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 plansIntro music produced by J. and Doug Organ

This week we speak with Rachel Karten, the woman behind every social media manager's favorite newsletter, Link in Bio, and an excellent social media consultant herself. 00:00 Getting started with food Instagram04:39 Advice for working with brands09:02 Winning and judging Webby awards14:05 Building a newsletter for content creators, Link in Bio25:03 Growing an email audience of 65k+35:50 Being a good social media managerIntro music produced by J. and Doug Organ.

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 — she's been doing it for most of two decades.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

On today's pod we talk building a career in soccer journalism, the women's game, producing one of The Athletic's flagship podcasts ("Full Time with Meg Linehan"), and plenty more.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 Intro music produced by J. and Doug Organ

Cole Derochie, creator of the Today in Design newsletter, shares his intriguing journey from an accidental designer to a thriving content creator. He discusses the evolution of his daily design newsletter, emphasizing content curation and community engagement. Derochie reveals his strategies for writing efficiently and monetizing with sponsorships, while balancing family and professional commitments. Additionally, he highlights the importance of Twitter in growing his audience, with clever tips for boosting engagement and creating compelling content.

Sean Devlin, a media entrepreneur and founder of Nice News, shares his inspiring journey from zero to 820k newsletter subscribers in just three years. He reveals the biggest mistakes in newsletter design and why positive content is essential in today’s media landscape. Sean discusses strategies to engage subscribers effectively and the role of social media in audience growth. He also dives into monetization tactics and emphasizes the importance of unique, uplifting stories. A must-listen for aspiring newsletter creators!

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 Intro music produced by J. and Doug Organ

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 realtor05:58 How Glennda Baker makes 30-50 videos per month26:18 Sharing your life online — what about the family?35:16 Glennda’s newsletter — working with a writing partner40:57 The business of being Glennda Baker (business is good)43:57 Creating social media videos is better than creating reality TVIntro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

In this conversation, Ernie Smith, an experienced writer with a decade's worth of insights from his newsletter Tedium, shares his unique journey in online content creation. He dives into the technical challenges of coding newsletters and why he prefers DIY over platforms. Ernie laments the fading personality of the internet amidst rising commercialization, while also discussing the delicate balance between creativity and structured deadlines. He contemplates the future of the creator economy, emphasizing the need for integrity and innovation in a saturated digital landscape.

Guest Justin Gordon shares insights from 12 years in podcasting, vlogging, producing, and newslettering. Topics include daily podcasting, lessons from 500+ interviews, starting a newsletter, making money as a creator, best and worst interviews, and advice for podcasters and writers.