👋🏽 Doors Opening

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

Last week I shared my real-time hiring process: where to find people and how to vet them. This week I want to get into what happens after you say "yes."

The onboarding phase is where most creator hires go sideways. You skip the alignment work, assume they "get it," and three weeks later you're both frustrated and confused.

I've learned the hard way that good onboarding isn't just nice-to-have. It's the difference between a hire that amplifies your vision and one that accidentally works against it. Plus, a FREE template for you :)

Let's dive in.

✍️ Spotlight

A creator’s approach to onboarding their team

The moment someone accepts your offer, the real work begins.

Most creators wing this part. They send a casual "welcome to the team!" text and expect the new hire to figure out the vibe through osmosis. Then they wonder why their content doesn't feel right or their events miss the mark.

I've learned that great hires become great team members when they understand three things from day one: why we exist, how we operate, and how we work together.

Here's the system I use with every new hire at Creator Economy NYC. And I’m sharing with you a template for all three you can use for your own below!

So let’s go.

Document #1: The Brand Compass

This is the foundation of everything. Before anyone touches content or interacts with our community, they need to understand our core DNA.

The Brand Compass includes:

Our mission and vision: Why we do what we do every day and what we're striving to become. Not corporate fluff, but the real reason this thing exists.

Our core beliefs: Who we serve, why we serve them, and how we operate. For Creator Economy NYC, this means understanding our audience deeply and how we show up for them.

What makes us different: Our unique focuses and approach. What sets us apart in a crowded creator space.

Here's the thing: this isn't a "set it and forget it" document. It's living and breathing. When I make big edits or shifts in vision, I share the updates with the team immediately. There's no excuse for misalignment when everything is laid out clearly.

I will ask everyone to re-read this every few months. Sounds basic, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to drift from your core mission when you're executing day-to-day tasks.

Document #2: Business Model & Ecosystem Overview

This one's optional but powerful. I give every team member, regardless of their role, a high-level view of how Creator Economy NYC makes money and how all the pieces fit together.

Why? Because understanding the broader ecosystem helps them see how their work connects to the bigger picture.

For us, that's events, content, education, and community. We monetize through brand partnerships, premium events like our conference, and soon, educational products.

Your business might be simpler, like maybe it's just content and coaching. Doesn't matter. Do this exercise anyway. Lay it all out.

When your content person understands that our social content drives newsletter subscribers, which then drives event attendance, which creates partnership opportunities, they approach content differently, and so on.

Document #3: "How to Work With Me" (And Vice Versa)

This was inspired by Keith Yandell at DoorDash, and it's become my secret weapon for preventing workplace friction.

It's a simple bulleted list that sets clear expectations about my working style. Things like:

"I work at weird hours — but I don't expect you to." I might send messages late at night or early in the morning. That's just when my brain fires — not when I expect a reply. Unless I explicitly say urgent, reply when you're back in your flow. Protect your rhythm.

"Speak up — especially if you disagree." I have strong opinions, not unchangeable ones. Tension sharpens ideas. Respectful pushback is encouraged.

But here's the key: it's not all about me. I also ask them how I should work with them. I send every new hire these questions:

• Preferred communication style: Text? Voice notes? Calls? Notion comments? What actually works for you?

• How should I not work with you? (Be honest — tell me now, not later.)

• What helps you stay in flow? Anything I should know about how you get your best work done?

• What throws you off or drains you? I want to avoid creating that environment.

• How do you like to receive feedback? Blunt and fast? Soft and scheduled? Something else?

• When you're stuck or overwhelmed, how should I show up for you? Push? Give space? Ask questions?

The magic is in the async

All three documents live in our team Notion hub. They're consumed before we even have our first working session. My expectation is clear: read everything, understand it, and come ready to discuss any questions.

This isn't busywork. It's the foundation that lets us move fast without breaking things.

Once everyone's aligned on the why, the how, and the working relationship, we can focus on what matters most: building something great together.

Your next step: Start with Document #1. Get your mission, vision, and core beliefs on paper. Even if you're still a team of one, this exercise will clarify your own thinking about what you're building. I laid out how to approach this here.

The best hires don't just execute tasks, they amplify your vision. But they can only do that if they understand it first. Get started below 👇

🎪 City Happenings

What’s Next:

After a super successful (and fun) Creator Walk last Saturday, I am planning for another one mid-late September! Stay tuned to upcoming newsletters + Instagram for updates.

But we do have an exclusive event in the works with Teachable for mid October. Apply to join below (please note, capacity is much more limited than our typical events for this one!).

🫡 Perks & Recs

Tools and resources that'll help you build, scale, and streamline, with exclusive discounts when I can swing them.

• (NEW) ManyChat IG Conference: September 19th at NeueHouse Hollywood. The biggest Instagram marketing event of the year. Use code 'CrEconNYC50' for 50% off in-person tickets.

• (NEW) Stanley: New AI tool that's actually useful. Connects to your LinkedIn, analyzes your past content, and helps craft high-performing posts in your voice. Perfect for creators who want to nail LinkedIn but don't want to overthink it.

• beehiiv: What I use to write this newsletter (85 weeks and counting). Clean interface, great analytics, and email delivery that actually works. 20% off your first 3 months.

📚 Resources

LAUNCHING SOON: "F*ck It, Create It" Course (Early Access)

I've been heads down working on our first creator education course: "F*ck It, Create It."

It's designed to break through the mental barriers that keep you stuck in planning mode instead of creating mode.

I’m looking for early testers to help shape the course. Jump in early and get a limited-edition hat plus access to resources, challenges, and community accountability.

2 FREE resources to accelerate your creator growth

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 for reading! If you're building a team (or thinking about it), start with Document #1 this week. Get your mission and vision on paper, even if it's messy.

Let's keep creating,

Brett