Creator Generation

Justin Brown runs Primal Video, a channel with nearly two million subscribers that teaches creators how to actually make videos. But as Justin explains, he never set out to be a YouTuber. He walked away from a profitable production company, clients and retainers, to gamble on a channel he treats less like a creative outlet and more like a business tool.

In this episode, Justin is refreshingly candid about how it all runs. We cover why he went from a team of 14 down to 4 without shrinking the business, why fun became his real North Star after building a company he grew to resent, and he doesn't hold back on the money: how affiliates quietly became his biggest revenue line (nothing to do with Amazon), how a $14 microphone click turned into a $30,000 commission, and why the email list, not the channel, is the real business behind the business.

A practical, unusually open look at owning your audience and building a creator business that doesn't fall over when one platform changes its mind.

Topics covered: audience ownership · email lists · affiliate marketing · revenue diversification · lean teams and AI-assisted workflows · YouTube as a business tool · always be testing

Georgia Mappin is the Managing Director of Haven't You Done Well Productions, the company behind Aunty Donna. But as Georgia explains, what looks like three guys mucking around with a camera has always been a far more deliberate operation.

In this episode, Georgia is remarkably open about how it all works. We cover the philosophy of platform agnosticism, and why her business treats every revenue stream as equal, with no hierarchy between a Netflix commission and a Patreon upload. And she doesn't hold back on the numbers: what YouTube ad revenue really looks like in a year, why Patreon quietly became one of their biggest earners, how touring makes the millions that fund everything else, and why a TV show that earned a fraction of a tour was still worth a full year of the company's time.

An honest, funny, and unusually transparent look at building a comedy business that refuses to be defined by any single medium.

Topics covered: creator business structure · platform agnosticism · revenue transparency · the ecosystem model · creator-first IP deals · traditional media vs the creator economy · comedy as a genre-led production company

Mario Joos has been inside some of the biggest creator operations in the world - including two and a half years with the MrBeast team and a stint as fractional CEO of the Stokes Twins - and what he found working with some of these big teams may surprise you.

In part 2 of our interview we get into the real revenue picture for creators - what the revenue mix looks like, why AdSense-plus-sponsorships is a ceiling, not a strategy, and what it actually looks like when a creator builds a business that generates money independent of their content output. 

We also cover team structure, the CEO hiring problem, which Mario describes as the hardest thing a creator will ever do and one that even the biggest names in the industry keep getting wrong.

And then there's the mindset conversation, which is where things get honest. Mario talks about obsession as a prerequisite, fear-based motivation as a real driver for high performers, and the moment he realised that the creators who don't change aren't lacking information - they're prioritising ego over their actual goal.

This is part two of our conversation. 

If you're building a creator business and you want to understand what the next level actually looks like, this is the episode.

Topics covered: creator business structure · revenue models beyond AdSense · niche monetisation · team hiring and operations · the CEO problem · platform diversification · AI policy · mindset and motivation

Mario Joos has been inside some of the biggest creator operations in the world - including two and a half years with the MrBeast team and a stint as fractional CEO of the Stokes Twins - and what he found working with some of these big teams may surprise you.

In this episode, Mario breaks down the uncomfortable truth about large creator businesses that behind the polished content and massive subscriber counts, most operations are held together with bandage fixes and reactive hiring. The systems look impressive from the outside. Inside, it's usually a different story.

We get into the real revenue picture for creators why AdSense-plus-sponsorships is a ceiling, not a strategy, and what it actually looks like when a creator builds a business that generates money independent of their content output. 

We also cover team structure - the four-stage content operation that separates world-class channels from everyone else and the CEO hiring problem, which Mario describes as the hardest thing a creator will ever do and one that even the biggest names in the industry keep getting wrong.

And then there's the mindset conversation, which is where things get honest. Mario talks about obsession as a prerequisite, fear-based motivation as a real driver for high performers, and the moment he realised that the creators who don't change aren't lacking information - they're prioritising ego over their actual goal.

This is part one of a two part conversation. 

If you're building a creator business and you want to understand what the next level actually looks like, this is the episode.

Topics covered: creator business structure · revenue models beyond AdSense · niche monetisation · team hiring and operations · the CEO problem · platform diversification · AI policy · mindset and motivation

Australia is about to become the first country in the world to introduce a minimum age of 16 for major social media platforms - including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, reddit and also platforms like YouTube, and its being referred to as the Social Media Ban. Supporters call it a necessary step to protect young people. Critics say it’s unrealistic, hard to enforce, and will have problematic consequences.

So what does this mean for creators? For audiences? For the future of content and free expression? And if Australia goes first… who’s next?”

We are joined by special guests Sarah Renae Clark and Taylor Lorenz to help unpack the issues.  

Blogger turned tech columnist for the Washington Post Taylor Lorenz discusses the importance of balanced journalism, while wrapping in some of the biggest news items of 2022; including Twitter, the Depp/Heard trial, and NFTs.

Episode Chapters:

0:00 Intro
7:42 Becoming the enemy of Right Wing media
14:14 NFTs
20:10 The pros and cons of Mr Beast
27.40 Depp vs Heard
32:05 Twitter
40:17 Future predictions

If you'd like to join the community, our Discord server can be found here:
 
https://discord.gg/8mbGHeqJ2g

Check out Taylor on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz/?hl=en

On Twitter here:
@TaylorLorenz

And on TikTok here:
https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorlorenz?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

---- Connect Via ----
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreatorgeneration/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/creator_gen
Website: : https://www.creatorgeneration.com
iTunes Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/creator-generation/id1467880508

#TaylorLorenz #WashingtonPost #Journalism #News #podcast #youtubeinterview #creatorgeneration

This week world class talent manager Reuven Ashtar shares with us what makes a good talent manager, why you might need one, how much they should cost you, and a whole lot more!

Episode Chapters:

0:00 Intro
6:40 What should a manager do for creators?
18:09 What should creators look for in a manager?
30:50 When is the right time to get representation?
43:00 Is the online space starting to mirror traditional media?
47:30 What's the future look like for creators?

If you'd like to join the community, our Discord server can be found here:
 
https://discord.gg/8mbGHeqJ2g

Check out Reuven at Dark Matter Ventures here:
https://www.darkmatter.ventures/

And at Never Napping here:
https://www.nevernapping.com/

---- Connect Via ----
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreatorgeneration/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/creator_gen
Website: : https://www.creatorgeneration.com
iTunes Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/creator-generation/id1467880508

#ReuvenAshtar #nevernapping #darkmatterventures #talentmanager #talentagent #podcast #youtubeinterview #creatorgeneration

Michael's company, CreatorDAO, has entered the investment space like few others. Navigating W3, Crypto and Blockchain are some of the things we chat with him about. Plus, we discuss what creators can do to maximise their presence in this misunderstood space, in order to boost their opportunities and make money.

Episode Chapters:

0:00 Intro
6:15 What is a DAO?
10:15 The myth about W3
16:05 What are the new types of colaborations?
23:34 How does CreatorDAO work?
39:55 What can creators do to prepare for W3?

If you'd like to join the community, our Discord server can be found here:
 
https://discord.gg/8mbGHeqJ2g

Check out CreatorDAO here:
https://creatordao.com/

---- Connect Via ----
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreatorgeneration/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/creator_gen
Website: : https://www.creatorgeneration.com
iTunes Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/creator-generation/id1467880508

#CreatorDAO #MichaelMa #creatorcconomy #creatorinvestments #podcast #youtubeinterview #creatorgeneration

In this special episode, we focus on the YouTube Algorithms, breaking down some common misconceptions and answering the most important questions: how do they work and what can you do about it?

Episode Chapters:

1:25 What are the YouTube algorithms?
4:27 Do the algorithms hate you?
7:24 How do the algorithms make recommendations?
15:30 Can a bad video tank your channel?
21:32 What is the best thing a creator should focus on?

Creator Generation features top YouTube creators and video experts sharing their tips, insights and stories for working on the world's biggest video platform.   

If you'd like to join the community, our Discord server can be found here:
 
https://discord.gg/8mbGHeqJ2g

---- Connect Via ----
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreatorgeneration/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/creator_gen
Website: : https://www.creatorgeneration.com
iTunes Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/creator-generation/id1467880508

#youtubealgorithms #youtubeQandA #youtuber #creatorgeneration #podcast

Every month, we spin the wheel and answer your biggest Creator and video platform questions. It's not just random, it's Q&A Roulette!

Episode Chapters:

0:54 Are tags important?
4:07 How do you deal with dislikes?
8:46 The difference between YouTube membership and Patreon
16:30 How many social media platforms are too many?

Creator Generation features top YouTube creators and video experts sharing their tips, insights and stories for working on the world's biggest video platform.   

If you'd like to join the community, our Discord server can be found here:
 
https://discord.gg/8mbGHeqJ2g

We chatted about this excellent Creator Generation podcast with Dylan, regarding Patreon. Listen to it here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/patreon-its-like-onlyfans-for-creators-but-not-really/id1467880508?i=1000562332533

Or watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8N8gkR34Q0

---- Connect Via ----
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreatorgeneration/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/creator_gen
Website: : https://www.creatorgeneration.com
iTunes Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/creator-generation/id1467880508

#patreon #dislikes #youtubeQandA #QandAroulette #youtuber #creatorgeneration #podcast