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!

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!

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!

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!

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

1.1 billion people will be creators by 2032 — but who are they, and what does that future look like? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd dives deep with Ben Woods from MiDiA to explore the eye-opening findings from their latest report on the creator economy.

Ben breaks down what’s really driving this explosive growth: the rise of consumer-creators, the power of video, and how AI is flipping the playbook for creators at every level. Whether you're a seasoned creator, brand, or investor, this episode is packed with insights that will reshape how you think about content, monetization, and community.

Topics Discussed:

• What the 1.1 billion creator forecast actually includes
• Why video is now the default format for all creators
• AI’s impact on workflows, speed, and monetization
• How brands and traditional media are becoming creators
• The evolving pain points: burnout, platform dependence, and time constraints

Key Takeaways:

• The creator economy isn’t just influencers — it includes everyday users reshaping entertainment through content
• AI is lowering the barrier to entry and giving both new and veteran creators powerful tools
• Burnout is real — and most creators are hitting a ceiling on how much they can sustainably produce
• Smart creators are building businesses beyond platforms: franchises, merchandise, live events, and direct audience ownership
• Traditional media and brands are now copying creator playbooks — and succeeding

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!

What if your customers could become your most powerful influencers — and you paid them less than Facebook ads? In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog and now founder of Social Tip — a groundbreaking platform aiming to democratize influence. James shares how Social Tip flips the traditional advertising model on its head by turning everyday customers into brand advocates.

They explore James's transition from brewing beer to building tech, what makes Social Tip unique, and how it's gaining traction with both major brands and local businesses. From the power of peer-to-peer marketing to the impact of AI on content creation, this is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of advertising and creator monetization.

Topics Discussed:

• Why James launched Social Tip and what it does
• The outdated nature of traditional advertising models
• How the platform turns everyday customers into influencers
• Early traction with UK brands and plans for US expansion
• Insights from BrewDog and how they inform this new venture

Key Takeaways:

• The Future of Ads Is People, Not Platforms: Peer-to-peer marketing outperforms traditional advertising in both cost and impact.
• Authenticity Beats Influence: Real users with small followings are creating high-performing, genuine content.
• BrewDog Playbook 2.0: Social Tip empowers communities over stunts — a quiet but radical shift in strategy.
• From Coffee Shops to Corporates: The platform is scalable for both global giants and indie businesses.
• Now’s the Time to Build: AI is supercharging entrepreneurship — and the hard stuff is what builds real 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!

If you're a creator and not making six figures yet — this might be why. ThriveCart CEO Ismael Wrixen reveals what actually works in the creator economy after processing over $2 billion in sales — and shares the blueprint behind today’s top-earning creators.

In this episode, Ian Shepherd digs into ThriveCart’s 2025 Creator Economy Report with Ismael, uncovering the future of digital products, why niche creators win, and how AI is opening massive new revenue streams. Whether you’re selling templates, running a membership, or dreaming of high-ticket launches — this is the roadmap to doing it right.

Topics Discussed:
- What ThriveCart’s $2B in sales data reveals about successful creators
- Key shifts in the creator economy through 2030
- Why community is the most underrated growth engine
- How AI is transforming education, skills, and monetization

Key Takeaways:
- Find out what separates six-figure creators from the rest
- Learn how to use niche positioning to charge more and grow faster
- Discover the best ways to validate your product before you scale
- Get tactical tips to increase conversions and customer lifetime value
- Understand how to future-proof your creator business in an AI-powered world

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!