In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl connects with Chris Zukowski, game marketing researcher and creator of howtomarketagame.com to unpack what it really takes to build a sustainable creative business without chasing social media vanity metrics.

Chris shares his journey from corporate UX leadership roles at IBM, American Airlines, and Solera Health to becoming a full-time creator in 2019. After years of shipping his own indie games and consulting for developers, he realized he had rebuilt the very meeting-heavy lifestyle he left behind. The turning point? Packaging his expertise into scalable products, building a mailing list, and refusing to let platforms like YouTube sit between him and his audience

This conversation is a high-energy, unfiltered breakdown of ownership, mailing lists, monetization, and why "being boring" might be the most radical move a creative can make.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why marketing is not advertising — and why choosing what to build is your biggest marketing decision
• From corporate director to full-time creator (and why meetings almost pulled him back in)
• Turning consulting knowledge into scalable courses and conferences
• Why Chris refuses to rely on YouTube subscribers
• The difference between owning your audience and borrowing a platform
• Why every creative needs their own domain and mailing list
• The 1,000 True Fans framework and how 2% conversion changes everything
• Why chasing social metrics is a distraction from real revenue
• Selling directly vs. tipping, Patreon, or AdSense models
• Building a middle-class creative business without going viral

Guest Links 🌐 How to Market a Game: https://howtomarketagame.com 📘 Free Book: https://howtomarketagame.com/free 🎮 Pro Game Marketing Conference: progamemarketing.com

• Newsletter: howtomarketagame.com/free
• Festival Tracker: howtomarketagame.com/festivals

Special Thanks Shout out to Mario Kroll of Uber Strategist for the introduction and for supporting so many creators in the gaming space.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would find value in the conversation. For more conversations at the intersection of creativity, art, and business, visit https://www.epicmade.net/resources/category/Podcast

Until next time, ✌️ – Carl

#GameMarketing #IndieGameDev #CreatorEconomy #MailingListMarketing #SteamAlgorithm #CreativeEntrepreneur #OwnYourAudience #PixelRetentivePodcast