Creator Economy Live

Send us a textWelcome back to Creator Economy Live, your go-to podcast for everything influencer marketing and the creator economy. Hosts Keith Bendes and Brendan Gahan are back with another exciting episode, bringing you the latest in the world of media, creators, and everything in between.First, a huge thank you to our incredible sponsors at Linqia and the amazing production team over at Creator Economy Live.In this episode, we’re joined by Foster Kamer, a long-time friend, writer, editor, photographer, and media strategist. Foster’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and more. He’s also an OG Gawker alum and now serves as Editorial Director at Futurism, where he’s shaping the future of media. He’s been anthologized in The Best American Food Writing and regularly shares his insights on his Substack, FosterTalk. If you’re a regular listener, you’ve probably heard us mention him before!Foster joins us to discuss the evolution of media, the intersection of traditional and emerging media, and what it’s like to navigate the changing landscape as a creator.

Send us a textIn this episode of Creator Economy Live, hosts Keith Bendes and Brendan Gahan catch up on the latest trends in influencer marketing and the creator economy. They dive into March Madness NIL deals, TikTok’s latest updates, and Amazon shutting down Inspire. Plus, they discuss Instagram's new ad format, YouTube’s AI Shorts integration, and more.The episode features a conversation with Adam Ornelas, Influencer Lead at DoorDash, who shares his experience working with major brands like Coinbase, Chipotle, and Whole Foods. Adam talks about his approach to influencer marketing, real-time partnerships, and the skyrocketing influencer rates. He also discusses his role in major brand activations like the Super Bowl and shares insights on the evolving creator economy landscape.Wrapping up with the Creator of the Week and Brand of the Week, Keith and Brendan highlight top creators and innovative brands shaping the space.

Kim Larson, Global MD & Head of YouTube Creators at Google and former CMO at Jamba Juice and brand lead at Nike, dives into the evolving landscape of influencer marketing. She discusses why brands still lean towards Instagram and TikTok over YouTube despite its growth. The conversation explores the tension between long-form and short-form content, as well as innovative strategies like 'Creator Ads.' Larson emphasizes storytelling's role in marketing and how it shapes creator partnerships, making for an engaging peek into the future of digital content.

Send us a textLive from Creator Economy Live 2025 in Las Vegas, Keith & Brendan are joined by Jon Youshaei — former Instagram & YouTube insider turned full-time creator. After spending nearly a decade building creator teams at the biggest platforms, Jon took the leap to go solo. In this episode, he reveals why he left his dream job, how he landed interviews with icons like MrBeast, Logan Paul, Marques Brownlee, and Charli D’Amelio, and why he doubled down on high-quality production in a world of raw content. We also dive into the brand-creator paradox—should companies invest deeply in a few influencers or spread their bets? Plus, Jon shares his take on the battle between short-form vs. long-form content, why brands are still spending more on TikTok & Instagram despite YouTube's superior monetization, and some juicy behind-the-scenes stories from his biggest interviews. 

Marissa Kraines, a marketing executive with a rich background in the music industry and as former VP of Social & Content Marketing at Salesforce, shares her journey from music to marketing. She discusses the evolving social media landscape, highlighting Meta's new features for creators. Marissa emphasizes the importance of community-driven marketing and authentic relationships. The conversation also touches on innovative strategies in influencer marketing, the future of marketing leadership, and insights from an upcoming live event, bringing excitement for the creator economy.

Send us a textIn this episode of Creator Economy Live, Keith Bendes and Brendan Gahan sit down with bestselling author and adventurer Michael Easter. From the secrets behind The Comfort Crisis to navigating the transition from traditional media to thriving as a modern creator, Michael shares how stepping outside your comfort zone can unlock extraordinary performance. Plus, we dive into the latest industry news, from TikTok bans to Meta's shifts, and highlight creators and brands making waves. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation!Interested in attending Creator Economy Live? Join us this February 4-5 to see the podcast in action! Use code CELPOD20 at checkout to save 20% on your ticket price.

Send us a textIn our landmark 50th episode, hosts Keith Bendes and Brendan Gahan are joined by none other than Rachel Karten, the mastermind behind the beloved newsletter Link in Bio, with over 94k subscribers.We dive into Rachel's journey from brand social media expert to independent creator, discuss her eye-opening survey findings, and uncover her top predictions for 2025. Plus, Keith and Brendan share their own bold forecasts for the year ahead, touching on AI video, creator-driven content, hybrid compensation models, and more.COW/BOW (creator of the week & brand of the week)Creator of the week (COW) Keith: Elisha Zepeda (ez.bookdesign) - On TikTok, the book cover designer brings 400K followers behind the scenes by sharing the briefs he receives from publishers, the resulting cover options, and the ultimate winners. Brendan: Walker Ward (aka Walkedsauce42_) a big burly dude who does a ton of hilarious impressions - like GRWM but he’s but he’s using tongs instead of a hair dryer, peanut butter instead of makeup. Or he’ll pretend to be some coked up Chad/Finance bro. He’s got these persona’s down. Rachel: Paper Eats - set made of construction paper Brand of the week Keith: Honey is being torn apart right now online as their business model is being called “an adpocalypse” for creators. On December 22, YouTuber MegaLag posted a bombshell exposé that accused Honey of snatching creators’ commissions by replacing their affiliate links with its own. LegalEagle just filed a class action lawsuit. Brendan: Notion/Snoop campaign Rachel: Topicals Follow Keith: Meta’s moves this year in affiliate and AI video generation with the release of Movie Gen One Billion Users is a card game that lets players launch their own social media network and compete with influencers—has blown past its Kickstarter goal by earning over $60,000 in funding. There are troll cards, influencer cards, follower cards, etc. Brendan: https://www.instagram.com/winniedapointer Rachel: Michael Freund Law on Twitter  ✨ Special Offer: Use code CELPOD20 for 20% off tickets to our Creator Economy Live event this February 4-5 in Vegas!

Send us a textWelcome to Creator Economy Live’s festive holiday edition! In this special episode, we’re celebrating the year by revisiting The 12 Stories in Social—the top moments that shaped the creator economy in 2024. Inspired by "The 12 Days of Christmas," we take a creative spin through the stories that mattered most: The rise of creators on big screens New metrics driving social platform success Social media's influence on politics The women dominating online conversations And much more!Keith and Brendan also share their bold predictions for 2025, including the explosion of live-stream shopping, hybrid compensation models, and the LinkedIn influencer boom.Plus, don’t miss their picks for Creator of the Year and Brand of the Year, celebrating those who redefined the industry.As a bonus, we’re only six weeks away from the annual Creator Economy Live Conference in Vegas! Get your tickets now and join us for a live podcast recording featuring a surprise guest.Tune in to wrap up 2024 and gear up for an even bigger 2025!COY/BOY (creator of the year & brand of the year)  Creator of the year (COY) Keith: Jools Lebron Brendan: Natalie + Hawk Tuah + Rogan (kingmaker) Brand of the year (BOY) Keith: Cerave (Michael Cera campaign)Brendan:  Nvidia

Send us a textKeith Bendes and Brendan Gahan are back for Episode 48 of Creator Economy Live! This week, we unpack the ripple effects of the TikTok ban and Kai Cenat’s record-breaking Twitch “Mafiathon.” Plus, Instagram’s Trial Reels, LinkedIn’s boosted posts, and how brands like Away and Puresport are shaking up influencer marketing. Our guest, Josh Cohen, co-founder of Tubefilter and the Streamy Awards, takes us behind the curtain of digital media’s rise, sharing untold stories and his vision for the future of the creator economy. Don’t miss Creator and Brand of the Week highlights—featuring Stormi Steele, Kai Cenat, and Ground News. COW/BOW (creator of the week & brand of the week) Creator of the week (COW)- Keith: Content creator and Canvas Beauty founder Stormi Steele earned $2 million in a single livestream.- Brendan: Kai Cenat- Josh: Pokemon TV channel Brand of the week - Keith: Away x Celeb Lookalikes (Timothee Chalamet, Jeremy Allen)Puresport sent out empty boxes to creators and asked them to send back items from other gifting campaigns that they've never used, to donate to a charity - Brendan: Sprout Social, Land Rover- Josh: Ground News

Send us a textThis week, we’re thrilled to have Kaya Yurieff, the Team Lead on the Creator Economy at The Information and one of our favorite industry reporters. Kaya shares her journey from working at CNN with Jake Tapper to becoming a leading voice in the creator economy. We dive into how her team produces unparalleled insights daily, the evolving landscape of the creator space, and her bold predictions for 2025. Before Kaya joins, Keith and Brendan catch up on the latest news, including highlights from the LinkedIn Partner Summit, TikTok's new affiliate partners, and the myth-busting insights from Instagram's Adam Mosseri. Creator of the week (COW)- Keith: Fitness creator Maxx Chewning announced that he sold his candy brand, Sour Strips, to The Hershey Company.- Brendan: TalkingTalktuah 50k on IG, @cam__george and @peter.ditzler are host a Talk Tuah companion podcast.- Kaya: Josie Balka 600k instagram followersBrand of the week (BOW)- Keith: Sony just broke the record for most comments on a TikTok video - To promote The Last Dance (Venom movie)- Brendan: Anyone but Jaguar. Wharhol lookalikes. Channeling Ridley Scott’s famous 1984 ad. - Kaya: Samsung / mythical FAST channelFollow: - Keith: Visa announced it’s officially recognizing creators as small businesses- Brendan: Armie HammerTime podcast.- Kaya: Kylie Kelce podcast