Keith Afadi & Teja Lisjak on Creativity beyond Trends and Algorithms

Keith Afadi & Teja Lisjak on Creativity beyond Trends and Algorithms

In this episode, Keith Afadi and Teja Lisjak share their journeys from aspiring creatives to full-time filmmakers, directors, and content creators in London. They dive into the realities of building a creative career online, how to find your voice and navigating social media to balancing creativity, business, and personal life. The conversation explores storytelling, community, long-form vs short-form content, and why authenticity and playfulness matter more than chasing trends. Keith is a London-based director and content creator with a background in marketing, known for blending cinematic storytelling with emotionally-driven digital content: https://www.instagram.com/keithafadi/ [https://www.instagram.com/keithafadi/] Teja Lisjak is a filmmaker and content creator originally from Slovenia, now based in London, creating dynamic storytelling content around filmmaking, cinematography, and personal growth: https://www.instagram.com/tejalisjak/ [https://www.instagram.com/tejalisjak/] Meryl Blank is Community Marketing Manager at Adobe, based in Hamburg, Germany (00:00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac]) Intro (00:05:01 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=301s]) Slower Creativity & Digital Balance (00:10:35) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=635s] Protecting Time & Saying No (00:15:39) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=939s] Creative Advice & Finding Direction (00:20:01 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=1201s]) Betting On Yourself (00:27:22) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=1642s] Building Community In London (00:31:12 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=1872s]) Strategy, Branding & Long-Term Vision (00:37:36 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=2256s]) Workshops & Creative Education (00:43:06) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=2586s] Learning, Teaching & Creative Growth (00:49:07) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8C0vMDkac&t=2947s] Starting Content & Growth Hacks

Siobhán (They Are Creative) on Building Surreal Worlds and the Art of Creative Prompting

In this episode, Siobhán from They Are Creative shares how she went from being a Teacher to creating fashion content and suddenly becoming a AI content creator and why she's on a mission to bring more women into the AI space. From hybrid creative workflows and the craft of prompting to building community and championing diversity in tech, Siobhán opens up about what it really takes to create with AI at a professional level. Siobhán is the founder of They Are Creative, a studio specialising in surreal commercial AI content. With a background spanning property, teaching, and fashion content creation, she brings storytelling, editorial instinct, and deep prompt craft to her AI-driven work. Also she is building a growing community to help women go from AI curious to AI confident. https://www.instagram.com/theyarecreative/ [https://www.instagram.com/theyarecreative/] Emily Bisset is Creative 3D Evangelist & Community Advocate at Adobe, based in UK. https://www.instagram.com/3bisset/ [https://www.instagram.com/3bisset/] (00:00) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4]— Intro & Meet Siobhan (They Are Creative) (03:08 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=188s]) — From Property & Teaching to Creative Career (07:45) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=465s] — Early AI Days: Experimentation & Imperfect Results (11:39) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=699s] — The Reality of AI Workflows (Time, Effort & Skill) (16:23) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=983s] — Why AI Empowers Creators (Freedom & Accessibility) (18:44) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=1124s] — Creative Process: From Ideas to Client Workflows (25:55) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=1555s] — Longevity as a Creator: Evolving & Staying Relevant (29:40) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=1780s] — Staying Focused & Learning Fast in a Rapid AI World (35:02 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=2102s]) — Women in AI: The Gap & Why It Matters (40:03 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=2403s]) — AI for Beginners: From Curious to Confident (48:40) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=2920s] — Inside the Creative Process: From Idea to Execution (56:51) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P942-2eVGy4&t=3411s] — Prompting Mastery & Final Creative Advice

Laurie Wang on Scaling Content Creation and Mastering AI

In this episode, Laurie Wang shares how she transitioned from Google to building a business and growing a YouTube channel focused on productivity, creativity, and the future of work. She breaks down how creators can leverage AI to scale their content, simplify complex ideas, and build sustainable workflows without burning out while emphasizing how important authenticity, experimentation and understanding your audience is. Laurie Wang is a London-based creator and AI educator working with companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta. Through her training programs and YouTube content, she helps professionals and creators understand AI, simplify complex concepts, and build future-ready skills in a rapidly evolving digital world. https://www.instagram.com/iamlauriewang/ [https://www.instagram.com/iamlauriewang/] | https://www.youtube.com/lauriexwang [https://www.youtube.com/lauriexwang] Emma Lextrait is Senior Community Marketing Manager at Adobe, based in Munich, Germany Meryl Blank is Community Marketing Manager at Adobe, based in Hamburg, Germany (00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc]) Intro (03:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=218s]) Rapid Fire (07:02) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=422s] Start into the Career (11:39 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=699s]) Teaching AI Simply: Education & Content Philosophy (16:10 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=970s]) YouTube Strategy: Packaging, Perspective & Growth (21:22) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=1282s] Creator Workflows, Monetization & Sustainability (28:03) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=1683s] Community, Vulnerability & Creative Loneliness (32:23) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=1943s] AI Ethics & Responsible Use (41:22 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=2482s]) Representation, Role Models & In‑Person Community (47:45) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2ranSJzmc&t=2865s] What’s Next: Books, Hiring & the Future

Sophie Miller on the Value of Growing a Real Community

In this episode, Sophie Miller reveals how she turned a lonely moment as a marketing student into a 750,000-follower community and a thriving membership business. From her "big door, small room" content framework to the power of community health metrics, Sophie shares what it really takes to build a brand people genuinely belong to and how to go full-time as a creator without losing your mind. Sophie Miller is the founder of Pretty Little Marketer — a community and paid membership for marketers built on the belief that marketing shouldn't feel isolating. With 750,000 followers across Instagram and LinkedIn, she helps marketers feel less alone and more empowered through content, events, and her growing membership: https://www.instagram.com/prettylittlemarketer/ [https://www.instagram.com/prettylittlemarketer/ ] | https://www.linkedin.com/company/prettylittlemarketer [https://www.linkedin.com/company/prettylittlemarketer] Grace Chau is Head of Community & Engagement Marketing at Adobe for Creative Cloud, based in San Francisco, USA Erin Boyce Senior Director of Product Marketing at Adobe, based in San Francisco, USA (00:00) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0] Intro (02:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=146s]) Rapid Fire Questions (05:43) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=343s] The Origin Story: From Marketing Student to Community Founder (10:17) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=617s] Designing Community on Purpose: Connection Over Content (12:55 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=775s]) Balancing Freelancing, Content Creation & Burnout (15:31) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=931s] Going Full-Time as a Creator: Money, Risk & Reality (18:48 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=1128s]) Hiring a Team: Delegation, Trust & Letting Go (26:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=1598s]) Creative Workflow Deep Dive: Writing, Research & “Big Door, Small Room” (30:56) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=1856s] Using Community Feedback & Data to Shape Content (33:29 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=2009s])AI as a Creative Partner: Tools, Curiosity & Learning (37:11 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=2231s]) Learning, Mentorship & Building Your Personal Network (44:14 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=2654s]) Scaling Community Without Losing the Soul (49:06) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy784IKcrR0&t=2946s] The Next Five Years: Contentment, Growth & Advice for Students

Gabriel Nussbaum & Aydan Al-Saad on the Future of the Creator Economy

In this episode Gabriel Nussbaum and Aydan Al-Saad share how they’re building one of the UK’s most exciting creator communities: Creator Leaders. From a single DM to sold-out dinners, retreats, and a growing ecosystem, they unpack what it really takes to bring creators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders together. They talk about the shift from virality to credibility, why community is the biggest unfair advantage in today’s creator economy, and how collaboration is shaping the future. Gabriel Nussbaum (That Money Guy) is a UK-based personal finance creator and entrepreneur on a mission to simplify money and make financial education accessible through social media. He has worked with institutions like the Bank of England, HMRC, and even Downing Street. https://www.instagram.com/gabrielinussbaum/ [https://www.instagram.com/gabrielinussbaum/] Aydan Al-Saad is a creator and entrepreneur with a background in tech startups. He creates content around careers and entrepreneurship and is passionate about bringing people together through meaningful connections. https://www.instagram.com/aydanalsaad/ [https://www.instagram.com/aydanalsaad/]Meryl Blank is Community Marketing Manager at Adobe, based in Hamburg, Germany (00:00) — Intro (03:42) — How a Simple DM Sparked a Powerful Partnership (04:21) — Building “Creator Leaders”: The Power of Community (07:24) — From Small Dinners to a Thriving Creator Movement (08:31) — Taking Risks: Retreats, Big Bets & Rapid Growth (11:02) — Why In-Person Experiences Matter More Than Ever (14:32) — The UK Creator Economy: Challenges & Opportunities (37:41) — The Future of Creators: From Virality to Ownership (48:23) — Key Skills for Success: Mindset, Values & Community (56:17) — Rapid Fire: Personal Insights & Creator Trends (01:01:18) — Best Advice for Creators: Build on Proven Ideas