The Upload

Devin McGovern, aka Devin the Dad, joins The Upload to talk about one of the best reinvention stories in the creator economy. After nearly a decade producing reality TV, including as an executive producer on Bar Rescue, Devin got let go at 45.

Instead of chasing another TV job, he pointed his producer’s instincts at his own life as a dad, and in under two years turned it into 100M+ views a year, 30+ brand deals, and $0 to $10K+ a month. We get into what actually drove that speed, how his TV background gave him an edge (the breakout “family vacation trailer” that hit 8M views in two days), and how he balances authenticity with real production value in family content.

Devin also breaks down why he pitches brands as “not just an influencer, but a production partner,” why he’s diversified so fast into a newsletter, guides, coaching, keynotes and more, the systems keeping it all from falling apart, and how he thinks about putting his kids on camera. Plus, his advice for anyone in their 40s who thinks it’s too late to start.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to reinvent yourself, this one’s for you.

Devin’s links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcgoverndevin
• Website: https://www.devinthedad.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinmcgovern

👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links

Thank you to our partners:

• Ecamm: http://ecamm.balasabas.live
• Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob
• Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive
• Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv

Connect with Rob:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas

Business + Partnership Inquiries:
[email protected]

Julie Walsh Smith, CEO of Complexly, joins The Upload for a conversation about building a creator company designed to last for generations. Complexly is the company behind some of the biggest educational channels on the internet, Crash Course, SciShow, PBS Eons and more, with 10,000+ videos, 32 million subscribers, and billions of views. But after 14 years, founders Hank and John Green made a move almost nobody in the creator economy makes: instead of a traditional exit or sale, they turned the whole thing into a nonprofit. Julie breaks down why, and what it actually changes about how you run the business when you're playing for impact over decades instead of a quarterly return. We get into how a big educational media org funds itself now through grants, donations, merch and partnerships, the shift from the attention economy to the "trust economy," how Complexly protects credibility at the scale of 10,000+ videos, how they think about AI, and why building a portfolio of shows beats betting everything on one creator or one face.

If you're a creator thinking about how to build something sustainable and bigger than yourself, this one's packed.

Julie's links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewalshsmith
• Website: https://complexly.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complexly

👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links

Thank you to our partners:

• Ecamm: http://ecamm.balasabas.live
• Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob

• Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv

Connect with Rob:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas

Business + Partnership Inquiries:
[email protected]

Jim Louderback, editor of Inside the Creator Economy and the former GM of VidCon, joins The Upload for a wide-ranging conversation about where this whole industry is actually heading. Few people have watched the creator economy longer or more clearly, and Jim doesn't hold back.

We get into YouTube's big Partner Program overhaul and what it really means, why organic virality has stopped being a business model, and his four-quadrant "fast food" framework for the new YouTube (from the McDonald's of Shorts to the gas-station sandwich). Jim explains why creators have officially "arrived," how traditional media is now treating them as producers and IP owners instead of talent, and the talent exodus from Hollywood into creator studios.

We also dig into how AI could let a solo creator produce at Hollywood quality, why culture is becoming a two-way global street, the rise of micro-fandoms, and his bold 2027 prediction about an AI "crash" and where the real value will actually get built. Plus, why every creator should be spending a slice of their revenue on paid boosting, the most underrated events worth traveling for, and a proper ranking of the best airport lounges.

If you want the clearest, most honest read on where the creator economy is going, this one's a must-listen.

Jim's links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlouderb
• Newsletter: https://insidethecreator.beehiiv.com

👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links

Thank you to our partners:

• Ecamm: http://ecamm.balasabas.live
• Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob
• Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive
• Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv

Connect with Rob:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas

Business + Partnership Inquiries:
[email protected]

Josh Mattingly, founder of Upright Media and the self-described "Operating Partner to the Creator Economy," joins The Upload to pull back the curtain on the business behind some of the biggest channels on the internet. After 16 years working with the likes of Maker Studios, Smosh, Donut Media and Preston, Josh has a clear point of view: the next generation of creator businesses won't win because of the most talented founder or the best creative, they'll win because they build the strongest team. We get into why creators are entrepreneurs whether they realize it or not, the training and systems gap that quietly stalls fast-growing channels, and how to build a company that can actually outgrow its founder (with the Smosh "rotating cast" playbook as a case study). Josh also breaks down when to make your first hire and who it should be, why he swears by contract-to-hire and 30/60/90 plans, and how to protect the one thing a creator can never outsource: their time and creative brain. Plus, his advice for anyone trying to break into the creator economy on the operations side, and a very important ranking of the best and worst airport lounges.

If you're a creator ready to stop doing everything yourself and build something that lasts, this one's a masterclass.

Josh's links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-mattingly
• Website: https://www.uprightmedia.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshmattingly

👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links

Thank you to our partners:

• Ecamm: http://ecamm.balasabas.live
• Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob
• Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive
• Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv

Connect with Rob:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas

Business + Partnership Inquiries:
[email protected]

Ant McCormack, co-founder of Changer and one of the people building in the creator economy before the term even existed, joins The Upload to talk about what it actually takes to build a creator business that lasts. We get into his big theory that most creators, once they have an audience to protect, start operating from fear instead of the experimental mindset that got them there in the first place, and how the best creators build a framework to keep testing without betting the whole business.

Ant explains why being a creator is an entrepreneurial pursuit even though most creators aren't entrepreneurs, where that gap comes from, and whose job it is to close it. He shares the mindset shift that tripled one creator's business, why you should hire to solve a problem instead of filling a title, and a reality check on all the capital flooding the space (including why some of it is just "an AdSense advance with better branding"). Plus, why creators risk becoming TV 2.0 if they're only packaged to attract ad dollars, and his "guinea pig protocol" for building a business no brand can replace.

If you're a creator who wants to build something that outlasts your last upload, this one's packed.

Ant's links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antmccormack
• Newsletter: https://changerupdates.com
• Website: https://www.changerstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changerstudios

👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links

Thank you to our partners:

• Ecamm: http://ecamm.balasabas.live
• Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob
• Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive
• Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv

Connect with Rob:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas

Business + Partnership Inquiries:
[email protected]

Lia Haberman, writer of the ICYMI newsletter and one of the most trusted voices tracking the creator economy, joins The Upload to unpack where things are actually heading. We get into why follower count matters less than everyone thinks, the rise of superfans and smaller, more loyal communities, and why audiences are craving offline experiences (and how creators and brands can meet them there). Lia explains the shift from making videos to making shows, the micro-drama boom, and why brands like Crocs are building their own series instead of just running ads. She also shares a reality check on Instagram's "everything app" ambitions, why YouTube is becoming the new TV, and where creators should actually invest their time. Plus, practical advice on owning your audience, starting a newsletter that people open (hint: keep it short), and the one mindset shift every creator needs: stop taking platform changes personally and start looking at the whole ecosystem.

If you're a creator or marketer trying to build something that lasts, this one's packed.

Lia's links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liahaberman
• Newsletter: https://liahaberman.substack.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liahaberman

👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links

Thank you to our partners:

• Ecamm: ⁠⁠http://ecamm.balasabas.live⁠
• Opus Clip: ⁠https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob⁠
• Streamyard: ⁠https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive⁠
• Uscreen: ⁠https://www.uscreen.tv⁠

Connect with Rob:

• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas⁠
• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas⁠

Business + Partnership Inquiries:

⁠[email protected]

Gross is the number you screenshot. Net is the number that pays your rent. Why smaller creators out-earn bigger ones, and the one question that reveals your real business. No names, all the lessons.

I've spent years in the creator economy helping others build in public. At some point I realized the best thing I could do was actually do it myself. In this episode I share the LinkedIn strategy that's worked for me, the AI system I use to find ideas from conversations I'm already having, and why I challenged the entire Uscreen team to climb the cringe mountain — one post at a time.

Rob breaks down what he’s seeing at Cannes Lions and VidCon: creators are no longer asking for permission. They’re building their own platforms, owning their audience, and doing it smart. Plus, a first look at Uscreen’s new MCP feature that’s changing how creators run their membership businesses, the Hammer Media playbook for YouTube AND owned platforms, and why he’s heading to Coach360 in Vegas next week.

YouTube has started rolling out dynamic ad slots, a feature that lets creators swap sponsor reads in and out of older videos without re-uploading anything. The implication is bigger than most creators realize: every video already in your back catalog just became live ad inventory. Most creators are still treating their old work like a diary instead of a portfolio, and the gap between those two mindsets is where five and six figures a year are quietly walking out the door.

In this episode of The Upload, Rob Balasabas breaks down the new "Active Archive" framework, why your old videos are still working harder than you think, the three layers (discoverability, swappable monetization, and brand control) that turn a passive catalog into an active one, and the one thing every creator should do this week to start treating their archive like the portfolio it is.

Plus this week in the creator economy: OpenAI quietly opened its ChatGPT Ads Manager to every US business with no minimum spend (May 5), and MrBeast's Beast Industries confirmed a new two-sided, AI-powered creator marketplace (May 12). Three stories, one shift underneath them: the back end of the creator economy is becoming programmatic.

👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://balasabas.substack.com

Thank you to our partners:

• Ecamm: ⁠http://ecamm.balasabas.live
• Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob
• Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive
• Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv

Connect with Rob:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas

Business + Partnership Inquiries: [email protected]