The Creator Spotlight Podcast

Ep. 105: Becoming one of Morning Brew’s biggest creators ft. Macy Gilliam

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:30:00 +0000

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 world's most interesting jobs. In this episode, we walk through her production process, how she went from running Morning Brew's Twitter account to having her own show, and red flags every creator should look for in their contracts.

Macy Gilliam

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

Ep. 104: Building a platform to save the internet ft. Tyler Bainbridge of Perfectly Imperfect

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000

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

Tyler Bainbridge

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 we’ve 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

Ep. 103: Building a newsletter to fight the algorithm ft. Matt Kiser

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

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

Bluesky

GitHub

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 Don’t 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

Ep. 102: The creator earning $200k+ posting on LinkedIn ft. Vin Matano

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

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

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Vin Matano

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

Ep. 101: Building a 70k+ subscriber newsletter by word of mouth ft. Rachel Meade Smith

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

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

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

Ep. 100: A $2.5M bet on quality food journalism ft. Caper

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

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

In this episode

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

Ep. 99: How to build and sell to audiences online ft. Daniel Berk

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Daniel Berk is beehiiv’s 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/profiles

Get started with Taplio for free at https://taplio.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=nl_creatorspotlight_0126_011526

Use code: CREATOR1X1

Daniel Berk

Twitter/X

Threads

Podcast

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

Ep. 98 How he perfected short form content ft. Grant Beene

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Grant Beene is a short-form video creator known for crafting wild, story-driven skits that have generated hundreds of millions of 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

Instagram

Francis Zierer

Twitter/X

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

Ep. 97: “I’m not an influencer. I’m an artist.” ft. Lucie Fink

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Lucie Fink is a creator and entrepreneur who’s 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

Lucie Fink

Francis Zierer

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Lucie Fink

01:10 Confronting an online troll

08:57 I’m 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

Ep. 96: How a local newsletter became a $100k+ business ft. Marissa Lovell

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:30:00 +0000

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/

Marissa Lovell

Twitter/X

From Boise

Francis Zierer

Twitter/X

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Marissa from Boise

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 didn’t 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

Ep. 95: He quit NBC to make YouTube videos ft. Fernando Hurtado

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:30:00 +0000

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.

Watch Fernando’s AAPI Latino’s video

Fernando Hurtado

Francis Zierer

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

Ep. 94: 15 years of social media strategy advice in one hour ft. Jack Appleby

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:30:00 +0000

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 don’t matter, and how creators can build audiences people actually root for.

Get started for free at https://taplio.com

Use code: CREATOR1X1

Jack Appleby

Newsletter

Twitter/X

Instagram

How to Hoop Forever

Francis Zierer

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 don’t 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

Ep. 93: He’s building a $10M+ creator business ft. Kallaway

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This week we’re 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

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

Ep. 92: Creator economy lawyer reveals every creators’ biggest mistakes ft. Brittany Ratelle

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This week on Creator Spotlight we’re 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

Francis Zierer

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 What’s changing for creators in 2026

Ep. 91: Three predictions for the creator economy in 2026 ft. Creator Spotlight Team

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:30:00 +0000

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

Twitter/X

Natalia Pérez-Gonzalez

Twitter

Tom McCloud

Twitter

Timestamps

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

Fixing the Biggest Problem in the Creator Economy… Trust ft. News Creator Corps

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This week on Creator Spotlight we’re 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/

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing News Creator Corps and the guests

07:40 The type of creator that’s 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

Newsletters + Events = 6-figure creator business ft. Brett Dashevsky

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Brett Dashevsky is the founder of Creator Economy NYC, where he’s 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

Francis Zierer

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

How to build a local newsletter people actually read ft. Tomo Chien

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This week on Creator Spotlight we’re 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

Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense

Tomo Chien

Francis Zierer

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 Tomo’s high school news project

28:55 Why he’s shutting down the newsletter

32:22 Future plans after the newsletter

37:28 Defining creator journalism

He’ll teach you how to make $100k+ writing online ft. Nicolas Cole

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we’re 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

Francis Zierer

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

Most creators will not make it 3+ years ft. Lia Haberman

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:30:00 +0000

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 3–4 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

Lia Haberman

Francis Zierer

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

Ep. 85: Why beehiiv is betting big on the "content economy" ft. Tyler Denk

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This week on Creator Spotlight we’re joined by the co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, Tyler Denk. Following beehiiv’s highly anticipated winter release event, Tyler and Francis discuss the company’s approach to becoming the operating system of the “content economy”.

Catch up on beehiiv’s Winter Release Event

Tyler Denk

Francis Zierer

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

Ep. 84: DIY YouTuber reveals her seven income streams ft. Nastja Mohren

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Nastja Mohren is a content creator, designer, and sewing educator who’s 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/profiles

Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense

Follow Nastja

Francis Zierer

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

Ep. 83: He left ESPN to make YouTube videos ft. Joon Lee

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 11:30:00 +0000

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/profiles

Follow Joon

Follow Francis

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

Ep. 82: The systems that made him a millionaire solopreneur ft. Ken Yarmosh

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 10:30:00 +0000

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by Ken Yarmosh, founder of The Remote Solopreneur. Ken is a creator who’s been building online businesses long before the creator economy had a name.

Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles

Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense

Ken Yarmosh

Francis Zierer

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 C's 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

Ep. 81: Building a $500k+ local newsletter business ft. Geoff Sharpe

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 10:30:25 +0000

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 he’s 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? It’s 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/geoff_sharpe 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 Don't 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 Don't 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

Ep. 80: How a YouTuber's study group grew into a profitable business ft. Kaelyn Grace Apple

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:30:21 +0000

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast we're 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 Kaelyn's 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 Kaelyn's 30 year plan

Ep. 79: He had 15M followers, then he quit — here's why ft. Caspar Lee

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:30:20 +0000

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast, we’re joined by Caspar Lee — one of YouTube’s 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/caspar_lee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caspar_lee/ 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 It's 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 Lee's five year plan #podcast #creatoreconomy #youtubers

Ep. 78: How to make $100k+ editing YouTube videos ft. Rachel Kisela

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:30:21 +0000

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast, we’re 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 doesn’t 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 Rachel’s favorite video

Ep. 77: She left the BBC to build AI for journalists ft. Sophia Smith Galer

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:30:25 +0000

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 media’s 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 Sophia’s future plans and goals

Ep. 76: The 3 moves I’d bet my next 10 years on as a creator ft. Jordan DiPietro

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:30:19 +0000

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined byJordan DiPietro — former Motley Fool exec, CEO of Hampton, and writer of the Signal//Noise newsletter. Jordan shares the three big bets he’d make on the future of creators, why community now matters more than audience, and the lessons he’s 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?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=guest&utm_campaign=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 It's 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

Ep. 75: Investing $60m in creators (what to look for) ft. Billy Parks

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:30:24 +0000

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 It's 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

Ep. 74: The creator making $100,000+ a year selling paper — here's how ft. Quynh Nguyen

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:30:23 +0000

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 she’s 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

Ep. 73: The truth about building a media business in 2025 ft. Stefan von Imhof

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 10:30:21 +0000

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast we're 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/alts_co/ 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

Ep. 72: Grow your audience like a $23B company ft. Jonathan Hunt

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:30:26 +0000

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're 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

Ep. 71: Inside the inbox of 40,000 engineering leaders ft. Suraj Kapoor

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:30:33 +0000

This week we're 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, what's 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

Ep. 70: She's cracked the creator community code ft. Milly Tamati

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:30:18 +0000

This week we're 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 what's next is fine

Ep. 69: How to make a $100k newsletter business with no budget ft. Landon Huslig

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:30:47 +0000

This week we’re 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

Ep. 68: How to build a 6-figure newsletter business ft. Nathan May

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:30:18 +0000

This week on Creator Spotlight we're 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/_May_Ham 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 It’s 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 can’t 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

Ep. 67: The future of creator journalism ft. Liz Kelly Nelson

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:30:20 +0000

The week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're 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 Don't make these mistakes as a creator journalist #podcast #creatoreconomy #journalism

Ep. 66: From 10k to 100k in 12 months — without growth hacks ft. Sydney Graham

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 10:30:12 +0000

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 shouldn't chase trends 31:48 Sewing content is growing - here's 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

Ep. 65: From side hustle to 500K+ followers and a global business ft. Tom Fishburne

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 10:15:59 +0000

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 2000’s 15:05 It’s not the ink, it’s 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 shouldn’t 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

Ep. 64: The strategy behind building a 80,000+ impact-driven community ft. Tiffany Yu

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 10:30:33 +0000

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're 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 __ Tiffany's 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

Ep. 63: The creator earning $250k+ posting on LinkedIn ft. Jayde Powell

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:30:13 +0000

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're 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, she's 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 Jayde's interview with Buffer: https://buffer.com/resources/creators-unlocked-jayde-powell/ Natalia's 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 don't 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

Ep. 62: He can 10x views in any YouTube niche ft. Kevin Jon

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:30:24 +0000

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're 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

Ep. 61: She lost her job. Then built a community of 10,000+ ft. Melanie Ehrenkranz

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 10:30:24 +0000

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 Melanie's 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

Ep. 60: Ex-YouTube employee reveals the secrets behind viral videos ft. Hayley Rose

Tue, 27 May 2025 10:30:24 +0000

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 — it’s not what you think 00:08:05 YouTube's 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 Hayley's 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 employee's thoughts on the algorithm 01:01:50 Tactical advice for creators #podcast #creatoreconomy #youtube

Ep. 59: How his $40K side hustle became a full-time career ft. Colin Rocker

Tue, 20 May 2025 10:30:19 +0000

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

Ep. 58: Why Brazil’s Biggest Podcaster Is Going Viral in the U.S. ft. Chico Felitti

Tue, 13 May 2025 10:30:27 +0000

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, 'Don't 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 'Don't 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 Brazilian's 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 Brazil's number one 36:50 The power of storytelling and the lives it can change 38:55 Chico Felitti's latest project #podcast #brasil #creatoreconomy

Ep. 57: She Listens to the Internet for a Living — Here’s What She’s Hearing ft. Jazmin Griffith

Tue, 06 May 2025 10:30:43 +0000

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're 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 Z's unique relationship with social media 38:45 Jazmin's social media evolution, from hobby to business-card 44:05 The difficulties of making content as a solo creator #podcast #creatoreconomy #socialmediamarketing

Ep. 56: Zero to Acquired: Building a $30K/Month Newsletter in 1 Year ft. Adam Biddlecombe

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:30:26 +0000

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. __ Adam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-bidd/ Adam's X/Twitter: https://x.com/Adam_Bidd Mindstream: https://www.mindstream.news __ 00:00 Introducing Adam and Mindstream 01:48 Adam's 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

Ep. 55: Why creators make the best entrepreneurs ft. Jesse Feister

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:30:32 +0000

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/ Jesse's '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 Jesse's mandate as Executive Director 03:37 How the Webby's 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 Webby's 30th year #creatoreconomy #podcast #webbys

Ep. 54: She built a 150K-member, $1M/year community ft. Grace Ling

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 10:30:28 +0000

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 Grace's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irungracepace Grace's 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 — what’s the breakdown? 18:18 Rizz as a service 20:39 Gatekeeping, use it wisely 22:40 How to spend $1M 24:49 LinkedIn’s 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

Ep. 53: How to Make a Living as a Creator — from a podcasting expert ft. Amanda McLoughlin

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:30:28 +0000

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. __________ Amanda's 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 doesn't 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 don't need platforms 00:56:13 Attach Your Résumé 01:01:46 What NOT to focus on as a creator #podcast #creatoreconomy #podcasting

Ep. 52: 125 days to make $10k/month ft. Thomas Yeum

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 10:30:17 +0000

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

Ep. 51: How creators unlock the future of American soccer ft. Kyle Sheldon

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:30:23 +0000

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 Pathway's 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

Ep. 50: 1 year and 190k subscribers later: An all-in bet on indie media ft. Phil Rosen

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:30:14 +0000

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 Phil's 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 journalism's rise over established media 13:49 Navigating the business side of journalism 18:22 The freedom of building a new business model 21:40 Phil's 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

Ep. 49: The best time to be a writer is NOW ft. Leigh Stein

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 11:30:11 +0000

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/ Leigh's Website: https://www.leighstein.com/ 00:00 Leigh's 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 Leigh's journey through the literary world 27:25 We're 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 Leigh's upcoming projects 52:27 Advice for other creators #creatoreconomy #podcast #booktok

Ep. 48: How to Make a Living as a Podcaster in 2025 ft. Eric Silver

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:30:24 +0000

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 Green's best interview #podcast #creatoreconomy #podcasting

Ep. 47: Making the internet a better place ft. Matt Brown

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 11:30:10 +0000

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

Ep. 46: "I'm not a creator, I'm a writer" ft. Alicia Kennedy

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:17 +0000

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

Ep. 45: He's a social media Swiss Army Knife ft. Kofie Yeboah

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:30:11 +0000

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. He's here to tell us how he does it all. Kofie: @KofieWhy 00:00 Introducing Kofie Yeboah 01:25 Kofie's early introduction to sports 05:35 The evolution from long-form to short-form 10:21 TikTok's 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 Kofie's relationship with different sports leagues 48:33 The path to 100k subscribers #podcast #creatoreconomy #youtuber

Ep. 44: She broke YouTube’s algorithm with a 9-minute lie ft. Jenna Stoeber

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 11:30:11 +0000

This week Francis is joined by Jenna Stoeber (@the_jenna), a video essayist and content creator known for her deep dives into video game and media culture. Jenna's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_jenna/ Jenna's 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

Ep. 43: Meet the activist who tripled his revenue in 1 year

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 11:30:31 +0000

This week, Francis is joined by Henry Winslow, founder and writer of Tricycle Day, a newsletter focused on psychedelics research, policy, and business. Francis interviewed Henry exactly one year ago, and this conversation is centred around Henry's 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

Ep. 42: The blueprint for growing your business online ft. Matt McGarry

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:30:15 +0000

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 Matt's 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

Ep. 41: How a journalist becomes an entrepreneur ft. Lindsey Stanberry

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 11:30:15 +0000

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 Creator's 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

Ep. 40: How to build a media company: Use streetwear brand tactics

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 11:30:13 +0000

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

Ep. 39: How to make $100k+ as a local news creator ft. Michael Kauffman

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:30:16 +0000

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

Ep. 38: He's helped creators earn $200M — here's how ft. John Hu

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 11:30:19 +0000

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/ John's 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

Ep. 37: 10+ years in media, 1 piece of advice ft. Workweek's Adam Ryan

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 11:30:12 +0000

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/adamry_n 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

Ep. 36: Making big bucks with a small audience ft. Lex Roman

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 11:30:41 +0000

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/ Lex's 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

Ep. 35: Being an idiot will make you a better writer ft. Alex Dobrenko

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:30:18 +0000

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 Alex's 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

Ep. 34: Behaving Badly and Going Viral ft. Penn Weinberger

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:30:21 +0000

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; they’ve 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

Ep. 33: Discovering an Untapped Market Worth $30k a Month ft. Rameel Sheikh

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:30:08 +0000

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. Rameel’s 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

Ep. 32: The YouTube space race ft. Swapna Krishna

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:30:15 +0000

Today’s guest is Swapna Krishna, creator of @adastraspace a YouTube channel and beehiiv newsletter about space. She’s 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 Swapna's Journey Through the Content Creation World 22:22 The Differences in Solo Creating and Working in a Team 30:25 All of Swapna's Projects 31:50 Production Process: From Idea to Execution 41:58 The Relationships with Swapna's Different Audiences 48:34 Space-X's Media Dominance 50:40 The Monetization 54:25 Defining Goals and Editorial Mandate #podcast #creatoreconomy #space

Ep. 31: 1 million YouTube subscribers (twice) ft. Alex Emery

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 10:30:20 +0000

Today’s guest is Alex Emery, a creative director and content strategist who spent the first 8 years of his career at Sky Sports before leaving 2 years ago to work with creators. His first client was John Nellis, a YouTuber with 5,000 followers at the time — they’ve since increased that number to 1.74 million and counting, and Alex is working with John full-time. 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

Ep. 30: Lifestyle over empire ft. Caitlin Dewey

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 10:30:46 +0000

Today’s guest is Caitlin Dewey, creator if Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends, a newsletter she started nearly 11 years ago, when she was the social media reporter for the Washington Post. She wrote it for 2 years, taking a 4-year break before bringing it back in 2020; earlier this year, she decided to go all-in and make it her main gig. We spoke about the particular challenges of being a creator-journalist, how to write an actually good links aggregation newsletter, and choosing to build a lifestyle business instead of a media empire. 00:00 Introducing Caitlin Dewey 03:27 The Origins 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 Substack's Shift in Business Model 50:13 The Craft of an Aggregation Newsletter 53:19 Fake News Is Now Just News

Ep. 29: "Posting content on the internet changed my life" ft. Tommy Clark

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:50:22 +0000

Today’s guest is Tommy Clark, creator of the Social Files newsletter, founder of Compound Content Studio, and a B2B social media expert. He started making content for his nutrition coaching business while still a college student, in 2018 — he never set out to build a career in content. Five years later, he has an agency on track to make over $1 million this year. 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 Intro music produced by J. and Doug Organ

Ep. 28 He sold his newsletter then bought it back for $1 ft. Ryan Gilbert of Workspaces

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:30:25 +0000

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

Ep. 27: The anti-Gary Vaynerchuk social media resource ft. Rachel Karten of Link in Bio

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:50:21 +0000

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

Ep. 26: How to monetize a digital media business ft. Michelle Curb of Gloria

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 10:30:18 +0000

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 don’t 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

Ep. 25: Building a career in soccer journalism ft. Theo Lloyd-Hughes of Squad Depth

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 10:30:27 +0000

Theo Lloyd-Hughes joins us for episode 25 of The Creator Spotlight Podcast -- he is a journalist specialising in women's soccer/football. He has a newsletter and podcast called Squad Depth, he produces The Athletic's 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

Ep. 24: Reflecting on one year running a daily design newsletter ft. Cole Derochie

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:30:26 +0000

Cole Derochie joins us for episode 24 of the Creator Spotlight podcast. Cole writes a daily newsletter keeping designers up-to-date with what's going on in the world of design. Cole's newsletter: todayin.design Cole's 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

Ep. 23: Zero to 820k newsletter subscribers in 3 years ft. Sean Devlin of Nice News

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:30:28 +0000

Today’s guest is Sean Devlin, a media entrepreneur whose Nice News newsletter has, in less than three years, gone from 0 to 820k subscribers. The company currently has a team of seven full-time employees, plus at least four freelancers — and it’s been profitable for just under one year. 00:00 Building a 800k subscriber newsletter 08:53 The biggest mistakes when designing a newsletter 12:26 Why it’s 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? Intro music produced by J. and Doug Organ.

Ep. 22: Building a serious, sustainable media business ft. Ambreen Ali

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 10:30:25 +0000

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

Ep. 21: How $5–7.5k turns into 10.8 million views ft. Glennda Baker

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 19:20:00 +0000

Today’s guest is Glennda Baker, a real estate agent from Atlanta who has become a social media star over the last four years. After a couple of false starts, her content marketing play has turned into a full-fledged media business. 00:00 Glennda Baker, TikTok's favorite realtor 05:58 How Glennda Baker makes 30-50 videos per month 26:18 Sharing your life online — what about the family? 35:16 Glennda’s newsletter — working with a writing partner 40:57 The business of being Glennda Baker (business is good) 43:57 Creating social media videos is better than creating reality TV Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 20: Is the internet getting better or worse? (ft. Ernie Smith of Tedium)

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 13:43:54 +0000

Today's guest, Ernie Smith, has been writing for the internet for 15 years. He's been writing his current newsletter, Tedium, for almost 10. We spoke about his approach to newslettering, turning down money from Substack, and making cool stuff for the internet purely for the sake of it. 00:00 Who is Ernie Smith? 01:30 Why (and how) Ernie coded his newsletter himself 05:35 Has personality been stripped from the internet? 12:44 How Ernie grew his audience 15:20 UDM14 — Google without all the fluff 18:56 Ernie’s approach to side projects 31:39 Is the creator economy good for the internet? 41:28 Hopes for the future of the internet 45:10 What’s next for Ernie? Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 19: Building a high-value network by podcasting and newslettering

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 11:42:09 +0000

Today’s guest, Justin Gordon, seems to have more energy to expend in a day than we do in a week. Literally: we put out one ~50min podcast episode per week; he once put out one ~50min podcast episode per day for 112 days straight. Justin has been a podcaster, vlogger, producer, and newsletterist, sometimes all at once, for the last 12 years. In this episode: 00:00 Who is Justin Gordon? 01:24 Lessons from 500+ interviews 04:30 Podcasting every day for 112 days 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 he's ever done 39:43 Advice for podcasters and writers Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 18: The Charli D'Amelio of newsletters (ft. Kate Lindsay)

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:30:30 +0000

Kate Lindsay is a freelance writer and newsletter editor whose own newsletter, Embedded, is pushing 35k subscribers. She's one of the best people out there writing about the internet for the internet. This is an episode about why more newsletters should be run by two people, an indie newsletter born from a shuttered publication, and paying NYC rent with premium newsletter subscriptions. 00:00 Who is Kate and what is Embedded? 05:33 How Embedded evolved from a killed publication 09:56 Kate's other projects (as a newsletter editor and writer) 13:35 Blowing up with the Millennial Pause 16:44 Being an editor vs. a writer 19:09 What is a newsletter? What is a creator? 27:42 The stats — how to grow a newsletter 34:22 Are creators the new journalists? 38:49 Advice for online creators Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 17: A 13-year-long bet to become a creator-entrepreneur

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 10:30:21 +0000

Today’s guest, Andrew Southworth, always wanted to become a musician. To do so, he became a mechanical engineer. Last year he quit his day job to make music and help other people market their music full time. He does YouTube, newsletters, courses, he has an agency — he does it all. We spoke about: 📆 A 13-year long bet to become a creator-entrepreneur 🪴 How to diversify, effectively, as a creator 🤔 Can you over -diversify? 00:00 Andrew Southworth's many businesses 04:27 When to hire as a creator 07:47 How Andrew makes money 09:42 16 years of being a YouTuber 19:33 Why Andrew started a newsletter 22:47 Andrew's future plans and dreams 25:10 Advice for other creators

Ep. 16: Acquiring a newsletter ft. Akhil Chauhan of TWJN

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 17:05:39 +0000

Today’s guest is Akhil Chauhan, who runs The Writer’s Job Newsletter (TWJN). But he didn’t create the newsletter — he acquired it. Akhil has been running TWJN solo (besides occasional social media help) for two years. The guy he bought it from ran it for only one year. We spoke about: 💰️ The economics of a newsletter acquisition 🤐 Keeping his personality (mostly) out of the newsletter 🤝 Pulling off a seamless handoff after acquiring the newsletter 🧑‍💼 Being accountable to subscribers who rely on the newsletter for jobs 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 Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 15: Peter Ramsey of Built for Mars

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:55:17 +0000

Today’s guest is Peter Ramsey. He runs Built for Mars, a UX consultancy and content library he started almost by accident after the company he founded during university was acquired in 2018. I was drawn both to his story and the undeniable quality of his content. Peter is a rare type — an obsessively detailed researcher but not pedantic about it. He’s just as talented at spinning that research into fun, useful, and easy-to-digest narratives. In this episode: 00:00 Who is Peter Ramsey and what is Built for Mars 05:30 The MrBeast 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 Peter’s 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 Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 14: Caitlin Murray of @bigtimeadulting

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 17:37:37 +0000

Today’s guest is Caitlin Murray, better known by her Instagram handle @bigtimeadulting. After her son was diagnosed with leukemia in 2016, she started writing about it to friends and family — nearly 8 years later, she has 1.4 million Instagram followers. It’s a great story. In today’s episode: 00:00 The origin story 05:50 How to gain over 1 million followers 10:15 The 4 chapters of @bigtimeadulting 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 Monetizing as a creator 38:31 Starting and building a newsletter 47:45 Having multiple monetization streams 51:53 Advice lightning round Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 13: Tyler O'Shea, creator of Joker Mag

Thu, 30 May 2024 11:30:19 +0000

Today's guest is Tyler O’Shea, creator of Joker Mag, a website and newsletter about sports underdogs. He started the project in that “what am I gonna do with my life” period after graduating college. Nearly 7 years of posting later, he’s still doing it as a side project, but it’s also led him to a career in SEO (search engine optimization). In this episode, we talk about: 🐶 Learning how to write for the internet 🌟 What writing and posting content online can do for you 🔎 How posting led Tyler to discover and start working in SEO 📱 How to figure out which social media platform is most useful for you Note: Yes, Francis' sound is slightly off in this episode. Good thing Tyler does most of the talking! 00:00 Tyler’s motivation and the mentality of a creator 05:37 The inspiration to start writing 08:40 Is Google’s AI killing SEO? 11:36 The average Joker Mag reader 14:44 Finding 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 monetization 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 Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 12: Kate Samuelson, co-creator of Cheapskate London

Thu, 23 May 2024 15:43:15 +0000

Today's 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 they’ve 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 Kate’s career 30:45 The stats - how to grow an audience 38:42 Kate’s unique referral program 41:58 Monetisation 52:49 Advice for newsletter creators Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ. #podcast #creatoreconomy #london

Ep. 11: Haya Kaylani, creator of The Deep Dive

Thu, 16 May 2024 15:54:06 +0000

Today's 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. She’s 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 Haya’s 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

Ep. 10: PJ Milani, creator of the Visual I.D.E.A.s Newsletter

Thu, 09 May 2024 14:58:07 +0000

Today's guest is PJ Milani, a high school animation teacher recently turned social media star. He’s 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.

Ep. 9: Ryan Broderick, creator of Garbage Day

Thu, 02 May 2024 15:25:44 +0000

Ryan Broderick is the creator of Garbage Day, “A newsletter about having fun online.” He’s among the most popular journalists-turned-newsletter-creators out there. It’s 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.

In this episode we discuss:

📰 There’s (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.

Ep. 8: Jared Dashevsky, creator of Healthcare Huddle

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:02:29 +0000

Jared Dashevsky runs Healthcare Huddle, a twice-weekly newsletter for physicians and other healthcare professionals. In just over four years, he’s built an audience of 30,000. He’s 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 newsletter’s “true fans”
✍️ Creating a sustainable newsletter workflow
🧠 Jared’s four key lessons from four years of newslettering
↩️ Pivoting from a B2C to B2B audience

Intro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Ep. 7: Arielle Nissenblatt, creator of EarBuds Podcast Collective

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:20:14 +0000

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.

Ep. 6: Ryan Sneddon, creator of Naptown Scoop

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:52:36 +0000

Ryan Sneddon runs Naptown Scoop, a local newsletter serving Annapolis, Maryland. In three-and-a-half years, he’s built an audience of over 18,000 (nearly half the town’s 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 newsletter’s ad spots
👀 The Scoop’s simple and incredibly effective referral system
📈 Ryan’s plans to increase revenue by 175% this year

Ep. 5: Ali Abassi, creator of AI for Work

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 13:43:42 +0000

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.

Ep. 4: Andrew Huang, author of Make Your Own Rules

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:14:54 +0000

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

Ep. 3: Casey Lewis of After School

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:01:57 +0000

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 (2016–2019) • 📭 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.

Ep. 2: Eric Cantor and Adam Katz of Vincent

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:48:56 +0000

Eric, alongside Slava Rubin (host of the Smart Humans podcast), co-founded Vincent in 2019 as an aggregator platform for alternative investment opportunities. It's 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

Ep. 1: Hannah Williams of Salary Transparent Street

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 15:02:58 +0000

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 and 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 C’s” 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