For many creatives, working in entertainment means living in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, or London. The glamour of the film set, the buzz of media corridors, the elite networking that’s the assumed roadmap. But for the team behind MrBeast one of YouTube’s most powerful creators the headquarters is in Greenville, North Carolina, a mid-sized college town. To join the Beast’s inner workings, many must leave behind their city lives and uproot into a world of bars full of students, farmland views, and the “vibe check” culture that determines whether your personality fits the brand.
This shift is more than geographic. It represents a tradeoff between creative opportunity and lifestyle adjustment, between prestige markets and the gritty reality of production hubs. Greenville offers lower cost of living and proximity to the company, but it demands that new hires adapt fast, socially, professionally, and culturally.
Greenville: A College Town Turned Production Engine
Greenville is anchored by East Carolina University, with a population hovering around 90,000 and ~27,000 students.
Locally, much of the city’s nightlife, restaurants, and social life revolve around the student body. When MrBeast built its production campus there sprawling across dozens of acres, with sound stages, sets, and creative offices it injected big ambition into a quiet town.
The move is personal: MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) grew up in Greenville, launched his early content from his childhood room, and has maintained ties to the city.
But turning Greenville into a creative hub comes with growing pains. The “vibe check” process, where new hires spend 90 days contracting in Greenville before receiving full-time offers, reflects the company’s awareness of the challenge.
Employees find themselves living in apartments, often close to the studio, socializing mostly with coworkers (“Beasters”), and frequenting bars and restaurants built for the student crowd.
The social scene is embedded in campus energy, not city sophistication.
The Vibe Check: Fitting Into the Beast Culture
One of the more unusual practices is the “vibe check.” Before fully committing, MrBeast brings employees in on contract for ~90 days. They live in temporary housing, get a rental car, and are immersed in the Greenville environment to see if they adapt socially, culturally, and professionally.
If the match doesn’t work, the hire may not be made permanent.
This trial period underscores how much the company values personality, flexibility, and culture fit over just credentials. In such a creative environment, the ability to gel with the team, accept rapid feedback, and live in a smaller social ecosystem matters enormously.
The Experience of Relocation: Creative Lives in Greenville
Relocating from big cities to Greenville presents real shocks. Some ex-staffers describe the change as “quite a shock,” especially for those used to craft coffee shops, film festivals, late-night fine dining, and abundant cultural options.
The transition from sprawling urban environments to a college-town landscape of farmland and student bars can feel limiting.
Yet there are compensations. Media paychecks go further here. Housing, food, and life expenses are much lower compared to Los Angeles or New York. Many employees report forming tight bonds with colleagues, since social life often revolves around the same few bars and spaces.
Some Greenville residents, including restaurant owners and shopkeepers, see new life in the city thanks to MrBeast’s presence. The local economy gains foot traffic, brand prestige, and awareness.
Tradeoffs: Careers vs. Lifestyle
Working for MrBeast can deliver resume clout. Several former employees say that being associated with the brand opened doors: recruiters, industry contacts, and creative peers frequently reach out to Beasters.
But the tradeoff is clear: to get that opportunity, many must move away from creative centers where entertainment infrastructure is dense.
Some choose to stay remote or in satellite roles, but core creative and production roles often require presence on-site. Over time, employees may find the location constraint limiting, especially if they want side gigs, film festivals, or broader creative communities.
The social cost may include fewer options for nightlife, fewer high-profile creative ecosystems, and less diversity in tenants and collaborators. For those used to vibrant city creative scenes, Greenville can feel small.
Adaptation Strategies for New Hires
Those who choose to make the leap adopt several strategies:
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Live close to the workplace to reduce commute friction.
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Embrace local culture — frequent student bars, attend ECU events, make friends in the local community.
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Build some remote flexibility — maintain creative side projects or networks in larger markets.
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Accept the vibe check mindset — actively engage during the trial period to show cultural fit.
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Shop smart locally — exploit lower cost of living for better housing, food, and comfort.
Adaptation is not automatic; it requires intentional social and professional effort.
The Broader Trend: Content Hubs Outside Big Cities
MrBeast’s Greenville model is part of a larger trend: media and entertainment companies moving production into smaller, lower-cost markets. Tax incentives, lower rents, and remote-friendly infrastructure push content makers to consider tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Hollywood crews often relocate to states with favorable tax credits (e.g. New Mexico, Georgia). Some YouTube creators set up studios in smaller towns for cost advantages. MrBeast’s move mirrors that logic, but layered with culture and community tradeoffs.
As production hub geography diversifies, creative talent may face more relocation decisions moving for opportunity rather than staying anchored in LA or NYC.
Challenges and Risks
This model has vulnerabilities:
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Talent retention: Once creatives master the craft, they may re-migrate to bigger markets for broader opportunities.
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Cultural isolation: Without a larger ecosystem, people may feel creatively isolated or limited.
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Logistical challenges: Film sets, props, equipment, and vendor networks are scarcer outside traditional hubs.
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Perception bias: Some collaborators or peers may undervalue smaller-market work, despite quality.
If Greenville can’t sustain a robust creative ecosystem, the model may limit long-term growth.
The Price of Unique Creative Opportunity
Working for MrBeast in Greenville is not for everyone. It demands adaptability, social flexibility, and a willingness to trade big-city comforts for proximity to a powerful brand. But for those who embrace it, the opportunity may be rare: to be at the heart of high-scale content creation, with influence, growth, and resume impact.
Greenville is not Hollywood, but it is today’s experimental cultural frontier and for some creators, it may be the only way into that inner circle.
