The Business of Creators

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

The Business of Creators is a business podcast hosted by Ian Shepherd, with 88 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Ian Shepherd hosts The Business of Creators, a business show with 88 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #88

  Inside HubSpot’s Media Machine with VP of Media & Content Jonathan Hunt

  Aug 10, 202627 minS1

  HubSpot has built a media company inside its software business — powered by creators, YouTube, newsletters and AI, and reaching 50 million people every month. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd speaks with Jonathan Hunt from HubSpot Media about the strategy behind that growth, how HubSpot evaluates creator businesses for acquisition, and why video, diversification and AI are becoming increasingly important for creators. Topics Discussed: - How HubSpot built a media network spanning 17 YouTube channels, newsletters, podcasts and websites - The strategy behind acquisitions including The Hustle, Starter Story, Mindstream and Futurepedia - What HubSpot looks for when evaluating creators and media businesses - Why HubSpot is investing heavily in video and YouTube - How AI is being used to scale content production and distribution Key Takeaways: - How HubSpot decides whether to build a media brand from scratch or acquire an established creator business - What makes a creator business attractive to a potential acquirer, from audience scale and ROI to diversification and trust - Why relying on a single platform can create significant risk for creators — and how to build a more resilient business - How one long-form video can be turned into content across YouTube, social, newsletters, audio and other platforms - How HubSpot uses AI to research ideas, test titles, repurpose content and identify potential creator partnerships while keeping human creativity and taste at the centre Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators! Timestamps 0:00 — Introduction: HubSpot Media and Jonathan Hunt 1:07 — What HubSpot Media is and how it reaches audiences 2:15 — Why HubSpot began investing in owned media brands 3:24 — Jonathan’s background at Vox, National Geographic, and Complex 6:12 — The build-versus-buy approach to media acquisitions 7:28 — HubSpot’s AI media acquisitions and strategy 8:35 — How HubSpot evaluates creator businesses 10:52 — Working with creators after an acquisition without changing their voice 13:48 — Creator-business valuations and the TBPN acquisition 14:59 — Why video is HubSpot’s priority format 17:25 — How HubSpot’s creator program works 20:13 — How the team uses AI in content production 22:43 — The size and structure of HubSpot Media 24:06 — What’s next for HubSpot Media 25:13 — Advice for creators: diversify across platforms

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  Episode #87

  The Podcast Playbook for 2026 | AI, Video & Community Explained by Kendall Breitman from Riverside

  Jul 20, 202630 minS1

  Podcasting is changing faster than ever—and the creators who adapt now will have a massive advantage. Check out Riverside 2.0 at https://creators.riverside.com/BusinessOfCreators In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Kendall Breitman, Head of Community at Riverside to explore how podcasting has shifted from traditional media to the creator economy. They discuss why community has become one of the most valuable assets creators can build, how video has transformed podcast discovery, and how AI is helping creators spend less time editing and more time creating. The conversation also dives into the launch of Riverside 2.0, including powerful new AI features, social publishing tools, multicam recording, newsletter creation, website hosting and workflow automations that help creators produce professional content faster than ever. Timestamps 0:00 — My experience podcasting 4:21 — The biggest mistake new podcasters make 9:09 — Why video helped this show grow 12:51 — How Riverside made creating easier 16:11 — Why clips are so important now 19:06 — A look at what’s new in Riverside 2.0 22:15 — Using AI without losing your voice 27:11 — Kendall’s advice for future podcasters Topics Discussed - How podcasting has evolved into a creator-first business model - Why community is becoming a creator's biggest competitive advantage - The importance of video for podcast discovery and SEO - Building a content strategy before launching a podcast - How Riverside 2.0 simplifies recording, editing, clipping, publishing, and distribution with AI - The future of AI in podcasting and content creation Key Takeaways - How to build a podcast that attracts an audience instead of hoping people discover it. - Why community is becoming the biggest competitive advantage for creators in the age of AI. - The simple content strategy that turns one podcast recording into weeks of high-performing content. - How AI can dramatically reduce editing and production time without sacrificing quality or creative control. - The latest tools in Riverside 2.0 that can help you record, edit, publish, and grow your podcast more efficiently. Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

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  Episode #86

  Circle's Eclipse Is The Biggest Creator Economy Product Launch Of 2026

  Jun 16, 202631 minS1

  The future of the creator economy isn't content—it's something much bigger. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Sid Yadav, Founder and CEO of Circle, to explore why the future of the creator economy is shifting from audiences to communities. Sid shares how creators can build sustainable businesses beyond social media platforms, increase customer lifetime value, and create meaningful transformations for their most engaged fans. The conversation also dives into Circle Eclipse, the company’s biggest launch to date, introducing AI-powered business building, a marketplace for creator-led transformations, and a white-glove service designed to help creators scale community-driven businesses. Topics Discussed: - The difference between an audience and a community - Why creators need to own their relationship with their audience - How community-led businesses generate higher lifetime value - Lessons from successful creators and communities using Circle - The launch of Circle Eclipse, including Circle AI, Discover and Studios - Why the future of the creator economy is moving beyond content alone - Building the “Shopify for the digital economy” Key Takeaways: - The most successful creator businesses focus on transformation, not just content consumption - Communities create stronger relationships and more sustainable revenue streams than audience-only models - AI can dramatically reduce the complexity of launching and growing a creator business - Discovery and distribution remain major challenges for creators—and new platforms are emerging to solve them - The next wave of the creator economy will be built around deeper engagement, ownership, and community Watch to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

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  Episode #85

  How Instagram Helped This VC Find Billion-Dollar Startups - With Marshall Sandman from Animal Capital

  May 23, 202630 minS1

  Most VCs hide behind pitch decks and private networks — Marshall Sandman is building a venture fund on social media, one daily post at a time. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Marshall Sandman, founder of Animal Capital, to explore how social media is changing venture capital. Marshall shares how posting daily content online has helped him source startup deals, build founder relationships, and grow one of the top-performing seed-stage venture funds of its generation. Marshall also explains why some of the best investment opportunities exist outside Silicon Valley — and why “boring” businesses may outperform the hottest AI trends. Topics Discussed: - How Marshall built Animal Capital from scratch - Why social media is becoming a competitive advantage for VCs - How Instagram content is helping source startup deals - The role creators and celebrities play in startup storytelling - Why overlooked industries can create massive investment opportunities - Lessons from investing in billion-dollar startups Key Takeaways: - How posting consistently on social media can create real startup deal flow and business opportunities - Why storytelling and distribution are becoming competitive advantages for modern venture capitalists - How creators and celebrities can help technical startups communicate complex ideas more effectively - Why some of the best investment opportunities exist outside Silicon Valley and traditional tech trends - What founders can learn about fundraising, pitching, and simplifying their message for investors - Why “unsexy” businesses and service-based companies may outperform overhyped AI startups Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

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  Episode #84

  How Anyone Can Create a Hit Series with AI (No Experience Needed)

  Apr 3, 202619 minS1

  Now anyone can now build a binge-worthy series from scratch. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Angela Yu to explore how AI is revolutionizing storytelling—and unlocking a new era where anyone can create, own and monetize their own story IP. Angela shares the vision behind Storeel, an AI-native platform enabling creators to produce serialized, interactive dramas at scale. From micro-dramas to fully AI-generated production workflows, this conversation dives into what the future of entertainment and the creator economy really looks like. Topics Discussed: - The rise of short-form, serialized “micro drama” content - Why AI is unlocking a new generation of storytellers - How Storeel enables end-to-end content creation and distribution - The shift from passive viewing to interactive storytelling - Building a marketplace for creator-owned story IP Key Takeaways: - How AI is collapsing production time from years to days for creators - What it actually takes to succeed as an AI-native creator (and why it’s not about coding) - Why short-form serialized content is exploding—and how to take advantage of the trend - How interactive storytelling is changing the way audiences engage with content - The emerging business model for creator-owned IP in the age of AI Watch to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

  ListenShow Notes

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.