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 three skills necessary to succeed as a creator.

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Links and References

• Check out the Webby Awards
• Read Jesse's AI and Creativity piece
• Follow the Webby Awards on X/Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
• Follow Jesse on LinkedIn and Instagram

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Timestamps

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