The Creator Spotlight Podcast

Brittany Ratelle, a lawyer specializing in creator law, shares invaluable insights for creatives navigating the legal landscape. She uncovers common pitfalls like brand deal red flags and emphasizes the importance of clearly defined contracts. Brittany advises on when to form an LLC and offers tips on maintaining audience trust amidst sponsorships. She also delves into copyright issues with remix content and highlights the significance of building portable assets like email lists. Prepare to learn how to protect your creative business!

Join the team for a lively discussion on the future of the creator economy. They predict a rise in in-person communities and explore the growing significance of serialized content in audience engagement. Discover how creator models are shifting with fan investments and project-based collaborations. The group also predicts a decline in less focused podcasts and highlights the importance of local networks over global groups. Plus, learn why crafting creators are building deep loyalty among their followers.

Rachel Lobdell, Executive Director of News Creator Corps, leads a discussion alongside Katie Grossbard, a creator and strategist, and Danielle Desir Corbett, a podcaster focusing on travel and finance. They delve into how creators can learn from journalism to improve trust and credibility. Topics include the importance of fact-checking, transparency, and community-building. They also explore the challenges of misinformation and the unique role of creators in fostering accurate information, emphasizing that trust is essential for long-term monetization.

Brett Dashevsky, founder of Creator Economy NYC, shares his journey of building a six-figure newsletter and events business for creators. He discusses overcoming initial challenges and the importance of community and consistency in growing his audience. Brett reveals how events enhance monetization and foster lasting brand partnerships. With insights into engagement metrics and revenue breakdown, he emphasizes the balance between creativity and business. His advice? Write passionately and prioritize consistency to thrive as a creator.

Tomo Chien, the founder of 'Morning, Trojan,' shares his journey in local journalism focused on USC. He reveals how he disrupted the student media landscape by embracing originality over aggregation to attract over 10,000 subscribers. Tomo discusses the power of a controversial tone, using engagement tactics to convert interest into loyal readers. He shares insights on the importance of concise content and maintaining a strong team. As he prepares to close the newsletter post-graduation, he reflects on his future ambitions and the evolving nature of creator journalism.

Nicolas Cole, a digital writer and influential figure in online writing education, joins to share his journey from Quora to co-founding successful programs like Ship 30 for 30. He discusses the secrets to scaling a writing business to $600k+ a month and the importance of accountability in education. Nicolas highlights the growing demand for ghostwriting and explains why many online courses fail due to lack of authentic experience. He also explores how AI is increasing the value of writing, emphasizing the blend of creativity and entrepreneurship.

Lia Haberman, a social media strategist and creator-economy expert, shares insights on why creators typically struggle to last beyond three to four years. She discusses the importance of focusing on evergreen content, how to identify valuable platform features, and the shifting landscape of social media. Lia emphasizes the need for creators to build businesses beyond brand deals and critiques platforms like Instagram for their lack of support. She predicts trends for 2026, highlighting the rise of mid-form video and LinkedIn while advising creators to pivot with changing trends.

In this episode, Tyler Denk, Co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, dives into the future of the content economy. He discusses beehiiv's evolution into an operating system for creators and the importance of reducing third-party tools. Tyler emphasizes lowering barriers for creators with AI-driven website solutions and built-in analytics. He shares growth tactics from his newsletter, Big Desk Energy, and the significance of their ad network for monetization. This conversation illuminates innovative strategies for thriving in today's creator landscape.

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 NastjaYouTubeBlogInstagramTikTokFacebookPinterestFrancis ZiererLinkedInTwitter/X__Timstamps00:00:00 Introducing Nastja Mohren00:01:37 Going full-time on YouTube00:06:08 The 7 revenue streams00:12:14 The art of integrating brand deals00:22:49 Which platform is most valuable?00:24:30 The value of a blog in 202500:32:27 Why choose Google AdSense?00:37:31 Building packages for advertisers00:40:57 Crafting a specific audience00:52:00 The 80/20 principle of video production01:00:08 Collaborating with the creator community

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 JoonYouTubeTwitter/XInstagramTikTokWebsiteFollow FrancisLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Joon Lee01:15 From tech YouTuber to sports journalist06:49 Preparing to be a YouTuber13:02 Indie creator bootcamp17:05 What should new creators focus on?22:58 The process of making high-quality YouTube videos33:19 Making revenue and maintaining ethics40:56 The most valuable asset as a creator is trust44:55 Building relationships in the creator economy50:30 The hardest part of YouTube