliverables with business goals.
His work included:
- Repurposing long-form dentist videos into SEO-optimized blog posts.
- Creating short-form video clips for YouTube and Facebook.
- Uploading and formatting website content.
These are practical skills every local business needs. For apprentices learning to serve small businesses, this is where training meets real-world impact. See our detailed walkthrough: read our full guide to repurposing video content.
Building Transferable Skills
Henry quickly realized that the methods we used for a dentist could apply to almost any local service business — landscapers, plumbers, roofers, and more.
He learned to:
- Build repeatable workflows for repurposing.
- Adapt formats to each platform’s audience.
- Use tools like Descript and Underlord to speed up editing.
Henry discovered that while tools help, real skill lies in understanding client goals and target audiences. That’s why we built documented processes like the Content Factory model: they create scalable systems anyone can learn and apply.
Weekly Reports and SEO Growth
Every Friday, Henry contributed to our MAA End-of-Week Reports for Flax Dental. In week one, the reports simply listed content produced.
As weeks progressed, Henry learned how to:
- Add SEO tracking.
- Summarize keyword performance.
- Include engagement numbers from social posts.
These reports became the backbone of client communication. Henry moved from never having written a report to producing one that guided business decisions. To see exactly how to structure these reports, check out our full guide on how to write Weekly MAA reports for local service businesses.
Support From the Team
Henry didn’t navigate this alone. He had access to mentors like Dennis Yu, Dylan, and myself, along with a full library of playbooks and processes.
As he explained: “Everything is documented. Everything that Dennis and BlitzMetrics has done is out there. You can literally just search whatever you’re saying.”
When apprentices run into obstacles, they’re never stuck. They can:
- Reference documented checklists.
- Ask team members who’ve executed these tasks thousands of times.
- Follow guides to avoid the #1 VA mistake.
Time Commitment and Balance
Henry is clear about the time investment. He doesn’t log hours for the sake of it. He focuses on getting projects done.
For apprentices managing one client, Henry estimated “probably no more than an hour a day” is sufficient. That makes High Rise Academy accessible for students, part-time workers, and young adults balancing other commitments.
Advice to Future Apprentices
When we asked Henry what advice he’d give someone just starting, he said: “At the beginning, I didn’t really know much. But there are so many resources. And even if you end up getting stuck, there are team members who’ve done this thousands of times you can fall back on.”
That mindset is exactly what makes High Rise Academy work: you don’t need to start as an expert. You need to start willing to learn.
Closing Thoughts
Henry’s journey represents what High Rise Academy is about: taking motivated young adults, giving them real-world work with real clients, and surrounding them with mentorship and repeatable processes that lead to success.
Key takeaways from Henry’s story:
- Flexibility to work from anywhere.
- Transferable skills that apply to any local business.
- Step-by-step guidance through reporting, SEO, and content creation.
- Supportive mentors and documented playbooks.
- Realistic time commitment that fits into everyday life.
Want to build these skills while helping real businesses? Start by applying what Henry did — commit to doing the work, ask questions, and follow the process.
Learn more about High Rise Academy and apply today.
