JT Barnett, a former professional hockey player and also the Founder and CEO of CreatorX, joined Erik Torenberg to share his journey from being the 'vibes guy' in the locker room to becoming an influential figure at the intersection of content and commerce. They also discuss the evolution of social media platforms, future of social media, creator financing, and the role of creators in shaping modern businesses. This conversation was recorded in 2023. Grow and monetize your newsletter with Beehiiv: head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code “EMPIRES” for 20% off your first three months.

__

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

🎙️ Unpack Pricing - Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg

__

SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | METAVIEW | SECUREFRAME

Head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code “EMPIRES” for 20% off your first three months.    

Metaview is the AI assistant for interviewing. Metaview completely removes the need for recruiters and hiring managers to take notes during interviews—because their AI is designed to take world-class interview notes for you. Team builders at companies like Brex, Hellofresh, and Quora say Metaview has changed the game—see the magic for yourself: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics

Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/

Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention Erik Torenberg during your demo to get 20% off your first year.

—

LINKS:

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jtbarnett

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jtbarnett

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtbarnett 

Website: https://www.barnettx.com/jt

Subscribe to the Media Empires Newsletter: https://media-empires.beehiiv.com/

—

X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@jtbarnett (JT)

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro 

(00:29) From hockey to CreatorX

(03:45) Creator economy and business strategy

(06:42) Future vision: JT's empire

(10:36) Evolution of platforms

(14:16) Role of new platforms and technologies

(15:51) Sponsors: Beehiiv and Metaview

(18:02) Content strategy across platforms

(22:54) Demographics on TikTok

(25:13) Brainstorming marketing strategies for SecureFrame

(27:03) Successful examples of TikTok marketing

(28:18) Principles for effective company content

(29:21) YouTube strategies for businesses

(30:51) Potential of YouTube shorts

(32:17) Creators building businesses beyond content

(35:44) Evaluating social media platforms

(36:53) Mr. Beast in a box

(38:58) Creator financing

(41:55) Future of the creator economy

(45:17) Maximizing long term commercial value

(47:56) Wrap

—

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].