The Business of Creators

Steven Bartlett Just Invested in This Creator Brand — Here’s How Maggie Sellers Reum Made It Happen

You won’t believe how a $2,500 angel investment and a WhatsApp group turned into one of the most powerful female-led creator brands today. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd talks with Maggie Sellers Reum, founder of Hot Smart Rich about how she turned her creator-led female ambition brand into something so powerful that Steven Bartlett and FlightStory came calling. She shares the full behind-the-scenes of how the deal happened and how she’s scaling her media business without losing its soul. Topics Discussed: - The moment Maggie knew HSR was more than just content - How FlightStory discovered the podcast and why they invested - Lessons from negotiating your first major deal as a creator - Why community is HSR’s secret weapon - Building a real brand beyond virality What You’ll Learn: - How Maggie got on Steven Bartlett’s radar — and why DMs matter - The strategic value of partnerships for podcast and media growth - Why monetizing a podcast requires more than just great content - How to position your brand to attract investors (even if you're small) - The systems Maggie uses to scale as a founder and creator-CEO Watch to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

How Steven Bartlett's FlightStory are building billion-dollar creator brands with CEO Georgie Holt

What if your podcast could be the next billion-dollar media company? Georgie Holt is already building them with Steven Bartlett and she reveals exactly how. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Georgie Holt, CEO of FlightStory & Co Founder of FlightStory Studio, who shares the playbook for turning creators into powerful media brands, using data, AI and obsessive focus on audience value. You’ll hear how they’ve scaled The Diary of a CEO into cultural phenomena and why the next generation of media empires will be built by creators, not corporations. Topics Discussed: - What FlightStory actually does (and why it’s more than a podcast network) - How to evaluate creators like venture capitalists - The tools and data behind FlightStory’s “creator radar” system - Why community and long-form content are essential for scale - How AI is shaping the future of content creation What You’ll Learn: - How to turn your content into a full-scale media brand - What metrics and experiments actually move the needle - The mindset shift from “creator” to “founder” - How to structure a team that helps you scale beyond platforms - Why audience obsession drives long-term growth Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

How Beehiiv Is Helping Creators Monetize Faster Than Ever with CEO Tyler Denk

If you want to understand where the creator economy is heading — and how to build a real business in it — this episode is a must-listen. Ian Shepherd sits down with Beehiiv CEO and co-founder Tyler Denk to break down the company’s massive new product launch and its mission to become “the operating system for the content economy.” Tyler shares how Beehiiv is transforming newsletters into full-scale media businesses with websites, digital products, analytics, an ad network and more — all in one platform built for both solo creators and major publishers. Topics Discussed: - Beehiiv’s new product ecosystem and why they shipped everything at once - How newsletters, websites, podcasts, and digital products now fit into one unified platform - Why creators and publishers are moving toward full-stack, consolidated toolsets - How Beehiiv’s ad network and Boosts give creators instant monetization opportunities - The role Tyler’s own newsletter plays in shaping Beehiiv’s roadmap and enterprise strategy What You’ll Gain From This Episode: - A clear understanding of how top creators are building real, scalable content businesses - Practical ideas for monetizing your content — even with a small audience - Insight into how to simplify your creator tech stack for faster growth and less friction - Strategies for owning your audience and future-proofing your business - A behind-the-scenes look at how Beehiiv is building tools designed for long-term creator success Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

How Amy Madison Luo Is Building Blueberry Into the LVMH of Digital Fashion on Roblox

In this episode Ian Shepherd sits down with Amy Madison Luo, CEO of Blueberry, to explore how digital fashion is exploding across platforms like Roblox and Snapchat. They break down how Blueberry creates culture native to gaming, why this moment mirrors the early days of streetwear, and how the next generation of fashion brands might be built entirely inside virtual worlds. Topics Discussed: - How digital fashion works inside Roblox and why players treat avatars like real identity - Blueberry’s design process and how it builds culturally resonant digital brands - High performing creator collaborations and the strategy behind hits like the Natasha Panda drop - The launch of Blueberry Creator Studio and how it lets fans design and publish their own looks - Amy’s journey from law and crypto to leading one of the biggest digital fashion houses - Where digital fashion is heading across platforms and how AI could transform design Key Takeaways: - Understand how digital fashion is becoming a real industry and why it might be the next massive wave in the creator economy. - Learn how Roblox creators are quietly building multi million dollar brands and what opportunities still exist for early movers. - Get a behind the scenes look at how digital fashion drops are actually made from design to collabs to distribution. - Discover how Blueberry is turning fans into co creators and what that means for the future of creator led businesses. - Hear practical insights you can apply to your own creator strategy especially if you want to build products, IP, or a brand inside gaming platforms. Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

Why Podcasting Is the Next Big Gold Rush for Creators with Acast CEO Greg Glenday

Podcasting isn’t just a side hustle anymore, it’s becoming the next major media industry.  In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Greg Glenday, CEO at Acast, to reveal how the world’s biggest podcast-only company is scaling globally with open RSS, smarter monetization, and AI that enhances, not replaces, human creativity. Topics Discussed: - How Acast turned dynamic ad insertion into a billion-dollar podcast ad backbone - “Open, not walled”: why being platform-agnostic is Acast’s superpower - The real ways AI is being used right now — from better ad matching to creative automation - What makes the UK and Australia such strong podcast markets (and how the U.S. is catching up) - Why YouTube has become the new podcast discovery engine What You’ll Learn by Listening: - How to use AI tools to boost your ad revenue without losing your voice - Why going “open RSS” could be your best growth move as a creator - How brands are finally valuing podcasting as a measurable, mainstream ad channel - The global trends shaping podcasting’s next wave — and where the biggest opportunities lie - How to future-proof your creator business as the industry matures and ad tech evolves Watch to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators! #Acast #PodcastMonetization #CreatorEconomy #AIforCreators #PodcastGrowth #OpenRSS #YouTubePodcasts #CreatorBusiness #PodcastAdvertising #BusinessOfCreators