He Left ESPN to Make YouTube Videos — here’s why
Nov 4, 2025
This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by former ESPN journalist Joon Lee. Joon shares how he turned a layoff into a creator career, breaking down his 22-month YouTube study, and how he is building an independent sports media brand that puts storytelling and trust first.
Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/joon-lee
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Follow Joon
YouTube: @iamjoonlee
Twitter/X: https://x.com/joonlee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joon/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joonlee
Website: https://joon.me
Follow Francis
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer
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Timestamps
00:00 Introducing Joon Lee
01:15 From tech YouTuber to sports journalist
06:49 Preparing to be a YouTuber
13:02 Indie creator bootcamp
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