Claim OwnershipThe Creator Spotlight Podcast
Subscribed: 19Played: 662
Subscribe
© 2026 beehiiv
Description
Every week we spend an hour in conversation with a notable creator, discussing their approach to audience growth, monetization, and content production. Hosted by Francis Zierer (Twitter and LinkedIn). New episodes every Tuesday. This podcast is part of our newsletter, Creator Spotlight.
105 Episodes
Reverse
Macy Gilliam is a video producer and content creator at Morning Brew and the creator of Out There, a documentary series where she spends a day learning the world's most interesting jobs. In this episode, we walk through her production process, how she ...
Tyler Bainbridge is the founder of Perfectly Imperfect, a social magazine and app with 400,000+ users built to help people discover culture outside of algorithms. In this episode, we get into how he grew the platform from a free newsletter to a busines...
Matt Kiser is the creator and editor WTF Just Happened Today, a political news newsletter with over 200,000 subscribers built entirely on a pay-what-you-want membership model. In this episode Matt breaks down how he grew from zero to 100,000 subscribers in six months, the editorial philosophy behind curating the news every day for nine years, and the biggest mistakes he made along the way. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Matt Kiser Newsletter LinkedIn Bluesky GitHub __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Matt Kiser 01:18 Zero to 100k in six months 11:06 Building the skill of aggregation and curation 17:41 The death of objectivity 18:37 From 100k to 200k subscribers 20:36 Don’t hate the media, become the media 29:18 Transparency with the revenue model 35:40 The AI podcast controversy 46:46 Biggest mistakes and learning moments 50:23 A deeper connection with the audience
Vin Matano is a B2B influencer marketing agency owner and part-time creator who made $200K as a creator and $2.5M through his agency Creator Buzz in 2025. In this episode, we get into how he lands and keeps long-term brand deals, his LinkedIn content strategy, and how he built Creatorbuzz from zero to $2.5M in its first full year. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/vin-matano __ Get started with Taplio for free Use code: CREATOR1X1 __ Vin Matano LinkedIn YouTube Twitter/X Instagram Creatorbuzz __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Vin Matano 01:30 From $94k to $200k in one year 05:32 Getting brand deals and overdelivering 13:48 How many followers do you need for brand deals? 20:10 Partnering brands with creators 25:53 Making $2.5M in a year 28:50 The challenges of being a new founder 31:34 Getting leads with social media 37:24 The three types of LinkedIn posts to go viral 44:38 Debunking LinkedIn myths 49:25 The third generation of B2B marketing 54:12 Changing how success is measured
Rachel Meade Smith is the founder of Words of Mouth, a weekly newsletter focused on finding meaningful work. In this episode, we discuss how she built and monetised a values-driven newsletter to 72,000 subscribers over 10 years without ever running a single ad. Preorder Search Work now: https://orbooks.com/catalog/search-work/ __ Rachel Meade Smith Words of Mouth Website LinkedIn Instagram Book __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Rachel Meade Smith and Words of Mouth 01:38 10 years of values based curation 07:17 Growing to 70k subscribers organically 13:03 72% open rate, 22% clickthrough rate 14:07 Monestizing while maintaining strong ethics 20:07 4 ways the newsletter is monetized 37:29 Developing beyond purely aggregation 43:21 The art of aggregation, curation, and editing 46:13 The process and expense of writing a book
Caper is a new media company covering the people, money, ambition, power and chaos that fuels the food world. In this episode we speak to Max Tcheyan, the co-founder and CEO, as well as three of the founding journalists. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Get 10,000 free monthly credits at Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/ __ Caper Newsletter Caper LinkedIn In this episode Max Emma Annie Chris __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Caper Media 01:00 The gap in the market 03:45 Who is the audience? 07:29 How equity changes journalism 15:46 Food journalism that makes a difference 23:46 Building a team of founders 26:30 The $2.5M bet 29:28 Doing something that matters
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States