The Business of Creators

Hosted by Ian Shepherd

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Business of Creators podcast is for content creators and professionals in the creator economy. Each week we speak to the businesses supporting the creator economy with new tools and effective means of monetisation. Subscribe to the show to learn more about the people powering this amazing new industry. The origin of the show is actually a network I set up in 2017 called The Business of Influencers, back when everyone was talking about influencers and not creators. I built the network to bring people together and it grew to more than 500 people as the creator economy boomed. But I've never liked the word influencer.Having spent more than 20 years in the media industry, I am deeply passionate about supporting creative talent. Today I am the co-founder of a business called Electrify Video Partners which invests in creators. And I created this show to raise awareness of this great industry.

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August 28, 2026Episode 8922 min

How to Build TikTok LIVE Creator Networks — And What Makes Them Successful

Could you build the next major creator talent business? In the latest episode of The Business of Creators, Ian speaks to Ore Ade, Partnerships Lead for Creator Networks at TikTok LIVE UK, about the huge opportunity around TikTok LIVE Creator Networks. They discuss what a Creator Network actually does, who can start one and how these businesses recruit, coach and support LIVE creators. Ore also explains how networks make money, the skills founders need and how much capital it takes to get started. You’ll hear how one former part-time teacher grew a network supporting around 1,000 creators, and why TikTok LIVE is looking for more entrepreneurs and agencies to enter the space. Topics Discussed: - What a TikTok Creator Network actually is - How Creator Networks make money without taking a cut from creators - How networks recruit, coach and manage LIVE creators - What it takes to launch and scale a Creator Network - Why TikTok LIVE could become increasingly important in an AI-driven content landscape Key Takeaways: - Learn how networks support TikTok LIVE creators with coaching, data, scheduling and operational support. - Discover how TikTok pays networks directly from its side of the gifting model, allowing creators to retain their share. - Hear why talent managers, creators, entrepreneurs and even people coming from a 9-to-5 could potentially enter the space. - Learn what skills you need to succeed - Hear the story of Hey Honey, which grew from its founder experimenting with LIVE into a Creator Network managing up to 1,000 creators. - Discover why live streaming could evolve toward creator-led, high-production broadcasts that compete for attention with traditional media. If you’re interested in building a business in the creator economy, this episode offers a detailed look at an emerging model that many creators and entrepreneurs still don’t know exists. #TikTokLIVE #TikTokCreatorNetworks #JoinTCN Learn more about TikTok LIVE Creator Networks: https://bit.ly/4wLRerP Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:01 The Power of TikTok Live 02:07 How to Go Live on TikTok 02:39 Why Live Builds Trust 03:41 Monetisation Strategies for Creators 04:50 Comparing Live Streaming Platforms 05:59 Live Streaming’s Role in the Creator Economy 06:30 Formats and Niches That Work 07:33 Consistency Over Follower Count 08:08 Three Common Live-Streaming Mistakes 09:45 How TikTok Supports Live Creators 10:28 Coaching and the DJ AG Case Study 11:34 Understanding the Creator Network 12:15 What Creator Networks Do Day to Day 13:23 How Creator Networks Make Money 13:54 Building a Successful Creator Network 14:24 Who Should Start a Creator Network 15:27 Hey Honey: A Creator Network Success Story 16:28 How to Launch a Creator Network 17:29 Building Awareness and Partnerships 18:06 Startup Capital and Essential Skills 19:44 The Future of Live Streaming 20:45 Why Live Streaming Matters Now 22:28 How to Get Started and Connect

August 10, 2026Episode 8826 min

Inside HubSpot’s Media Machine with VP of Media & Content Jonathan Hunt

HubSpot has built a media company inside its software business — powered by creators, YouTube, newsletters and AI, and reaching 50 million people every month. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd speaks with Jonathan Hunt from HubSpot Media about the strategy behind that growth, how HubSpot evaluates creator businesses for acquisition, and why video, diversification and AI are becoming increasingly important for creators. Topics Discussed: - How HubSpot built a media network spanning 17 YouTube channels, newsletters, podcasts and websites - The strategy behind acquisitions including The Hustle, Starter Story, Mindstream and Futurepedia - What HubSpot looks for when evaluating creators and media businesses - Why HubSpot is investing heavily in video and YouTube - How AI is being used to scale content production and distribution Key Takeaways: - How HubSpot decides whether to build a media brand from scratch or acquire an established creator business - What makes a creator business attractive to a potential acquirer, from audience scale and ROI to diversification and trust - Why relying on a single platform can create significant risk for creators — and how to build a more resilient business - How one long-form video can be turned into content across YouTube, social, newsletters, audio and other platforms - How HubSpot uses AI to research ideas, test titles, repurpose content and identify potential creator partnerships while keeping human creativity and taste at the centre 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! Timestamps 0:00 — Introduction: HubSpot Media and Jonathan Hunt 1:07 — What HubSpot Media is and how it reaches audiences 2:15 — Why HubSpot began investing in owned media brands 3:24 — Jonathan’s background at Vox, National Geographic, and Complex 6:12 — The build-versus-buy approach to media acquisitions 7:28 — HubSpot’s AI media acquisitions and strategy 8:35 — How HubSpot evaluates creator businesses 10:52 — Working with creators after an acquisition without changing their voice 13:48 — Creator-business valuations and the TBPN acquisition 14:59 — Why video is HubSpot’s priority format 17:25 — How HubSpot’s creator program works 20:13 — How the team uses AI in content production 22:43 — The size and structure of HubSpot Media 24:06 — What’s next for HubSpot Media 25:13 — Advice for creators: diversify across platforms

July 20, 2026Episode 8729 min

The Podcast Playbook for 2026 | AI, Video & Community Explained by Kendall Breitman from Riverside

Podcasting is changing faster than ever—and the creators who adapt now will have a massive advantage. Check out Riverside 2.0 at https://creators.riverside.com/BusinessOfCreators In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Kendall Breitman, Head of Community at Riverside to explore how podcasting has shifted from traditional media to the creator economy. They discuss why community has become one of the most valuable assets creators can build, how video has transformed podcast discovery, and how AI is helping creators spend less time editing and more time creating. The conversation also dives into the launch of Riverside 2.0, including powerful new AI features, social publishing tools, multicam recording, newsletter creation, website hosting and workflow automations that help creators produce professional content faster than ever. Timestamps 0:00 — My experience podcasting 4:21 — The biggest mistake new podcasters make 9:09 — Why video helped this show grow 12:51 — How Riverside made creating easier 16:11 — Why clips are so important now 19:06 — A look at what’s new in Riverside 2.0 22:15 — Using AI without losing your voice 27:11 — Kendall’s advice for future podcasters Topics Discussed - How podcasting has evolved into a creator-first business model - Why community is becoming a creator's biggest competitive advantage - The importance of video for podcast discovery and SEO - Building a content strategy before launching a podcast - How Riverside 2.0 simplifies recording, editing, clipping, publishing, and distribution with AI - The future of AI in podcasting and content creation Key Takeaways - How to build a podcast that attracts an audience instead of hoping people discover it. - Why community is becoming the biggest competitive advantage for creators in the age of AI. - The simple content strategy that turns one podcast recording into weeks of high-performing content. - How AI can dramatically reduce editing and production time without sacrificing quality or creative control. - The latest tools in Riverside 2.0 that can help you record, edit, publish, and grow your podcast more efficiently. 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!

June 16, 2026Episode 8631 min

Circle's Eclipse Is The Biggest Creator Economy Product Launch Of 2026

The future of the creator economy isn't content—it's something much bigger. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Sid Yadav, Founder and CEO of Circle, to explore why the future of the creator economy is shifting from audiences to communities. Sid shares how creators can build sustainable businesses beyond social media platforms, increase customer lifetime value, and create meaningful transformations for their most engaged fans. The conversation also dives into Circle Eclipse, the company’s biggest launch to date, introducing AI-powered business building, a marketplace for creator-led transformations, and a white-glove service designed to help creators scale community-driven businesses. Topics Discussed: - The difference between an audience and a community - Why creators need to own their relationship with their audience - How community-led businesses generate higher lifetime value - Lessons from successful creators and communities using Circle - The launch of Circle Eclipse, including Circle AI, Discover and Studios - Why the future of the creator economy is moving beyond content alone - Building the “Shopify for the digital economy” Key Takeaways: - The most successful creator businesses focus on transformation, not just content consumption - Communities create stronger relationships and more sustainable revenue streams than audience-only models - AI can dramatically reduce the complexity of launching and growing a creator business - Discovery and distribution remain major challenges for creators—and new platforms are emerging to solve them - The next wave of the creator economy will be built around deeper engagement, ownership, and community 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!

May 23, 2026Episode 8530 min

How Instagram Helped This VC Find Billion-Dollar Startups - With Marshall Sandman from Animal Capital

Most VCs hide behind pitch decks and private networks — Marshall Sandman is building a venture fund on social media, one daily post at a time. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Marshall Sandman, founder of Animal Capital, to explore how social media is changing venture capital. Marshall shares how posting daily content online has helped him source startup deals, build founder relationships, and grow one of the top-performing seed-stage venture funds of its generation. Marshall also explains why some of the best investment opportunities exist outside Silicon Valley — and why “boring” businesses may outperform the hottest AI trends. Topics Discussed: - How Marshall built Animal Capital from scratch - Why social media is becoming a competitive advantage for VCs - How Instagram content is helping source startup deals - The role creators and celebrities play in startup storytelling - Why overlooked industries can create massive investment opportunities - Lessons from investing in billion-dollar startups Key Takeaways: - How posting consistently on social media can create real startup deal flow and business opportunities - Why storytelling and distribution are becoming competitive advantages for modern venture capitalists - How creators and celebrities can help technical startups communicate complex ideas more effectively - Why some of the best investment opportunities exist outside Silicon Valley and traditional tech trends - What founders can learn about fundraising, pitching, and simplifying their message for investors - Why “unsexy” businesses and service-based companies may outperform overhyped AI startups 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!

April 3, 2026Episode 8419 min

How Anyone Can Create a Hit Series with AI (No Experience Needed)

Now anyone can now build a binge-worthy series from scratch. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Angela Yu to explore how AI is revolutionizing storytelling—and unlocking a new era where anyone can create, own and monetize their own story IP. Angela shares the vision behind Storeel, an AI-native platform enabling creators to produce serialized, interactive dramas at scale. From micro-dramas to fully AI-generated production workflows, this conversation dives into what the future of entertainment and the creator economy really looks like. Topics Discussed: - The rise of short-form, serialized “micro drama” content - Why AI is unlocking a new generation of storytellers - How Storeel enables end-to-end content creation and distribution - The shift from passive viewing to interactive storytelling - Building a marketplace for creator-owned story IP Key Takeaways: - How AI is collapsing production time from years to days for creators - What it actually takes to succeed as an AI-native creator (and why it’s not about coding) - Why short-form serialized content is exploding—and how to take advantage of the trend - How interactive storytelling is changing the way audiences engage with content - The emerging business model for creator-owned IP in the age of AI 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!

March 10, 2026Episode 8317 min

Why Most AI Content Is Useless for Brands (And How to Fix It)

Most AI-generated content looks impressive — but almost none of it is actually usable for real brands. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Simon Davis, founder of SecretSauce, to explore how his AI-native platform is solving one of the biggest gaps in AI content creation: turning raw AI output into cohesive, fully on-brand creative you can publish in 30 seconds. After 22 years in game design, Simon made a bold pivot from building games to building an AI-native creative platform. Instead of complex dashboards filled with dropdowns and design tools, SecretSauce takes a radically simple approach: conversational prompts, brand memory, and production-ready assets that actually follow your brand guidelines. If you’ve ever generated AI content that “looks good” but doesn’t look like your brand, this conversation will completely change how you think about AI workflows. Topics Discussed: - Why most AI-generated content fails in real-world brand production - The shift from traditional creative workflows to AI-native design - How SecretSauce builds “brand memory” and enforces consistency - Using AI to power campaigns, product catalogs, and influencer content - The future of AI-driven video, distribution, and performance insights What You’ll Learn: - How to generate AI content that’s fully on-brand — not just “good enough” - Why most AI creative workflows are broken (and what to use instead) - How AI agents can evolve into your built-in creative director - How small teams can produce studio-level campaigns at a fraction of the time and cost - Where AI content creation is heading next — from video to performance-driven optimization Simon also shares how one solopreneur used SecretSauce to launch an entire Chinese New Year campaign and cut marketing time from dozens of hours a week to just two. 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!

February 26, 202631 min

Why Brands Are Missing Out on YouTube (And What It’s Costing Them) with Larray and Andrew Graham

Are brands making a massive mistake by overlooking YouTube? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with creator Larray and CAA talent agent Andrew Graham to unpack why Fortune 500 brands have shifted budgets to TikTok and Instagram and what they’re losing by ignoring the long-form power of YouTube. They break down the post-pandemic budget shift, the rise of UGC and paid media, and the growing disconnect between what marketers think drives culture and where real community and real revenue are actually built. If you're a CMO, brand marketer, creator, or operator in the creator economy, this is a must-listen conversation. Topics Discussed: - Why brand dollars moved from YouTube to short-form platforms - The difference between paid media strategy and creator strategy - How YouTube builds deeper, more loyal communities - Why long-form content drives stronger purchase intent - The connected TV opportunity most brands are ignoring Key Takeaways: - Why YouTube audiences create “superfans” who buy products, tickets, and merch - How long-form content builds emotional connection that short-form can’t replicate - The strategic mistake brands make when they treat YouTube like just another ad platform - Why creators with strong YouTube businesses build real enterprise value - How brands can integrate into “hero” content instead of relying solely on paid media As Andrew puts it: if you want transactions, go short-form. If you want to build an empire, build on YouTube. 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!

February 15, 2026Episode 8132 min

How Smart Creators Are Turning Influence Into Equity with Jeff Frommer from OWM

What if the creators promoting your brand didn’t just get paid, but actually owned a piece of it? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Jeff Frommer, founder of OWM, to break down why the future of the creator economy isn’t more #ads — it’s ownership. Jeff explains how founders can use equity as a growth engine, why creators should start asking “What do I own?”, and how influence-for-equity partnerships are reshaping distribution, incentives, and long-term value creation. Topics Discussed: - Why equity is a founder’s most valuable currency - The shift from one-off sponsorships to long-term ownership partnerships - How to value a creator in an equity deal - The advisor vs ambassador vs co-founder framework - How OWM structures and brokers influence-for-equity deals - Why trust and distribution are the last true moats in an AI-driven world Key Takeaways: - How to structure influence-for-equity deals without overcomplicating legal or valuation - A practical framework for deciding whether a creator should be an advisor, ambassador, or co-founder - Why equity fundamentally changes how creators show up for a brand - How founders can reduce CAC by aligning incentives instead of renting attention - What creators should be asking brands if they want long-term upside - Why AI will create millions of entrepreneurs, but attention and trust will be scarce If you’re a founder trying to scale distribution or a creator thinking beyond brand deals, this conversation will change how you think about value. 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!

January 26, 2026Episode 8034 min

From YouTube Channel to Media Company: Inside Smosh’s Business with CEO Alessandra Catanese

Smosh didn’t just survive two decades on YouTube, it rebuilt itself into a premium comedy company, and this episode breaks down exactly how they did it. In this episode of The Business of Creators, host Ian Shepherd sits down with Alessandra Catanese, CEO of Smosh, to break down how one of YouTube’s most iconic comedy brands is evolving into a premium, future-proof media company. Alessandra shares how Smosh is balancing creative freedom with sustainable business growth, why YouTube remains central to their strategy, and what it really takes to build a healthy creator-led company at scale. From redefining company culture to diversifying revenue streams and investing in talent, this conversation offers a rare look behind the scenes of a modern creator business operating at a high level. Topics Discussed: - Smosh’s evolution from YouTube channel to premium comedy brand - Why creator companies need clear values, culture, and leadership - Building sustainable revenue across AdSense, brand deals, merch, and live shows - Hiring, scaling teams, and maintaining work-life balance - The future of the creator economy and its convergence with traditional media Key Takeaways: - Learn how to evolve a creator brand without alienating your existing audience - Understand how to structure leadership so creators can stay creative while the business scales - See how Smosh balances free YouTube content with paid products, merch, and live experiences - Discover how intentional culture, hiring, and work-life balance drive long-term growth - Get a clear framework for thinking about the future of the creator economy and where opportunities are opening up next 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!