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.
42episodes
Episodes
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Ep. 113: How he makes $140k+ writing about video games ft. Stephen Totilo
2d ago00:56:54Tap 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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Ep. 112: They have 2M+ followers, but they’re starting again ft. Martinez and Mu
1w ago00:50:01Tap 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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Ep. 111: He only makes 5 videos a year ft. Max Z Zavidow
2w ago01:04:45Tap 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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Ep. 110: The Facebook creator with 8 revenue streams ft. Todd Anderson
3w ago00:46:37Tap 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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Ep. 109: 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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Ep. 108: The creator economy doesn't exist ft. Nathan Graber-Lipperman
Apr 2801:09:37Tap to summarizeNathan Graber-Lipperman is the founder of Powder Blue, a Chicago-based creative studio behind a print magazine, newsletter, and community events. We talk about building and monetising indie media, what makes brand partnerships work, and why he retired his previous publication Creator Mag to launch Offline. __ 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 __ Powder Blue Offline Mag YouTube Newsletter Instagram __ Nathan Graber-Lipperman LinkedIn Instagram __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Nathan Graber-Lipperman 01:12 What is Powder Blue? 05:23 An insider's view into the creator economy's growth 11:21 The evolution of creator brand partnerships 16:03 Working with Colin and Samir 23:03 The print magazine for the creator world 36:56 Building community through events 44:00 Why Chicago is the city of creatives 47:06 The three qualities of a good magazine feature 53:29 Long form content will always be king 59:56 Defining the creator economy 01:05:30 Creative longevity and staying motivated
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Ep. 107: Inside the business of ghostwriting ft. Maxie McCoy
Apr 2101:02:50Tap to summarizeMaxie McCoy is an author, ghostwriter, and speech writer whose clients have landed Wall Street Journal bestsellers. In this episode, Maxie breaks down the business of ghostwriting, from how to get started and price your work, to building a newsletter audience of 40,000 and why being best known matters more than being best. __ 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 __ Maxie McCoy Website Newsletter LinkedIn Instagram __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Maxie McCoy 01:27 The many arms of Maxie's business 05:05 Building a newsletter to 40,000 readers 15:25 Leading a strong community 18:40 How to get started in ghostwriting 23:47 Behind the process of ghostwriting 33:33 What it takes to write and publish a book 46:56 Making $85k through LinkedIn courses 52:32 Building a personal brand in 2026
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Ep. 106: Sending a newsletter for 1,000 days straight ft. Mindstream
Apr 1400:48:43Tap to summarizeMatt Village and Maria Gharib are the editorial team behind Mindstream, a daily AI-focussed newsletter with over 230,000 subscribers. In this episode they break down the editorial systems, consistency habits, and audience growth tactics that helped them grow a strong, engaged audience. __ Mindstream Newsletter LinkedIn Guests Matt Village Maria Gharib __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Matt and Maria of Mindstream 01:31 Going all-in at 5,000 subscribers 05:56 Expanding the team 09:51 Curating the style for a daily newsletter 16:18 The daily research, writing and editing process 25:58 AI tools used in the creation process 28:42 Being acquired by HubSpot 37:39 Biggest lessons from 1,000 newsletter issues 43:22 The difficulties of consistency
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Ep. 105: Becoming one of Morning Brew’s biggest creators ft. Macy Gilliam
Apr 700:58:05Tap to summarizeMacy Gilliam is a video producer and content creator at Morning Brew and the creator of Out There, a documentary series where she spends a day learning the world's most interesting jobs. In this episode, we walk through her production process, how she went from running Morning Brew's Twitter account to having her own show, and red flags every creator should look for in their contracts. __ Macy Gilliam Out There Macy's YouTube Instagram TikTok X LinkedIn __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Macy Gilliam 01:23 The process of making a 1M+ view video 07:57 From social media editor to having a show 15:01 Leaning into natural curiosity 17:52 Negotiating a creator contract 27:06 When and how to go independent as a creator 32:13 The blending of creator and journalist 40:33 Which platform should you focus on the most? 45:48 Contract exploitation in the creator economy 49:24 Green flags in creator contracts 52:25 The future of documentary journalism
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Ep. 104: Building a platform to save the internet ft. Tyler Bainbridge of Perfectly Imperfect
Mar 3100:54:45Tap to summarizeTyler Bainbridge is the founder of Perfectly Imperfect, a social magazine and app with 400,000+ users built to help people discover culture outside of algorithms. In this episode, we get into how he grew the platform from a free newsletter to a business attracting guests such as Charli xcx, Francis Ford Coppola and The Rizzler. __ Perfectly Imperfect Website Instagram Tyler Bainbridge Instagram LinkedIn X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Tyler Bainbridge 01:23 Escaping the algorithm 07:41 Leaving Substack to build a unique platform 12:32 Growing to over 400,000 users 16:21 Biggest milestone guests 19:40 How Perfectly Imperfect makes money 22:28 The meaning of community 29:02 Building a dedicated team 31:20 Building the platform we’ve always wanted 34:54 The challenge of scaling a subculture 40:18 The refusal to optimize 45:19 The importance of good editorial 50:42 Building the next Tumblr, also Vice
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