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The Business of Creators podcast is for content creators and professionals in the creator economy. Each week we speak to the businesses supporting the creator economy with new tools and effective means of monetisation. Subscribe to the show to learn more about the people powering this amazing new industry. The origin of the show is actually a network I set up in 2017 called The Business of Influencers, back when everyone was talking about influencers and not creators. I built the network to bring people together and it grew to more than 500 people as the creator economy boomed. But I've never liked the word influencer.Having spent more than 20 years in the media industry, I am deeply passionate about supporting creative talent. Today I am the co-founder of a business called Electrify Video Partners which invests in creators. And I created this show to raise awareness of this great industry.
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The Business of Creators is a podcast for content creators and everyone interested in the creator economy. On this show Ian Shepherd speaks with the companies supporting creators with exciting new tools and platforms and digs deeper to get the scoop on new ways to create, distribute and monetize content. Ian is co-founder of Electrify Video Partners, a company investing $m in established creators to accelerate their growth. Check out electrify.video. In this latest episode Melvin Hedl...
What if the creators promoting your brand didn’t just get paid, but actually owned a piece of it? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Jeff Frommer, founder of OWM, to break down why the future of the creator economy isn’t more #ads — it’s ownership. Jeff explains how founders can use equity as a growth engine, why creators should start asking “What do I own?”, and how influence-for-equity partnerships are reshaping distribution, incentives, and long-term...
Smosh didn’t just survive two decades on YouTube, it rebuilt itself into a premium comedy company, and this episode breaks down exactly how they did it. In this episode of The Business of Creators, host Ian Shepherd sits down with Alessandra Catanese, CEO of Smosh, to break down how one of YouTube’s most iconic comedy brands is evolving into a premium, future-proof media company. Alessandra shares how Smosh is balancing creative freedom with sustainable business growth, why YouTube remains c...
You won’t believe how a $2,500 angel investment and a WhatsApp group turned into one of the most powerful female-led creator brands today. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd talks with Maggie Sellers Reum, founder of Hot Smart Rich about how she turned her creator-led female ambition brand into something so powerful that Steven Bartlett and FlightStory came calling. She shares the full behind-the-scenes of how the deal happened and how she’s scaling her media business w...
What if your podcast could be the next billion-dollar media company? Georgie Holt is already building them with Steven Bartlett and she reveals exactly how. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Georgie Holt, CEO of FlightStory & Co Founder of FlightStory Studio, who shares the playbook for turning creators into powerful media brands, using data, AI and obsessive focus on audience value. You’ll hear how they’ve scaled The Diary of a CEO into cultural p...
If you want to understand where the creator economy is heading — and how to build a real business in it — this episode is a must-listen. Ian Shepherd sits down with Beehiiv CEO and co-founder Tyler Denk to break down the company’s massive new product launch and its mission to become “the operating system for the content economy.” Tyler shares how Beehiiv is transforming newsletters into full-scale media businesses with websites, digital products, analytics, an ad network and more — all in on...
In this episode Ian Shepherd sits down with Amy Madison Luo, CEO of Blueberry, to explore how digital fashion is exploding across platforms like Roblox and Snapchat. They break down how Blueberry creates culture native to gaming, why this moment mirrors the early days of streetwear, and how the next generation of fashion brands might be built entirely inside virtual worlds. Topics Discussed: - How digital fashion works inside Roblox and why players treat avatars like real identity - Blueberr...
Podcasting isn’t just a side hustle anymore, it’s becoming the next major media industry. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Greg Glenday, CEO at Acast, to reveal how the world’s biggest podcast-only company is scaling globally with open RSS, smarter monetization, and AI that enhances, not replaces, human creativity. Topics Discussed: - How Acast turned dynamic ad insertion into a billion-dollar podcast ad backbone - “Open, not walled”: why being ...
1.1 billion people will be creators by 2032 — but who are they, and what does that future look like? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd dives deep with Ben Woods from MiDiA to explore the eye-opening findings from their latest report on the creator economy. Ben breaks down what’s really driving this explosive growth: the rise of consumer-creators, the power of video, and how AI is flipping the playbook for creators at every level. Whether you're a seasoned creator, bran...
What if your customers could become your most powerful influencers — and you paid them less than Facebook ads? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog and now founder of Social Tip — a groundbreaking platform aiming to democratize influence. James shares how Social Tip flips the traditional advertising model on its head by turning everyday customers into brand advocates. They explore James's transition from brewing beer to bu...
If you're a creator and not making six figures yet — this might be why. ThriveCart CEO Ismael Wrixen reveals what actually works in the creator economy after processing over $2 billion in sales — and shares the blueprint behind today’s top-earning creators. In this episode, Ian Shepherd digs into ThriveCart’s 2025 Creator Economy Report with Ismael, uncovering the future of digital products, why niche creators win, and how AI is opening massive new revenue streams. Whether you’re selling tem...
What if the next Halo wasn’t built by a massive studio, but by a teenager on Roblox? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd talks with Alex Seropian, co-creator of Halo and founder of Look North World, about how the gaming industry is being reinvented by creators, communities, and platforms like Fortnite and Roblox. Seropian explains why he believes we’re entering the Creator Era of gaming—where players aren’t just consumers but builders shaping the future. From empowering...
What happens when AI meets creativity and respects the people behind it? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Oscar Höglund, CEO & Co-founder of Epidemic Sound, to dive into how AI is transforming music in content creation without replacing artists. From emotional storytelling to fair artist compensation, this is a deep dive into building creator-first tools that actually work. Steve Wright, filmmaker and YouTuber, joins the conversation to share a cre...
What happens when a 23-year-old creator lands a groundbreaking role at ESPN? Katie Feeney is living the dream — and changing the game. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd talks with Katie about her rise from Musically to becoming ESPN’s first-ever Sports & Lifestyle Creator. Katie reveals how she creates real-time content at live sports events, builds engaged cross-platform audiences, and bridges the gap between Gen Z and traditional sports media. Whether you're a c...
She turned finance advice into a multimillion-dollar digital empire. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Dominique Broadway shares how she built her business on Kajabi, what she’d do differently today, and why community and ownership are the future of creator success. Ian Shepherd also speaks with Kajabi’s Allie Fernando, who unpacks exclusive data behind their $10 billion milestone — and what it really takes to scale from six to seven figures as a creator. Topics Discussed: - Domi...
This is how a YouTube channel turned one tool into over $6.5 million with no paid ads. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd talks to Ian Hillier, COO of Hacksmith Industries, about how they transformed a side project into a massive Kickstarter success. Launching products for sale? Start with a .store domain. Top creators like MrBeast, Dude Perfect and Hacksmith use .store to build clean, memorable web addresses like YourName.store, boosting clicks, driving sales and maki...
What does it take to turn a 120-square-foot shed into a thriving multi-million dollar creator brand? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Jonathan Katz-Moses — master woodworker, inventor, and YouTube creator — and Billy Parks from Slow Ventures to reveal the mindset, strategies, and partnerships that fueled Jonathan’s explosive growth. From surviving a life-changing attack to launching patented tools that dominate the woodworking niche, Jonathan shares how...
Creators Are Becoming Studios — Here’s What That Means for You. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Zach Blume — a 15-year veteran of the digital content space — to break down the shift from snackable content to premium storytelling on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Zach shares lessons from building one of the longest-running independent creator studios and why the next frontier in the creator economy isn’t about virality — it’s about owne...
Think selling merch is just about slapping your logo on a t-shirt? Think again — this episode reveals what really drives sales in 2025. This episode is packed with surprising, actionable insights on what actually works in creator commerce today. Launching products for sale? Start with a .store domain. Top creators like MrBeast, Dude Perfect and Colin & Samir use .store to build clean, memorable web addresses like YourName.store, boosting clicks, driving sales and making it crystal clear w...
What if one person could build a $100 million brand — without a team? Pietra’s new AI assistant is making that future possible right now. Launching products for sale? Start with a .store domain. Top creators like MrBeast, Dude Perfect and Colin & Samir use .store to build clean, memorable web addresses like YourName.store, boosting clicks, driving sales and making it crystal clear where fans can shop. Grab yours now: https://go.store/boc9 In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian ...
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