The Future Belongs to Creators

Building a business from the ground up as a creator is no easy feat. Your success depends on a number of different things including your leadership, your team, and your strategy. Often, creators start without a blueprint and fail before they soar.Consultant and Creator of the online course, Notion Mastery, Marie Poulin, always considered her work style to be chaotic. But whatever she thought she lacked, she looked for those capabilities in her team. Marie was recently diagnosed with ADHD, which gave her a newfound appreciation for her small team's ability to take initiative and stay organized. Like many creators, Marie has a stream of ideas and is always tempted to reinvent herself. It took a few awkward hires before building a stellar team and she freestyled her marketing efforts before committing to a strategy. She eventually found her flow and more importantly a funnel that helped her stay consistent in her outreach, grow her business, and diversify her content to unlock new possibilities.In this episode, Charli and Miguel talk with Marie about cultivating a supportive team as a creator with ADHD and optimizing her business strategy with ConvertKit.Key Takeaways [00:44] - Have you heard? [00:55] - Instagram scaling back its underperforming shop feature. [02:24] - Notion added a new feature called team spaces. [02:44] - Circle announced they are adding a course platform. [03:53] - Today's main topic: Cultivating a creative environment with Marie Poulin. [04:01] - Marie speaks about her course Notion Mastery. [04:37] - Roles that Marie decided to hire for in her business. [06:37] - How Marie cultivated her team that represents her vision. [13:39] - How the funnel worked for Marie. [18:14] - Marie's strategy to get people interested in her templates. [23:33] - How the audience responded when Marie diversified her content. [27:05] - Why leaning too hard on one service can be dangerous for business. [30:54] - Improvements Marie has in mind for her funnel. Quotes[09:50] - “Part of it is just recognizing talent in other people and noticing those gaps, and asking myself, can we work together? What are the things that matter to be similar and what are the things where I need to hire for the gap?” ~ @mariepoulin[12:45] - “I want people to feel like they can't believe that they get paid to do this work.” ~ @mariepoulin[23:22] - “I do encourage creators, don't be afraid to experiment with your wording, the phrasing, how you talk about what you do and see what forms actually convert better.” ~ @mariepoulinLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Marie Poulin Marie Poulin Twitter Marie Poulin Instagram Marie Poulin YouTube Notion Mastery Instagram Meta Notion Snapchat WeTalk Circle YouTube Salesforce Twitter Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for free.With ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

The greatest form of flattery you can get as a content creator is when your audience consistently engages with your content. The 2022 ConvertKit study showed that the average email open rate is only 33%, so how do you break through the noise to get people begging for more? Blogger, content creator, and educator Khe Hy, blows that statistic out of the water with a 50% open rate on his newsletter. Khe quit a cushy desk job on Wall Street to dive into the uncertainty of being a creator and entrepreneur. As many creators know, keeping people engaged is not easy when inspiration and passion wane. But Khe uses a formula that he thinks is foolproof. He spends time creating a solid subject line and consistently puts out great content by harnessing the power of social proofing on Twitter and newsjacking trending pop culture topics instead of reinventing the wheel. In this episode, Charli, Miguel, and Haley talk to Khe about quitting his Wall Street desk job to become a creator and his strategies for writing a great email subject line.Key Takeaways [02:03] - Have you heard? [02:12] - School is back in! [02:53] - Haley and the team will be in Orlando for FinCon. [03:49] - Snapchat is laying off 20% of its workforce. [05:44] - Twitter piloted Twitter Circles. [06:46] - Jay Clouse sells complete tear-downs of brands and websites. [09:02] - Today's Main Topic: How to create engaging headlines and subject lines. [09:15] - An intro to Khe and Rad Reads. [11:25] - Market rate for newsletter open rates. [14:15] - Factors that contribute to Khe's high open rate. [16:27] - How Khe proofs his headlines. [18:32] - How to use Twitter to test the idea for a headline. [31:46] - How Khe tailors his content. [36:43] - Increase the open rate for creators. [43:15] - Khe shouts out the book, “Getting Things Done”. Quotes[09:25] - “I basically had a midlife crisis at 35 years old and I'm like, I'm not going to do this desk job forever. It all started and still continues with email. Our mission is to help professionals lead a more productive, examined, and joyful life. And we do that through writing, through storytelling, and our main business is online courses.” ~ @khemaridh[15:00] - “You just become a part of people's behavior. And habit. And that's by consistency and delivering value.” ~ @khemaridh[34:45] - “Stop trying to put [thought leadership and SEO] all into one. You'll be a jack of all trades, master of none. You're going to not be great at SEO. Your readers are going to find it boring. And you're not going to have fun writing it.”  ~ @khemaridhLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Khe Hy LinkedIn Khe Hy Twitter Rad Reads FinCon Apple Snapchat Meta Facebook Twitter Jay Clouse Gmail Cardi B Leonardo DiCaprio Getting Things Done Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone, or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for free.With ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Creators strive to be authentic, but it's not easy navigating the nuances of your second language while being yourself. Content creator, mentor, and Meta product designer Sara Brunettini realized that if she wanted to grow her audience she had to shake off the fear of looking “silly”. Sara is from Italy and she put off learning English until she moved to the UK. She quickly learned that if she wanted to tap into the opportunities in the English-speaking creator economy she needed to take the leap and make content in English. It felt uncomfortable at first but she learned to embrace her accent as a strength and differentiator rather than a weakness. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel talk with Sara about the impacts of being a multilingual or bilingual creator who makes content for an English-speaking audience. Key Takeaways [00:55] - Have you heard? [01:10] - Snapchat has hit 1,000,000 paid subscribers. [04:30] - Instagram is now a video tool and apps like LinkedIn are following suit. [07:13] - Jay Clouse hit his annual goal of members for his creator community, The Lab. [07:51] - Today's main topic: How speaking English as a second language impacts creators. [07:58] - An intro to Sara's content creation and her main streams of income. [11:31] - How Sara decided to create content in English instead of Italian with help from her boyfriend. [16:18] - The impact of creating content in a second language. [23:24] - Choosing a dominant language for the content you create. [25:33] - The creator economy in Italy. [27:24] - Accents overshadowing the content created. [29:53] - Building an audience in the U.S. vs. Europe. [32:55] - The benefit of being based outside the U.S. as a content creator. [36:41] - Changing the mindset of supporting creators from different countries that speak different languages. [41:56] - The importance of sabbaticals. [45:56] - A sneak peek at the next episode. Quotes[04:48] - “LinkedIn has done a pretty good job of catering to the creator community because the creator economy is where the future is.” - @HaleyJanicek[19:03] - “I think it also gave me strength because just moving to a new country where you don't speak the language and everything is really difficult. You want to even be on YouTube, that's like a lot harder for you. And I don't know Charlie if it's the same for you, but living in a country where it's not your first language is very challenging.” - @sara_brunettini  [34:10] - “People always admire when I talk about my story and the fact that I changed countries looking for new opportunities. I'm sort of like a hero for my other Italian fellas. You can show them that you don't need to live in a cool big city in the U.S. to succeed.” - @sara_brunettiniLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube @sara_brunettini Sara Brunettini Youtube Sara Brunettini Snapchat Instagram LinkedIn Jay Clouse Youtube The Culture Map Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

As creators, an entrepreneurial spirit often lends itself to fantastic work. Unfortunately, that entrepreneurial energy also makes it difficult for us to justify taking time off. And regardless of your job title, profession, or proclivity for side hustles, it's no secret that the hustle culture instilled in us by today's world means taking time off can feel like a step backward rather than a productive step forward. Both back from month-long sabbaticals, Charli and Haley can speak to the “productivity” they experienced by shutting their eyes, shutting their screens, and silencing their slack notifications for an extended period of time. Not just a luxurious perk of working for ConvertKit, Charli and Haley's break became a necessary escape from the day-to-day pressures of work and an essential reset before embarking on new ventures.In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the challenges of finally taking a moment to unwind, how to ensure time off is actually time off, why vacations don't have to be luxurious to be restful, and why taking breaks is the best thing you can do for yourself, your business, and an audience hungry for more.Key Takeaways [01:33] - Have you heard? [01:37] - TikTok is launching a new e-commerce hub. [02:57] - YouTube just launched an updated editing UI to help creators quickly pivot to Shorts. [04:38] - Despite seeming like a one-man operation, MrBeast has a massive team, something we don't often realize of our favorite creators.  [06:20] - Today's main topic: The importance of taking a break as a creator.  [07:33] - Sometimes it takes a while to unwind when you finally close your laptop and decide to relax.  [09:19] - Breaks and sabbaticals are great ways to prepare yourself for a career transition. [10:23] - Staycations can be just as restful as fantasy, luxury vacations.  [12:24] - Use tech tools to your advantage. For instance, program Slack to send automated reminders to colleagues while you're away so you can fully check out without worrying about someone else's to-do list. [13:30] - In other words, checking out of work fully takes proper planning.  [16:50] - Breaks allow you to create new habits that you maybe didn't realize were missing from your typical routine.  [20:26] - Breaks also remind you how important your time is. Find ways to increase efficiencies when you're back up and running.  [22:13] - Taking a break can help you spot inefficiencies or anything that isn't serving you because it forces you out of the routine you've built.  [22:31] - Rest is just as productive as busyness.  [24:45] - The time and freedom of sabbatical gives many the freedom to launch a new venture. Having space to prioritize what's important is essential to taking the next step in your life and your career.  [26:32] - You may even discover new hobbies on a break.  [29:29] - As a creator, don't feel guilty for taking proper breaks. Pushing through burnout is not the best way to recover from burnout.  [30:21] - Figure out what periods in your business are slower and use that time to take a full, extended break.  [31:33] - Give your audience a heads up that you'll be on a complete break. Expectation setting gives you the freedom to enjoy time off without anyone nagging you for updates.  [33:51] - We all try and accomplish a lot before taking time off. Be OK with not crossing everything off your to-do list. Prioritize the work that will impact your business if it's left undone and don't stress about the rest.  [35:07] - Remember to submit a listener shoutout! ConvertKit Sponsor Network is an amazing new feature that even Charli's taken advantage of. Quotes[09:00] - “I think another thing I learned was that I needed more rest than I realized and that it wasn't until I did slow down that I noticed how tired I was and how burnt out I was. And that the break was not just a fun option for me but that it actually felt necessary.” ~ @charliprangley[15:04] - “Even though creating is something that I feel inspired to do and that gives me energy, it still takes a lot of energy to put into creating. And just because something's fun, doesn't mean it's not draining you and that you don't need a break from it.” ~ @charliprangley[21:10] - “I feel like in a weird way, sabbatical helped me prioritize my time again. It helped me recognize the importance of my time.”  ~ @haleyjani[22:32] - “There's this fallacy that we feel like the only way that we can be productive is if we're actually actively doing something. And we forget that not doing something can be just as helpful to a process.” ~ @miguelp.img Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube TikTok ByteDance  YouTube  MrBeast MrBeast Careers Page  Slack Charli Marie  CharliMarieTV Kindle Paperwhite Cole Haan Leather Case for Kindles Nike Adobe  Basecamp  FinCon 2022 Submit a listener shoutout  ConvertKit Sponsor Network Armando Roggio  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

When you're launching a business, it's easy to leave SEO on the backburner. But if you ever want your audience to actually find the content you're working so hard to create, mastering SEO (or at least understanding the basics) is a must.If you're confused about SEO, think about the first page of a Google search results page as Main Street: the block shoppers frequently find themselves on every time they're looking for a new product, service, or solution. The lower your website ranks, the more likely you are to end up in a back alley, or the results that emerge only after page one. Now think about how often shoppers trek to hidden alleyways on the hunt for a new pair of boots.The moral of the story is the last place you want your site to end up is the back alley. Or page two of a Google search results page. If your SEO tanks and your content is impossible to find online, the hard work you've put in to create stellar content goes straight out the window.In this episode, Charli, Miguel, and ConvertKit's SEO Manager Collin Tate discuss why SEO is essential, how to translate the inner workings of the world wide web, simple ways to drastically improve your SEO, and why a stellar web presence doesn't always break your budget. Key Takeaways [0:55] - Have you heard?  [01:06] - Squarespace launched a new drag-and-drop website editor which makes website building and customization easier.  [03:09] - Instagram has defended its decision to prioritize video content.  [07:10] - TikTok search is now driving Google search as Gen Z prioritizes social platforms over traditional search engines.  [09:42] - Today's main topic: Using SEO to boost your business.  [09:47] - SEO or search engine optimization helps people find the content you create online.  [15:31] - When a site gets “indexed, " the web has found it and added the new content to its index. Once a site is added to the index, users can discover that site on a search results page.  [16:46] - For the internet to index your site in the first place, make sure Google has permission to crawl your website and focus on optimizing your site's content. [18:21] - There's a big difference between ranking somewhere on a search results page and ranking highly. To rank highly, research the terms people use to search for your niche and incorporate those into your site's content. [20:58] - Understanding web trends helps you understand your audience, your market, and what terms to embrace versus avoid depending on what's popular and what's declining in relevance.  [22:38] - If you're in a saturated market, use modifiers to increase the likelihood that you'll rank highly. For example, “web design” is a broad term that can be modified to something more specific like “web design Bristol, UK.” [25:17] - Remember that people searching for your content aren't robots, they're people. Don't just stuff keywords into your blog posts. The writing should still be enticing and relevant.  [26:23] - Beyond the main keywords or questions consumers ask, think about secondary questions relevant to your product or service.  [28:00] - Titles and subject lines should be enticing but avoid clickbait. Create believable titles without being sensational.  [35:05] - Creating consistent content isn't just helpful when you're trying to grow your business, consistency improves your SEO. Google factors the “freshness” of content into its algorithm.  [35:59] - Collaborating with other creators is a great way to boost your search rank.  [36:46] - Understanding the analytics of your website helps you track and optimize your site's ranking. [38:52] - Google Search Console is a great tool to help gauge how your site's actually ranking across search terms.  Quotes[12:54] - “That's what SEO is, making sure that when people search for terms or they're looking for products, you show up and you're the top. Those are the basics of SEO and it's important to get them right. You don't have to do them perfectly, but you want to do them as well as you can.” ~ @CollinTate[26:23] - “If you would like to [rank highly on a search results page], you have to dive into the mind of your prospective visitor. What are they looking for? In the piece of content you're getting ready to create, does it answer the questions, or will it answer the questions that they may have?” ~ @CollinTate[31:40] - “Write for humans, and when you write for humans, you're actually writing for the robots. Because if humans love your content, Google will love your content.” ~  @CollinTate[32:10] - “Everybody is writing content these days. Everybody's creating content. And if you're not doing that consistently, somebody's going to take your spot.” ~ @CollinTateLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Collin Tate  Squarespace Squarespace Fluid Engine  Webflow  Instagram  Meta  TikTok YouTube Google Tuesday Morning Bang Search Yahoo! WordPress Google Trends Ahrefs  BuzzFeed  Jarvis AI  AlsoAsked Google Analytics Plausible Fathom Google Search Console Tools SparkToro  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

For those of us without a natural artistic gene, designing our brand from scratch can feel incredibly daunting. Even professional designers work tirelessly to perfect a brand's launch or relaunch. Luckily, designers say it's not worth overthinking the details, especially at the start. Taking small steps forward while continuing to focus on what's most important, creating content, will get you to your destination in one well-designed piece.Take it from David Preston, a Senior Marketing Designer at ConvertKit responsible for ConvertKit's stellar brand design, and Morgan Kitzmiller, an account manager at ConvertKit and aspiring designer who's designing a brand of her own on the side. In this episode, David, Morgan, and Miguel discuss how to start designing when the task feels overwhelming, when it's acceptable to settle for an imperfect look, practical tips and promising tools for developing your aesthetic, the right time to change your style, and the wrong time to hit refresh on a rebrand. Key Takeaways [00:53] - An intro to David and Morgan.  [03:39] - Have you heard?  [03:44] - Meta is adding exclusive content options for paying subscribers to help creators build their audience.  [06:32] - A newsletter from Justin Welsh reminds us that doing what we're passionate about makes goal-setting and discipline far easier.  [08:47] - Shopify has launched a Sell On YouTube feature and is moving toward live shopping experiences.  [10:37] - Today's main topic: Establishing your brand identity through design.  [11:14] - Design begins with an idea. Ask yourself, what is the thing you're designing about? What is the goal of it?  [12:35] - Sometimes design is approached through a problem-solving lens, other times it's purely creative. Regardless, each project lends itself to creative constraints that designers have to consider before diving in. [14:08] - Creating a brand and brand identity is daunting because there's no single output, you're creating several assets that complement a larger theme. Start by brainstorming a few words that you feel describe your brand and go from there.  [15:07] - Don't let design perfectionism stop you from releasing a brand and creating content.  [19:55] - In a practical sense, you don't have to pick an entire color rainbow all at once. Focus on just one primary color and one accent color to start.  [21:41] - Unless you're a design content creator, you can get away with having imperfect branding on day one. [23:25] - In the early days of design, be on the lookout for things you like that you see out in the world. A folder of design inspiration goes a long way. [25:22] - If something isn't working, don't be afraid to rebrand. Just be mindful of timing. Rebranding during your busiest sales month isn't great. [26:52] - On the flip side, a fresh rebrand can win back former and new followers, subscribers, and clientele.  [28:55] - If you are making big brand changes, have a clear path forward in mind and communicate that brand change to your audience ahead of time.   [29:16] - Avoid multiple back-to-back rebrands.  [29:27] - Repeating brand ideas, whether that be visual or otherwise, is a great way to help users remember you.  [32:30] - Today's listener shoutout: Morgan's side hustle, root and rise, helps women stop binging and restricting and start building strength and confidence through health and fitness.  [37:41] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[12:14] - “Really getting clear on what is the goal of the thing you're creating first can help inform some of the other decisions that you make like the design itself, what is on that page or image, what does the writing look like, what do the colors look like.”  ~ @morgankitzmiller[17:14] - “When you get so focused on the big picture of a website, a logo, colors, images, everything and you're so focused on perfecting it, it can be a really good excuse to not actually do the work itself which is where you'll actually learn the most about yourself, your brand, and what you want that brand to be to people that are finding it and consuming it, and interacting with you.” ~ @morgankitzmiller[35:29] - “I am a designer for a living and even I will advocate for, choose the thing that is as simple as possible that can get the job done.” ~ David Preston Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube David Preston Morgan Kitzmiller Craft + Commerce Nathan's Craft + Commerce 2022 Keynote Meta Instagram Patreon The Future Belongs to Creators 163: How To Make a Living From Sponsorships with Armando Roggio and Jay Clouse Justin Welsh's The Saturday Solopreneur Newsletter Daniel Vasallo Justin Welsh's Twitter thread  Shopify YouTube QVC Pinterest  Coolors Dribbble Coca-Cola  The #AskGaryVee Show root and rise root and rise on Instagram root and rise Strong Girl Summer Squarespace  Collin Tate Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Income from Adsense and digital products may pay a bill or two. But most creators take their dreams full-time with the help of paid sponsorships. Thankfully, brands are finally seeing the value in creator services and they're paying accordingly. As a creator, ignoring sponsored opportunities now means ignoring major revenue. But spending hours searching for brand partners, negotiating rates, and cutting deals aren't the things you dreamed of doing as a full-time creator. Eager to help creators earn what they're worth without sacrificing time spent doing what they love, ConvertKit's Armando Roggio developed the Sponsorship Network. ConvertKit's Sponsorship Network acts as an agent for large and emerging creators, connecting brands with the best creator fit and negotiating on a creator's behalf. In this episode, Creator Jay Clouse, Armando, and Miguel discuss why today's content creators are uniquely valuable to brands, how the Sponsorship Network adds value to brands and creators, and why sponsorships are the key to unlocking a life you love.Key Takeaways [00:47] - Today's listener shoutout: Jay Clouse's podcast, Creative Elements, just launched a video show.  [01:49] - Have you heard?  [02:02] - Elon Musk is backing out of his deal to buy Twitter and Twitter is not pleased, especially as Musk defames the company on his way out. [03:54] - An old video from Paul Saffo has resurfaced in which he claims the creator economy's primary value is high engagement.  [09:06] - Today's main topic: Making a living with sponsorships.  [10:36] - ConvertKit's new Sponsorship Network initiative is a way for ConvertKit to act as an agent for creators and sell sponsorships to brands on their behalf. [12:34] - ConvertKit's Sponsorship Network not only adds value to creators but also speeds up the process for brands who typically have to go through an extensive search process to find the right creative partner. [15:34] - Creators should spend time doing what they do best. Having someone handle the backend of sponsorship administration and negotiation allows creators to focus on providing value to brands. [19:23] - To qualify for the ConvertKit Sponsorship Network, you have to have 10,000 or more subscribers, send an editorial newsletter at least weekly, and have an audience that's solidly engaged.  [22:16] - Once you've generated a large following, it makes economic sense to offload sales and sponsorship negotiations.  [22:47] - Emerging creators are still valuable to brands because mid-size creators still have highly engaged audiences.  [25:18] - Especially given the new iOS update, open rates are less compelling than ever. Focus on the quality of your list over the quantity by removing unengaged subscribers. [30:11] - The influencer market in the United States is worth about $16 billion. [33:15] - Even if it's not through ConvertKit, and even if you don't have 10,000 subscribers yet, pursue sponsorships however you can.  [36:52] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[13:05] - “If you think about these companies, they could choose to buy ads on the Meta platform or on Google, and frankly they do. But they know that the creators have a special relationship with their audiences that is not replicated on Facebook or anywhere. And by advertising with the creator, the brands believe, and I think this is true, that a little bit of trust is passed from the creator to the audience regarding that brand.” ~ @armandoroggio[17:36] - “A lot of us got here because our ‘customer' is our audience and we want to serve them and do right by them. The more time you spend focusing on sponsor negotiation and administration, you start to get confused as to who you're serving. And it can get the flywheel in the wrong direction. So it's helpful to work with somebody to make all that streamlined to make sure everybody's winning and allow us to have as much time as possible to foster the audience and continue to develop that relationship.” ~ @jayclouse[34:05] - “As a creator, don't leave sponsorship money on the table. There's an opportunity here. The content that you create has value. And working with sponsors that have products you love who are also willing to help you make a living and continue to create is something you should pursue.” ~ @armandoroggioLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Armando Roggio Jay Clouse Creative Elements Podcast Creative Elements Video Episodes (Justin Moore Ep.) Justin Moore Elon Musk Twitter The Creator Economy | Paul Saffo Long Now Foundation ConvertKit Sponsorship Network Craft + Commerce Notion Zapier SparkLoop Tim Ferriss ConvertKit's tip jar feature Sunsama SoundCloud Virgin Records Athletic Greens Casper Meta Google Peloton  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Every action changes the biochemistry of your brain. Not many of us think about that when running errands, slogging through a 9-5, or scrolling mindlessly on social media. But as creators, the way we work and manage our mental health can mean the difference between a thriving side hustle and another creative project left by the wayside. ConvertKit team members Ben Schoeffler and Caitlin Zarrella are both passionate about mental health and pursuing creative endeavors. As they can attest, without a boss to hold you accountable, give you praise, or help out when your workload gets tough, finding ways to stay motivated, passionate, and happy about your creative pursuits is tough.In this episode, Miguel, Ben, and Caitlin discuss the ways in which creators can pursue goals without succumbing to burnout and discouragement, the simple art of successful goal-setting, and how creators can transform stress into fuel and dread into dopamine. Key Takeaways [00:52] - Have you heard?  [01:00] - Creators can now buy insurance for their Instagram accounts.  [02:45] - Creators.Google is a community blog with advice for creators.  [04:14] - Balancing mental health and goal achievement.  [04:47] - Learn to manage stress before your side hustle becomes a full-time gig that's twice as stressful.  [10:28] - The pressure to always be creating or iterating on your craft can cause resistance to the hobby you originally loved.  [11:28] - When it comes to battling depression, continuing to move and stay active with hobbies can improve your mental health significantly.  [15:47] - The pandemic led many creators to burn out because the endless time had no structure and therefore no boundaries.  [18:01] - Struggling to push through a learning curve prevents many of us from acquiring new skills.  [20:03] - Reframe the learning curve as teaching yourself how not to do something versus telling yourself you're unskilled. [21:01] - To prevent immediate discouragement, pick a date or milestone and don't evaluate your progress until you've hit that milestone. [22:18] - Train yourself to fall in love with practicing because that's how most of your time will be spent until you're an absolute expert.  [26:03] - Your perspective on the activity that's difficult impacts the amount of dopamine your body releases while striving to accomplish it.  [30:00] - Spiking your dopamine to the max will ultimately leave you feeling depleted. Focus on activities that push your dopamine without raising it through the roof. [31:08] - What you consume online impacts your brain chemistry just like the food you consume impacts your mood and biochemistry. [36:43] - Break big goals into smaller pieces so you can celebrate small wins and keep moving forward without frequent discouragement.  [38:37] - Angel at ConvertKit does great live workshops. The next workshop is Thursday, July 14th.  Quotes[05:27] - “Not everyone has a side hustle, maybe they're just in the incubation phase. Being able to manage your mental health with your hobby right now is kind of like the training grounds, so that when you do make that leap, if you decide to, and start maybe charging for services or products, that steps things up a little bit and makes it so you've got more skin in the game so there's more stress involved. If you can really manage that stress in the beginning, it makes things a lot easier.” ~ @BenSchoeffler[34:33] - “I still have my Instagram account, it's active, but I don't have it on my phone because it consumes too much all the time. And if I do want to pursue these goals of learning the piano or lifting or whatever, there's just not a lot of room for social media in my mental space.” ~ Caitlin Zarrella[38:21] - “We think there's always an end goal like, ‘we have achieved happiness now we can just remain here for 30 years.' Happiness is not a destination, it's just a process that we can find ways to fall in love with.” ~ @miguelp.img Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Ben Schoeffler  Caitlin Zarrella Instagram notch Creators.Google YouTube  Peloton  The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Netflix  Apex Legends Fortnite  Shut Up, Brain Podcast  Slack Goodwill Target Episode 39: Controlling Your Dopamine For Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction | Huberman Lab Facebook Angel's Workshops  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

For many people, budgeting is simple. You take your income, subtract your expenses, and figure out what to do with the rest. Do you save? Invest? Splurge? As a creator, your life is your business. And that makes budgeting, investing, and managing your money more complicated. The questions you ask yourself aren't simply, “can I pay my bills and save for retirement this month?” But also, “how much will I owe in taxes?”, “how do I scale my operation?” and  “is this a smart business investment?” While everyone's business, financial situation, and money mindset are different, there are guiding principles to help answer the tough money questions as a creator, and even help determine if you should be putting a penny down in the first place. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss how to get comfortable investing as an entrepreneur, which side hustles to consider if you're worried about an upfront cost, and the three important questions every creator should ask themselves before spending a dollar. Key Takeaways [00:42] - Have you heard?  [01:56] - Instagram will be prioritizing NFTs as an additional place for creators to share their work. [04:13] - In the U.K., it is now illegal for clients to have payment terms longer than 30 days.   [07:50] - Meta will continue not to take a financial cut from creators.  [09:10] - Today's main topic: Budgeting your time and money as a creator.  [10:53] - As a creator, you have to determine what will happen if you don't see a return on your investment.  [12:54] - It can take time to get comfortable spending money on your business. Some wait to invest in their business until they know they'll see a return or until they're financially stable.  [15:44] - Losing money is a part of entrepreneurship. You have to be comfortable with a little risk or your business will never grow. [18:56] - Just like your retirement investments, you're in entrepreneurship for the long game. Don't stop just because you had a down month. [20:03] - On the flip side, you shouldn't invest in your business irresponsibly. There has to be a business justification behind every investment decision.  [24:56] - A business that relies on physical products is financially riskier. [28:24] - Psychologically, people tend to justify escalating their commitment to something based on how much they've already invested. To avoid that trap, don't spend money on your business that you're not willing to lose.  [31:12] - Remind yourself of milestones that your investments have helped you reach. Those milestones help you rationalize future investments.  [33:20] - Don't let perfectionism stop you from launching a business or side hustle. Your business is something you can grow into.  [36:02] - Ask yourself what type of business model works for you financially and emotionally. Not all businesses require massive upfront investments.  [40:18] - A creator's money strategy depends on the creator.  [41:29] - Today's listener shoutout: ConvertKit writer Isa Adney recently published a wonderful story. [42:49] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[19:28] - “That's something that entrepreneurs have to get comfortable with, they just have to get comfortable with being able to zoom out and say, ‘ok I might have a down month this month but it doesn't mean I should panic and throw in the towel.' If you can't do that, then you should not be an entrepreneur.” ~ @haleyjani[32:58] - “That's exactly what a psychologist would tell you to do is say, ok, you're going to spend this amount of money and you're going to try at it for a year. And if in a year you haven't passed this threshold, then you need to reassess and not keep escalating your commitment to it. Because at some point it's just a money pit.” ~ @miguelp.img  [36:37] - “That's the beauty of being a digital content creator or doing any sort of thing digital online is you really can do it all yourself to get started with. There's not anything that you have to spend money on in order to get started.” ~ @charliprangley[40:18] - “Don't let anyone tell you there's one right way to budget or one right amount you should be spending on your business as a creator.” ~ @charliprangleyLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Instagram Twitter  Creator Sessions The Future Belongs to Creators Episode 147: How to Be Successful With Brand Sponsorships as a Creator with Justin Moore Meta Happy Happy Houseplant EveryDollar App Charli's 2021 income report iPad mini Nathan Barry  Submit a listener shoutout! Isa Adney  Isa's most recent creator story Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

It's not where you are or who you're with, but what you create. If you've ever felt like success as a creator is limited to the humdrum town you're in, miles from a traditionally “creative” city, meet Fashion Designer Whitney Manney.Kansas City, Missouri may not be the fashion capital of the world, but it's a place where Whitney has taken root. And if you ask Whitney, the humble surroundings of her hometown have led to more opportunities than obstacles. She's built a community in Kansas City, has grown her business alongside lifelong peers, and affords a space that's unattainable in cities like New York or Los Angeles. Finding creative communities may be harder, but it's far from impossible. And the pressures of surviving in a cut-throat creative hub disappear. However, while creating without pressure is helpful for some, for others, distance from a dream takes a toll.In this episode, Charli, Miguel, and Whitney discuss how to thrive creatively regardless of where you create, how Whitney learned to embrace her hometown, how she lands incredible design gigs despite the distance, and how Whitney stays true to a style much different than the aesthetic around her.Key Takeaways [01:14] - Have you heard?  [01:22] - Due to a recent court ruling in the U.K, Meta's acquisition of Giphy is now in limbo. [03:59] - Japan expects PewDiePie's move to increase tourism. [06:25] - Today's main topic: Succeeding as a creator when you don't live in a main creative hub. [06:44] - Before the internet, living in a place like Missouri was significantly harder and Whitney's instinct was to get out, especially with fashion aspirations. Now, that desire to leave has decreased dramatically. [08:28] - Whitney has embraced creativity in Kansas City rather than tolerated it. Because she's always lived there, she has a built-in community and has grown professionally alongside peers. [11:54] - Whitney was able to develop and sustain her own unique style without feeling limited by her city's aesthetic.  [14:55] - Part of embracing where you live is embracing what makes you different from that place. [17:27] - The beauty of staying in one place is the ability to build your business from the ground up and watch it flourish locally. [18:05] - Especially in your early career, there are advantages to being uniquely creative in a small city. You can experiment with your work and content without the daily stress of survival.  [19:54] - Living outside of a “creative” city also takes the pressure off having to constantly create and keep up with those around you. You have the freedom to move at a pace that's sustainable for you. [21:01] - Whitney landed a major fashion gig despite living outside of a typical fashion city.  [27:24] - When you have the opportunity to, it's important to pull in other creators from the “non-creative” city you're from. [29:21] - You can find a creative community anywhere, it just takes a little extra digging in some places. Don't discount local creatives near you. [32:48] - Today's listener shoutout: Whitney herself recently started a partnership with Velcro brand, has hired staff, and relaunched her website.  [35:07] - A sneak peek at next week's episode. Quotes[08:02] - “I really feel like I'm supposed to be here. And what I'm doing here is important and hopefully, the people after me that decide to be creatives here, hopefully I have helped make it a little easier.” ~ @whitneymanney[17:26] - “The thing that I love about being based in KC is that I have genuinely built this thing from the ground up. I can have complete ownership of what this business, what my studio practice, has looked like.” ~ @whitneymanney[19:14] - “If I move to LA or New York, I'm going to be so worried about just surviving, that I feel like I wouldn't be able to dedicate the time and brain power that I need to be a creative.” ~  @whitneymanney[32:16] - “You really do have to think about, what opportunities exist in my community that I can take advantage of, but [also] what is that one opportunity that I can create for myself this year? And I can do it so well that people are like, ‘ok, we're paying attention to this person.'” ~ @whitneymanneyLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Whitney's website Whitney Manney on Instagram  Whitney on Twitter Whitney on TikTok Whitney on Facebook Giphy Meta Instagram PewDiePie  Kansas City Art Institute  Sequins and sales funnels: how to build a business in fashion Seventeen Magazine Teen People Magazine Bel-Air Velcro Brand Kansas City Royals Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Do you consider yourself a creator? If the answer is yes, you're not alone. According to a recent Vox article, more people than ever are referring to themselves as “content creators.” From social media influencers to fashion designers, that term encompasses a wide breadth of professions. Regardless of their specialty, the most successful content creators of our generation can teach job-seekers and corporations a thing or two about digital marketing. But what does it actually mean to be a content creator? Who's using that term and is it a fair description for the work creators produce and the grind behind turning your life into a cycle of self-promotion? In this episode, Charli and Haley discuss the merits of the term “content creator”, why so many people are referring to themselves as one, the expectations versus the reality of becoming an online personality, and the invaluable skills we can all learn from content creators, regardless of what we call them and who they are.Key Takeaways [00:55] - Have you heard?  [01:03] - Instagram is now releasing Amber Alerts.  [03:23] - Apple announced updates to their new operating system. One new feature is the ability to copy and paste items out of Apple photos.  [07:03] - Today's main topic: When did everybody become a content creator?   [08:39] - Content creator is such a vague term it's unclear what work aspiring content creators are actually producing.  [09:17] - Because content creator is a catch-all term, is it the creators referring to themselves as such or are there certain types of creators that more commonly call themselves content creators? [12:18] - It seems like everyone has become a content creator these days, whether they signed up for it or not. And regardless if you chose to become one, every person with an audience on social media is responsible for the content they share. [13:47] - The boundaries of who and who isn't a creator have become increasingly irrelevant.  [14:11] - While working as a content creator is an exciting and stimulating option, many don't realize the 24-7 workload that comes along with it. Boundaries as a creator aren't just important, they're essential.  [17:56] - Because the term content creator is so vague, many startups label themselves as a “creator-first” platform. However, not every “creator-first” company serves creators properly.  [20:29] - Creators, particularly social media influencers, are in the unique position of relying on their personality for financial success. [21:59] - Content creator skills are in-demand across all industries and all platforms.  [30:58] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[16:22] - “There's a lot of FOMO around content creation because it seems so easy to do – and it is so easy, really, to be a creator. We have the tools on us right now, you probably have it in your pocket. But, it's also really difficult to make money from.” ~ @charliprangley[20:10] - “That is where I think the creator economy right now is. There are so many people that are jumping in to take advantage of it and not truly understanding the problems that creators have.” ~ @haleyjani[28:53] - “Those are the skills that content creators are really, really, really exceptional at. They're really exceptional at showing their business and the marketing component and being themselves.” ~ @haleyjaniLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Whitney Manney I'm A Creator. You're A Creator. We're All Creators! When Did Everybody Start Calling Themselves Content Creators?  Instagram Meta WWDC22 Apple Adobe  MagSafe Charger  Nike TikTok Joshua Holmes Nathan Barry LinkedIn Twitter Creator Sessions Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone, or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Life moves quickly. Sometimes it's necessary to take a breath and reflect. After more than two years of unprecedented times and a creator economy that feels stronger than ever, ConvertKit has decided it's time for a temperature check on the creator economy. The State of the Creator Economy Report for 2022 has officially been released and what better time than now to break down the most interesting, discouraging, and surprising takeaways from this year's report. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel dive into their favorite aspects of the report, theorizing on data points that shocked them, drawing conclusions from results that encouraged them, and offering advice for creators struggling with growth, monetization, and morale. From the ways creators are earning, the content creators are producing, and the mediums creators are consistently using, here's everything you need to know about the State of the Creator Economy in 2022. Key Takeaways [01:00] - Have you heard?  [01:05] - Instagram is working on a video reaction option for reels, drawing inspiration from TikTok's current video reaction feature. [02:56] - Halsey claims her record company won't release her album unless she comes up with a way to create a viral moment on TikTok.  [04:15] - ConvertKit is hosting Craft + Commerce next month – the first conference in two years!  [07:46] - Today's main topic: The State of the Creator Economy Report [10:14] - Data suggests a gender pay gap within the creator economy.  [14:00] - Why traditional gender roles may play a part in the gender pay gap.  [15:31] - Creators tend to sell services and digital products more than subscriptions and memberships. In other words, creators are focusing on creating one-off products rather than recurring sources of income. [17:16] - The place where creators are launching their businesses has shifted from blogs to Instagram. [19:31] - Instagram can be a portfolio for creators, more so than traditional blogs and websites. However, Instagram is one of the hardest places to build an audience.   [20:32] - Surprisingly, TikTok was underutilized among creators in comparison to email and Instagram. However, it's possible the ConvertKit sphere of influence skewed that data. [22:49] - Creators in higher income brackets are sending emails more consistently. They're also likely to value email above paid ads and social.  [25:15] - In 2021, creators' main goal was to grow their audience. In 2022, creators' main goal is income growth.  [26:59] - You don't need a huge email list to earn a living. True fans matter. [28:25] - Creators in the highest income bracket did report a higher level of happiness than creators in lower-income brackets.  [31:09] - This report proved that there's a market for every specialty. [33:31] - Full-time creators tend to focus more on business strategy.  [38:30] - Today's listener shoutout! There were no listener shoutouts so let's talk about Haley. Haley has been feeling very creative and recently did a branding photoshoot for a friend. She's also diving into a brand new creative project – details to come. [40:07] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.   Quotes[28:13] - “It's really about true fans. And if you can get those true fans on your email list, that's what you need. So start sooner, start now. There's no better time than now.” ~ @haleyjani[34:30] - “It's just interesting that most people were full-on entrepreneurs but there were very few full-on DIYers or full-on artists.” ~ @miguelp.img  [37:20] - “I think it's honestly about showing the creative artist types the monetization options available to them. You don't have to teach people marketing to be able to earn a living as a creator and be a full-time creator. There are options out there and I think that we just need to do a better job of educating creators on what they could be and opening their eyes to it.” ~ @charliprangleyLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube State of the Creator Economy Report  Buy a ticket to Craft + Commerce Rachel Rodgers Mat Kearney  Amy Porterfield  Corey Haines Samar Owais Why an insurance agent became a secret bird blogger Mandi from Happy Happy Houseplant Jenny Komenda Submit a listener shoutout!  Twitter Instagram TikTok Snapchat Meta Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Creator or not, we've all experienced burnout to some degree. You throw yourself into a side passion or new business and before you know it, you're struggling to stay motivated and downright exhausted. While the feeling is familiar, many of us are less familiar with what leads to burnout besides simply “overworking”, how long it takes to bounce back from burnout, and the best ways to rest and recover. As creators, burnout is often exacerbated by the constant feedback we receive, positive or otherwise. Listening to a never-ending loop of opinions about everything you create is enough to exhaust the toughest among us. But are there ways to combat the inevitable commentary that comes with being a public creator? And how can you recharge without falling back into burnout the moment you start working again?In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the recent ConvertKit article, Creativity Feedback Loops, outlining why creators face an uphill battle with burnout, how some creators are addressing feedback burnout head-on, the plus side to frequent feedback, the right way to rest, and what creators should consider before monetizing their passion. Key Takeaways [00:27] - Have you heard?  [00:37] - ConvertKit just released a report entitled State Of The Creator Economy 2022 that covers a holistic overview of the creator economy, including data and statistics on creator types, status, gender distribution, monetization, and more. [02:32] - Twitter has created a space for “super followers” only.  [04:14] - The co-hosts of the podcast Reply All are leaving Gimlet, a podcast network that was recently acquired by Spotify. They're not the first podcast hosts to leave post-acquisition.  [08:26] - Today's main topic: Creativity Feedback Loops. [09:29] - Online feedback is ruthlessly honest. While difficult to swallow, it can be incredibly constructive.  [10:51] - Data shows that Gen Z creators in particular are expecting kindness from their followers more than ever before. In fact, Gen Z creators are choosing their platform based on said platform's enforcement of respectful comments.  [12:26] - While negative feedback can be helpful, it can also be the thing that tips you over the edge and propels you into burnout.  [13:55] - Burnout isn't something you recover from quickly – so it's important to be mindful of how you're working and how often you're giving yourself a break.  [15:31] - As a creator, ideas are your currency. To keep the ideas flowing, you have to prioritize rest. In other words, resting is investing in your business.  [17:24] - Having a full-time job takes the pressure off living and breathing your craft 24-7 just to survive.  [18:58] - Balance means something different to everybody. You have to figure out what works for you. [21:01] - Learning to say no can save you from burnout.  [24:03] - Intellectual burnout can be just as challenging for creators as physical burnout. [24:38] - The idea of monetizing creativity in itself induces burnout.  [25:56] - You have to go into life as a creator with the clear understanding that creativity is a business. The business side of monetization is incredibly draining for some. To avoid burnout, consider outsourcing those aspects of your life.  [28:10] - Sometimes you have to walk away from something good to avoid burnout.  [30:37] - Today's listener shoutout: Melanie is a video creator currently working on a documentary series on her YouTube channel. She recently posted her 11th episode. [31:47] - Craft & Commerce 2022 is coming up! The first live conference since Covid began.  [34:11] - A quick sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[14:28] - “It can take weeks, months, or even years to really recover from burnout depending on how burnt out you are and what sort of situation is waiting for you after whatever break that you take. So you have to be really mindful about setting yourself up for success when you take those breaks.” ~ @miguelp.img [16:38] - “Having rest when you're burnt out versus having rest as margin for yourself to give space to relax and have ideas are two very different stages of being. You're not going to get the ideas when you're burnt out – that's your recovery time.”  ~ @charliprangley[26:02] - “You have to go into the creator world, if you're looking to monetize your creativity, with the understanding and realization that being a creator is a business. So if you don't have all of those business inputs figured out, then you're really going to struggle [with burnout].” ~ @haleyjaniLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Creativity Feedback Loops article State of the Blogging Industry (pub. 2017) State of the Creator Economy report Twitter introduces Super Follows Spaces Patreon Reply All Podcast  Gimlet Spotify The Joe Rogan Experience Call Her Daddy Podcast  MailChimp Tradecraft Shopify  Happy Happy Houseplant Our listener shoutout Melanie Griesemer  Submit a listener shoutout!  Buy a ticket to Craft + Commerce Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Whether you're an emerging creator, established TikToker, or you're just hoping to scale an expanding side hustle, we could all use a little support. Thankfully, as the creator economy expands, so do businesses looking to elevate creators through focusing tools, monetization apps, and even hubs for influencer pay transparency. While they're moving mountains for today's creators, these incredible apps may not be tools you've ever heard of. So let's change that.In this episode, Charli and Miguel break down their favorite apps for creators that have largely gone unnoticed. From website hacks to social platforms for female and non-binary entrepreneurs, here's everything you can utilize as a creator on the rise.Key Takeaways [00:49] - Have you heard?  [01:00] - The term “creator economy” has become commonly used only over the past year-and-a-half.  [02:40] - Twitter Circle is a feature similar to Instagram's “close friends” feature. It allows you to add up to 150 people who can see your “private” tweets.  [07:04] - Today's main topic: Apps for creators you've probably never heard of.  [07:22] - Coolors is a color palette generator perfect for creators looking to redesign their content without paying top dollar for a professional designer.  [09:17] - Sunroom is a safe and secure app designed to amplify women and non-binary people looking to monetize their businesses.   [11:56] - Ulysses is a fantastic app for long-form writing. The app helps you focus and arrange your thoughts.  [14:51] - FYPM shows you what other influencers are getting paid for similar campaigns with similar brands.  [19:22] - Ambients generates different “environment” noises to help creators focus.  [22:17] - Clashapp helps short-form video creators earn revenue directly from fans.  [27:51] - Forrest App incentivizes you to focus without distraction. [30:42] - TinyPNG is a great app for anyone with a blog or website. It shrinks your website loading time by compressing images you add without affecting the image's quality.  [32:29] - Today's listener shoutout! Alejandro Castanon is an artist and advisor who recently filed his LLC and two separate DBAs for his art business.  [33:41] - A sneak peek at next week's episode. Quotes[11:40] - “At one stage, TikTok was the little unknown thing that a few people were starting to use, right? And we never know what is going to be the next TikTok. Maybe it could be Sunroom, who knows. Check it out, be an early adopter.” ~ @charliprangley[14:30] - “When you're doing something creative, how you feel when you're doing it is so important.” ~ @miguelp.img [17:46] - “You have this temptation to price yourself in a competitive way so then you'll undersell what you do because of the fear of losing out on it and you figure, ‘hey at least getting paid for something is better than not getting paid at all', and then you sort of talk yourself down on your asking price.” ~ @miguelp.img Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Twitter Twitter Circle Instagram Patreon Coolors  Sunroom  OnlyFans TikTok Ulysses  Notion Microsoft Word Google Docs Pages FYPM Google Ambients  Clashapp.co YouTube Clubhouse  Facebook Forrest App  TinyPNG Alejandro Castanon Creativity feedback loops (and their impact on mental health)  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

In 10th grade, Henry Thong took media studies, thinking it'd be a chance for him to slack off. Instead, he discovered a passion for videography that transformed his career aspirations and redefined his future. Henry pursued film seriously from that point on, entering festivals at every chance he got and following the Casey Neistat philosophy of constantly creating content and sharing as much of it with the world as possible. That content push paid off once professionals started spotting Henry's docuseries on YouTube. Always fascinated by the lives of fellow creators, his passion for telling artists' stories landed him a job producing video content at ConvertKit. But ConvertKit was far from his first career opportunity. Henry knew he couldn't abandon his side projects, and only pursued jobs that allowed him to balance both.In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Henry discuss Henry's advice for filmmakers looking to share their work and gain a following on YouTube, tips beyond beating the notoriously tricky algorithm, how to network with artists that feel out of reach, and how Henry balances a full-time job with the passion projects that fuel him.Key Takeaways [00:37] - Have you heard?  [00:42] - An I Am A Creator film that Henry created was nominated for a Telly Award. ConvertKit's I Am A Creator website is also nominated for a Webby Award.  [02:06] - Elon Musk is officially the new owner of Twitter.  [03:17] - A creator is on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. [04:02] - CNN+ was canceled a month after its launch due to the WarnerMedia Discovery merger.  [05:06] - Today's main topic: Making videos for YouTube. [05:42] - How Henry built his career as a filmmaker.  [12:16] - The best way to build momentum on YouTube and the debate on short-form vs long-form content.  [15:26] - Henry's tips and tricks for generating organic traffic on YouTube and beating the algorithm.  [21:19] - How Henry maintains healthy boundaries between his personal work and his ConvertKit projects and how he manages to sustain his side hustle while working a full-time job.   [25:09] - What Henry learned pursuing a major passion project in addition to full-time work and why he eventually decided to put that passion project on pause.  [29:42] - Charli's perspective on short-form vs long-term content.  [34:47] - How Henry networks with artists and creators, including those with mass followers that may feel “unreachable.”  [38:38] - Charli's and Haley's closing thoughts on Henry's advice.  [40:22] - One thing Henry is incredibly proud of.  [42:05] - Today's listener shoutout! Kurt Libby recently launched a new app called HuntMob where anyone can create photo scavenger hunts. You can plug in your ConvertKit API key to directly grow your email list through the scavenger hunt. [43:14] - A sneak peek at next week's episode. Quotes[13:18] - “When it comes to the algorithm, it's so dangerous to play to the algorithm because it's always changing. It all depends on what you're trying to achieve. The longer-form content always ends up being better for audience experience. So there's a lot of factors that influence your decision-making: It's what you want to achieve with it and who do you want to reach?” ~ @henryzw[20:01] - “As with every social media platform, you've gotta think about it as more of a partnership with that company. What can you do with your content to keep people on their site for longer? Because in the end, YouTube just wants people to stay on there forever.” ~ @henryzw[32:57] - “Choose whichever format or run time that best fits your creative vision and then find ways to make that work.” ~ @henryzwLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Henry Thong Creator Sessions YouTube I Am A Creator. The Telly Awards The Webby Awards Elon Musk Rolling Stone CNN Netflix A Maker Who Inspires Casey Neistat  Isa Adney Instagram  Don Hahn Li Cunxin Makers Who Inspire: Mao's Last Dancer: From Mao's China to Queensland Ballet Ronny Chieng   Makers Who Inspire: Ronny Chieng on Comedy: A Worthy Pursuit  Patrick Droney NEEDTOBREATHE Kurt Libby HuntMob Submit a listener shoutout!  Chris Ducker  Youpreneur Pat Flynn Otter  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

What's your platform of choice? TikTok? YouTube? Twitter? After setting a simple goal to grow, ConvertKit CEO Nathan Barry decided to shift his efforts to one medium rather than spreading himself thin everywhere. The result was a dramatic increase in Twitter followers and high levels of engagement across his posts. So what was the secret to Nathan's retweet increase? The truth is, you don't have to get lucky with a viral tweet or achieve that coveted blue checkmark to grow on Twitter. Tweets that educate and tell a story garner great engagement all the same. Luckily, Twitter threads accomplish those goals in a way that's shareable and digestible. And accumulating solid Twitter friends quick to engage with those posts makes threads even more attractive to the algorithmic powers that be. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel talk with Nathan about why threads can help creators grow their audience on Twitter, how to distinguish your thread content from other tweeters, and why you don't need comedic genius and expert copywriting skills to rack up the favorites and grow a solid following. Key Takeaways [01:04] - Have you heard?  [01:10] - Meta is discussing charging content creators an almost 50% cut to create VR content. [03:20] - TikTok released a private beta for Effect House – an AR tool for TikTok.  [03:51] - A large majority of Etsy sellers are going on strike because Etsy increased their seller's fee from 5 to 6.5 percent.  [06:30] - Sam Altman sourced image ideas for DALL-E on Twitter. DALL-E is an AI program that creates images from text descriptions.  [08:41] - Elon Musk ultimately declined a position on Twitter's board.  [10:48] - Today's main topic: How to grow as a creator using Twitter threads.  [11:43] - Why Twitter? Nathan understands Twitter more than other growth platforms. He ultimately chose to focus on Twitter versus diluting his efforts across multiple platforms. [14:53] - Find a group of Twitter users with strong followings that have similar goals. Twitter's algorithm favors quote tweets and engagements that happen within the first 10 minutes of a post. Having friends to consistently interact with your posts expedites your growth.  [20:28] - You can ask for support without being a nuisance. Frame outreach as a desire for education versus a desire for favorites. Share your posts with creators and ask for advice.  [24:14] - Threads have been a huge part of Nathan's growth on Twitter because thread virality doesn't require a perfectly written line of copy. He recommends repurposing blogs, telling stories, and using visuals.  [35:56] - Adapt your threads to follow the format. In other words, each tweet should be a standalone tweet.  [39:06] - Twitter and Twitter threads garner the most success when creators dedicate their time to Twitter or have spent time creating on other platforms and carry that content over to Twitter.  [40:12] - Today's listener shoutout! Rachel Brown is growing a bookstagram account and recently started receiving advance reader copies from publishers. [41:26] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[25:46] - “Threads are interesting because you can really teach something. Which, that's my format. If you look at all my content it's not entertainment content it's all education content. The thread lends itself really well to that.” ~ Nathan Barry[28:16] - “Something that I try to do is write threads that only I can write. It's from my own experience, it's from something that we've learned growing ConvertKit, or it's from data that we have from the platform.” ~ Nathan Barry[39:06] - “I think where [Twitter] works the best is, either two things: a creator who can dedicate a ton of time to it and say, this is my primary channel, this is what I'm really gonna emphasize. Or the creator who has spent a lot of time, the past 10 years, creating content on other platforms and has a strong point of view and life experience and all of that and wants to bring that over.” ~ Nathan BarryLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Nathan Barry Nathan on Twitter  Twitter Meta Horizon Worlds Twitch Microsoft Stream Facebook Gaming FarmVille  Welcome to the Effect House beta!  Etsy Sam Altman Y Combinator  OpenAI Sam's DALL-E Thread DALL-E YouTube Elon Musk Instagram Nathan's podcast Sahil Bloom Dicky Bush David Perell Matt Ragland Nick Huber WhatsApp  Katelyn Bourgoin Customer Camp Social Blade  Sarah Cooper The ladders of wealth creation The Billion Dollar Creator Wikipedia  Keynote  How we grew a local newsletter to 10,000 subscribers Nathan's Twitter thread on growing a local newsletter Rachel's bookstagram  Henry Thong Creator Sessions I Am A Creator. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

If you've noticed that your attention span feels nonexistent, you're certainly not alone. A recent Guardian piece, Your Attention Didn't Collapse. It Was Stolen., paints a grim picture of society's frightening struggle to focus. In a world where technology and social media continue to invade our lives, there's always an algorithm ready to suck us in. The attention suck is especially hard to escape when not having an iPhone can sometimes mean not having a social life. But what role do creators have in the attention crisis taking over our lives? After all, creators produce some of the content that's keeping us glued to our phones. And has the collective attention span decline impacted creators' ability to be productive themselves? In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss how creators can create without sucking their audience into an attention-stealing trap, how consumers and creators alike can actively combat the attention span decline, and the link between stress, happiness, and your ability to focus on the work you love.Key Takeaways [01:02] - Have you heard?  [01:21] - Elon Musk bought a lot of Twitter shares and will be getting a seat on Twitter's board.  [02:17] - Twitter is working on an edit button.  [06:42] - BeReal is an app that encourages users to share their real life on social media versus a staged highlight reel. [08:43] - Today's main topic: Your Attention Didn't Collapse. It Was Stolen.  [10:50] - The forces consuming our attention are so powerful that sometimes the only solution is to physically remove the temptation.  [14:38] - Creators should focus on serving valuable content that someone briefly focuses on versus stealing their attention away with no underlying purpose other than capital gain.  [17:15] - There's also a social expectation to be constantly available and engaged via our phones.  [20:28] - Fight against the attention deficit by focusing on finding your flow state. To find your flow, focus on achieving a meaningful goal.  [22:28] - Unfortunately, individuals swearing off distracting apps won't address the systemic issue. Creators have a larger impact in making distraction meaningful.  [24:36] - To achieve that flow state, you also have to be intentional with the content you're surrounding yourself with when you're creating.  [26:03] - Find a hobby that forces you to disconnect.  [27:01] - We as a society need to be intentional with how we disconnect. [28:31] - Reducing stress also improves your attention. [30:02] - As individuals, we have to set anti-distraction boundaries and windows of focus for ourselves that hold us accountable. [31:40] - Submit a listener shoutout!  [34:54] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[14:21] - “We as creators need to have downtime in order to produce our greatest work. And we as creators also need to steal the attention of people in order to build and make our business grow and grow our audience. But we also can't be a product of it as well.” @haleyjani[14:55] - “There's a difference between stealing and borrowing. And I would hope that what I at least am aiming to do with my content is borrowing people's attention. Where it's kind of like, ‘watch me now, watch how I'm doing this design thing and how I'm handling this process', and then you're going to be better equipped to go and do it yourself when you're giving that your full focus.” ~ @charliprangley[25:35] - “You have to be deliberate about what you surround yourself with when you're engaging in something. So when you're going to create a new piece of content or when you are going to do something that's like a hobby for you or that you really enjoy, try to set yourself up to have as few distractions as possible.” ~ @miguelp.img Links Your Attention Didn't Collapse. It Was Stolen.  Twitter Elon Musk BeReal Paste Magazine Creator Sessions Treefort Music Fest Brad Wagner Smokey Brights Smokey Brights Creator Sessions Performance Earl Miller Neuroscientist  Apple Watch Instagram Slack Submit a listener shoutout!  Nathan Barry Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

With practice, anyone can write. But can anyone transform a blog into a full-blown online publication? There's a big difference between the two, and how you navigate the transition from blog to publication can determine whether your brand develops or your blog stays stagnant. Dani Stewart, helmer of ConvertKit's blog Tradecraft, knows what it's like to write, edit, and make that tricky transition. She began her career writing articles but successfully transformed that traffic-generating blog into a legitimate hub for compelling ConvertKit content. Dani's expanded the operation, brought on new writers and even a blog manager. While she no longer spends her days writing, she is responsible for Tradecraft's entire operation — a creative endeavor and an enormous challenge in itself. So what steps can creators take if they're looking to start a blog or take their existing online presence to the next level? What's it like to hire writers you trust and learn to delegate, project-manage, and make tough editorial decisions? In this episode, Charli, Miguel, and Dani discuss Dani's advice for expanding an existing blog, the difference between a blog being your business and your business having a blog, tips for hiring strong writers, what posts to stop writing once your brand becomes big, and why the best blogs are more than just content hubs that drive traffic and boost SEO.Key Takeaways [01:21] - Have you heard? [01:35] - Instagram is introducing special tags to help elevate black creators and ensure creators receive credit for their original content.  [02:49] - Apple Podcasts is improving access to listenership metrics for podcast creators.  [04:18] - Today's main topic: Managing an online publication.  [04:26] - The difference between a blog and an online publication. [06:11] - Dani's process for managing content on ConvertKit's blog. [09:22] - Why would a business whose “main attraction” isn't a blog choose to create and sustain a blog?  [11:07] - The benefits of outsourcing blog management.  [13:58] - How Dani's position and type of creativity at work has evolved.  [15:44] - The most difficult part of transitioning a blog to an online publication.  [18:06] - How to handle hectic internal staff transitions and why having that buffer between an article's completion and its publication is so important. [21:04] - The tools Dani uses to manage the extensive project management behind ConvertKit's blog.  [21:54] - How Dani strategizes content creation.  [23:42] - How to grow your blog when it's not in service of a larger entity and is instead trying to grow on its own. [32:05] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  [32:27] - Submit a listener shoutout!  Quotes[16:08] - “An underlying fear I always have is that the people that I always trust that are doing such a great job are gonna move on and do something else. So the hardest part is finding people that you trust.” ~ @danileighstew[30:52] - “If you are planning on doing it, make sure to take time to set up style guides. If you're starting to hire people and you want the same voice, you need to be able to show them what that is.” ~ @danileighstew[31:34] - “Why is your audience coming to you? Is it because you're a straight talker? Is it because it sounds like it's coming from a friend? Do you use Gifs? Do they comment on certain aspects of your blog posts? Make sure that your writers understand that and can flow with that.” ~ @danileighstewLinks Dani Stewart ConvertKit's Blog (Tradecraft) Tradecraft How-To Guides Instagram Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts improvements will let creators see follower data, get help with subscription shows, more WordPress YouTube I Am A Creator. Charli on YouTube The Future Belongs To Creators 119: Working With a Virtual Assistant as a Creator with Chloe Anna monday.com Charli's website Twitter  Why you shouldn't sell your ebook on Amazon Google SEMrush Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) Giphy Your Attention Didn't Collapse. It Was Stolen Submit a listener shoutout!  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

There is lots of advice out there for aspiring creators. Just remember, the best advice doesn't always come from entrepreneurs with millions of followers and millions in the bank. In fact, the most valuable advice can sometimes stem from the products, platforms, and ideas that never reached the masses.No stranger to The Future Belongs to Creators podcast, Support Operations Lead at ConvertKit and former full-time creator Ben Schoeffler wouldn't exactly consider himself a “success story”. Selling courses, memberships, and everything in between, Ben never quite cracked the product code. But if you're still toying with the idea of selling online, take Ben's experience and learn from what worked, what didn't, and what slipped through the digital cracks. In this episode, Miguel and Ben discuss the options creators have when it comes to selling online, the failed products that surprised Ben, the product success stories Ben learned from, and why the content creator business model isn't the only path (or the best path) toward building a livelihood online. Key Takeaways [00:45] - Have you heard? [00:57] - Vimeo is telling creators they need to pay up or leave the platform. [03:55] - Today's main topic: Selling products online 101.  [04:02] - What we mean by “selling products” online. You can sell a lot of things online including both physical goods and digital products. Digital products are great options for mass-producing while avoiding the mess and stress of the supply chain.  [04:33] - Ben has sold courses, a membership website offering exclusive podcast episodes, and his time coaching clients individually.  [06:55] - The mistakes Ben made selling products online. [07:09] - The risks and upside to pre-selling products.   [11:46] - Why you're (probably) not charging enough.  [17:18] - How to build the right product.  [21:20] - If you're a new creator, selling products without having an audience that knows, likes, and trusts you is incredibly hard.  [25:20] - On the flip side, having an audience doesn't always translate to sales.  [27:32] - Don't quit your day job too early.  [31:39] - Be aware that there are other business models outside of the creator business model. While it's trending, it may not be right for you. [36:28] - Submit yourself for a listener shoutout!  [36:55] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.   Quotes[17:04] - “Price is a signal to certain things and higher prices oftentimes signal quality. So if you're confident in your product you should not be scared about charging that higher price.” ~ @BenSchoeffler[18:08] - “You should build what individuals are asking for. Because you might be saying, ‘Ok, how do I know which product to build?' Build what a specific individual is asking for, not what everyone or the people are asking for. That's where I've had my most success.” ~ @BenSchoeffler[23:18] - “If you have someone that knows you, likes you, and trusts you, they're going to be much more willing to spend money with you.” ~ @BenSchoeffler[33:27] - “There are lots of other business models out there and some of them are a lot more beneficial than just being on the content creation treadmill. So I highly, highly encourage you to think outside the box when it comes to what products you might be wanting to make or how you want to make income because there are things that require a lot less work or a lot more enjoyable work than just creating content.” ~ @BenSchoefflerLinks Ben Schoeffler Vimeo YouTube Patreon Vimeo is telling creators to suddenly pay thousands of dollars – or leave the platform Shut Up, Brain Podcast  Udemy, Inc. Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini  Ben's YouTube channel  Facebook Advertising Etsy Instagram TikTok Vidalia Onions Submit a listener shoutout!  Dani Stewart Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Not all of us have the guts to chase our dreams. Despite family disapproval and peers all around him taking the safe route, Thomas Dulin knew he could make music for a living. Fortunately, he was correct, and today, Thomas is a music producer and sound engineer in Nashville, Tennessee living his dream. He splits his time touring with popular and emerging artists and making records of his own.While earning a living as a music producer sounds glamorous, an email list is what tipped Thomas off to a gig that would jumpstart his career. Even with a short resume, all it took was the promise of work ethic, an obvious passion for the craft, and one person to take a chance on him. Luckily, that one person was Drew Holcomb. So how does someone go from a college classroom to center (or back) stage? And what are the real barriers to entry besides doubtful onlookers? Over the last decade, Thomas has learned a lot about making waves in the business and he's here to share tips for making it in an industry as competitive as they come. In this episode, Charli, Haley, Miguel, and Thomas discuss knowing when a creative career is right for you, what sound engineers really do, the importance of representation, and the early advice that shaped Thomas' outlook on the industry.Key Takeaways [01:50] - Have you heard?  [02:02] - Taylor Lorenz, a notable reporter in the creator space, has moved away from The New York Times, partly because the NYT is taking issue with its reporters building out personal brands. [03:30] - Apple unveiled new products yesterday including a display and a new desktop mac mini.  [06:10] - Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, recently acquired Bandcamp to develop an e-commerce-powered marketplace for creators.  [07:52] - Main topic: Building a dream career in the music industry. [08:18] - An intro to Thomas Dulin. [10:30] - How Thomas landed a gig with Drew Holcomb despite a short resume.  [14:49] - How Thomas realized that a career in the music industry was his ultimate dream and the steps he took to achieve that dream.  [18:27] - How Thomas envisioned his career in music and how he feels about the role he ended up in. [23:31] - Why sound engineering requires creativity and coaching skills.  [25:26] - Thomas' advice for aspiring music professionals.  [27:37] - Does Thomas have a future as a course creator?  [28:53] - The invaluable early advice Thomas received at his first job in the music business. [31:27] - Submit yourself for a creator shoutout! Plus, Thomas shares a recent success. [32:38] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[17:38] - “It wasn't like a conscious decision, it was just like, this career exists, someone's making money doing this, why can't that be me?” ~ @thomasdulin[25:58] - “Somebody who wants to do what I do needs to love music in a way that is outside of ego or the need to make a living, honestly. If you go into it thinking you're going to make a lot of money and this is an opportunity for that, you're going to fall on your face guaranteed.” ~ @thomasdulin[27:00] - “The number one thing is to do it. Just know that you're gonna fail and it's not gonna be good for a long time, but figure out a way to do it, get a mic, get a converter, and one pair of headphones and just go after it.” ~ @thomasdulin[30:09] - “It's not the producer's job to take over and sort of steamroll whatever vision the artist has, but rather to come alongside them and guide them into what they want to make. And sure it is a creative process to guide the artist, but at the end of the day, it's not our song, it's not our art, we're just there to facilitate that and be sort of the mountain guide for the artist.” ~ @thomasdulinLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Thomas Dulin Alyssa Dulin The Future Belongs to Creators: Why Deliverability Matters with Alyssa Dulin and Melissa Lambert Taylor Lorenz The New York Times The Washington Post Michael Barbaro The Daily Podcast  Twitter Apple Apple Studio Display Mac Mini Epic Games Fortnite Bandcamp Travis Scott Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors Creator Sessions Maura Streppa Creator Sessions: Musical Performance with Drew and Ellie Holcomb BobNet email list TikTok Youtube  Kygo  ConvertKit Commerce Thomas' (old) blog Thomas on Instagram Spotify  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

There's truly no such thing as an overnight success. Mandi Gubler spent years working on her first blog, Vintage Revivals. Her site launched when blogging was still an emerging industry and unlike her competitors, Mandi refused to accept every sponsorship offer that came her way, holding out for a few brands on her dream list. Eventually, as the success of her blog grew, those dream brands came knocking. And her fan base, impressed with Mandi's commitment to authenticity, expanded.But every good thing comes to an end. While her love for learning new skills fended off the natural burnout most creators experience, a TV show with the Magnolia Network expedited her exhaustion. Tight deadlines and grueling renovation work led Mandi to look elsewhere for a creative income. Luckily, she'd been working on a new blog for the past year: Happy Happy Houseplant. Moving an audience from one familiar brand to another is no easy feat, but Mandi pulled it off. As her business transitioned, so did her business model, and at the advice of a fellow creator, Mandi began selling physical products rather than relying on sponsorships. As a result, Mandi finally got off the neverending hamster wheel that is creating content, scouting brands, and doing it all over again.In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel chat with Mandi about the difference between sponsorships and selling physical products, how to create a product that your audience actually wants, and her perspective on fending off creator burnout. Key Takeaways [03:11] - Have you heard?  [03:27] - Sharon McMann (or Sharon Says So) is a news and education content creator. Her content is extremely helpful, especially now as we try to make sense of the complex Ukraine-Russia conflict. [05:01] - TikTok is expanding into long-form videos.  [06:05] - Instagram is discontinuing IGTV.  [08:38] - Main Topic: Mandi Gubler on Content vs. Physical Goods.  [08:52] - Mandi started a blog in 2010 called Vintage Revivals. In the past decade, it's experienced tremendous growth.  [10:05] - Five years ago Mandi bought a building and turned it into a home. She was even featured on the Magnolia Show, In With The Old.  [12:50] - Vintage Revivals' main source of income is sponsorships. Mandi held out for the brands she truly loves. That authenticity has ultimately been reflected in her success and her sponsorship rates.  [17:08] - Mandi's love for learning helped her avoid the burnout that living on the creator hamster wheel so often creates. However, when she landed a TV show, the tight deadlines and exhausting work led her to pivot and dive headfirst into a new business.  [31:20] - Mandi knew her audience well which allowed her to create a product that resonated with them.  [32:47] - Different from the sponsorship model, selling a physical product allowed Mandi more time to focus on new product development and providing value to her audience.  [39:39] - Mandi had to choose between her two businesses and it was difficult given that her identity was so entwined with Vintage Revivals.  [44:40] - When you care about the content you're creating and the people you're creating it for, that's a marker of success. And when you're building a brand and you're building it around serving people, you're always more successful.  [45:39] - Submit your listener shoutout!  [46:17] - A sneak peek at next week's episode. Quotes[13:46] - “That was something that was really important to me when everyone was talking about all these different paint lines and different posts and for me that just felt really inauthentic and like, you're clearly just doing this because you're getting paid, what do you actually like? So it was really important for me to have stuff that I really stood behind. And so that works out really well with sponsors.” ~ Mandi Gubler[17:58] - “Truthfully, I really love the creative process. For me, I'm not driven by money or status or really anything other than experience. I love learning new things. And so to take on a project like figuring out how to make tile, that is when I am my best self, is when I'm trying to do things and failing and reworking things.” ~ Mandi Gubler[26:30] - “You have to have a physical product. It's so much better than just doing sponsorships and being on this kind of content creation hamster wheel.” ~ Mandi Gubler[30:28] - “We're sharing the best information that actually helps people, we have the most amazing products, and we're coming out with some really, really exciting ones, and it's working because it's what people want.” ~ Mandi GublerLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Mandi Gubler Happy Happy Houseplant Vintage Revivals Sharon Says So The Daily Podcast  TikTok Instagram In With The Old  Sherwin-Williams The Home Depot Alt Summit Kirsten Grove / Simply Grove Jenny Komenda Henry Thong Nathan Barry Submit your creator wins and be featured on an upcoming listener shoutout!   Thomas Dulin  Alyssa Dulin Deliverability Defined The Future Belongs to Creators: Why Deliverability Matters with Alyssa Dulin and Melissa Lambert Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

ConvertKit Storyteller Isa Adney has always loved to learn. Although she aced high school, Isa's family couldn't afford a traditional four-year university, so Isa dove into community college and later snagged a scholarship to complete her Bachelor's and earn a Master's in Education. With a higher degree in learning, Isa's passion for education is obvious. But now that she's an established writer, telling stories at ConvertKit full-time with a few published books under her belt, why pursue any further education? Why spend the money for a degree if you've already reached so many professional goals? For Isa, pursuing an MFA is about continuing to develop as a writer, building a community of like-minded creators, and following in the footsteps of writers she admires. While this decision has worked well for Isa, returning to school isn't right for every creator, especially considering the skyrocketing costs of a degree. In this episode, Charli, Haley, Miguel, and Isa discuss why a formal education can be incredibly valuable for creators across disciplines, knowing when higher education is the right choice for you, and why there's more to school than textbooks, teachers, and a shiny diploma. Key Takeaways [02:06] - Have you heard?  [02:20] - YouTube is adding live rings to their avatars for live streams.  [04:16] - LinkedIn is launching its own podcast network.  [05:45] - Creators' earnings, rates, and audiences are continuing to grow.  [09:02] - Today's main topic: How can creators decide if education is right for them?  [09:27] - Isa's experience at a community college shaped her views on higher education and her belief that  unpopular options are sometimes the best options. [13:25] - Although Isa's an established writer, she still sees value in continuing her education. She's hungry to grow and develop as a writer and is seeking a community of fellow writers to connect with. [20:27] - Community college is a great option for avoiding debt, especially if you're unsure which career path to take.  [24:22] - Different from many online courses, formal education holds you accountable and allows you to foster that community more easily.  [29:06] - Online course creators can learn from the formal education system. For example, more courses should incorporate community within the curriculum itself.  [31:38] - For so long Isa hesitated with pursuing her MFA because she never saw herself represented in programs. Doing your research and finding a good program fit is incredibly important.  [33:01] - If you're a creator toying with the idea of higher education, research creators you admire and see where they learned what they learned. [36:06] - Listener shoutout! Elizabeth Sloane of ConvertKit and Remotely Well now has 7 subscribers that she doesn't know personally.  Quotes[15:07] - “There's quite a few creators – and there's a longer list that I could share –who are making a living full-time as a creator, and doing courses, and higher education is actually where they got their ideas, where they learned what they now teach.” ~ @IsaAdney[17:25] - “I felt comfortable. I felt comfortable as a writer, I felt like it was getting easier and easier, and if you're a real artist, real creator, you don't actually like to stay there too long. You're like, I want to grow, I want to get better. I've taken every course that I can find, I've read every book, and I still know there's more that I could learn.” ~ @IsaAdney[18:40] - “The world of writing is changing, the world of the creator economy is changing and writing is a huge part of it and I wanted to see what I could learn, and then bring it over into this new world.” ~ @IsaAdney[28:49] - “I'm already seeing a difference and it's so fun because it puts a different lens when you're learning. You have this other filter where you're also immediately translating it to your life, to your workplace, to things that could make you money. So I think that's been hugely helpful.” ~ @IsaAdneyLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Isa Adney Bonnie Christine  Isa's story on Bonnie YouTube  Twitch Facebook LinkedIn 1,000 True Fans? Try 100 Podia Teachable  Fill out ConvertKit's creator survey!  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens Community College Success: How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, Internships, and the Career of Your Dreams Harvard Isa's upcoming book: The Little Book of Big Dreams Masterclass Dan Runcie  Isa's story on Dan Trapital Anne-Laure Le Cunff Ness Labs Henry Thong Berklee College of Music CNN Elizabeth Sloane Remotely Well Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Creators come to ConvertKit with dreams of doing what they love for a living. That usually means sacrificing 9-5s for passion and creativity. But often creators forget that a lifestyle doing what you love only comes when you learn to monetize that passion and think like a businessperson. While skills like negotiation rarely come naturally, all it takes is a little education to increase your income and experience real creative freedom. Sponsorship Coach and Founder of Creator Wizard Justin Moore is an expert at helping creators navigate sponsorships and earn a living doing what they love, in the most literal sense. From living without a paycheck gap, navigating paid sponsorships, and negotiating rates, to simply having the confidence to initiate a brand deal, Justin helps people take the leap from aspiring creator to full-time, successful entrepreneur. In this episode, Charli, Miguel, and Justin discuss the biggest mistakes creators make when it comes to brand sponsorships, what an ideal sponsorship looks like, how to win brands over with confidence, and why you're never too small to add value and earn money working with the brands you love. Key Takeaways [00:58] - Have you heard?  [01:05] - Snapchat is introducing revenue sharing on ads in creator stories.  [04:47] - IZEA released their State of 2022 Influencer Earnings. YouTube and TikTok were the top-earning platforms.  [06:51] - ConvertKit is conducting a survey about the creator economy. Here's a sneak peek at early survey results!  [07:55] - Today's main topic: How can creators run successful sponsorships?  [08:08] - Always ask the brand what the goal of the campaign is. Your pricing should change based on the brand's goal.  [08:55] - Brands have three main campaign goals: conversion focused, content repurposing focused, and brand awareness focused. You can charge the most for brand awareness campaigns. [14:11] - Creators often negotiate against themselves. Rather than overexplaining your rate, lean into the silence and let brands respond.  [16:38] - Don't be reactive with your negotiations. You're not beholden to the brand's proposal. You can create your own “packages” with different content and pricing options.  [21:54] - Be honest with yourself about which sponsorships are a good fit for your audience, be responsive with brands from the beginning, and be flexible if brands occasionally request things outside your contract.  [28:51] - You have to engage brands at every stage of the creator pipeline. Otherwise, you may go months and months without receiving a paycheck.  [30:51] - Don't wait to initiate sponsorships! You have incredibly unique value regardless of your follower count.  [34:41] - When it comes to working with brands, confidence is key.  [36:59] - Listener shoutout! Krystal Proffitt recently hit 4,000 subscribers on YouTube and got to speak at Podcast Movement University.  [37:40] - A sneak peek at next week's episode.  Quotes[13:56] - “There is so much value in the content that you're creating for brands and you should not just be giving the kitchen sink away for free.” ~ @justinmoorefam[22:23] - “It's very very critical that you are honest with yourself that this is going to be a good fit for your audience. If you have a fast money mindset when it comes to working with brands and sponsors and things like that, it's going to be very difficult for you to maintain an intimate connection with your audience as well as one with brands.” ~ @justinmoorefam[31:48] - “What I'm here to say to you is that it does not matter how many followers you have for you to actually start working with brands. Because there are so many different ways that you can bring value to those brands.” ~ @justinmoorefamLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Fill out ConvertKit's creator survey!  Justin Moore Creator Wizard Creator Wizard on YouTube Join Justin's email list Snapchat  YouTube Instagram  TikTok  So…TikTok Sucks IZEA The State of Influencer Earnings 2022 Report Wattpad  Facebook Krystal Proffitt Podcast Movement University Isa Adney Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

There's no better feeling than building a livelihood doing the work you love. For many creators, that means a life of painting, pottery, design, and left-brain thinking. But to succeed as a  full-time creator, you have to get technical every once in a while. If you're not a numbers person and shy away from the analytical aspects of email and business marketing, ConvertKit has a built-in set of technical experts ready to explain. Enter Alyssa Dulin and Melissa Lambert, ConvertKit deliverability experts and hosts of the podcast Deliverability Defined. So what is deliverability? In simple terms, deliverability refers to the number of messages reaching your inbox versus the spam folder. Just like the post office, even though a letter or package is marked as “delivered”, that doesn't always mean it's sitting in your mailbox ready to be opened. Luckily, there are ways to resolve email deliverability issues and here at ConvertKit, Alyssa and Melissa are pros at helping creators solve those issues and reach the inboxes of their subscribers.In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel talk with Alyssa and Melissa about why deliverability matters, how to improve your sender reputation, why removing subscribers from your list is actually a great strategy, and how to embrace life's (and email's) technicalities. Key Takeaways [01:06] - Have you heard?  [01:46] - Wordle was acquired by the New York Times. [04:19] - An upcoming Apple update will turn every iPhone into a form of contactless payment.  [05:28] - ConvertKit is conducting a survey about the creator economy.  [06:24] - Today's main topic: Why Deliverability Matters. [10:28] - Deliverability means the number of messages that go to the inbox versus the spam folder. Mailbox providers won't tell you where they place a message so you have to use other metrics to determine your deliverability such as delivery rates and open rate trends. [12:49] - ConvertKit doesn't accept spammers or those with incredibly poor list health to protect the deliverability of other ConvertKit customers.  [18:39] - Where your emails are placed is often based on your sender reputation. A “sender reputation” is determined by the “positive” and “negative” reactions of the people receiving your emails.  [20:46] - When recipients engage with your emails (reply, click links, etc.), that's a positive signal that boosts your sender reputation. Try to be creative with the strategies you employ to encourage engagement.  [23:26] - Your sender reputation is tied to yourself as the sender as well as your ESP. However, your sending domain as the creator carries the most reputational weight.  [27:20] - A DMARC record prevents spammers from using your sender domain or “spoofing.”  [28:49] - Sometimes creators use a verified sending domain to help bolster and authenticate their sender status. To have an account with ConvertKit, you have to use a verified sending domain.  [32:25] - Remove unengaged subscribers from your list every six months. It's better to have a small list of highly engaged subscribers than a lengthy list of cold subscribers, for the sake of your deliverability and your bottom line. [36:11] - Creator callout! Laura Vanagaite is an amazing illustrator and branding expert who recently had some of her illustrations shared by great influencers.   [37:12] - A sneak peek at our next episode.  Quotes[18:54] - “Your sender reputation is very similar to a credit score. It's very easy to damage and not as easy to build back up again.” ~ @mel_lambert_ [20:46] - “One thing we've been talking about a lot on this season of Deliverability Defined is those creative strategies to increase engagement. There are a lot of different ways you can encourage people to engage with your messages.” ~ @alyssa_dulin[32:38] - “Keep a clean list. If you have never run any kind of cold subscriber re-engagement, if you've never cleaned your list before, that's a really good place to start.  You just want to make sure that you're sending to the people on your list who are most engaged. And if you aren't, that can sometimes negatively impact your sender reputation.” ~ @mel_lambert_ Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Wordle Josh Wardle Slack The New York Times The Future Belongs to Creators 145: How Wordle Went Viral (And What We Can Learn From It) Apple Stripe Shopify Fill out ConvertKit's creator survey!  Deliverability Defined Monthly deliverability reports Gmail Microsoft Yahoo! Growth Currency Nordstrom Sign up for the Deliverability Defined monthly newsletter! Bitly DMARC YouTube Instagram Bitcoin Lara Vanagaite Justin Moore  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

You know it, you love it…maybe you've never heard of it. Regardless, it's the first viral trend of 2022 and after a rough few years, embracing something as wholesome as a free word puzzle has felt uniquely refreshing. But what made Wordle the viral sensation that it is? And what's the best way creators can capitalize on a free service without destroying what made it special to begin with? Like every success story and every creator misstep, there are lessons creators can learn from the absurd virality of Wordle. From its simplicity and innocence to the big scary question of monetization, this app-less internet game is both fun and a rich topic for discussion amongst creators of every niche. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the wonder of Wordle, why it went viral, how the creator of Wordle can sustain its virality, and what every creator can learn from the success of a free word game taking the internet by storm. Key Takeaways [01:07] - Have you heard?  [01:30] - TikTok is testing a paid subscriber model for creators.  [02:22] - Instagram is launching subscriptions.  [06:29] - YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki wrote a letter to the YouTube community with a breakdown of YouTube's priorities for 2022 and a recap of impressive creator stats from 2021.  [08:33] - Today's main topic: what can we learn from the virality of Wordle?  [10:59] - Wordle is an addictive game with no barriers to entry. [14:37] - Wordle has given people a lighthearted excuse to check in with one another. [15:26] - The sharing function and scarcity of a one-game per day limit also contributed to its virality.  [18:05] - There's a compounding effect on the relevancy of something by the size of its adoption. In other words, something can be very fun, but if it doesn't become embedded within a cultural wave, it won't take off.  [18:57] - There's value in something that doesn't immediately concern itself with monetization. [19:41] - Wordle has a universality to it that creators can apply to their own services.  [23:54] - Starting a consultancy, including a TiPJAR, and capturing email addresses are great ways to monetize a free service without sacrificing integrity.  [34:31] - Creator callout! Noah from ProvocaTeach is launching a new site and has learned to code.  [35:58] - A sneak peek at our next episode.  Quotes[17:11] - “There's something very interesting and special about the fact that this is a thing that's going viral when the sharing link doesn't include a link to the project itself. You have to be invested to figure out how to play it yourself.” ~ @charliprangley[19:49] - “A lot of times we're talking to creators and we're asking them to niche down, get really specific to their audience and don't worry about the size of your niche, and niche down, niche down, niche down. Wordle's really interesting because it's totally universal. Everybody talks, everybody uses words, everyone writes. So I guess my lesson for creators is: what's universal inside your niche? What's universal inside your small little audience?” ~  @haleyjani[18:57] - “There's value in the success of the thing itself and not thinking about the full monetized pipeline. If the creator had thought, ‘Before I release this to the public, what sort of thing can I build around it to make something that makes money?”; that would have made it less interesting to people, it would have created barriers for people, which then would have made it not as viral which then maybe would have made it never take off.” ~ @miguelp.img Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube TikTok YouTube Facebook  Instagram Patreon Meta Twitch Josh Logan The Future Belongs to Creators 115: The Realities of Trying to Make It in Music with Josh Logan Wordle Josh Wardle Wordle Is a Love Story Slack Twitter Wheel of Fortune Words With Friends Lewdle Spar Kelly LeVeque  Flappy Bird TiPJAR Giphy Noah from ProvocaTeach The Future Belongs to Creators 126: Navigating Procrastination and ADHD as a Creator with Noah from ProvocaTeach Noah on Twitter Be featured in a future listener shoutout! Deliverability Defined podcast  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

When someone stumbles upon something different, it usually takes mainstream society a while to catch up. Understanding and validating the power of creators and the creator economy is no different. After years of creators forging their own careers despite judgment and confusion, the universe is finally catching on. And everyone wants in on the lucrative new economy that's disrupting a $2 trillion industry. But when did the power players of society finally take notice of the creator economy? How can creators best leverage this newfound validation? And will this normalization cause creators to lose sight of their original purpose? Good or bad, eyes on the creator economy will only expand. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel dive into the recent Forbes article, To Succeed in the Creator Economy, Startups Should Address Creators' Needs. The three discuss how creators should respond to the attention, why startups and businesses need a mindset shift when it comes to their relationship with creators, and what's next for the creator economy all around us. Key Takeaways [00:54] - Have you heard?  [01:40] - A TikToker is now the face of a Gucci-NorthFace collaboration. [02:28] - Instagram is testing allowing users to reorganize their profile grid. [03:23] - James Clear's Atomic Habits was the #1 best-selling book on Amazon in 2021.  [05:31] - Instagram is now allowing users to choose how their feed is sorted. [08:20] - A recent Forbes article argues that startups must address creators' needs in order to survive in the modern creator economy. [11:23] - Creating as a profession has become normalized and because of that, creators have the power to disrupt the mainstream media. [15:26] - When did society start validating the creator economy? When creators learned to monetize their business? Or when venture capitalists finally started paying attention?  [20:23] - There are three things startups can do to solve challenges in the creator economy: mitigating creator burnout, tailoring solutions to creators, and viewing creators as design partners rather than just employees.  [26:06] - Startups must also tailor solutions to a creator's audience.  [26:55] - Creators have to establish the precedent of demanding proper payment for their labor, regardless of how exciting a partnership may seem.  [31:05] - Introducing creator callout! [32:56] - A sneak peek at next week's episode. Quotes[10:33] - “The creator economy is just the economy now, and we are all living within the creator economy whether we are a creator or not. This is happening, this is the way the world is going. And so if businesses want to succeed in this new way of doing business in this new economy, then creators need to be considered as a key audience.” ~ @charliprangley[14:27] - “Whenever the business itself is surrounded around someone's creativity or someone doing something themselves, I feel like people's minds tend to go to this place of illegitimacy. And it's important to remember that it's very legitimate because there are entire markets out there that are built around creativity.” ~ @miguelp.img [21:24] - “That is actually really what I think doesn't happen often enough is that creators don't position themselves as partners, they position themselves as employees of this company where they bring so much value.” ~ @haleyjaniLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube TikTok Gucci The North Face Francis Bourgeois James Clear Atomic Habits Reese Witherspoon James Clear at Craft & Commerce  Craft & Commerce Conference Meta To Succeed in the Creator Economy, Startups Should Address Creator's Needs  Young Creators are Burning Out and Breaking Down I Am A Blogger coffee table book Isa Adney Stripe Creator Sessions The Future Belongs to Creators 107: Making Creativity Sustainable and Avoiding Burnout MailChimp fypm (f*** you pay me) Glassdoor  Happy Happy Houseplant Vintage Revivals Home Depot Sherman Williams  TFBTC listener shoutouts Terrible, Thanks for Asking  Wordle Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

The time has come for annual reflection. When you're passionate about growing a side hustle, it's important to reflect mindfully on the year you've had rather than forging ahead carelessly and going through the motions of yet another 12 months. So what have you learned this year as a creator? And what changes are you planning in the year ahead?In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel reflect on their own 2021 while asking listeners the same question. From setting boundaries, finding hobbies, stepping away from good things, diversifying income streams, and overcoming the fear of creating in public, here's a look at lessons learned in 2021.Questions [02:52] - What are some of your favorite things that you've learned as creators in 2021?  [10:20] - How have you learned things the hard way in 2021?  [30:02] - What energy are you taking into 2022?  Quotes[04:26] - “One of the biggest lessons I've learned this year is that being prepared allows my brain way more room for creativity.” ~ @haleyjani[20:05] - “I'm at that point where the reason I make a video is not because I genuinely want to make a video, it's because I want to connect with the people on the other end. That's the important part to me. So I want to make sure that what I'm making is connecting.” ~ @charliprangley[33:41] - “I think my word is going to be purposeful. I'm always really eager to produce results and get stuff done and the downside of that is I'm always heads down looking at one thing very myopically. And I really want to stop doing that so much and stop trying to get those quick wins. Because ultimately I think I could make more impactful choices if I were to stop for a second, zoom out, and sort of map my road a little bit better.” ~ @miguelp.img Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Creator Sessions Henry Thong Inside Marketing Design  Happy Happy Houseplant Charli on YouTube Nathan Barry Nathan on Twitter  Craft & Commerce Conference Cory T. Taylor The Starting Line Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

As this year wraps up, consider the place email has in your creator strategy. Does it have a place at all? Or was it overshadowed by the latest social trend? Email may be older than the internet, but if you think it's a medium of the past, think again. While easy to overlook if you're like all of us reaching for TikTok before breakfast, email stands alone in a few key categories you've probably never considered. So if you're scared of being sent to the spam folder, this one's for you. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the relationship between email and social strategy, the right way to send to your subscribers, and the invaluable benefits of capitalizing on email. As ConvertKit CEO Nathan Barry says, email never dies. Let's talk about why before you hit “send” on your marketing plans for 2022. Key Takeaways [04:44] - Rather than picking one medium over the other, leverage email in concert with social media.  [09:12] - Email is where your true fans are and it's where your fans are when they're ready to purchase.  [13:27] - The only downfall of email is that you can't go viral. But you can use virality on social media to funnel subscribers to your email list where they can make a purchase. [15:17] - As long as every email you send is rewarding your subscribers, you don't need to worry too much about spamming them. [21:54] - Segmentation is exclusive to email and it's incredibly important for personalizing your communication with subscribers and building that relationship. [33:01] - Clean your list regularly to make sure it includes only the most engaged subscribers.  Quotes[06:20 - “The way you organize your life happens in your email for the most part. And that's why it's a very valuable space for creators to be reaching an audience. It's not a place that you have to remember to go to check. It's a natural part of people's day.” ~ @charliprangley[13:39] - “Social posts, they go viral, they give you access to an entirely new audience, or hundreds of thousands of people when your email list maybe only has five thousand or so, and then you're able to push them into your email funnel and then you can sell to them there. So that's one way that I see a lot of creators using social media to fuel their email growth.” ~ @haleyjani[22:27] - “With social media, your only option is, mute the posts or unsubscribe. There's no, ‘send me fewer of their posts' or ‘send me more of their posts'. You can't get that granular. So that's one of the other benefits of email is you can really segment your audience based on their wants and their behavior.” ~ @miguelp.img Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube LinkedIn Nathan Barry Slack Floret Flowers Erin Benzakein Creator Sessions Growing Floret Marie Forleo Floret Flowers blog The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood Ali Hazelwood  Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James Charli's newsletter  Alyssa Dulin Nordstrom Everlane Etsy Instagram Charli on YouTube YouTube Pat Flynn All Of Your Beeswax Shawn Blanc Shawn's newsletter The Focus Course Plan Your Year Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

In today's Q&A episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the importance of social media, the future of podcasting, and the benefits of planning a business before diving in headfirst. From social strategy to a SWOT analysis, here are a few hot takes on the creator economy.Today's Questions [06:32] - Will creators always need social media to reach their audience or is there some kind of future where we can transition away from it and have a direct relationship with our audience?  [21:03] - How important or beneficial is it for a podcast to also be on YouTube? Do you think podcasts without a video component will be in the minority at some point in the near future?  [25:26] - Should creators consider having a business plan?  Quotes[12:07] - “I think that that's a question that every creator needs to ask, which is, ‘What does my audience want? And how do they want it the best? And what's the majority saying?' And then you focus on that.” ~ @haleyjani[18:16] - “The important thing is that there are all these different avenues of ways that you can sell or grow your audience. But the most important thing is that you know what that is and you create your funnel through that and then you also own your audience.” ~ @haleyjani[18:37] - “Become a data scientist. The data is always going to point you in the right direction. And maybe Instagram isn't the answer. Maybe Discord is the answer. Maybe YouTube is the answer. Insert whatever different creator platform is the answer for your type of business and do the thing that is right for your audience.” ~ @haleyjaniLinks Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Podcast: Unclogging America's biggest ports  Substack Patreon Instagram Discord The Future Belongs to Creators 140: What Creators Need to Know About ETFs Twitter  Happy Happy Houseplant  Ben Schoeffler  Athletic Greens YouTube The Joe Rogan Experience The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast  Almost 30 Podcast Amy Porterfield  Create A Profitable Digital Course That Leverages Your Time & Scales Your Business Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

Do you know much about NFTs? Or does the blockchain space make you think of Elon Musk and an exclusive tech community that feels far out of reach? Regardless of your personal affinity,  NFTs will only become more relevant to our modern economy. And they'll only become more relevant for creators looking to build community and earn a living. But the types of people you meet in the NFT space and the organizations that grow out of these platforms may surprise you. More than just a Twitter trend or an elusive tech fraternity, NFTs can expand your creative horizons beyond what's been possible over the last few decades. In this episode, Charli and NFT enthusiast Waldo Broodrÿk discuss doing NFTs right as a creator and the surprising opportunities that lay ahead for creators who succeed. “The beauty of NFTs is that we're building communities. As we build communities we're building connections with other people that have different affinities, different skills, different connections that they can then say, ‘oh what if we did this?' The space to dream that big hasn't really been around.” ~ @waldobroodrykMain takeaways  [11:47] When it comes to NFTs, invest in companies, people, and movements that you believe in and always do your research.  [12:36] NFTs aren't just a project you produce once and forget about. It's more valuable when you're iterating because a community of people will want to stick around and watch your platform evolve.  [23:00] While the energy it takes to produce NFT systems isn't great for the environment, the space is evolving to be more eco-friendly.  [26:28] NFTs have led to a resurgence in the value of art. Artists are finally getting paid for their work rather than just living off of ‘exposure.'  [28:30] To be successful as a creator in the NFT space, build your community and get to know others in the space. See what others are creating, create utility around your NFT, and build an experience. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Waldo Broodrÿk Waldo on Twitter Blush Robotos Ethereum Solana  Open Sea Foundation Dribl Visa Woodies NFT Lucas Bean Twitter Discord   Metamusk Trust Wallet Elon Musk Polygon Coinbase eToro The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-hackers Is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum Jellysquad Scallywags  Myspace Slack Kickstarter Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

Change is hard, especially when it comes to a business or project you've built from the ground up. So how do you know when it's time to iterate on a side hustle? How do you iterate without losing your existing audience? And is it ok to reverse those plans when you suddenly realize that change isn't always for the best? When you're solving a problem, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and doubt the gut feeling that's encouraging you. But making those tough decisions and moving away from what's familiar doesn't have to feel impossible. In this episode, Charli and Haley share their experience with iteration as both professionals at ConvertKit and independent creators. They dive into real-life examples and discuss overcoming the dreaded decision fatigue. Here's everything you need to know about making a change without losing yourself along the way. “The beauty of iterating as a creator is that you can start anywhere. Start with what your gut says is the best direction and as you learn more information, as you get more experience, you can make changes from there and iterate as you go. And it means that you didn't hold yourself back from starting.” ~ @charliprangleyMain takeaways  [07:59] When you're thinking about an iteration, ask yourself what's not working about your current process or project and make sure the change you're about to make actually solves that problem.  [10:52] When you're deciding what to iterate on, focus on the aspects of your business that are the most important to achieving your goal. Sometimes, that just means focusing on what's most important to you as a creator.  [13:13] Always think future-forward.  Don't hold on to what's worked in the past because it's familiar. Fear of change should never limit what you can become.  [15:30] You can also iterate on process. An iteration doesn't necessarily have to be visible to your audience. If it's visible to you and it impacts how you feel about what you're creating, then that is important, too. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Design Life podcast  Femke van Schoonhoven Inside Marketing Design Podcast  Loom Creator Sessions monday.com Drew Holcomb returns with new wisdom and music | Creator Sessions Slack Nathan Barry Etsy Craft & Commerce Conference Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

In a world where numbers matter, it can feel discouraging comparing yourself to influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. When you're just starting out, the path to online influence can feel like an uphill climb with a destination that's far out of reach. But to become a successful creator, is it necessary to amass a giant following? There's a difference between being an influencer and an independent creator. One caters to a mass crowd while the other cultivates community. One relies on an app while the other builds something bigger. While there are pros and cons to each category, understanding the differences can help you shift priorities and reconsider your long-term creator goals. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss a recent article outlining the difference between influencers and independent creators and why the latter may have a surprising advantage. “The idea is not just to feed the social media sites, but to be building an online hub, a primary place for yourself. And you use the social media sites to get people to that hub.” ~ @charliprangleyMain takeaways  [04:30] The first pillar of becoming an independent creator is owning your audience. This means you can reach them regardless of which platform they prefer.  [05:57] Owning your audience is critical because your email list subscribers are more likely to be true fans and convert than your casual Instagram followers.  [14:34] The second pillar is going niche. When you have fewer followers that are hyper-engaged, it allows you to explore a niche. You lose the pressure of grabbing the attention of a mass crowd and watering down your creativity.  [21:20] The third pillar is cultivating communities over audiences. Communities interact amongst each other versus focusing all of their attention on the creator. When followers feel like they're part of a community, they're more likely to be true fans. [30:01] The fourth and final pillar is creating a self-sustaining community. Influencers are only as relevant as their last post. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Move over, Instagram influencers: Welcome to the era of the independent creator CharliMarie TV The Future Belongs to Creators Episode 105: Influencers vs Creators  Instagram Patreon Facebook Substack  My Favorite Murder Clubhouse  Barrett Brooks  Haley Chamberlain  The Future Belongs to Creators Episode 131: Getting off the Content Hamster Wheel Inside Marketing Design Podcast  The Future Belongs to Creators Episode 137: The Realities of Starting a Second YouTube Channel From Scratch Creator Sessions Joy Oladokun: Using Songwriting to Navigate Self-Identity and Anxiety Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

In the early days of YouTube, popular creators often started second channels: one channel for main content and the other for vlogs. While that trend has since faded away, second channels are still an important content stream for major influencers and niche creators alike. But how do you know when to establish a second channel? Could you create a playlist that achieves the same thing? How do you cross-promote with two YouTube channels fighting for the same attention? As a veteran YouTuber, Charli launched a second channel earlier this year for podcast-related content. She made the move after realizing that podcast episodes and clips on her main channel drew fewer views and less engagement than her regular videos. Additionally, her podcast audience felt different from her main channel followers, so it seemed like the right path to take.In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss best practices for launching a second channel, the risk and reward of decentralizing your content, and when channel No. 2 should stay a pipe dream.“I wouldn't recommend people even start thinking about this unless their content is very different, like a completely different niche, or they have over 100,000 subscribers already. I think under that, you're better to put all your fuel into one place to fan the flames and keep the fire going.” ~ @charliprangleyMain takeaways  [03:53] When you post videos that are different from your normal content, the algorithm works against you. Rather than simply creating playlists for viewers and segmenting your content that way, creating a new YouTube channel can solve an algorithm headache.  [09:42] When it comes to cross-promotion, don't be afraid to explicitly ask your audience to support your second channel and be transparent about what their support means to you. [10:16] While your second channel may have fewer subscribers, the people that do subscribe will be the people most interested in that type of content, so you'll likely see increased engagement and promising viewership analytics.  [27:03] Sometimes it works to decentralize your content and let your audience find you in whichever medium they prefer.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Charli's Second YouTube Channel Inside Marketing Design Podcast  Roberto Blake Nathan's podcast Nathan Barry Show on YouTube  Nathan Barry Show Clips  Sean McCabe Stripe Inside Marketing Design at Stripe  Tatiana Van Campenhout  Alexis Teichmiller Bandit Coffee  YouTube  Isa Adney Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, the top one percent of streamers on Twitch earn more than half of all revenue generated on the site. Does this surprise you? Discourage you as an emerging creator? Or does it inspire you to stay the course and keep hustling until you find yourself in that top one percent?In this episode, Haley, Miguel, and guest Ben Schoeffler, a content creator and Support Operations Lead at ConvertKit, discuss their viewpoints on the creator economy and the opportunities and restrictions all creators face when it comes to earning money and truly owning an audience. Whether you're an all-in creator or stay true to the side hustle, you can flourish in the creator economy, or at least boost your chances of reaping the financial benefits. “Whatever side hustle you feel like doing, make sure it's something that you enjoy, because there's a good chance, a very good chance,  you won't make very much money at all.” ~ @BenSchoefflerMain takeaways  [06:59] It's important to own your audience outside of the various platforms so that you aren't relying on a handful of apps for financial support.  [08:27] Aside from owning your audience, it's also important to diversify your income streams. If one platform dies, that shouldn't derail your entire business model. [12:19] Although many creators aren't making a full-time income, it's important not to discount the significance of earning cash on the side every month, even in small amounts.  [18:52] Making money and becoming business savvy are skill sets many creators lack, but you must learn how to sell your creativity while continuing to create if you plan to grow your side hustle.  [21:29] No matter where you are in your creator career, it's important to stay the course. Avoid the urge to constantly bounce from one specialty to another, and stay consistent in producing the work you do best. The highest earning creators on Twitch are the ones who stayed the course.  Connect with our hosts Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Ben Schoeffler Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Twitch Twitch Data Leak Shows Some Streamers Make Hundreds of Thousands Per Month Instagram Facebook WhatsApp Amouranth DrDisRespect  YouTube  Charli on Twitch Happy Happy Houseplant  HeatherJustCreate The Future Belongs To Creators 135: Jack Of All Trades vs. Specialist...As A Creator? Apex Legends Floret Flowers Magnolia Network  Marie Forleo Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

America was built on specialists. People that were so exceptionally good at one thing that other countries depended on that unique skill set. Entire industries were born overnight from a singular focus. But as creators, we often feel like jacks of all trades. And if we're constantly juggling multiple hats, can we ever become great at our craft?As new creators, learning to edit your own videos, market yourself on social media, and balance the checkbook all while maintaining a 9-5 is crucial for long-term success. When you can't afford to outsource, staying skilled in every area is often the only way up. So what's the happy medium? In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the pros and cons of both routes, balancing your niche with building a business, and the most important skill every emerging creator should cultivate.“An expert in something is someone who repeats. They do the thing. They do it again, better the next time. They do it again, better the next time. And they learn each time as they go. I think that being a creator (how we can apply our maybe more scattered passions and energy when it comes to this sort of stuff) is to just do one thing at a time.” ~ @charliprangleyMain takeaways  [01:01] Be a V-shaped person. Have one specialty but allow yourself the room to build on other skills that support your core skills. Stay open to learning! [06:07] As creators, it's tough to balance being an expert with being a generalist. Creators often feel pressure to carve out their niche but to succeed as a new creator, you have to be a jack of all trades.  [07:30] Creators are often afraid to niche down for fear of losing parts of their audience, but ultimately you have to figure out what it is you're truly passionate about. Once you choose, your best, most engaged audience will stick with you. [18:19] Communication is the best skill you can develop as a creator. You need to express your thoughts in a way that grabs an audience.  [32:37] There's value to being an expert and value to being a generalist. But avoid going in only one direction because you'll inevitably lose value along the way. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube The Creative Person Dilemma To Becoming An Expert vs Jack of All Trades. Peter McKinnon Isa Adney Malcolm Gladwell Lewis Hamilton Creator Sessions Henry Thong Ben Baker The Future Belongs To Creators 098: Introducing the new hosts of The Future Belongs to Creators podcast! David Epstein Apply to work at ConvertKit!  Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

Is there an app you always click on? A channel you gravitate to? A community that never fails to inspire you or make you laugh? For creators like Charli and Jay Clouse, that app is Twitter. After watching a friend create ceramics for 100 days straight with incredible success, Jay was inspired to explore fostering that consistency on Twitter. Jay developed a hashtag that auto-populated an online dashboard to help participants share their results publicly. This feature allowed participants and followers to show engagement in real-time.In this episode, Charli and Miguel talk with Jay about what happens when you commit yourself to consistency, the power of public accountability, and why asking your audience for support is always acceptable. “Twitter I think is an underestimated and misunderstood platform for lead generation too and meeting new people and getting your ideas in front of new people. And every time that I did put some effort into sharing my ideas on Twitter, it went well.” ~ @jayclouseMain takeaways  [02:14] Twitter is one of the shortest paths to meeting people you're actually interested in getting to know. Users are very responsive in their replies, so you're also more likely to have a conversation in a low-risk environment.  [16:15] Public accountability is a great motivator. Adding a challenge or goal to your Twitter bio increases your likelihood of success.  [31:11] Asking people for support can feel awkward, but it's fair to ask for compensation from people if you're providing consistent value. If you ask for support with low pressure and show visibility for where you'll use the money, there's nothing to feel awkward about.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Jay Clouse Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Jay Clouse Jay on Twitter Creative Elements  Join #Tweet100 Michael Ian Black Mark Hoppus  Twitter Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Lalese Stamps Automate All The Things Zapier Integromat  Airtable Dickie Bush David Perell Typefully Hypefury ilo Tweet Hunter Creative Elements #51: Dickie Bush [Feedback Loops] Creative Elements #35: David Perell [Serendipity] Buy Jay Clouse A Coffee Creative Elements #64: Charli Marie Prangley [Commitment] - Building a YouTube Channel with 200K subscribers (on the side!) Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

In today's Q&A episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss how the pandemic and the “Great Resignation” have impacted the creator economy. They also answer questions about the benefits and pitfalls of short-form content creation and which platforms will give you the greatest chances of success. “We've all been forced to take stock of what is important to us in our lives and how we want to be spending our time, and I don't think we've really seen the impact of that yet on the creator economy. Because it takes a while to get things spun up and I think we'll see, in six months time to a year from now, there is just gonna be so many more full-time creators killing it, doing what they love, because they took this bet at this time .” ~ @charliprangleyToday's Questions  [03:07] What do you think about the “Great Resignation” and how that will affect the greater economy?  [07:57] How has the pandemic changed how you think of yourself as a creator?  [17:29] What are your thoughts on short-form video content strategy?  [22:02] Are the shorts that Charli is creating viewed mostly from new people not already in her audience? Does that differ from a traditional YouTube video?  [24:28] What is the easiest way to get started producing content? Which channel is easiest to get started with?  [30:25] Have you ever bought a product or signed up for a course and then shortly after seen a big discount for it or a new version? How should creators handle this to make sure their audience feels like they didn't miss out?  [34:27] What's in your pantry?  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube The Future Belongs To Creators 132: Crafting Your Dream Career with Alexis Teichmiller SketchUp Creator Sessions Zoom Adobe Max: The Creativity Conference  Apple Events Ben Schoeffler  Tidy Style Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

Quitting your 9-5 and launching a business is both worshipped and glamorized. Building a lifestyle business is the new American Dream. But as those who've taken the plunge will tell you, it's never an easy or seamless journey upward. This is especially true if your goal isn't just to escape the corporate grind, but to build a life doing what you love. Nine months ago, Alexis Teichmiller was losing money. She'd just quit her full-time job and was beginning to question whether she was cut out for entrepreneurship. And though she eventually found a sweet spot and consistent revenue, it wasn't without its challenges. In this episode, our hosts talk with Alexis about the ups and downs of building a dream job, experimenting as an entrepreneur, and learning to fill your calendar with work that matters. “The biggest piece of advice in your career, whether you're an entrepreneur or not, is to do an evaluation every six months of where you're at. ” ~ @alexisteichmillerMain takeaways [06:39] Everything you do as an entrepreneur is an experiment. You're constantly gathering information that either affirms you're moving in the right direction or hints that you need to pivot.  [09:19] Are you spending your time on things that align with what you claim to want and what life you're looking to build? If not, it may be time to reassess.  [10:46] Because there are endless opportunities to pursue, narrow your focus to work that aligns with your long-term goals. This helps you avoid decision paralysis.  [26:22] Taking a side hustle full-time is a privilege. Quitting a full-time job is often romanticized but it's important to be realistic about what works for you.  [33:57] Invest in external feedback. Sometimes you need other people in your corner to remind you of your power.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Alexis Teichmiller Deeper Life Podcast Alexis on Instagram Work Life with Adam Grant Craft & Commerce  Pat Flynn Jake Kelfer  Deep Reset Challenge  The Future Belongs To Creators 130: Think Like A Scientist Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

Constantly feeling overwhelmed, rushing up against deadlines, and scrambling until the last minute is the perfect recipe for burnout. For creators, this often manifests while they're trying to generate content to keep up with their audiences. Regardless of the cause, every creator finds themself racing the hamster wheel at one time or another. While it may work once in a while, it's not a good place to land permanently. Getting off of the hamster wheel is important for the sake of your creativity and the sake of your mental health.In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss secrets for getting out of a vicious cycle and finding your creative footing. “I think it's really important that we point out that it's the motivation behind what you're doing that puts the heart behind what you're doing. If my motivation is, ‘I said I was going to do this every week so I'm doing this every week' that probably is not going to produce the kind of results that you'd hope for. But if the motivation is, ‘I feel recharged, excited to get back into it, I have a lot of great ideas,' what's going to come out of that is going to be so much better.” ~ @miguelp.imgMain takeaways [07:15] Staying purposeful with your work can prevent the hamster wheel cycle. Create a side hustle that you're passionate about because constant creation is the reality for full-time creators.  [10:03] Allow yourself time to iterate on your projects so you're not releasing content up to the last minute. When you're constantly racing against a deadline, you'll always feel overwhelmed and you'll never have time to achieve larger goals. Create in batches to help give space between finishing the work and launching it. [23:30] There's a difference between creating consistently and being on a hamster wheel. You can create content consistently without feeling like the second you stop your world will fall apart. [26:42] Outsourcing, finding helpful workflow tools, simplifying production, and being intentional with your focus also prevents burnout.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Today, Explained The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich Creator Sessions Inside Marketing Design Chloe Anna Allen Iverson's Practice Rant monday.com Patreon Slack Buy Me A Coffee Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

The scientific method is straightforward. Identify a problem, draw a hypothesis, run an experiment, collect the data, and find a conclusion. What if we approached our creative side hustles with the same data-driven mindset?Creators of all types procrastinate, get stuck, burn out, or simply lose momentum. When work is personal or we live like perfectionists, it's especially hard to break out of a rut and keep creating. Sometimes the best method for creative success is to hit refresh with a brand new perspective. It's time to think like a scientist. In this episode, Charli and Miguel discuss why experimentation and analysis often lend themselves to something unexpected: creativity.“There is something to be said for launching something that might be half-baked or three-quarter baked, and then be very prepared to iterate on it as things happen. So if you're holding yourself back because it's not quite perfect, at least entertain the idea that maybe it doesn't have to be.” ~ @miguelp.imgMain takeaways [03:56] Stop viewing missteps as failures and start viewing them as valuable learnings for future work. Just because you didn't do something perfectly doesn't mean it was a wasted effort.  [08:19] Before embarking on a creative experiment, determine what success will look like.   [10:36] When you're trying to figure out which creative experiment to run, consider whether or not you're passionate about the project, whether the experiment will be useful to other people, and whether the outcome has something unique to offer others in the same space.  [22:47] It matters less how much time you're spending on something and more how much attention you're giving it. Focused work is better than finishing with lackluster effort.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Adam Grant Work Life with Adam Grant The Wharton School How I Built This with Guy Raz The Future Belongs to Creators 111: The Future of Email Marketing for Musicians  The Future Belongs to Creators 114: 1,000 True Fans  Charli on YouTube The Futur 2021 income streams report - I DOUBLED my side hustle income! How much do web designers earn? [Real salary numbers]  The Future Belongs to Creators 129: Oversupply and Competition Between Creators  A Scientific Approach To Entrepreneurial Decision-Making: Evidence From a Randomized Control Trial Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

In today's economy, it seems like everyone's a creator. And in a bustling creator economy, making your voice heard can feel impossible. But is it actually impossible? And does success mean viewing fellow creators as competition? In today's episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss a recent article titled, The Creator Economy Is In Crisis, Now Let's Fix It. Some say over-supply and unfriendly algorithms make the modern creator economy a challenging industry. With so many creators working for less (or nothing), many wonder if creators are undervalued. Nonetheless, if you're itching to go full-time with a side-hustle, there are always ways to break through the noise and create for a living.  “I think what we have to do as creators is not let the platforms and the brands put us in competition with each other. We can't let that happen. I don't think creators realize the power that they hold. If every creator decided to stop uploading to YouTube, YouTube wouldn't make any money. Right? We do hold that power.” ~ @charliprangleyMain takeaways [08:54] Oversupply makes it possible for niche content to exist instead of content that appeals only to the masses. Tools like filters and search buttons make it possible for smaller niche creators to be found. [09:11] Because the market is filled with tons of creators doing similar content, creators must differentiate themselves or find their niche.  [11:02] Platforms add to the problem of oversaturation because algorithms reward creators who post frequently. [15:14] Oversupply isn't a death sentence for small creators. If people are interested in your niche, chances are they'll find you. You can beat the algorithm by being hyper-specific or hyper-broad.  [25:18] Making money is a skill set. To solve the problem of underpaid creators, creators must make monetization their goal before anything else.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube The Creator Economy Is In Crisis, Now Let's Fix It Everyday Carry Creator Sessions Teddy Williams LULA Pottery Charli on YouTube Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

As a constantly evolving creator, nothing is ever written in stone. Just ask Hollie Arnett, brand strategy coach for creators and founder of Maker & Moxie. A master of branding, Hollie passed the ultimate test by successfully rebranding a difficult client: herself. Beginning her business as a designer and typographer, Hollie picked her original name quickly. But as she evolved from designer to brand strategist, it was clear the name no longer served her purpose.The name was beginning to impact her SEO, her ability to stand out in a crowded marketplace, and her ability to share her story. So she took the plunge and started fresh. If you're a creator who's scared to start over, Charli, Haley, and Miguel talk with Hollie about navigating those fears, rebranding the right way, and picking the perfect name for your business.“When you're deciding between your personal name or a business name, it's about what your goals are and how your name is going to fit in with those goals.” ~ @holliesgotmoxieMain takeaways [07:12] Your business name should speak to your audience. Your audience should be able to identify themselves in your name.  [21:36] Rather than shifting your brand one incremental change at a time, rebrand in one swoop. It's exciting, quickly gets everyone on board, and makes everything easier for you and your audience. [27:00] You have to find a way to future-proof your business while also making sure your business reflects who you are in the present moment.  [30:08] If you're sharing your new name with a small community before making the rebrand official, share it with people who know you and your vision and who live in the audience of people you hope to work with.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Maker & Moxie Hollie on Instagram Hollie's Podcast Creator Sessions Creator Sessions with Sad Alex Arrows & Bow Sharon Says So Inside Marketing Design Charli on YouTube Inside Marketing Design on YouTube Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

In today's Q&A episode, Charli and Miguel talk with ConvertKit product specialist, Ben Schoeffler, about thoughts and experiences turning hobbies into side hustles. They also answer questions about when to push through burn-out and when to quit, creating with a goal in mind, and why it's OK to produce work without knowing where it's going.“I noticed over the past few months when I've been doing things for my own mental health, I've thought, ‘oh, I should share this on my podcast' or ‘I had this interesting experience I want to share this with people' and then going, ‘wait, no this is just for me, no one else has to know this, I can just do this for me.' It's been interesting to realize how I've programmed my brain for content production.” ~ @BenSchoefflerToday's Questions  [04:26] How do you decide when and how to monetize a side hustle?  [07:54] How do you push through creative burnout?  [14:34] How do you know when to push through that creative burnout or leave your side hustle by the wayside?  [20:04] How important are long-term goals and how often do you think about them?  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Ben Schoeffler Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Charli on YouTube Charli on Twitch Shut Up, Brain Podcast Thinking In Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All The Facts by Annie Duke Ugmonk Cards Metaphysical Milkshake with Rainn & Reza Metaphysical Milkshake with Rainn & Reza: Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble: Are the Kids Alright? StrengthsFinder Inside Marketing Design Marketing Design Dispatch Charli's Font MailChimp Slack SalesForce Etsy Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

With ADHD, it's incredibly difficult to focus on one task at a time. For creators with a lot to do, an ADHD diagnosis can make an already uphill climb feel like Mt. Everest. But, as Noah from ProvocaTeach tells us,  there are ways creators can overcome their diagnosis and turn ADHD into a creative advantage.Growing up, Noah always felt like he was better at explaining lessons than his teachers. When he eventually started college for education, he noticed that his curriculum glossed over concepts that he felt were the most important issues for teachers to understand and solve. And when March 2020 hit, Noah decided it was finally time to share his education opinions with an online audience and he began his creator journey.In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel talk with Noah about managing ADHD as a creator, why systems and support are the secret sauce, and how ADHD can be your greatest creative asset. “There was so much that I could potentially do for this project at any given time. I could be writing, I could be learning about marketing, I could be fixing some bug on my website. There was so much that could potentially be happening at any one time, and in some sense I think part of the journey was learning how to compartmentalize.” ~ @ProvocaTeachMain takeaways [11:49] When there are too many tasks on your list, compartmentalize your to-dos and build systems that hold you accountable.  [13:27] Lean on external resources to help you figure out what your regulated creator process should look like. Learn from podcasts, research, and creators who came before you. [14:15] Surround yourself with supporters with whom you can talk things through when problems arise.  [22:34] With ADHD, it's tempting to give up when you don't see an immediate payoff. But you have to give something a couple of tries before you can abandon the idea. It takes consistency to gain traction and results. [32:22] Presenting an audience with immediate value is essential. Everyone needs a reason to stop their scroll. Otherwise, your content gets lost in the mix.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Noah from ProvocaTeach Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube ProvocaTeach  Noah on Twitter  Noah on Facebook Noah's YouTube Channel Fiverr Angel at ConvertKit The Future Belongs To Creators 122: Building Your Network by Sharing Your Process with Teddy Williams Dr. Thomas E. Brown Canva Nathan Barry Sharon Says So The Sharon Says So Podcast Craft & Commerce Conference Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

The hardest part of accomplishing anything is taking the first step. Whether you're nervous about sharing work for the first time or fear you'll never find success, most big-time creators have felt the same.How do you push through those tough early stages when there's no guarantee of success or profit? ConvertKit Product Manager, Romane Dagain, knows what it's like to navigate the early days of being a creator while balancing a 9-5 and resisting burnout and self-criticism.In this episode, Charli and Miguel talk with Romane about the hardest obstacles to overcome when you're starting, reframing your mindset on monetization, and avoiding the pressure of outside perspectives. “Even if I can show something that's imperfect, maybe I can show something that is approachable as well, and then more people will want to try it. Maybe more people will see it. And then if I can just get more people just picking up a pen and just writing a few words and just enjoying this activity once in their lives, then I'm happy. That's what I was meant to achieve.” ~ @romanedgnMain takeaways [04:38] Sometimes, the hardest part of starting a side hustle is accepting that you'll have to share your work and that it's good enough to share.  [09:50] Creating in public is a great way to hold yourself accountable, stay motivated, and connect with other passionate creators.  [12:28] You are always your toughest critic. Don't be too hard on yourself or let perfectionism stop you from sharing. [20:37] Before jumping into a monetization strategy, you have to build up the habit of creating as well as an audience. Take advantage of that time before monetization and the freedom in creating just to create. [24:31] Part of the fun of becoming a creator is building something you love. Don't let other people's pressure and advice distort your passion project into something you dislike. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Romane Dagain Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube The New Provincial The New Provincial on Instagram  Marketing Design Dispatch  Etsy Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

Many companies have regular performance reviews for their employees. If done well, reflecting on your work is a great way to improve and refresh your professional momentum. Even though it's not mandated by a higher-up, we should still take similar time as creators to reflect on our work and performance.When there's no boss behind your shoulder or fear of firing, we as creators and solopreneurs need systems in place to hold us accountable and keep our aspirations on track. In this episode, Haley and Miguel break down the beats of purposeful and intentional reflection. It's a system embraced at ConvertKit, and a system we encourage everyone to implement as their creator journeys evolve. “Honesty is a really big part of measuring your growth as a creator, or professional, or anything else. Because you're not going to grow from something that you're not even acknowledging is a problem.” ~ Miguel PouMain takeaways [07:28] Purposeful and regimented reflection holds you accountable. Because as creators, no one else is there to do it for you. Start by breaking up lofty goals into small pieces.   [11:17] If you approach tasks with the mindset that you're a learner rather than the expert, then nothing you do is wrong and everything you do is teaching you something valuable.  [17:27] Learning from your mistakes is great, but don't forget to celebrate the wins too.  [18:00] To improve your areas of weakness, you have to be honest about them and aware of what they are.  [28:21] You can't succeed as a creator if you're not growing personally. Don't just track professional milestones and metrics like subscribers, clicks, and revenue. If you're learning a lot, that's just as much of an accomplishment as gaining 1,000 subscribers or earning $1,000. Connect with our hosts Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube 15Five Creator Sessions My Brothers And I James Clear Craft & Commerce Conference 1% Better Every Day - James Clear at ConvertKit Craft + Commerce 2017 4 Personal Growth Skills Content Creators Should Master The Future Belongs To Creators 114: 1,000 True Fans Matt Ragland The Future Belongs To Creators 104: Making the Leap to Full-Time Creator Alexis Teichmiller The Future Belongs To Creators 123: Launching Your First Newsletter with Daniel Beasley Judah & The Lion Judah Akers Sam Williams Alt Bloom Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

Taking a leap of faith is never easy. If you've ever thought about starting a newsletter, what's holding you back? Whether it's your grueling 9-5, the daunting task of building a website, or starting with zero followers, there always seems to be something standing in the way.But, as Daniel Beasley says, take it one small step at a time. Director of Customer Experience at ConvertKit and former business owner, Daniel has always juggled lots of ideas. When he came up with the idea to create content about remote work and traveling post-pandemic, he knew that starting small and focusing on adding value would allow his side hustle to grow without becoming overwhelming. In this episode, Charli, Miguel, and Daniel discuss steps for starting a newsletter, overcoming the hurdles of a side hustle, and the features that make newsletters fun and valuable resources for your subscribers.“Most people have a thousand ideas, and all the ideas equal, ‘how do I make money from it?' And so what I want to do with this is actually switch that mindset and say, ‘how do I create value?'” ~ @danielbeasleyMain takeaways [10:32] If you're thinking of starting a newsletter, curating content is a great place to start. Newsletters with curated lists are invaluable because they cut through the information-saturated web. [16:28] Make your newsletter something you would click on and something you would be excited to engage with, not just what you think people want. [23:01] You don't need lofty goals when you're first starting a newsletter. Your initial goals should be to stay consistent and to slowly try new things with a growing audience. [27:01] All you need to get started with a newsletter is a landing page. Don't worry about creating an entire site right out of the gate.  Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Daniel Beasley Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Subscribe to Venture Remote Venture Remote on Facebook Venture Remote on Instagram The Future Belongs To Creators 122: Building Your Network by Sharing Your Process with Teddy Williams  Teddy Williams Airbnb Subscribe to Charli's newsletter Webflow WordPress Flywheel Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

How do you go from casual listener of a show to colleague of a creator all in the comment section of a live stream? Ask Teddy. A staple of The Future Belongs To Creators podcast, Teddy's here (almost) every week to ask questions and keep the conversation fun. In today's episode, Teddy chats with Charli, Haley, and Miguel about his success working from the comment section and finding his audience as an emerging creator. They discuss everything from overcoming the fear of asking that first question to a creator and if building in public is really worth potential scrutiny. They also discuss the acceptability of shameless networking.Stepping into the spotlight can be nerve-wracking. But for people like Teddy, the professional benefits have outweighed the potential downside.“If your favorite YouTuber for fashion is like, ‘Hey I'm doing a live stream,” don't just show up and watch it. Show up and ask a question. Participate in the chat and get that started.” ~ @TeddyWilliamsWMain takeaways [09:28] When it comes to perfectionism, sometimes you have to get out of your own way. Finishing something and creating it in public will lead to more opportunities. Don't wait around for the work to be perfect.  [19:33] Even a small interaction can mean a lot to a fan or follower. Networking doesn't have to be a huge gesture to be successful. A series of small connections is a fantastic way to build relationships. [23:45] There's no shame in intentional networking. Plan for who you're going to connect with at a networking event or elsewhere to make the most of your time. [28:46] When you engage with creators, you're actually serving them. Interacting with and applying their content helps show that they are accomplishing the mission they set out to. [37:11] As a creator with an audience, remember to recognize the fans or followers that show up repeatedly. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Teddy Williams Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Teddy on YouTube Why I Watch My Favorite Podcast Live Stream on YouTube Teddy on Twitter Sign up for Teddy's newsletter Teddy's Webinar Flow Recap tweet Charli's video about her promotion Nathan Barry Barrett Brooks Sean McCabe Figma The Future Belongs To Creators 121: The Impact of Twitch on the Creator Economy The Future Belongs To Creators 114: 1,000 True Fans Twitch Grayscale Rafal Tomal Farm To Closet Kygo Steph Curry Noah from ProvocaTeach Melanie Griesemer Ryan de Metz Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

While an app filled with live streaming gamers may be the last thing you associate with 2021's highest-paid influencers, much of what makes up our modern creator economy originated on Twitch.At least according to a recent article, Twitch Turns 10, and the Creator Economy Is in Its Debt. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel dig into live streams, the game craze, opportunities from the app, challenges Twitch perpetuates, and why creators today should take a page from the gaming space for a healthy career doing what they love. “Streamers have huge, very very passionate audiences because of the live component of the content that they create, more so than perhaps an influencer on Instagram who is posting very curated photos of their space or their outfit or whatever. I think people really like the reality of seeing someone live and their live reactions.” ~ @charliprangleyMain takeaways [10:54] Are gamers considered creators? They create content for an audience, which is exactly what artists and YouTubers do. [23:11] Don't rely on third-party tools to build a relationship with your audience, whether that be YouTube, Instagram, or Twitch. You should always be steering your audience to a platform that you own.  [25:59] Given its emphasis on unedited live streams, some may argue that Twitch has contributed to the rise in “relatability” and authenticity.  [28:33] At the very least, Twitch is another opportunity for your audience to find and interact with your content. In that sense, platforms like Twitch add to the accessibility of becoming a full-time creator. [34:01] If you're a creator, try out live. Live streaming can strengthen the bond you have with your audience and add authenticity and humanity to your online persona. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Twitch Twitch Turns 10, and the Creator Economy Is in Its Debt Patreon OnlyFans The New Rules of the “Creator Economy” The Future Belongs To Creators 116: How Platforms Are Changing in Response to the Creator Economy Ninja Ludwig Charli D'Amelio Why I Watch My Favorite Podcast Live Stream on YouTube Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

In today's Q&A episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel share secrets and insights from their experience balancing work, life, side passions, and, of course, hosting a creator podcast.  Stay tuned for answers on charging for sponsorships, knowing your limits as a freelancer, recovering from creative ruts, and more. “You have to know your audience so well to understand your value. Because if you have an unengaged audience, then your value is not going to be there.” ~ @HaleyJanicekToday's Questions  [03:45] Why is Charli so transparent about her income?  [12:05] What are the biggest lessons you've learned from doing this podcast? [20:06] What do you do when you're feeling creatively uninspired or unmotivated? [26:37] How do you handle growth and momentum on your side gig when you can't give it the attention it needs? Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Miguel Pou Haley Janicek Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Creator Sessions Charli on YouTube Sean McKay 2021 income streams report - I DOUBLED my side hustle income! How much do web designers earn? [Real salary numbers] How to create a gallery wall Alexis Teichmiller Choosing The Right Medium For Creating with Ben Schoeffler The Realities of Trying to Make It in Music with Josh Logan Happy Happy Houseplant Working With a Virtual Assistant as a Creator with Chloe Anna TinLun Studios Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram

When you build a side hustle from the ground up, you do everything by yourself, nurturing each aspect of your passion project as it grows. When it's finally time to hire your first employee and start delegating, it can feel daunting and difficult. Especially if it's someone you're meeting for the first time who lives thousands of miles away. While challenging, it's better not to wait until you're completely overwhelmed to hire a helping hand. As a virtual assistant specializing in creative work, Chloe Anna is an expert at organization and time management, two skills creative people often need help with. While your creativity may have gotten you this far, your business needs people like Chloe if it's ever going to survive and thrive. In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel talk with Chloe about everything VA-related — when it's time to hire, what to look for, how to delegate, and why VAs can save your side hustle. “You need to make two lists. The first list is your skillset that you can't hand over. So that's the thing you sell, the thing that makes you talented and creative. And then the other list is for everything else. Even in those tasks you do and are your skillset, there are likely still tasks around them that you can offload.” ~ @chloeannavaMain takeaways [08:04] Find a VA you can relate to on a personal level. This is someone you'll be entrusting with your business, and having a personal relationship can make it a better experience. [09:55] When interviewing VAs, it's important to nail down their availability, and be honest with the time commitment you're expecting. [17:53] Great VAs need exceptional time and project management skills, organizational skills. And if you're doing creative work, they need an eye for art as well.  [20:56] A great benefit of VAs is their ad-hoc status. You can bring them into special projects or quick tasks — it's not the same level of responsibility as hiring a full-time employee.  [25:37] Instagram is a great place to find VAs.  [29:27] Virtual assistants and personal assistants are two different things. There is some crossover, but you should not be hiring a VA to do personal tasks and remain on-call 24-7. Connect with our hosts Charli Prangley Haley Janicek Miguel Pou Chloe Anna Links Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube Chloe's Website Chloe on Instagram CharliMarieTV The cold email that got Chloe hired Got a story to tell on The Future Belongs to Creators podcast?We'd love to have you on the show to talk about successes or failures you've experienced on your creator journey. Submit your story here!Start building your audience for freeWith ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram