He's losing subscribers, and that's a good thing ft. Jerome Aceti

He's losing subscribers, and that's a good thing ft. Jerome Aceti

Jerome Aceti, also known as JeromeASF, is a content creator with over five million YouTube subscribers who has since become an investor, founder, and partner across a range of creator-adjacent businesses. In this episode he tells us why he's stepped back from YouTube to focus on those businesses, how he made himself the kind of creator brands keep coming back to, and why he believes there's never been a fairer time to start on YouTube. Read the newsletter [https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles]  __ open.video [https://open.video] lets you host your videos on your own domain, under your own brand — so you control the channel, the data, and the direct connection to your viewers. Try it out at https://open.video [https://open.video]  __ JeromeASF  * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@JeromeASF] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/JeromeAceti] * X [https://x.com/JeromeASF] * Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/jeromeasf] * Nextide [https://www.nextide.io] __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing JeromeASF 00:31 From full-time to semi-retired YouTuber 05:02 Working with brands as a creator 13:27 Why Jerome has 9+ YouTube channels 17:50 JeromeASF is losing subscribers, but it doesn't matter 24:12 Now is the best time to start YouTube 30:10 JeromeASF revenue breakdown 35:13 Shifting from YouTuber to entrepreneur 38:53 Lessons learned in business

How he makes educational content go viral ft. Kobi Brown

Kobi Brown, also known as Astro Kobi, is a science and space-focussed video-first creator with millions of subscribers and followers across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. In this episode he tells us about his rapid growth, transition intro long form content, and a breakdown of his monetization sources. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/kobi-brown [https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/kobi-brown] __ open.video [https://open.video] lets you host your videos on your own domain, under your own brand — so you control the channel, the data, and the direct connection to your viewers. Try it out at https://open.video [https://open.video]  __ Kobi Brown  * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@AstroKobi/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/astrokobi/]  * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@astrokobi]  * Could The Big Bang Happen Again? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpSk6p8HE2E] * You will NEVER see The Milky Way again [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=migcZPUDyeM] __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing AstroKobi 00:42 The journey to full time creator 04:59 Revenue breakdown 07:55 How long does it take to make a YouTube video? 12:08 Building legitimacy as a creator 15:48 Education vs Entertainment 21:03 Investing in long form content 27:07 Goals for the future

How he makes $140k+ writing about video games ft. Stephen Totilo

Stephen Totilo has spent 20 years reporting in the video game industry, working at MTV, Kotaku and Axios. Francis and Stephen discuss his recent transition to independent journalism and how he's built a stable and successful newsletter product, support entirely by his readers. __ open.video [https://open.video/] lets you host your videos on your own domain, under your own brand — so you control the channel, the data, and the direct connection to your viewers. Try it out at open.video [http://open.video]  __ Stephen Totilo * Game File [https://www.gamefile.news] * Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/stephentotilo.bsky.social] * X [https://x.com/stephentotilo] * Threads [https://www.threads.com/@stephentotilo] __ Timestamps  00:00 Introducing Stephen Totilo 01:17 Reporting and criticism. 07:10 Transitioning to independent journalism 13:15 Stories that generated the most growth 18:25 No clickbait — building with integrity 29:00 Pricing yourself as an independent journalist 37:29 The difficulties of expanding a media business 51:50 Passionate about helping other journalists

They have 2M+ followers, but they’re starting again ft. Martinez and Mu

Rob Martinez and Julian Mu are independent food creators with a combined 2.1 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and co-hosts of the YouTube channel 'Martinez and Mu'. They discuss how they built their channels, how they make money as full-time creators, and the creative and business decisions behind launching a new show together. __ open.video [https://open.video] lets you host your videos on your own domain, under your own brand — so you control the channel, the data, and the direct connection to your viewers. Try it out at https://open.video [https://open.video]  __ Martinez and Mu * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@MartinezandMu] * Rob's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/robmartinez] * Julian's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mubereats] __ Timestamps  00:00 Martinez and Mu's Feasting for Fifty 04:40 Doing food content differently 11:13 Guardrails that make the show better 15:25 Why start a new YouTube channel 21:07 The most important platforms right now 24:13 The revenue and costs of running a food channel 32:50 Collaborating through competition 35:30 When to kill a show 44:46 How your work changes through collaboration

He only makes 5 videos a year ft. Max Z Zavidow

Max Z Zavidow is a content creator who makes narrative "really short films" for TikTok and Instagram, including the Webby-winning video "Long Time." In this episode, he discusses his evolution from investment banking to stand-up comedy and vertical video, how he funds and structures branded short films, and why he believes the phone is the next major medium for storytelling. __ open.video [https://open.video] lets you host your videos on your own domain, under your own brand — so you control the channel, the data, and the direct connection to your viewers. Try it out at https://open.video [https://open.video]  __ Max Z Zavidow  * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@formerteenheartthrob] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/formerteenheartthrob/]  * X [https://x.com/zavidavidoo] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxzavidow/] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@formerteenheartthrob] __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Max Z Zavidow 00:28 The monetization model of short form content 04:13 The evolution of short form content creation 16:04 Focusing on quality not quantity 24:19 Making money as a short form content creator 33:55 Creating for TikTok first 35:58 The value of winning a Webby 38:00 Respecting the phone as a medium 44:38 The importance of collaboration 47:44 The steps of making a viral video 52:03 Analyzing content and finding inspiration 55:30 Revolutionizing content creation