In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about using AI to analyse and refocus my YouTube channel, whether Shorts actually drive long-form views, and how I’m thinking about tax savings as a UK creator.

If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Asking AI What My Channel Is About 🤖

10:28 - Do Shorts Actually Feed Long-Form? 📉

12:25 - Where AI Fits Into Our Workflow ⚙️

15:52 - Losing Access to Brand Events 🎟️

19:49 - The Enshittification of the Internet 🗑️

24:32 - Reducing Tax as a UK Creator 🇬🇧

🔗 LINKS

Check out the newsletter: experimentsinprogress.com

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about getting threatened by affiliate platform, Howl, after chasing unpaid fees, why I turned down a £14k sponsorship, and the changes I’m making to simplify the business behind the channel - from editing workflows to shorts strategy.

If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Getting Paid… Then Getting Threatened 💸

07:41 Update on our Editing Workflow 🔗

09:40 Our New Shorts Strategy (+ Why) 🚀

13:47 Fewer Links, Better Conversions 🔗

19:10 Turning Down £14k 💸

22:17 This Was Worth Buying 💰

26:23 Samsung Unpacked Prep 📱

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I’m at CES in Las Vegas and thought I’d do something a bit different — stick a camera on the table at a steak dinner with a bunch of tech YouTubers and get everyone’s honest, off-the-cuff tips on growing on YouTube.

If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

02:09 - Pete (@PeteMatheson)

03:08 - Dariusz (@DariuszTech)

03:47 - Patrick (@PatrickRambles)

04:11 - David (@DavidAVelez1)

05:37 - Fenson (@Gadgetsu)

07:14 - Mark & Paul (@MarkEllisReviews | @1PaulJ)

09:36 - Pete & Darius

10:39 - Tausif (@TausifHussain)

11:29 - Outtakes

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about why affiliate links might not be working the way you think, what I learned from calling out an affiliate platform, and how CES ended up being our most profitable year yet. I also share my honest take on YouTube Promote vs building an organic audience.

If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - The Video That Got Me a Legal Threat ⚖️

05:37 - How I Found Someone Reposting My Videos 🔍

07:51 - When a Video Doesn’t Find Its Audience 🎯

12:37 - Are Affiliate Platforms a Scam? (+ the Honey Scandal) 🤔

22:27 - How CES Finally Paid Off 📈

32:31 - Growing Beyond YouTube (+ How I Got to Work with Lego)⏳

39:44 - Is Now the Right Time to Start YouTube? ⏱️

🔗 LINKS

• MegaLag: Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam - https://youtu.be/vc4yL3YTwWk

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about $20k in affiliate earnings stuck with Howl, making peace with a poor-performing sponsored video, and where I draw the line with brand control and paid promotion.

If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - How I Discovered My Content Was Being Reused 👀

03:59 - How I Snagged a £9,000 Flight Upgrade for £370 ✈️

05:27 - Trying to Get Consistent on Instagram Again 📱

07:00 - From Neglected Blog to 70k Monthly Visits 🚀

11:55 - Making Peace with a Poor-Performing (Sponsored) Video 🧠

21:03 - $20k in Affiliate Earnings Still Owed by Howl 💸

28:03 - The One Thing I Won’t Give Brands Control Over 🎯

31:54 - Having a Pro Come In and Sort the Studio ⚙️

37:56 - Where Paid Promotion Starts to Feel Wrong 🧠

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I break down what’s been going on behind the scenes this week - from delayed affiliate payments on Howl and the messy reality of tracking commissions, to getting set up with the Panasonic Lumix S1 II.

I also share how I’m approaching CES this year and my 2026 goals for the business 💪

If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Howl Is Delaying Our Affiliate Payments ⏳

05:45 - Getting to Grips With the Panasonic Lumix S1 II 📸

09:20 - How I’m Approaching CES This Year 🗓️

17:39 - What We Keep (and Ditch) From Brand Gear 📦

19:30 - 2026 Goals: Website Traffic, Socials & Digital Products 📊

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃

In this episode I talk about my Black Friday studio haul, the honest truth about finding a good agency, and the 36-page script that completely got out of hand.

If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 My Black Friday Studio Haul 🎥

12:22 Taking Time Off Does Hurt Your IG Reach 📉

14:42 My Honest Advice on Finding an Agency 📬

19:36 When Your Script Hits 36 Pages… 😅

26:14 When Other Sites Republish Your Content 📄

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃

In this episode I talk about the huge range of editing costs I uncovered this week, my accountant’s mistake that ended up costing me thousands. and then take you inside a full BTS Porsche shoot.

If you’re curious how creators juggle editing, finances, shoots, and keeping the whole machine running - this one’s for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Are We Paying Too Much for Editing? 🎬

03:59 When Your Accountant’s Mistake Costs You Thousands 💥

12:17 Behind the Scenes of Our Porsche Shoot 🚘

20:35 Streamlining Our Edits: What We’re Changing 🎥

22:53 Power Bins Are Getting Us Closer to Faster Edits ⚡

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃

In this episode I break down how we’ve ended up with a brand deal on almost every video - and the setup that finally makes it sustainable. We also get into a frank chat with a brand about expectations, plus a few behind-the-scenes upgrades from new gear to DaVinci workflow experiments.

If you're curious about how creators actually manage sponsorships, workflow, and keeping the whole machine going … this one’s for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - The Problem With Posting when an Embargo Lifts ⚠️

06:36 - Talking Honestly With a Brand About Results 📊

15:49 - Why I Finally Bought the Mavic 4 Pro 🚁

19:39 - DaVinci Power Bins could be a Game Changer 🚀

23:08 - The Hybrid Approach to Brand Deals 🔄

27:52 - Black Friday Strategy: Links, Deals & Brand Outreach 🔗

🔗 LINKS

📰 My newsletter: experimentsinprogress.com

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃

In this episode I talk about how we may have got confirmation that some creators are “legally” buying views to get sponsors, dig into the metrics brands actually check before they approve a deal and share how to actually make the most of CES as a creator.

If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you.

New episodes every Wednesday 🚀

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - How We Map Out a Year of Videos 🎬

05:43 - How to Maximise CES as a Creator 🚀

11:29 - When a Brand Deal Underperforms (And They Want More) 📉

17:44 - Editor Update: Our Capacity Problem 🎬

18:57 - The Metrics Brands Look at Before Approving a Deal 💼

23:57 - Confirmed: Brands Are Being Scammed by Fake Views ⚠️

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

▸ Website: https://www.petematheson.com/