The Business of Creators cover art
Podcast · 29 episodes

The Business of Creators

by Ian Shepherd · English

The Business of Creators podcast is for content creators and professionals in the creator economy. Each week we speak to the businesses supporting the creator economy with new tools and effective means of monetisation. Subscribe to the show to learn more about the people powering this amazing new industry. The origin of the show is actually a network I set up in 2017 called The Business of Influencers, back when everyone was talking about influencers and not creators. I built the network to bring people together and it grew to more than 500 people as the creator economy boomed. But I've never liked the word influencer.Having spent more than 20 years in the media industry, I am deeply passionate about supporting creative talent. Today I am the co-founder of a business called Electrify Video Partners which invests in creators. And I created this show to raise awareness of this great industry.

Latest episodes

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How to Build TikTok LIVE Creator Networks — And What Makes Them SuccessfulTikTok Live creator networks—TikTok-trained “live streaming talent agencies” that recruit, coach, and help creators monetize via TikTok gifting; why Live builds trust and global discoverability; how…28 Aug 2026 · 23 min · 10 chapters
Inside HubSpot’s Media Machine with VP of Media & Content Jonathan HuntHubSpot Media’s “media machine” and how it turns creator/audience attention into HubSpot customers while preserving creators’ editorial trust.10 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 10 chapters
The Podcast Playbook for 2026 | AI, Video & Community Explained by Kendall Breitman from Riverside2026 podcasting strategy and the role of AI, video, and community; plus Riverside 2.0 product updates (clipping, scheduling, editing, newsletters, and AI integrations).20 Jul 2026 · 30 min · 12 chapters
Circle's Eclipse Is The Biggest Creator Economy Product Launch Of 2026Circle’s Eclipse launch and the shift from “content” to “transformation” in the creator economy, positioning Circle as an all-in-one platform for community-led businesses.16 Jun 2026 · 31 min · 14 chapters
How Instagram Helped This VC Find Billion-Dollar Startups - With Marshall Sandman from Animal CapitalMarshall Sandman (Animal Capital VC) argues that consistent creator-style content—especially Instagram—has become a competitive advantage in venture capital, enabling smaller funds to find and win…23 May 2026 · 30 min · 15 chapters
How Anyone Can Create a Hit Series with AI (No Experience Needed)Storiel, an AI-native platform for creating and distributing short serialized “microdramas” end-to-end, aiming to let people with no traditional experience build, launch, and monetize hit series in…3 Apr 2026 · 19 min · 15 chapters
Why Most AI Content Is Useless for Brands (And How to Fix It)This podcast focuses on the creator economy, featuring discussions with businesses and tools that support content creators.10 Mar 2026 · 18 min · 9 chapters
Why Brands Are Missing Out on YouTube (And What It’s Costing Them) with Larray and Andrew GrahamCreator with over a decade of experience on YouTube.26 Feb 2026 · 31 min · 18 chapters
How Smart Creators Are Turning Influence Into Equity with Jeff Frommer from OWMHow Smart Creators Are Turning Influence Into Equity with Jeff Frommer from OWM15 Feb 2026 · 32 min · 14 chapters
From YouTube Channel to Media Company: Inside Smosh’s Business with CEO Alessandra CataneseThe Business of Creators focuses on content creators and professionals within the creator economy, featuring discussions about businesses that support creators through tools and monetization…26 Jan 2026 · 34 min · 16 chapters
Steven Bartlett Just Invested in This Creator Brand — Here’s How Maggie Sellers Reum Made It HappenMaggie Sellers Reum explains Hot, Smart, Rich (HSR): a creator-led female ambition brand built around community (short-form content, weekly podcast, newsletter, WhatsApp, global meetups) rather than…9 Dec 2025 · 31 min · 14 chapters
How Steven Bartlett's FlightStory are building billion-dollar creator brands with CEO Georgie HoltFlight Story’s CEO Georgie Holt explains how Steven Bartlett’s FlightStory/Diary of a CEO playbook is being used to build “creator-led media brands” into billion-dollar companies, using rigorous…8 Dec 2025 · 43 min · 14 chapters
How Beehiiv Is Helping Creators Monetize Faster Than Ever with CEO Tyler DenkBeehiiv’s CEO Tyler Denk explains how Beehiiv is accelerating creator monetization by shipping fast, consolidating tools (email, AI website building, digital products, podcasts, analytics), and…18 Nov 2025 · 21 min · 12 chapters
How Amy Madison Luo Is Building Blueberry Into the LVMH of Digital Fashion on RobloxAmy Madison Luo, new CEO of Blueberry, explains digital fashion on Roblox—clothes as pixels—plus Blueberry’s tools for co-creation, creator capsules, and its goal to become the “LVMH of digital…17 Nov 2025 · 37 min · 18 chapters
Why Podcasting Is the Next Big Gold Rush for Creators with Acast CEO Greg GlendayGreg Glenday (Acast CEO) argues podcasting is entering a “mature business” phase and will become a standard media-plan channel.7 Nov 2025 · 26 min · 14 chapters
How AI and Video Are Fuelling a 1.1 Billion Creator Future with Ben Woods from MiDiAMedia’s report predicts 1.1 billion creators by 2032, driven mainly by video creation and expanding the definition of “creator” to include consumer creators (people editing/sharing clips from…21 Oct 2025 · 30 min · 15 chapters
James Watt built BrewDog.. Now he's coming for the Creator EconomyJames Watt (ex-BrewDog CEO/co-founder) discusses launching Social Tip, a “peer-to-peer” creator economy platform that turns customers into brand advocates, replacing one-to-many advertising with…20 Oct 2025 · 16 min · 7 chapters
Learning AI Will Be Lead by Creators | How to Get Ahead with ThriveCart CEO Ismael WrixenThe Business of Creators episode with ThriveCart CEO Ismael Wrixen discusses ThriveCart’s 2025 Creator Economy report, AI’s impact on work and content, and how creators can win via specialization,…11 Oct 2025 · 22 min · 9 chapters
How Halo’s Co-Creator Alex Seropian Is Building the Future of Gaming with Look North WorldAlex Seropian (Halo co-creator) argues gaming is shifting to a “creator/platform era” led by Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft, where audiences build content and games improve year over year.7 Oct 2025 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Epidemic Sound's CEO reveals the strategy behind new AI tool - with Oscar Höglund and Steve WrightEpidemic Sound CEO Oscar Höglund explains how AI is being used to help creators edit music faster and more precisely—without flooding the market with fully synthetic tracks.29 Sep 2025 · 34 min · 13 chapters
How Katie Feeney Became ESPN’s First Sports & Lifestyle CreatorKatie Feeney discusses becoming ESPN’s first Sports & Lifestyle Creator, how creators are changing sports media, and how she plans to connect Gen Z and fans to ESPN through fast, event-based social…25 Sep 2025 · 19 min · 9 chapters
Kajabi's 10bn Milestone + Dominique Broadway’s Secrets to Building a 7-Figure Creator BusinessKajabi’s creator-economy milestone (10B+ paid out) and how creators build six- to seven-figure businesses using digital products, email ownership, bundling, and community.20 Aug 2025 · 27 min · 18 chapters
How Hacksmith Turned a $1M Gamble into More Than $6.5M on Kickstarter with COO Ian HillierHacksmith COO Ian Hillier breaks down how the company’s Kickstarter for a new multi-tool scaled from a ~$1M development gamble to over $6.5M pledged, and what it means for shifting from YouTube…18 Aug 2025 · 29 min · 15 chapters
The Secret Behind Jonathan Katz-Moses Sold-Out Product Line + Slow Ventures InvestmentJonathan Katz-Moses’ creator-to-product journey behind a sold-out woodworking tool line, and Slow Ventures’ $2M investment rationale.11 Aug 2025 · 34 min · 20 chapters