The Creator Spotlight Podcast

This week Francis Zierer speaks with Lindsey Stanberry, creator of The Purse, a newsletter focused on money, motherhood, work, and relationships. Lindsay shares her journey from working in corporate media to becoming an independent creator/entrepreneur. The Purse: https://thepurse.substack.com/ [https://thepurse.substack.com/] 00:00 Introducing Lindsey and The Purse 01:25 Transitioning from Corporate to Independent Creation 06:16 Developing a Blog into a Sustainable Brand 09:30 The Biggest Detriment to Journalists in Media 14:26 Defining Identity: Creator, Journalist, or Entrepreneur? 19:44 The Value of Collaboration and Partnership in Entrepreneurship 24:43 Choosing Your Niche for a Content Franchise 30:54 Growing an Organic Newsletter Audience 32:14 The Challenge of Paid Subscriptions 35:22 Fostering a Community Through Events 38:18 Creator's Concern of Financial Sustainability 42:24 The Evolution of the Newsletter Format 45:05 The Value of Transparency and Trust as a Creator 47:08 The Value of Quality Writing Amongst Abundant Free Content 54:29 Take Yourself Seriously

In this episode of Creator Spotlight Francis is joined by Daisy Alioto, CEO, editor and writer of Dirt Media. They explore the evolution of Dirt Media, its unique approach to content and community, and the challenges faced in the current media landscape. Daisy: https://x.com/daisandconfused [https://x.com/daisandconfused] Dirt: https://dirt.fyi [https://dirt.fyi] Tasteland: https://www.tasteland.fyi [https://www.tasteland.fyi] 00:00 Introducing Daisy Alioto and Dirt Media 04:00 Treating Subscribers as Collectors 06:35 The Primordial Soup of the Media Environment 11:49 Running a Media Company Like a Streetwear Brand 16:49 Understanding Your Audience is Crucial 21:29 The Importance of Being Future Focussed in Business 24:56 Collaboration is Key for Growth 30:41 The Growing Responsibilities to Your Audience and Team 34:51 The Internet is Nothing Without Contribution

This week Francis is joined by Michael Kauffman to discusses his journey building a local newsletter business, Catskill Crew. He shares insights on audience engagement, growth strategies, and the importance of branding in the creator economy. Catskill Crew: https://catskillcrew.com [https://catskillcrew.com] Newsletter Club: https://thenewsletter.club [https://thenewsletter.club] 00:00 Building a Community-Led Newsletter 05:57 Local Relationships are Crucial for Newsletter Success 12:29 Building Businesses Around a Local Newsletter 14:28 Why You Must Begin With Organic Growth 17:50 The Importance of Branding and Identity 24:41 The Internal Desire to Create 28:55 Building a Sustainable and Authentic Revenue Model 38:43 The Local Holding Company Model 41:50 Revenue Breakdown and Business Structure 43:12 The Importance of Community Engagement 47:12 Financial Realities of Starting a Newsletter 50:48 The Newsletter Club: A Community for Creators 53:41 The Future of Local Journalism

This week Francis is joined by content creator and entrepreneur John Hu, also known as Jayhoovy. John is the founder of Stan, an all-in-one monetization tool for creators. He shares insights on the challenges creators face in the business landscape and how his platform, Stan, aims to empower them. Check out Stan: https://www.stan.store/ [https://www.stan.store/] John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhoovy [https://www.youtube.com/@jayhoovy] 00:00 Introducing John and his company, Stan 01:24 Building an Audience and Personal Brand 05:05 The Artist to Entrepreneur Spectrum 07:45 Allocating Time as a Content Creator vs CEO at Scale 11:18 Celebrating Creator Success Stories 14:40 The Importance of Consistency in Content Creation 17:49 All Humans Will Be In the Creator Economy 21:30 The Value of Systems Thinking as a Creator 25:33 Scaling a Team and Hiring a Professional Memer 29:00 The Opportunities in Creator Led Digital Products 32:07 Attention Economy: The Limited Resource 33:56 Navigating Different Social Platforms for Success 36:25 Is Building in Public a PsyOp?

This episode is with one of the best business minds in the newsletter world, Adam Ryan of workweek.com [http://workweek.com] Workweek: https://workweek.com [https://workweek.com] Adam: https://x.com/adamry_n [https://x.com/adamry_n] 00:00 Introducing Adam Ryan and Workweek 03:44 The Balance of Creativity and Sales 06:21 Key Levers for Audience Growth 08:53 Content Trends and Audience Engagement 10:03 Current Projects and Initiatives at Workweek 12:39 The Difficulties of Balancing Creativity and Entrepreneurship 15:59 The Importance of Consistency as a Creator 20:40 From Campus Rep to Brand Builder 27:59 The Evolution and Future of Newsletters 38:04 Advising the Next Generation of Newsletters 44:59 Vision for the Future of Workweek