👋🏽 Doors Opening

Hey! Welcome to Creator Economy NYC — the premier place for all things creator economy in the Big Apple.

As the LA wildfires continue, I want to reshare these critical resources from last week. Liza Wong in our community, has compiled some crucial resources for those wanting to help:

For influencers & brands: If you have unopened PR items (toiletries, feminine hygiene products, clothing), please contact Liza Wong via DM @lizawong_, or email [email protected].

And here are some support links:

• L.A. GoFundMe Master List

• LAFD Emergency Wildfire Funding

• Firefighter Meals (2x meals)

Anything is appreciated, and even just sharing this resource list with someone else in our community goes a long way.

Lately, I've been reflecting on something powerful that emerged from one of our recent CENYC events. It's about embracing our contradictions and finding our “vibe” as creators.

Let me explain…

P.S. I’m testing a new email design this week! If ya see anything funky... plz share it with me so I can improve!

✍️ City Spotlight

Your contradictions aren't weaknesses — they're your superpower.

As we kick off 2025, many of you are thinking about reinvention.

Maybe you're weighing your next move as TikTok's future hangs in the balance.

Perhaps you're considering a pivot to a new platform.

Or you're one of the many who've been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the right moment to start creating. 

Whatever your situation, there's never been a better time to embrace what makes you uniquely you…

Those parts of yourself you've been trying to hide? The seemingly conflicting aspects of your personality? They might just be the key to standing out in an increasingly noisy creator economy.

At our November Creator Economy NYC event, we witnessed not one, but two powerful examples of this principle in action.

Piper Phillips, on the panel, dropped a truth bomb that perfectly captures this moment: "I'm a big fan of juxtaposition," she shared, describing her own journey. "I was on this business track that seemed very serious... and then at the same time, I'm also in my early 20s in NYC, and I like going out and dancing on tables till three in the morning." 

Instead of hiding either side, she embraced both, describing her content focus as "a little bit business, a little bit fun" — a perfect reflection of her authentic self.

Then came what might have been the most unexpected moment of the evening. Sebastian Paredes, a staffing firm founder, raised his hand with a question about balancing his corporate identity with his talent as a Spanish rap battle artist.

What happened next? 

The room transformed as Sebastian switched from founder mode to skilled battle rapper in seconds, delivering an impromptu freestyle performance (complete with some beatboxing accompaniment by yours truly). For real, watch it here.

Two different stories, same powerful truth: finding your personal monopoly. That sweet spot where no one else can compete with you because no one else is quite like you.

The power of your personal monopoly

We've talked about personal monopolies before — those unique combinations of skills, experiences, and perspectives that make you irreplaceable. But here's what many creators miss: your personal monopoly often lives in the tension between your seemingly contradictory traits.

The finance whiz who's also a sustainable fashion advocate? That's not confusion— that's a unique lens on conscious consumption and investing. 

The social media marketer who plays semi-pro basketball? That's not a distraction — that's a powerful perspective.

With platform shifts on the horizon and the creator economy continuing to evolve, now is the perfect time to stop playing it safe. Stop trying to fit into a single category. Stop hiding the parts of yourself that seem to clash with your "personal brand."

Instead, let's turn those contradictions into your competitive advantage. Here's how:

Finding your VIBE as a creator

I’ve developed a simple framework (because if you’ve been reading recently, you know I love the frameworks, and you can apply them easily, too) to help you harness your contradictions and build your personal monopoly. Here’s how to think through it: 

 🟡 V - View your contrasts

Look at your life right now. What are the different worlds you inhabit? What parts of yourself do you think don't "fit" together? These are your raw materials.

 🟠 I - Investigate their authenticity 

This isn't about forcing connections — it's about discovering what's naturally there. Ask yourself:

• Do you genuinely engage in both areas?

• Does the combination energize you?

• Would you do this even if no one was watching?

 🔵 B - Bridge your worlds 

This is where the magic happens. How do your different worlds inform each other? What insights can you share that only someone with your unique combination could offer?

 🟢 E - Express your full self 

Start creating content that bridges your worlds. Tell stories that showcase how your contradictions make you stronger. Build your audience around your unique perspective.

And with all that, you can brainstorm:

• One story idea that bridges your different worlds

• One content format that could showcase both sides

• One platform to start where your unique combination might resonate

Issa Vibe.

Your next move

As platforms shift and the creator space grows, you have a choice. You can try to fit in, to be another voice in an already crowded category. Or you can embrace what makes you different — including those parts that don't seem to "go together."

So here's your challenge: Stop hiding. Start combining. Begin building your personal monopoly around the full spectrum of who you are.

 🎪 City Happenings

Our first event of 2025!

Excited to kick off 2025 with something special. We're bringing our creator economy community together for an evening of good connections, convos, and real strategies we can all learn from. PLUS, a very very special announcement to be made at the event.

We've got an incredible panel lined up, featuring NYCs:

• Erin McGoff (@advicewitherin)

• Jessica Morrobe (@travelingwithjessica)

• Zach Neman (@cheffinwithzach)

• Olivia Owens from Teachable.

They'll be sharing their journey of turning existing content and audiences into new revenue streams — because who doesn't want to work smarter, not harder in 2025?

Happening Tue, Jan 28 from 6:30-9:30pm. Can't wait to see you there!

 🤝 Industry Happenings

Best influencer marketing conference of the year

I’m excited to share that I am MCing the Creator Economy Live conference happening in VEGAS, Feb 4-5! Expect some roasts, mediocre jokes, and maybe even some celebrity impressions from me!?!?

You should join me there if you’re looking to level up your influencer marketing and attend sessions tackling topics like determining influencer ROI, vetting creators and content strategy, etc. Now’s the time!!

And because you’re part of my crew — get 20% off with code 20CENYC. But get ‘em before they sell out soon!

 👌 Picks & Perks

Recommended tools for the modern creator & marketer

Start a newsletter: It’s time you own your audience and start a newsletter. Get 20% off your first 3 months on any beehiiv paid plan. Snag it here →

Optimize your influencer campaigns: Siftsy analyzes comment sections to uncover sentiment and trends, helping you improve performance and prove ROI. Discover more here →

Get shareable clips in seconds from long form: I’ve been using OpusClip to easily create high-quality clips from our panels. Try it out here →

📚 Resources

Essential resources to accelerate your creator growth

I recently shared with you two free resources to help supercharge your creator journey in 2025. If ya missed it, you can download both right here:

The Creator Goal Setting Guide: A simple but powerful document to help you declare who you want to BECOME in 2025.

The Creator Accountability System: Your visual companion for consistent creation in 2025 (I’m using this now to send one newsletter a week!)

✌️ Stand Clear of the Closing Doors Please

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you thought of it by replying to this email! To our friends in LA, we are thinking of you. Please stay safe 🧡

See you next week,

Brett