The Creator Spotlight Podcast

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined by Geoff Sharpe, founder of Lookout Media — a network of local newsletters collectively generating almost $500K a year. Geoff shares how he built a profitable, subscription-first media business, why trust and real journalism still win, and the systems he’s using to scale local news across Canada. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/geoff-sharpe __ Tired of explaining the same thing over and over again to your coworkers? It’s time to let AI do the explaining for you. The Guidde extension is completely free. Go check it out at https://www.guidde.com __ Geoff Sharpe Lookout Media: https://lookoutmediaco.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffsharpe Twitter/X: https://x.com/geoff_sharpe Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Geoff Sharpe 01:40 Making $500k+ with paid subscriptions 07:16 Don't listen to your audience 12:00 The merging of editorial and business 16:20 Running a media company sustainably 21:01 Building trust through food 27:06 How to get people to pay for your content 37:43 What do people not pay for? 40:44 Don't scale too quickly 43:41 The difficulties of local newsletter ad sales 49:11 How to grow a local newsletter 52:40 A bullish and bearish take on local media 57:50 Best advice for entrepreneurs

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast we're joined by Kaelyn Grace Apple. Kaelyn is the founder and co-owner of Accepted Society, an international online community of students, educators, and independent researchers dedicated to learning, research, and creating networks of support. In this episode Kaelyn shares how she cracked the formula for building a thriving online community. She breaks down the business plan behind her 500+ member collective, lessons from working with Ali Abdaal, and the strategies every creator can use to turn research into results. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/kaelyn-grace-apple __ Earn with Google AdSense: https://goo.gle/earnwithadsense __ Kaelyn Grace Apple Accepted Society: https://www.acceptedsociety.com Website: https://kaelynapple.com YouTube: @theredheadacademic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaelyngraceapple Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaelyngraceapple Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Kaelyn Grace Apple 01:28 From eight members to over 500 08:02 Why you should not scale too quickly 12:03 The course model vs. community model 14:03 Using YouTube to build a community 18:42 Pricing a community 22:01 Scaling a business up, and scaling it down 30:46 The evolution of Kaelyn's YouTube content 37:24 Revenue breakdown 42:44 Why Kaelyn left the Ali Abdaal team 47:34 Lessons learnt working with Ali Abdaal 53:47 Kaelyn's 30 year plan

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast, we’re joined by Caspar Lee — one of YouTube’s early stars turned entrepreneur and investor. Caspar talks about why he walked away from 15 million followers, how he built four companies after YouTube, and what every creator should know about building a business that lasts. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/caspar-lee __ Caspar Lee YouTube: @caspar Website: https://www.casparlee.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caspar-lee-13584456/ Twitter: https://x.com/caspar_lee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caspar_lee/ Francis Zierer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ 00:00 Introducing Caspar Lee 01:17 How to exit, as a creator 07:11 It's hard to do YouTube and business 12:49 How influencer marketing has evolved 16:02 The hardest part of influencer marketing 20:33 Investing in the creator economy 25:18 What is the perfect investment? 30:14 Equity vs cash in brand deals 33:14 The vulnerability of the creator economy 38:43 If Caspar Lee started YouTube in 2025 43:28 Caspar Lee's five year plan #podcast #creatoreconomy #youtubers

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast, we’re joined by Rachel Kisela — a six-figure YouTube editor who has worked with top creators including MrBeast. Rachel recently founded EditHers, a community for women in editing. In this episode Rachel shares her philosophy on editing, how she built her business, what she learnt editing for Mr Beast, and how to make over $100k as a video editor. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/rachel-kisela __ Rachel Kisela Website: https://www.rachelkisela.com EditHers: https://www.rachelkisela.com/edit-hers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkisela/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/rachelkisela __ Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Rachel Kisela 01:25 The core philosophies of video editing 06:05 The process of editing a YouTube video 09:45 How to make six-figures as a YouTube editor 17:47 Leaving Mr Beast 20:42 The real responsibility of an editor 23:43 Building a much needed community 32:46 The unknown challenges of video editing 35:40 Getting paid as a video editor 39:35 What journalism school doesn’t teach you 46:07 The relationship between editor and creator 52:51 What Rachel learnt working for Mr Beast 56:47 Future dreams for EditHers 01:00:15 Where to find video editors 01:02:42 How much do video editors get paid? 01:05:17 Rachel’s favorite video

Sophia Smith Galer is an award-winning journalist, author, and creator with nearly a million followers across TikTok and Instagram. After roles at the BBC and VICE, she went independent to pioneer new ways of telling stories through short-form video. In this episode, she shares why traditional media is struggling to adapt, and what creators and journalists need to know about the future of vertical video. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/sophia-smith-galer __ Sophia Smith Galer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sophiasmithgaler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiasgaler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiasmithgaler Twitter/X: https://x.com/sophiasgaler Viralect: https://www.viralect.com Sophiana (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/sophiana-script-video-maker/id6742998989 __ Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Sophia Smith Galer 01:50 How to present on short form video 07:15 Defining ‘journalism’ in the age of the creator 13:26 Traditional media’s problem with short form content 18:25 The one thing most short form creators get wrong 24:38 The best platform for short form content 31:02 Short form bootcamps 34:25 Sophiana: Your short form assistant 41:34 Why everyone should be making content 44:05 The hardest part of building an app 49:47 US vs. UK creator economy difficulties 52:46 Revenue breakdown 57:58 Sophia’s future plans and goals

This week on Creator Spotlight, Francis is joined byJordan DiPietro — former Motley Fool exec, CEO of Hampton, and writer of the Signal//Noise newsletter. Jordan shares the three big bets he’d make on the future of creators, why community now matters more than audience, and the lessons he’s carried from two decades in media, newsletters, and leadership. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/jordan-dipietro __ Follow Jordan Newsletter: https://jordandipietro.com/subscribe?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=guest&utm_campaign=creator+spotlight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-dipietro-9ba3b75/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/dipietromedia __ Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Jordan DiPietro 01:08 The 3 moves to bet your career on 08:16 These creator economy trends are dying 17:20 Communities are the next search engine 19:42 The non-negotiables of a successful community 29:00 Audience vs community, the key differences 32:25 What you need to last in the creator economy 37:53 It's marketing all the way down 41:49 Signal//Noise 45:46 When to quit your job as a creator 50:36 The value of relationships in business

This week on Creator Spotlight we talk to Billy Parks, Partner at Slow Ventures and co-lead of the $65M Slow Creator Fund. Billy invests directly in creators, backing entrepreneurial creators who turn their expertise and communities into scalable businesses. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/billy-parks __ Billy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyfilm/ Slow Ventures: https://slow.co/about/ Jonathan Katz-Moses: @katzmosestools __ Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Billy Parks and Slow Ventures 01:30 What makes an investable creator? 05:35 The two types of creator businesses 13:44 Creators are just founders 17:24 Which creators need investment the most? 23:30 The difficulties of valuing a creator business 32:13 It's all marketing 34:29 The biggest risk in creator investments 38:12 Business is the future of the creator economy 42:54 How to be niche in the creator economy

This week we talk to Quynh Nguyen. She is a paper flower artist who has built her passion into a six-figure business. We cover her journey from hobbyist to entrepreneur, her pricing and growth strategies, and how she’s helping other creators turn their passions into profits. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/quynh-nguyen __ Quynh Website: https://www.pinkandposey.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkandposey/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quynhdnguyen/ Paper Talk Podcast: @papertalkpodcast7117 __ Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Quynh Nguyen 02:53 The most important marketing principles online 06:52 How to get paid to teach your passion 12:01 The secret to nurturing a valuable community 18:34 Moving from a physical to a digital business 24:32 A podcast that builds trust and loyalty 31:07 The creator-entrepreneur spectrum 36:02 Expanding audience for future events 40:40 Breaking down the revenue of a thriving online business 45:45 From 6-week course to 6-month mastermind 50:17 The one thing Quynh is most proud of

This week on the Creator Spotlight Podcast we're joined by Stefan von Imhof, co-founder of alts.co, an alternative investment newsletter, community, fund, and platform. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/stefan-von-imhof __ Alts Website: http://alts.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alts_co/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpmgk4gzQ56QvpyegBJJVQA Stefan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanvonimhof Substack: https://substack.com/@stefanvonimhof __ Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Stefan 02:05 An alternative revenue breakdown 06:54 The biggest challenges of community building 15:02 How a side project becomes a business 22:44 Demonstrating the value of your content 27:33 Leveraging audience segmentation 31:21 Decentralised due-diligence 33:56 The art of buying and selling newsletters 37:10 A bearish perspective on the newsletter economy 40:54 The power of events as a community business 47:17 The playbook for newsletter acquisition 49:39 Newsletter remix concept 53:16 A love for physical media 56:55 Where is the creator/business owner tipping point

This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're joined by Jonathan Hunt, the VP of HubSpot Media. Jonathan has been working in media for two decades for brands such as Nat Geo, Complex, Vice, Vox, and more. Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __ Jonathan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanwhunt/ HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/ Mindstream: https://www.mindstream.news __ Follow Francis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-zierer/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/FZierer __ 00:00 Introducing Jonathan Hunt 01:20 The 3 pillars of audience development 04:16 For the independent creator 07:32 Marketing through content creation 14:10 The most sustainable monetization models 18:18 Building a brand voice 21:00 The need for diversification 23:41 The ever evolving definition of 'creator' 26:50 The most shocking recent changes in media 28:27 When to sell your business as a solo creator #podcast #creatoreconomy #newsletter