Welcome to WORK!! Today we're sitting down with @alexis_barber to dive into the unfiltered behind the scenes of the creator economy!

🔗 CHECK OUT ALEXIS:

Substack: Too Smart For This (https://toocollective.substack.com/)

Instagram: @alexisbarber

TikTok: @alexisbarber_

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC7-YnRrflV9g6nLMWUkwDtA

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Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/3OsCVEK

Listen on Spotify: http://bit.ly/3CHpmPo

Listen anywhere else: https://pod.link/1565886767

📥 SPONSOR

Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this video. Get 15% off any annual plan for a limited time, only available through this link: https://www.storyblocks.com/tessbarclay

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⏱️ CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS

0:00 Intro

4:00 Creators drive more culture than legacy media

6:20 The state of the creator economy in 2026

9:48 The best formula for a successful creator in 2026

12:21 Viewing yourself as a startup as a creator

15:07 The years you spend building the wrong thing

18:02 How to build a cohesive brand without being "niched down"

23:00 Long form content & how to grow on Substack

31:38 The biggest misconception about YouTube right now

33:44 The truth about thumbnails & titles from inside YouTube

36:38 Can you grow from vlogs on YouTube in 2026?

39:01 Should you be doing YouTube Shorts?

46:48 Does YouTube actually push small creators?

50:15 How to make social media your 9-to-5: 3 pillars

56:47 Alexis's Creator Essentials group cohort

1:03:00 Outro & Thank you!!

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🔗 LINKS

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#creatoreconomy #socialmedia #youtubegrowth