Earned: Unlocking the Power of the Creator Economy – Details, episodes & analysis

REPLAY - In Ep. 71 of Earned, Conor sits down with Marc Hustvedt, president of the largest YouTube channel in America (137 MILLION subscribers at time of recording, now 312 MILLION): MrBeast. Marc’s impressive resume also includes founding ventures like Tubefilter, Supergravity Pictures, and the Streamy Awards. We start the episode by learning why Marc enjoys building new companies, and hear why he’s particularly interested in YouTubers. We ask Marc about the core elements that make a piece of content successful, and the reasons behind MrBeast’s most recent explosion in (billions of) views. Marc shares how the MrBeast team has leaned into TikTok, before explaining the importance of viewer acquisition with captivating video titles and thumbnails, and a few of the ways MrBeast optimizes its content for performance. We hear Marc’s take on the current monetization models of social platforms like YouTube and TikTok, and how MrBeast’s side ventures like Feastables and MrBeast Burger are now contributing a larger slice of the revenue pie. To close the show, we discuss the impact that MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, has had on his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina, and hear what’s in store for the company over the next 20 years.

In this episode, you will learn:
 1. The keys to creating a successful piece of content
 2. The importance of catchy video titles and thumbnails for viewer acquisition
 3. How MrBeast grew a following of 213 million subscribers (and counting!)

Resources:

• MrBeast Youtube: @mrbeast

• MrBeast Twitter: @mrbeast

• MrBeast Instagram: @mrbeast

• Shop MrBeast Merch: https://shopmrbeast.com/

Connect with the Guest:

• Marc’s LinkedIn

Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ:

• Conor’s LinkedIn - @conormbegley

• CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq

Follow us on social:

• CreatorIQ YouTube - @TribeDynamics

• CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq

• CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq

• CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ

In Ep. 141 of Earned, Conor Begley sits down with Anastasia Soare, founder and CEO of iconic beauty powerhouse, Anastasia Beverly Hills. To start, we discuss Anastasia’s  journey from arriving in the U.S. in 1989 without knowing English, to transforming her passion for beauty into a billion-dollar empire. Anastasia shares the remarkable story behind building ABH from scratch, highlighting the importance of resilience, hard work, and family bonds. An influencer marketing pioneer in the early days of social media,  Anastasia reveals how ABH’s authenticity and digital savvy fostered a loyal community of fans that took the brand—and consumers’ brows—to new heights. Switching gears, we dive into Anastasia’s artistic background, and she pulls back the curtain on how principles of light, shadow, and proportion from her art school days have influenced her makeup techniques, before emphasizing the brand’s commitment to solving customer problems with innovative products. To close the show, Anastasia shares her tips for managing a global enterprise while staying true to your brand’s core values. 

In this episode, you will learn: 
1. How Anastasia Soare’s resilience, passion, and visionary strategies propelled her journey from immigrant to beauty mogul
2. Why organic community building played a crucial role in Anastasia Beverly Hills' runaway success
3. How artistic principles and innovative problem-solving have kept ABH at the forefront of the beauty industry

Resources:

• Anastasia Beverly Hills - https://www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com/

Connect with the Guest:

• Anastasia’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-soare-337806125/

Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ:

• Conor’s LinkedIn - @conormbegley

• CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq

Follow us on social:

• CreatorIQ YouTube - @TribeDynamics

• CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq

• CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq

• CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ

In Ep. 132 of Earned, Conor sits down with Kim Larson, Global Managing Director & Head of YouTube Creators. To start, we dive into Kim’s career at Jamba Juice and Google, which helped shape her interest in diverse global markets and growing niche communities. We pivot to YouTube, and Kim explains how the platform’s monetization strategies empower creators to earn an income outside of brand deals. We also discuss YouTube’s dedicated support systems for gaming content, and the rise of watching YouTube content on TV. Next, Kim reveals how generative AI is revolutionizing content creation, with tools like thumbnail A-B testing and Project Lantern, before offering a sneak peek into YouTube's innovative features like Dream Screen and Dream Track. We then hear how YouTube’s community and partner managers provide personalized support to creators at every stage of their journey. To close the show, Kim talks about motherhood, and shares the joys and challenges of raising multilingual children.

In this episode you will learn:

• The different support models that YouTube offers to its creators across verticals. 
• How YouTube is investing in AI tools for content creation and why the platform is prioritizing longer, high-quality videos.
• The monetization strategies that empower creators to earn money outside of typical brand deals.

Resources:

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/

Connect with the Guest:

• Kim’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-larson-304486/

Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ:

• Conor’s LinkedIn - @conormbegley

• CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq

Follow us on social:

• CreatorIQ YouTube - @TribeDynamics

• CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq

• CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq

• CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ

In Episode 48 of Earned, Conor sits down with Daniel Landver, CEO of influencer-brand incubator Digital Brand Products (DBP). To start the episode, Daniel shares which creator brand launches he’s most excited about, and reveals that DBP’s 50 brands at market are expected to achieve $250 million in retail sales this year. Daniel then breaks down what separates a $50 million brand from a $1 million brand, and provides a closer look into how DBP works with creators on brand operations, licensing, and partnerships. Next, we learn why the growing (yet largely unrecognized) power of the creator economy inspired Daniel to start DBP in 2015 as a division of influencer management company Digital Brand Architects. From there, we discuss how COVID-19 impacted the future of brand-retailer partnerships, and Daniel emphasizes the importance of an omnichannel approach. To close the show, Daniel shares the advice he gives creators who are considering launching their own brands, and reveals whether he thinks we’ve hit a saturation point with creator and celebrity brands.

In Ep. 47 of Earned, Conor sits down with Ju Rhyu, co-founder and CEO of Hero Cosmetics, an acne-focused skincare brand that achieved $100 million in revenue last year. We start the episode by learning how running Hero Cosmetics today differs from when Ju launched the brand four years ago, and Ju shares why she says no to a lot more opportunities that come her way. We then hear why Hero Cosmetics launched on Amazon with only one SKU, and how Ju went on to build a successful business on the platform. Next, we take a step back to explore Ju’s career journey: from earning her MBA at Columbia, to her time working at Kraft, Samsung, and American Express, to starting Hero Cosmetics. We discuss how Hero Cosmetics focuses heavily on earned media, including building relationships with publications and influencers to drive brand awareness. To close the show, Ju shares the “game-changing” advice she received that fueled her extremely intentional product development and distribution strategies.

In Episode 46 of Earned, we sit down with a true industry leader: JuE Wong, CEO of Olaplex, a top-ranking haircare brand valued at $15 billion. We start the episode with JuE sharing her general leadership philosophies, as well as how her leadership style has evolved since her first executive role. We then explore the investments that JuE made when she joined Olaplex in January of 2020 that helped accelerate the brand’s growth, before hearing how the company maintained its culture after quadrupling in size over the following two years. Next, JuE emphasizes the importance of omnichannel synergy between retail, professional, and DTC, and we learn how Olaplex supported its professional hairstylist community during the COVID shutdowns. Switching gears, we hear why JuE, who grew up in Singapore, wanted to move to the US, before JuE opens up about how the passing of her husband made her a more empathetic leader. To close the show, JuE shares how she wants to use her professional influence in the industry for good.

In Episode 45 of Earned, Conor sits down with April Gargiulo, founder and CEO of nutrient-powered luxury skincare brand Vintner’s Daughter. We start the episode by learning why April, whose family owns the renowned Gargiulo Vineyards in Napa Valley, California, applies the same principles of quality and craftsmanship principles at the heart of winemaking to Vintner’s Daughter, as evidenced by the brand’s limited product range. April reveals how her disappointment in product quality from “luxury” skincare brands led her to create Vintner’s Daughter, and explains why she follows her own skincare playbook. We also discuss how April creates a healthy work-life balance, as she shares how her goals are not to build a “scale-and-sale” company, but a brand that positively impacts consumers’ skin and lives. Next, we learn about Vintner’s Daughter’s years-long proprietary product development process, then close the show with April’s philosophies for driving organic word-of-mouth brand awareness.

In Episode 44 of Earned, Conor sits down with Somer Tejwani, VP of Global Marketing at powerhouse beauty brand Too Faced. We start by discussing Somer’s long tenure at Too Faced, and hear how the brand’s great products—and savvy influencer strategy—played major roles in Too Faced’s $1.4B acquisition by Estée Lauder in 2016. We then dive into Too Faced’s influencer marketing playbook, as Somer shares the brand’s authentic approach to influencer collaborations. Switching gears to leadership philosophies, Somer explains why she prioritizes being tuned-in and involved with her team. We also explore Too Faced’s approach to TikTok, and hear how the platform has sparked renewed interest in the brand’s legacy products. Finally, we close the show with Too Faced’s top three influencer marketing strategies, and learn how the brand’s tactics for engaging influencers have evolved over time.

In Episode 43 of Earned, Conor sits down with industry legend Janet Gurwitch—founder and former CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics, and operating partner at Advent International. Additionally, Janet has invested in many popular brands, and currently serves on the board of directors for Olaplex, Drybar, and the Houston Astros. We start the episode by discussing Advent’s acquisition of Laura Mercier (along with BareMinerals and Buxom), as Janet shares the unique experience of reacquiring her own brand. We then take a step back to explore Janet’s extensive career in retail, learning how she worked her way up to Executive Vice President of Neiman Marcus, as well as how the then-unprecedented success of indie beauty brand Bobbi Brown inspired her to create Laura Mercier Cosmetics. Next, Janet reveals the qualities she looks for when investing in a brand, and the approach she takes when serving on a brand’s board of directors. We then unpack the factors that contributed to Olaplex’s success, and learn how Janet got involved with the Houston Astros. To close the show, Janet gives advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.

In Episode 42 of Earned, Conor sits down with Robert Zajac, the SVP of Global Brand Marketing & Experience for Hollister, Gilly Hicks, and Social Tourist, with previous experience leading marketing teams at ESPN and Nike. We start the episode by discussing how Robert joined Hollister at the start of the pandemic, and learn how the brand pivoted to digital practically overnight. Robert explains how Hollister’s Gen Z focus lent itself well to the shift, sharing how his obsession with consumer insights helps the brand stay up-to-date with the generation’s rapidly evolving interests. We then switch gears and dive into the power of storytelling, and Robert reveals key techniques for crafting a compelling story from his time at ESPN. Next, we jump into Robert’s career at Nike, and explore the factors contributing to the brand’s longevity, before Robert unpacks the unique challenges and opportunities that come with marketing a celebrity-focused brand. We close the show by hearing about the story behind Social Tourist, the Gen Z brand created with TikTok hall-of-famers Charli and Dixie D’Amelio.