Aspiring Creator

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about the creator tools I'm building with Claude (a Monday replacement, brand tracker, contract checker + more), whether pausing long-form for 2 weeks to test shorts is worth it, and why Samsung (not Howl) might actually be the reason creators aren't getting paid affiliate income.

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 - Paris with Huawei ✈️

03:00 - Is Samsung the real affiliate problem? (not Howl) 🤔

08:28 - The creator tools I'm building with Claude 🛠️

20:09 - Taking two weeks off to test shorts 📱

25:26 - I just ordered the DJI Pocket 4 📸

💬 SOCIALS

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

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

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about having 0 sponsorships booked for Q2 after our biggest quarter yet, building an AI system with Claude to automate brand outreach, and how persistence finally got Apple to send us products.

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 short form vs long form debate 🎬

05:15 - We have an empty sponsorship calendar 👀

08:44 - Why I said no to a paid brand event ✈️

12:40 - Stop sending rate cards to brands 🛑

14:51 - Claude meets brand deals (automating the process) 🧠

21:39 - Is Samsung the problem? 💸

23:02 - How we got Apple to notice us 🍏

LINKS

🖥️ Studio Display XDR Review: https://youtu.be/hQCzpUfBpqg

🎬 Becky’s YouTube Producer App: https://youtubeproducer.app/

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

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

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about why short form is starting to out-earn long form, what brand trips are really like behind the scenes, and how AI saved me £3.5k on a surprise tax bill.

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 - Brand trips explained ✈️

10:21 - Why brands prefer shorts 💸

16:43 - A smarter way to sell sponsorships? 🤔

19:41 - Why Adobe Creator Live stood out (a lot) 🌟

30:05 - Why big creators skip brand trips 👀

33:54 - AI vs the council (AI won) 🏆

35:26 - $3,000 a month to post videos? 👀

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

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

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about my experience at MWC (Mobile World Congress) and Samsung Unpacked, the current reality of sponsorships on YouTube, and why I’m seriously reconsidering the future of my website with the new AI advances.

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 Reality Behind Big Tech Events 🎪

09:50 - The Only Tech Events I’d Go To Now 🎟️

12:19 - Why I’m Pausing My Website (For Now) 🌐

18:26 - Why Brand Deals Aren’t Landing 📬

21:56 - The 24-Hour View Trap on YouTube 🎯

25:55 - Fixing Our Brand Outreach System 🛠️

30:25 - How Creator Brand Trips Actually Work ✈️

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

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

🚨 Sign up to Experiments in Progress - my weekly newsletter sharing tested tech and behind-the-scenes experiments: https://www.experimentsinprogress.com/

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In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about accidentally deleting my entire YouTube channel (yes, really), what actually saved it, and why it forced me to rethink how I’m building the business behind the scenes.

I also dive into the Dell monitor review that’s blown up this year, the growing trend of paid growth and bought views (including the MrBeast debate), and whether building products might be smarter than chasing traffic.

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 Should I Just Make Monitor Videos? 🖥️

09:56 Leaving the UK? 🌍

13:40 How To Stay Top of Mind With Brands? 🧠

17:11 Where I’m Investing Right Now 📈

19:21 The Chair Scandal 💺

23:14 I Deleted My Entire Channel 😱

32:16 How Do You Get Invited to Media Events? 🎟️

40:11 Is SEO Dead? 📉

51:08 Is MrBeast Buying Growth? 📈

LINKS

📺 Marcus Jones - No Seriously, YouTube is Starting to Break - https://youtu.be/V9TXWSKt5ww

✍️ How MrBeast Dominated 2025 Using Advertising - https://x.com/MrBeast_Stats/status/2025649596744302686?s=20

💬 SOCIAL STUFF

▸ Instagram: @petematheson

▸ LinkedIn: @petematheson

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

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/