The Creator Spotlight Podcast

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Oct 2025

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About the show

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.

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60 recent

October 21, 20251 hr 4 min

Ep. 81: Building a $500k+ local newsletter business ft. Geoff Sharpe

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by Geoff Sharpe, founder of Lookout Media — a network of local newsletters collectively generating almost $500K a year. Geoff shares how he built a profitable, subscription-first media business, why trust and real journalism still win, and the systems he’s using to scale local news across Canada.Read the newsletter__Tired of explaining the same thing over and over again to your coworkers? It’s time to let AI do the explaining for you. The Guidde extension is completely free. Go check it out at Guidde.com__Geoff SharpeLookout MediaLinkedInTwitter/XFrancis ZiererLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Geoff Sharpe01:40 Making $500k+ with paid subscriptions07:16 Don't listen to your audience12:00 The merging of editorial and business16:20 Running a media company sustainably21:01 Building trust through food27:06 How to get people to pay for your content37:43 What do people not pay for?40:44 Don't scale too quickly43:41 The difficulties of local newsletter ad sales49:11 How to grow a local newsletter52:40 A bullish and bearish take on local media57:50 Best advice for entrepreneurs

October 14, 202558 min

Ep. 80: How a YouTuber's study group grew into a profitable business ft. Kaelyn Grace Apple

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast we're joined by Kaelyn Grace Apple. Kaelyn is the founder and co-owner of Accepted Society, an international online community of students, educators, and independent researchers dedicated to learning, research, and creating networks of support. In this episode Kaelyn shares how she cracked the formula for building a profitable, niche, online community. She breaks down the business plan behind her 500+ member collective, lessons from working with Ali Abdaal, and the strategies every creator can use to turn research into results.Read the newsletter__Earn with Google AdSense__Kaelyn Grace AppleAccepted SocietyWebsiteYouTubeLinkedInInstagramFrancis ZiererLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Kaelyn Grace Apple01:28 From eight members to over 50008:02 Why you should not scale too quickly12:03 The course model vs. community model14:03 Using YouTube to build a community18:42 Pricing a community22:01 Scaling a business up, and scaling it down30:46 The evolution of Kaelyn's YouTube content37:24 Revenue breakdown42:44 Why Kaelyn left the Ali Abdaal team47:34 Lessons learnt working with Ali Abdaal53:47 Kaelyn's 30 year plan

October 7, 202545 min

Ep. 79: He had 15M followers, then he quit — here's why ft. Caspar Lee

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast, we’re joined by Caspar Lee — one of YouTube’s early stars turned entrepreneur and investor. Caspar talks about why he walked away from 15 million followers, how he built four companies after YouTube, and what every creator should know about building a business that lasts. __ Caspar Lee YouTubeWebsite LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Francis Zierer LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps00:00 Introducing Caspar Lee 01:17 How to exit, as a creator 07:11 It's hard to do YouTube and business 12:49 How influencer marketing has evolved 16:02 The hardest part of influencer marketing 20:33 Investing in the creator economy 25:18 What is the perfect investment? 30:14 Equity vs cash in brand deals 33:14 The vulnerability of the creator economy 38:43 If Caspar Lee started YouTube in 2025 43:28 Caspar Lee's five year plan

September 30, 20251 hr 9 min

Ep. 78: How to make $100k+ editing YouTube videos ft. Rachel Kisela

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast, we’re joined by Rachel Kisela — a six-figure YouTube editor who has worked with top creators, including MrBeast. Rachel recently founded EditHers, a community for women in editing. In this episode Rachel shares her philosophy on editing, how she built her business, what she learnt editing for Mr Beast, and how to make over $100k as a video editor.__Rachel Kisela Website EditHers LinkedIn Twitter/X __Francis LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Rachel Kisela 01:25 The core philosophies of video editing 06:05 The process of editing a YouTube video 09:45 How to make six-figures as a YouTube editor 17:47 Leaving Mr Beast 20:42 The real responsibility of an editor 23:43 Building a much needed community 32:46 The unknown challenges of video editing 35:40 Getting paid as a video editor 39:35 What journalism school doesn’t teach you 46:07 The relationship between editor and creator 52:51 What Rachel learnt working for Mr Beast 56:47 Future dreams for EditHers 01:00:15 Where to find video editors 01:02:42 How much do video editors get paid? 01:05:17 Rachel’s favorite video

September 23, 20251 hr 7 min

Ep. 77: She left the BBC to build AI for journalists ft. Sophia Smith Galer

Sophia Smith Galer is an award-winning journalist, author, and creator with nearly a million followers across TikTok and Instagram. After roles at the BBC and VICE, she went independent to pioneer new ways of telling stories through short-form video. In this episode, she shares why traditional media is struggling to adapt, and what creators and journalists need to know about the future of vertical video.Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles__Sophia Smith GalerTikTokInstagramLinkedInTwitter/XViralectSophiana (App Store)__FrancisLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Sophia Smith Galer01:50 How to present on short form video07:15 Defining ‘journalism’ in the age of the creator13:26 Traditional media’s problem with short form content18:25 The one thing most short form creators get wrong24:38 The best platform for short form content31:02 Short form bootcamps34:25 Sophiana: Your short form assistant41:34 Why everyone should be making content44:05 The hardest part of building an app49:47 US vs. UK creator economy difficulties52:46 Revenue breakdown57:58 Sophia’s future plans and goals

September 16, 202555 min

Ep. 76: The 3 moves I’d bet my next 10 years on as a creator ft. Jordan DiPietro

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined byJordan DiPietro — former Motley Fool exec, CEO of Hampton, and writer of the Signal//Noise newsletter. Jordan shares the three big bets he’d make on the future of creators, why community now matters more than audience, and the lessons he’s carried from two decades in media, newsletters, and leadership.Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles__Follow JordanNewsletterLinkedInX/Twitter__FrancisLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Jordan DiPietro01:08 The 3 moves to bet your career on08:16 These creator economy trends are dying17:20 Communities are the next search engine19:42 The non-negotiables of a successful community29:00 Audience vs community, the key differences32:25 What you need to last in the creator economy37:53 It's marketing all the way down41:49 Signal//Noise45:46 When to quit your job as a creator50:36 The value of relationships in business

September 9, 202552 min

Ep. 75: Investing $60m in creators (what to look for) ft. Billy Parks

This week on Creator Spotlight we talk to Billy Parks, Partner at Slow Ventures and co-lead of the $65M Slow Creator Fund. Billy invests directly in creators, backing entrepreneurial creators who turn their expertise and communities into scalable businesses.Read the newsletter__BillyLinkedInSlow VenturesJonathan Katz-Moses__Follow FrancisLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Billy Parks and Slow Ventures01:30 What makes an investable creator?05:35 The two types of creator businesses13:44 Creators are just founders17:24 Which creators need investment the most?23:30 The difficulties of valuing a creator business32:13 It's all marketing34:29 The biggest risk in creator investments38:12 Business is the future of the creator economy42:54 How to be niche in the creator economy

September 2, 202553 min

Ep. 74: The creator making $100,000+ a year selling paper — here's how ft. Quynh Nguyen

This week we talk to Quynh Nguyen. She is a paper flower artist who has built her passion into a six-figure business. We cover her journey from hobbyist to entrepreneur, her pricing and growth strategies, and how she’s helping other creators turn their passions into profits.__Quynh NguyenWebsiteInstagramLinkedInPaper Talk Podcast__Follow FrancisLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Quynh Nguyen02:53 The most important marketing principles online06:52 How to get paid to teach your passion12:01 The secret to nurturing a valuable community18:34 Moving from a physical to a digital business24:32 A podcast that builds trust and loyalty31:07 The creator-entrepreneur spectrum36:02 Expanding audience for future events40:40 Breaking down the revenue of a thriving online business45:45 From 6-week course to 6-month mastermind50:17 The one thing Quynh is most proud of

August 26, 20251 hr 2 min

Ep. 73: The truth about building a media business in 2025 ft. Stefan von Imhof

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast we're joined by Stefan von Imhof, co-founder of alts.co, an alternative investment newsletter, community, fund, and platform.Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles__AltsWebsiteInstagramYouTubeStefanLinkedInSubstack__Follow FrancisLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Stefan02:05 An alternative revenue breakdown06:54 The biggest challenges of community building15:02 How a side project becomes a business22:44 Demonstrating the value of your content27:33 Leveraging audience segmentation31:21 Decentralised due-diligence33:56 The art of buying and selling newsletters37:10 A bearish perspective on the newsletter economy40:54 The power of events as a community business47:17 The playbook for newsletter acquisition49:39 Newsletter remix concept53:16 A love for physical media56:55 Where is the creator/business owner tipping point

August 19, 202531 min

Ep. 72: Grow your audience like a $23B company ft. Jonathan Hunt

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're joined by Jonathan Hunt, the VP of HubSpot Media. Jonathan has been working in media for two decades for brands such as Nat Geo, Complex, Vice, Vox, and more. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Jonathan LinkedIn HubSpotMindstream __ Follow Francis LinkedIn Twitter/X __00:00 Introducing Jonathan Hunt 01:20 The 3 pillars of audience development 04:16 For the independent creator 07:32 Marketing through content creation 14:10 The most sustainable monetization models 18:18 Building a brand voice 21:00 The need for diversification 23:41 The ever evolving definition of 'creator' 26:50 The most shocking recent changes in media 28:27 When to sell your business as a solo creator