Creator Toolbox: Tools, Mindset and Workflows for Content Creators

We kicked off talking about a big change we're making to our annual planning cadence. Instead of following the traditional January-December cycle, we're shifting to a March-February year. Why? Because December-January is such a mess with holidays and slow starts! We found that planning during this time just doesn't work well. By making March 1st the start of our planning year, we're using January-February as a time for reflection, strategy planning, and wrapping up previous projects. This gives us a nice fresh start in the springtime. Then Jacob introduced us to "vibe coding" - a term coined by Andres Carpathy. It's about using AI tools like Claude or Cursor to generate code without really understanding the code itself. You describe what you want, and the AI builds it for you. We discussed how tools like Replit, Lovable, and Bolt.new make this possible even for non-coders. Jacob shared great examples, including how someone built a multiplayer flight simulator game in just one day! This approach works especially well for personal tools or weekend projects. I shared how I've been using Claude as a resource by creating a project focused initially on designing an agency. The cool part is that I've ended up using this knowledge base for all sorts of other projects - from mastermind landing pages to coaching proposals. The AI basically interviews me and builds up a profile of my skills and experience that I can later tap into for various content needs. Finally, Jacob highlighted Caleb Hammer as his creator of the week. Caleb runs a YouTube show called "Financial Audit" where he reviews people's financial situations (often a bit brutally!) and helps them create a plan to improve. The format is consistent but always feels fresh because each guest brings different financial challenges. Jacob noted how well Caleb has monetized through relevant sponsorships, memberships with behind-the-scenes content, and even creating his own budgeting app. TAKEAWAYS = Consider shifting your annual planning cycle to March-February if the traditional January start feels rushed and disrupted by holidays = AI tools like Replit now make it possible for non-coders to create functional web apps and tools - especially for personal use or to solve specific problems = Building a dedicated AI "project" that knows your skills and experience can become a valuable resource for various content creation tasks = Bringing audience members onto your show as guests can create fresh, relatable content while still maintaining a consistent format = Multiple monetization streams work best when they're naturally integrated into your content - Caleb Hammer's example shows how sponsors can be woven in without feeling disruptive RESOURCES = Replit - A coding platform with AI capabilities that's great for beginners (https://replit.com/ [https://replit.com/]) = Lovable - AI-powered app building tool (https://www.lovable.ai/ [https://www.lovable.ai/]) = Bolt.new - Another no-code tool for building with AI (https://bolt.new/ [https://bolt.new/]) = Cursor - Advanced AI coding tool mentioned for more experienced users (https://cursor.sh/ [https://cursor.sh/]) = Claude 3.7 - The new Claude AI model that Alistair mentioned for coding help = Caleb Hammer's YouTube channel - Financial audit show (https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebHammer [https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebHammer]) = Alitu - Our podcast creation app with new video recording features (https://alitu.com [https://alitu.com]) - use code CREATORTOOLBOX for 50% off your first month CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction and episode overview 00:01:14 Changing our annual planning cadence to March-February 00:07:38 Why 12-month planning can be arbitrary and limiting 00:11:43 What is "vibe coding" and how does it work? 00:20:28 Replit as a beginner-friendly coding tool 00:24:32 Personal software development using AI tools 00:34:01 Using Claude as a resource for multiple projects 00:43:00 Caleb Hammer as creator of the week 00:47:04 How Caleb monetizes his financial audit show 00:52:32 Closing remarks and Alitu promotion

In this episode, Colin and Jacob discuss the "Big Five" content strategy, a framework for creating content that attracts your audience at every stage of the buying process. The Big Five content areas are: cost and pricing, best-of lists, problems, comparisons, and reviews. They explain how each area can be used to generate content ideas, regardless of your industry. They also discuss how these different content types can be used to reach people at all stages of the buying process, from those who are just starting to research a problem to those who are ready to make a purchase. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * The Big Five content strategy helps you create content that attracts your audience at every stage of the buying process.  * The five content areas are: cost and pricing, best-of lists, problems, comparisons, and reviews.  * This strategy can be used to generate content ideas regardless of your industry.  * By creating content in each of the five areas, you can reach people at all stages of the buying process.  RESOURCES MENTIONED: * Marcus Sheridan - Content expert and creator of the Big Five content strategy   * They Ask, You Answer - Book by Marcus Sheridan   * The Podcast Host - Website and blog about podcasting   * The Creator Toolbox - Website and blog about content creation   * Alitu - Podcast creation tool   CHAPTERS: * 00:00 Introduction * 05:45 The Big Five content strategy * 06:55 Cost and pricing * 11:05 Best-of lists * 16:35 Problems * 19:55 Comparisons * 24:05 Reviews * 33:35 The buying process * 42:35 AI and the future of content creation * 44:05 Creator of the week: Drumeo * 47:25 How to adapt the Drumeo format * 52:50 Wrap-up

In this episode, Jacob explores the three major AI assistants and how creators can best leverage each one. Drawing from extensive hands-on experience, he breaks down the unique strengths of Claude, ChatGPT (including the new O1 model), and Gemini, providing practical guidance on which tool works best for different creator tasks. KEY TAKEAWAYS 👉 OpenAI's O1 excels at strategic planning and breaking down complex problems 👉 Claude is the top choice for writing tasks and maintaining consistent tone 👉 Gemini stands out for handling large amounts of text and data analysis 👉 Using multiple AI tools in combination often produces better results than relying on just one 👉 The quality of AI output directly correlates to the quality and specificity of your input RESOURCES MENTIONED 👉 Guide to making your own AI writer with Claude [https://alitu.com/creator/content-creation/ai-writer-claude-projects/] 👉 Claude [https://claude.ai/] - Best for writing and content creation 👉 ChatGPT [https://chatgpt.com/](O1 model) - Specialized in reasoning and planning 👉 Gemini [https://gemini.google.com/app]- Handles large text analysis 👉 Deepseek R1 - Open source alternative 👉 O3 Mini - Free alternative to O1, available in ChatGPT 👉 Alitu - Podcast making app (alitu.com) CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:03 OpenAI O1 overview and use cases 03:01 Claude capabilities and strengths 05:12 Gemini's unique advantages 07:27 Comparing the three assistants 13:34 Practical tips for using AI tools 20:02 Common pitfalls to avoid 22:25 Episode wrap-up

In this episode, we explore two key tools for creators looking to level up their business: media kits and personal websites. We start by breaking down what goes into an effective media kit - from showcasing your audience stats to highlighting your unique value proposition. We talk about using media kits not just for sponsorships, but also for podcast guest appearances, collaborations, and PR opportunities. The conversation then shifts to personal websites, where we contrast super simple approaches like Derek Sivers' minimal one-pager with more elaborate creator sites like Ali Abdaal's. Throughout the episode, we discuss practical tools for building both media kits and personal sites, including Notion, Canva, and various website builders. We wrap up with tips on how to get started without feeling overwhelmed by making it simple and building it up over time. KEY TAKEAWAYS: =A media kit should tell your story and solve problems - focus on showing potential partners who you are, what problems you solve, and why you're unique =Keep your first version simple - start with a basic Notion page or one-pager that covers the essentials, then iterate based on the questions you get asked =Think beyond sponsorships - your media kit can help land podcast guest spots, speaking gigs, and collaborative opportunities =Personal sites don't need to be complex - a simple, regularly updated page about who you are and what you're working on can be more effective than an elaborate website =Start small and build over time - whether it's a media kit or personal site, begin with the basics and expand as needed RESOURCES MENTIONED: =Notion - For creating simple media kits and personal sites =Canva - Design tool for creating media kit layouts =Adobe Express - Another option for media kit design =Passion Fruit - Platform for podcast sponsorships =Gumroad - Platform for selling digital products =Interview Valet - Podcast interview booking service =Derek Sivers - sivers.org - Example of minimal personal site =Ali Abdaal - aliabdaal.com - Example of full creator personal site =Alitu - Podcast making app (alitu.com) CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome and introductions 02:01 What is a media kit? 04:54 Different uses for media kits 08:33 What to include in your media kit 15:40 Tools for creating media kits 19:55 Introduction to personal websites 23:42 Different approaches to personal sites 27:15 Derek Sivers site example 31:26 Ali Abdaal site comparison 34:20 Getting started tips 37:07 Episode wrap-up

In this episode of Creator Toolbox, hosts Colin and Jacob explore several key topics affecting content creators. Colin kicks things off with a detailed look at his switch from Asana to TickTick for task management, explaining how he's created a more effective system for handling ideas and daily tasks. The conversation then shifts to a discussion of Project Stargate, a proposed $500 billion AI initiative, with Jacob expressing skepticism about its feasibility and environmental impact. The hosts dive deep into the concerning trend of declining organic search traffic, analyzing HubSpot's dramatic traffic drop and its implications for content creators. They explore potential strategies for adapting to AI-driven search, including focusing on fact-based content and building stronger partnerships. The episode wraps up with Colin sharing his latest experiments with short-form video content and his approach to creating more engaging gear-focused content. 1. Resources Mentioned: * Task Management Tools: * TickTick (https://ticktick.com [https://ticktick.com]) * Asana (https://asana.com [https://asana.com]) * Motion (https://www.usemotion.com [https://www.usemotion.com]) * Video Equipment: * Joby GorillaPod * DJI Osmo Mobile Gimbal * Filmora (video editing software) * Websites/Companies: * HubSpot (https://hubspot.com [https://hubspot.com]) * Niche Pursuits (https://www.nichepursuits.com [https://www.nichepursuits.com]) * DeepSeek R1 (AI model)