Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter, your weekly dose of insights and strategies to help you build, monetize, and scale as a creator.

And hello from Dubai! I'm here for the 1 Billion Followers Summit - the world's largest content creator summit. I'm representing our NYC community and speaking on a panel about the shift and impact of IRL in the creator economy.

Today, I want to share a way of thinking about how your revenue streams evolve as a creator. Because at some point, you start wondering: is there something beyond brand deals and affiliate links? Can I build something that's actually mine?

Let's dive in.

— Brett

Monetize as a creator by stepping onto “Commerce Mountain”

During our final NYC panel of 2025, Shopify's Jacob McCourt referenced something we refer to as "Commerce Mountain" - a clear roadmap for how creators should think about building a sustainable brand and business.

It’s a mental model for understanding where you are, where you're headed, and how each stage of monetization sets up the next.

Think of it as your guide to climbing from "making content" to "making money" without losing your audience (or your mind) in the process.

The path up commerce mountain

Now what makes this framework so compelling is how it naturally aligns with a creator's growth journey.

Unlike traditional business models that often require significant upfront investment, the Commerce Mountain approach allows creators to build while earning, learning, and maintaining their creative independence.

One important note before we break it down: these aren't mutually exclusive stages. You don't need to leave one behind to reach the next. Many successful creators are active across all three simultaneously.

Let's break down each stage of the climb:

Base camp: affiliate marketing

The journey typically begins with affiliate partnerships.

This stage is crucial because it lets you test what products genuinely resonate with your audience without inventory risk.

You learn about their purchasing behavior and price sensitivity. And it provides initial revenue while you build your foundation.

You can start with affiliate marketing whenever! It’s super accessible whether it’s TikTok shop, LTK, etc.

The first camp: brand partnerships

The ascent continues with brand partnerships, a stage that AmandaRachLee explained from personal experience during a 2024 panel of ours:

"I had been doing YouTube for so long, up until that point, I was very on that hamster wheel, posting every single week," she shared. But brand deals provided her the capital and insights needed for her next move.

This stage brings higher revenue potential than affiliate marketing, opportunities to build your business acumen, and a chance to test different product categories with your audience.

The deals you close here can fund the experiments that come next.

The summit push: owned products

The summit represents owned products - whether physical goods, digital products, or services. You own it. It's yours. You're not promoting someone else's thing; you're building something that exists because of your vision and your audience's trust.

But timing this push is crucial. As Jacob emphasized, "The time has to be right, and your community has to be ready for it."

Our panelists from 2025 exemplified different approaches to this summit. Bryan Reisberg went from brand partnerships to launching his own pet product brand Little Chonk. Jess Goldstein launched her own community, apparel and merch line featuring her custom artwork, Women of Type.

Different paths, same destination.

And they shared their journeys during our panel here (panel starts ~10min in).

Why this framework matters

The beauty of Commerce Mountain lies in its flexibility and risk management.

Each stage builds upon the previous one, providing crucial insights and revenue that fuel the next step.

The affiliate partnerships teach you what your audience will buy. The brand deals give you capital and business experience. And when you finally launch your owned product, you're not guessing, you've been doing market research the entire climb.

Enjoy the climb!

One final thing: I recently sat down with the Creator Spotlight podcast to talk about how I built Creator Economy NYC into a six-figure business through newsletters and events. If you want the full story behind what we're building here, give it a listen here.

2026 Creator Economy NYC Kickoff

Our first Creator Economy NYC event of 2026 is officially on the calendar.

We're kicking off the year the right way: drinks, music, good conversation, and a little goal-setting to set the tone for what's ahead. More details to follow.

Wednesday, January 28. Come start 2026 with us.

Best influencer marketing conference of the year

I'm heading to Creator Economy Live West in Las Vegas this month, and I think you should come too.

Here's the deal: CEL West is the largest creator-focused conference built specifically for brands, creators, and agencies who are serious about this space.

We're talking 50+ expert-led sessions, six content tracks covering everything from brand partnerships to community building, and 500+ people in the room ready to connect and collaborate.

I'll be there meeting with brands, connecting with creators in our community, and honestly just soaking up what's working right now in influencer marketing.

I snagged 20% off tickets for you - so if you've been thinking about attending… this is your sign. Let's go to Vegas, learn some things, and make it fun.

Psssst: actually have 10 free tickets to give away, so if you’re around to attend, shoot me a reply back here!

F*ck It, Create It is the resource I wish I had before I started Creator Economy NYC:

F*ck It, Create It is not about growth hacks or content strategy. It's about clearing the mental friction that keeps you frozen. The overthinking. The perfectionism. The "I'll start when I'm ready" lie we tell ourselves.

It's short, it's actionable, and it's built for creators who have been sitting on an idea for way too long.

Normally $97, but we’re running a 20% end-of-year reset right now. Use code ‘2026’.

Two free tools that helped me build everything you see here:

The Creator Goal Setting Guide (FREE): A simple but powerful document to help you declare who you want to BECOME in 2026.

The Creator Accountability System (FREE): Your visual companion for consistent creation in 2026.

Thanks for reading! And remember - whether you're just getting started with affiliate links or ready to launch something of your own, every stage teaches you something you'll need for the next one.

See you next week,

Brett