Creator Science with Jay Clouse

Jonny Miller is the creator of Nervous System Mastery. It teaches evidence-backed protocols to cultivate calm, build resilience, and increase aliveness in 45 days. It’s a five-week, cohort-based course that is just wrapping up its sixth cohort in the last three years. In those six cohorts, Jonny has served nearly 1,000 students and earned more than $800,000. Here’s the best part – Jonny doesn’t have a massive audience. When he launched Nervous System Mastery, he had a couple thousand followers on Twitter and a small email list. This is the magic of a well-designed Signature Product – and Jonny is the perfect example. In this episode, we get into the weeds about how he’s grown NSM – what’s worked well, what hasn’t, and how he’s found himself on large podcasts with people like Lenny Rachitsky, Ali Abdaal, Chris Williamson, and more. → ⁠Join Nervous System Mastery⁠ ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ Jonny's ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn⁠ *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#221: Ryan Hawk – Anatomy of a $12,500 membership earning $400,000+ per year⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠ 🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest is Dorie Clark, a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, 4-time Thinkers50 honoree as one of the world's top business thinkers, and longtime faculty member at Duke and Columbia Business Schools. Dorie is, by her own description, a LinkedIn person. She has close to 500,000 followers there, which puts her in the top half a percent of accounts on the platform. But in January 2026, she decided to learn Instagram. She started with 22,000 followers on an account she'd had since 2015 that was mostly personal photos. For the next 4.5 months, she treated it like a part-time job: 10 to 20 hours a week, 99 Reels. Her net gain was about 350 followers. Thirty-five percent of those videos earned her exactly zero new followers. Then in June, it turned around. She gained more than 146,000 new followers across June and July. By September, she was past 400,000. The reason I was excited to talk to Dorie specifically: she didn't win by buying production value. She films and edits all of her videos herself, all of it self-taught over the past few months. Her approach feels like one we can all actually learn from. In this episode, we talk about: The 4.5-month slog where nothing worked and the single data point that gave her permission to keep going Why celebrity reactions are a growth hack for strangers, and the Dolly Parton video that got her on TV in Chicago Her complete workflow: from raw idea capture to batching, scripting, filming, editing, and posting The 30-page AI context document she built to keep her voice consistent and her hooks sharp Why she outgrew her team's video editing and what taking it back herself unlocked By the end of this episode, you will have a practical, doable framework for building a high-growth Instagram presence without a production team, a big budget, or a hot take machine. Dorie Clark — dorieclark.com @dorieclark on Instagram The Long Game (Dorie's book) Nausheen Chen — Instagram growth story referenced Sandcastles by Kallaway — research tool Dorie uses Recognized Expert — her flagship course and community Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Cold open: money is not the variable buying you success (00:27) Introducing Dorie Clark (03:29) Why Instagram after a decade of LinkedIn dominance (05:37) The 4.5-month slog: 99 Reels, 350 followers (07:21) Eating her own dog food: The Long Game in real life (12:30) Cross-posting Reels to LinkedIn and what transfers (21:53) When things turned around — and why (23:24) Celebrity reactions as an entry point for strangers (27:36) Early business results: CNBC, Chicago TV, sponsorships (32:11) The full workflow: idea capture to posting (35:10) The 30-page AI context document and how she built it (39:48) Filming in batches with wardrobe changes in New York (50:59) Dorie's immutable laws of Instagram growth *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #316: Kallaway’s EXACT System For Going Viral (Almost Every Time) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞 Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest is George Blackman, a YouTube scriptwriter who got his start writing full-time for Ali Abdaal and has since written scripts for creators from 30,000 to over 10 million subscribers. This is George's second time on the show. Three years ago, we talked about scriptwriting fundamentals. Since then, George has started writing his own videos with AI, and he's spent most of this year building PlayWriteAI, an AI scriptwriting app with more than 700 people on the waitlist. Building it taught him something most creators haven't noticed yet: AI will tell you, very confidently, that it did ten things it never actually did. This episode is his full process, from voice memo to a script that's ready to record. In this episode, we talk about: The framework behind every educational hook George writes Why the setups and payoffs inside each segment matter more than the hook The ending George puts on every single video, and a twist I want to try on mine Where a human still has to make the call, and why AI will keep "improving" your script forever if you let it By the end of this episode, you will have a repeatable system for writing scripts with AI, and a clearer sense of which parts of the work you should keep for yourself. Free download: YouTube Script Partner skill + George’s Claude project files PlayWriteAI Claude Scriptwriting Project Setup The Exact Claude Project Setup for YouTube Script Writing Free YouTube Script Template Free Audience Avatar Template The YouTube Scriptwriting Playbook AutoCut by 1of10 George's Website / YouTube / X⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn⁠ / Newsletter / Community Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (02:32) George's process today (05:10) Easy mode vs. advanced mode (09:53) The 3 blocks of a YouTube script (11:04) Target, transformation, stakes (18:06) Why setups matter most (19:52) Inside George's scriptwriting app (22:34) Rethinking the payoff (28:16) How many segments a video needs (33:00) How George ends every video (35:14) Ending on a sales video (38:34) Where humans still matter (43:50) How George really feels about AI *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE 162. George Blackman: How to script your videos like Ali Abdaal and Ed from Film Booth *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest is Jessica Lackey, founder of Deeper Foundations and author of Leaving the Casino: Stop Betting on Tactics and Start Building a Business That Works. She helps coaches, consultants, and service providers build expert-led businesses on strong foundations. Jessica tried the social media game. She hired a social media team for two years, ran Ship 30 for 30 on Twitter, tested Instagram. She never cracked 1,700 followers. So she built her business a different way: 50 guest podcast appearances, 50 guest teaching spots in other communities, 20 to 30 programs joined and participated in over four years. Every visibility opportunity landed 10 to 20 new people on her email list. It was slow, linear, and intentional. Today she has 2,000 people on her email list and 200 paying members in her membership. That's a 10% conversion rate on her list, against the creator industry standard of 1 to 3%. Her business has earned over $300,000 for three consecutive years. Almost nothing she sells is one and done. The whole thing is built on renewals and retention, not growth and virality. In this episode, we talk about: How she built from 200 to 2,000 email subscribers through relationships and guest appearances, not social media Her 3-offer stack (1:1 consulting, 6-month cohort, and membership) and how each piece supports the others Why she does a 30-minute welcome call with every new member at $50 per month — and how she thinks about the economics The KPIs she tracks with clients instead of followers and views: outreach count, visibility opportunities, and what she calls seeds, sprouts, and fruits The trade-offs she's made by choosing this model and why she's made peace with them By the end of this episode, you will have a clear picture of how a small, deliberate audience can support a thriving six-figure business — and what it actually costs to build one that way. Deeper Foundations Leaving the Casino Deeper Foundations Membership Aggressively Human Community as a deliberate Business Model “For You” or “By You”: The K-Shaped Content Era The Zone of Enoughness Sacred Sales Hour LinkedIn Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Cold open: the trade-off Jessica has chosen (00:19) Introducing Jessica Lackey (02:34) Why the social media game didn't work for her (04:05) The relationship-first growth strategy (06:53) Her offer stack: 1:1, cohort, and membership (09:39) Revenue breakdown and pricing (10:52) How the membership grew from 30 members to 200 (12:52) The 30-minute welcome call that doesn't make economic sense (18:29) Free monthly workshops for 4 years: the Deeper Business Dialogues (20:21) The KPIs that actually matter for an expertise business (22:26) Is there a ceiling on this approach? (26:45) Why Jessica has chosen her ceiling on purpose (43:53) How to follow people around the internet like a puppy, not a stalker *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #319: How Tamara Grominsky Predictably Grows Her Membership Each Month *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞 Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Altizer is the co-creator of Thumbnail Academy and has quickly become one of the most sought-after thumbnail designers around. David’s clients include Kurtis Connor, Jolly, Max Fosh, Hayden Hillier Smith, and now me. David’s thumbnails have earned nearly 350 million views—and in this video, he’ll show you why creating thumbnails is actually easier than you think. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Hire David⁠ ⁠Join Thumbnail Academy⁠ David's ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro to David Altizer (05:20) Rule of Thirds Explained (06:26) The Key to Composition (11:07) Special Offer on 1of10 (15:02) Different Styles of Thumbnails (19:39) Clickbait is Good, Actually (22:05) The Key to More Clicks (24:27) Thumbnail Text Strategy (29:44) Learning from Far Side Comics (32:57) Mastering Thumbnails and Outliers (35:41) Working With Thumbnail Designers (45:46) AI's Role in Thumbnail *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#280: How to LEGALLY Protect Your Channel (YouTube Lawyer Tyler Chou Explains)⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest is Tamara Grominsky, founder of PMM Camp — a private, application-only membership for senior product marketing leaders with 280+ members. Tamara spent 15 years in product marketing, eventually landing at Kajabi as VP of Product Marketing. She went there with a specific agenda: study how the best creators build their businesses, then reverse engineer it for herself. She started a newsletter, surveyed her audience, learned the thing they needed most was connection, and launched a membership in March 2023. Six months later, she left Kajabi. Her model isn't always-open or quarterly-launch. It's application-gated, opens for exactly five days on the first of every month, and runs on Kit workflows and Circle. She's been on this monthly cadence for nine months and now forecasts her revenue 12 months in advance. She's hit every number this year. Tamara is also in our Lab mastermind, which means I've watched this system get built in real time. This conversation is nine months of mastermind updates compressed into a podcast episode. In this episode, we talk about: How she went from VP of Product Marketing at Kajabi to building her own membership — and why leaving a job she loved was still the right call The monthly open cart model: application-gated, waitlist-driven, four emails, five days, and why it turned a chaotic launch calendar into a predictable business What a personalized onboarding document looks like, and how she gets 90%+ of new members onto a welcome call Her hypothesis about why her conversion rate is stuck at 30% — and what she's testing next By the end of this episode, you will have a complete model for running a membership like a product — with systems, baselines, and experiments that make revenue forecastable. PMM Camp (Home) PMM Camp Community (Membership + Pricing) PMM Leadership Bootcamp (6-Week Cohort) Newsletter Archive (188 editions, every Sunday) Tamara's LinkedIn Tamara's X Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (01:26) What product marketing actually is (04:43) From Kajabi to PMM Camp (06:49) What she learned studying creators (11:28) The decision to leave (13:23) Finding the founding 25 (16:47) Inside PMM Camp today (18:29) The welcome call and onboarding doc (25:25) Why evergreen broke her business (27:52) The monthly open cart model (33:17) The Kit workflow behind the cart (36:09) The conversion rate problem (44:54) The visibility hypothesis *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #313: How Tom Ross Doubled His Community Engagement and Retention With Training Pathways #318: The $9/month membership earning more than $500k/year AND buying Smart Passive Income — Pt. 2 featuring Liz Wilcox *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest is Liz Wilcox, the creator behind Email Marketing Membership — a $9/month newsletter template subscription she’s kept at the same price for six years, that now generates close to half a million dollars a year. Liz built the whole thing as a single parent with no support system and no reliable internet, working from library parking lots and Lowe’s lots during nap times. She launched in February 2021, kept the price at $9, maintained a 5% churn rate, and grew to over 4,400 paying members. She and her sister run the operation — no upsells, no masterminds, no group coaching. Just the membership. Then in April 2026, she quietly closed a deal to buy Smart Passive Income — the 18-year-old creator education brand Pat Flynn built from scratch. She spent five months operating as SPI’s director of community before anyone outside the deal knew it had happened. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Last week, Pat and Matt told the seller’s story. This week, Liz tells the buyer’s. In this episode, we talk about: Why the $9 price point has worked for six years — and why she’ll never raise it How she grew a half-million-dollar membership without social media, using podcasts and a 50% affiliate program What had to be true before she’d pull the trigger on buying SPI How she’s thinking about merging EMM with the SPI community — and why she doesn’t have the answer yet By the end of this episode, you will understand how a $9 offer can compound into a half-million-dollar business — and what it actually looks like when someone buys a legacy brand and tries to honor it. Liz Wilcox Email Marketing Membership Smart Passive Income Episode 317: Pat Flynn & Matt Gartland — Part 1 Superfans by Pat Flynn Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (01:14) The $9 membership (03:48) The retention rate (07:54) Low stakes for both sides (11:06) The four thousand member math (12:39) AI and the membership (14:55) Who this model isn’t for (16:38) Growing without social media (20:23) Single parent, no backup plan (31:41) Buying Smart Passive Income (34:51) What made the deal happen (43:49) Why she hasn’t cross-promoted yet (48:34) Merging the two memberships *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #317: Selling Smart Passive Income (And What We Can Learn From It) — Pt. 1 featuring Pat Flynn and Matt Gartland *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I’m joined by two longtime friends — Pat Flynn and Matt Gartland. Pat is the founder of Smart Passive Income, the creator education brand he started in 2008 and ran for 18 years. Matt came on around 2018 — first as an advisor, then as CEO — and spent years making SPI operationally strong enough to stand without Pat at the center. They spun SPI out into a separate entity called SPI Media, pivoted from courses to community with recurring revenue, and quietly prepared the business for a sale they weren’t sure would ever happen. In September 2026, they announced that SPI had sold. The deal had closed five months earlier. The buyer is Liz Wilcox, an email marketing expert who spent those five months operating publicly as SPI’s “director of community” before anyone knew the deal had closed. The community doubled in size during that window. Part 2 is next week, with Liz. In this episode, we talk about: How Pat and Matt deliberately structured SPI over 8 years so it could be sold — including spinning out a new company, removing Pat’s face from the website, and making the community the hero Why Pat turned down multiple VC and PE offers worth more than the final sale price The deal mechanics: seller financing, no broker, 160 documents of due diligence, and how it closed in 6 months when deals like this typically fall apart What creators who operate entirely under their own name are missing when they eventually want to exit By the end of this episode, you will understand what it actually takes to build a creator business that could outlive you — and what the groundwork for an exit looks like years before anyone is thinking about it. Smart Passive Income Liz Wilcox — the buyer (she’s on next week’s episode) Deep Pocket Monster — Pat’s Pokémon YouTube channel (2.4M subscribers) Built to Sell by John Warrillow — the book that shaped their thinking on making a business sellable Superfans by Pat Flynn — his self-published book, part of the deal’s licensing terms Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The news (01:44) The first seeds of the idea (03:10) The VC and PE offers (05:52) Building for optionality (13:20) Running two companies at once (18:11) Why real partnership is the unlock (21:17) Who to hire first (38:16) Why the negotiation wasn’t about money (40:38) What seller financing actually means (41:24) The due diligence process (45:26) The transition strategy (47:37) Part 2 preview: Liz Wilcox next week *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #122: Pat Flynn and Matt Gartland – Courses, community, and the future of education *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Kallaway, the creator behind the Kallaway Marketing channel and the founder of Sandcastles — an AI research tool that helps creators find and validate viral video topics before they ever hit record. Kallaway started 4 businesses. All 4 failed for the same reason: no one knew who he was. No audience meant no customers, no leverage, no second chances. So he made it his mission to understand how audience growth actually works. He cracked short-form content at scale after years of building online businesses, and he built the research system he wished he’d had from the start. Now he has over a billion views, a 50% viral hit rate, and he built a tool to help other creators do the same. This episode is the full system. In this episode, we talk about: Content minutes — the framework for mapping how much trust your audience needs before they’ll buy at each price point on your offer ladder The modern content stack: why short-form and long-form both need to funnel into email, and why that’s the golden goose The 3 metrics that actually matter for content creators — ranked in order of importance, with views coming in third A live walkthrough of Sandcastles: channel watchlists, outlier score, deep video analysis, and how to use the MCP to run research through Claude By the end of this episode, you will have a clear research system for finding validated, high-trust video topics — and a framework for staying creative while using data to de-risk almost everything else. Book a free discovery call with 1of10 StrategyTry Sandcastles for free Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro to Kallaway (01:03) Introducing “content minutes” (02:12) The modern content stack (03:45) Why you want a narrow ICP (05:40) The 3 metrics that matter (14:38) Sandcastles demo: building a channel watchlist from scratch (16:14) Why you study mid-size creators, not mega-famous ones (22:18) Deep video analysis: hook formula, storytelling structure, contrarian angle (24:59) Kallaway’s research flow (30:47) Solving structure and scripting problems using your own channel’s data (36:34) Data-enabled creativity: the thesis behind the whole system *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #303: Riley Brown — The AI Content Creator Who Doesn’t Write With AI *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caleb Ralston is a strategist and brand builder for some of the biggest names in business. His breakthrough was back in 2018 when he grew GaryVee’s TikTok from 300k to 3.5 million followers in just 3 months. In 2022 he joined Alex and Leila Hormozi’s team as content employee #1, where he grew their audience from 1.2 million to 11.5 million. Caleb just doesn’t miss – and now that he’s out on his own, he’s here to help YOU. In this episode, you'll learn the content strategy he used, how to improve your content, and where to start if you're feeling overwhelmed. ⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠ Caleb's ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The Secret Man Behind GaryVee and the Hormozi’s (01:11) How Often Do the Top 1% Post? (03:31) The Brand Journey Framework (05:18) Being Intentional With Your Content (08:51) Is It Possible to NOT Niche Down? (13:55) Say the Same Things in Different Ways (18:07) Tracking and Analyzing Data (22:36) Maintaining Quality While Increasing Quantity (24:27) What it Actually Takes to Perform like the 1% (27:21) Where to Start (30:22) Building a Personalized Team (34:54) Agency vs Full Time vs Contractor (41:58) Developing a Content Strategy (45:15) Width Content vs Depth Content (46:55) Scaling Trust Using Educational Content (50:02) Best Call to Action Strategy (52:10) Email and Web Traffic Strategy (55:27) How Caleb is Going About Hiring His Own Team (58:53) The Correct Way to Give Feedback to Your Team (1:03:17) How to Take Inspiration from Others (1:04:55) Which Platform Has the Biggest Opportunity (1:06:57) Audio Content Strategy (1:08:47) Why You Need to Collaborate with Others *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#175: Angus Parker – Ali Abdaal’s right-hand man shares a YouTuber’s guide to hiring.⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first-ever 6-figure launch started with a cold email I didn’t respond to. Twice. The third time, I wrote back. A few months later, we ran a 3-day free virtual summit that drove $101,666 in revenue — with a $78,400 margin. This is the full breakdown of how it happened, what we’d do the same way again, and what we’d change. Joining me for this behind-the-scenes recap is Anna Reich, the integrator here on the Creator Science team. This was Anna’s first launch — 3 and a half months into the job — and she was right in the middle of all of it. We ran this summit in partnership with a third-party team called After Harvest, who pitched us on the whole concept via cold email and worked on a 15% performance-based fee. In this episode, we talk about: The full mechanics: $101,666 in revenue, $23,300 in costs, and the exact offer stack that got us there What we’d absolutely do the same — the VIP ticket, aggressive email volume, and the live pitch with a day-2 bonus What we’d do differently — a simpler structure, a new webinar platform, and building the presentations before everything else The 80/20 version: what a stripped-down, repeatable launch playbook actually looks like By the end of this episode, you will have a clear-eyed view of how a virtual summit launch actually works from the inside — with all the numbers, the chaos, and the lessons on the table. Work with Sean and the After Harvest team Build a Beloved Membership — 50% off the self-paced version Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction: the first-ever 6-figure launch and what this episode covers (03:44) Registration and attendance numbers: 3,145 registered, 1,000+ live on day 1 (04:34) Revenue breakdown: $63K cohort, $9K upsell, $17K downsell, $11K VIP tickets (08:29) Cost breakdown: After Harvest’s 15% deal, $1,800 in affiliates, $7,800 domain (10:01) Timeline: cold email in February to contract in April to summit in June (13:56) Things we’d do the same: VIP ticket, compelling web work, full offer stack (16:12) Why the $47 VIP ticket was the biggest surprise of the whole launch (20:54) The live day-2 pitch — 30 minutes, almost no drop-off, and why the bonus mattered (24:30) Things we’d do differently: simpler structure, drop WebinarJam, build launch capability in-house (36:24) The core mistake: building all the assets before locking the presentation content (42:10) The 80/20 version: what to lock in before you open registration (52:28) Skipping affiliates for high-ticket offers, and why one-click opt-ins backfired *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #144: Bari Baumgardner – How to create the perfect 3-day event (IRL or virtually)#191: Breaking down my $60,723 product launch *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard is the co-founder of ⁠1of10⁠, a research platform built by YouTube strategists, and his team has quietly been behind the scenes for some of the biggest channels on the platform—helping creators accumulate over 2 billion views through a repeatable, data-backed system. In this episode, Richard walks through his complete four-phase ideation system—audience identification, outlier research (using five distinct methods), idea remixing, and validation—and backs every step with real examples. We talk about what happens when the wrong audience floods your channel, why creators should double and triple down on formats that work, and how a single title change took one creator's video from 10,000 views to 150,000. He also shares data from 300,000+ YouTube outliers on the ideal title length (hint: shorter than you think) and where the sweet spots are for video duration across different niches. ⁠Save 20% on 1of10 using code JAY20⁠ ⁠Schedule a 1of10 Strategy Call⁠ ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (01:12) Where 80-85% of YouTube success comes from (01:50) Phase 1: Audience (03:19) When should you start a fresh channel instead of pivoting? (04:09) The danger of going viral with the wrong audience (05:40) Phase 2: Research (07:37) Format vs. Interest Topic (08:00) Method 1: Inside your own channel (10:52) Tripling and quadrupling down (12:33) Method 2: Inside your niche (13:45) Method 3: Adjacent niches (16:00) Method 4: Outside your niche (17:37) The "Japanese Rule" format (20:56) Method 5: External inspiration (22:07) Phase 3: Remixing (23:00) Escalation, inversion, and interest topic replacement (24:10) Viral vectors: concepts that work across all niches (25:28) Phase 4: Validation (27:00) Optimal video duration by niche (30:45) Why long videos are making a comeback (31:39) Total Addressable Viewership (34:36) Titles: Fear, Curiosity, and Desire as the three core drivers (37:17) Data: Title Length (37:51) Three methods for generating title angles (42:11) Thumbnails: Composition and Elements (45:11) It's never too late: title/thumbnail changes (46:10) Live demo: 1of10 thumbnail generator (48:10) The full 1of10 workflow *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#282: David Altizer — How to Make Great Thumbnails (For Non-Designers)⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most productivity advice operates in one of two categories: you’re missing a skill or system, or you have a mindset problem. Cat Mulvihill thinks both camps are right — and both are incomplete. There’s a third category that almost nobody is talking about, and she argues it’s the one most likely to be the actual culprit when you’re stuck. My guest this week is Cat Mulvihill, a speaker, trainer, accountability coach, and licensed Immunity to Change facilitator who has been leading workshops for more than 20 years. After being formally diagnosed with ADHD in 2024, she developed the Momentum Formula — a framework separating the reasons we fail to follow through into three distinct categories: logical, biological, and psychological. Cat is a longtime Lab member and led the second-highest-rated session at this year’s Lab Offline event in Boise. In this episode, we talk about: The three roadblocks to follow-through — and why the biological one is the category almost everyone overlooks How to diagnose which roadblock is actually keeping you stuck, and why the order you check them matters The “dreaded identity” — the hidden, subconscious version of yourself you’re afraid of becoming — and how it quietly kills follow-through Why knowing your tendency from Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies framework changes which accountability strategies actually work for you By the end of this episode, you will have a concrete diagnostic framework for understanding why you’re not doing the things you know you should be doing — and what to try first. Cat Mulvihill — website and upcoming workshops The Four Tendencies quiz by Gretchen Rubin Immunity to Change by Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey LinkedIn bookmarked search overview LinkedIn Instagram — @catmulvihill X — @catmulvihill The Momentum Experiment Podcast Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) “Are people going to think I’m a sellout?” — the dreaded identity, cold open (00:19) Introducing Cat: the Momentum Formula and why the biological roadblock gets missed (01:59) The 3 roadblocks — logical, biological, psychological — and where brain chemistry fits in (04:29) Diagnosing which roadblock you’re facing: why Jay thinks his problems are “just chemicals” (08:04) How to check the roadblocks in order — and the patterns that signal it’s not logical (10:55) A real Lab member example: when great systems still don’t get used (14:40) The Four Tendencies (Gretchen Rubin): upholders, questioners, obligers, rebels (19:25) The “dreaded identity” — the hidden psychological block most creators can’t see (21:14) Working through all 3 roadblocks with a LinkedIn example (25:44) Energy management and the biological roots: dopamine, blood sugar, sleep, environment matching (32:17) How to work with obliger tendencies instead of against them (36:18) The Immunity to Change framework and next steps for going deeper *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #171: Nir Eyal – Writing books, persuasion vs. coercion, and how to be indistractable *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Closing the doors to a membership is supposed to hurt signups. But one of Tom's clients did exactly that — closed it, added an application, doubled the price, then reopened. His next launch sold out in 4 minutes. Same community. Same people. Just different mechanics. My guest this week is Tom Ross, the founder of Learn.Community, where he helps community builders design learning experiences that actually stick. His clients have reached millions of people and generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue. Tom has been building online communities for 20 years, and he's been a member of The Lab since 2022. In this episode, we talk about: Why an application process might be the most underused retention lever in the membership world The “bacon medicine” framework for making your membership both sellable and sticky long-term Tom’s “delight, direct, connect” onboarding philosophy — and what almost every community gets wrong How he rebuilt his course into learning pathways, drove completion from 20% to 50%, and turned a siloed module into the main engine of community engagement By the end of this episode, you will understand exactly why most membership churn is decided before someone joins, and what to actually do about it. Learn.Community Tom's Community Compass Framework Tom's YouTube Channel The Lab Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) “People inherently don’t know what they don’t know” (00:29) Tom's background: 20 years building communities, what we're covering (04:06) Most retention problems start before someone joins — the targeting failure (07:51) Application process as the biggest membership lever — and how to handle rejections kindly (10:09) Closing doors creates demand: one client’s launch sold out in 4 minutes (14:43) The “bacon medicine” approach to membership positioning (24:28) Tom’s “delight, direct, connect” onboarding framework (29:01) Responsive vs. linear onboarding — why static sequences break (33:01) Learning pathways: reinventing the traditional course (36:47) AI agents, deep worksheets, and vibe-coded SaaS tools inside the pathways (40:02) Turning off course comments and routing engagement back into the community (50:49) Real results: completion up from 20% to 50%, churn down, engagement way up *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #260: Detailed Breakdown: Our First Offline Event (And What We’ll Do Differently Next Time) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, my wife Mallory joins me for only her second podcast appearance ever to break down everything from The Lab Offline Powered by Circle — our second annual 2-day in-person retreat for Lab members, hosted June 8–9 at Hotel Renegade in Boise, Idaho. Mallory planned essentially everything: seating charts, venue contracts, menus, swag, run of show. She's been at it for roughly 6 months. In this episode, we talk about: The full economics of running a community retreat (we lost $8,300, which is actually an improvement) How we took breakfast from a 4.8 to an 8.1 rating — and what we'd cut to reduce costs next year What ranked #1 for attendees 2 years running, and why trivia (our favorite activity) came in 7th Whether we'll keep doing this in Boise — and what Columbus, Toronto, and doing 2 events per year might look like By the end of this episode, you will have a clear picture of what it actually costs to run a high-quality community event, what's worth paying for, and what we'd do differently. Circle (event sponsor) Hotel Renegade Boise Craft and Commerce Conference The Lab Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Cold open: people were moved, tears were shed (00:53) The Lab Offline explained: 2-day member retreat, goals, and agenda (06:44) Initial impressions: a reunion feeling, smoother logistics, zero fires (13:08) Attendee feedback numbers: 9.3/10 overall, 91% returning, 34% said underpriced (18:46) Event economics: $30,459 revenue, $38,800 costs, $8,300 loss (23:05) Top cost drivers: hotel catering, travel, venue rental, dinners (26:52) Planning challenges: acoustics, dietary restrictions, every decision is a trade-off (36:52) What to keep: assigned seating, Kat's Immunity to Change workshop, Fighting Off the Sleepies (42:04) What to improve: more mastermind sessions, less solo writing, better acoustics (47:49) Open question: should the event stay paired with Craft and Commerce? (53:49) The case for Columbus, 2 events per year, and an international option *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #260: Detailed Breakdown: Our First Offline Event (And What We’ll Do Differently Next Time) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞 Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The highest month of membership revenue in Lab history was also the setup for the highest month of churn. One year later, February delivered both records. I have been building community in some form since 2012. I ran Startup Weekend events in Columbus, led online Mastermind groups, consulted on the launch of SPI Pro, and spent 2021 leading the community team at Smart Passive Income before going back out on my own. In early 2022, I launched what became the Lab, a membership for creators earning at least $10,000 per month in non-service revenue or with 10,000 followers on a single platform. The Lab now has around 340 members across three tiers and is still standing after years of waves of communities coming and going. In this episode, we talk about: Why scarcity and urgency drive signups but can crater your retention a year later The two onboarding "secrets" I kept quiet for a while The mastermind paradox How to think about scaling a community without accidentally eroding the culture you've built What I would tell anyone thinking about launching a membership before they write a single line of copy By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer picture of how a membership actually works over years, not just at launch. Subscribe to Growth in Reverse Watch on YouTube The Lab Membership⁠ ⁠The Lab Membership Teardown (free)⁠ ⁠Circle (community platform)⁠ ⁠Kit Craft and Commerce Conference⁠ ⁠Chenell Basilio on Creator Science⁠⁠ Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction and episode context (02:08) How Jay started the Lab (from Startup Weekend to SPI Pro to Creative Companion Club) (09:37) The scarcity play: record revenue month followed by record churn (10:38) What actually works as a marketing lever for a community (13:46) Why Jay runs applications and has a 90% conversion rate for accepted members (16:30) The design philosophy: reduce effort, increase impact (24:19) Mid-boarding: the missing piece between onboarding and renewal (35:13) Jay's onboarding framework and the two secrets he's been keeping (40:46) Why offline events matter for retention (not necessarily growth) (47:00) How to think about scaling community without destroying culture (49:19) Who shouldn't launch a membership (and what to figure out first) *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #292: Chenell Basilio — The state of email in 2026, growing your list without social media, and new predictions. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY Creator Science Newsletter Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) Join The Lab (private membership community) Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT Connect on Twitter Connect on Instagram Connect on LinkedIn Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Hoos is the CEO of Outloud Group, one of the top influencer marketing agencies in the United States. His clients include AG1, Chomps, KitchenAid, and Whirlpool, and he’s managed campaigns across tens of thousands of creator partnerships. Jay found Brad while researching for his book proposal on trust, trying to track down the agency behind AG1’s dominance in podcast advertising. In this episode, we talk about: Why the creators who say no the most often are actually the most valuable to brands The difference between brand voice and brand advocacy, and why getting this wrong kills campaigns What Outloud learned running AG1’s campaigns across tens of thousands of creators The data across 50,000 campaigns showing no meaningful correlation between CPM and performance By the end of this episode, you will think differently about how brands choose creators and how creators should position themselves for long-term partnership success. Outloud Group Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (01:10) What brands actually want when they hire an agency (06:20) The two things brands need to understand before a campaign starts (07:09) Brand voice vs. brand advocacy: why the difference matters (10:18) How trust changes what brands allow creators to do (15:48) What running AG1’s campaigns taught Brad about influencer marketing (20:39) How creators can position themselves to attract brand deals (22:52) Why entertaining your audience beats being the “perfect” brand advocate (27:24) Why the creators who say no most often perform best (39:10) The data: no meaningful correlation between CPM and creator performance (42:47) What Brad believes is true but can’t yet prove with data (44:09) If you could only pick two platforms right now *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #179: Justin Moore – A step-by-step strategy to get anyone sponsored, regardless of audience size *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 💬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time ever, I'm teaching my most popular course, Build A Beloved Membership, live over four weeks. You'll learn the exact approach I've taken to building The Lab to a ~$500K/year membership. Here's what you'll get: 4 weeks live. 10 sessions taught by me (July 3 to August 3). Kickoff call (Friday July 3) and Sendoff call (Monday August 3). Recordings of every session. A Circle space for homework, questions, and cohort chat. A year of Lab Basic (member directory, questions answered, frameworks). That last bullet is a big deal. Because after these four weeks are over, a year inside our Basic Membership (which typically costs $699/yr on its own) gives you monthly office hours with me for a year. So after the cohort, you aren't totally on your own again; you still have our community by your side. → Learn more and enroll​ I won't run this again in 2026. The timing just doesn't work with our next baby on the way—so I'll be going all out on THIS cohort. By the way, it’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun. ​Here's the full cohort page to learn more. We have more than 30 students enrolled already, and enrollment closes Wednesday, July 1 at 11:59pm ET. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I brought back Becky Pierson Davidson to compare notes on where community is headed — and we found a few areas of disagreement. Becky works with 6, 7, and 8-figure businesses helping them build memberships and courses through design thinking and customer research, and she's seeing a major shift right now: course businesses are slowing down, and the smart ones are pivoting to membership models. The difference? Shared learning experiences are replacing self-paced education. Community is what people stay for. We dig into the real mechanics: how to set expectations that don't feel like a bait-and-switch, why meaningful engagement isn't what most people think it is, the mastermind paradox (increases retention, decreases forum activity), and why in-person events might be the most important retention lever you're not using. Becky's hot take for 2026: content drops are dying. People don't need more stuff — they need connection and programming that moves them forward. ⁠Affinity Collective⁠ ⁠Build with Becky podcast⁠ ⁠Episode 197: Building Raving Fans (with Becky & Chanel)⁠ ⁠Circle (community platform)⁠ ⁠TightKnit (Slack archive plugin)⁠ ⁠Dreamers and Doers⁠ ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (02:35) Defining community as a product, not a growth engine (04:09) Why community is rising as a business model in 2026 (06:02) The reality of transitioning from courses to memberships (08:01) Finding the right community design for your appetite (10:02) How to avoid the bait-and-switch with member expectations (13:06) Value perception vs. value experience (13:57) The smallest viable promise for your sales page (16:44) Where we disagree: transformation vs. community of practice (21:14) Forum design: why fewer spaces wins (23:17) Solving the engagement problem (what meaningful engagement actually is) (25:50) How the best members actually use your community (29:46) The mastermind paradox: retention up, forum participation down (32:09) In-person experiences and the graduation weekend model (36:39) The economics of offline events (39:35) 2026 Hot Take: Content drops are dying (43:07) Retention rethink: Did I get my money's worth vs. Will I next year? (46:04) Why connection drives retention more than results (48:23) Tool stack: Circle 9 times out of 10 (51:14) The future: personalization in community software *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠Episode 197: Building Raving Fans⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sid Yadav is the CEO and co-founder of Circle, a community platform trusted by creators like Jay and thousands of others to build membership businesses. Today, Circle has ~280 employees and has raised around $30 million. Before Circle, he was the third hire at Teachable, where he helped build the infrastructure for the creator economy before the term even existed. He spent four years as a tech blogger, writing about startups five to ten times a day, and was one of the first people to ever cover YouTube—back when it was a dating platform! The one thing Sid says separates successful communities from the rest Circle Eclipse: what it is (AI partner + connective tissue + Discover marketplace) and why 80 of 100 engineers have been on it for 4 months The “course as wrong abstraction” insight: why Sid saw self-paced courses heading toward terminal decline as early as 2018 By the end of this episode, you will understand why the most successful community businesses aren’t built around content — they’re built around a specific transformation. Join the waitlist for early access to Circle AI Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (01:44) Teachable origin story: the “I don’t want to play Tinder with you” email that started it all (06:18) Tech blogger at Mashable — and the story of being first to write about YouTube (09:15) ~280 employees, $30M raised — the scale of Circle today (12:52) Why self-paced courses are in terminal decline (the leading indicators Sid saw in 2018) (17:16) The “course as the wrong abstraction” moment — community as the right container (22:00) Circle Eclipse: the three major updates launching (24:00) The connective tissue opportunity: one plus one must equal ten (33:19) Admin dashboard evolution — where Circle AI lives for returning users (35:30) The morning brief: five recommended next steps, then you’re good for the day (38:50) The biggest bet in Circle’s history: 80 engineers, 4 months, Spain offsite (40:00) Member-side AI agents and where they’re heading (43:24) Discover: from supply-side listing directory to the first real marketplace for transformations (48:00) The promise: Discover will never market inside your community — ever (51:55) Sid’s #1 recommendation: define your transformation *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #295: Community Building Trends for 2026 with Becky Pierson Davidson *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every few years, someone asks you the question you've been avoiding. For me, this was it: does your show actually have a premise, or does it just require people to already know and like you? Jeremy Enns is the founder of Podcast Marketing Academy, where his primary product is podcast audits. He has spent years analyzing what separates shows that grow from shows that stall, and he runs Podcast Marketing Academy to help hosts fix both. He has been a member of The Lab since the early days. In this episode, we talk about: Why podcast problems are almost always brand and product problems in disguise The difference between a show that requires you to already be known vs. one that earns listeners on its own merits What "killer concepts" are — and why a sharper premise makes episodes easier to produce, not harder The case for featuring Lab members as guests, and why it could be the highest-converting version of Creator Science By the end of this episode, you will have a new framework for auditing any creative project — including your own — and asking whether it's designed to grow or just to persist. Jeremy's resources for US! Podcast Marketing Academy Killer Concept Jeremy Enns on LinkedIn Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Cold open: what a "killer concept" actually is (02:20) How this episode came to be: Jeremy's years of quiet notes on Creator Science (04:04) What Jay actually wants from this conversation (09:36) Where podcasting fits in the funnel — why it's the Lab's best front door (13:23) "If you were starting today": the co-host question (22:14) Does Creator Science have a premise? Jeremy's honest take (26:11) The container model: Song Exploder vs. Reply All (31:09) The density problem: why 80% of episodes aren't relevant to most listeners (34:49) The missing IP: Jay's philosophy exists in his head, not on paper (38:31) Why featuring Lab members could be the highest-converting version of the show (44:51) A three-part lens: discovery, trust, monetization (53:28) Jeremy's prescription: what the ideal Creator Science show looks like *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #273: How to create a scrappy industry report that elevates your brand | Jeremy Enns *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY Creator Science Newsletter Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) Join The Lab (private membership community) Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT Connect on Twitter Connect on Instagram Connect on LinkedIn Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard van der Blom published his first LinkedIn algorithm report years ago as a curiosity project. This year, he and his team analyzed 1.3 million posts from 50,000 creators — and the headline number is hard to ignore: reach is down 60% for active creators over the last two years. Even harder to stomach: 80% of the comments Richard receives in the first five minutes of any post are written by AI. Richard is the author of the annual LinkedIn Algorithm Insights report — the most data-backed independent study of the platform I've found. He's also been targeted by LinkedIn's legal team, banned from the platform, and watched the third-party tools he relied on get shut down one by one. He keeps publishing anyway. In this episode, we talk about: Why reach is down 60% for active creators — and why LinkedIn says that's intentional What "topic fingerprinting" is and how to use it to re-teach the algorithm who you are How your comments now shape your interest graph, not just your human visibility Why LinkedIn newsletters are outperforming regular posts on reach, engagement, and conversion By the end of this episode, you will understand exactly what changed in the LinkedIn algorithm, why the old playbook is working against you, and the specific moves to make in 2026. 2026 LinkedIn Algorithm Insights Report Richard van der Blom on LinkedIn Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (02:36) Richard's one-word description of LinkedIn in 2026: "turbulent" (07:38) The shift from relationship graph to interest-based graph — the biggest change in 10 years (11:36) Topic fingerprinting: how to re-teach the algorithm who you are (14:47) Why commenting on the wrong posts actively hurts your reach (16:41) Richard's 25-30 minute daily commenting system, broken down (25:17) The free bookmark search trick for building curated feeds (31:41) Newsletters vs. standalone articles — the numbers are not close (35:16) LinkedIn newsletter analytics: click-by-link tracking is now live (39:37) Optimal posting frequency: down from 5-6x to 2-4x per week (41:18) Why text-only posts require exceptional copywriting to work (43:20) What the top LinkedIn creators know that everyone else misses (45:29) Richard's prediction: LinkedIn is at a crossroads *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #188: Richard van der Blom – How the man behind the LinkedIn Algorithm Report uses LinkedIn. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY Creator Science Newsletter Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) Join The Lab (private membership community) Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT Connect on Twitter Connect on Instagram Connect on LinkedIn Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh is the founder of Upright Media, an operating partner for content creators handling operations, consulting, recruiting, and post-production. His clients include some of YouTube's biggest channels — Erak, Smosh, Emma Chamberlain, Dude Perfect, Matthew Beam, and Chris Williamson. He runs 11 full-time staff and about 40 contractors worldwide. He describes himself as a creator without a channel. This conversation also took a turn into what YouTube actually rewards right now, why "companionship content" is quietly eating the internet, and the concept of the "shitty flow state" — that experience where you put down your phone 35 minutes after opening Instagram and can't name a single thing you saw. Upright Media Brad Stulberg — The Way of Excellence Monday.com (project management tool Josh uses) Topper Guild (YouTube channel) Speeed (James Pumphrey + Jesse Wood) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Josh's opening: don't lose sight of the big goals that motivate your team (00:26) Who Josh Mattingly is and what Upright Media does (08:16) Excitement vs. panic — how much of working 80 hours a week is actually anxiety (12:49) Why most creators hire from panic — and how Josh reframes it around a goal (22:35) Build the team around what you're doing well, not where you think you're going (24:36) The positioning exercise: what is your channel, actually — and why it drives every hire (20:36) Speeed channel case study: lean team, clear mission, "GQ for this generation" (27:02) What YouTube is biased toward right now: real connection over spectacle (30:02) The content spectrum: entertainment → education → companionship content (40:01) The "shitty flow state" — why most of what we consume doesn't satisfy (55:52) Hiring mistake: moving too fast — interview 10 more after you find "the one" (56:56) Building a hiring committee as a solopreneur using peers and friends *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #175: Angus Parker – Ali Abdaal’s right-hand man shares a YouTuber’s guide to hiring. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ 🧪 Join The Lab 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every month inside the Lab, I do a full retrospective: wins, concerns, experiments, with all the numbers on the table. I've never felt comfortable putting the whole thing out publicly, but I do think the practice itself is worth sharing. So this episode is my lightweight version: three big wins from April, three things I'm genuinely worried about heading into May, and three experiments I'm kicking off. I'm also testing a new name for this format: the Big Three. April was, by most measures, a really good month. A baby boy on the way, the biggest partnership deal I've ever signed, and a speaking slot at Press Publish LA. But sitting alongside all of that is a real anxiety: I'm watching my audience pull back, sales slowing, people tightening up. And I'm rebuilding a lot of the business simultaneously, too. This episode is me thinking out loud about all of it. The Lab — Creator Science membership community Circle — community platform powering the Lab Press Publish LA — Colin & Samir's creator event, late May Build a Beloved Membership — Jay's membership course (cohort coming July) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:14) Introducing the lightweight retro format ("the Big Three") (01:38) Win #1: Baby boy on the way — and what it means for the next six months (04:28) Win #2: Biggest partnership deal ever — Circle for the rest of the year (06:03) Win #3: Speaking at Press Publish LA (07:24) Concern #1: The oxygen mask moment — slowing sales and audience withdrawal (09:47) "Give where it hurts" — the counter-intuitive move in uncertain times (13:41) Concern #2: Rebuilding the business from the ground up (18:56) Concern #3: Are we trying to do too much? (19:25) Experiment #1: Building out the team (Ana, Ritzy, and Tubey in Slack) (27:46) Experiment #2: The Membership Summit (June 23–26) + cohort in July (30:41) Experiment #3: A new AI-forward product model, piloting inside the Lab first *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #291: 48 Hours With Clawdbot: How I’m Using It and Initial Reactions *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞 Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve been a full-time creator for 8 years now and have earned $2,192,000 since 2022. I’ve spent a LOT of time and money experimenting with different ways to make money on the internet, so I’m going to rank them. The best and the worst. I show you 15 different revenue streams and rate them from S to F based on their potential versus the effort required. By the very end of the video, you’ll know which ones are right for you. And at any point, if you agree or disagree, let me know in the comments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:32) AdSense (01:36) Sponsorship & Brand Deals (03:30) Content Memberships (04:30) Done-For-You Services (05:27) Royalties (06:28) 1-to-1 Coaching & Consulting (07:38) Affiliates (09:36) User Generated Content (UGC) (10:17) Group Programs (11:25) Digital Products (12:56) Speaking (14:27) Live Events (15:53) Community Memberships *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#267: When to use low-ticket offers, refund policies, how much I earned in the last 12 months, and my 5-year vision [Ask CS Pt. 1]⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Vander Wielen is an attorney turned entrepreneur who built the go-to legal template shop for online businesses. Her flagship product, the Ultimate Bundle, a package of fill-in-the-blank contracts and video trainings, has generated over $8 million in lifetime revenue and now earns close to $2 million per year with essentially one full-time employee. She published her first book with Hachette in April 2025, and she runs everything through a single evergreen webinar funnel that quietly generates six figures a month between launches. I met Sam at Craft and Commerce last year, and when I saw her post about 10,000+ webinar registrants and a $500,000 launch, I knew I had to talk to her. What blew me away wasn't the numbers; it was the simplicity. One product. One funnel. Two launches a year. Relentless customer research. She's the clearest example I've seen of someone who found the main thing and refused to let anything pull her off it. Sam Vander Wielen Sam's Sidebar Newsletter The Ultimate Bundle Book: When I Start My Business, I'll Be Happy (Hachette, 2025) On Your Terms Podcast Sam on Barrett Brooks' podcast (referenced in intro) VideoAsk Growth in Reverse (Chenell Basilio) — referenced interview Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Jay introduces Sam and her $8M+ legal template business (02:27) What the Ultimate Bundle actually is — and why it hasn't changed much since 2017 (03:47) The Olive Garden effect: how Sam thinks about community and lifetime customer support (10:00) The $500K launch breakdown — what went right and why it wasn't an accident (13:28) Sam's full launch strategy: the teaser period, invite period, and treating registration like concert tickets (18:03) The on-webinar bonus that drove 128 purchases live — and why a book beat a $100 discount (22:56) How Sam uses VideoAsk to boost show-up rates and make 11,000 registrants feel personally seen (28:39) Voice of customer research: quarterly customer calls, AI transcript synthesis, and why Sam still reads the raw transcripts herself (33:14) Why working less keeps making the business better — and what the 'entrepreneurial gap year' actually means (36:04) What motivates Sam (honest answer: fear) — and what Jay relates to in that (42:00) Why AI isn't a threat to Sam's business — and how she reframed the 'doubt language' from Google to Claude *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #292: Chenell Basilio — The state of email in 2026, growing your list without social media, and new predictions. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ 🧪 Join The Lab 🧞 Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Riley Brown posted the first TikTok video about ChatGPT the day it launched. It got 20 million views and took him from zero to 200K followers in less than two weeks. Since then, he's built an audience of 1.5 million across platforms, raised $9 million to co-found a vibe-coding startup in San Francisco, and developed a content system so systematic that a single viral video gets reposted across seven accounts every week for the rest of the year. In this episode, Riley shares his philosophy for staying on the edge of any niche, why playing beats structure when it comes to content, how he runs a content operation with two overseas editing agencies and a separate thumbnail designer, and the Twitter strategy — posting viral videos across seven accounts — that tripled his company's revenue in two months. He also makes a strong case for educational screen-share YouTube videos as the single biggest content opportunity right now, and explains why using AI to write your scripts is, in his words, "suicide." Riley Brown on X/Twitter Vibecoding Tella — screen recording tool Riley recommends Typefully — Twitter scheduling tool Riley uses Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) How Riley's first ChatGPT TikTok got 20 million views (04:56) First mover advantage: (07:50) How Riley films his videos (11:24) Why structure made his content worse (13:06) Jay's honest moment (21:33) The case for educational screen-share YouTube videos (26:45) His content strategy (30:43) The seven-account Twitter strategy that tripled revenue (37:37) Gimmicks that actually boost retention (41:00) Why AI writing your scripts is suicide in the long run (42:37) The content farm future and how to survive it (50:14) Platform rankings: where to start today *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #183: Thomas Frank – How to build a successful tutorial channel. #288: He gained 190K Instagram followers in 508 days…but wouldn’t do it again | Yoni Smolyar *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a little different. Michael Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit, with over a million copies sold, reached out and offered to do something I didn't expect: a live coaching session, recorded, here on the podcast. The topic: my delegation issue. Not the tactics (I know the tactics). Something deeper has its foot on the brake. What unfolded was one of the most honest, vulnerable conversations I've had on this show. Michael walked me through the Immunity to Change framework, where we uncovered that I'm getting more out of the status quo than I realize. There are commitments I have to the way things are right now that I haven't even named. We named them. And then we ran small experiments to test whether the things I'm most afraid of would actually come true. The Coaching Habit (10th Anniversary Edition) MBS Works (Michael Bungay Stanier) Box of Crayons Immunity to Change (Kegan & Lahey) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The inner monologue: lack of courage (00:22) Introducing Michael Bungay Stanier — and why this episode is different (01:46) Michael's outreach: 'Your delegation issue is probably hard change, not easy change' (03:24) The setup: Jay's wife is the only other 'full time employee' (08:58) Easy change vs. hard change — and why more tactics won't solve hard change (14:24) Defining the real challenge: more time on the business, not in it (17:26) The embarrassing list: all the things Jay is doing (and not doing) contrary to his goal (22:48) Flipping the script: what would you be worried about if you actually delegated? (26:30) Competing commitments — the foot on the brake even while pumping the accelerator (28:42) 'I'm committed to not let anybody else work in the business' (34:15) The apocalypse: what if it all goes wrong? The deepest fear, named (39:09) Reframe: it's not a lack of courage, it's a protective system (40:15) Small experiments to test the fears, not just grit through them (42:28) Experiment #1: Give Izzy more autonomy and outcome ownership (45:10) Experiment #2: Lead sponsorship conversations, test revenue potential (47:01) Experiment #3: Protect morning time for on-the-business thinking (55:44) 'How fascinating' — shifting physical state to get out of anxiety (59:35) The insight: running toward something vs. running away from something *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #82: Michael Bungay Stanier – How to Begin Setting a Worthy Goal *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 → Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 → Get CreatorHQ 🧪 → Join The Lab 🧞‍♂️ → Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 → Connect on Twitter 📸 → Connect on Instagram 💼 → Connect on LinkedIn 📹 → Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 → View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nir Eyal has spent his career studying why people don't do what they know they should. After writing Hooked and Indistractable, he kept getting a strange kind of call: readers who'd read the book, knew the steps, and still didn't do them. That puzzle led him down a six-year research path into the one variable missing from every motivation model: belief. In this conversation, Nir shares the science behind his new NYT bestseller Beyond Belief, and the framework that explains why knowing what to do is never enough. We go deep on the Motivation Triangle (behavior + benefit + belief), the difference between limiting and liberating beliefs, and why positive thinking and visualization can actually make your goals harder to reach. Nir walks through the turnaround process live—we use my own imposter syndrome as the test case—and you'll hear him demonstrate, in real time, how quickly a belief that feels like a fact can dissolve when you examine it. If belief is the hidden ceiling on your performance as a creator, this episode is the blueprint for raising it. Beyond Belief by Nir Eyal Nir's website — nirandfar.com Full transcript *** TIMESTAMPS (05:36) The Motivation Triangle (07:22) Why information is a solved problem (10:26) Beliefs vs. facts vs. faith (15:48) Limiting beliefs vs. liberating beliefs (21:46) The #1 reason people don't achieve goals (22:59) Why the brain hates changing its mind (31:31) Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (34:27) The turnaround: collecting a portfolio of perspectives (42:24) Talking to Yourself In the Third Person (47:24) The Circle of False Promise (50:00) What athletes actually visualize (53:51) 'Imposter syndrome' is not a real diagnosis (56:10) Your labels become your limits *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #300: I Spent Three Days With A Dozen New York Times Bestselling Authors → #171: Nir Eyal – Writing books, persuasion vs. coercion, and how to be indistractable *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY Creator Science Newsletter Get CreatorHQ Join The Lab Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT Twitter Instagram LinkedIn YouTube *** SPONSORS View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recorded this just a few days removed from an author's mastermind in Franklin, Tennessee. I got a call from Haley at Kit a few weeks ago—she was putting together a small group mastermind with James Clear, and I was on the list. What I didn't expect was that the rest of the list was a dozen New York Times bestselling authors, including Jefferson Fisher, Vanessa Van Edwards, Amy Porterfield, Nir Eyal, Sahil Bloom, Tori Dunlap, and more. Over three days, I took pages of notes. This episode breaks down tactical takeaways (newsletter tours, AI consciousness filters, tiny offers), memorable quotes from the authors, insights on event structure that could inform our Boise event, and my honest reflection on authorship and team building. There was zero gatekeeping—everyone was incredibly generous with what they knew. James Clear's Atomic Habits Will Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality Tori Dunlap episode (Creator Science) Rob Fitzpatrick's helpthisbook.com EOS (Entrepreneur Operating System) Culture Index Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro (00:45) How I got invited (01:39) The Attenddee List (02:40) Psyching myself up (03:14) Notes on the vibes (03:53) What I'll cover Today (04:32) Event structure (09:09) Gifts from James (12:07) Review of Tactics Shared (31:21) Misc. Reflections (37:59) Authors Equity Model (39:44) Quotes I’m Remembering (44:30) Closing *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → Next Episode *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ 🧪 Join The Lab *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram *** SPONSORS → View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Zimmer launched The One You Feed podcast in 2014 with no audience, no name recognition, and a podcast name that took explaining. Twelve years, 850+ episodes, and 500 million downloads later, he released his first book — How a Little Becomes a Lot — a title that is, in every way, the story of his life. In this conversation, we talk about how incremental progress actually works, why you can't see it happening in real time, and why that's actually fine. We also go deep on the business reality of podcasting in 2026 — the early mover advantage is gone, ad CPMs are harder to sustain, and Eric is actively pivoting from reaching many people loosely to serving fewer people more deeply. Then we spend a lot of time in the weeds of the book publishing process: the six-month proposal, the 18 months of writing in half-day increments, the uncomfortable dance between your vision and what an agent and publisher think will sell, and the emotional work of promotion — watching who shows up and who doesn't, and applying his own frameworks to keep from spiraling. This one got personal. I'm in month 11 of my own book proposal, and Eric helped me see the other side of a process that has genuinely been shaking my confidence. The One You Feed podcast How a Little Becomes a Lot by Eric Zimmer Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (02:54) The One You Feed parable: two wolves, and which one wins (05:18) How to remember to make the right choice daily (Still Point method) (07:37) Building a podcast to 850 episodes: the only way is one at a time (10:14) The hair growth metaphor for creator progress (11:36) How Eric renews his commitment to the show after 12 years (13:47) What it means to enter your "happy place" as a podcast host (17:23) State of podcasting in 2026: early mover advantage is gone (19:11) Pivoting from ad revenue to deeper relationships with fewer people (22:38) Why Eric is (mostly) skipping video — and why that's okay (24:58) The three-person team behind 500 million downloads (27:45) How Eric knew it was finally time to write a book (30:24) The writing process: three half-days a week across 18 months (31:09) The proposal took six months — and ended up looking nothing like Eric's vision (34:21) Jay opens up: 11 months into his own book proposal (39:12) Non-negotiables: how to protect the heart of your book (40:35) Expectations vs. reality of book launch week (43:01) The emotional work of asking everyone you know for support (44:47) Why the marketing marathon is harder than the writing (50:55) How to ask for blurbs — and who says yes (Susan Cain, Charles Duhigg, Young Pueblo) (55:51) What Eric would do differently for book two *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#163: David Moldawer — Diving deep into book publishing with an industry insider *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ 🧪 Join The Lab 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearing the end of Q1, I've been doing a lot of reflection on where the creator economy is heading, and where I want to take Creator Science. There's something interesting happening on the ground: the same energy that used to funnel beginners into content creation has largely shifted to AI and vibe coding. And honestly? I think that's a good thing. The people still showing up for this work seem to have their heads and hearts in the right place. In this episode, I walk you through 9 priorities on my mind right now — some tactical, some strategic, some still just ideas. From returning to the 1,000 True Fans model and posting more educational content about trust, to building internal AI tools for Creator Science, redesigning member onboarding, and taking November and December completely off. If you're a creator thinking about where to focus your energy in the back half of 2026, I think there's something here for you. Join The Lab 1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly Subscribe to the Creator Science Newsletter → Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The shifting energy in the creator space (05:01) Overview of 9 priorities for 2026 (05:38) Priority 1: Return to 1,000 True Fans (12:44) Priority 2: Being more outspoken (14:53) Priority 3: Increasing the rate of experiments in business and The Lab (17:45) Priority 4: Updating member and subscriber onboarding (23:52) Priority 5: In-person events and experiences for the broader audience (27:57) Priority 6: Getting more time back — taking November and December off (31:58) Priority 7: Building internal tools for Creator Science (42:59) Priority 8: Fewer, longer-term sponsorship partnerships (44:33) Priority 9: Making contact without expectation (46:52) Full recap of all 9 priorities *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → 48 Hours with Clawdbot (Episode 291) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joy Sullivan is a Portland-based poet who quit her corporate job mid-pandemic and built a thriving creative business through writing carousels on Instagram (115K followers), her Substack "Necessary Salt" (23K subscribers), and a 250-member paid writing community called Sustenance on Circle. She's a former Lab member, and in 2024, she published her first book, Instructions for Traveling West, with Dial Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. What makes her path genuinely unusual: she grew her Instagram predominantly through writing, not video, and she's proof that you can build a real creative business around poetry, which almost nobody does. In this conversation, we get into the tension between craft and platform—her two mantras ("be a poet, not a preacher" and "my vulnerability is not social currency"), her exact Instagram carousel workflow using Canva and ManyChat, why she deliberately walked away from $60K/year in Substack revenue to protect her second book, her controversial take on growing slowly, and what she'd do differently with her first published collection. Plus my own honest reflection on the creative reset I've been living through since my daughter was born. Joy Sullivan Poet Necessary Salt on Substack Sustenance Writing Community Instructions for Traveling West Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Opening quote: “There is no amount of followers worth the sacrifice” (02:08) How Jay describes Joy’s unique approach to building a creative business (02:49) The landscape for writers today — platform pressure meets craft demands (05:19) Why Instagram, not X or LinkedIn, is actually the friendliest platform for writers (08:21) Joy’s two mantras: “Be a poet, not a preacher” + “My vulnerability is not social currency” (11:38) Memorable vs. marketable — and why slow growth protects your art (12:25) Is creating art divorced from performance a privilege or a strategy for newcomers? (14:06) Jay’s biological hard reset after having a daughter — and cosplaying an old self (17:10) The Medusa metaphor: artists weren’t built to withstand this level of visibility (20:30) Reconciling “be a poet” with running a teaching business (22:53) Why certainty is a red flag in 2026 (24:52) Defining “poet” — a container to hold the unsayable (26:00) Instagram vs. Substack: which one she’d keep if forced to choose (27:22) The $60K Substack year — and why she deliberately walked away from it (29:34) How full-time writers actually pay their bills (hint: not book sales) (32:00) Why you should NOT turn on paid Substack subscriptions immediately (34:56) The Instagram carousel workflow: Substack → test → pull excerpts → Canva → ManyChat (39:48) The cat synchronicity moment — and the “scars not scabs” philosophy (44:50) What she’d do differently about her first book (47:31) What she’d change about Substack if she could (48:32) Final advice: fall in love with your craft before chasing an audience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard is the co-founder of 1of10, a research platform built by YouTube strategists, and his team has quietly been behind the scenes for some of the biggest channels on the platform—helping creators accumulate over 2 billion views through a repeatable, data-backed system. In this episode, Richard walks through his complete four-phase ideation system—audience identification, outlier research (using five distinct methods), idea remixing, and validation—and backs every step with real examples. We talk about what happens when the wrong audience floods your channel, why creators should double and triple down on formats that work, and how a single title change took one creator's video from 10,000 views to 150,000. He also shares data from 300,000+ YouTube outliers on the ideal title length (hint: shorter than you think) and where the sweet spots are for video duration across different niches. Save 20% on 1of10 using code JAY20 Schedule a 1of10 Strategy Call Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (01:12) Where 80-85% of YouTube success comes from (01:50) Phase 1: Audience (03:19) When should you start a fresh channel instead of pivoting? (04:09) The danger of going viral with the wrong audience (05:40) Phase 2: Research (07:37) Format vs. Interest Topic (08:00) Method 1: Inside your own channel (10:52) Tripling and quadrupling down (12:33) Method 2: Inside your niche (13:45) Method 3: Adjacent niches (16:00) Method 4: Outside your niche (17:37) The "Japanese Rule" format (20:56) Method 5: External inspiration (22:07) Phase 3: Remixing (23:00) Escalation, inversion, and interest topic replacement (24:10) Viral vectors: concepts that work across all niches (25:28) Phase 4: Validation (27:00) Optimal video duration by niche (30:45) Why long videos are making a comeback (31:39) Total Addressable Viewership (34:36) Titles: Fear, Curiosity, and Desire as the three core drivers (37:17) Data: Title Length (37:51) Three methods for generating title angles (42:11) Thumbnails: Composition and Elements (45:11) It's never too late: title/thumbnail changes (46:10) Live demo: 1of10 thumbnail generator (48:10) The full 1of10 workflow *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #282: David Altizer — How to Make Great Thumbnails (For Non-Designers) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I brought back Becky Pierson Davidson to compare notes on where community is headed — and we found a few areas of disagreement. Becky works with 6, 7, and 8-figure businesses helping them build memberships and courses through design thinking and customer research, and she's seeing a major shift right now: course businesses are slowing down, and the smart ones are pivoting to membership models. The difference? Shared learning experiences are replacing self-paced education. Community is what people stay for. We dig into the real mechanics: how to set expectations that don't feel like a bait-and-switch, why meaningful engagement isn't what most people think it is, the mastermind paradox (increases retention, decreases forum activity), and why in-person events might be the most important retention lever you're not using. Becky's hot take for 2026: content drops are dying. People don't need more stuff — they need connection and programming that moves them forward. Affinity Collective Build with Becky podcast Episode 197: Building Raving Fans (with Becky & Chanel) Circle (community platform) TightKnit (Slack archive plugin) Dreamers and Doers Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (02:35) Defining community as a product, not a growth engine (04:09) Why community is rising as a business model in 2026 (06:02) The reality of transitioning from courses to memberships (08:01) Finding the right community design for your appetite (10:02) How to avoid the bait-and-switch with member expectations (13:06) Value perception vs. value experience (13:57) The smallest viable promise for your sales page (16:44) Where we disagree: transformation vs. community of practice (21:14) Forum design: why fewer spaces wins (23:17) Solving the engagement problem (what meaningful engagement actually is) (25:50) How the best members actually use your community (29:46) The mastermind paradox: retention up, forum participation down (32:09) In-person experiences and the graduation weekend model (36:39) The economics of offline events (39:35) 2026 Hot Take: Content drops are dying (43:07) Retention rethink: Did I get my money's worth vs. Will I next year? (46:04) Why connection drives retention more than results (48:23) Tool stack: Circle 9 times out of 10 (51:14) The future: personalization in community software *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → Episode 197: Building Raving Fans *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Walling is a godfather of the bootstrapped SaaS movement — he's started 6 companies (5 bootstrapped), built and sold Drip for 8 figures, and created the infrastructure behind MicroConf, TinySeed (which has raised nearly $60 million and invested in over 210 SaaS companies), and Startups for the Rest of Us (820+ episodes over 15 years). But here's what surprised me: Rob told me he's more of a creator these days than a software founder. The guy who built and sold an email marketing platform now gets his dopamine from podcasting, writing books, and making YouTube videos. And his experience on both sides gives him a perspective on the vibe coding trend that I think every creator needs to hear. In this episode, we get into the actual mechanics of how Rob runs his business — the team of 11 people, the $100,000-$120,000 monthly payroll, the four brands he wishes were two. We talk about how he eliminated stress from his life through therapy, hiring owner-level thinkers, and handing the project management to someone else entirely. And we have a real conversation about why vibe coding a SaaS product is probably not the opportunity you think it is — even if you have a big audience. This is part 1 of a 2-part episode; part 2 lives on Rob's podcast, Startups for the Rest of Us. → Listen to Part 2 on Startups for the Rest Of Us → Rob Walling on Twitter/X → Rob Walling's YouTube Channel → MicroConf → TinySeed → Drip (Rob's 8-figure exit) → SavvyCal (co-founded by Derek Reimer) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:24) Introduction — why Rob Walling is a unicorn in the bootstrapped SaaS world (02:40) Mapping the full Rob Walling business ecosystem: podcast, MicroConf, TinySeed, books, YouTube (05:15) How Producer Ron keeps the trains running on time across four brands (06:44) Inside the team of 11: roles, full-time commitment, and why Rob stopped hiring part-time (07:53) The psychology of making your first full-time hire (and Rob's 8-year wait for MicroConf) (09:33) Moving from task-level to project-level to owner-level thinkers (10:27) Four brands, two LLCs — the insurance story behind the split and why Rob wants to consolidate (12:18) Why Rob doesn't want his name on everything (and the legacy question) (14:41) Identity shifts: from SaaS founder to serial entrepreneur to content creator (16:31) The vibe coding reality check: why building SaaS is 10x harder than creating content (19:09) Why SaaS churn makes recurring revenue harder than it looks for creators (21:04) The construction analogy: tool sheds vs. skyscrapers and where vibe coding breaks down (24:53) Data from 234 investments: only 10-15% of successful SaaS companies lack a technical founder (27:00) The bigger opportunity for creators: equity partnerships instead of vibe coding (29:00) 'Build your network, not your audience' — why audiences plateau for SaaS growth (31:53) A week in Rob's life: deep work Mondays, advising Wednesdays, and the 329 TinySeed founders (34:00) How Rob eliminated stress: therapy, delegation, and giving up project management (38:46) Hiring for high-functioning: screening for 'Producer Ron'-level operators (41:21) The positive tension of deadline stress and why containers make you ship (43:09) Post-exit motivation: 6 months of comic books, guitar, and getting bored into purpose *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#291: 48 Hours With Clawdbot: How I’m Using It and Initial Reactions *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Michalowicz is the author of ⁠Profit First⁠, which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe to drive profit – Creator Science is one of those companies. Profit First has helped me develop sound financials for my business. He’s also the author of Clockwork, a powerful method to make any business run on automatic, and seven other books as well. With more than 500,000 book sales, all of Mike’s books have the same goal – to help small business owners and eliminate what he calls “entrepreneurial poverty.” Simon Sinek has called Mike “…the top contender for the patron saint of entrepreneurs.” This conversation is divided into halves: The first half explores Mike’s unique model as an author. For each book Mike writes, he partners with a third party to license the frameworks from his books and serve as the done-for-you service provider. This is super uncommon and part of why he’s been so prolific while running a very lean team. So we dig into how that works (and what he’d do differently if he were starting over today). The second half of the conversation is all about writing books. Mike has published nine books since 2008 – including 7 in the last 8 years. So we dig into how he determines what ideas to turn into books and how to write them so quickly. ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ Mike's ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn⁠ *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#176: April Dunford – How self-publishing a book exploded her client service business.⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠ 🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world is changing faster than ever, and sometimes it feels like the old playbooks just aren't working anymore. In this solo episode, I share 12 opportunities I see for creators in 2026—ideas that range from the practical to the philosophical, from the obvious to the genuinely weird. These aren't predictions. They're possibilities. And you don't need to pursue all of them. But keeping a running list of where opportunity exists can help you find the direction that feels most right for you. Some of these ideas might surprise you. Long-form writing making a comeback? In 2026? But I think there's real evidence for it. Others might feel more intuitive—like the continued importance of community, or the value of live learning as self-paced courses lose their luster. And then there are the weirder ones: effortful art, doing the unscalable, being a "good hang." The through-line? In a world racing toward automation and optimization, the most human things are becoming the most valuable. X's Long-Form Writing Competition Substack jay.blog (Jay's Substack) Jay's Writing on Instagram Good Hang Podcast (Amy Poehler) The Lab Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction: Where the opportunities lie in 2026 (01:03) Idea #1: Long-form writing is making a comeback (04:46) Idea #2: Demonstrations and "show don't tell" content (06:37) Idea #3: Verifiable human experiences (why we still watch sports) (08:44) Idea #4: Online community is more important than ever (12:33) Idea #5: Live learning over self-paced courses (15:29) Idea #6: Local media and community building (17:47) Idea #7: AI for normies (niche-specific AI content) (19:41) Idea #8: Effortful art in an AI world (21:54) Idea #9: Being unapologetically yourself (be weirder) (24:29) Idea #10: Doing the unscalable (27:00) Idea #11: Fewer moves, bolder strokes (29:07) Idea #12: Being a good hang (32:03) Recap of all 12 ideas *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #292: Chenell Basilio — The state of email in 2026, growing your list without social media, and new predictions. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm joined by my good friend Chenell Basilio, creator of Growth in Reverse and one of the most thorough newsletter analysts in the space. We spent over an hour diving deep into what's really working in email right now — from the death of newsletter hype to the opportunity hiding in recommendation networks. Chenell shared her framework of "insanely valuable content" (the one thing that matters more than any growth hack), and we got surprisingly honest about using AI to create short-form content from our long-form work. We also tackled the big question: how do you grow an email list if you refuse to use social media? Turns out there are more options than you think — from public homework challenges to old-school guest posting making a comeback. Plus, I introduced a new segment called "Unhinged Questions" where we played kiss, marry, kill with email platforms. Growth in Reverse (Chenell's newsletter) The Dink (pickleball newsletter with great referral program) Lenny's Newsletter (guest posting example) Ship 30 for 30 (public homework example) Tweet 100 (my old challenge that drove email growth) ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (02:21) Email maturity and the end of newsletter hype (05:16) Why CPC advertising doesn't work for small creators (06:08) Chenell's focus: turning recommendation subscribers into fans (09:01) James Clear had 250K subscribers in 2012 (email inflation is real) (11:20) "It's never been easier to reach someone, harder to sustain a relationship" (12:33) "Insanely valuable content" — the one metric that matters (15:28) The struggle with AI-generated content that performs well (20:11) Short-form repurposing: employee vs. AI debate (24:18) What's no longer working: recommendations (before the reframe) (24:53) YouTube to email is massively underrated (29:25) How to grow without social media (5 strategies) (34:50) Public homework challenges (75 Hard, Tweet 100, Ship 30) (43:31) Unhinged Questions: Kiss, Marry, Kill email platforms (44:44) Operating on hunches without data (45:31) "I hate that I'm not doing deep dives every week" *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #147: Chenell Basilio – How the best newsletter operators grow to 50K+ subscribers *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last 48-72 hours, I completely fell down the rabbit hole with a new AI tool called Clawdbot (rebranded TODAY to Moltbot). Instead of my planned episode about what's on my mind in January 2026, I decided to share my raw, unfiltered experience setting up this AI assistant that runs 24/7 and integrates with all my tools. This isn't your typical AI chat interface—it's an always-on assistant I can text through Telegram that proactively handles research, automates workflows, and maintains institutional memory of all my content. I'll walk you through exactly how I discovered it, my security-first setup approach using a virtual private server, the learning curve (spoiler: it took me until 1:30 AM), and the specific ways I'm using it now. From automated guest research and fitness tracking to content ideation from my 300+ podcast transcripts, this tool is changing how I think about AI assistance. But I'm also wrestling with bigger questions about what this means for content creation, human creativity, and where we draw the line on AI-generated work. → Alex Finn video → Learn about Clawdbot → Setup video from Neil Stephenson → Setup video from VelvetShark Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Discovery Through Alex Finn's Video (02:50) What Actually Is Clawdbot? (05:46) Security-First Setup on Virtual Private Server (09:48) Current Integrations: Notion, Oura, Fathom, and More (14:15) Guest Research and Automated Workflows (16:48) Writing Style Analysis Exercise (19:13) Privacy Controls and Fathom Integration (22:54) Security Threats and Ongoing Protection (25:05) Future Plans: Show Notes and Automation (28:38) Should You Use Clawdbot? Technical Requirements (33:16) Costs, Setup Time, and What Can Go Wrong (35:24) The Content Creation Philosophy Question (40:02) Five Types of Content I Still Consume (42:36) How Creators Need to Adapt to AI Reality *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every month inside The Lab, I do what I call a monthly retro. It's short for retrospective. The idea is that, on a regular basis, you look back at what you have just done to learn from it, course-correct, and move forward. So in my monthly retros, I look at the good things that happened, how I performed against my goals, the concerns I currently have, the changes I'm going to make moving forward, and my goals for next month. → Join The Lab → Subscribe to the newsletter → Read my 2025 Year In Review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Reflecting on Growth and Challenges (05:27) Strong Year-End Revenue Insights (07:37) Signature Product Lab Launch (13:35) Life-Changing Chair Experience (16:23) Christmas Joy and New Nanny (19:32) Video Podcasts Drive Higher Engagement (20:53) Podcast Reflections and Hosting Challenges (26:13) Social Detox and Podcast Focus (29:04) Refining Strategy and Delegation (30:51) Prioritizing Quality Over Schedule (34:02) Exciting Updates and Reflections *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Millerd is the author of The Pathless Path, which has earned Paul $325,000 in royalties to date. In the process, Paul turned down a publishing offer from Penguin, one of the major publishers in the industry. Then, in December, Paul decided to double down and produce a new version of The Pathless Path, an ultra-premium hardcover book that is just beautiful. So in this episode, we talk about that decision, the dark side of traditional publishing, the book deal Paul WOULD have taken, and when traditional publishing actually makes sense. → Get The New Hardcover Pathless Path ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paul's Website / Twitter *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro (05:53) Why He Self-Published (08:01) Designing Books Beyond the Obvious (13:13) Money Isn't A Reason to Write (16:54) Book's Success and New Opportunities (20:30) Rejecting Penguin (22:00) Redefining Self-Publishing Potential (25:00) Author Rights and Publishing Deals (30:29) Reviving Unpublished Books (31:33) Publishing Challenges and Opportunities (37:11) Write a Book You Love (39:38) Inside The Pathless Path Hardcover (43:02) Overcoming Doubts, Achieving Success (46:23) Inspired by Steel Brothers (48:43) Direct Sales for Higher Margins (53:04) Amazon Book Bundling Limitations *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#182: Noah Kagan — Behind the scenes of writing (and marketing) Million Dollar Weekend → #163: David Moldawer — Diving deep into book publishing with an industry insider *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few weeks ago, I came across a post on X from a user named Yoni Smolyar. It said, "Posting a video on Instagram every day for 508 days in a row taught me that I never want to do that again." I realized that I had seen and followed Yoni on Instagram, where he has over 190,000 followers. In the process, Yoni built an iPhone app called Brainrot, which had a $10,000 launch that he credits to his social media presence that he built during this daily Instagram posting challenge. In this conversation, you'll hear Yoni's approach to Instagram, what worked for him, why he ultimately says he wouldn't do it again, and why he believes his ex-audience of 20,000 may be more valuable. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Yoni's Website / Instagram / Twitter / Brainrot App / YouTube / TikTok *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) 508 Days of Daily Videos (05:08) Building Habits: A Month In (08:55) From Hesitant Posts to Viral Storytelling (12:35) Documenting My Entrepreneurial Journey (14:07) Speak Your Mind, Hit Record (19:38) Entrepreneurial Journey: Transparency & Growth (21:19) Brainrot: Tackling Phone Overuse (24:42) Overcoming Cringe Through Posting (30:37) Seasons of Steak and Sizzle (32:12) Origins of Social Media Sharing (34:58) Trapped by Public Perception (38:48) Short Form Video's Negative Impact *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#275: From ignoring short-form video to 3.5 billion views | Pat Flynn’s Pokémon juggernaut (Part 1)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I am sharing an episode between Josh hall and myself. Josh hall is a good friend of mine, a business owner, and a creator here in Columbus, Ohio. His business is all about web design and he has a podcast called Web Design Business with Josh Hall, and I was a recent guest. So this is a conversation with Josh as friends, talking about what I've learned over the last year. Plus as a new father, how that has impacted my work and why it's not all sunshine and rainbows, but definitely a choice I would make 10 times out of 10. Subscribe to Web Design Business with Josh Hall 2024 Year in Review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Jay Clouse: Creator Science Insights (06:37) Streamlined Video Content Creation (10:52) Balancing Work, Parenthood, and Time (20:42) Entrepreneurship: Survival and Uncertainty (25:37) Reflecting on Event Insights (28:28) Business Books vs. Viral Posts (34:53) Balancing Timeliness and Evergreen Content (37:59) Struggling with Content Switching (46:17) Balancing Priorities and Podcasts (51:55) Balancing Priorities and Passions (58:36) Low-Priced Offers Drive Sales (01:01:00) Scaling Success with Live Ads (01:06:32) Jay: Creator Science Highlights *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#270: Being a creator and a parent | Jay-Talking with Jay Acunzo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2020, Ankur Nagpal sold his course platform, Teachable, for around $250 million. But he knew that the sale would come with a giant tax bill. So Ankur became obsessed with the tax code, and he wanted to make it easier for everyone to legally operate within it. That led him to discover Solo 401(k)s. So he built a new company called Carry that helps you legally keep more of what you earn and invest it the way you want. This podcast is for informational purposes, and not intended to be financial advice. Please consult a financial advisor about your specific situation. → Get Ankur's Free Tax Guide → Sign up for Carry ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (01:32) Ankur's Crash Course in Tax Law (08:18) Tax Loopholes and Bias (11:02) Solo 401(k) Benefits Explained (14:32) Solo 401(k) Contribution Guidelines (17:46) S-Corp Tax Benefits Explained (20:11) Maximizing QBI Deduction Strategies (23:22) Tax Planning CPA vs Planners (26:29) Solo 401(k) Advantages Explained (31:49) Direct Indexing (32:34) Tax Loss Harvesting Strategy (36:34) Maximizing Retirement Contributions (41:07) Solo 401(k) Tax Planning Deadlines (44:06) Solo 401(k) Setup Guide (46:12) Tax-Saving Strategy Money Markets *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#280: How to LEGALLY Protect Your Channel (YouTube Lawyer Tyler Chou Explains) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before I went on my current podcast guesting hiatus, I sat down with Howie Chan. I met Howie in person earlier this year at Matt McGarry’s Newsletter Marketing Summit. I thought he was fun, friendly, and thoughtful — just like he is in his podcast, Influence Anyone. This podcast is all about applied influence psychology. Each episode, Howie sit downs with experts and practitioners to uncover the hidden psychology that helps you influence yourself (mastering your mindset, habits, and decisions) and get buy-in from others (your team, clients, and audiences.) In this episode, we talk about my recent topic of study: trust. We break down what I’m learning about how trust works, what it looks like to build a trust-first creator business, and why some creators frankly don’t care about that. We also talk about personal branding — Howie dug up a cringe video I made in 2012 — and what I’d do if I were starting over in 2026. Subscribe to Influence Anyone ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Trust, Branding, and Starting Over (05:39) Sentiment and Expectations Scatterplot (12:01) Declining Trust in Modern Society (19:49) Key Traits of Trustworthiness (24:08) Building Trust Through Consistency (27:37) Trust Over Manipulation (35:18) Think Big, Stay Persistent (40:58) Understand Your Audience Through Interviews (43:37) Understanding Buyer Hesitation (51:06) Pushing for Growth and Goals (55:30) Building Trust to Expand Business (01:00:05) Creating Your Own Path *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Tommy. Tommy has a YouTube channel dedicated to helping Americans retire in France. Tommy’s done an incredible job attracting nearly 30,000 subscribers and 2 million views on his channel, but he needed help dialing in his product offer. Tommy is a member of The Lab, my invitation-only membership community for 6-and-7-figure creators. He scheduled a coaching call with me to work out how he can take his growing audience and design his product offers to both serve that audience and bring in serious revenue. This is that coaching call, where we discuss how his membership, cohort-based courses, and retreats to France all work together. → Join the Signature Product Bootcamp → Join The Lab ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tommy's ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro to American to France (06:11) Membership Focus: Retreats or Access? (08:03) Retreats and Membership Marketing Strategy (11:32) Membership Value and Retention (17:18) Time-Bound Experiences & Memberships (20:38) Strategic Event Video Planning (23:04) Ticket Sales Strategies (27:24) How Bootcamps Tie In (28:36) Community Engagement and Membership Disconnect (34:24) Selling Evergreen Memberships (36:22) The Power of Community (40:25) Building Community in New Locations *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#260: Detailed Breakdown: Our First Offline Event (And What We’ll Do Differently Next Time) → #271: Coaching: Helping a Lab member design their product suite | Hot Seat with John McBride *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I’m launching my first-ever Signature Product Bootcamp: A four-week, live course for developing YOUR signature product (that you can sell with confidence for years). Program Dates: December 4, 2025 — December 29, 2025 Registration closes Dec. 1 at 11:59pm PT. → Enroll Now in the Signature Product Bootcamp → Learn More about the Signature Product Bootcamp → Join The Lab ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Creator Science: Signature Boot Camp 06:13 Building Mindshare Through Focus 08:25 Product Clarity Bootcamp 13:01 Building Your Signature Offer 14:07 Bootcamp: Plan, Not Build 17:20 Signature Product Bootcamp Info *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Altizer is the co-creator of Thumbnail Academy and has quickly become one of the most sought-after thumbnail designers around. David’s clients include Kurtis Connor, Jolly, Max Fosh, Hayden Hillier Smith, and now me. David’s thumbnails have earned nearly 350 million views—and in this video, he’ll show you why creating thumbnails is actually easier than you think. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hire David Join Thumbnail Academy David's ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / Twitter / YouTube *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro to David Altizer (05:20) Rule of Thirds Explained (06:26) The Key to Composition (11:07) Special Offer on 1of10 (15:02) Different Styles of Thumbnails (19:39) Clickbait is Good, Actually (22:05) The Key to More Clicks (24:27) Thumbnail Text Strategy (29:44) Learning from Far Side Comics (32:57) Mastering Thumbnails and Outliers (35:41) Working With Thumbnail Designers (45:46) AI's Role in Thumbnail *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#280: How to LEGALLY Protect Your Channel (YouTube Lawyer Tyler Chou Explains) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts! → Subscribe to the newsletter → Join The Lab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I interviewed YouTube legends, Colin and Samir. They are the most influential duo in the creator economy. Today, they talk about how to build a channel that stands the test of time. In this episode, you’ll learn the importance of formats in building a strong brand, how to set your channel up for financial success, and we vent about miscellaneous gripes we all have. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠ Colin and Samir's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The Most Influential Duo on YouTube (01:08) What Are Successful YouTubers Doing Right Now (03:47) Relationship Between Consistency and a Strong Brand (12:38) What Consistency Looks Like in the C&S Brand (16:27) Don’t Commercialize Your Passion (18:51) Turning Your Channel Into a Business (25:52) The Future of Monetization (29:41) YouTubers Are Underselling Themselves to Brands (39:02) Merch as a Revenue Driver Vs Brand Loyalty (41:12) Future of Shorts (44:07) What Happens When Thumbnails Become Less Important (46:41) What’s the Deal with Livestreaming (50:23) Venting to Each Other About the World Around Us (55:46) Learn How to Secure High Paying Brand Deals *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#209: Paddy Galloway – How he makes any niche go viral⁠ → ⁠#164: Jon Youshaei – Ex-YouTube employee shares the best growth advice (that you’ve probably never heard)⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tyler Chou spent nearly two decades as an entertainment attorney in Hollywood, with senior roles at Disney, Skydance, BuzzFeed, before starting her own YouTube channel, which brought her into this world of creators. And today, she helps clients like Sam & Colby, Andy Morris, and Jenny Hoyos stay on the right side of the law. Unfortunately, that’s getting harder (and scarier) all the time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t protect yourself. And Tyler is going to show us how you can start doing so – today. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tyler's Website / Instagram / LinkedIn / TikTok / YouTube *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Meet the Lawyer Saving YouTube Channels (04:35) Music Publishers and Copyright Strikes (09:54) Getting Strikes Removed (13:08) YouTube Strikes and Litigation Process (15:37) How we use 1of10 (20:28) Resolving Copyright Strikes Creatively (21:46) How Creators Misunderstand Fair Use (27:11) Essential Steps for Creator Protection (30:18) Protecting Partnerships from Future Risks (33:15) Protecting YouTube Channel Ownership (37:37) Photo Licensing and Fair Use (41:05) The Upside of Litigation (42:01) Why This Shouldn't Scare You *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#263: Colin & Samir on the future of their channel and the creator economy *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, I am speaking with my dear friend Amanda Goetz. Amanda is my favorite kind of person. She works her butt off, but she's also sensitive and introspective. Her perspective on ambition and how to marry it with family life is baked into her new book, called Toxic Grit, How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have. Amanda is a two-time founder, four-time CMO, and single mom of three. She inspires over 150,000 people every week through her social insights and weekly newsletter Life's a Game. Previously, Amanda founded House of Wise, the luxury wellness brand giving women permission to make space for better sleep, hotter sex, less stress, and more strength. House of Wise was acquired in 2022, and before that, Amanda spent five years at the Knot Worldwide as Head of Brand Marketing. Learn more about Amanda Order Toxic Grit Amanda's Instagram / Twitter / LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Amanda's Inspiring Journey & Book 04:35 Embracing Multifaceted Female Identity 06:30 Rediscovering Authentic Self Needs 11:34 Seeking Validation as a Creator 13:29 Life's a Game Newsletter Launch 18:06 Building a Brand for Publishing 22:39 Industry Feedback and Benchmarks 25:12 First Book Needn't Be Best 29:05 Self-Understanding and Growth Process 31:37 Authenticity and Emotional Maturity 37:00 Authenticity and Creative Energy 40:34 Transitioning to Intimacy Mode 42:57 Mastering Co-Parenting Early 45:23 Trusting Publisher's Title Process 49:05 Focus, Strategy, Connection *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#276: From self-publishing to traditional and becoming a NYT best-seller | Pat Flynn (Part 2) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I want to take you behind the scenes in The Lab this week. Every month I do a retro where I look at the months that just passed, things that went well, things that didn't go well, things that I'm changing because of that. I wanted to share a version of that here on the channel and on the podcast feed, and hopefully by learning more about what's going on in my head, not only do you feel a little bit seen and understood, but maybe it gives you some insight and unlocks something for you in your own business as well. So in this episode, I'll be looking at the last quarter of the year. I want to look at my business, how it's performing so far, and where we're heading. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Quarterly Business Review Insights 06:26 Parenting, Priorities, and Adaptation 08:09 Lab and Book Priorities 11:51 Refocusing on Creator Priorities 15:41 Ambition on My Terms 19:40 Writing, Thinking, and Mimetic Desire 21:40 Content Repurposing Across Platforms 25:56 Content & Product Strategy Update 30:29 Lab Membership Updates & Features 31:54 Making the Book a Success 35:44 Balancing the Perfect Title 38:11 Struggling to Do Less *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#270: Being a creator and a parent | Jay-Talking with Jay Acunzo *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve been a full-time creator for 8 years now and have earned $2,192,000 since 2022. I’ve spent a LOT of time and money experimenting with different ways to make money on the internet, so I’m going to rank them. The best and the worst. I show you 15 different revenue streams and rate them from S to F based on their potential versus the effort required. By the very end of the video, you’ll know which ones are right for you. And at any point, if you agree or disagree, let me know in the comments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:32) AdSense (01:36) Sponsorship & Brand Deals (03:30) Content Memberships (04:30) Done-For-You Services (05:27) Royalties (06:28) 1-to-1 Coaching & Consulting (07:38) Affiliates (09:36) User Generated Content (UGC) (10:17) Group Programs (11:25) Digital Products (12:56) Speaking (14:27) Live Events (15:53) Community Memberships *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#267: When to use low-ticket offers, refund policies, how much I earned in the last 12 months, and my 5-year vision [Ask CS Pt. 1] *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is part two of my recent conversation with Pat Flynn. Pat, is an online business legend, and this is the third time he's been on the show. Pat is the founder of Smart Passive Income. In this episode, we dig into his experience publishing his latest book, Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less. Lean Learning was a New York Times bestseller. Get Pat’s book, Lean Learning ⁠Deep Pocket Monster⁠ ⁠Short Pocket Monster⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pat's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠TikTok⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Reached Goal, Life Unchanged 04:14 Navigating Traditional Publishing Challenges 08:46 Leveraging Connections for Future Opportunities 12:21 Book Launch Strategy Concerns 15:38 Just in Time Learning 19:33 Unexpected Pokemon-Entrepreneurship Crossover 23:06 Multitasking Prevents Entrepreneur Burnout 25:49 Podcast Guesting Boosted Book Launch 29:37 Book Launch and Interview Journey 32:46 Monthly Networking Reflection Ritual 36:27 Collaborative Friendship and Opportunities 37:03 Embracing Abundance, Supporting Each Other 40:31 Leave Feedback on Podcasts *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#275: From ignoring short-form video to 3.5 billion views | Pat Flynn’s Pokémon juggernaut (Part 1) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pat Flynn (also known as Deep Pocket Monster or the Should I Open It Or Should I Keep It Sealed Guy) is the man with the most famous thumbs on the Internet. Pat has been a staple in the online business community for over a decade. But it's his short form Pokemon card series, that launched him to new heights. Today, we're breaking down exactly how he did it from the very beginning. In this episode, we talk about embracing your uniqueness, how to find inspiration, and whether or not he would put shorts and long-form videos on the same channel if he were starting over. Deep Pocket Monster Short Pocket Monster ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pat's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ / TikTok *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The Man Who Solved Shorts (01:39) How SIOIOSIKIS Almost Failed (09:52) Differences Between Short Form Platforms (13:41) Should Shorts Be on A DIFFERENT Channel? (20:58) How to Innovate Formats (25:54) Using Voiceover for Storytelling (33:24) When is it Time to Quit a Project *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#167: Jenny Hoyos – How she averages 10 million views per video (YouTube Shorts) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I'm speaking with my friend Jeff Umbro. Jeff is the founder and CEO of The Podglomerate, which helps you produce, market, and monetize your podcast. The Podglomerate's worked with some of the biggest podcast clients in the world, from creators like me to major brands like Netflix, NPR, PBS, HubSpot, Harvard, Substack, and more. Since its start in 2016, The Podglomerate has grown to represent more than 70 podcasts, accounting for more than 30 million monthly downloads. All that to say, Jeff is legit, and he knows his stuff. One of the things I appreciate most about Jeff is that he's honest and a straight shooter. So, in this episode, we talk about podcast growth, explore both organic and paid growth strategies, Jeff's experience with both, and, of course, I share my experience as well. PodglomerateIntrocastPodrollAdvertise with Acast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeff's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Jeff Umbro: Podcasting Powerhouse 05:42 Innovative Marketing and Networking Strategy 06:33 Niche Show Strategy Planning 10:45 Podcast Audience Growth Strategy 13:39 AI Prompts Drive Web Traffic 17:03 Building Cross-Platform Audience Connections 21:10 Growing Podcast Audiences: Strategy Insights 22:32 Podcast Promotion Over Essays 29:06 Spotify's Editorial and Algorithmic Opportunities 32:03 Apple Podcast Metrics and Exploits 35:24 Spotify's Video Incentive Strategy 38:52 Spotify's Creator Fund Strategy 42:22 Ad Strategies: Effectiveness Varies 45:16 Podcast Advertising & Audience Alignment 47:51 Effective Pixel-Based Attribution Tracking 49:32 Monetizing Podcasts Through Feed Drops 52:56 Pod Roll: Dynamic RSS Episode Inserts 57:28 Affordable Podcast Advertising Platforms *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#212: Dan Misener – How to ACTUALLY grow your podcast (and measure its success) → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#177: Chris Hutchins – A master of podcast growth and building relationships. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm speaking with my friend Jeremy Enns, the founder of Podcast Marketing Academy, an accelerator program that works with scrappy, ambitious creators and brands who are serious about podcast growth. Jeremy and I have a lot in common. We both care a lot about craft design and helping people who are already doing the work. For the last three years, Jeremy has published the Podcast Marketing Trends Report. This is a substantial piece of independent research that he produces about the state of podcast marketing, and it's had a major impact on his business. So in this episode, Jeremy walks us through, step by step, exactly how he puts together this report and how you can do it too. 2025 Podcast Marketing Trends Report Podcast Marketing Academy Tropical MBA #729 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeremy's ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Podcast Growth Rate Insights 09:04 Extreme Projects and PR Opportunities 11:24 Evaluating Report's Relevance and Value 16:47 Securing Sponsorships Through Strong Concepts 24:23 Strengthening Brand through Annual Report 31:27 Avoid Confirmation Bias in Reports 37:26 Curiosity-Driven Research Approach 38:54 Survey Design Skills Essential 46:13 Maximizing Survey Response Rates 51:57 Podcast Performance Analysis Strategies 55:41 DIY Data Visualization Strategy 01:02:51 Podcast Industry Networking Insights 01:06:31 Collaborative Blog Strategy and Podcast 01:12:30 Navigating Data Analysis with AI *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#188: Richard van der Blom – How the man behind the LinkedIn Algorithm Report uses LinkedIn. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another episode of Creator Science. I'm back home now, fresh off a trip to Cleveland for the fourth annual CEX, Content Entrepreneur Expo. While I was there, I caught up with my good friend Justin Moore. Justin is the founder of Creator Wizard, the author of Sponsor Magnet, and the creator of Sponsor Games. He is the sponsorship guy. In this conversation, you'll hear us discuss his book experience. He published his book Sponsor Magnet in January, and I wanted to hear how things are going now, midway through the year. And we talk about my book progress and why I'm thinking so much about writing. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Justin's ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ / Twitter / YouTube / TikTok *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Creator Science with Justin Moore 06:15 Pursuing Book Reviews Diligently 07:59 Strategizing Review Acquisition Campaign 11:00 Navigating Publishing Industry Nuances 13:42 Loss Leader Book Marketing Strategy 18:11 Unexpected Audience Insight 20:25 Book-Based Marketing Strategy Experiment 24:57 Embracing Optimization Over Novelty 29:12 Future Book Strategies and Ideas 32:52 Exploring Traditional Publishing Process 34:06 Seeking Audience Expansion & Flexibility 38:19 Balancing Book Writing Challenges 42:23 Books' Unique Impact on Readers 46:05 AI-Enriched Responses for Business 48:39 Exploring Publishing Opportunities Now 51:09 Talk Next Week *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#239: Justin Moore – What if feels like launching a book and an in-person event at the same time *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another episode of Creator Science. This week, I'm sharing with you a coaching conversation with John McBride. John is the co-founder of Fatherhood Unlocked, which offers digital products and group coaching programs to help high-performing dads level up as leaders, parents, and husbands. This is exactly my jam right now. John is a member of The Lab, and this call is what I refer to as a Hot Seat in The Lab. Hot seats are one-on-one conversations between me and a member. But we invite other members to join the call live and ask questions or share ideas in the chat. In this conversation, you'll hear me talk John through how I'd think about his different options, his ideas, and ultimately prioritize his path moving forward with Fatherhood Unlocked. Join The Lab Learn more about Fatherhood Unlocked ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ John's ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Prioritizing Product Focus for Dads 04:17 Improving Fatherhood Course Conversion 07:26 Targeting Expecting Dads' Challenges 10:41 Fatherhood Readiness Quiz Initiative 13:56 Birth and Postpartum Partner Education 20:00 Post-Baby Relationship Journey Insights 24:01 Optimizing Product Strategy for Fathers 26:06 Simplicity Over Broad Product Suite 31:19 1:1 Coaching Boosts New Dad Program 33:11 Ideal Support for New Dads 37:38 Streamlined Marketing and Upselling Strategy 41:46 Bundle Upgrade Incentive Strategy 42:59 Defining Your Brand's Signature Product 48:09 Quiz-Driven Upselling Strategy 50:07 Help Us Reach 500 Ratings *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#270: Being a creator and a parent | Jay-Talking with Jay Acunzo *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another episode of Creator Science. We have a different type of episode this week. I recently shared some stories on my social media about being a dad, and my good friend Jay Acunzo reached out and said we should do an episode talking about being parents and creators. I thought that was a great idea because, as I have spent the last year as a father, it's become so much more obvious to me that the voices in the space we pay attention to are not parents and do not quite have the same constraints and priorities that parents do. If you are a parent and you're doing this creator thing and you feel crazy because it seems like everyone has more time and can do a lot more than you are, you might find this to be an enjoyable, relatable listen. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jay's Website / Instagram / LinkedIn / YouTube *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Parent-Creator Insights with Jay Acunzo 05:57 Life Sprinting: Parenting & Entrepreneurship 08:42 Distracted Parenting Moment 13:20 Transformational Life Experiences 14:46 From Creation to Management 20:12 Parenting and Career Amid Pandemic 23:58 Parenting Pioneers Among Peers 24:37 Blank Canvas vs. Paint By Numbers 28:25 Balancing Business and Relationship Priorities 32:22 Fatherhood and Social Connections 36:09 Balancing Work, Parenting, and Storytelling 37:47 Embracing Efficiency in Parenthood 43:32 Parenthood Deepens Understanding of Parents 46:31 Balancing Parenthood and Business Identity 47:47 Embracing Simplicity in Content Creation 52:18 Combining Friend Groups Dilemma 54:35 Balancing Public Persona and Family *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#251: Behind the Scenes: What I’m quietly working on *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another episode of Creator Science. This is part two of our July edition of Ask Creator Science. I asked for your questions about your business or mine on all of our different social platforms. Here in part two, we're going to answer all of the LinkedIn questions. We had several dozen, so I'm going to get through as many as I possibly can. They are insightful, they're quirky, they're into the nitty gritty, and I'm excited to share all of those answers with you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #267: When to use low-ticket offers, refund policies, how much I earned in the last 12 months, and my 5-year vision [Ask CS Pt. 1] *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Optimizing LinkedIn Posts for Success 08:58 From Freelance to Productization 15:23 Evolving from Content to Business 19:52 Identify and Build Signature Product 23:54 Reflective Business Planning Insights 30:47 Content Investment Strategy Concerns 36:17 Boosting Podcast Retention with Titles 40:34 AI's Impact on Creative Process 44:28 Reluctance to Clone for Chat 50:28 Creating Niche Interest Communities 56:55 Exploring Solo Content for Growth 01:02:31 AI-Proofing: Prioritize Exclusivity and Community 01:06:07 Balancing Work, Exercise, and Social Media *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#267: When to use low-ticket offers, refund policies, how much I earned in the last 12 months, and my 5-year vision [Ask CS Pt. 1] → #260: Detailed Breakdown: Our First Offline Event (And What We’ll Do Differently Next Time) → #192: I coached Ali Abdaal on building a membership. → #188: Richard van der Blom – How the man behind the LinkedIn Algorithm Report uses LinkedIn. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Schlichter is no ordinary YouTuber. He doesn’t do challenges or video essays. He talks about appliances and makes a LOT of money doing it, but not in the way you think. In this episode, we talk about, what you’re missing out on by not using YouTube Shop, how to effectively use your videos to sell products, and when you should start making your own products. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠ Benjamin's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The Appliance Repairman Making Millions (01:16) The Economics of an Appliance Channel (04:20) The YouTube Shopping Program (13:33) How to Use Affiliate Links to Sell (19:33) Ideation Strategy to Sell More Effectively (21:46) What Content Converts the Best? (23:58) Secret to Getting People to Click Links (27:19) SEO Oriented Packaging and Descriptions (29:12) Creators Are the Distributors of Attention (32:25) Traffic Source Data and Chapter Title Importance (35:09) The Maytag Uniform (38:05) When to Start Diversifying Your Channel *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#179: Justin Moore – A step-by-step strategy to get anyone sponsored, regardless of audience size. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another episode of Creator Science. I am here in the home studio, and I figured we are overdue for an episode of Ask Creator Science, where I dive into your questions from different social media platforms. We have several dozen questions, and I'll do my best to cover as many as I can. We have product questions, content questions, business strategy questions, and personal questions. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Content Strategy and Audience Growth 03:36 Email Focus and Personal Well-being Practices 06:47 Tiered Lab Strategy Explained 10:46 Three-Tier Educational System Overview 13:51 Effective Membership Launch Strategies 17:01 Boost Newsletter Signups with Signatures 22:49 Early Stage Creator Strategies 25:32 Effective Pricing and Sponsorship Strategy 26:44 Sponsorship Value vs. Refund Policies 29:45 Importance of Refund Policies 35:31 Start Luxury, Then Expand Downmarket 40:07 Value-Driven YouTube Strategy 41:16 Audience Engagement Over Growth 44:56 Conference Networking: Make One New Friend 50:26 Focus on Membership Growth 51:17 Future Marketing: Master One Medium 54:37 Master One Platform for Success 59:24 LinkedIn Q&A Part Two *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#259: My numbers from May 2025 [From The Lab] *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

→ Watch my episode with Nathan Barry → Subscribe to the Nathan Barry Show → ⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠ → ⁠Join The Lab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a bonus episode of Creator Science. I was recently interviewed on the Niche Pursuits podcast hosted by Jared Bauman. He wanted to get into the nitty-gritty about how we built The Lab, our membership community, and how that 200-member community became a $400,000+ property in the business. In this episode, they asked great questions and I was able to get really specific. So, if you're considering a community or membership, this will certainly help you think about how to design it and build something that becomes a great little engine for your business, as it has for mine. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Niche Pursuits ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Building a $400K Community 03:23 Evolving Entrepreneurship Perspectives 06:26 "Pioneering Mastermind Communities Online" 10:04 Sustainable Small Creator Community 14:43 Success Through Consistent Visibility 17:41 "Embrace Accountability, Achieve Goals" 20:35 "Strategic Attention and Revenue Alignment" 24:58 "Content's Role: Passing the Regret Test" 27:36 "Building Valuable Peer Relationships" 30:02 Capped Membership Growth Strategy 35:57 Evaluating Recurring Revenue Viability 36:48 Sustaining Membership Engagement 42:29 Reducing Churn with Annual Memberships 45:04 "Importance of Valuing Membership Renewals" 46:41 "Creating Value Beyond Entry" *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#192: I coached Ali Abdaal on building a membership *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts! → Watch the tour of my basement studio → Subscribe to the newsletter → Join The Lab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I interviewed YouTube legends, Colin and Samir. They are the most influential duo in the creator economy. Today, they talk about how to build a channel that stands the test of time. In this episode, you’ll learn the importance of formats in building a strong brand, how to set your channel up for financial success, and we vent about miscellaneous gripes we all have. ⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠ Colin and Samir's ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The Most Influential Duo on YouTube (01:08) What Are Successful YouTubers Doing Right Now (03:47) Relationship Between Consistency and a Strong Brand (12:38) What Consistency Looks Like in the C&S Brand (16:27) Don’t Commercialize Your Passion (18:51) Turning Your Channel Into a Business (25:52) The Future of Monetization (29:41) YouTubers Are Underselling Themselves to Brands (39:02) Merch as a Revenue Driver Vs Brand Loyalty (41:12) Future of Shorts (44:07) What Happens When Thumbnails Become Less Important (46:41) What’s the Deal with Livestreaming (50:23) Venting to Each Other About the World Around Us (55:46) Learn How to Secure High Paying Brand Deals *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#209: Paddy Galloway – How he makes any niche go viral → #164: Jon Youshaei – Ex-YouTube employee shares the best growth advice (that you’ve probably never heard) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts! → Subscribe to the newsletter → Join The Lab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts! → Subscribe to the newsletter → Join The Lab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Michalowicz is the author of ⁠Profit First⁠, which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe to drive profit – Creator Science is one of those companies. Profit First has helped me develop sound financials for my business. He’s also the author of Clockwork, a powerful method to make any business run on automatic, and seven other books as well. With more than 500,000 book sales, all of Mike’s books have the same goal – to help small business owners and eliminate what he calls “entrepreneurial poverty.” Simon Sinek has called Mike “…the top contender for the patron saint of entrepreneurs.” This conversation is divided into halves: The first half explores Mike’s unique model as an author. For each book Mike writes, he partners with a third party to license the frameworks from his books and serve as the done-for-you service provider. This is super uncommon and part of why he’s been so prolific while running a very lean team. So we dig into how that works (and what he’d do differently if he were starting over today). The second half of the conversation is all about writing books. Mike has published nine books since 2008 – including 7 in the last 8 years. So we dig into how he determines what ideas to turn into books and how to write them so quickly. ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ Mike's ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn⁠ *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#176: April Dunford – How self-publishing a book exploded her client service business.⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠ 🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Creator Science! In this special “Offline Recap” episode, host Jay Clouse takes us behind the scenes of The Lab’s very first in-person event—now officially dubbed “Lab Offline.” After years of thriving as an online community, this was a bold experiment to bring members together face-to-face in Boise, Idaho. Jay walks us through every step—how he chose the event style based on direct member feedback, the unexpected venue logistics (including a nerve-wracking run-in with a $43,000 hotel contract), the financial ups and downs, and the nuts and bolts of thoughtful event design. He shares candid lessons on budgeting, planning, creating meaningful connections, and gathering feedback, with plenty of wins and a few honest hiccups along the way. You’ll hear what made the event unforgettable for attendees, the feedback that will shape future editions, and Jay’s vision for making these gatherings a cornerstone of the Creator Science community. Whether you’re curious about community building, event planning, or just want inspiration for creating deeper connections in your own work, you’ll find a treasure trove of insights in this episode. So sit back and enjoy this honest, insightful look inside the evolution of Creator Science’s Lab Offline experience! ⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Event Planning Success Breakdown 05:28 Event Duration and Attendance Insights 07:11 Understanding Event Cost Drivers 10:13 Negotiating Group Hotel Rates 16:21 Last-Minute Event Adjustments Summary 18:32 Learning from Event Expenses 21:31 Event Planning for Meaningful Gatherings 26:46 Business Event: Sharing & Mastermind Activities 28:06 Facilitating Collaborative Interactions 33:16 Event Preparation and Dietary Feedback 37:25 "Event Planning Improvements" 40:08 Event Planning: Duration and Logistics 42:38 Event Prep: Lessons Learned 45:53 International Community Event Plans *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#221: Ryan Hawk – Anatomy of a $12,500 membership earning $400,000+ per year → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#232: Dan Andrews – Secrets of building a 1300-member, international community (with in-person events) → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#248: Justin Moore - Lessons from hosting his first 3-day event *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Creator Science! In this special episode, host Jay Clouse pulls back the curtain on his business with a transparent look at his May Retro—an in-depth monthly review where he walks through key metrics, goals, wins, challenges, and behind-the-scenes decisions. You’ll get a firsthand listen to the kind of content usually reserved for The Lab community, as Jay shares real revenue numbers, growth strategies, creative experiments, and honest reflections about everything from team building to business structure to personal growth. Whether you’re curious about what drives Creator Science or looking for inspiration and practical insights to apply to your own creative journey, this episode delivers a candid, actionable tour through the ever-evolving world of modern content entrepreneurship. If you enjoy going behind the scenes, you’ll love this one—let’s dive in! ⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Event Planning Amid Illness 05:41 Course Sales Surge with Email Automation 09:26 "X Content Repurposing Success" 10:15 Shifting Focus: YouTube Over Social Media 15:50 Family Vacation & Home Updates 18:43 Over-Budget Event: Trust Seminar Dilemma 20:31 Crafting Trust: A Vital Skill 24:39 "Expanding Offline Community Effectively" 26:17 Tool Upgrades and Membership Strategy *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#258: Q&A: Goals for our YouTube videos, determining when a new offer is a distraction, validating a product idea, and more *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Creator Science! In this special episode, host Jay Clouse takes listeners behind the scenes of the The Lab’s vibrant community. Fresh off organizing The Lab’s first-ever major in-person event in Boise, Jay shares a candid update about creating real-world connections among full-time creators and what these gatherings mean for the future of The Lab membership. But that’s just the beginning. This episode is a front-row seat to the magic that happens during The Lab’s monthly office hours. Jay and a panel of talented creators—including Tom Burden, Pat Gostek, Anna Reich, Travis Ference, Anais Cisneros, and David Fortin—engage in open, practical discussions about growing a creator business. They tackle real-world questions: how to think about the purpose behind each video, launching masterminds without losing focus, building community vs. courses vs. memberships, and the ever-elusive challenge of monetizing as a creator in today’s landscape. Plus, you’ll hear smart strategies for product validation, content creation during market research, and best practices for leveraging email marketing and CRM tools. Whether you’re a growing creator or an established entrepreneur, this episode is packed with honest insights, actionable ideas, and a glimpse into the supportive space that makes the The Lab unique. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to be part of this community—or how to take your creator business to the next level—you won’t want to miss this one. ⁠Join The Lab ⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Lab Membership Events and Opportunities 05:13 Tailoring Content for Specific Goals 06:47 YouTube Audience Engagement Strategy 11:08 Mastermind Group Pricing Dilemma 14:41 Done-for-You Video Expertise 17:55 Mastermind Group Launch Strategy 21:31 Pricing Strategy Gap Analysis 25:47 LinkedIn Posting Frequency Insights 29:17 Courses vs. Community: Balance Concerns 33:05 "Assessing Membership Value Elements" 36:28 Monetizing Creator Business Strategies 40:37 Marketing Community Value to Busy Clients 42:19 "Sell the Map Via Social Proof" 47:36 Email Marketing Tools Compared 49:40 Organizing Ideas with Purpose *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#246: Planning for a recession, my approach to email, increasing customers, and finding your partner [Ask Creator Science] *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Creator Science! In this special Strategy Hour episode, host Jay Clouse flips the script as a guest on Abagail Pumphrey’s acclaimed podcast, Strategy Hour. Abagail, the founder and CEO of The Boss Project, dives into Jay’s fascinating journey from startup founder to creative entrepreneur—exploring how he built a thriving newsletter business, fostered an engaged community, and navigated the ever-evolving creator landscape. Together, they break down what it really means to grow an audience with intention, why consistency trumps fleeting viral moments, and how creators can build businesses that last. Jay pulls back the curtain on his process, from his early days writing daily emails to building a sustainable business rooted in genuine connection and trust. You’ll also hear their takes on the future of courses, the role of AI and community in online business, and the importance of slow, steady growth. If you’re craving real talk about surviving (and thriving) as a creator—plus actionable tips on how to treat your newsletter as your most valuable product—this episode is for you. Stick around for an insightful conversation that’s both inspiring and refreshingly honest, and be sure to check the show notes to subscribe to Strategy Hour for more entrepreneurial wisdom! Subscribe to The Strategy Hour ⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 "Exploring Uncharted Podcast Territory" 04:44 "Insights on Becoming a Creator" 07:10 Promoting Newsletter via Events & Email 11:58 Audience vs. Crowd: Content Focus 15:38 Newsletter: Business Stability Anchor 16:36 Social Media Engagement Challenges 22:32 Slow Path to Sustainable Business 26:10 "Coping with Online Fame's Pressure" 30:04 Twelve-Week Group Pricing Plan 30:34 Pioneering Cohort-Based Learning 33:53 AI's Impact on Online Courses 38:48 Innovate or Strategize for Success 40:31 "Invaluable Insights and Connections" *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#247: How you can plan for growth in 2025 *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Manson is an entrepreneur and author of the best-selling book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Mark's entrepreneur-first approach has enabled him to speed-run his YouTube success, gaining 2,600,000 subscribers in just two years. In this episode, we break down Mark's approach to YouTube, from content strategy to setting up his channel for long-term success. ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ Mark's ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn⁠ / ⁠TikTok⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) YouTubers and Business (01:13) Why Do YouTubers Suck at Business? (10:14) Make Brainstorming Ideas Easy with 1of10 (11:50) How to Turn Your Channel into a Business (15:55) When to Make the Transition (24:43) When Maximizing Views is Bad (27:31) The Case For Not Taking Brand Deals (35:33) 1st Step to Take (37:48) Futureproofing Your Channel *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#179: Justin Moore – A step-by-step strategy to get anyone sponsored, regardless of audience size⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠ 🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Creator Science! In this solo episode, I’m inviting you directly into the whirlwind that is my mind these days. From the outside, it might look like I’ve got things under control—but as I share straight from my journal, the reality is a constant tug-of-war between where my energy wants to go and where my time needs to be spent. I open up about the challenges of juggling my main business, the demands of being a new dad, and my excitement (and uncertainty) around a big experiment: writing a book proposal. You’ll hear my unfiltered reflections on feeling pulled toward deep, meaningful work—like research, writing, and evolving my community—while also handling the business operations that keep everything running. In this episode, I walk through the practical framework I’ve developed—concentrate, eliminate, consolidate, automate, and delegate—that’s helping me re-evaluate how I spend my time and create space for what feels truly alive for me right now. I’ll break down the tough choices, the things I’m letting go of (goodbye, social media expectations!), and my vision for building a stronger, more connected Creator Science community. If you’re grappling with too many competing priorities or searching for ways to prioritize your highest-energy projects, this episode is for you. Join me as I process all of this in real time—because I suspect, as creators, you might be feeling some of these same tensions too. ⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Uncertain Book Proposal Journey 04:05 Balancing Book Project and Business 07:26 Balancing Time for Book and Lab 11:10 Follow Your Passion and Fitness 13:55 Focus on In-Person Experiences 19:24 "Reevaluating Social Media Dependency" 20:23 Rethinking Social Media Strategy 26:37 Community Coaching Sessions Live 27:32 "Hot Seat Podcasts Introduction" 31:06 Selective Sponsorship Criteria 35:52 Delegating Community Management Tasks 37:43 Sponsorship Strategy and Event Planning 40:53 "Embrace Trade-Offs and Compromises" *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠#251: Behind the Scenes: What I’m quietly working on⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Koe, Justin Welsh, and I joined Substack in the last couple of weeks. In this episode, I explain what’s going on, my own motives, and why you should (or shouldn’t) consider making the same move. → Read Why I Joined Substack → Subscribe to my Substack ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#251: Behind the Scenes: What I’m quietly working on *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠ 🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caleb Ralston is a strategist and brand builder for some of the biggest names in business. His breakthrough was back in 2018 when he grew GaryVee’s TikTok from 300k to 3.5 million followers in just 3 months. In 2022 he joined Alex and Leila Hormozi’s team as content employee #1, where he grew their audience from 1.2 million to 11.5 million. Caleb just doesn’t miss – and now that he’s out on his own, he’s here to help YOU. In this episode, you'll learn the content strategy he used, how to improve your content, and where to start if you're feeling overwhelmed. ⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠ Caleb's ⁠⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ / Instagram *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The Secret Man Behind GaryVee and the Hormozi’s (01:11) How Often Do the Top 1% Post? (03:31) The Brand Journey Framework (05:18) Being Intentional With Your Content (08:51) Is It Possible to NOT Niche Down? (13:55) Say the Same Things in Different Ways (18:07) Tracking and Analyzing Data (22:36) Maintaining Quality While Increasing Quantity (24:27) What it Actually Takes to Perform like the 1% (27:21) Where to Start (30:22) Building a Personalized Team (34:54) Agency vs Full Time vs Contractor (41:58) Developing a Content Strategy (45:15) Width Content vs Depth Content (46:55) Scaling Trust Using Educational Content (50:02) Best Call to Action Strategy (52:10) Email and Web Traffic Strategy (55:27) How Caleb is Going About Hiring His Own Team (58:53) The Correct Way to Give Feedback to Your Team (1:03:17) How to Take Inspiration from Others (1:04:55) Which Platform Has the Biggest Opportunity (1:06:57) Audio Content Strategy (1:08:47) Why You Need to Collaborate with Others *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠#175: Angus Parker – Ali Abdaal’s right-hand man shares a YouTuber’s guide to hiring. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ 🟢 ⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will AI destroy our education businesses? In this video, I talk with Mark Shust. Mark has taught nearly 15,000 developers Magento through his education company M.academy. Mark is a member of The Lab and one of the first creators I saw locking arms with AI and implementing it into his business rather than running from it. We discuss the future of AI and creators, and how to stay ahead. → Join Mark and me in The Lab ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ Mark's ⁠Website / Twitter / LinkedIn / YouTube *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Should You Be Worried? (04:01) How to Get Better at Using AI (07:42) Get Viral Video Ideas at the Touch of a Button (09:07) AI as a Teacher (18:05) Will AI Replace Educators? (21:45) How to Use AI to Your Advantage (27:12) SEO in the Age of AI (31:45) AI and Trust (37:51) How AI Changes Course Businesses (40:47) How AI Impacts Professional Development & Training (44:15) Community & Being Human is the Competitive Advantage *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#184: Amy Porterfield – Her step-by-step process for MASSIVE product launches. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠ 🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts! → Subscribe to the newsletter → Join The Lab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I'll be sharing a little behind the scenes of what's happening in my world. What am I spending time on? What's the latest? And give you a little bit of a peek under the hood. I know I enjoy it when I hear some of my favorite podcast hosts give a behind-the-scenes, a state of the business. And I thought maybe you'd like that too. So that's my intention here with this episode, to give you a look at what's going on in the world of Creator Science and the Clousehold as a whole. Full transcript and show notes → Join The Lab → Watch me build my Signature Product Course → Subscribe on Substack *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #250: One of my favorite questions for finding clarity *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonny Miller is the creator of Nervous System Mastery. It teaches evidence-backed protocols to cultivate calm, build resilience, and increase aliveness in 45 days. It’s a five-week, cohort-based course that is just wrapping up its sixth cohort in the last three years. In those six cohorts, Jonny has served nearly 1,000 students and earned more than $800,000. Here’s the best part – Jonny doesn’t have a massive audience. When he launched Nervous System Mastery, he had a couple thousand followers on Twitter and a small email list. This is the magic of a well-designed Signature Product – and Jonny is the perfect example. In this episode, we get into the weeds about how he’s grown NSM – what’s worked well, what hasn’t, and how he’s found himself on large podcasts with people like Lenny Rachitsky, Ali Abdaal, Chris Williamson, and more. → Join Nervous System Mastery Full transcript and show notes Jonny's Website / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #221: Ryan Hawk – Anatomy of a $12,500 membership earning $400,000+ per year *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I had a coach once upon a time, and he told me that our greatest strengths are often our greatest weaknesses. I think that applies to creators because we are so creative that we easily get inspired by new ideas. We've proven to ourselves time and time again that we can create something out of thin air. So when we have a new idea that we get excited about, it can be tempting to dive all in on that idea, which creates this challenge: if I have a bunch of ideas, how do I choose where I should allocate my time and resources? The core problem here is that if you don't know your destination, it is impossible to get directions. This great saying says you can get to where you're going just by following the length of your headlights. You don't have to see the entire road to get to a place. So, just this past week, I was speaking with a member of the lab. The question was, I have options A or B, so which one should I do? And I asked this person, imagine it's three years in the future. Everything went as well as it possibly could have. What does that look like? Full transcript and show notes *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #247: How you can plan for growth in 2025 *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chase Jarvis is an American photographer, director, artist, and entrepreneur. From April 2014 until July 2022 Jarvis was the chief executive officer of CreativeLive, an online education platform that he co-founded in 2010. I’ve been a long-time listener of Chase’s podcast, the Chase Jarvis Live Show, and actually wrote him down as one of my ideal podcast guests when I started this show all the way back in 2020. So this is a full circle moment for me. This week, Chase is releasing his newest book, Never Play It Safe – A Practical Guide to Freedom, Creativity, and a Life You Want. I’ve pre-ordered my copy and I’ve read the first chapter, and recommend you do the same. This conversation is about thinking bigger, taking risks, and getting out of your own way. I left feeling more relaxed, inspired, and fully recharged. I hope you do, too. Order Never Play it Safe Read the first chapter Full transcript and show notes Chase's Website / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #153: Tina Roth Eisenberg – Building Creative Mornings into a global brand *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts! → Subscribe to the newsletter → Join The Lab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, my good friend and frequent podcast guest, Justin Moore, hosted his first in-person event, Sponsor Games. It was three days designed to help people master their sponsorship pitch, get expert coaching in real-time, connect with fellow creators, and land repeat brand deals. If you remember the last conversation between Justin and I, he was launching his book and feeling a little nervous about planning this event. I was excited to join him in San Antonio for Sponsor Games, but unfortunately, I got sick and I had to cancel my trip. So, as a consolation prize, Justin agreed to stop by the show, close the loop on his experience organizing this event, and brain-dump all the learnings he had along the way. Full transcript and show notes Sponsor Magnet Justin's Website / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube / TikTok *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #239: Justin Moore – What if feels like launching a book and an in-person event at the same time *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are almost a quarter through 2025. This is a good time to look against your goals for the year, take stock, and say, how are things tracking a quarter through the year? Do I need to refocus, redirect, and reallocate to hit these goals I set earlier in the year? Or, in some cases, maybe your goals have changed. I typically judge the health of my business on revenue and profitability. And for a little behind-the-scenes, I'm taking some big bets in the business this year and investing a lot of dollars into those bets. As I look at this new future where we're investing more in video and we're investing in audience growth and better content, I am asking myself, how do I increase revenue in 2025? And maybe you are asking yourself the same thing. So, in this episode, I'm going to talk about my plan for increasing revenue in 2025, give you some specific examples of how I'm thinking about that in my business, and maybe that will inspire you a little bit, too. Full transcript and show notes *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #177: Chris Hutchins – A master of podcast growth and building relationships. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I'm recording for the first time in the brand-new Creator Science home studio. Kevin Shen's team came out and visited the house, put the finishing touches on setting up the studio and it is glorious. I'm so excited to have this just steps away every moment of the day to come down here and record. I feel like this is going to be truly life and business-changing. So, I thought this would be a great opportunity to do another listener Q&A episode. I've been asking for questions this morning on social media and in email, and I will be answering them here in this episode. Full transcript and show notes *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #227: Are memberships still viable in 2025? Creators vs. AI, creator economy pyramid schemes, and more [Ask Creator Science] *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Katelyn Bourgoin is the founder of Customer Camp and the writer behind the buyer psychology newsletter, Why We Buy, which has nearly 75,000 subscribers.  Katelyn is also the co-creator of a couple of great products. The first being Unignorable, a 36 day group challenge designed to help you build an audience of future buyers. That's a collaboration with the Demand Curve team. And the second is Wallet Opening Words, 26 and a half science-backed copywriting techniques. That's a collaboration with friend of the podcast, Phil Agnew.  So in this episode, you'll learn Katelyn's approach to short form writing Why she treats her content like a chocolate covered almond The risk that comes with accounts getting too big And what she would do differently the next time she launches her cohort program Full transcript and show notes Katelyn's Twitter / Unignorable / LinkedIn *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #157: Phill Agnew *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Hawk is a keynote speaker and the host of the Learning Leader Show. The show has been listened to by millions of people in more than 150 countries, and Forbes called it, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” He’s also the author of Welcome to Management: How To Grow From Top Performer To Excellent Leader. Ryan is actually a repeat guest—he was first on the show in episode #61 to talk about his podcasting journey. He’s become a friend and someone I really admire for his intentionality and the way he shows up for others—his friends, his family, and his community. Ryan’s business isn’t built on podcast advertising, as one may expect. It’s actually built on what he calls Leadership CIRCLES. These are groups of 10-15 people that he hand-selects for a group learning experience. They meet once per month on Zoom and once per year in person. In this episode, Ryan breaks down the specifics of how he runs these programs, prices them, and plans to grow them. We even workshop some of his questions on the fly. → Listen to my first episode with Ryan → Join The Lab Full transcript and show notes Ryan's Website / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / LinkedIn *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #187: Michael Stelzner – How to run profitable events (without sponsors or selling from the stage) → #144: Bari Baumgardner – How to create the perfect 3-day event (IRL or virtually) → #206: How I’d approach hosting in-person events *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Brock Johnson is an Instagram growth coach with nearly 800,000 followers. Brock has grown his Instagram by 1,000 followers per day, for the last two years. He's helped thousands of people improve their Instagram through one-on-one coaching and his membership, the InstaClub Hub. In this episode, I ask Brock a lot of my basic questions, like how often to post and whether scheduling has a negative impact, and some more nuanced questions, like how to move people off of Instagram. Full transcript and show notes Brock's Website / Instagram / TikTok *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #229: Natasha Willis – $70M from automated Instagram DMs *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Manson is an entrepreneur and author of the best-selling book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Mark's entrepreneur-first approach has enabled him to speed-run his YouTube success, gaining 2,600,000 subscribers in just two years. In this episode, we break down Mark's approach to YouTube, from content strategy to setting up his channel for long-term success. Full transcript and show notes Mark's Website / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / LinkedIn / TikTok *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) YouTubers and Business (01:13) Why Do YouTubers Suck at Business? (10:14) Make Brainstorming Ideas Easy with 1of10 (11:50) How to Turn Your Channel into a Business (15:55) When to Make the Transition (24:43) When Maximizing Views is Bad (27:31) The Case For Not Taking Brand Deals (35:33) 1st Step to Take (37:48) Futureproofing Your Channel *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #179: Justin Moore – A step-by-step strategy to get anyone sponsored, regardless of audience size *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lara Acosta is one of the fastest-growing creators on LinkedIn. She specializes in personal branding and teaching people how to tell short stories in their posts. As a result of her SLAY framework (which you’ll hear about in this conversation), Lara has generated tens of millions of impressions on LinkedIn. In this episode, Lara teaches us her secrets to growth on LinkedIn, her outlook on the future of video on the platform, how she thinks about the opportunity of Company Pages, and more. Full transcript and show notes Lara's Website / LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Twitter *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #188: Richard van der Blom – How the man behind the LinkedIn Algorithm Report uses LinkedIn. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Valerie Feghali is a member of our membership community, The Lab. She impressed me immediately – and during my paternity leave, she hosted a workshop inside The Lab about how she’s used paid ads to grow her business. Namely, she used paid ads to convert to paying customers for a low-priced membership, generating enough revenue to cover the ad spend while also growing her email list. Her story gets even more incredible because just a few years ago, she was a wellness coach serving clients 1:1. But she quickly transitioned from being a wellness coach to empowering *other* wellness coaches with all of the tools and resources she had built for her own service business. She then went a step further by turning those resources into a custom-built web app that she sells as a monthly subscription. And her retention is through the roof. Valerie has a fantastic story, and you’ll hear how she made these transitions, how she thinks about paid ads, and what it took to build her software. Full transcript and show notes Valerie's Website / Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #221: Ryan Hawk – Anatomy of a $12,500 membership earning $400,000+ per year *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Moore is a sponsorship coach who has generated over $5,000,000 in brand partnerships. As a full-time creator since 2014 and a former influencer marketing agency owner, he brings unique insider knowledge of how brands evaluate and select their ideal partners. Through his school, community, and latest book, Sponsor Magnet, Justin shares proven frameworks for attracting, pricing, and executing lucrative brand deals with a mission to help creators big and small land one million paid sponsorships. Justin's first-ever book is now available for purchase. It's called Sponsor Magnet: How to Attract, Price, and Execute Your Dream Brand Partnerships. I was an early reader of Sponsor Magnet, and I enthusiastically endorsed this book. In this conversation, we get candid about the highs and lows of writing this book, including launching it just ahead of his first-ever in-person event Sponsor Games, which I will be at in March of this year. →Get a free copy of Sponsor Magnet Full transcript and show notes Justin's Website / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube / TikTok *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #160: Tori Dunlap – A transparent look at writing a New York Times best-selling book. The process, numbers, and lessons learned. → #176: April Dunford – How self-publishing a book exploded her client service business. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices