The Creator Spotlight Podcast

99 Episodes

Reverse

Ep. 99: How to build and sell to audiences online ft. Daniel Berk

2026-02-2456:10

Daniel Berk is beehiiv’s first sales hire-turned-strategist, cofounder of a local newsletter Palmetto Parents, and cohost of the Two Dads in Tech podcast. In this episode we discuss his journey from chaotic notebooks to 25,000 LinkedIn followers, how he helps creators and enterprise media businesses grow and monetize, and how to run a profitable newsletter and podcast. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Get started with Taplio for free at https://taplio.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=nl_creatorspotlight_0126_011526 Use code: CREATOR1X1 __ Daniel Berk LinkedIn Twitter/X Threads Podcast __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Daniel Berk 01:34 13 years of writing newsletters 05:25 The problem every creator and business has 11:13 Adapting to the AI driven web 14:24 Best and worst social media platforms 21:58 Why a big LinkedIn platform is so important 29:16 Making $60k with a podcast side-project 38:33 Building a community driven local newsletter 46:38 Outcome vs output driven creators 50:26 The value of writing every day

Ep. 98 How he perfected short form content ft. Grant Beene

2026-02-1701:18:00

Grant Beene is a short-form video creator known for crafting wild, story-driven skits that have generated hundreds of millions of views across TikTok and Instagram. In this episode, we break down how he writes and produces viral short films, structures brand deals without compromising creative integrity, and why he believes short-form is the training ground for becoming a world-class director. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/grant-beene __ Get 10,000 free monthly credits at Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/ __ Grant Beene TikTok Instagram Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Grant Beene 00:02:34 The process behind a 120M view video 00:07:32 Limitations creating uniqueness 00:10:47 Early TikTok growth 00:22:41 Pushing short form content to the extreme 00:26:22 Difficulties monetizing as a short form creator 00:34:45 The value of collaborating in the creative process 00:41:03 From short form creator to artist 00:48:11 The role of faith in drive and discipline 00:52:47 How the creative process changes with long form 00:59:10 Unlocking the creativity 01:05:45 Inspirations in art and film 01:12:29 Make art and it will take you to your goal

Ep. 97: “I’m not an influencer. I’m an artist.” ft. Lucie Fink

2026-02-1058:27

Lucie Fink is a creator and entrepreneur who’s built a successful personal media company across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, podcasts, and newsletters. In this episode, we break down how she actually makes money as a creator, dealing with and confronting online trolls, and pivoting from lifestyle influencer to artist. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Lucie Fink — All my Income Sources Revealed __ Lucie Fink YouTube Instagram TikTok Website Podcast Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Lucie Fink 01:10 Confronting an online troll 08:57 I’m an artist, not an influencer 12:59 Building a personal brand while at Refinery29 17:02 First year challenges going solo 20:58 Making over $100k as a creator 32:30 Learning from previous course mistakes 39:52 Making $50k from one video 45:46 Adapting content to a shifting audience 48:20 Maternal burst of creative energy 51:53 Aspirations of a Netflix show

Ep. 96: How a local newsletter became a $100k+ business ft. Marissa Lovell

2026-02-0301:01:10

Marissa Lovell is the founder and operator of From Boise, a local newsletter business generating over $100k in annual revenue. In this episode, she breaks down how she built it, what nearly made her quit, and the decisions that finally made it work. __ Get 10,000 free monthly credits at Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/ __ Marissa Lovell LinkedIn Twitter/X From Boise Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Marissa from Boise 01:00 From nearly quitting to $100k+ revenue 06:18 The once-a-month growth strategy 09:34 Early stage experimentation 12:15 Accidentally growing a “personal brand” 17:56 Zero to 10k subscribers in one year 23:20 How big can a local newsletter be? 24:18 How to monetize a local newsletter 30:37 Investing in a website that feels right 33:27 Why a discount card for the community didn’t work 38:14 Connecting a community with dinner clubs 42:15 Building in public and empowering female entrepreneurs 46:58 Creating in way that suits you 52:35 Becoming a six-figure solopreneur 55:09 Doubling revenue for 2026

Ep. 95: He quit NBC to make YouTube videos ft. Fernando Hurtado

2026-01-2755:40

Fernando Hurtado is a former NBC Telemundo journalist who walked away from a six-figure media career to build on YouTube from scratch. In this episode, Fernando breaks down how he got monetized in days, landed (and lost) brand deals early, priced himself wrong, and rebuilt with a repeatable system for publishing high-quality videos without burning out. We talk risk, leverage, time-boxing creative work, and what journalists actually need to know before betting on themselves. __ Watch Fernando’s AAPI Latino’s video __ Fernando Hurtado YouTube Twitter/X Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Fernando Hurtado 01:06 The hardest part of full-time YouTube 04:40 How to land (and lose) brand deals 09:30 Transitioning from NBC to YouTube 16:02 Four reasons to become a YouTuber 21:00 Learning the business side of journalism 28:59 Diversify your revenue streams 30:41 Building a sustainable upload schedule — without burnout 35:09 Creating videos for the algorithm and the culture 40:48 Showing the journalistic process 43:27 Creating a video that inspires discussion 45:50 Successes from one year as a YouTuber 51:36 Advice for going all in on YouTube

Ep. 94: 15 years of social media strategy advice in one hour ft. Jack Appleby

2026-01-2058:28

Jack Appleby is a marketing strategist and creator with over 15 years in the industry. In this episode, we break down why most brand content fails, why trends don’t matter, and how creators can build audiences people actually root for. __ Get started for free at https://taplio.com Use code: CREATOR1X1 __ Jack Appleby Newsletter LinkedIn Twitter/X Instagram How to Hoop Forever YouTube Instagram TikTok Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamp 00:00 Introducing Jack Appleby 01:05 Social media is not marketing 05:30 Making $9,500 in a month on TikTok 09:36 Investing in a series that loses money 13:13 You don’t need production quality, you need story 15:31 Revenue streams as a marketer 18:16 The need for strong opinions online 26:21 Creating a story through short form video 30:49 Building a newsletter to 80k subscribers 36:05 Hiring a manager 44:42 How to make a $50k course 51:40 The need for better content in 2026

Ep. 93: He’s building a $10M+ creator business ft. Kallaway

2026-01-1351:29

This week we’re joined by Kallaway, a creator and operator building a profitable media business by treating content like a system. In this episode, we break down how he thinks about distribution, YouTube packaging, short-form frameworks, and turning attention into a scalable, $1M-per-month business. __ Kallaway Sandcastles YouTube Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Website __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Kallaway 01:05 The $1M/month content machine 10:01 Bringing a consultant mindset to content creation 15:09 Treating content like a science 20:29 Long form video production process 26:22 Replicating your past successes 34:02 How rapping helps you be a better YouTube 38:05 Short form video production process 41:24 De-risking your failure in short form video 47:43 Creating content without being a creator

Ep. 92: Creator economy lawyer reveals every creators’ biggest mistakes ft. Brittany Ratelle

2026-01-0653:33

This week on Creator Spotlight we’re joined by Brittany Ratelle, a lawyer specializing in helping creators, creatives and online entrepreneurs cut through the overwhelm of getting their business legally legit. In this episode she breaks down the most common legal mistakes creators make, from brand deals and contracts, to hiring and platform risk. __ Brittany Ratelle Website LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Brittany Ratelle 01:26 Biggest red flags in brand deal contracts 10:15 Avoid these contract mistakes 16:06 When should creators become a business 20:17 When is reaction content and remixing IP theft? 26:12 The only way to actually own your audience 33:44 How to write a contract as a creator 37:45 Hiring as a creator 42:37 Most common mistakes creators make, legally 45:10 What’s changing for creators in 2026

Ep. 91: Three predictions for the creator economy in 2026 ft. Creator Spotlight Team

2025-12-3034:47

This week, Francis is joined by the rest of the Creator Spotlight team — Assistant Editor Natalia and Podcast Producer Tom — to reflect on the biggest creator economy themes from a year of interviews and share their predictions for 2026 __ Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X Natalia Pérez-Gonzalez LinkedIn Twitter Tom McCloud LinkedIn Twitter __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Tom and Natalia 01:30 How to use serialized content in 2026 10:10 Changing our perspective of the creator economy 11:50 Our best piece of 2025 Our 2026 Predictions 15:13 Francis: In-person is the future 20:28 Tom: Podcasts are dying 27:30 Natalia: Short-term creator partnerships Themes of 2025 29:10 Building strong parasocial connections

Fixing the Biggest Problem in the Creator Economy… Trust ft. News Creator Corps

2025-12-2301:05:43

This week on Creator Spotlight we’re joined by the team from News Creator Corps. We break down what creators can learn from journalism — from fact-checking and sourcing to handling mistakes publicly. A conversation about fixing trust, misinformation, and credibility in the creator economy. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense __ News Creator Corps Apply for the Spring 2026 Fellowship: https://newscreatorcorps.org/apply/ Rachel Lobdell Katie Grossbard Danielle Desir Corbett __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing News Creator Corps and the guests 07:40 The type of creator that’s NCC focus 13:31 Transferring conservative journalistic value to content creation 16:20 The eight lessons journalists can teach creators 23:42 The values of a diverse cohort 29:05 Finding your own guild 33:55 Trust and monetization in the creator economy 35:36 Teaching instantly applicable lessons 43:05 Building a recognised trusted reputation 46:38 Misconceptions of news creators 51:00 Fighting against the slop and misinformation 01:00:22 How NCC is helping creators

Newsletters + Events = 6-figure creator business ft. Brett Dashevsky

2025-12-1601:05:34

Brett Dashevsky is the founder of Creator Economy NYC, where he’s built a six-figure business by consistently creating content, growing a newsletter, and hosting events for creators. In this episode, Brett breaks down how newsletters and in-person events compound together to build audience, trust, and a sustainable creator business. __ Brett Dashevsky Newsletter Creator Economy NYC LinkedIn Twitter/X Instagram Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Brett Dashevsky 01:16 Biggest challenges growing a newsletter from scratch 07:00 Scaling multiple newsletters to the masses 12:44 A community built out of passion 20:00 Why consistency always wins 26:21 Building something bigger than himself 29:33 The best advice for creators 33:56 Revenue breakdown 36:19 How hosting events makes money 42:41 Securing long term deals with brands 48:33 Defining the digital economy 50:52 Event cost and attendance 56:36 Building tools for creators

How to build a local newsletter people actually read ft. Tomo Chien

2025-12-0944:24

This week on Creator Spotlight we’re joined by Tomo Chien, the founder and editor of ‘Morning, Trojan’, a newsletter aimed at engaging USC students with local news. He highlights the competitive landscape of student publications, the importance of original reporting, and the strategies used to grow the audience. Read the newsletter __ Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense __ Tomo Chien Morning, Trojan LinkedIn Twitter/X Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Tomo Chien 01:08 Disrupting the local media scene 05:10 The freedom to be controversial 08:57 The one change that brought 10k subscribers 14:30 Finding the stories people want to read 20:02 How long does aggregating content take? 25:02 Tomo’s high school news project 28:55 Why he’s shutting down the newsletter 32:22 Future plans after the newsletter 37:28 Defining creator journalism

He’ll teach you how to make $100k+ writing online ft. Nicolas Cole

2025-12-0201:04:21

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we’re joined by digital writer, author, and serial writing entrepreneur Nicolas Cole. Nicolas is the co-founder of a $600K+ per month online writing education business. He shares the principles, systems, and mindset shifts that turned simple online writing into a scalable company. __ Nicolas Cole Website LinkedIn Twitter/X Instagram YouTube Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Nicolas Cole 05:23 Scaling to $600k+/month 12:00 Growing an educational product 17:15 The demand for ghostwriting in 2025 28:04 The hardest part of scaling a business 35:05 How to never run out of content 40:05 Rejecting the ‘artist vs entrepreneur’ dichotomy 50:00 How to earn more as a creator 55:27 Education with accountability 57:15 New rules for writing online in 2026

Most creators will not make it 3+ years ft. Lia Haberman

2025-11-2501:02:55

Lia Haberman is a social media strategist, creator economy expert and writer behind one of the industries leading newsletters, ICYMI (In Case You Missed It.) Lia breaks down why most creators only last 3–4 years, how to spot real platform trends, where creators should focus in 2026, and how to build a business that survives algorithm shifts. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Lia Haberman ICYMI LinkedIn Twitter/X Instagram Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Lia Haberman 01:20 The 3 year shelf life of a creator 08:45 Knowing which platforms to invest in 16:21 7 signs of a good platform feature 25:52 The most valuable platforms for creators 34:35 Defining the 7 formats of content 39:24 Why are marketers spending on Instagram? 41:25 Keeping content free vs paid 47:03 Social media trends of 2025 54:27 How to grow online in 2026

Ep. 85: Why beehiiv is betting big on the "content economy" ft. Tyler Denk

2025-11-1801:05:47

This week on Creator Spotlight we’re joined by the co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, Tyler Denk. Following beehiiv’s highly anticipated winter release event, Tyler and Francis discuss the company’s approach to becoming the operating system of the “content economy”. __ Catch up on beehiiv’s Winter Release Event Full event video Event in 90 seconds __ Tyler Denk Twitter/X LinkedIn Instagram Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter __ Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Tyler Denk 00:01:45 The next step in the content economy 00:07:20 Scaling past the education gap 00:12:40 Becoming the tool, not the brand 00:16:52 Lowering the barrier to entry for creators 00:21:25 What is the “content economy?” 00:26:29 Building a world class ad network 00:33:48 Growing a newsletter to 120k subscribers 00:46:46 Finding the gap in the content economy infrastructure 00:57:29 Building features for every type of user 01:01:53 Knowing your customer

Ep. 84: DIY YouTuber reveals her seven income streams ft. Nastja Mohren

2025-11-1101:04:50

Nastja Mohren is a content creator, designer, and sewing educator who’s built a community of more than half a million followers across platforms — all around her love of making things by hand. In this episode, she talks with Francis about turning creativity into a business, balancing authenticity with brand deals, and how she built a sustainable creator by diversifying her revenue into seven different streams. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense __ Follow Nastja YouTube Blog Instagram TikTok Facebook Pinterest Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timstamps 00:00:00 Introducing Nastja Mohren 00:01:37 Going full-time on YouTube 00:06:08 The 7 revenue streams 00:12:14 The art of integrating brand deals 00:22:49 Which platform is most valuable? 00:24:30 The value of a blog in 2025 00:32:27 Why choose Google AdSense? 00:37:31 Building packages for advertisers 00:40:57 Crafting a specific audience 00:52:00 The 80/20 principle of video production 01:00:08 Collaborating with the creator community

Ep. 83: He left ESPN to make YouTube videos ft. Joon Lee

2025-11-0459:41

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by former ESPN journalist Joon Lee. Joon shares how he turned a layoff into a creator career, breaking down his 22-month YouTube study, and how he is building an independent sports media brand that puts storytelling and trust first. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Follow Joon YouTube Twitter/X Instagram TikTok Website Follow Francis LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Joon Lee 01:15 From tech YouTuber to sports journalist 06:49 Preparing to be a YouTuber 13:02 Indie creator bootcamp 17:05 What should new creators focus on? 22:58 The process of making high-quality YouTube videos 33:19 Making revenue and maintaining ethics 40:56 The most valuable asset as a creator is trust 44:55 Building relationships in the creator economy 50:30 The hardest part of YouTube

Ep. 82: The systems that made him a millionaire solopreneur ft. Ken Yarmosh

2025-10-2856:22

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by Ken Yarmosh, founder of The Remote Solopreneur. Ken is a creator who’s been building online businesses long before the creator economy had a name. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense __ Ken Yarmosh YouTube Website LinkedIn Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Ken Yarmosh 01:16 Becoming The Remote Solopreneur 04:29 Redefining 'creator' 08:20 The creator to entrepreneur spectrum 12:15 How Ken runs a solo business 16:51 The importance of community in business 22:13 The 4 C's of the creator economy 29:42 Are all creators solopreneurs? 34:50 DTA: The framework for all entrepreneurs 41:58 Is the LinkedIn gold rush over? 47:15 The best time to be a creator is now 50:11 Advice for newsletter creators 53:20 Creating a personal brand in 2025

Ep. 81: Building a $500k+ local newsletter business ft. Geoff Sharpe

2025-10-2101:04:18

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by Geoff Sharpe, founder of Lookout Media — a network of local newsletters collectively generating almost $500K a year. Geoff shares how he built a profitable, subscription-first media business, why trust and real journalism still win, and the systems he’s using to scale local news across Canada.Read the newsletter__Tired of explaining the same thing over and over again to your coworkers? It’s time to let AI do the explaining for you. The Guidde extension is completely free. Go check it out at Guidde.com__Geoff SharpeLookout MediaLinkedInTwitter/XFrancis ZiererLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Geoff Sharpe01:40 Making $500k+ with paid subscriptions07:16 Don't listen to your audience12:00 The merging of editorial and business16:20 Running a media company sustainably21:01 Building trust through food27:06 How to get people to pay for your content37:43 What do people not pay for?40:44 Don't scale too quickly43:41 The difficulties of local newsletter ad sales49:11 How to grow a local newsletter52:40 A bullish and bearish take on local media57:50 Best advice for entrepreneurs

Ep. 80: How a YouTuber's study group grew into a profitable business ft. Kaelyn Grace Apple

2025-10-1458:29

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast we're joined by Kaelyn Grace Apple. Kaelyn is the founder and co-owner of Accepted Society, an international online community of students, educators, and independent researchers dedicated to learning, research, and creating networks of support. In this episode Kaelyn shares how she cracked the formula for building a profitable, niche, online community. She breaks down the business plan behind her 500+ member collective, lessons from working with Ali Abdaal, and the strategies every creator can use to turn research into results.Read the newsletter__Earn with Google AdSense__Kaelyn Grace AppleAccepted SocietyWebsiteYouTubeLinkedInInstagramFrancis ZiererLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Kaelyn Grace Apple01:28 From eight members to over 50008:02 Why you should not scale too quickly12:03 The course model vs. community model14:03 Using YouTube to build a community18:42 Pricing a community22:01 Scaling a business up, and scaling it down30:46 The evolution of Kaelyn's YouTube content37:24 Revenue breakdown42:44 Why Kaelyn left the Ali Abdaal team47:34 Lessons learnt working with Ali Abdaal53:47 Kaelyn's 30 year plan

#box-pro-ellipsis-17722758761183{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}The Creator Spotlight Podcast