Ep. 69: How to make a $100k newsletter business with no budget ft. Landon Huslig
This week we’re joined by Landon Huslig, the creator of Wichita Life, a local media brand covering life in Wichita through a newsletter, podcast, and Instagram. He built it as a side hustle while working full-time as an engineer. It now has a combined 50,000 followers and generates $120k+ annually. Wichita Life: https://wichitalifeict.com __Follow Landon LinkedIn Twitter/X Follow Francis LinkedIn Twitter/X __ Timestamp 00:00:00 Introducing Landon 00:01:16 The art of hand to hand combat 00:10:54 Starting a local media 00:18:43 The growth to $120k 00:25:06 How big can a local newsletter be? 00:34:27 The value of a likeminded community 00:40:39 The creator to entrepreneur spectrum 00:46:06 The difficult relationship with traditional local media 00:57:22 Building local businesses in addition to newsletter 01:01:48 The responsibility to your audience 01:04:03 Side hustle vs full time business 01:09:24 Starting a local newsletter in 2025
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Ep. 68: How to build a 6-figure newsletter business ft. Nathan May
This week on Creator Spotlight we're joined by Nathan May, founder of The Feed Media, a company that helps newsletters grow with paid ads and help convert readers into revenue.Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles__Join the waitlist: https://creatormasterminds.co__Follow NathanLinkedInTwitter/XThe Feed Media__Follow FrancisLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Nathan May01:21 The core principles of newsletter growth06:33 It’s about niching down12:31 Growing a newsletter for acquisition18:23 Your subscriber count does not matter23:58 Is it harder than ever to get subscribers?31:38 The one thing AI can’t replace37:10 Give your knowledge away for free43:58 Podcasting is hard — why do it?50:11 Best lessons from podcast guests52:18 Rapid fire advice for creators
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Ep. 67: The future of creator journalism ft. Liz Kelly Nelson
The week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we're joined by Liz Kelly Nelson. Liz is the founder of Project C, a newsletter and pre-funding collective helping mission-driven journalism creators develop sustainable business models. __Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles __RSVP to the Creator Business Summit__Follow Liz Project C LinkedIn __Follow Francis LinkedIn Twitter/X__ Timestamps00:00 Redefining influencer 04:46 Journalists want to be creators 10:17 What to expect if you become a creator 16:51 The role of community in creator journalism 21:20 Is the solo creator a myth? 27:00 Culture shock at the newsletter conference 31:52 Your responsibility as a creator 36:10 Maintaining ethical standards as a solo journalist 38:16 The creator journalist world 5 years from now 40:57 Revenue breakdown 43:10 Don't make these mistakes as a creator journalist
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Ep. 66: From 10k to 100k in 12 months — without growth hacks ft. Sydney Graham
This week Francis and Natalia are joined by sewing creator Sydney Graham ( @HiSydGraham ). Sydney has gained over 100k subscribers on YouTube this year and has over 600k followers across platforms.Read the newsletter__RSVP to the Creator Business Summit__Follow SydneyYouTubeTikTokInstagram__Follow FrancisLinkedInTwitter/X__Follow NataliaLinkedInTwitter/X__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Sydney Graham01:01 How to gain 100k subscribers in a year10:46 Early days of the creator economy15:05 The biggest creators in the sewing space17:40 Balancing community and individuality21:17 The best video platforms for creators right now25:19 Why you shouldn't chase trends31:48 Sewing content is growing - here's why33:45 Revenue breakdown36:51 Content creation and sewing similarities41:12 How to build a friendly community online45:53 Choosing the right brand partnerships49:38 Defining your goals as a creator
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Ep. 65: From side hustle to 500K+ followers and a global business ft. Tom Fishburne
This week Francis is joined by Tom Fishburne, also known as The Marketoonist. Tom is a cartoonist and marketer who turned his satirical drawings about corporate life into a sustainable business that has brought him over 500,000+ followers across platforms.Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/p/tom-fishburne__RSVP to the Creator Business Summit: https://www.beehiiv.com/virtual-events/creator-business-summit__Follow TomLinkedInWebsiteNewsletterInstagram__Links & ReferencesThe Do Lecture__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Tom Fishburne, The Marketoonist01:05 How to price your work online08:49 Humor as a leadership skill11:45 The world of content creation in the early 2000’s15:05 It’s not the ink, it’s the think21:05 The importance of mimicry in creative work23:26 How to create a recognizable style26:36 You must be an entrepreneur in the creator economy30:41 Email, the most valuable platform33:16 The best platform for audience engagement38:32 Red flags for clients43:17 Why you shouldn’t scale your business44:37 How to nail speaking engagements52:25 Structuring your day for optimal creativity57:39 Focussing on sustainability, not growth
Every week we spend an hour in conversation with a notable creator, discussing their approach to audience growth, monetization, and content production.Hosted by Francis Zierer (Twitter and LinkedIn).New episodes every Tuesday.This podcast is part of our newsletter, Creator Spotlight.
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