Podcast
The Creator Spotlight Podcast
Hosted by Creator Spotlight · EN
Every week we spend an hour in conversation with a notable creator, discussing their approach to audience growth, monetization, and content production. Hosted by Francis Zierer (Twitter and LinkedIn). New episodes every Tuesday. This podcast is part of our newsletter, Creator Spotlight.
47episodes
Episodes
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He'll make $1.5M as a solo creator this year ft. Kyle Poyar
2w ago00:49:44Tap to summarizeKyle Poyar is the founder and writer of the newsletter Growth Unhinged, which has over 85,000 subscribers. He’s been running the newsletter for nearly 5 years, full time for 1.5 years, and is on track to break $1.5 million this year as a solopreneur. Read the newsletter __ 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 __ Kyle Poyar Newsletter LinkedIn X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Kyle Poyar 00:47 Making $100k with the his first brand deal 07:45 The 5 revenue streams that make $1.5M 17:30 Making $125k through subscription 22:44 Summiting the LinkedIn cringe mountain 27:51 6 steps to creating great LinkedIn content 39:12 Growing a newsletter to 85k+ subscribers 43:35 The challenges and rewards of solopreneurship
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How to get brand deals in 2026 ft. AJ Eckstein
3w ago00:43:02Tap to summarizeAJ Eckstein is the founder of Creator Match, an agency building creator programs for the world's biggest tech brands and matching brands with B2B creators. In this episode he lays out the full process of a creator brand campaign, how to get a brand deal while getting paid the most for it, and how to build a reputation that brands come back for. Read the newsletter __ 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 __ AJ Eckstein Creator Match AJ's Website Instagram __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing AJ Eckstein 00:48 Paying out $10M to creators 05:14 How to get a brand deal in 2026 10:25 What are brands looking for in creators? 17:57 The full process of a creator brand campaign 22:57 Which creators get paid the most? 31:44 Why outbound reach is so important 34:12 From demand to brand — building a reputation
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A newsletter writer's brutally honest growth advice ft. Evan Armstrong
4w ago00:51:03Tap to summarizeEvan Armstrong is the founder and writer behind The Leverage, an independent newsletter covering the tech industry for an audience of investors, founders, and operators. In this episode he breaks down the business behind indie media, pricing, audience quality, and why being accurate doesn't actually matter to readers. Read the newsletter __ 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 __ Evan Armstrong Newsletter LinkedIn X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Evan Armstrong 01:01 Turning his writing into a business 05:30 Becoming an independent creator 11:39 Audience size and revenue 15:46 Charging a premium price as a creator 19:40 Be a creator and you'll make less money 25:09 Advertising with integrity 32:15 He's accurate, but readers don't care 38:24 Using AI for research and editorial 43:11 Most creators fail, this is why 48:03 The pursuit of distribution
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He's losing subscribers, and that's a good thing ft. Jerome Aceti
Jun 1600:46:18Tap to summarizeJerome 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 __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 __ JeromeASF YouTube Instagram X Twitch Nextide __ 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
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How he makes educational content go viral ft. Kobi Brown
Jun 900:32:12Tap to summarizeKobi 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 __ 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 __ Kobi Brown YouTube Instagram TikTok Could The Big Bang Happen Again? You will NEVER see The Milky Way again __ 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
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How he makes $140k+ writing about video games ft. Stephen Totilo
Jun 200:56:54Tap to summarizeStephen 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 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 __ Stephen Totilo Game File Bluesky X Threads __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
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They have 2M+ followers, but they’re starting again ft. Martinez and Mu
May 2600:50:01Tap to summarizeRob 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 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 __ Martinez and Mu YouTube Rob's Instagram Julian's Instagram __ 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
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He only makes 5 videos a year ft. Max Z Zavidow
May 1901:04:45Tap to summarizeMax 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 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 __ Max Z Zavidow TikTok Instagram X LinkedIn YouTube __ 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
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The Facebook creator with 8 revenue streams ft. Todd Anderson
May 1200:46:37Tap to summarizeTodd Anderson, the Turnip Vegan, is a food creator with over 3 million followers across platforms. In this episode we cover his journey from hobbyist to professional, how he monetizes with up to 8 revenue streams, and why Facebook is still his number one platform for reach. __ Todd Anderson Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Snapchat Recipe Club __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Todd Anderson, the Turnip Vegan 01:20 The timeline of becoming a content creator 06:23 Learning the business of creating content 09:06 Revealing the 8 revenue stream behind the business 11:02 Building a subscription service outside of the platforms 18:57 The retreats business, disconnecting and recharging 25:46 The value of always pivoting and adapting formats 30:48 Why Facebook is still the #1 platform 34:24 Building a formal relationship with platforms 39:40 The highs and lows of building a content business
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How LinkedIn Groups and Newsletters Power an Online Education Business
May 500:43:36Tap to summarizeNatalie Peters is the founder and CEO of Sky Society, a community and career accelerator for women breaking into marketing. In this episode, Natalie breaks down how she grew Sky Society from two students to a waitlisted accelerator with over 100 students per cohort, why she built her entire content funnel around organic growth and personal brand, and how she structures admissions, pricing, and community to consistently get graduates hired. __ 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 __ Sky Society Website YouTube Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Natalie Peters LinkedIn Instagram __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Natalie Peters 01:03 The value of hands-on marketing experience 03:55 Lessons learned in 5 years of founder experience 07:30 How to make a good education product 13:25 Business failures to learn from 16:23 The content funnel that drives a $1M+ business 23:58 Pricing an online educational product 32:25 The difficulties of growing an educational business 35:33 Driving growth through newsletter leads 40:34 Building a globally respected product
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