Forbes Top Creators Show

By Forbes

The Forbes Top Creators Show, hosted by Steve Bertoni, brings you unrivaled access behind the brands and businesses of the internet's most watched (and highest earning) creators. Each episode uncovers... more

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FAQs about Forbes Top Creators Show:

How many episodes does Forbes Top Creators Show have?

The podcast currently has 32 episodes available.

Forbes Top Creators Show episodes:

June 23, 2026 1.8 Billion Views A Month: Inside Dhar Mann’s Massive Creator Studio
How do you go from being facing eviction at 30 years old to running a massive digital production studio that pulls in more daily views than the Game of Thrones finale?
Welcome back to the Forbes Top Creator Show! This week, host Steven Bertoni sits down with the ultimate storytelling mogul, Dhar Mann, for an inside look at a modern creator-led studio.
In this episode, Dhar opens up about his lowest point—completely starting over at age 30 after years of chasing paydays in industries he wasn't passionate about. He shares his early, agonizing struggles on social media where his videos couldn't even break 250 views, how he almost threw in the towel, and the exact moment where a last-minute napkin script unexpectedly unlocked 100 million views on Facebook.
Dhar breaks down how a strict lack of budget forced him to build a cheap classroom set, accidentally tapping into a massive, highly engaged global YouTube audience that skyrocketed his monthly views to 500 million within two years. Today, his 250-person team operates out of a staggering 125,000-square-foot studio space, pumping out five hours of scripted content every single week.
Discover the secrets behind their lightning-fast 21-day "script-to-screen" turnkey workflow and how they are currently bypassing traditional AdSense reliance. Dhar reveals how less than 20% of his studio's revenue now comes from YouTube, thanks to groundbreaking distribution deals like a dedicated streaming channel reaching 100 million global households on Samsung TV, and an explosive new partnership with Fox to produce 40 "vertical drama" films for the MyDrama app.
Finally, Dhar pulls back the curtain on how major brands are moving past transactional ad reads to co-create massive cultural moments. He details serving as the NFL's "Chief Kindness Officer" during a Super Bowl activation that generated over 1 billion impressions, orchestrating the world's largest creator bootcamp with Adobe, and why he is actively breaking traditional Hollywood norms by offering 401(k) matching and corporate equity to his actors and employees.
#DharMann #CreatorEconomy #Forbes #VerticalDramas #Hollywood #Entrepreneurs
00:00 Dhar Mann: Digital Storytelling Mogul
01:16 Billions of Views: The Shocking Scale of Dhar Mann Studios
03:18 Turning 30, Completely Broke, and Facing Eviction
07:55 The Napkin Script That Smashed 100 Million Views
12:19 Inside a 125,000-Square-Foot Content Factory
14:39 Scaling Beyond AdSense: Shifting Revenue Away From YouTube
16:43 Exploding the US Market: The $100B Phenomenon of Vertical Dramas
21:34 Partnering With Fox: 40 Films in 18 Months
25:02 Going From Script to Screen in 21 Days
31:48 How a Cheap Classroom Set Accidentally Unlocked YouTube
38:17 Becoming the NFL’s "Chief Kindness Officer" at the Super Bowl
42:06 Partnering with Adobe for the World's Largest Creator Bootcamp
44:45 Betting Big on the Creator Economy: Moving Into a Studio 3X the Size
46:00 Breaking the Hollywood Mold: Actor Equity & 401(k) Matching
47:33 The Ultimate Mindset Shift: Stop Worrying, What If It Works?

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55min
June 12, 2026 Why A Former OnlyFans CEO Is Building The 'HBO Of Social Media'
From launching the first cannabis cafe in West Hollywood to running OnlyFans, Ami Gan is risking it all to build a brand-new 18+ social network!
Welcome back to the Forbes Top Creator Show! This week, host Steven Bertoni sits down with Ami Gan, the former CEO of OnlyFans and the visionary founder behind Vylit.
Ami shares her jaw-dropping professional evolution, detailing what it was really like taking the helm at OnlyFans, scaling a borderless empire to 4 million creators with staggering 50% profit margins, and managing it all from home.Her next disruptive venture, Vylit, has been dubbed the "HBO of social media." Ami breaks down how Vylit fills the massive white space between traditional, heavily censored apps and adult platforms, their strict content boundaries ("freeing the nipple, but not the rest"), their creator-first 80/20 revenue split, and how she raised $2.7 million to get it off the ground with a lean team of her closest friends.
Finally, Ami reveals how Vylit integrates human-trained generative AI tools to eliminate creator burnout without flooding the web with "artificial slop," tells the story behind their viral aerial banner stunt that caught the eye of Alix Earle during Miami's F1 weekend, and shares her ultimate advice for overcoming imposter syndrome by channeling "blind confidence."
#AmiGan #Vylit #OnlyFansCEO #CreatorEconomy #TechStartups #Forbes
00:00 The Business of Influence
01:43 From West Hollywood Cannabis Cafes to OnlyFans HQ
04:13 Joining Tech’s Biggest Disrupter During the Pandemic Boom
07:10 Stepping Up as CEO: Heavy-Duty Lessons in Platform Safety
09:32 Athleisure & Zoom Disguises: The Un-Glamorous Reality of a Tech CEO
14:25 Launching Vylit: The "HBO of Social Media" Explained
18:57 Vylit's 80/20 Creator Split & Human-Trained AI Tools
22:03 Capitalizing on the "Messy Middle" of 18+ Social Media
24:53 The Playbook for Raising $2.7M & Starting a New Network
29:33 Going Viral: The "Free the Nipple" F1 Miami Marketing Stunt
32:39 The Future of AI & Why Humans Will Always Win
40:02 The Cure for Imposter Syndrome: Channeling "Blind Confidence"

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44min
May 29, 2026 How PlaqueBoyMax Became The First Streamer Nominated For A Grammy
How did PlaqueBoyMax go from making a 30-slide PowerPoint presentation to convince his parents to let him pursue streaming, to entertaining 50,000 live viewers a day and producing Grammy-nominated music?Welcome to the Forbes Top Creator Show! This week, host Steven Bertoni sits down with the multi-hyphenate creator, musician, and streamer, PlaqueBoyMax.
Max breaks down his "disruptive" approach to content, blending IRL streaming, comedy, and live music production in ways that haven't been done before. He opens up about the intense reality of entertaining thousands of live viewers, why live streaming creates a community connection that traditional YouTube videos simply cannot replicate, and the mental toll of managing a high-speed live chat for hours on end. Max also discusses how he manages his expanding business team, why he turned down a multi-million dollar gambling sponsorship to protect his younger audience, and how he organically incorporates top brands like Nike and Bose into his streams.
Finally, Max reveals the incredible story behind linking up with Fred again.. and Skepta to produce the track "Victory Lap"—a collaboration born on his stream that made history by earning a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Record.

0:00 Meet PlaqueBoyMax
1:30 "Disruption": Blending Streaming, Music, and IRL Content
5:18 Rage Bait, Smashed Tables, and Live Stream Chaos
7:56 The Mental Toll & Psychology of Streaming
11:07 Why Live Streaming Creates Deeper Connections Than YouTube
15:41 The 30-Slide Presentation to Skip College
20:33 Managing the Creator Economy
25:07 Making Music Live on Stream with Top Artists
33:13 Unpacking the $30,000 IRL Streaming Backpack
36:42 Authentic Brand Deals & Turning Down Millions
43:31 Making History: A Grammy Nomination for "Victory Lap"

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50min
May 27, 2026 How The Dogist Built A 12+ Million Follower Brand With Squeaky Toys And Knee Pads
How do you go from getting laid off from a brand strategy job in New York City to photographing 50,000 dogs, hitting the New York Times bestseller list, and doing a "panthoot" with Jane Goodall in Central Park?
Welcome to the Forbes Top Creator Show! This week, host Steven Bertoni sits down with Elias, the street photographer and creator better known as The Dogist.
In this episode, Elias breaks down his 13-year journey of putting on knee pads, carrying squeaky toys, and capturing the joy of dogs in a way no one else had. He shares how his project evolved from a "Sartorialist for dogs" concept into a massive, 7-million-follower media brand that brings joy and profound connection to the internet.
Beyond the photos, Elias talks about the power of writing his New York Times best-selling books, what it's like taking dogs into prisons with the Puppies Behind Bars program, and facilitating a heartwarming meeting between a terminally ill dog named Kygo and the actual DJ Kygo. Finally, Elias shares details on his new "Dogs on YouTube" show featuring celebrities like Bill Murray and Zooey Deschanel, and why fostering in-person community meetups is the future of his brand.

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31min
May 15, 2026 The Satire Account Followed By Billionaires: How The Gstaad Guy Built a Luxury Empire
How does a digital creator transition from the Apple Pay growth team to designing a 25-unit, limited-edition Bentley SUV?
This week on the Forbes Top Creator Show, host Steven Bertoni sits down with the ultimate lifestyle disruptor: The Gstaad Guy. After a 30-second parody video for a friend’s mother went viral on WhatsApp, the creator walked away from a dream role at Apple to build a multimillion-dollar business centered on the archetypes of the ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individual.
In this episode, we explore the "reverse intention" of satire. By poking fun at the absurdities of the global elite, Gstaad Guy successfully inverted the traditional marketing funnel, accidentally causing sales for brands like Loro Piana to skyrocket. He shares the disciplined business logic behind his 20-hour production workflow for a single minute of content and reveals why the industry's obsession with "authenticity" is a failing strategy compared to the cultivation of true credibility.
The conversation dives deep into the shifting landscape of 2026 luxury consumption, contrasting the "snobbery" of old European wealth with the hype-driven spending of the American market. From the launch of his jewelry brand, Pubel, to the creation of the "Chalet on Wheels"—a Bentley Bentayga specced to mirror the elegance of a Swiss chalet, the Gstaad Guy explains how fiction and humor can be effective tools for capturing the attention of the world's most exclusive consumers.

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45min
April 28, 2026 How Woody & Kleiny Discovered The 'Formula' For Going Viral
How do you go from juggling soccer balls on Britain's Got Talent to generating 10 billion views a year as a comedy duo?
Welcome to the Forbes Top Creator Show! This week, host Steven Bertoni sits down with Paul "Woody" Wood, one half of the legendary UK creator duo, Woody & Kleiny, recorded live from the World Government Summit in Dubai.
In this episode, Woody breaks down their 13-year journey from the early days of Instagram to building an audience of 50 million followers. He shares the brutal reality of their come-up—working day jobs and filming until 1 AM for five years before making a single penny. He also reveals why they turned down their first lucrative brand deals to strategically pivot away from sports content and into mainstream comedy.
Expect a masterclass in virality as Woody explains their "T.H.I.S. A.E." framework (Trends, Humor, Inspiration, Surprise, Adventure, Emotion) and how they use the "Disney Effect" to craft compelling narratives in short-form video. Finally, Woody gives a behind-the-scenes look at their content house, their high-volume production schedule, and their upcoming 140-lesson social media course.

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34min
April 22, 2026 How A Stand-Up Comedian Became The Millennial Finance Expert | Mrs. Dow Jones
How do you go from stand-up comedy and nannying on the Upper East Side to becoming a millionaire "finfluencer" and author?
Welcome to the Forbes Top Creator Show! This week, host Steven Bertoni sits down with Haley Sacks, the financial expert and media mogul better known as Mrs. Dow Jones.
In this episode, Haley shares her hilarious origin story, including her pivot from a film and comedy background to pitching a "Finance is Cool" segment to CNBC. She opens up about the wakeup call she had while working for SNL creator Lorne Michaels, realizing she knew nothing about 401(k)s or health insurance, and how getting laid off pushed her to build her own brand.
Haley breaks down how she makes investing aspirational—turning a Roth IRA into the ultimate "flex" instead of a Birkin bag. She also dives into the business of being a "finfluencer," her strategy behind using a viral Blue Ivy moment to teach custodial IRAs, and the real reason her generation is facing "financial nihilism." Finally, Haley shares the inspiration behind her new book, Future Rich Person, her top three finance book recommendations, and the biggest financial mistake of her life.

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36min
April 20, 2026 Why Claire Holt Left Hollywood For A Community Of 13 Million
How does a star of global hits like The Vampire Diaries and H2O: Just Add Water transition from playing iconic supernatural characters to becoming a full-time creator with a social media following built on vulnerability and authenticity?
On this episode of the Forbes Top Creator Show, host Steven Bertoni sits down with actress turned entrepreneur Claire Holt to deconstruct her "reverse trajectory": moving from the rigid schedules of traditional Hollywood to reclaiming autonomy as a powerhouse digital creator. Claire opens up about the terrifying but life-changing decision to stop hiding behind the characters she played and share her personal experiences online, and how a post with 40,000+ comments fundamentally shifted her relationship with her audience, transforming 13 million casual fans into a deeply connected community that acts as the primary engine for her business.
Beyond content creation, Claire reveals the mechanics behind her new fashion brand, Saint Sirène, co-founded with Madeline Simmer. She explains why she refused outside capital to solve the elusive "perfect white tee" problem, and how she manages a high-velocity schedule that often starts with a 3:30 AM run.
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0:19 From Australian Mermaid to Hollywood
3:19 The Power of Supernatural Fandoms
6:19 Using Twitter to Book Acting Gigs
11:43 Quitting Hollywood for Motherhood & Freedom
13:28 The Reality of Being Completely Exposed Online
22:49 The Post That Changed Everything
25:19 The 3:30 AM Routine & AI Scheduling
31:47 Crowdsourcing the Perfect White T-Shirt
38:38 Bootstrapping Saint Sirène
40:47 Why Creators Are the New Hollywood
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45min
April 08, 2026 The '1,000 Clips A Week' Strategy That Built Zach Justice’s Media Empire
How do you go from eating dollar store food and sharing one bathroom with ten guys to building an 8,000-square-foot production studio and trash-talking Barack Obama on the basketball court?
Welcome to the Forbes Top Creator Show! This week, host Steven Bertoni sits down with Zach Justice, a creator, comedian, and podcast host who has mastered the art of hacking the internet’s attention span.
Zach breaks down his incredible origin story, from teaching himself graphic design to landing his first big $50,000 podcast check—only to have it stolen. Zach dives into the business of bridging digital and traditional media, why he built his own massive LA studio, how he funded his hit reality show Vybes Villa entirely through a savvy brand partnership, and his future plans to launch CPG products and apps for his highly engaged community.
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0:00 Introduction
1:20 Humble Beginnings: 10 Guys & One Bathroom
3:12 Breaking into Digital
5:19 The Snowball Effect
7:07 The '1,000 Clips A Week' Method
8:45 Followers Are Vanity: The New Metric of Stardom
12:35 Inside the 8,000 Sq Ft Studio
15:08 Vybes Villa: Leveraging Brand Dollars for Reality TV
19:15 What's Next For Zach Justice?
21:33 The 5-Year Goal: Building a Mini-Hollywood Studio
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

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26min
April 01, 2026 Why This Founder Moved To London To Gain Five Work Hours
Founder of Van Etten PR Molly Hall sat down with Forbes to discuss her agency's specialization in luxury fashion and accessories communications. Hall also discusses the shift toward organic celebrity placements over paid partnerships, and the importance of brands building cohesive internal worlds to drive commercial conversion in a digital-first market
00:00 Molly's Strategic Move To London
05:43 Van Etten's Niche Expertise
09:10 Lessons From Global Luxury Fashion Giants
15:12 Taking The Leap Into Founding A Company
18:32 The Evolution Of Modern PR And Consumer Conversion
24:29 Navigating Leadership Challenges
31:06 Predictions For The Future Of Fashion And AI

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37min

FAQs about Forbes Top Creators Show:

How many episodes does Forbes Top Creators Show have?

The podcast currently has 32 episodes available.

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