How Creators Make Money

Description:From intermittent fasting experiments to vegan cults, this episode dives deep into how creators turn extreme lifestyles into cash.We cover:🥗 Justin’s 3-day fast gone wrong + why he’s trying intermittent fasting now💸 How mukbangs, thumbnails, and even Cameo gigs can stack six figures🎬 Why Supersize Me would’ve killed on YouTube today👕 The $800K streetwear drop from Mai Pham and how she built a private “cult” brand⚡ What makes a true movement vs. just selling a productTimestamps:00:00 – Justin’s 3-day fasting experiment (and why it failed)25:00 – Mukbangs, shock thumbnails, and monetization tactics33:00 – Why Supersize Me would have been a viral YouTube channel41:00 – Mai Pham’s $800K streetwear drop + building a private “cult” brand52:00 – Movement vs. product: what really keeps people buying🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.

Lillian Zhang is a finance + lifestyle creator who’s made over $50K in her first year of content and is now writing her book "The New Money Rules" while working a 9-5 at Google.In this episode, we break down:The strategy behind her first brand deal at just 10K followersHow she DOUBLED her income year over year while staying full-timeThe surprising truth about book publishingHer creator income split Pre-order her upcoming book The New Money Rules here → https://www.amazon.com/New-Money-Rules-Personal-Finance/dp/B0DW678THW—How Creators Make Money is hosted by Grace Ling and Justin Nguyen🎙️ How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.—Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:00 Lillian’s first $10K brand deal story06:30 How she prices brand partnerships today10:40 Making $50K in her first year14:20 5+ income streams explained20:00 Why Gen Z gets money wrong30:00 Managing creator + corporate identity50:00 FIRE goals and financial freedom1:02:00 The publishing secrets no one talks about1:07:00 Spicy marketing hacks from the creator world—For more creator insights, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

Grace and Justin dive into how kids are making money with the video game Roblox, Kai Cenat's Streamer University, and so many more creator events that happened during this time!Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter at: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

What happens when creators stop being the face of their own businesses?In this episode, we dive into the new wave of creator-led companies, how investors think about exits, and why the strongest creators build cults instead of just audiences.Inside:🏗️ Building creator brands that can outlast the founder’s face📈 VC vs. cash-flow businesses — what investors really want🔥 Measuring “cult-like” followings in the creator economy💡 Why niche and “unsexy” industries are blowing up on social🎟️ The rise of side events vs. big conferences like VidConTimestamps:00:00 – Creator brands vs. personality-driven businesses08:45 – The new wave: Joyride, Nami, and faceless creator CPG19:00 – What does a “successful exit” look like in VC?28:30 – Cult followings & how to measure them45:00 – Unsexy industries turning into creator niches53:40 – Events: side meetups vs. VidCon & SXSW🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.

From vegan popcorn to TikTok beauty brands, creators are finding new ways to launch products that feel more like movements than businesses.In this episode, Justin and Grace unpack the strategies behind viral CPG plays, scam-exposing influencers, and the health trends shaping what people buy next.Inside:🍿 Daddy Snacks - the vegan popcorn brand born from satire🕵️ Baller Busters, Coffeezilla & the rise of scam-exposing creators🍵 Nami Matcha and why timing is everything in CPG💜 Ube, Thai tea & what the next big drink trend could be🪧 Why a $150 Times Square billboard looks like a $69M flex onlineTimestamps:00:00 – Daddy Snacks & vegan popcorn strategy6:00 – Scam exposers: Baller Busters, Coffeezilla, Jideon16:30 – Nami Matcha & the timing of creator CPG25:20 – Predicting the next drink trend (ube, Thai tea, etc.)57:00 – Times Square billboards as the ultimate creator hack🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.

From Big Tech to burnout to building a million-dollar creator business, Zach Wilson has seen it all. After stints at Netflix, Meta, and Airbnb (earning $600K+ a year), Zach left it behind to go all-in on content, education, and his own platform.We dive deep into what it really takes to transition from employee to full-time creator, and the business models that actually work.Inside:💻 How Zach went from Airbnb staff engineer to 150K+ LinkedIn followers in 1 year🔥 The burnout that landed him in the psych ward, and the lessons he learned💸 Building Data Expert Academy — cohorts, subscriptions, and a $400K month🛠️ Why creators fail with too many income streams and how to focus on what scales🤖 Using AI avatars + platforms to fight burnout and expand globallyTimestamps:00:00 – From Big Tech engineer to creator: Zach’s backstory05:00 – Burnout, breakdown, and lessons from saying “yes” to everything10:00 – Growing on LinkedIn and becoming the #1 data engineering voice20:00 – How the LinkedIn algorithm changed and what still works today28:00 – Quitting Airbnb → first $0.19 TikTok paycheck → $50K cohort beta34:00 – Building multiple income streams: cohorts, subscriptions, newsletter41:00 – Platforms that convert (LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram) vs. ones that don’t53:00 – AI avatars, teaching at scale, and the rise of one-person billion-dollar companies🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.

Run clubs are blowing up, not just for fitness, but as the new way Gen Z is meeting people IRL. Grace shares her experience running with groups from LA to SF (and even almost making the Olympic team), while Justin breaks down how sponsorships are turning these clubs into real businesses.We also dive into:🏃 How college athletes went from banned to banking big with NIL deals💸 Why pro runners struggle financially compared to football or basketball players📹 Ryan Trahan’s wild leap from D1 runner to full-time YouTuberCreators, athletes, and entrepreneurs are rewriting the playbook on how to monetize passion, and we’re here to unpack it.🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.

Followers don’t always equal influence. Some creators with millions can’t sell a thing, while others with smaller audiences spark entire movements.In this episode, Grace and Justin talk through the messy business of being an influencer today: culture, money, and what “influence” really means in 2025.Inside:📉 Why follower count ≠ influence (and why some launches flop)🏙️ L.A. vs. Austin creator culture. Exclusivity, wellness, and ambition🎲 The rise of La Bubus, blind boxes, and gambling culture for kids💡 How environment shapes ambition, community, and creator careers🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.

We looked into how much money Morning Brew brings in by just sending emails... it's insane.In this episode, Grace and Justin break down:📰 How Morning Brew makes millions from newsletter ads👤 The “identity crisis” creators face when building a personal brand💳 Why designer credit cards are as much about persona as perks🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.For more creator insights, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

In this episode of How Creators Make Money, Justin breaks down how he's used credit card rewards to travel the world in business class.But that’s just the start. We also dig into creator monetization strategies, growing authentic communities, and share some more LinkedIn viral content hacks.Inside:✈️ Turning credit card points into luxury trips📈 Community growth strategies that actually work in 2025🎥 Real examples of LinkedIn growth hacking🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

Oba’s story is equal parts hustle and adventure.After leaving a private equity career in New York, he’s been traveling across Eastern Europe. From Hungary (where locals dubbed him “the Hungarian Fortnite”) to spending Romanian Robox he has found a way to build his brand while traveling the world.You can check out Oba's content here:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@obatriedInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/obatriedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajayioba/Travel IG: https://www.instagram.com/oba.travelsWe get into:✈️ How he’s funding his travels while unemployed🚀 The story behind Headstart and how he continues his entrepreneurial mentality by applying to Y Combinator💡 The content strategy to becomming the Prime Minister of Romania🌍 Why travel can actually make you sharper in business🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more interesting creator stories!www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

What happens when your Discord admin accidentally deletes 20,000 members overnight?In this episode, Grace and Justin unpack the chaos of losing an entire year of community growth in one click and how to turn Grace's crash-out moment into a growth hack advice.Inside:⚡ The “Great Discord Purge” and what actually happened📈 Grace’s plan to rebuild 20K members🛠 Why creators should share their failures and their fixes in public📊 A mini LinkedIn algorithm update straight from the LinkedIn teamWhether you run a Discord, a newsletter, or a podcast, this one’s about resilience, building in public, and keeping your cool when things blow up.🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money - the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

What happens when your favorite design tool goes public?In this episode, we talk through the chaos of Figma’s IPO and how Grace tried to throw $10K into it at $33.We also unpack:🧃 Prime’s brand hype and sudden sales collapse🚫 Whether creators can ever really get canceled📉 When a single TikTok shuts down a restaurant🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter for more creator insights: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

Private equity is moving into the creator economy in a big way.In this episode, we break down:💰 What PE actually is (and how it’s different from VC)📉 How PE can supercharge or completely wreck a creator business🏀 Real examples: Dude Perfect, Blippi, Cocomelon & more🕹 The “rise of the nerds” - how nostalgia-fueled creators like Quinton Reviews are making millions deep-diving Nickelodeon, MapleStory, and childhood culture🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money - the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter at: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

If you're hot in NY, you should never have to pay for food...Well at least thats what this startup, Neon Coats, thinks. They match influencers to restaurants, pilates classes, and more based on your following. Inside:😍 What it takes to get free meals💰 Creators who are making BANK selling Notion templates🤝 How to stop being awkward while networkingWhether you're hot or not, this episode has the insights to make sure you still get free meals, make money, and meet people from around the world.🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money - the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

It's time to get smarter about how to play the game of brand deals as a creator.In this episode, we break down the behind-the-scenes of brand negotiations, how to think more strategically about your positioning, and dive deep into some of their biggest deals that we've closed.Inside:🤝 Transparent about the mistakes we've made🧠 How to unlock bigger budgets💼 When it's the right time to get your bagThis one’s for any creator who’s done a few deals and is ready to level up.🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com

Xander built a following of 2 million, then walked away because he was boredNow?He makes a $100,000 a month posting TikTok Shop.In this episode, we break down:🛒 The TikTok Shop strategy that’s making creators life changing money📉 Getting over the hump of feeling "stuck"🧠 The mindset shift from “influencer” to business operatorThis conversation will flip your thinking on how to build creator income that lasts.🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money - the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more stories like Xander's: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com#TikTokShop #CreatorEconomy #Monetization #HowCreatorsMakeMoney #ContentStrategy

Lenny Rachitsky quietly built a business that prints over $3,000,000 a year.In this episode, we break down how he did it and what creators can learn from the way he runs his newsletter, community, coaching, and courses like a SaaS founder.We also get into:📈 Why creators should think more like businesses (not just personal brands)📬 How Lenny turned long-form writing into serious leverage💼 LinkedIn’s quiet entrance into the creator economy🧠 What “diversified income” actually looks like and where most creators missIf you're trying to build a career with content, this is the blueprint more people should be studying.🎙️ Hosted by Grace Ling & Justin Nguyen📍 How Creators Make Money — the podcast where we unpack the real strategies behind today’s smartest creators.#CreatorEconomy #Monetization #NewsletterBusiness #LinkedInCreators #HowCreatorsMakeMoney

In this episode Grace and Justin talk about if creators are scamming you, an update on the Cluely situation, how Maya Higa and Alceus Santuary making $1,000,000 without selling tickets to her zoo, and Grace's updated perspective on VC funding!For more creator insights, subscribe to our newsletter: www.howcreatorsmakemoney.comHow Creators Make Money is hosted by Grace Ling and Justin Nguyen, a podcast where they unpack the real strategies behind how the smartest creators are making their money.

Chris Do, founder of The Futur and author of Pocketful of Do, joins the podcast to reveal how he built a creative empire generating over $2M in revenue as a content creator.The Futur: www.thefutur.comPocketful of Do: www.thefutur.com/pocket-full-of-doHe dives into: How he’s launching a hybrid physical + digital design school in LABreaks down how he would think about creating your first stream of revenue as a creator with 10,000 followersHow he landed a $120K brand dealAnd so much moreWhether you're a designer, educator, or creator, Chris maps out how to blend content creation, community, coaching, equity, and AI-agents into a diversified income model.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more stories like Chris': www.howcreatorsmakemoney.com