Creator Economy Live – Details, episodes & analysis

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In this episode of Creator Economy Live, Keith Bendes and Brendan Gahan sit down with bestselling author and adventurer Michael Easter. From the secrets behind The Comfort Crisis to navigating the transition from traditional media to thriving as a modern creator, Michael shares how stepping outside your comfort zone can unlock extraordinary performance. Plus, we dive into the latest industry news, from TikTok bans to Meta's shifts, and highlight creators and brands making waves. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation!

Interested in attending Creator Economy Live? Join us this February 4-5 to see the podcast in action! Use code CELPOD20 at checkout to save 20% on your ticket price.

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In our landmark 50th episode, hosts Keith Bendes and Brendan Gahan are joined by none other than Rachel Karten, the mastermind behind the beloved newsletter Link in Bio, with over 94k subscribers.

We dive into Rachel's journey from brand social media expert to independent creator, discuss her eye-opening survey findings, and uncover her top predictions for 2025. Plus, Keith and Brendan share their own bold forecasts for the year ahead, touching on AI video, creator-driven content, hybrid compensation models, and more.

COW/BOW (creator of the week & brand of the week)

Creator of the week (COW)
Keith: Elisha Zepeda (ez.bookdesign) - On TikTok, the book cover designer brings 400K followers behind the scenes by sharing the briefs he receives from publishers, the resulting cover options, and the ultimate winners.
Brendan: Walker Ward (aka Walkedsauce42_) a big burly dude who does a ton of hilarious impressions - like GRWM but he’s but he’s using tongs instead of a hair dryer, peanut butter instead of makeup. Or he’ll pretend to be some coked up Chad/Finance bro. He’s got these persona’s down.
Rachel: Paper Eats - set made of construction paper

Brand of the week
Keith: Honey is being torn apart right now online as their business model is being called “an adpocalypse” for creators. On December 22, YouTuber MegaLag posted a bombshell exposé that accused Honey of snatching creators’ commissions by replacing their affiliate links with its own. LegalEagle just filed a class action lawsuit.
Brendan: Notion/Snoop campaign
Rachel: Topicals

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Keith: Meta’s moves this year in affiliate and AI video generation with the release of Movie Gen
One Billion Users is a card game that lets players launch their own social media network and compete with influencers—has blown past its Kickstarter goal by earning over $60,000 in funding. There are troll cards, influencer cards, follower cards, etc.
Brendan: https://www.instagram.com/winniedapointer
Rachel: Michael Freund Law on Twitter

✨ Special Offer: Use code CELPOD20 for 20% off tickets to our Creator Economy Live event this February 4-5 in Vegas!

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Keith & Brendan talk with finance influencer Humphrey Yang running through his meteoric rise from a financial advisor to a social media powerhouse, the secret behind his multi-platform growth, and what brands get wrong when working with creators. 

This episode is sponsored by Linqia, the #1 influencer marketing partner for the world's leading brands. Having executed over 3,000 campaigns for more than 650 brands, Linqia combines technology powered by Google Vision AI with award winning service to deliver measurable influencer results. Go to linqia.com or send a note to hello@linqia.com to speak with an influencer expert. 

🐄 Our Creators Of the Week (COW)

Keith: Logan Moffitt’s cucumber craze: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/08/15/tiktok-cucumber-boy-viral-recipes/74802440007/  
Brendan: Haley Welch, Hawk Tuah Girl: https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fhay_welch%2F%3Fhl%3Den&is_from_rle  

Humphrey: https://www.youtube.com/@isaaccarlton  
 

👏 Our Brands Of the Week (BOW) 

Keith: https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/away-debuts-influencer-heavy-campaign-film-promote-soft-shell-product-line/1880300  

Brendan: Brent Underwood - Kickstarter: Board Game: https://www.board-game.co.uk/product/my-fathers-work-kickstarter-edition/?srsltid=AfmBOory5pUFMWoT0cl44g34GnOBcv34CJxyx6v6kP_wNg9LJt3W-cRj  

Humphrey: Cirkul - a brand of water bottles that allow users to add flavor to their water with flavor cartridges, also known as Sips: https://drinkcirkul.com/pages/why-cirkul#:~:text=Cirkul's%20innovative%20bottle%20allows%20you,turn%20of%20the%20flavor%20dial.  

 
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This podcast is brought to you by the biggest event for influencer marketers in the US Creator Economy Live! Join Keith and Brendan live and in person as well as 100s of brands in Vegas 4  5 February 2025 for lively conversation and debate about everything in the world of influencer marketing and the creator economy.  

https://creatoreconomylive.com/ 

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In this episode of Creator Economy Live, hosts Keith and Brendan chat with Danielle Ito, the influencer marketing lead at Notion, about her diverse experience in creator partnerships across brands like Taco Bell and Madison Reed. They deep dive into influencer marketing on LinkedIn as well as how affiliate marketing is integrating into creator marketing. 

As always, we cover the latest industry news, including the FTC’s crackdown on fake followers and TikTok’s growing dominance in video marketing. Plus, discover the top creators and brands of the week. Tune in for insights and trends shaping the creator economy. 

👏 Our Brands Of the Week (BOW): 

Silk https://silk.com/  

Outerknown:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEGBX2eVe5w  

Joe and The Juice https://content.joejuice.com/campaigns/nick-kyrgios  

🐄 Our Creators of the Week (COW):  

FOSTERTALK https://www.readfostertalk.com/  

CR7Studios7 https://www.youtube.com/c/CR7Studios7  

@hannahchody https://www.instagram.com/hannahchody/?hl=en   

This podcast is brought to you by the biggest event for influencer marketers in the US Creator Economy Live! Join Keith and Brendan live and in person as well as 100s of brands in Vegas on February 4-5 for lively conversation and debate about everything in the world of influencer marketing and the creator economy.

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In this episode of Creator Economy Live, Keith and Brendan welcome Lia Haberman, a leading voice in the creator economy and founder/author of ICYMI newsletter. Fresh from attending the first ever White House Creator Economy Conference Lia shares her takeaways and gives us a peek into the conversations that took place. Lia also dives into her impressive career from big brand activations, to the academic side of the creator economy.  

🐄 Creators of the Week (COW):  

• Joel Bervell 

• MatPat 

• Theo Von 

👏 Brand of the Week (BOW):  

• Dunkin’ x Artists Equity 

• Vegas Sphere 

• Patrick Ta 

This podcast is brought to you by the biggest event for influencer marketers in the US Creator Economy Live! Join Keith and Brendan live and in person as well as 100s of brands in Vegas on February 4-5 for lively conversation and debate about everything in the world of influencer marketing and the creator economy. 

Send us a text

ICYMI, last week Keith and Brendan were joined by Nadya Okamoto, co-Founder of August, to record the second live edition of the podcast, in partnership with Creator Economy NYC.   

Nadya is a force to be reckoned with in the creator economy. At just 25 years old, she's is founder of multiple companies, she has run for public office, AND amassed millions of followers across various platforms. Safe to say, this conversation blew us away. As a self-described "geriatric Gen Z," Nadya leverages her social media savvy to grow both her personal brand and her business. In the conversation, Nadya shares invaluable insights on how she scaled her brand using content creation and how social is feeding more and more into the political landscape. 

🐄 Creators of the Week (COW):

• Skibidi Toilet
• Ilona Maher
• Nara Smith👏 Brand of the Week (BOW):  

• Kamala Harris
• Publicis

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On this week's episode of Creator Economy Live, Keith and Brendan are joined by a household name in social medial marketing, Jack Appleby. 

Jack shares his journey from a college basketball player to a leading social media strategist. He offers valuable advice for aspiring B2B creators, discusses the most impactful platform for his work and what the future holds for brands using influencer marketing. Jack also reveals which of his posts garnered the most support and how he started his content creation journey on LinkedIn and with Future Social.

Before Jack jumps in, as always, Keith and Brendan dive into the news, discussing whether we’re witnessing "The End of Peak Creator." They examine the shift towards niche influencers, TikTok’s explosion of micro-celebrities, and the changing landscape of mainstream media. 

🐄 Creators of the Week (COW):  

• Timmc (@timmchiusano) 

• Sam Salem (@samuelsleeves) 

• Frankie Gaw ( @littlefatboyfrankie) 

👏 Brand of the Week (BOW):  

• L’Oréal 

• UPS Store 

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This week, we have another special guest appearance alongside Brendan and Keith: Steph Martin, an influencer marketing veteran with extensive experience in fintech, healthcare, DTC, and consumer goods industries. Steph has led influencer marketing for renowned brands such as Hims & Hers and ThirdLove and is the SF chapter ambassador for Women in Influencer Marketing. 

Steph shares her journey from traditional PR to leading influencer programs on the brand side. She discusses the evolution of influencer marketing, from its early "wild west" days to a more data-driven, strategic approach. Steph also offers insights into current industry challenges, the importance of creative freedom, and the ethical considerations brands and influencers must navigate. 

As always, Brendan and Keith catch up on industry news. Topics include the debate over the value of a well-designed Instagram feed, Walmart's first-ever Creator Upfronts in LA, and the latest features being tested by Meta and Instagram. They also provide a VidCon recap, highlighting the maturing ecosystem and the growing interest in LinkedIn as a platform for creators. 

🐄 Creators of the Week (COW): 

• Fidias Panayiotou (@ fidias0) 

• Ruben Hassid (@ rubenhassid) 

• Caroline Stern (@carolinemstern) 

👏 Brand of the Week (BOW): 

• Piece of Cake Moving & Storage
• Zyn  
• Shipt

This episode is sponsored by Linqia, the #1 influencer marketing partner for the world's leading brands. Having executed over 3,000 campaigns for more than 650 brands, Linqia combines technology powered by Google Vision AI with award winning service to deliver measurable influencer results. Go to linqia.com or send a note to hello@linqia.com to speak with an influencer expert. 

Sign up to our newsletter: https://creatoreconomylive.com/newsletter This podcast is brought to you by the biggest event for influencer marketers in the US Creator Economy Live! Join Keith and Brendan live and in person as well as 100s of brands in Vegas on Febuary 4-5 for lively conversation and debate about everything in the world of influencer marketing and the creator economy. 

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From glasses of rosé to insightful sessions, tune in to hear what Keith and Brendan got up to at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. One thing that couldn’t be ignored at the festival was how creators are becoming more and more integral in the advertising landscape. 

They highlight the growth of social-first and creator-first brands and the increasing presence of major platforms like Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok at industry events. The conversation touches on the challenges brands face in measuring the ROI of influencer marketing and the potential role of AI in content personalization and scaling. They also explore the significance of retail media networks and their convergence with the creator economy, suggesting that retail-driven influencer content will become increasingly important. 

🐄 Creators of the Week (COW): 

• Alix Earle (@alix_earle) 

• Brandon Marshall (@b_marshall) 

👏 Brand of the Week (BOW): 

• Spotify, LinkedIn, Yahoo 

• Pinterest 

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This week on the Creator Economy Live Podcast, we have another special guest appearance alongside Brendan and Keith, Nathan Jun Poekert, CMO Advisor and Executive Consultant for his company JUN. For those unfamiliar, Nathan has an impressive background, having served as Head of Social Media, Content, and Digital for American Eagle, and as Global Communications Director for BMW. 

Nathan shares his journey from agency roles to brand leadership and eventually consulting. He discusses his evolution in influencer marketing, his rise as a LinkedIn influencer, and offers insights on pushing social media teams to innovate and meet benchmarks. 

As always, Brendan and Keith catch up on industry news. Topics include Instagram's shift in algorithm focus to post share rates, tips on posting longer Reels, and the latest features Instagram is testing. They also discuss the challenges new creators face on saturated platforms and the need for incentives to keep them engaged. 

🐄 Creators of the Week (COW): 

• Camille Moore (@camille.moore_) 

• Brett (@brettdash_) 

• Oren John 

👏 Brand of the Week (BOW): 

• Hellmann’s: "Mayo Mani" campaign 

• Whoop 

• Jacquemus