The Creator Spotlight Podcast

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.

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 publication09:56 Kate's other projects (as a newsletter editor and writer)13:35 Blowing up with the Millennial Pause16:44 Being an editor vs. a writer19:09 What is a newsletter? What is a creator?27:42 The stats — how to grow a newsletter34:22 Are creators the new journalists?38:49 Advice for online creatorsIntro music produced by J. & Doug Organ.

Andrew Southworth, a musician and creator-entrepreneur, shares his 13-year journey from mechanical engineer to full-time musician. He discusses his myriad of ventures, from YouTube to newsletters. Southworth explains the importance of diversifying income streams while cautioning against over-diversification. He reflects on his early YouTube days, the evolution of his audience, and how he balances personal life with creativity. Plus, he offers invaluable advice for aspiring creators on hiring help and maximizing creative outreach.

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 jobs00:00 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.