https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/becoming-one-of-morning-brews-biggest-creators Becoming One of Morning Brews Biggest Creators Macy Gilliam is a video producer and content creator at Morning Brew and the creator of Out There, a documentary series where she spends a day learning the worlds most interesting jobs. In this episode, we walk through her production process, how she went from running Morning Brews Twitter account to having her own show, and red flags every creator should look for in their contracts. Macy Gilliam Out There: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflRwNbXC3ZchTOf6yF9lJXnudZjvM4d Macys YouTube: @macyagilliam Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macyagilliam/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@macyagilliam X: https://x.com/macyagilliam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macygilliam/ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Macy Gilliam 01:23 The process of making a 1M+ view video 07:57 From social media editor to having a show 15:01 Leaning into natural curiosity 17:52 Negotiating a creator contract 27:06 When and how to go independent as a creator 32:13 The blending of creator and journalist 40:33 Which platform should you focus on the most? 45:48 Contract exploitation in the creator economy 49:24 Green flags in creator contracts 52:25 The future of documentary journalism https://video-meta.open.video/poster/HqF0_BaacY5O/s3ClTr8iyB2_BUXHqR.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/HqF0_BaacY5O/1775769782/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=s3ClTr8iyB2 3486 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/a-25m-bet-on-quality-food-journalism A 2.5M Bet on Quality Food Journalism Caper is a new media company covering the people, money, ambition, power and chaos that fuels the food world. In this episode we speak to Max Tcheyan, the co-founder and CEO, as well as three of the founding journalists. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles Get 10,000 free monthly credits at Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/ Caper Newsletter: https://caper.media/ Caper: https://www.instagram.com/caper.media/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capermedia/ In this episode Max: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxtcheyan/ Emma: https://www.instagram.com/emorlow Annie: https://www.instagram.com/anniesalright Chris: https://www.instagram.com/chrisecrowley Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Caper Media 01:00 The gap in the market 03:45 Who is the audience? 07:29 How equity changes journalism 15:46 Food journalism that makes a difference 23:46 Building a team of founders 26:30 The 2.5M bet 29:28 Doing something that matters https://video-meta.open.video/poster/MowGUnKbMYbi/YxDQTGDyyB2_zEHQgA.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/MowGUnKbMYbi/1775770391/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=YxDQTGDyyB2 2042 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-he-built-a-newsletter-to-fight-the-algorithm How He Built a Newsletter to Fight the Algorithm Matt Kiser is the creator and editor WTF Just Happened Today?, a political news newsletter with over 200,000 subscribers built entirely on a pay-what-you-want membership model. In this episode Matt breaks down how he grew from zero to 100,000 subscribers in six months, the editorial philosophy behind curating the news every day for nine years, and the biggest mistakes he made along the way. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles Matt Kiser Newsletter: https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkiser/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mattkiser.bsky.social GitHub: https://github.com/mkiser/WTFJHT Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Matt Kiser 01:18 Zero to 100k in six months 11:06 Building the skill of aggregation and curation 17:41 The death of objectivity 18:37 From 100k to 200k subscribers 20:36 Dont hate the media, become the media 29:18 Transparency with the revenue model 35:40 The AI podcast controversy 46:46 Biggest mistakes and learning moments 50:23 A deeper connection with the audience https://video-meta.open.video/poster/KjlGUlqbpI4i/t2CQmH8O4A2_YifqVl.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/KjlGUlqbpI4i/1775772005/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=t2CQmH8O4A2 3568 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-creator-earning-200k-posting-on-linkedin The Creator Earning 200k+ Posting on LinkedIn Vin Matano is a B2B influencer marketing agency owner and part-time creator who made 200K as a creator and 2.5M through his agency Creator Buzz in 2025. In this episode, we get into how he lands and keeps long-term brand deals, his LinkedIn content strategy, and how he built Creatorbuzz from zero to 2.5M in its first full year. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/vin-matano Get started with Taplio for free at https://taplio.com/?utmmedium=email&utmsource=newsletter&utmcampaign=nlcreatorspotlight0126011526 Use code: CREATOR1X1 Vin Matano LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinmatano/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vinmatano Twitter/X: https://x.com/vinmatano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinmatano/ Creatorbuzz: https://www.creatorbuzz.com/ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Vin Matano 01:30 From 94k to 200k in one year 05:32 Getting brand deals and overdelivering 13:48 How many followers do you need for brand deals? 20:10 Partnering brands with creators 25:53 Making 2.5M in a year 28:50 The challenges of being a new founder 31:34 Getting leads with social media 37:24 The three types of LinkedIn posts to go viral 44:38 Debunking LinkedIn myths 49:25 The third generation of B2B marketing 54:12 Changing how success is measured https://video-meta.open.video/poster/I-duIz0OIMdj/Aw8BnaDz4k2_ijdnrt.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/I-duIz0OIMdj/1775772749/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Aw8BnaDz4k2 3538 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/building-a-platform-to-save-the-internet Building a Platform to Save the Internet Tyler Bainbridge is the founder of Perfectly Imperfect, a social magazine and app with 400,000+ users built to help people discover culture outside of algorithms. In this episode, we get into how he grew the platform from a free newsletter to a business attracting guests such as Charli xcx, Francis Ford Coppola and The Rizzler. Perfectly Imperfect Website: https://www.pi.fyi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perfectlyimperfect Tyler Bainbridge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tubbytyinthetub/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerbainbridge X: https://x.com/tubbytyinthetub Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Tyler Bainbridge 01:23 Escaping the algorithm 07:41 Leaving Substack to build a unique platform 12:32 Growing to over 400,000 users 16:21 Biggest milestone guests 19:40 How Perfectly Imperfect makes money 22:28 The meaning of community 29:02 Building a dedicated team 31:20 Building the platform weve always wanted 34:54 The challenge of scaling a subculture 40:18 The refusal to optimize 45:19 The importance of good editorial 50:42 Building the next Tumblr, also Vice https://video-meta.open.video/poster/LLsOQDzWgUcP/6NCkSW8Ozk2_qkJeST.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/LLsOQDzWgUcP/1775774051/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6NCkSW8Ozk2 3285 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-build-an-audience-you-can-sell-to How to Build an Audience You Can Sell To Daniel Berk is beehiivs first sales hire-turned-strategist, cofounder of a local newsletter Palmetto Parents, and cohost of the Two Dads in Tech podcast. In this episode we discuss his journey from chaotic notebooks to 25,000 LinkedIn followers, how he helps creators and enterprise media businesses grow and monetize, and how to run a profitable newsletter and podcast. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/daniel-berk Get started with Taplio for free at https://taplio.com/?utmmedium=email&utmsource=newsletter&utmcampaign=nlcreatorspotlight0126011526 Use code: CREATOR1X1 Daniel Berk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielberk/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/danielcberk Threads: https://www.threads.com/@danielcberk?hl=en Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/30GQP8FPJoKpLGpYBahlFP Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Daniel Berk 01:34 13 years of writing newsletters 05:25 The problem every creator and business has 11:13 Adapting to the AI driven web 14:24 Best and worst social media platforms 21:58 Why a big LinkedIn platform is so important 29:16 Making 60k with a podcast side-project 38:33 Building a community driven local newsletter 46:38 Outcome vs output driven creators 50:26 The value of writing every day https://video-meta.open.video/poster/uvpO-dHzNIRQ/6xCRTaC5zk2_QQxOnX.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/uvpO-dHzNIRQ/1775777188/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6xCRTaC5zk2 3370 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/building-a-70k-subscriber-newsletter-by-word-of-mouth Building a 70k+ Subscriber Newsletter by Word of Mouth Rachel Meade Smith is the founder of Words of Mouth, a weekly newsletter focused on finding meaningful work. In this episode, we discuss how she built and monetised a values-driven newsletter to 72,000 subscribers over 10 years without ever running a single ad. Preorder Search Work now: https://orbooks.com/catalog/search-work/ Rachel Meade Smith Words of Mouth: https://www.wordsofmouth.org/ Website: https://www.rachelmeadesmith.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmeadesmith/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stormcloudsmith/ Book: https://orbooks.com/catalog/search-work/ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Rachel Meade Smith and Words of Mouth 01:38 10 years of values based curation 07:17 Growing to 70k subscribers organically 13:03 72% open rate, 22% clickthrough rate 14:07 Monestizing while maintaining strong ethics 20:07 4 ways the newsletter is monetized 37:29 Developing beyond purely aggregation 43:21 The art of aggregation, curation, and editing 46:13 The process and expense of writing a book https://video-meta.open.video/poster/uZESZdWiU-4b/7M9BnH9P5l2_ZhRGRa.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/uZESZdWiU-4b/1775775175/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=7M9BnH9P5l2 3352 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/casey-lewis-of-after-school-ep3 Casey Lewis of After School EP3 Casey has been writing the youth consumer trends newsletter After School for three years, the culmination of nearly two decades writing and editing content about and for teens in her own online publications and in Teen Vogue and New York Magazine. On the occasion of Casey leaving her day job to work full time on a newsletter for the second time in her career we spoke about: Building and selling her first newsletter business (20162019) Writing her newsletter to 0 subscribers for the first month Leaving a full-time job to commit to her newsletter business (again) Her premium subscriber model with a 5% conversion rate Monetizing a curation-style newsletter Read our feature on Casey (https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/casey-lewis-after-school) and subscribe to our newsletter (https://www.creatorspotlight.com/subscribe) for more behind-the-scenes stories from the creator economy. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/NEpaNl9bRQaa/6F8BTW855R2_KZnyLV.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/NEpaNl9bRQaa/1775773622/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6F8BTW855R2 4231 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-build-a-100k-newsletter-business-with-no-budget How to Build a 100k Newsletter Business with No Budget This week were joined by Landon Huslig, the creator of Wichita Life, a local media brand covering life in Wichita through a newsletter, podcast, and Instagram. He built it as a side hustle while working full-time as an engineer. It now has a combined 50,000 followers and generates 120k+ annually. Wichita Life: https://wichitalifeict.com Follow Landon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/landon-huslig-5b5b006a/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/landonhuslig Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamp 00:00:00 Introducing Landon 00:01:16 The art of hand to hand combat 00:10:54 Starting a local media 00:18:43 The growth to 120k 00:25:06 How big can a local newsletter be? 00:34:27 The value of a likeminded community 00:40:39 The creator to entrepreneur spectrum 00:46:06 The difficult relationship with traditional local media 00:57:22 Building local businesses in addition to newsletter 01:01:48 The responsibility to your audience 01:04:03 Side hustle vs full time business 01:09:24 Starting a local newsletter in 2025 creatoreconomy podcast newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/ZSBSIrLjVMjj/t21Jf5Cjy72_zBduCy.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/ZSBSIrLjVMjj/1775776166/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=t21Jf5Cjy72 4384 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-ai-content-will-fail Why AI content will fail Why AI content will fail https://video-meta.open.video/poster/d8pu3DCOl6BI/Aw1sKj9zzB2_OqEMRd.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/d8pu3DCOl6BI/1775774017/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Aw1sKj9zzB2 78 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-andrew-huang-doesnt-use-tiktok Why Andrew Huang Doesnt Use TikTok Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/P8iRb0AcVPU Andrew Huang (@andrewhuang) joins us for episode 4 of the Creator Spotlight podcast and tells us why he is chooses YouTube over other platforms such as TikTok. podcast creatoreconomy andrewhuang https://video-meta.open.video/poster/3bguVfHrdUAd/6g1dKPDzzl2_egYkaG.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/3bguVfHrdUAd/1775774348/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6g1dKPDzzl2 170 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-make-a-living-as-a-creator-from-a-podcasting-expert How to Make a Living as a Creator from a podcasting expert This week Francis is joined by podcasting Amanda McLoughlin, CEO of Multitude and co-host of the podcasts Spirits, Attach Your Resume, and Join the Party. Amanda began her journey as a creator vlogging on YouTube and has since spent over a decade in the podcast space. Amandas Podcasts: Attach Your Resume: https://multitude.productions/ayr Join the Party: https://www.jointhepartypod.com Spirits: https://spiritspodcast.com Multitude: https://multitude.productions 00:00:00 Introducing Amanda McLoughlin 00:01:29 Building a network through the early YouTube community 00:05:04 How the podcasting world has changed over the past decade 00:11:02 Forming Multitude 00:15:56 Building a top 0.1% without the algorithm 00:25:53 Podcast listeners are the most valuable audience 00:31:20 The most valuable thing you can do is say no 00:33:58 Diversifying your revenue streams 00:35:52 Sustainable creator-led businesses to model 00:38:53 Your podcast doesnt need to be profitable to be valuable 00:40:08 Never host your podcast with Spotify 00:45:58 All creators are a business 00:52:33 Platforms need creators, creators dont need platforms 00:56:13 Attach Your Résumé 01:01:46 What NOT to focus on as a creator podcast creatoreconomy podcasting https://video-meta.open.video/poster/YrwuRdiaI-yJ/6wuIfzCi4A2_KWBXnf.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/YrwuRdiaI-yJ/1775777080/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6wuIfzCi4A2 4219 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-athletes-become-the-best-creators Why Athletes Become The Best Creators Listen to the full episode with Justin Gordon here: Justin Gordon (@justgogrind) is an entrepreneur and content creator known for his online blogs, podcasts and more recently his newsletter. He joined us for episode 19 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. podcast creatoreconomy podcasting https://video-meta.open.video/poster/h6t0ZDn5p6rJ/6M0sK58i5B2_JzJHsD.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/h6t0ZDn5p6rJ/1775774349/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6M0sK58i5B2 173 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/i-discovered-the-millennial-pause I Discovered the Millennial Pause Watch the full podcast here: https://youtu.be/Oawiypj12Y?si Kate Lindsay is an expert in internet culture and trends, a writer for The Atlantic, and creator behind embedded.substack.com -- She was the first to write about the Millennial Pause which is a term that has since been picked up by Arianna Grande, Taylor Swift and more. podcast creatoreconomy millennials https://video-meta.open.video/poster/e4l0QnyOlY7G/6g0dePCz5k2_lgyTTd.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/e4l0QnyOlY7G/1775774514/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6g0dePCz5k2 214 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-this-artist-went-viral-on-linkedin-with-one-post How This Artist Went Viral On LinkedIn With One Post Listen to the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkzvZCQ1k0 PJ Milani (@milanicreative) joined us for Episode 10 of the Creator Spotlight podcast and discussed how his art gained him a huge social media following across multiple platforms. podcast creatoreconomy creatortips https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Wrc0RvLrcYYb/6w0tL58j5A2_hTIBLv.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Wrc0RvLrcYYb/1775774588/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6w0tL58j5A2 237 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-people-love-pookie-and-jett Why People Love Pookie and Jett Listen to the full episode here: https://youtu.be/hu9vNVpZVQ Youth trend expert, Casey Lewis, joined us for episode 3 of the Creator Spotlight podcast in which we discussed Pookie and Jetts recent rise to fame and other Gen Z trends. podcast tiktok creatoreconomy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/rvkWVrHrhMzk/A2vYLz955k2_gCUDnO.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/rvkWVrHrhMzk/1775774417/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=A2vYLz955k2 210 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/shes-cracked-the-creator-community-code Shes Cracked the Creator Community Code This week were joined by Milly Tamati, the creator of Generalist World, a community and learning platform. She is also a writer, illustrator, speaker, and consultant. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/milly-tamati Follow Milly Generalist World: https://www.generalist.world/links Website: https://www.millytamati.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milly-tamati/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@generalist.world Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Milly 00:01:45 Necessity of a personal brand 00:06:22 Becoming director of miscellaneous 00:14:14 Building cult-like loyalty on social media 00:18:58 How a quiz can drive subscribers 00:27:26 The playbook for building a community 00:36:41 Keeping a community active 00:46:24 Brand deals done differently 00:53:15 Digital tool workshops 00:58:57 A podcast for the community, about the community 01:05:22 Not knowing whats next is fine https://video-meta.open.video/poster/28kGJr5yJUzH/7h1Zfi94zk2_yfOYVr.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/28kGJr5yJUzH/1775779115/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=7h1Zfi94zk2 4290 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/what-does-content-even-mean What does content even mean? Watch the full podcast episode: https://youtu.be/nmjYNsjitxE Episode 25 of the Creator Spotlight is an interview with Theo Lloyd-Hughes, a content creator, podcaster, writer and producer focussing on womens soccer. podcast contentcreator creatoreconomy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/XPwm3bXyMUba/A20JL59z572_lqMPFw.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/XPwm3bXyMUba/1775774721/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=A20JL59z572 272 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/justin-gordons-most-disastrous-interview Justin Gordons Most Disastrous Interview Listen to the full episode with Justin Gordon here: https://youtu.be/kT32VpCdOhs Justin Gordon (@justgogrind) is an entrepreneur and content creator known for his online blogs, podcasts and more recently his newsletter. He joined us for episode 19 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. podcast creatoreconomy podcasting https://video-meta.open.video/poster/wUkiMdrycMib/AgvsLOCi5Q2_ryUMPt.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/wUkiMdrycMib/1775774779/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=AgvsLOCi5Q2 293 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-have-all-education-apps-been-gamified Why Have All Education Apps Been Gamified? Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbX8XfJUsMY Peter Ramsey, writer and founder of builtformars.com joins us for episode 15 of the Creator Spotlight podcast and gives us insight into UX design, creating content around UX and how to become the Mr Beast of your industry. podcast creatoreconomy uxdesign https://video-meta.open.video/poster/qQtC2xaqJMIc/Aw1Ie59z4Q2_ZkjoCF.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/qQtC2xaqJMIc/1775774722/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Aw1Ie59z4Q2 279 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-i-gained-14m-followers-on-instagram-you-can-do-this-too How I Gained 1.4M Followers on Instagram You Can Do This Too Listen/watch the full episode with Caitlin here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51sDGJqIKCs Caitlin Murray has gained over 1.4 million Instagram followers over 5 years if posting on Instagram under the name bigtimeadulting -- Caitlin joined us for episode 14 of the Creator Spotlight podcast where she shared her story, advice and more. podcast creatoreconomy parenting https://video-meta.open.video/poster/2Rxi2xHyIUtJ/6g1dLiCz4Q2_uhnaaR.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/2Rxi2xHyIUtJ/1775774646/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6g1dLiCz4Q2 263 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-she-became-viral-with-one-post How She Became Viral With One Post Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/dp1NnH-UCv0 Hannah Williams of Salary Transparent Street (@SalaryTransparentStreet) joined us for episode 1 of the Creator Spotlight Podcast and discussed how she turned a viral TikTok video into a growing media business. podcast creatoreconomy salarytransparency https://video-meta.open.video/poster/3RF4ZtGrJ65c/Aw1tKy9z4Q2_oxBQOX.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/3RF4ZtGrJ65c/1775774855/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Aw1tKy9z4Q2 295 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/is-gen-z-becoming-media-illiterate Is Gen Z Becoming Media Illiterate? Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/867WdK9oCyI Ambreen Ali joined us for episode 22 of the Creator Spotlight podcast, you can listen to the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. podcast creatoreconomy journalism https://video-meta.open.video/poster/X9BaQdrbgIZj/Bw0sfPDiyQ2_wogtwh.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/X9BaQdrbgIZj/1775775055/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Bw0sfPDiyQ2 335 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-glennda-baker-became-one-of-the-best-storytellers-online How Glennda Baker Became One of the Best Storytellers Online See the full episode with Glennda here: https://youtu.be/25umisCrTzs Glennda Baker joined us for episode 21 of the Creator Spotlight podcast, see the full episode on our YouTube channel or listen on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. podcast creatoreconomy realestate https://video-meta.open.video/poster/0_pm2hWrdU4j/7guYLy9jzQ2_JeQoVw.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/0_pm2hWrdU4j/1775774992/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=7guYLy9jzQ2 333 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-differences-in-journalism-uk-vs-us The Differences In Journalism UK vs. US See the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAt2Nde9-P0 Akhil Chauhan purchased a newsletter as a side hustle which now brings in an impressive income of its own. He joined us for episode 16 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. Here he discusses the differences between journalism in the UK and the US. podcast creatoreconomy journalism https://video-meta.open.video/poster/rTxy7turNQBQ/B2ute5Djz62_EuprNV.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/rTxy7turNQBQ/1775774921/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=B2ute5Djz62 298 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-ishowspeed-is-changing-soccer-culture-in-america How iShowSpeed is Changing Soccer Culture in America Watch the full podcast: https://youtu.be/QLoHwq6jCrw For episode 51 of the Creator Spotlight podcast, Francis was joined by Kyle Sheldon, founder and CEO of Name and Number, a soccer specific marketing and creative agency. Kyle has worked within the US soccer world for two decades and held marketing roles at multiple MLS clubs. Kyle is also the founder and editor of Pathway, a newsletter aimed at helping individuals break into the soccer industry. Kyle: https://x.com/kylesheldon Name and Number: https://www.nameandnumber.com Pathway: https://pathwayhq.com podcast ishowspeed soccer https://video-meta.open.video/poster/tblC3he5o6jb/B2utLzD5462_PgxFGl.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/tblC3he5o6jb/1775775193/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=B2utLzD5462 379 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-i-started-a-website-for-positive-news-stories Why I Started a Website For Positive News Stories Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/UdxqYQpZTrs Sean Devlin of nicenews.com joined us for episode 23 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. Watch the full episode or listen on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. podcast creatoreconomy nicenews https://video-meta.open.video/poster/XwpG_ra4VYla/BM0dej9O472_xLEMwc.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/XwpG_ra4VYla/1775775535/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=BM0dej9O472 398 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-facebook-ad-that-gained-me-800k-subscribers The Facebook Ad That Gained Me 800k Subscribers Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/UdxqYQpZTrs Sean Devlin of nicenews.com joined us for episode 23 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. Watch the full episode or listen on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. podcast creatoreconomy nicenews https://video-meta.open.video/poster/ZgdWUv1OU2RG/BM1sLOCP5R2_cqGhHo.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/ZgdWUv1OU2RG/1775775192/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=BM1sLOCP5R2 373 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-every-creator-should-start-a-newsletter Why Every Creator Should Start a Newsletter See the full episode with Glennda here: https://youtu.be/25umisCrTzs Glennda Baker joined us for episode 21 of the Creator Spotlight podcast, see the full episode on our YouTube channel or listen on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. podcast creatoreconomy realestate https://video-meta.open.video/poster/3wBiMxuPoUcj/Bg1ILO8P472_hERsXu.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/3wBiMxuPoUcj/1775775121/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Bg1ILO8P472 363 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-i-gained-300k-instagram-followers How I Gained 300K+ Instagram Followers Watch the full podcast here: https://youtu.be/25umisCrTzs Episode 21 of the Creator Spotlight podcast is an interview with Glennda Baker, a real estate agent and content creator that has over 875K TikTok followers and 300K on Instagram. podcast creatoreconomy contentcreator https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Yfd4JrWWlMIb/sE0ZfODOzk2_TKzcrs.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Yfd4JrWWlMIb/1775775540/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=sE0ZfODOzk2 451 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/being-recognised-by-fans-as-a-creator Being Recognised By Fans as a Creator See the full episode with Glennda here: https://youtu.be/25umisCrTzs Glennda Baker joined us for episode 21 of the Creator Spotlight podcast, see the full episode on our YouTube channel or listen on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. podcast creatoreconomy realestate https://video-meta.open.video/poster/tfFq2fX4l6iQ/YVvceyDOzA2_gfuZdN.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/tfFq2fX4l6iQ/1775775543/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=YVvceyDOzA2 479 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/i-recorded-100-podcasts-in-100-days-this-is-what-i-learned I Recorded 100 Podcasts in 100 Days This Is What I Learned Listen to the full episode with Justin Gordon here: https://youtu.be/kT32VpCdOhs Justin Gordon (@justgogrind) is an entrepreneur and content creator known for his online blogs, podcasts and more recently his newsletter. He joined us for episode 19 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. podcast creatoreconomy podcasting https://video-meta.open.video/poster/1gFu6r1OVYOd/Y_1sf4D4yA2_AkaASi.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/1gFu6r1OVYOd/1775775643/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Y_1sf4D4yA2 515 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/andrew-huang-explains-why-he-hates-ghostwriting Andrew Huang Explains Why He Hates Ghostwriting Listen to the full episode here: https://youtu.be/P8iRb0AcVPU Andrew Huang (@andrewhuang) joined us for episode 4 of the Creator Spotlight podcast and explains how he grew his Youtube audience, how to stay authentic and tells us about his book Make Your Own Rules podcast creatoreconomy andrewhuang https://video-meta.open.video/poster/urtyMvW4lMRa/sp1sLO8PyB2_aJNKPV.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/urtyMvW4lMRa/1775775575/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=sp1sLO8PyB2 492 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-big-can-a-local-newsletter-business-get-in-one-city How Big Can a Local Newsletter Business Get in One City? Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whzj2eOgpA Landon Huslig is the creator and editor of Wichita Life, a local media brand covering life in Wichita through a newsletter, podcast, and Instagram. He built it as a side hustle while working full-time as an engineer. It now has a combined 50,000 followers and generates 120k+ annually. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/sbda3faWV-QG/Y_1cK58P4k2_PPETsa.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/sbda3faWV-QG/1775775999/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Y_1cK58P4k2 570 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-hard-is-it-to-be-a-writer-in-the-creator-economy How Hard Is It to Be a Writer in the Creator Economy? Watch the full episode with Leigh Stein: https://youtu.be/xIH6JrGr9f0 For episode 49 of the Creator Spotlight podcast, Francis Zierer was joined by six-time author, cultural critic and book publishing coach, Leigh Stein. Leigh is also the creator of the newsletter Attention Economy. Attention Economy: https://leighstein.substack.com/ Leighs Website: https://www.leighstein.com/ podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/1wxKMtL4R6jO/sF1JLOD54A2_gtHtNC.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/1wxKMtL4R6jO/1775775862/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=sF1JLOD54A2 538 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/being-a-youtuber-in-2016-vs-2024 Being a YouTuber in 2016 vs 2024 See the full episode with Glennda here: https://youtu.be/25umisCrTzs Glennda Baker joined us for episode 21 of the Creator Spotlight podcast, see the full episode on our YouTube channel or listen on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. podcast creatoreconomy realestate https://video-meta.open.video/poster/vgFqJdXPVYJI/Z-0ceOCiyA2_xYCZSQ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/vgFqJdXPVYJI/1775776200/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Z-0ceOCiyA2 579 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/i-researched-sam-altmans-entire-life I Researched Sam Altmans Entire Life Listen to the full episode with Justin Gordon here: https://youtu.be/kT32VpCdOhs Read Justins deep dive on Sam Altman: https://www.justgogrind.com/p/sam-altman Justin Gordon (@justgogrind) is an entrepreneur and content creator known for his online blogs, podcasts and more recently his newsletter. He joined us for episode 19 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. podcast chatgpt samaltman https://video-meta.open.video/poster/setGJvK5QQ6j/tU0Iez9jzl2_HQLEHc.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/setGJvK5QQ6j/1775775926/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=tU0Iez9jzl2 544 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-get-good-at-street-interviews How To Get Good At Street Interviews Watch the full podcast episode here: https://youtu.be/dp1NnH-UCv0 Hannah Williams of @SalaryTransparentStreet joined us for episode 1 of the Creator Spotlight Podcast and told us her best and worst places to do TikTok street interviews. salarytransparency podcast creatoreconomy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Yxhe6fWHoY7R/to0IL59zyl2_faOPYh.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Yxhe6fWHoY7R/1775775793/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=to0IL59zyl2 516 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-price-yourself-online-as-a-creator How to Price Yourself Online as a Creator Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur0Tt15RtE Tom Fishburne has been making a living as creator for over 20 years and here he shares his knowledge on how to set your rates, how to market yourself, and how to keep your time as a creator. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/2hpqQhuHo6BG/ZpucejCizB2_hUFagq.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/2hpqQhuHo6BG/1775776257/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=ZpucejCizB2 587 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/podcasting-expert-explains-how-to-monetize-your-podcast Podcasting Expert Explains How to Monetize Your Podcast Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/60XshjJvZog In this episode of The Creator Spotlight Podcast, Francis is joined by podcasting expert Amanda McLoughlin, CEO of Multitude and co-host of the podcasts Spirits, Attach Your Resume, and Join the Party. Amanda began her journey as a creator vlogging on YouTube and has since spent over a decade in the podcast space. Amanda is well experience with podcast monetization and growth. Amanda is the host of three podcasts, which are all in the top 5% of podcasts globally and Multitude produces many more shows also in the top 5% of podcast, some in the top 0.1%. Amandas Podcasts: Attach Your Resume: https://multitude.productions/ayr Join the Party: https://www.jointhepartypod.com Spirits: https://spiritspodcast.com Multitude: https://multitude.productions podcast creatoreconomy podcasting https://video-meta.open.video/poster/vZEe2dbWoUQQ/tV0IeO9iyl2_doirPR.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/vZEe2dbWoUQQ/1775776313/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=tV0IeO9iyl2 601 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-creators-are-using-linkedin-to-get-ahead-and-why-youre-missing-out How Creators Are Using LinkedIn to Get Ahead (and why youre missing out) Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/Jkyu8pQNgJ4 Grace Ling is the founder of the thriving Design Buddies community, which turns five years old this month, has over 150,000 members, and generates 1 million in annual recurring revenue. She is also a talented content creator and has found particular success on LinkedIn where she has nearly 50,000 followers. She is also the cohost of the How Creators Make Money podcast. Design Buddies: https://www.designbuddies.community Graces Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irungracepace Graces LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceling/ How Creators Make Money Podcast: https://howcreatorsmakemoney.com podcast creatoreconomy linkedin https://video-meta.open.video/poster/sJoa7fbHkIlI/tV0tKPCiyA2_NKBLrK.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/sJoa7fbHkIlI/1775776445/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=tV0tKPCiyA2 674 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/designing-the-best-looking-newsletter-on-the-internet Designing The Best Looking Newsletter On The Internet See full episode: https://youtu.be/2eYggPF1FlQ Episode 24 of the Creator Spotlight podcast is an interview with Theo Lloyd-Hughes, a designer with a newsletter focussing on the latest in the world of design. creatoreconomy podcast contentcreator https://video-meta.open.video/poster/1NceRbb4UQJI/ZFuZK49yyB2_CFkJfs.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/1NceRbb4UQJI/1775776455/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=ZFuZK49yyB2 733 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/ive-been-a-youtubers-for-16-years-this-is-what-i-learned Ive been a YouTubers for 16 years... this is what I learned Andrew Southworth (@AndrewSouthworth) has been uploading to YouTube for over 16 years and on episode 17 of the Creator Spotlight podcast he talked about how YouTube has changed, why he started, and his most viral videos. Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0CFZ3tvaKY podcast creatoreconomy musician https://video-meta.open.video/poster/rJdqZfbHlMPi/t_1YKOCiyA2_uarAqy.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/rJdqZfbHlMPi/1775776199/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=t_1YKOCiyA2 579 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-spotify-is-ruining-podcasts How Spotify is Ruining Podcasts Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/yn6Nu45XEW8 For episode 48 of the Creator Spotlight podcast Francis was joined by Eric Silver, a podcaster, podcast producer and head of development at Multitude, a podcast studio and production company. Multitude: https://multitude.productions podcast spotify creatoreconomy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/uHx0RtLPlIQI/tV1IKyDP5l2_FlEQfJ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/uHx0RtLPlIQI/1775776464/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=tV1IKyDP5l2 797 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/5-growth-strategies-from-creators-with-10m-followers 5 Growth Strategies from Creators with 10M+ Followers In this video our producer Tom breaks down 5 strategies, used by creators with a combined following of over 10M, for growing your audience online. These tactics have been tried and tested by some of the biggest creators weve interviewed. Whether youre a just starting out, or a veteran of the creator economy, let us know in the comments what methods youre using to grow your audience. Follow Tom LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mccloud-219ba5110/ 00:00 5 steps to growing your audience online 00:54 Finding your niche 04:28 Building a community 09:00 Acquiring an audience 13:54 Paid ads 17:32 Going viral creatoreconomy growyourchannel podcast https://video-meta.open.video/poster/w-Ea_bHPpY7Q/sEuZe5D44Q2_qolyWV.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/w-Ea_bHPpY7Q/1775776543/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=sEuZe5D44Q2 1246 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-this-creator-broke-the-algorithm-by-ignoring-it How This Creator Broke the Algorithm by Ignoring It This week Francis is joined by Jenna Stoeber (@thejenna), a video essayist and content creator known for her deep dives into video game and media culture. Jennas YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejenna/ Jennas Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thejenna.bsky.social 00:00:00 Laying the content creator foundation 00:07:00 The art of constructing informative videos 00:09:20 If I create, am I a creator? 00:14:36 The dichotomy of creating and consuming 00:17:19 Beating the algorithm with one simple video 00:20:55 Balancing creativity with optimization 00:29:13 Building diverse and sustainable revenue streams 00:34:25 Sacrificing salary for freedom and autonomy 00:39:27 Knowing your strengths and how to use them 00:46:07 The joys and challenges of podcasting 00:59:02 The art of researching and scripting a video essay 01:05:47 The boss fight: Goals for 2025 podcast creatoreconomy videoessay https://video-meta.open.video/poster/qFsGYFGrVQ5P/soDdey9yzk2_kOsBMQ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/qFsGYFGrVQ5P/1775778869/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=soDdey9yzk2 4157 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/breaking-down-his-100m-view-tiktok-video Breaking Down His 100M+ View TikTok Video Grant Beene (@tiktokbhadie on TikTok and @grantbeans on Instagram) is a short-form video creator known for crafting wild, story-driven skits that have generated a total of 1 billion views across TikTok and Instagram. In this episode, we break down how he writes and produces viral short films, structures brand deals without compromising creative integrity, and why he believes short-form is the training ground for becoming a world-class director. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/grant-beene Get 10,000 free monthly credits at Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/ Grant Beene TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktokbhadie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grantbeans Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Grant Beene 00:02:34 The process behind a 120M view video 00:07:32 Limitations creating uniqueness 00:10:47 Early TikTok growth 00:22:41 Pushing short form content to the extreme 00:26:22 Difficulties monetizing as a short form creator 00:34:45 The value of collaborating in the creative process 00:41:03 From short form creator to artist 00:48:11 The role of faith in drive and discipline 00:52:47 How the creative process changes with long form 00:59:10 Unlocking the creativity 01:05:45 Inspirations in art and film 01:12:29 Make art and it will take you to your goal https://video-meta.open.video/poster/2hd4RBS5k6qQ/Yh0lfi9iy72_kFAJjC.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/2hd4RBS5k6qQ/1775779383/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Yh0lfi9iy72 4561 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-he-generates-200k-while-making-the-internet-better How He Generates 200K+ While Making the Internet Better This week Francis is joined by Matt Brown of Extra Points. With a laser focus on writing high quality content, Matt is an independent sports journalist covering the world of college sports in America. Extra Points: https://www.extrapointsmb.com 00:00:00 Introducing Matt Brown and Extra Points 00:01:47 The focus on producing quality content 00:05:26 The unique story of acquisition and reacquisition 00:13:11 Striving to make the internet a better place 00:19:36 Balancing creativity and business in the creator economy 00:22:53 The values and integrity of independent journalism 00:26:27 Vox Media: The bootcamp for independent journalists 00:35:28 Understanding your community 00:42:29 Providing value with high-ticket and low-ticket offers 00:55:41 All analytics lead to 00:59:59 Bridging the gap between communities through sport 01:04:09 The decentralization of media podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/IAFqNf0qUMVa/BwuQeO8P5A2_oKqNbp.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/IAFqNf0qUMVa/1775777808/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=BwuQeO8P5A2 4032 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/she-left-traditional-media-to-make-tiktoks-heres-why She Left Traditional Media to Make TikToks heres why Sophia Smith Galer is an award-winning journalist, author, and creator with nearly a million followers across TikTok and Instagram. After roles at the BBC and VICE, she went independent to pioneer new ways of telling stories through short-form video. In this episode, she shares why traditional media is struggling to adapt, and what creators and journalists need to know about the future of vertical video. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/sophia-smith-galer Sophia Smith Galer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sophiasmithgaler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiasgaler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiasmithgaler Twitter/X: https://x.com/sophiasgaler Viralect: https://www.viralect.com Sophiana (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/sophiana-script-video-maker/id6742998989 Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Sophia Smith Galer 01:50 How to present on short form video 07:15 Defining journalism in the age of the creator 13:26 Traditional medias problem with short form content 18:25 The one thing most short form creators get wrong 24:38 The best platform for short form content 31:02 Short form bootcamps 34:25 Sophiana: Your short form assistant 41:34 Why everyone should be making content 44:05 The hardest part of building an app 49:47 US vs. UK creator economy difficulties 52:46 Revenue breakdown 57:58 Sophias future plans and goals https://video-meta.open.video/poster/cMEGNfu5oY-c/6wvQeO8y5Q2_QLOwdY.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/cMEGNfu5oY-c/1775778051/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6wvQeO8y5Q2 4043 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-make-100k-editing-youtube-videos How to Make 100k+ Editing YouTube Videos This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast, were joined by Rachel Kisela a six-figure YouTube editor who has worked with top creators including MrBeast. Rachel recently founded EditHers, a community for women in editing. In this episode Rachel shares her philosophy on editing, how she built her business, what she learnt editing for Mr Beast, and how to make over 100k as a video editor. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/rachel-kisela Rachel Kisela Website: https://www.rachelkisela.com EditHers: https://www.rachelkisela.com/edit-hers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkisela/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/rachelkisela Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Rachel Kisela 01:25 The core philosophies of video editing 06:05 The process of editing a YouTube video 09:45 How to make six-figures as a YouTube editor 17:47 Leaving Mr Beast 20:42 The real responsibility of an editor 23:43 Building a much needed community 32:46 The unknown challenges of video editing 35:40 Getting paid as a video editor 39:35 What journalism school doesnt teach you 46:07 The relationship between editor and creator 52:51 What Rachel learnt working for Mr Beast 56:47 Future dreams for EditHers 01:00:15 Where to find video editors 01:02:42 How much do video editors get paid? 01:05:17 Rachels favorite video https://video-meta.open.video/poster/HZpyVbTboUmj/Bg0Afj9i562_HSVqsr.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/HZpyVbTboUmj/1775778237/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Bg0Afj9i562 4145 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-five-steps-every-creator-needs-to-master The Five Steps Every Creator Needs to Master This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast, Francis is joined by Hayley Rose, a former Google and YouTube employee turned YouTube growth strategist. Hayely has worked with some of the biggest channels on YouTube, growing them from zero views to hundreds of millions. In this podcast Hayley breaks down the five steps that every creator should follow to get more views, grow on YouTube and build a sustainable career in the creator economy. Hayley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayleyleighrose YTJobs: https://ytjobs.co/talent/profile/257289 The Upload Club Website: https://www.theuploadclub.com/ Newsletter: https://theuploadclub.beehiiv.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuploadclub Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Hayley Rose 00:03:00 The three services of The Upload Club 00:05:44 The actual purpose of a thumbnail its not what you think 00:08:05 YouTubes most important metrics to focus on 00:12:20 The five steps every creator must know 00:15:22 Step 1: The Idea 00:19:14 Step 2: Pre-production 00:25:22 Step 3: Shoot day 00:28:35 Step 4: Edit 00:38:18 Step 5: Upload 00:43:37 Hayleys experience working at YouTube 00:50:55 Huge opportunities in the creator economy 00:57:32 What makes a creator? 00:59:55 Ex-YouTube employees thoughts on the algorithm 01:01:50 Tactical advice for creators podcast creatoreconomy youtube https://video-meta.open.video/poster/JYoCRdj4VYCc/s-vBKP8jzA2_OhgsjK.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/JYoCRdj4VYCc/1775778631/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=s-vBKP8jzA2 3985 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-content-creator-with-13-revenue-streams The Content Creator with 13+ Revenue Streams Lucie Fink is a creator and entrepreneur whos built a successful personal media company across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, podcasts, and newsletters. In this episode, we break down how she actually makes money as a creator, dealing with and confronting online trolls, and pivoting from lifestyle influencer to artist. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles Lucie Fink All my Income Sources Revealed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf8DshAnqA Lucie Fink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@luciebfink Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Podcast: https://lnk.to/TheRealStuffWithLucieFink Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Lucie Fink 01:10 Confronting an online troll 08:57 Im an artist, not an influencer 12:59 Building a personal brand while at Refinery29 17:02 First year challenges going solo 20:58 Making over 100k as a creator 32:30 Learning from previous course mistakes 39:52 Making 50k from one video 45:46 Adapting content to a shifting audience 48:20 Maternal burst of creative energy 51:53 Aspirations of a Netflix show https://video-meta.open.video/poster/GAg4Yj5qdUpb/YN9ALjD5zR2_PbKOXN.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/GAg4Yj5qdUpb/1775793760/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=YN9ALjD5zR2 3507 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/15-years-of-social-media-strategy-advice-in-59-minutes 15 Years of Social Media Strategy Advice in 59 Minutes Jack Appleby is a marketing strategist and creator with over 15 years in the industry. In this episode, we break down why most brand content fails, why trends dont matter, and how creators can build audiences people actually root for. Get started for free at https://taplio.com/?utmmedium=email&utmsource=newsletter&utmcampaign=nlcreatorspotlight0126011526 Use code: CREATOR1X1 Jack Appleby Newsletter: https://futuresocial.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackappleby/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/jappleby Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackapplebyny How to Hoop Forever YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowToHoopForever Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtohoopforever TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howtohoopforever Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamp 00:00 Introducing Jack Appleby 01:05 Social media is not marketing 05:30 Making 9,500 in a month on TikTok 09:36 Investing in a series that loses money 13:13 You dont need production quality, you need story 15:31 Revenue streams as a marketer 18:16 The need for strong opinions online 26:21 Creating a story through short form video 30:49 Building a newsletter to 80k subscribers 36:05 Hiring a manager 44:42 How to make a 50k course 51:40 The need for better content in 2026 https://video-meta.open.video/poster/KOFmQFfHd6hi/Z386Kj9OzR2_kxAdTQ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/KOFmQFfHd6hi/1775792965/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Z386Kj9OzR2 3508 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/hes-building-a-content-machine-that-makes-1m-a-month Hes Building a Content Machine that Makes 1M+ a Month This week were joined by Kallaway, a creator and operator building a profitable media business by treating content like a system. In this episode, we break down how he thinks about distribution, YouTube packaging, short-form frameworks, and turning attention into a scalable, 1M-per-month business. Kallaway Sandcastles: https://www.sandcastles.ai/ YouTube: @kallawaymarketing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kallawaytech TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kanekallaway LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanekallaway/ Website: https://www.kallaway.co/ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Kallaway 01:05 The 1M/month content machine 10:01 Bringing a consultant mindset to content creation 15:09 Treating content like a science 20:29 Long form video production process 26:22 Replicating your past successes 34:02 How rapping helps you be a better YouTube 38:05 Short form video production process 41:24 De-risking your failure in short form video 47:43 Creating content without being a creator https://video-meta.open.video/poster/IFgq3Br5MI9H/Ax9Afy94572_WVQCHf.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/IFgq3Br5MI9H/1775791896/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Ax9Afy94572 3089 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/she-built-a-100k-local-newsletter-from-home She Built a 100k Local Newsletter from Home Marissa Lovell is the founder and operator of From Boise, a local newsletter business generating over 100k in annual revenue. In this episode, she breaks down how she built it, what nearly made her quit, and the decisions that finally made it work. Get 10,000 free monthly credits at Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/ Local Newsletter Creators Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf4eeUSLbuvdAIFhxcCJiR-5egGLBm9sE&si=PqX28o7TIxMzJ987 Marissa Lovell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissafromboise/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/marissafrmboise From Boise: https://fromboise.com/ Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Marissa Lovell 01:00 From nearly quitting to 100k+ revenue 06:18 The once-a-month growth strategy 09:34 Early stage experimentation 12:15 Accidentally growing a personal brand 17:56 Zero to 10k subscribers in one year 23:20 How big can a local newsletter be? 24:18 How to monetize a local newsletter 30:37 Investing in a website that feels right 33:27 Why a discount card for the community didnt work 38:14 Connecting a community with dinner clubs 42:15 Building in public and empowering female entrepreneurs 46:58 Creating in way that suits you 52:35 Becoming a six-figure solopreneur 55:09 Doubling revenue for 2026 https://video-meta.open.video/poster/x7BK-v15dMmP/sFDlLi9z5A2_ikWWem.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/x7BK-v15dMmP/1775795593/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=sFDlLi9z5A2 3670 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/he-quit-his-125k-journalism-job-to-be-a-youtuber He Quit His 125K Journalism Job to Be a YouTuber Fernando Hurtado is a former NBC Telemundo journalist who walked away from a six-figure media career to build on YouTube from scratch. In this episode, Fernando breaks down how he got monetized in days, landed (and lost) brand deals early, priced himself wrong, and rebuilt with a repeatable system for publishing high-quality videos without burning out. We talk risk, leverage, time-boxing creative work, and what journalists actually need to know before betting on themselves. Fernandos AAPI Latinos video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8FkX5iEkYY Fernando Hurtado YouTube: @byfernandoh Twitter/X: https://x.com/byfernandoh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byfernandoh TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@byfernandohh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandohurtado/ Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Fernando Hurtado 01:06 The hardest part of full-time YouTube 04:40 How to land (and lose) brand deals 09:30 Transitioning from NBC to YouTube 16:02 Four reasons to become a YouTuber 21:00 Learning the business side of journalism 28:59 Diversify your revenue streams 30:41 Building a sustainable upload schedule without burnout 35:09 Creating videos for the algorithm and the culture 40:48 Showing the journalistic process 43:27 Creating a video that inspires discussion 45:50 Successes from one year as a YouTuber 51:36 Advice for going all in on YouTube https://video-meta.open.video/poster/w_E82tWiRY-J/s_CAKOCP4B2_uJgdaB.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/w_E82tWiRY-J/1775796114/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=s_CAKOCP4B2 3341 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/our-creator-economy-predictions-for-2026 Our Creator Economy Predictions for 2026 This week, Francis is joined by the rest of the Creator Spotlight team Assistant Editor Natalia and Podcast Producer Tom to reflect on the biggest creator economy themes from a year of interviews and share their predictions for 2026 Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Natalia Pérez-Gonzalez LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmperez/ Twitter: https://x.com/NatmPerez Tom McCloud LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mccloud-219ba5110/ Twitter: https://x.com/tommccloud 00:00 Introducing Tom and Natalia 01:30 How to use serialized content in 2026 10:10 Changing our perspective of the creator economy 11:50 Our best piece of 2025 Our 2026 Predictions 15:13 Francis: In-person is the future 20:28 Tom: Podcasts are dying 27:30 Natalia: Short-term creator partnerships Themes of 2025 29:10 Building strong parasocial connections https://video-meta.open.video/poster/27xiIxK4kUub/6-usT59Oyl2_DCfhIC.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/27xiIxK4kUub/1775794946/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6-usT59Oyl2 2088 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-build-a-local-newsletter-people-actually-read How to Build a Local Newsletter People Actually Read This week on Creator Spotlight were joined by Tomo Chien, the founder and editor of Morning, Trojan, a newsletter aimed at engaging USC students with local news. He highlights the competitive landscape of student publications, the importance of original reporting, and the strategies used to grow the audience. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense Tomo Chien Morning Trojan: https://morningtrojan.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomo-chien-57b429200/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/tomokichien Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Tomo Chien 01:08 Disrupting the local media scene 05:10 The freedom to be controversial 08:57 The one change that brought 10k subscribers 14:30 Finding the stories people want to read 20:02 How long does aggregating content take? 25:02 Tomos high school news project 28:55 Why hes shutting down the newsletter 32:22 Future plans after the newsletter 37:28 Defining creator journalism https://video-meta.open.video/poster/2fxe6xHGV-ui/6E0JnPD5yl2_SlMVVU.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/2fxe6xHGV-ui/1775794950/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6E0JnPD5yl2 2665 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/fixing-the-biggest-problem-in-the-creator-economy-trust Fixing the Biggest Problem in the Creator Economy Trust This week on Creator Spotlight were joined by the team from News Creator Corps. We break down what creators can learn from journalism from fact-checking and sourcing to handling mistakes publicly. A conversation about fixing trust, misinformation, and credibility in the creator economy. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense News Creator Corps Apply for the Spring 2026 Fellowship: https://newscreatorcorps.org/apply/ Rachel Lobdell https://rachellobdell.com/ Katie Grossbard https://www.instagram.com/katiegrossbard/ Danielle Desir Corbett https://danielledesir.com/ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing News Creator Corps and the guests 07:40 The type of creator thats NCC focus 13:31 Transferring conservative journalistic value to content creation 16:20 The eight lessons journalists can teach creators 23:42 The values of a diverse cohort 29:05 Finding your own guild 33:55 Trust and monetization in the creator economy 35:36 Teaching instantly applicable lessons 43:05 Building a recognised trusted reputation 46:38 Misconceptions of news creators 51:00 Fighting against the slop and misinformation 01:00:22 How NCC is helping creators https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Zrk0UdPidMTc/7o0InyDzzB2_niVyyl.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Zrk0UdPidMTc/1775796515/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=7o0InyDzzB2 3943 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-he-built-a-six-figure-business-with-newsletters-and-events How He Built a Six-Figure Business with Newsletters and Events Brett Dashevsky is the founder of Creator Economy NYC, where hes built a six-figure business by consistently creating content, growing a newsletter, and hosting events for creators. In this episode, Brett breaks down how newsletters and in-person events compound together to build audience, trust, and a sustainable creator business. Brett Dashevsky Newsletter: https://mail.creatoreconomynyc.com/ Creator Economy NYC: https://creatoreconomynyc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettdash/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/brettdash Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brettdash Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Brett Dashevsky 01:16 Biggest challenges growing a newsletter from scratch 07:00 Scaling multiple newsletters to the masses 12:44 A community built out of passion 20:00 Why consistency always wins 26:21 Building something bigger than himself 29:33 The best advice for creators 33:56 Revenue breakdown 36:19 How hosting events makes money 42:41 Securing long term deals with brands 48:33 Defining the digital economy 50:52 Event cost and attendance 56:36 Building tools for creators https://video-meta.open.video/poster/row0JnKrQ6Nb/A-1dTi9j5Q2_gtcqMm.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/row0JnKrQ6Nb/1775798867/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=A-1dTi9j5Q2 3934 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-make-100k-writing-online How to Make 100k+ Writing Online This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined by digital writer, author, and serial writing entrepreneur Nicolas Cole. Nicolas is the co-founder of a 600K+ per month online writing education business. He shares the principles, systems, and mindset shifts that turned simple online writing into a scalable company. Nicolas Cole Website: https://www.nicolascole.com/?variant=43775067947181 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/Nicolascole77 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolascole77 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicolascole77 Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Nicolas Cole 05:23 Scaling to 600k+/month 12:00 Growing an educational product 17:15 The demand for ghostwriting in 2025 28:04 The hardest part of scaling a business 35:05 How to never run out of content 40:05 Rejecting the artist vs entrepreneur dichotomy 50:00 How to earn more as a creator 55:27 Education with accountability 57:15 New rules for writing online in 2026 https://video-meta.open.video/poster/uhceIlHHlUVQ/B_1sS585zQ2_xEcKNR.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/uhceIlHHlUVQ/1775799242/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=B_1sS585zQ2 3861 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/creator-economy-expert-predictions-for-2026 Creator Economy Expert Predictions for 2026 Lia Haberman is a social media strategist, creator economy expert and writer behind one of the industries leading newsletters, ICYMI (In Case You Missed It). Lia breaks down why most creators only last 34 years, how to spot real platform trends, where creators should focus in 2026, and how to build a business that survives algorithm shifts. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense Lia Haberman ICYMI (https://liahaberman.substack.com) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/liahaberman/) Twitter/X (https://x.com/liahaberman) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/liahaberman) Francis Zierer LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/) Twitter/X (https://x.com/FZierer) Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Lia Haberman 01:20 The 3 year shelf life of a creator 08:45 Knowing which platforms to invest in 16:21 7 signs of a good platform feature 25:52 The most valuable platforms for creators 34:35 Defining the 7 formats of content 39:24 Why are marketers spending on Instagram? 41:25 Keeping content free vs paid 47:03 Social media trends of 2025 54:27 How to grow online in 2026 https://video-meta.open.video/poster/wnw8QlG4lYgI/Z39snj9yzB2_LskcZB.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/wnw8QlG4lYgI/1775797905/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Z39snj9yzB2 3776 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-systems-that-made-him-a-millionaire-solopreneur The Systems That Made Him a Millionaire Solopreneur This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by Ken Yarmosh, founder of The Remote Solopreneur. Ken is a creator whos been building online businesses long before the creator economy had a name. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/ken-yarmosh Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense Ken Yarmosh YouTube: @kenyarmosh Website: https://kenyarmosh.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenyarmosh/ Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Ken Yarmosh 01:16 Becoming The Remote Solopreneur 04:29 Redefining creator 08:20 The creator to entrepreneur spectrum 12:15 How Ken runs a solo business 16:51 The importance of community in business 22:13 The 4 Cs of the creator economy 29:42 Are all creators solopreneurs? 34:50 DTA: The framework for all entrepreneurs 41:58 Is the LinkedIn gold rush over? 47:15 The best time to be a creator is now 50:11 Advice for newsletter creators 53:20 Creating a personal brand in 2025 https://video-meta.open.video/poster/1CBWIpSzMY1a/YN9ZnO9jzQ2_UHLgCP.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/1CBWIpSzMY1a/1775796973/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=YN9ZnO9jzQ2 3383 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-youtuber-with-7-revenue-streams The YouTuber with 7 Revenue Streams Nastja Mohren is a content creator, designer, and sewing educator whos built a community of more than half a million followers across platforms all around her love of making things by hand. In this episode, she talks with Francis about turning creativity into a business, balancing authenticity with brand deals, and how she built a sustainable creator by diversifying her revenue into seven different streams. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/nastja-mohren Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense Follow Nastja YouTube: @DIYeule Blog: https://www.diyeule.de Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diyeule TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diyeuleofficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DIYeule/ Pinterest: https://de.pinterest.com/diyeule/ Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timstamps 00:00:00 Introducing Nastja Mohren 00:01:37 Going full-time on YouTube 00:06:08 The 7 revenue streams 00:12:14 The art of integrating brand deals 00:22:49 Which platform is most valuable? 00:24:30 The value of a blog in 2025 00:32:27 Why choose Google AdSense? 00:37:31 Building packages for advertisers 00:40:57 Crafting a specific audience 00:52:00 The 80/20 principle of video production 01:00:08 Collaborating with the creator community https://video-meta.open.video/poster/giomNtrAg64a/B2CsSz855B2_TggwBK.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/giomNtrAg64a/1775800284/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=B2CsSz855B2 3891 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-beehiiv-is-betting-big-on-the-content-economy Why beehiiv is Betting Big on the Content Economy This week on Creator Spotlight were joined by the co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, Tyler Denk. Following beehiivs highly anticipated winter release event, Tyler and Francis discuss the companys approach to becoming the operating system of the content economy. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/tyler-denk Catch up on beehiivs Winter Release Event: https://www.beehiiv.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqkTzgHth5RyQQzqEqfU5v9TiLH7r4Mj64IuirimVbTNf3Q3ve Full event video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNx0WyMXwvo Event in 90 seconds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxAH5d2p7Es Tyler Denk Twitter/X: https://x.com/denktweets LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylerdenk Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Tyler Denk 00:01:45 The next step in the content economy 00:07:20 Scaling past the education gap 00:12:40 Becoming the tool, not the brand 00:16:52 Lowering the barrier to entry for creators 00:21:25 What is the content economy? 00:26:29 Building a world class ad network 00:33:48 Growing a newsletter to 120k subscribers 00:46:46 Finding the gap in the content economy infrastructure 00:57:29 Building features for every type of user 01:01:53 Knowing your customer https://video-meta.open.video/poster/1cxCRjLrM2MQ/6NDcm5Dj462_UiEqkp.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/1cxCRjLrM2MQ/1775797688/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=6NDcm5Dj462 3947 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/he-had-15m-followers-then-he-quit-heres-why He Had 15M Followers, Then He Quit heres why This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast, were joined by Caspar Lee one of YouTubes early stars turned entrepreneur and investor. Caspar talks about why he walked away from 15 million followers, how he built four companies after YouTube, and what every creator should know about building a business that lasts. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/caspar-lee Caspar Lee YouTube: @caspar Website: https://www.casparlee.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caspar-lee-13584456/ Twitter: https://x.com/casparlee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casparlee/ Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer 00:00 Introducing Caspar Lee 01:17 How to exit, as a creator 07:11 Its hard to do YouTube and business 12:49 How influencer marketing has evolved 16:02 The hardest part of influencer marketing 20:33 Investing in the creator economy 25:18 What is the perfect investment? 30:14 Equity vs cash in brand deals 33:14 The vulnerability of the creator economy 38:43 If Caspar Lee started YouTube in 2025 43:28 Caspar Lees five year plan podcast creatoreconomy youtubers https://video-meta.open.video/poster/tOpS7n4XM2nJ/tN07TzDjyQ2_ACnupB.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/tOpS7n4XM2nJ/1775795519/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=tN07TzDjyQ2 2726 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-3-moves-id-bet-my-next-10-years-on-as-a-creator The 3 Moves Id Bet My Next 10 Years On as a Creator This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by Jordan DiPietro former Motley Fool exec, CEO of Hampton, and writer of the Signal//Noise newsletter. Jordan shares the three big bets hed make on the future of creators, why community now matters more than audience, and the lessons hes carried from two decades in media, newsletters, and leadership. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/jordan-dipietro Follow Jordan Newsletter: https://jordandipietro.com/subscribe?utmsource=podcast&utmmedium=guest&utmcampaign=creator+spotlight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-dipietro-9ba3b75/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/dipietromedia Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Jordan DiPietro 01:08 The 3 moves to bet your career on 08:16 These creator economy trends are dying 17:20 Communities are the next search engine 19:42 The non-negotiables of a successful community 29:00 Audience vs community, the key differences 32:25 What you need to last in the creator economy 37:53 Its marketing all the way down 41:49 Signal//Noise 45:46 When to quit your job as a creator 50:36 The value of relationships in business https://video-meta.open.video/poster/X4he_p8WoQTk/ZN1Bni9iy62_WJXIZZ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/X4he_p8WoQTk/1775796885/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=ZN1Bni9iy62 3350 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/building-a-500k-local-newsletter-business Building a 500k+ Local Newsletter Business This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by Geoff Sharpe, founder of Lookout Media a network of local newsletters collectively generating almost 500K a year. Geoff shares how he built a profitable, subscription-first media business, why trust and real journalism still win, and the systems hes using to scale local news across Canada. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/geoff-sharpe Tired of explaining the same thing over and over again to your coworkers? Its time to let AI do the explaining for you. The Guidde extension is completely free. Go check it out at https://www.guidde.com Geoff Sharpe Lookout Media: https://lookoutmediaco.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffsharpe Twitter/X: https://x.com/geoffsharpe Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Geoff Sharpe 01:40 Making 500k+ with paid subscriptions 07:16 Dont listen to your audience 12:00 The merging of editorial and business 16:20 Running a media company sustainably 21:01 Building trust through food 27:06 How to get people to pay for your content 37:43 What do people not pay for? 40:44 Dont scale too quickly 43:41 The difficulties of local newsletter ad sales 49:11 How to grow a local newsletter 52:40 A bullish and bearish take on local media 57:50 Best advice for entrepreneurs https://video-meta.open.video/poster/b8heZv1soQzj/AM1knO8yyA2_Pycvqe.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/b8heZv1soQzj/1775799096/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=AM1knO8yyA2 3858 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/he-invests-in-creators-this-is-what-hes-looking-for He Invests in Creators This is What Hes Looking For This week on Creator Spotlight we talk to Billy Parks, Partner at Slow Ventures and co-lead of the 65M Slow Creator Fund. Billy invests directly in creators, backing entrepreneurial creators who turn their expertise and communities into scalable businesses. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/billy-parks Billy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyfilm/ Slow Ventures: https://slow.co/about/ Jonathan Katz-Moses: @katzmosestools Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Billy Parks and Slow Ventures 01:30 What makes an investable creator? 05:35 The two types of creator businesses 13:44 Creators are just founders 17:24 Which creators need investment the most? 23:30 The difficulties of valuing a creator business 32:13 Its all marketing 34:29 The biggest risk in creator investments 38:12 Business is the future of the creator economy 42:54 How to be niche in the creator economy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Nbom_vWAJQGd/AgvRmy9izl2_VvtUhB.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Nbom_vWAJQGd/1775795555/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=AgvRmy9izl2 3149 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-truth-about-building-a-media-business-in-2025 The Truth About Building a Media Business in 2025 This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined by Stefan von Imhof, co-founder of alts.co, an alternative investment newsletter, community, fund, and platform. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/stefan-von-imhof Alts Website: http://alts.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altsco/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpmgk4gzQ56QvpyegBJJVQA Stefan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanvonimhof Substack: https://substack.com/@stefanvonimhof Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Stefan 02:05 An alternative revenue breakdown 06:54 The biggest challenges of community building 15:02 How a side project becomes a business 22:44 Demonstrating the value of your content 27:33 Leveraging audience segmentation 31:21 Decentralised due-diligence 33:56 The art of buying and selling newsletters 37:10 A bearish perspective on the newsletter economy 40:54 The power of events as a community business 47:17 The playbook for newsletter acquisition 49:39 Newsletter remix concept 53:16 A love for physical media 56:55 Where is the creator/business owner tipping point https://video-meta.open.video/poster/wZhO7jCXh2xH/ANuBSO9P4A2_nsyoNN.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/wZhO7jCXh2xH/1775798053/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=ANuBSO9P4A2 3776 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-creator-making-100000-a-year-selling-paper The Creator Making 100,000+ a Year Selling Paper This week we talk to Quynh Nguyen. She is a paper flower artist who has built her passion into a six-figure business. We cover her journey from hobbyist to entrepreneur, her pricing and growth strategies, and how shes helping other creators turn their passions into profits. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/quynh-nguyen Quynh Website: https://www.pinkandposey.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkandposey/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quynhdnguyen/ Paper Talk Podcast: @papertalkpodcast7117 Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Quynh Nguyen 02:53 The most important marketing principles online 06:52 How to get paid to teach your passion 12:01 The secret to nurturing a valuable community 18:34 Moving from a physical to a digital business 24:32 A podcast that builds trust and loyalty 31:07 The creator-entrepreneur spectrum 36:02 Expanding audience for future events 40:40 Breaking down the revenue of a thriving online business 45:45 From 6-week course to 6-month mastermind 50:17 The one thing Quynh is most proud of https://video-meta.open.video/poster/XVl83Dm4U2mO/Bw0ln4CP5k2_ACAZZL.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/XVl83Dm4U2mO/1775795984/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Bw0ln4CP5k2 3209 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/from-side-hustle-to-500k-followers-and-a-global-business From Side Hustle to 500k+ Followers and a Global Business This week Francis is joined by Tom Fishburne, also known as The Marketoonist. Tom is a cartoonist and marketer who turned his satirical drawings about corporate life into a sustainable business that has brought him over 500,000+ across platforms. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/tom-fishburne RSVP to the Creator Business Summit: https://www.beehiiv.com/virtual-events/creator-business-summit Follow Tom LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomfishburne/ Website: https://marketoonist.com Newsletter: https://marketoonist.beehiiv.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketoonist Links & References The Do Lecture: https://thedolectures.com/speakers/tom-fishburne/ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Tom Fishburne, The Marketoonist 01:05 How to price your work online 08:49 Humor as a leadership skill 11:45 The world of content creation in the early 2000s 15:05 Its not the ink, its the think 21:05 The importance of mimicry in creative work 23:26 How to create a recognizable style 26:36 You must be an entrepreneur in the creator economy 30:41 Email, the most valuable platform 33:16 The best platform for audience engagement 38:32 Red flags for clients 43:17 Why you shouldnt scale your business 44:37 How to nail speaking engagements 52:25 Structuring your day for optimal creativity 57:39 Focussing on sustainability, not growth https://video-meta.open.video/poster/bidSRrq7hMsI/Axv6SODj562_EfEHZX.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/bidSRrq7hMsI/1775800659/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Axv6SODj562 3883 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/hes-helped-creators-gain-10m-subscribers-heres-how Hes Helped Creators Gain 10M+ Subscribers heres how This week Francis is joined by Matt McGarry, also known as the Newsletter Guy. They discuss his agency Growletter, the nuances of newsletter-only businesses, the challenges of monetization, and the evolving role of creators in the media landscape. Newsletter Marketing Summit: https://newslettermarketingsummit.com FOR 200 OFF, USE CODE: CS200 Newsletter Operator: https://www.newsletteroperator.com Growletter: https://growletter.co Write Grow Sell: https://writegrowsell.com Matt McGarry: https://x.com/JMatthewMcGarry 00:00:00 Introducing Matt and his businesses 00:01:12 Breaking down Matts multiple income streams 00:04:52 Newsletters are NOT a business model 00:08:24 CPA is not as important as you think 00:16:06 Creating a winning ad to grow your newsletter 00:19:24 Why you should not start a newsletter only business 00:23:21 Do not paywall your best content 00:29:19 The key to monetizing your audience 00:36:10 The devolution from media founder to creator 00:41:36 The difficulties of marketing a podcast 00:47:13 Maximizing reach and engagement by repurposing content 00:52:55 The must-haves for a growing newsletter 00:56:30 The most saturated areas in the newsletter world 00:59:46 Newsletter trends for 2025 podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/K1tO3xjlJMad/7NuQS5Cy5Q2_JMrXeB.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/K1tO3xjlJMad/1775800496/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=7NuQS5Cy5Q2 3875 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-a-youtubers-study-group-grew-into-a-profitable-business How a YouTubers Study Group Grew Into a Profitable Business This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined by Kaelyn Grace Apple. Kaelyn is the founder and co-owner of Accepted Society, an international online community of students, educators, and independent researchers dedicated to learning, research, and creating networks of support. In this episode Kaelyn shares how she cracked the formula for building a thriving online community. She breaks down the business plan behind her 500+ member collective, lessons from working with Ali Abdaal, and the strategies every creator can use to turn research into results. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/kaelyn-grace-apple Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense Kaelyn Grace Apple Accepted Society: https://www.acceptedsociety.com Website: https://kaelynapple.com YouTube: @theredheadacademic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaelyngraceapple Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaelyngraceapple Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Kaelyn Grace Apple 01:28 From eight members to over 500 08:02 Why you should not scale too quickly 12:03 The course model vs. community model 14:03 Using YouTube to build a community 18:42 Pricing a community 22:01 Scaling a business up, and scaling it down 30:46 The evolution of Kaelyns YouTube content 37:24 Revenue breakdown 42:44 Why Kaelyn left the Ali Abdaal team 47:34 Lessons learnt working with Ali Abdaal 53:47 Kaelyns 30 year plan https://video-meta.open.video/poster/K0BuYdPQRYdc/YU0lTiDOzB2_HmpOWN.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/K0BuYdPQRYdc/1775797247/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=YU0lTiDOzB2 3510 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/inside-the-inbox-of-40000-engineering-leaders Inside the Inbox of 40,000 Engineering Leaders This week were joined by Suraj Kapoor, the creator of Pointer, a 10 year old 40,000 subscriber newsletter curating articles for engineering leaders. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/suraj-kapoor Follow Suraj Pointer: https://www.pointer.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/surajkapoor/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/surajkapoor Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Suraj and Pointer 01:33 The art of curation 06:53 10 years and 40k subs later, whats changed? 08:44 Avoiding becoming a personal brand 13:35 The AI threat to curation 18:38 From side hustle to six figure business 24:25 Attracting premium advertisers 31:09 Building a high-value audience 35:29 reinvestment and experimentation 40:30 The 20 hour work week 42:39 Mastering your analytics 48:00 Identifying your most popular content 51:15 The biggest threat to aggregation content https://video-meta.open.video/poster/JQseQlqdhQQH/BMCkSzC4zk2_RhfQSQ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/JQseQlqdhQQH/1775797482/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=BMCkSzC4zk2 3300 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-make-a-living-as-a-creator-in-2025 How to Make a Living as a Creator in 2025 The week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined by Liz Kelly Nelson. Liz is the founder of Project C, a newsletter and pre-funding collective helping mission-driven journalism creators develop sustainable business models. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/liz-kelly-nelson RSVP to the Creator Business Summit: https://www.beehiiv.com/virtual-events/creator-business-summit Follow Liz Project C: https://projectc.beehiiv.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizkellynelson/ Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer 00:00 Redefining influencer 04:46 Journalists want to be creators 10:17 What to expect if you become a creator 16:51 The role of community in creator journalism 21:20 Is the solo creator a myth? 27:00 Culture shock at the newsletter conference 31:52 Your responsibility as a creator 36:10 Maintaining ethical standards as a solo journalist 38:16 The creator journalist world 5 years from now 40:57 Revenue breakdown 43:10 Dont make these mistakes as a creator journalist podcast creatoreconomy journalism https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Myk46nrJlIqc/B2CkT5D4zk2_RPoCxP.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Myk46nrJlIqc/1775798263/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=B2CkT5D4zk2 2718 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-creator-earning-250k-posting-on-linkedin The Creator Earning 250k+ Posting on LinkedIn This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined by Jayde Powell, a creator, social strategist and entrepreneur. Jayde has worked in the industry for over a decade and is an expert in social strategy, previously working with brands like Apple TV, LinkedIn and Delta Airlines. As a creator, shes built a thriving, sustainable business, and currently has 28,000 followers on LinkedIn. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/jayde-powell Get your free ticket to The Creator Summit at https://live.mightynetworks.com Jayde LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaydeipowell/ The Em Dash Co: https://www.theemdashco.com Website: https://www.jaydeipowell.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaydeipowell/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/jaydeipowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaydeipowell References Jaydes interview with Buffer: https://buffer.com/resources/creators-unlocked-jayde-powell/ Natalias essay on authenticity: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/building-authentic-community Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Follow Natalia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmperez/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/NatmPerez Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Jayde 01:24 Making 50k+ in 3 months 06:39 What they dont tell you about speaking engagements 09:15 Creator Tea Talk 13:22 3 parts of approaching brand partnerships 14:49 Authenticity in the creator economy 19:15 Establishing a personal brand in 2025 24:19 The journey to 100k LinkedIn followers 30:27 The journey to 250k of revenue 34:42 All creators are entrepreneurs 42:04 How to build the self-promotion muscle 44:24 Creating unique content to stand out on LinkedIn 48:03 Building a sustainable future in the creator economy 52:56 The importance of community amongst creators 55:24 The 1 piece of advice for creators podcast creatoreconomy linkedin https://video-meta.open.video/poster/dqky2B9lo6bi/Bw8An59i4Q2_yqtXom.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/dqky2B9lo6bi/1775800192/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Bw8An59i4Q2 3521 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-10x-your-subscribers-in-one-year-without-growth-hacks How to 10x Your Subscribers in One Year Without Growth Hacks This week Francis and Natalia are joined by sewing creator Sydney Graham (@HiSydGraham). Sydney has gained over 100k subscribers on YouTube this year and has over 600k followers across platforms. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/sydney-graham RSVP to the Creator Business Summit: https://www.beehiiv.com/virtual-events/creator-business-summit Follow Sydney YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HiSydGraham TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hisydgraham Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hisydgraham Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Follow Natalia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmperez/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/NatmPerez 00:00 Introducing Sydney Graham 01:01 How to gain 100k subscribers in a year 10:46 Early days of the creator economy 15:05 The biggest creators in the sewing space 17:40 Balancing community and individuality 21:17 The best video platforms for creators right now 25:19 Why you shouldnt chase trends 31:48 Sewing content is growing - heres why 33:45 Revenue breakdown 36:51 Content creation and sewing similarities 41:12 How to build a friendly community online 45:53 Choosing the right brand partnerships 49:38 Defining your goals as a creator podcast creatoreconomy sewing https://video-meta.open.video/poster/XGciUbXdl6ti/7hCAn48i5Q2_YTHiYm.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/XGciUbXdl6ti/1775810768/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=7hCAn48i5Q2 3226 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/every-creator-needs-a-newsletter-heres-why Every Creator Needs a Newsletter Heres Why This week on Creator Spotlight were joined by Nathan May, founder of The Feed Media, a company that helps newsletters grow with paid ads and help convert readers into revenue. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles Join the waitlist: https://creatormasterminds.co Follow Nathan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-may1/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/MayHam The Feed: https://thefeedmedia.com Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer 00:00 Introducing Nathan May 01:21 The core principles of newsletter growth 06:33 Its about niching down 12:31 Growing a newsletter for acquisition 18:23 Your subscriber count does not matter 23:58 Is it harder than ever to get subscribers? 31:38 The one thing AI cant replace 37:10 Give your knowledge away for free 43:58 Podcasting is hard why do it? 50:11 Best lessons from podcast guests 52:18 Rapid fire advice for creators podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/smEmItTQI6YO/to8Qm5DPzB2_clxSfR.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/smEmItTQI6YO/1775820229/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=to8Qm5DPzB2 3724 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/grow-your-audience-like-a-23b-company Grow Your Audience Like a 23B Company This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined by Jonathan Hunt, the VP of HubSpot Media. Jonathan has been working in media for two decades for brands such as Nat Geo, Complex, Vice, Vox, and more. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles Jonathan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanwhunt/ HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/ Mindstream: https://www.mindstream.news Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer 00:00 Introducing Jonathan Hunt 01:20 The 3 pillars of audience development 04:16 For the independent creator 07:32 Marketing through content creation 14:10 The most sustainable monetization models 18:18 Building a brand voice 21:00 The need for diversification 23:41 The ever evolving definition of creator 26:50 The most shocking recent changes in media 28:27 When to sell your business as a solo creator podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/ZSAqMv0Yg2bI/tpD7ni9zzk2_ozPAdz.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/ZSAqMv0Yg2bI/1775811369/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=tpD7ni9zzk2 1885 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-she-built-an-80000-person-disability-community How She Built an 80,000+ Person Disability Community This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined by Tiffany Yu, the founder and CEO of Diversability, an entirely disabled-run and disabled-led social enterprise to elevate disability pride. Tiffany is also the author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto, in which she highlights the myriad ways our society discriminates against people with disabilities - and what we can do about it. Read the newsletter:https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/tiffany-yu Get your free ticket to The Creator Summit at https://live.mightynetworks.com Tiffanys Links The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: https://www.tiffanyyu.com/book LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyayu/ Website: https://www.tiffanyyu.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imtiffanyyu/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imtiffanyyu Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Follow Natalia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmperez/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/NatmPerez Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Tiffany Yu 01:01 The three levels to building a community 04:41 What is Diversability? 06:17 The breakdown of a 80k community 13:09 Key elements of a strong community 18:43 The reach of virtual communities over in-person 24:42 Influencers vs. creators 31:48 The four pillars of monetization 36:25 How the creator economy has helped the disability community 49:02 Best platforms for virality and business growth 53:57 The tenets of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto podcast creatoreconomy community https://video-meta.open.video/poster/susuRj0kJYjG/Zp9Rn5C5yR2_rPwIIH.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/susuRj0kJYjG/1775821051/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Zp9Rn5C5yR2 3585 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/she-built-a-150k-member-1myear-community She built a 150K-member, 1M/year community This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we are joined by Grace Ling, founder of the thriving Design Buddies community, which turns five years old this month, has over 150,000 members, and generates 1 million in annual recurring revenue. She is also a talented content creator and has found particular success on LinkedIn where she has nearly 50,000 followers. She is also the cohost of the How Creators Make Money podcast. Design Buddies: https://www.designbuddies.community Graces Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irungracepace Graces LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceling/ How Creators Make Money Podcast: https://howcreatorsmakemoney.com 00:00 Introducing Grace Ling and Design Buddies 01:52 What is design? 03:30 What makes the Design Buddies community different? 05:46 The first 1,000 members 08:31 The first 150,000 members 12:00 Maintaining a healthy community at scale 15:46 1M in revenue whats the breakdown? 18:18 Rizz as a service 20:39 Gatekeeping, use it wisely 22:40 How to spend 1M 24:49 LinkedIns untapped potential for growth 35:51 A lesson in diversifying your revenue as a creator 39:37 How Creators Make Money, the podcast 42:16 The two labor models of content creation 45:00 From creator house to party mansions podcast newsletter creatoreconomy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/wpBOMh1RVIsI/3-uYeWvaqI2_IctFoV.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/wpBOMh1RVIsI/1775815837/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=3-uYeWvaqI2 3084 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-build-a-190k-subscriber-newsletter-betting-on-indie-media How to Build a 190K Subscriber Newsletter: Betting on Indie Media This week Francis is joined by award winning financial reporter, Phil Rosen. Last year Phil left his role as Senior Markets Reporter at Business Insider to pursue his independent newsletter-first media company, Opening Bell Daily. His flagship newsletter Opening Bell Daily, now has over 190k subscribers within its first year of operation. Opening Bell Daily: https://www.openingbelldailynews.com Phils X: https://x.com/philrosenn 00:00 Introducing Phil Rosen and Opening Bell Daily 02:00 Building the foundation of a successful writer 05:27 Independent journalisms rise over established media 13:49 Navigating the business side of journalism 18:22 The freedom of building a new business model 21:40 Phils ambitions to NOT scale the business 24:32 The death of objectivity in journalism 30:48 The untapped market for valuable growth 33:40 Overcoming the fear of posting video 39:30 Paywalls: The necessary evils of the media business 44:36 Advice for aspiring writers and creators creatoreconomy podcast newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Z5piIrGQV2lc/xEucKH1aqJ2_piubXs.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Z5piIrGQV2lc/1775815383/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=xEucKH1aqJ2 3079 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-content-creators-are-the-future-of-american-soccer Why Content Creators Are the Future of American Soccer This week Francis is joined by Kyle Sheldon, founder and CEO of Name and Number, a soccer specific marketing and creative agency. Kyle has worked within the US soccer world for two decades and held marketing roles at multiple MLS clubs. Kyle is also the founder and editor of Pathway, a newsletter aimed at helping individuals break into the soccer industry. Kyle: https://x.com/kylesheldon Name and Number: https://www.nameandnumber.com Pathway: https://pathwayhq.com 00:00 Introducing Kyle Sheldon 01:05 The evolution of soccer and sports marketing 04:28 Becoming the driving force in growing soccer in the US 09:25 Growing careers in the soccer industry 12:22 Pathways natural growth has led to extremely high engagement 17:32 The potential future growth of the soccer industry is massive 21:20 Navigating the soccer-creator industry requires expertise 24:49 The fashion culture within soccer 28:19 Empowering creators to thrive in the soccer space 32:22 US vs European football content culture 41:36 The shifting power dynamic between creators and traditional media 50:32 Partnership advice for creators and brands podcast creatoreconomy mls https://video-meta.open.video/poster/sKwi6v5IIIdQ/xpuYeruqrZ2_uAFcpi.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/sKwi6v5IIIdQ/1775819117/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=xpuYeruqrZ2 3291 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-10x-views-in-any-youtube-niche-steal-his-strategy How to 10x Views in Any YouTube Niche Steal His Strategy This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined by Kevin Jon. Kevin is a YouTube strategist, creator, and founder of multiple media businesses. He started as a solo YouTuber, grew and sold his own channels, and now helps brands and broadcasters build profitable content on YouTube. In this episode, we dive into his playbook for growth, monetization, and turning channels into real businesses. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/kevin-jon Get your free ticket to The Creator Summit at https://live.mightynetworks.com Kevin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjonw/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/thekevinjon Megalomedia: @megalomedia Channel Craft: https://www.channelcraftagency.com 00:00:00 Who is Kevin Jon? 00:00:58 Grow your channel with The YouTube Masterplan 00:07:07 How to identify opportunities on YouTube 00:09:13 What it takes to get 1M views on YouTube 00:19:34 The difficulties of building a media empire 00:25:15 What can be learnt from traditional media 00:30:01 The most important metrics to track on YouTube 00:32:29 Building the biggest YouTube agency in the world 00:36:40 Selling a YouTube channel for 100K 00:39:20 The value of pre-production 00:41:45 Translating traditional media content to YouTube 00:44:45 From teenage YouTuber to media entrepreneur 00:50:08 Lessons from working in China: Be scrappier 00:56:43 Bullish and bearish YouTube predictions podcast creatoreconomy entrepreneur https://video-meta.open.video/poster/15kuNxWRQ2rO/__uIeG1rXt2_IjzaRL.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/15kuNxWRQ2rO/1775817077/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=__uIeG1rXt2 3809 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-his-40k-side-hustle-became-a-full-time-career How His 40K Side Hustle Became a Full-Time Career This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast, Francis is joined by Colin Rocker (@careercolin), a creator focused on career and corporate content. Colin shares his journey from skepticism about TikTok to becoming a successful content creator with a mission to educate first-generation professionals. -- Follow Colin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinrocker/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercolin TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@careercolin YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@careercolin Weekly All Hands newsletter: https://colinrocker.kit.com/profile -- 00:00 Introducing Colin Rocker (@careercolin) 01:11 The many failed attempts before finding success 03:23 Defining the niche first-generation professionals 05:46 Diversifying your platforms: Instagram vs TikTok 08:00 The most valuable skills needed as a creator 15:11 Going all in as a full-time creator 18:39 The value of personal brand identity 23:51 Monetizing your audience, ethically 29:21 Attracting a diverse audience 32:32 Managing your time as a full-time creator-entrepreneur 38:29 Creating meaningful, positive content 42:46 Building a welcoming community 46:17 The challenge and rewards of writing a newsletter 49:54 Personal experience in a post-information world podcast creatoreconomy careeradvice https://video-meta.open.video/poster/xlsiJr9kgUGl/EpvIeq1WrZ2_tpurSI.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/xlsiJr9kgUGl/1775818255/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=EpvIeq1WrZ2 3327 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-brazils-1-podcaster-is-making-it-big-in-america Why Brazils 1 Podcaster is Making It Big in America This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast, Francis is joined by award-winning journalist and podcaster Chico Felitti. Chico has found much of his success creating content for the Portuguese speaking audience, topping the podcast charts of Brazil multiple times with his shows Além do Meme, De Saída and O Síndico. Relaunching his hit podcast A Coach for the English speaking audience, Dont Cross Kat has now become a success in the US market, landing itself in the top 10 of the US charts. Follow Chico on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicofelitti Listen to Dont Cross Kat: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0QBYq2PoV5VtUbCkV8t6uV?si=d3344f4be42f4efe Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/guru-dont-cross-kat/id1518839824 00:00 Introducing Chico Felitti 01:33 Being a journalist first influencer 05:59 The ethics of influencing as a journalist 10:06 The cultural shift to independent creators in Brazil 12:47 Why Brazilians are so wild on social media 15:48 Rebuilding the story of Kat Torres for the US market 22:59 AI dubbing facilitating the cultural exchange 27:30 Building audience relationships through different mediums 29:33 From zero podcasting experience to Brazils number one 36:50 The power of storytelling and the lives it can change 38:55 Chico Felittis latest project podcast brasil creatoreconomy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/WUg8Yd9sNMIb/EF1ZfauGrI2_YXuPuz.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/WUg8Yd9sNMIb/1775812176/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=EF1ZfauGrI2 2599 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-creator-who-turned-layoffs-into-a-10000-person-community The Creator Who Turned Layoffs Into a 10,000+ Person Community In this episode of The Creator Spotlight Podcast, Francis speaks with Melanie Ehrenkranz, the creator of the Laid Off newsletter and Discord community. They discuss the origins of Laid Off, building a community where people feel supported and engaged, and the concept of the laid off to creator/entrepreneur pipeline. Follow Melanie Laid Off Newsletter: https://laid0ff.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-ehrenkranz-07231126/ References Melanies Laid Off survey: https://laid0ff.substack.com/p/hundreds-of-layoff-stories Never Post podcast episode with Melanie: https://www.neverpo.st/any-rigid-idea-about-yourself-is-a-prison/ Interview with The Sidebar: https://mozillasidebar.substack.com/p/inside-the-newsletter-making-layoffs Interview with The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/03/style/laid-off-newsletter-substack.html 00:00 Introducing Melanie 01:44 How Laid Off began 06:32 Building an engaged, valuable community 10:12 Trend reports and insights from the laid off experience 13:20 Monetization that gives back to the community 22:47 LinkedIn culture and the need for personal brand 30:36 Potential future services for Laid Off 35:48 Permeable definitions of the creator 39:56 The creativity of the newsletter format 42:28 The laid off to creator pipeline 49:01 How to gain your first 10K subscribers 51:26 One year of Laid Off podcast laidoff creatoreconomy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/1chOMl4sp-sd/FFvsLbvGrZ2_gJLsyk.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/1chOMl4sp-sd/1775820930/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=FFvsLbvGrZ2 3335 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-hidden-skill-behind-every-top-creator-social-listening The Hidden Skill Behind Every Top Creator: Social Listening This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast were joined my Jazmin Griffith, social media expert and founder of social listening agency Que Lo Que. Jazmin has over a decade of professional social media experience, working with some of the biggest brands such as Sony, Google, Microsoft and PepsiCo. Follow Jazmine and check out her work Que Lo Que: https://www.queloque.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jazmingriffith/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamthesocialista/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamthesocialista Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Jazmin 01:06 What is social listening? 04:48 The most important datapoints as a creator 08:34 The newest tools to analyze your social media 10:44 Finding valuable content amongst the slop 14:35 The inspiration behind Que Lo Que 21:12 How you can use social listening as a creator 24:02 The value of LinkedIn over TikTok 27:15 Blurring the lines between influencer and creator 32:54 Gen Zs unique relationship with social media 38:45 Jazmins social media evolution, from hobby to business-card 44:05 The difficulties of making content as a solo creator podcast creatoreconomy socialmediamarketing https://video-meta.open.video/poster/XscyRbnRI2AQ/2hCtfaubqt2_fRxFWC.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/XscyRbnRI2AQ/1775813749/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=2hCtfaubqt2 2935 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/this-10kmonth-challenge-changed-his-life-what-you-can-learn This 10k/Month Challenge Changed His Life what you can learn This week Francis is joined by Thomas Yeum, an ambitious video-first creator specializing in YouTube and Instagram. Thomas is well known for his Instagram series 125 days to make 10k/month. Thomas shares his journey from software engineering to content creation, discussing the challenges and opportunities within the creator economy. Follow Thomas: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasyeum/ YouTube: @Toemas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeumthomas/ 00:00 Introducing Thomas Yeum and his creator journey 06:39 Challenges with modern consumption habits 10:03 The creator economy is the new American dream 15:48 Finding a career that fulfills personal values 19:22 125 days to make 10k/mo 26:07 The 3% rule: How to utilize inspiration 27:39 4 steps to making a great video 33:57 Balancing art and business as a solo creator 36:29 Making 100k/mo in 365 days 39:03 A bad video does not equal a bad concept 45:48 Building 12k+ subscriber newsletter from scratch 49:28 Bridging the gap between tradition media and the creator economy 53:15 Advice for aspiring creators podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/uCs8RxbJp6bi/xg9ZeG0WWs2_xFGLLD.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/uCs8RxbJp6bi/1775816005/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=xg9ZeG0WWs2 3374 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-make-a-living-as-a-writer-in-2025-six-time-author-leigh-stein How to Make a Living as a Writer in 2025 six-time author Leigh Stein This week Francis is joined by six-time author, cultural critic and book publishing coach, Leigh Stein. Leigh is also the creator of the newsletter Attention Economy. Attention Economy: https://leighstein.substack.com/ Leighs Website: https://www.leighstein.com/ 00:00 Leighs prolific content output 01:43 Is now the best time to be a writer? 04:38 Defining writing vs creating 08:47 The art is the product 16:45 Does form come before content? 20:25 TikToks instability and the importance of BookTok 23:09 Leighs journey through the literary world 27:25 Were influencing, not influencers 34:54 Writing Attention Economy 40:52 How to make your content shareable 42:54 Destroying the stigma of self-publishing 45:55 The magical portal to likeminded people 48:54 Leighs upcoming projects 52:27 Advice for other creators creatoreconomy podcast booktok https://video-meta.open.video/poster/xwsuNnD7g2PJ/3xDJfruHWt2_xbRvTU.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/xwsuNnD7g2PJ/1775821285/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=3xDJfruHWt2 3367 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/why-creators-make-the-best-entrepreneurs Why Creators Make the Best Entrepreneurs This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we are joined by Jesse Feister, the Executive Director of the Webby Media Group. In the lead up to the 29th annual Webby Awards ceremony, Francis and Jesse reflect on the evolution of the Webby Awards and the creator economy, exploring the creator to business pipeline and the three skills necessary to succeed as a creator. Check out the Webby Awards: https://www.webbyawards.com/ Jesses AI and Creativity piece: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/two-truths-ai-creativity-jesse-feister-v0uue/ Follow the Webby Awards X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheWebbyAwards Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewebbyawards/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewebbyawards (@TheWebbyAwards) Follow Jesse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-feister-6552b174 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessefeister 00:00 Introducing Jesse and the Webby Awards 00:47 Jesses mandate as Executive Director 03:37 How the Webbys define a creator 11:35 Understanding the grind of the entrepreneurial creator 16:00 Being a musician in the MySpace era 21:19 The 3 most valuable skills as a creator entrepreneur 30:20 Sustainable business models for small creators 34:04 The evolution of brand building online 38:46 AI and creativity: Creativity always wins 42:08 The biggest opportunities in the creator economy 44:56 The instant feedback loop use it wisely 48:15 Plans for the Webbys 30th year creatoreconomy podcast webbys https://video-meta.open.video/poster/xNBWQh5clQ6H/23CdfbvHWZ2_EhQrFO.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/xNBWQh5clQ6H/1775814116/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=23CdfbvHWZ2 3027 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/building-a-30kmonth-newsletter-in-1-year Building a 30K/Month Newsletter in 1 Year This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we are joined by Adam Biddlecombe, co-founder of Mindstream, a successful AI-focused newsletter which was recently acquired by HubSpot only 17 months after its inception. Adam shares his journey from being a musician to an entrepreneur, the ability to identify and seize an opportunity, and how to prep for acquisition. Adams LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-bidd/ Adams X/Twitter: https://x.com/AdamBidd Mindstream: https://www.mindstream.news 00:00 Introducing Adam and Mindstream 01:48 Adams first business in the music industry 06:38 The creator/entrepreneur spectrum 10:34 Getting started in the newsletter world 15:13 The first 1k subscribers and early investments 20:51 The skill of identifying an opportunity 27:31 Monetizing strategies following rapid growth 31:57 The value of using LinkedIn as a creator entrepreneur 37:56 How to prepare for acquisition 49:06 The three types of exits in business 52:20 The biggest opportunities in the creator economy right now podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/u1BG3j87UMkb/3M8Jea0aXY2_Uobmkm.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/u1BG3j87UMkb/1775826878/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=3M8Jea0aXY2 3640 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-1-piece-of-advice-from-a-newsletter-monetization-master The 1 Piece of Advice From a Newsletter Monetization Master This episode is with one of the best business minds in the newsletter world, Adam Ryan of workweek.com Workweek: https://workweek.com Adam: https://x.com/adamryn 00:00 Introducing Adam Ryan and Workweek 03:44 The Balance of Creativity and Sales 06:21 Key Levers for Audience Growth 08:53 Content Trends and Audience Engagement 10:03 Current Projects and Initiatives at Workweek 12:39 The Difficulties of Balancing Creativity and Entrepreneurship 15:59 The Importance of Consistency as a Creator 20:40 From Campus Rep to Brand Builder 27:59 The Evolution and Future of Newsletters 38:04 Advising the Next Generation of Newsletters 44:59 Vision for the Future of Workweek podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/WTE0-Bfld2BR/x-8dLb0GrJ2_SIxkFG.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/WTE0-Bfld2BR/1775812950/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=x-8dLb0GrJ2 2785 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/making-150000-with-a-small-audience-of-700-subscribers Making 150,000 with a Small Audience of 700 Subscribers This week Francis is joined by creative entrepreneur, Lex Roman. Lex is a freelance growth marketer with two newsletters, Journalists Pay Themselves and Revenue Rulebreaker. Journalists Pay Themselves: https://journalistspaythemselves.com/ Lexs Website: https://lexroman.com/ 00:00 The Multi-Hyphenate Journey of Lex Roman 04:00 Defining Creators and Creative Entrepreneurs 10:53 Monetization Strategies for Creators 15:43 The Boutique Creator Model 19:00 Revenue Streams and Success in the Creator Economy 23:33 The Role of Journalists in the Creator Economy 26:22 Virtual Events and Controversial Takes 33:27 Understanding Subscription Fatigue 40:44 The Overvaluation of Social Media for Growth 45:19 The Future of Internet Columnists podcast creatoreconomy monetization https://video-meta.open.video/poster/XDBK-Be6p-Yk/x-DIfbuWrI2_WzaGVX.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/XDBK-Be6p-Yk/1775819410/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=x-DIfbuWrI2 3119 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-make-100k-as-a-local-news-creator How to Make 100K+ as a Local News Creator This week Francis is joined by Michael Kauffman to discusses his journey in building a local newsletter business, Catskill Crew. He shares insights on audience engagement, growth strategies, and the importance of branding in the creator economy. Catskill Crew: https://catskillcrew.com Newsletter Club: https://thenewsletter.club 00:00 Building a Community-Led Newsletter 05:57 Local Relationships Are Crucial for Newsletter Success 12:29 Building Businesses Around a Local Newsletter 14:28 Why You Must Begin With Organic Growth 17:50 The Importance of Branding and Identity 24:41 The Internal Desire to Create 28:55 Building a Sustainable and Authentic Revenue Model 38:43 The Local Holding Company Model 41:50 Revenue Breakdown and Business Structure 43:12 The Importance of Community Engagement 47:12 Financial Realities of Starting a Newsletter 50:48 The Newsletter Club: A Community for Creators 53:41 The Future of Local Journalism podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/xno0JFT6k-4G/-ECdeW1rrt2_wvVpiQ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/xno0JFT6k-4G/1775828113/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=-ECdeW1rrt2 3835 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/meet-the-creator-who-tripled-his-revenue-in-1-year Meet the Creator Who Tripled His Revenue in 1 Year This week, Francis is joined by Henry Winslow, founder and writer of Tricycle Day. Francis interviewed Henry exactly one year ago, and this conversation is centred around Henrys growth over the past year. Tricycle Day Newsletter: https://www.tricycleday.com Tricycle Day Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tricycleday 00:00 Sustaining a creator-led business following rapid growth 06:27 The key to growing your first 1000 subscribers 09:23 Understanding your audience and utilizing data 12:44 Hiring an successful team as a creator 16:47 Scaling to a 250k business in year two 18:53 The benefits of advertising to a niche audience 23:27 The struggles of operating in a controversial space 28:03 Building an audience around trust 35:21 Expanding your business beyond the newsletter 38:09 Community is a buzzword, but not this time 41:42 Goals for 2025 podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/w8kiMnGBI2ZQ/EFCdLa0qrt2_pITJfP.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/w8kiMnGBI2ZQ/1775812720/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=EFCdLa0qrt2 2700 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/hes-a-swiss-army-knife-of-social-media-kofie-yeboah Hes a Swiss Army Knife of Social Media - Kofie Yeboah This week Francis is joined by Kofie Yeboah (@KofieWhy) a versatile creator in the sports media landscape. Kofie does it all, social media, long-form, short-form, podcasts, research and writing. Hes here to tell us how he does it all. Kofie: @KofieWhy 00:00 Introducing Kofie Yeboah 01:25 Kofies early introduction to sports 05:35 The evolution from long-form to short-form 10:21 TikToks endless opportunities and constant insecurity 14:37 Balancing roles as a content creator and producer 19:43 Successful strategies for repurposing content 26:56 The best and the worst of social platforms 29:57 Fostering a positive and engaged community 32:23 Revenue reinvestment strategies 43:24 Balancing a full-time job with content creation 46:55 Kofies relationship with different sports leagues 48:33 The path to 100k subscribers podcast creatoreconomy youtuber https://video-meta.open.video/poster/3YgSMB8tQ6jd/_U9sfqubrs2_YExPaD.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/3YgSMB8tQ6jd/1775820146/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=_U9sfqubrs2 3282 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-secret-formula-making-brands-go-viral The Secret Formula Making Brands Go Viral This week Francis is joined by Penn Weinberger, founder and head of the agency Bad Behavior. Bad Behavior works with creators to produce original short-form shows for brands theyve worked with clients like Lyft, Columbia Records, Cash App, and Stanley. Bad Behavior: https://www.bad-behavior.com/ 00:00 Introducing Penn and Bad Behavior 01:42 Working with Creators vs. Influencers 05:00 The Impact of Viral Marketing 07:14 Empowering Creators 09:35 Upsetting the Traditional Advertising Model 13:42 Starting and Then Diversifying the Agency 17:12 The Blur Between Creator and Celebrity 22:22 The Revenue 26:07 The Increase in Management Amongst Creators 30:06 Rules for Building a Creator-Led Show 32:47 Finding Brands as a Creator 36:35 Red Flags for Brands and Creators 41:06 Unpredictable Virality creatoreconomy podcast goingviral https://video-meta.open.video/poster/vexC2jeZh2yJ/Fp9YKa1XXs2_wxfMkg.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/vexC2jeZh2yJ/1775812868/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Fp9YKa1XXs2 2716 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-build-a-media-company-by-using-streetwear-tactics How to Build a Media Company (by using streetwear tactics) In this episode of Creator Spotlight Francis is joined by Daisy Alioto, CEO, editor and writer of Dirt Media. They explore the evolution of Dirt Media, its unique approach to content and community, and the challenges faced in the current media landscape. Daisy: https://x.com/daisandconfused Dirt: https://dirt.fyi Tasteland: https://www.tasteland.fyi 00:00 Introducing Daisy Alioto and Dirt Media 04:00 Treating Subscribers as Collectors 06:35 The Primordial Soup of the Media Environment 11:49 Running a Media Company Like a Streetwear Brand 16:49 Understanding Your Audience is Crucial 21:29 The Importance of Being Future Focussed in Business 24:56 Collaboration is Key for Growth 30:41 The Growing Responsibilities to Your Audience and Team 34:51 The Internet is Nothing Without Contribution podcast creatoreconomy creatorspotlight https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Xih8IDX7IQbc/EpCZfW1WXI2_xNpJqC.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Xih8IDX7IQbc/1775811415/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=EpCZfW1WXI2 2276 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/hes-helped-creators-earn-200m-heres-how Hes helped creators earn 200M heres how This week Francis is joined by content creator and entrepreneur John Hu (@jayhoovy) John is the founder of Stan, an all-in-one monetization tool for creators. He shares insights on the challenges creators face in the business landscape and how his platform, Stan, aims to empower them. Check out Stan: https://www.stan.store/ Johns YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhoovy 00:00 Introducing John and his company, Stan 01:24 Building an Audience and Personal Brand 05:05 The Artist to Entrepreneur Spectrum 07:45 Allocating Time as a Content Creator vs CEO at Scale 11:18 Celebrating Creator Success Stories 14:40 The Importance of Consistency in Content Creation 17:49 All Humans Will Be In the Creator Economy 21:30 The Value of Systems Thinking as a Creator 25:33 Scaling a Team and Hiring a Professional Memer 29:00 The Opportunities in Creator Led Digital Products 32:07 Attention Economy: The Limited Resource 33:56 Navigating Different Social Platforms for Success 36:25 Is Building in Public a PsyOp? podcast creatoreconomy entrepreneur https://video-meta.open.video/poster/2XAeQprIRMjI/FVCcfauaXJ2_qYuzpZ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/2XAeQprIRMjI/1775811920/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=FVCcfauaXJ2 2435 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-comedian-gaining-subscribers-by-being-an-idiot The Comedian Gaining Subscribers by Being an Idiot This week Francis is joined by Alex Dobrenko, a comedian and writer of the newsletter Both Are True. Both Are True: https://botharetrue.substack.com Alexs Twitter/X: https://x.com/dobrenkz 00:00 Intro 01:23 The Journey to Comedy and Writing 08:20 Writing Style and Honesty 15:02 The Role of Improv Comedy in Creativity 22:07 The Growth of an Audience 30:26 Professionalization of Content Creation and Selling Out 38:57 Whoa: Exploring Deeper Conversations through Interviews 45:37 Navigating the Solitary Nature of Creation 49:15 The Evolution of Social Media Engagement podcast creatoreconomy creatorspotlight https://video-meta.open.video/poster/1ax8YzqIQMYO/FF8sfH0bXZ2_WrHiAy.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/1ax8YzqIQMYO/1775825289/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=FF8sfH0bXZ2 3570 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-make-a-living-as-a-podcaster-in-2025 How to Make a Living as a Podcaster in 2025 This week Francis is joined by Eric Silver, a podcaster, podcast producer and head of development at Multitude, a podcast studio and production company. Multitude: https://multitude.productions 00:00 Introducing Eric Silver 03:14 Crafting your interview style 06:04 The details of teaching podcasting 11:56 Podcasting does not mean video 19:41 The future of audio-only podcasts 25:39 The intention behind the creator 28:24 What makes a good podcast guest? 31:46 The difficulties of guest-based podcasts 36:06 Building an ethical creator-first business 44:11 The rise of Actual Play podcasts 50:08 The future of worker-owned and independent media 52:57 Hank Greens best interview podcast creatoreconomy podcasting https://video-meta.open.video/poster/cbcuIhbkp2CQ/wxu7KqurrI2_oksnSb.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/cbcuIhbkp2CQ/1775824820/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=wxu7KqurrI2 3577 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-be-authentic-in-the-creator-economy-alicia-kennedy How to Be Authentic in the Creator Economy Alicia Kennedy This week Francis is joined by essayist and culture critic, Alicia Kennedy. Alicia is primarily a food writer, however also has many refined takes on writing itself, the algorithm, and the attention economy. Alicia Kennedy: https://www.aliciakennedy.news 00:00:00 Introducing Alicia Kennedy 00:01:38 Rejecting the idea of the creator 00:07:06 Declining media literacy in the digital age 00:12:36 The fragmentation of public intellectualism 00:17:09 Attaching value to greatest achievements 00:19:32 The creator economy tradeoff of freedom and instability 00:29:33 The need for publications that challenge food writing norms 00:35:08 The blurred line between influencers and creators 00:40:13 Building a like-minded diverse community 00:43:58 The key to consistent organic growth 00:47:10 The need for a more horizontal media ecosystem 00:52:32 Navigating platforms with limited audience engagement control 00:57:51 Experience of writing a book vs newsletters podcast newsletter creatoreconomy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/sKtWIj9ko-Pl/xMukLGuqrY2_goYNsA.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/sKtWIj9ko-Pl/1775825986/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=xMukLGuqrY2 3679 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-a-journalist-becomes-an-entrepreneur How a Journalist Becomes an Entrepreneur This week Francis Zierer speaks with Lindsey Stanberry, creator of The Purse, a newsletter focused on money, motherhood, work, and relationships. Lindsay shares her journey from working in corporate media to becoming an independent creator/entrepreneur. The Purse: https://thepurse.substack.com/ 00:00 Introducing Lindsey and The Purse 01:25 Transitioning from Corporate to Independent Creation 06:16 Developing a Blog into a Sustainable Brand 09:30 The Biggest Detriment to Journalists in Media 14:26 Defining Identity: Creator, Journalist, or Entrepreneur? 19:44 The Value of Collaboration and Partnership in Entrepreneurship 24:43 Choosing Your Niche for a Content Franchise 30:54 Growing an Organic Newsletter Audience 32:14 The Challenge of Paid Subscriptions 35:22 Fostering a Community Through Events 38:18 Creators Concern of Financial Sustainability 42:24 The Evolution of the Newsletter Format 45:05 The Value of Transparency and Trust as a Creator 47:08 The Value of Quality Writing Amongst Abundant Free Content 54:29 Take Yourself Seriously podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/N-FyIrbsR2wc/3g0BeburqZ2_gXhiet.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/N-FyIrbsR2wc/1775821690/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=3g0BeburqZ2 3461 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-secret-to-turning-your-audience-into-a-thriving-business The Secret to Turning Your Audience into a Thriving Business This week we are joined by Michelle Curb, co-founder and editor of Gloria (hellogloria.com) Michelle is an expert in leading monetization for online media brands. 00:00 The Gloria newsletter 05:50 Getting started in online media 08:52 Is it hard to sell a media company? 14:15 Monetization and stats 15:58 Building an audience online 24:52 I dont want to be online 27:38 Day in a life of a media founder 39:21 How to monetize as a creator 45:35 Looking forward and back creatoreconomy podcast thecreatorcommunitypodcast https://video-meta.open.video/poster/MGhi7faRVQ1l/3F16LburXI2_YZKZum.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/MGhi7faRVQ1l/1775814181/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=3F16LburXI2 3032 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-reality-of-being-a-journalist-for-womens-soccer-theo-lloyd-hughes The Reality of Being a Journalist for Womens Soccer - Theo Lloyd-Hughes Theo Lloyd-Hughes joins us for episode 25 of The Creator Spotlight Podcast -- he is a journalist specialising in womens soccer/football. He has a newsletter and podcast called Squad Depth, he produces The Athletics podcast Full Time, he is also a freelance writer. Squad Depth: squaddepth.com 00:00 Why Theo pursued soccer journalism 08:23 How much does soccer journalism pay? 17:24 How to tell the real story 23:36 Newsletters are the future of journalism 39:11 The stats 41:17 Building a newsletter into a sustainable business 47:01 How to get better at podcasting podcast creatoreconomy womenssoccer https://video-meta.open.video/poster/hioa7t06dQKI/xV1ALq0bXY2_AGners.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/hioa7t06dQKI/1775821913/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=xV1ALq0bXY2 3470 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/building-a-business-from-positive-news-stories-sean-devlin-nice-news Building a business from positive news stories - Sean Devlin Nice News Sean Devlin is the founder of nicenews.com and he joins us for episode 23 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. He shares his secrets about building an online business, newsletter growth and advice for other creators. nicenews.com 00:00 Building a 800k subscriber newsletter 08:53 The biggest mistakes when designing a newsletter 12:26 Why its important to have nice news 19:20 How to find positive content online 22:32 Who subscribes to nice news? 30:51 Building a following of 800,000 39:00 How to monteize your newsletter audience 44:30 What not to do when building a newsletter 47:00 Is it too late to start a newsletter? podcast creatoreconomy nicenews https://video-meta.open.video/poster/KWFeJdXBU6KO/3Vv7fqubWY2_auVMQp.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/KWFeJdXBU6KO/1775819524/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=3Vv7fqubWY2 3218 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/he-found-an-untapped-market-that-makes-30k-a-month-online He Found An Untapped Market That Makes 30K a Month Online This week Francis is joined by Rameel Sheikh, founder and writer of The Bottleneck which, in his words, is the only weekly newsletter offering stories, frameworks, and tactics to sharpen how you execute. Rameels newsletter: https://www.thebottleneck.io 00:00 Introducing Rameel Sheikh and The Bottleneck 01:09 Building a Strong Audience Relationship 03:07 Lessons Learnt from the Startup World 07:18 The Decision to Start a Newsletter 13:31 The Structure of the Newsletter 17:00 Experimenting with Different Writing Styles 20:08 How the Newsletter Generates 30k a Month 26:00 Building an Audience from Scratch to 28k Subscribers 32:30 Are Creators Also Founders? 37:27 Building a Team as a Founder 40:57 The Many Failed Experiments that Led to The Bottleneck 44:27 Building a High Value Community 49:52 Future Dreams or Goals of The Bottleneck podcast creatoreconomy founder https://video-meta.open.video/poster/KRBG7bb6d61H/FEvQfW0bXc2_pxPseo.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/KRBG7bb6d61H/1775822847/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=FEvQfW0bXc2 3495 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/a-guide-to-finding-your-niche-and-monetizing-it A Guide to Finding Your Niche and Monetizing It Ryan Gilbert, creator and writer of the newsletter Workspaces joins us for episode 28 of The Creator Spotlight Podcast. Workspaces: workspaces.xyz 00:00 From supply chain to tech startups 04:31 Building a niche from scratch 10:57 Monetizing with affiliate links 12:42 Abandoning a career to pursue content 16:32 The acquisition and reacquisition of the newsletter 25:08 Monetizing the newsletter is harder now 28:22 How the newsletter grew to 13k+ subscribers 35:35 The stats 37:12 The best home-office setup so far 40:30 Balancing personal and brand identity 44:12 Strategies for newsletter growth 47:02 Reflecting on success and future plans podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/fMkuVxqtpYLQ/FV1ReG0rrc2_IuXqNR.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/fMkuVxqtpYLQ/1775820134/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=FV1ReG0rrc2 3234 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-reality-of-being-a-journalist-in-2024 The Reality of Being a Journalist in 2024 Ambreen Ali is a tenured and accomplished journalist as well as Founding Editor of Central Desi, a local newsletter focussing on the South Asian community in New Jersey. She joins us for episode 22 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. Central Desi: centraldesi.beehiiv.com 00:00:00 Ambreen Ali - putting journalism first 00:05:02 Growing a local newsletter 00:14:07 Why being a journalist is difficult 00:22:02 Is society losing its media literacy? 00:28:53 The best and worst of tradition journalism 00:35:26 Why prisoners should be taught journalism 00:39:39 Making a local impact 00:43:26 Not wanting to be a creator 00:52:00 Monetizing journalism is hard 00:57:43 Advice to other creators podcast creatoreconomy southasian https://video-meta.open.video/poster/MOp8VbL7p2ej/Epv7KX1qqZ2_aBlHnG.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/MOp8VbL7p2ej/1775828461/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Epv7KX1qqZ2 3660 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-genius-behind-john-nellis-youtube-success The Genius Behind John Nellis YouTube Success @JohnNellis has grown by over 1 million subscribers in less than a year. Were talking to Johns business partner, Alex, to dig deep into the strategy behind one of the fastest growing football channels on the platform. John Nellis: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnNellis 00:00 Intro 01:10 Getting into the world of football content 04:43 Tripling the growth of Sky Sports YouTube channel 07:27 The partnership with John 13:52 Combining the business and creative mind 16:24 How the business operates 18:41 How big is the team? 20:05 Producing content from in-front the camera 24:49 Why John Nellis is the best to work with 29:50 Growing and reinvesting into the business 35:10 The importance of the title and thumbnail 37:34 The myth behind retention editing 40:46 How the channel is monetized 44:27 Why you should delete your old videos 46:09 How much money is the channel making? 48:23 The work/life balance of a content creator 51:54 The goal for the channel 55:52 YouTube vs TV podcast creatoreconomy contentcreator https://video-meta.open.video/poster/eEpG-tjQJQwG/_UuBLWvqqY2_IlRWIJ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/eEpG-tjQJQwG/1775826055/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=_UuBLWvqqY2 3578 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-creator-that-doesnt-want-to-be-a-creator The Creator That Doesnt Want To Be a Creator This week Francis is joined by Caitlin Dewey, creator and writer of the newsletter Links I Would G-Chat You If We Were Friends. Caitlins Newsletter: https://linksiwouldgchatyou.substack.com 00:00 Introducing Caitlin Dewey 03:27 The Birth of the Newsletter 06:16 Taking a Break and the Pressure of a Rebrand 13:36 Building a Community With Readers 17:53 Building a Good Salary From Subscriptions 19:49 The Definition of Creators vs. Journalists 27:42 Bring Back Comfortable Middle Class Lifestyles 32:59 Collaboration in the Newsletter Community 37:37 The Painful Art of Content Planning 43:21 Substacks Shift in Business Model 50:13 The Craft of an Aggregation Newsletter 53:19 Fake News Is Now Just News podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/cFpyYteYoQSP/FU17frvXXI2_GOTMbd.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/cFpyYteYoQSP/1775821878/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=FU17frvXXI2 3464 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/she-won-a-webby-and-now-helps-creators-do-the-same She Won a Webby And Now Helps Creators Do the Same Rachel Karten joins us for episode 27 of the Creator Spotlight podcast to discuss what makes good content, winning and judging the Webby Awards, and building a newsletter audience. 00:00 Getting started with food insta 04:39 Advice for working with brands 09:02 Winning and judging Webby awards 14:05 Building a newsletter for content creators - Link in Bio 25:03 Growing an audience of 65k+ 35:50 Being a good social media manager podcast creatoreconomy creatorinsights https://video-meta.open.video/poster/evByUbKYoI_i/_V17eq0GXZ2_RowarS.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/evByUbKYoI_i/1775812011/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=_V17eq0GXZ2 2574 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-youtube-creator-changing-space-content-online The YouTube Creator Changing Space Content Online Todays guest is Swapna Krishna, creator of @adastraspace a YouTube channel and beehiiv newsletter about space. Shes a professional writer with over a decade of experience doing everything from journalism to content marketing to authoring a book. Ad Astra YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@adastraspace Newsletter: adastraspace.com 00:00 Intro 01:20 The Journey of Writing and Publishing a Book 04:35 Transitioning to Video Content Creation 07:22 Developing Presentation Skills Through Podcasting 12:42 Defining the Creator and Journalist Identity 18:31 Swapnas Journey Through the Content Creation World 22:22 The Differences in Solo Creating and Working in a Team 30:25 All of Swapnas Projects 31:50 Production Process: From Idea to Execution 41:58 The Relationships with Swapnas Different Audiences 48:34 Space-Xs Media Dominance 50:40 The Monetization 54:25 Defining Goals and Editorial Mandate podcast creatoreconomy space https://video-meta.open.video/poster/cMAS2pKcgQTb/ww9AeG1HXs2_Tguvcx.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/cMAS2pKcgQTb/1775828815/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=ww9AeG1HXs2 3825 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/meet-the-entrepreneur-scaling-online-businesses-and-making-millions-tommy-clark Meet The Entrepreneur Scaling Online Businesses and Making Millions - Tommy Clark For episode 29 of Creator Spotlight we are joined by Tommy Clark (@tclarkmedia) to discuss his content marketing agency Compound Media Studio, how he scales B2B audiences on LinkedIn and how you can grow your online business. 00:00 Intro 01:20 Accidentally starting a marketing agency 03:30 Building a team and hiring for content creation 06:17 Growing the newsletter Social Files 13:04 The devolution of Twitter - LinkedIn 1 now? 15:36 How to craft the perfect viral post 20:23 The relationship between the business and personal brand 23:41 Monetizing a creator led business 27:21 What makes someone good/bad at marketing? 29:27 Starting with content creation and rules for posting 39:19 Finding content ideas for viral posts 41:10 Uploading to YouTube but not being a YouTuber 43:55 How you can grow your online brand podcast creatoreconomy linkedinstrategy https://video-meta.open.video/poster/cuhC-trZNMgI/2gDBfbuGXs2_mXDEMK.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/cuhC-trZNMgI/1775813292/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=2gDBfbuGXs2 2851 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/building-a-business-for-those-that-love-perfect-design Building a Business for Those That Love Perfect Design Cole Derochie joins us for episode 24 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. Cole writes a daily newsletter keeping designers up-to-date with whats going on in the world of design. Coles newsletter: todayin.design Coles Twitter/X: x.com/colderoshay 00:00 How Cole accidentally became a designer 08:04 The espresso of newsletters 13:43 Evolving and growing the newsletter 20:24 Finding sources for design news 26:16 Writing a newsletter in 1 hour 29:08 Monetizing a 5,000 subscriber newsletter 37:53 Using Twitter to grow your brand podcast creatoreconomy design https://video-meta.open.video/poster/H6dqYt0IgULa/3297fbubWs2_IylNdg.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/H6dqYt0IgULa/1775812424/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=3297fbubWs2 2661 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/redesigning-websites-for-the-worlds-biggest-companies-creator-spotlight-ep15 Redesigning websites for the worlds biggest companies Creator Spotlight EP15 Peter Ramsey, writer and founder of builtformars.com joins us for episode 15 of The Creator Spotlight Podcast. 00:00 Who is Peter Ramsey and what is Built for Mars 05:30 The Mr Beast of UX 09:47 Using every bank in the UK 13:19 Who are Built for Mars readers? 16:30 How Peter monetizes the newsletter 19:30 Is the website fantastic, or does it suck? 25:20 Why start a newsletter? 27:43 The stats 30:23 Peters most viral posts 31:40 Why Peter hates social media 33:38 The gamification of education sites/apps 38:11 The different types of written content 40:46 Growing an online business 47:00 The future of Built for Mars podcast creatoreconomy uxdesign https://video-meta.open.video/poster/JkxaUjeZV28J/wECBKWuGrY2_PetEti.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/JkxaUjeZV28J/1775817630/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=wECBKWuGrY2 3101 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-everyday-mom-with-14m-followers-big-time-adulting The everyday mom with 1.4M followers Big Time Adulting Caitlin Murray from Big Time Adulting joined us for episode 14 of the Creator Spotlight podcast and gave us the low-down on how she grew her audience of 1 million instagram followers. 00:00 Why Caitlin started Big Time Adulting 05:50 How to gain over 1 million followers 10:15 The 4 chapters of Big Time Adulting 14:15 Turning Instagram into a business 19:25 Building a positive community 24:08 Growing an Instagram following, organically 29:22 Podcasting is hard 33:41 Monetising as a creator 38:31 Starting and building a newsletter 47:45 Having multiple monetisation streams 51:53 Advice lightning round podcast creatoreconomy interview https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Lft0UniIh63H/2_8BfG0arZ2_gOQgsX.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Lft0UniIh63H/1775827494/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=2_8BfG0arZ2 3588 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-glennda-baker-became-a-tiktok-star-at-53 How Glennda Baker Became a TikTok Star at 53 Glennda Baker is an Atlanta based realtor that became a TikTok star by uploading her stories, advice and experiences of the real estate market. Glenndas TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@glenndabaker Glenndas IG: https://www.instagram.com/glenndabaker/ Glenndas Newsletter: https://glenndagazette.beehiiv.com/ 00:00 Who is Glennda Baker? 05:58 How Glennda Baker makes her videos 26:18 Sharing your life online 35:16 Glenndas newsletter 40:57 The business of being Glennda Baker 43:57 Is social media content better than TV? podcast creatoreconomy realestate https://video-meta.open.video/poster/Zftm_hatgQmH/xpCBLqvHqJ2_UfAeHs.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/Zftm_hatgQmH/1775819013/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=xpCBLqvHqJ2 3012 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/he-mastered-podcasting-now-hes-dominating-newsletters-justin-gordon He Mastered Podcasting, Now Hes Dominating Newsletters - Justin Gordon Justin Gordon (@justgogrind) joined us for episode 19 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. Justin is known for his podcast Just Go Grind, his newsletter and his many articles diving deep in entrepreneurship. Justins newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com Justins Twitter/X: https://x.com/justingordon212 Village Lane: https://villagelane.io 00:00 Who is Justin Gordon? 01:24 Lessons from 500+ interviews 04:30 Podcasting every day 12:55 6 Lessons from podcasting every day 15:23 Why start a newsletter? 18:17 How to grow a newsletter 19:50 Writing deep dives about entrepreneurs 28:33 The athlete-creator mindset 31:14 Making money as a creator 36:17 The best and worst interviews 39:43 Advice for podcasters and writers podcast creatoreconomy podcasting https://video-meta.open.video/poster/dBhyZFe7l6Ta/EoDQeX0XWc2_JtEVjb.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/dBhyZFe7l6Ta/1775816454/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=EoDQeX0XWc2 2721 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-youtuber-with-9-different-businesses-shares-his-secrets-andrew-southworth The YouTuber With 9 Different Businesses Shares His Secrets Andrew Southworth This weeks guest is Andrew Southworth (@AndrewSouthworth) a musician, YouTuber and business owner. 00:00 Andrew Southworths many businesses 04:27 When to hire as a creator 7:47 How Andrew makes money 09:42 16 years of being a YouTuber 19:33 Why Andrew started a newsletter 22:47 Andrews future plans and dreams 25:10 Advice for other creators podcast creatoreconomy musician https://video-meta.open.video/poster/gVhKNBakIMNQ/Eo9RfXuHWc2_gIptzo.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/gVhKNBakIMNQ/1775814449/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Eo9RfXuHWc2 1800 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-artist-that-went-viral-on-linkedin-pj-milani The Artist That Went Viral On LinkedIn PJ Milani Todays guest is PJ Milani, a high school animation teacher recently turned social media star. Hes known for his visual metaphors single-panel illustrations featuring lessons about life and creativity. Across his socials he has over 200k followers, his newsletter has 16k subscribers, and he teaches a perennially sold-out cohort course about visual thinking on Maven. In this issue, we discuss: Organic growth Trusting the process, every day What it means to live a creative life Working in community with other creators 00:00 Who is PJ Milani 01:25 Why PJ started creating Getting on social media 09:04 How to gain 200k followers 14:48 Relationship between writing and drawing 19:39 Which social media platform is best Twitter vs Instagram vs LinkedIn 23:57 How to convert social media followers into newsletter subs? 30:56 How PJ monetises his content 42:23 The long term plan Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/dvAS2FespUKR/E_8kervaqc2_CWqtLx.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/dvAS2FespUKR/1775814764/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=E_8kervaqc2 2730 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/buying-a-newsletter-to-start-a-side-hustle-in-2024-creator-spotlight-ep16 Buying a newsletter to start a side-hustle in 2024 Creator Spotlight EP16 Todays guest is Akhil Chauhan, who runs The Writers Job Newsletter (TWJN). But he didnt create the newsletter he acquired it. The newsletter: https://www.thewritersjobnewsletter.com 00:00 Acquiring a newsletter 08:05 Researching solo 14:10 The differences in journalism in the UK vs US 15:35 Growing a newsletter to 10k+ subscribers 23:18 Work/life balance as a creator 29:23 Premium subscribers and monetisation 33:04 Keeping a distance from your audience 36:50 Advice to creators, from a creator 41:05 The future of TWJN 45:30 The biggest regret as a creator podcast creatoreconomy sidehustle Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/chAKYpeQkU8i/-pClfauWXs2_QrDdeO.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/chAKYpeQkU8i/1775815359/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=-pClfauWXs2 2879 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/how-to-find-the-cheapest-deals-in-london-cheapskate-london How To Find The Cheapest Deals In London Cheapskate London Todays guest is Kate Samuelson, co-creator of Cheapskate London. Every Monday, they send out a newsletter built around free events, two for each day of the coming week. Over the last five years theyve built an audience of over 19k, winning praise from longstanding media institutions in the process. All the while, Cheapskate is a side project during the day, Kate works as a journalist. She specializes in newsletters. In this issue: Giving subscribers a free bottle of gin as a referral reward Operating a newsletter while working full-time in journalism Running paid ads for your newsletter is easier than it sounds 00:00 What is Cheapskate London? 06:10 Who is the average reader? 10:03 Choosing what content to include 17:36 Kates career 30:45 The stats - how to grow an audience 38:42 Kates unique referral program 41:58 Monetisation 52:49 Advice for newsletter creators Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. podcast creatoreconomy london https://video-meta.open.video/poster/tUA0MdaQUYxd/_ECBLXuHXt2_IHsXvG.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/tUA0MdaQUYxd/1775822939/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=_ECBLXuHXt2 3508 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/reporting-the-best-underdog-stories-in-sport-tyler-oshea-from-joker-mag Reporting the Best Underdog Stories in Sport Tyler OShea from Joker Mag For episode 13 of the Creator Spotlight podcast we are joined by Tyler OShea, editor and founder of the website and newsletter Joker Mag. 00:00 Tylers motivation and the mentality of a creator 05:37 The inspiration to start writing 08:40 Is Googles AI killing SEO 11:36 The average Joker Mag reader 14:44 How to find amazing sports stories 18:37 How to grow a loyal audience 23:25 How much time does it take to grow a newsletter? 27:38 The different monetisation channels 32:03 Hiring other writers 37:21 SEO tips: How to make your website the best 39:06 Advice for creators 43:40 Future goals 49:30 Quick Q&A podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/tXdKVbK7M2LO/-p87fa1bXJ2_uWFzYn.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/tXdKVbK7M2LO/1775825313/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=-p87fa1bXJ2 3532 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/is-the-internet-getting-better-or-worse-ernie-smith Is The Internet Getting Better Or Worse? - Ernie Smith Ernie Smith (editor of tedium.co) joined us for episode 20 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. Ernie is known for his 10 year old newsletter Tedium, being the creator of edm14.com and many other side projects. Ernies website: https://tedium.co 00:00 Who is Ernie Smith? 01:30 Why Ernie coded his newsletter himself 05:35 Has personality been stripped from the internet? 12:44 How Ernie grew his audience 15:20 The invention of UDM14 18:56 Ernies side projects 31:39 Is the creator economy good for the internet? 41:28 Hopes for the future of the internet 45:10 Whats next for Ernie? podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/fPdu-zzBh2ed/_o9QeWuXqI2_NSgKpO.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/fPdu-zzBh2ed/1775817515/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=_o9QeWuXqI2 3088 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-expert-in-internet-culture-and-trends-creator-spotlight-ep18 The Expert in Internet Culture and Trends Creator Spotlight EP18 Kate Lindsay from Embedded joins us for episode 18 of the Creator Spotlight podcast and discusses internet trends, growing a newsletter and popularising the Millennial Pause. Kates newsletter: https://embedded.substack.com Kates website: https://www.kathrynfionalindsay.com 00:00 Who is Kate and what is Embedded? 05:33 How Embedded evolved 09:56 Kates other projects 13:35 Discovering Millennial Pause 16:44 Being an editor vs writer 19:09 Defining a newsletter and creator 27:42 The stats -- how to grow a newsletter 34:22 Are creators the new journalists? 38:49 Advice for online creators podcast creatoreconomy millennials Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/v_g03rrthY_P/FFCBKX0XqZ2_XssqsP.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/v_g03rrthY_P/1775818961/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=FFCBKX0XqZ2 2562 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/the-queen-of-video-essays-haya-kaylani The Queen of Video Essays Haya Kaylani Todays guest is Haya Kaylani, creator of a curation-style newsletter called The Deep Dive. What does she curate? YouTube video essays, five of them every Wednesday. Shes built an audience of 92k TikTok followers and 13.5k newsletter subscribers in just 15 months pure organic growth, with almost all of her newsletter subscribers coming over from TikTok. In this issue, we discuss: Curating, gatekeeping, and gatecreating Why writing about YouTube is a huge opportunity Applying lessons from a career in PR to indie creator work Building a newsletter audience by building a TikTok audience 00:00 What is The Deep Dive 02:30 Being a curator 06:23 What is a video essay? 14:26 Going viral on TikTok 19:04 Why start a newsletter? 24:21 Why we need curators and gate-creators 28:22 The stats - How to grow subscribers 33:32 Hayas premium newsletter, The Rabbit Hole 37:27 Monetisation and referrals 41:47 Advice for creators and lessons learned Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. podcast creatoreconomy newsletter https://video-meta.open.video/poster/12AuJzLkJ6-b/xw1tSavbqt2_DEGEEy.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/12AuJzLkJ6-b/1775823595/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=xw1tSavbqt2 3080 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/ryan-broderick-creator-of-garbage-day-ep9 Ryan Broderick, creator of Garbage Day EP9 Ryan Broderick is the creator of Garbage Day, A newsletter about having fun online. Hes among the most popular journalists-turned-newsletter-creators out there. Its clear by the numbers (68k subscribers, 3k of whom pay for premium content), praise from other creators, and the nearly 200 press clippings on his About page (https://www.garbageday.email/c/about) . In this episode we discuss: Theres (almost) no difference between journalists and creators Why you need a Simpsons couch gag in your newsletter Every American is a journalist (if they want to be) Creators are Uber drivers for content Garbage Day is on the syllabus Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/eXpaRDykhM0b/E20ZSXvXqZ2_dhEYCQ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/eXpaRDykhM0b/1775821458/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=E20ZSXvXqZ2 3427 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/andrew-huang-author-of-make-your-own-rules-ep4 Andrew Huang, author of Make Your Own Rules EP4 Andrew Huang is lifelong musician and a pioneer in the Creator Economy. He made his first dollar online auctioning off songwriting commissions on eBay two decades ago and has since became a celebrated YouTuber with 2.36 million followers, produced commercial commissions for international brands, and published a book. Make Your Own Rules: Stories and Hard-Earned Advice from a Creator in the Digital Age came out in February 2024. We spoke with Andrew shortly after about: Why he focuses his output on just a few platforms His approach to creating his online music production course Scaling as a creator without losing authenticity Writing this book (his first) and giving timeless advice https://video-meta.open.video/poster/c5sKRjmcoUfJ/Fw0tSbvrrI2_UQqXJB.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/c5sKRjmcoUfJ/1775816982/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=Fw0tSbvrrI2 2971 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/eric-cantor-and-adam-katz-of-vincent-ep2 Eric Cantor and Adam Katz of Vincent EP2 Eric, alongside Slava Rubin (host of the Smart Humans podcast), co-founded Vincent in 2019 as an aggregator platform for alternative investment opportunities. Its evolved into a media company with three newsletters and a podcast, still focused on alternative investments. Adam joined the team a couple of years ago as a researcher and writer. We spoke about: Building a solid core audience over four years Deciding not to put names on the newsletter byline Knowing what not to write about Generating revenue through partnerships and trust Not worrying too much about competitors https://video-meta.open.video/poster/bOBe3j5tVMek/F21YmqvaqI2_DXraou.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/bOBe3j5tVMek/1775820606/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=F21YmqvaqI2 3316 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/jared-dashevsky-creator-of-healthcare-huddle-ep8 Jared Dashevsky, creator of Healthcare Huddle EP8 Jared Dashevsky runs Healthcare Huddle, a twice-weekly newsletter for physicians and other healthcare professionals. In just over four years, hes built an audience of 30,000. Hes also built a team of 13, dismantled that team and been acquired. But today, Jared is once again a solo creator. In this episode, we discuss: The cap on how far Healthcare Huddle can or should scale Understanding your newsletters true fans Creating a sustainable newsletter workflow Jareds four key lessons from four years of newslettering Pivoting from a B2C to B2B audience Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/f_A4JpjskMpk/_NvtSH1WXY2_TZYrnl.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/f_A4JpjskMpk/1775816987/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=_NvtSH1WXY2 3011 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/arielle-nissenblatt-creator-of-earbuds-podcast-collective-ep7 Arielle Nissenblatt, creator of EarBuds Podcast Collective EP7 Arielle Nissenblatt knows podcasts. She writes a weekly newsletter about podcasts, hosts a podcast version of that newsletter, co-hosts another weekly podcast and a daily podcast. She runs a Discord community for podcasters. On top of all that, she works full-time as a community marketing manager at Descript. In this episode, we discuss: How Arielle broke into the podcasting industry Why you should not start a podcast (unless you should) What community means to brands and creators The potential of creator advocacy organizations How brands should work with in-house creators Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/G_E4RlmAoISQ/2EutmW1XWc2_ODhqrh.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/G_E4RlmAoISQ/1775817511/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=2EutmW1XWc2 3014 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/ali-abassi-creator-of-ai-for-work-ep5 Ali Abassi, creator of AI for Work EP5 Ali built an audience of over 7,000 subscribers before he even sent the first issue of his newsletter, AI for Work. He would only end up sending 13 issues before (at approximately 30,000 subscribers) he went looking for advice on how to monetize and ending up selling the whole thing instead. We spent an hour discussing: How he built an ingenious, highly successful lead magnet Emailing every new subscriber to build relationships Experimenting with monetization Using TikTok to grow his email list (without making his own videos) His plans to start a local news newsletter Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. https://video-meta.open.video/poster/LToCQj5loUTi/3o1dSH0art2_rtGffQ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/LToCQj5loUTi/1775822428/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=3o1dSH0art2 3491 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/ryan-sneddon-creator-of-naptown-scoop-ep6 Ryan Sneddon, creator of Naptown Scoop EP6 Ryan Sneddon runs Naptown Scoop, a local newsletter serving Annapolis, Maryland. In three-and-a-half years, hes built an audience of over 18,000 (nearly half the towns population), and last year the business generated around 200,000 in revenue. In this episode, we discuss: How Ryan got half the town to sign up for the Scoop Exactly how Ryan defined his core reader How Ryan prices the newsletters ad spots The Scoops simple and incredibly effective referral system Ryans plans to increase revenue by 175% this year https://video-meta.open.video/poster/tZEaItftcY1a/EV1tSr1rrd2_reBxMO.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/tZEaItftcY1a/1775827396/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=EV1tSr1rrd2 3583 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/creator-economy-lawyer-reveals-every-creators-biggest-mistakes-4 Creator Economy Lawyer Reveals Every Creators Biggest Mistakes This week on Creator Spotlight were joined by Brittany Ratelle, a lawyer specializing in helping creators, creatives and online entrepreneurs cut through the overwhelm of getting their business legally legit. In this episode she breaks down the most common legal mistakes creators make, from brand deals and contracts, to hiring and platform risk. Brittany Ratelle Website: https://brittanyratelle.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-ratelle-a4563232/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanyratelle/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brittanyratelle Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Brittany Ratelle 01:26 Biggest red flags in brand deal contracts 10:15 Avoid these contract mistakes 16:06 When should creators become a business 20:17 When is reaction content and remixing IP theft? 26:12 The only way to actually own your audience 33:44 How to write a contract as a creator 37:45 Hiring as a creator 42:37 Most common mistakes creators make, legally 45:10 Whats changing for creators in 2026 https://video-meta.open.video/poster/LktQwp1yUGKj/2_DQK5vHrJ2_iafarR.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/LktQwp1yUGKj/1775858066/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=2_DQK5vHrJ2 3213 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/he-left-espn-to-make-youtube-videos-heres-why-3 He Left ESPN to Make YouTube Videos heres why 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 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 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 17:05 What should new creators focus on? 22:58 The process of making high-quality YouTube videos 33:19 Making revenue and maintaining ethics 40:56 The most valuable asset as a creator is trust 44:55 Building relationships in the creator economy 50:30 The hardest part of YouTube https://video-meta.open.video/poster/fBlclpu5cOTb/wE1ImO0WWt2_iixIfZ.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/fBlclpu5cOTb/1775858146/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=wE1ImO0WWt2 3582 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/hannah-williams-of-salary-transparent-street-ep1 Hannah Williams of Salary Transparent Street EP1 Hannah started the TikTok page Salary Transparent Street two years ago. It now has 1.3 million followers 2.8 million across all channels and is a full-fledged media business, with 1 million revenue just last year. Read our feature on Hannah (https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/hannah-williams-salary-transparent-street) and subscribe (https://www.creatorspotlight.com/subscribe) to our newsletter for more behind-the-scenes stories from the creator economy. We spoke with Hannah about: Building a brand based on audience trust The Three Cs at the core of her pay transparency mission The art of the street interview Turning viral content into a sustainable business Navigating brand deals with integrity https://video-meta.open.video/poster/cCtylDP4c0rt/320dT40Wys2_Afowyz.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/cCtylDP4c0rt/1776136134/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=320dT40Wys2 3756 https://videos.creatorspotlight.com/v/sending-a-newsletter-for-1000-days-straight-2 Sending a Newsletter for 1,000 Days Straight Matt Village and Maria Gharib the editorial team behind Mindstream, a daily AI-focussed newsletter with over 230,000 subscribers. In this episode they break down the editorial systems, consistency habits, and audience growth tactics that got them there. Mindstream Newsletter: https://www.mindstream.news LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindstreamnews/ Guests Matt Village: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattvillage/ Maria Gharib: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-gharib-091779b9/ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Matt and Maria of Mindstream 01:31 Going all-in at 5,000 subscribers 05:56 Expanding the team 09:51 Curating the style for a daily newsletter 16:18 The daily research, writing and editing process 25:58 AI tools used in the creation process 28:42 Being acquired by HubSpot 37:39 Biggest lessons from 1,000 newsletter issues 43:22 The difficulties of consistency https://video-meta.open.video/poster/gOsypBmPRItz/EEvJSO9WzY2_PKnghu.jpg https://streaming.open.video/contents/gOsypBmPRItz/1776203755/index.m3u8 https://open.video/embed?contentId=EEvJSO9WzY2 2924