YouTube is the new TV.

Hey honeys and hustlers,

The creator economy is still growing, changing, and evolving – and I think I have some insights on where it’s headed. In this article, I’m sharing 10 of my creator economy predictions covering

• audio and podcasting

• video and digital media trends

• creative tech

• physical media

and what creative niche I think is set to lead the industry.

There’s one prediction that I left out of that video (by mistake😅) – I believe we’re going to see more brands investing in workers to help them build personal brands and UGC (user-generated content). The best proponent for your business is the people who work there, and being a content creator isn’t limited to freelancers. The latest short-form video trend of people documenting themselves being impersonally fired during mass layoffs from large companies shows us that people are already making videos about their experience with their employers. Whether they like it or not. Heck, whether they even know it or not. Why not try to put some positivity back into the digital space with workers sharing their corporate “green flags.”

Which ones did you agree with? Did any of my predictions surprise you? Is there anything you think I may have missed? Share your feedback below or respond to this email!

In Readworthy News

• Chick-fil-A is hiring an Entertainment Producer

• Solo Brands (creators of the Solo Stove) hire new CEO after Snoop Dogg ad fails to generate sales

• A new music platform made in collaboration with rapper Project Pat will use AI to help artists profit from their songs.

Podcast Episode I Recommend

Jed Byrne of Oak City CRE and host of The Dirt NC Podcast recently interviewed Justin Laidlaw, the founder of Buddy Ruski and journalist at Indy Week. While the show focuses on commercial real estate development, this episode is a great conversation about the benefits of institutional journalism compared to self-published media, and it looks at the development of a local built environment from his perspective as a writer. You can check it out below or anywhere you listen to podcasts!

Events Happening Soon

• (Virtual) Unlocking Capital Success: Secure $100k to $1M for Your Thriving Business. Wednesday, January 24th at 8PM EST. Register here.

• (Virtual) North Carolina Audio Group - January Chat with Southern Documentary Fund. Saturday, January 20th at 4PM EST. Register here.

• (In-person) Polish your presentation skills, a live class taught by former podcast guest Valonda Calloway. This is a paid workshop happening in Raleigh, NC, and you can use the code “$50Off” for early bird savings. Learn more here. 

Fellowship Programs For Creators

• NAACP Editing Fellowship in partnership with Adobe. This fellowship is open to creators of color to increase diversity in post-production (that we desperately need!). Apply here.

• NCAA is partnering with Canon to bring a Sports Photography Workshop to the Final Four for both Women’s and Men’s college basketball. More information on the workshop and the application to apply here. 

• Nikon is partnering with Black Women Photographers to provide a $50,000 grant and Nikon Z gear. You can learn more and apply here.

P.S. We quietly just dropped our first digital product for the Please Hustle Responsibly community – minimal wallpapers to declutter and add inspiration to your digital space. The best part? They’re completely free. Grab them here.

After the incredible response to our last newsletter, we’re in a giving mood. 😊 Thanks so much for being here.

Please Hustle Responsibly,

🤙🏾✨

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