Creator Economy NYC

@brettdash_ 🙌🙌

Three years ago, I had a vision: Create a space where the creator economy could truly come alive in NYC. What started as a small meetup has blossomed into a vibrant community of 6,000+ creators through Creator Economy NYC. But I've always dreamed bigger. And so, today, I'm thrilled to announce: CONNECT — a unique, day-long conference with our friends at Teachable. Our FIRST ever conference. A full day where creators come together to share experiences, build real relationships, and craft the future of their businesses. It will be a day of meaningful talks, interactive workshops, and plenty of connection — created by creators, for creators. With the same great vibe you've come to expect at every CENYC event. I couldn't think of a better partner than Teachable for this vision. Because they get it. They understand that sustainable creator businesses are built on genuine connections and powerful education. Together, we're building an experience that embodies what Creator Economy NYC has always stood for: "Where the creator economy connects, learns, and thrives." Mark your calendars. The future of the creator economy is being shaped, and it's happening right here in NYC. Get on the list to receive updates about programming, speakers, and registration: teachable.com/connect-confer… See you on May 10th in NYC.

If you've been following along, you know I set a goal to write a newsletter a week in 2024. It started with a simple Canva design: 52 empty circles waiting to be filled. Today, we hit circle 52. In the creator economy (in anything really) consistency is the name of the game. It's about showing up when motivation fades. About proving to yourself that you can stick to something meaningful. And the results will follow. Today, we did just that. The beauty of this system? It works for any goal that matters to you. Content creation, workouts, writing, learning - whatever you're building. So I'm sharing with you the exact 'Progress Rings' template I used to achieve this goal. Just comment “52” and I’ll DM it to ya! Here's to becoming who we want to be in 2025: one goal and one filled circle at a time 🍻

Final event of the year last night. 200 creators, marketers and brands. Epic partners like Shopify, Teachable and beehiiv. This is the place where creators learn, connect and thrive. Thankful for everyone who's a part of this. The reps are repping. More ahead in 2025. Let's go.

In June of 2023, I approached @Shopify about sponsoring a @CreatorEconNYC event. They kindly passed, but it was worth a shot. Fast forward to today - and I'm thrilled to be hosting our final event of the year with Shopify as the presenting sponsor. There's a powerful lesson here: "No" sometimes just means "not yet." But the magic happens in what you do between the no and the yes. Over the past year, we focused on the small wins: 👉 One creator connection at a time. 👉 One valuable conversation at a time. 👉 One successful event at a time. 👉 One partnership at a time. Each small victory compounded. Our community grew stronger. Our events got better. Our impact deepened. And now, we're closing out 2024 with our biggest milestone yet: "Content to Commerce" - featuring three incredible YouTubers who've transformed their content into thriving businesses. Sometimes the best opportunities don't come from one big swing, but from consistently showing up and letting those small wins stack up into something undeniable. Join us and @Shopify as we explore what's possible when creators think bigger than content. Limited spots available - link down below.

Really starting to invest more in content for Creator Economy NYC, especially as I gain my footing with it all. So many amazing content moments at the events between panels and networking. From our latest event, I took a go with a lil narration format! So, come with me…

200+ NYC creators and marketers last night. Panel diving into building a personal brand in the creator economy. Plus a mid-panel freestyle rap (in Spanish). Had to whip out the beat boxing. The community came out in droves.

Who's hitting AWNY next week? Hosting a mixer & panel for brand marketers and creators next Thursday. Panel features NYCs very own ‘General Ock' (6M TikTok/IG). "Sureee, sureee" Connect with ad pros, creators, and brands! Going to be a good one to end the week 👇

Some snapshots from @CreatorEconNYC's latest event with @teachable. 180 people on a Monday night - incredible.

Hosting a Creator Economy NYC mixer and panel nxt Monday. Well be diving into the topic of the creator-to-entrepreneur journey w/ a stacked panel. Expecting plenty of content creators, marketers, brands and digital media professionals in attendance. RSVP below if ur around!

Some snapshots from last night's @CreatorEconNYC "Summer Soiree." Amazing crew of the city's leading creators, marketers, brands, and founders shaping content and influence. People from Cannes, NBC, YouTubers... even a creator I met who describes themselves as a "bionic model."

Dabbling again with some short form. This time, how this NYC candy shop blew up… all thanks to TikTok.

Bringing together the NYC creator economy again next week. And very excited to have a special creator guest there — @nadyaokamoto, who will be a guest on a live podcast we’re recording there. Not my pod tho, but maybe coming soon 👀 Expect food, drink and great people to meet. If you’re a creator, marketer, brand or founder in the space and interested in attending, rsvp below!

A lot happened in 1996... Apple re-employed Steve Jobs. The first flip phone came to market. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won the NBA Chip. The NY Yankees won their 23rd World Series. The historic Blizzard of 1996 hit NYC. AND...@TheWebbyAwards were born to celebrate the birth of internet culture. It’s hard to believe that all of this happened almost 30 years ago — a lot has changed since then. But one thing hasn’t changed: the role that creators play in The Webbys and culture at large. In today's @CreatorEconNYC newsletter, we dove into The Webby's and how these 'Internet Oscars' are championing creators like @macyagilliam and others. Read about here: mail.creatoreconomynyc.com/p/the-webby-aw…

@BlankaBrand Co-Founder and CEO @kayleelieffers explains how consumers help make it possible for creators to find full time careers with their passion, providing unique products for specialized interests. You can watch the full panel over at Patreon.com/Passionfruit4Us

Appreciate @brettdash_ highlighting our journey on YT If you want more details: mail.creatoreconomynyc.com/p/why-this-nyc…

Back in November @jacksettleman, creator of @snapbacksports made a bold move: He deleted his YouTube channel with 600K subscribers. But here's the kicker – it actually paid off... Jack's journey began in 2016, combining his love for sports and entrepreneurship. He built a massive following on Snapchat and expanded to other platforms, including YouTube, where he amassed 600K subscribers with short-form content. Despite his success, Jack was eager to create long-form content to build deeper connections with his audience. However, when he introduced longer videos, he faced a harsh reality: mismatched content led to low views and engagement. After months of testing and seeking advice, Jack decided to DELETE his 600K subscriber channel and start fresh with a long-form focus. So far, the results have been promising: Out of his last 7 videos on the channel, they've gone 50K+ view 5x, compared to a mere 500 views averaged on the old account. In my newsletter this week, I wrote about Jack's YouTube journey and the lessons he learned along the way. Check it out here: mail.creatoreconomynyc.com/p/why-this-nyc…

I'm headed to the West Coast this week. Anaheim to be specific — home to Disneyland (and conference centers). I'll be at VidCon — my first time there and I'm bringing @CreatorEconNYC with me. Hosting an event and moderating a few panels. Who else is headed?

Something Navy is a clothing brand created by New York-based fashion influencer Arielle Charnas in 2020. It went from viral sensation to defunct business in just 3 years. The brand started off as a blog in 2009, where Arielle shared her personal style and lifestyle content. Over time, the blog grew into a social media brand and, eventually, a woman’s fashion label. Today, Arielle has 1.3M followers and growing on her personal Instagram. In 2017, with all her following and influence, Arielle launched a clothing collection exclusively sold through Nordstrom. The first day the collection launched, Nordstrom sold more than $4M million in items. While the partnership was a success, it ended after just 2 years as Arielle wanted to build Something Navy into its own fashion brand. Riding the high, Something Navy launched independently in 2020, raising $17.5 million in funding. The first year was a success, with the brand earning roughly $32M in revenue with a valuation of $100M. Not bad, right? But by 2022, the brand was struggling. The company was burning cash for growth. Customers grew dissatisfied with the quality of the clothing. Arielle found herself at the center of various controversies. And well, sales fell. Which all led to missed payments to suppliers and nearly half of her full-time employees leaving the company. Ultimately, stores closed, production halted, and their website was put on pause. In my newsletter this week, I delved deeper into the story of Something Navy, what's next for the brand, and the lessons we can learn from this cautionary tale about influencer-led brands. Check it out below.

📸😮‍💨