👋🏽 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.

First, our newsletter has officially crossed 10K subscribers! Thank you all so much for being here. 85 editions in a row. Let's go.

At our recent event on Monday with Visa, something Nicole Casperson said stuck with me: "I'm a business." Not "I'm trying to build a business" or "I'm thinking about becoming a business." She IS a business.

Most creators I know are stuck in the messy middle… making real money but operating like it's still a hobby. Personal bank accounts, no structure, hoping it all works out.

If that's you, this week's about fixing that.

Let's dive in. Plus, full recording of the panel below.

🛍️ In partnership with Shopify

From creator to brand owner

There's a creator in our community who turned a limitation into his entire business strategy.

Elliot Choy built a thriving YouTube audience using copyrighted music, which meant he couldn't monetize through YouTube. Most creators would see this as a dead end.

But after countless requests from his audience for merchandise, Elliot saw the perfect solution.

His audience wanted a way to support him, and he needed a revenue stream that didn't depend on YouTube's algorithm or policies.

So he launched Copyright (a playful nod to his "problem"). I actually own one of his sweatshirts, it's my favorite piece of clothing.

When it came time to build this business, Elliot chose Shopify, and his reasoning was refreshingly straightforward:

Now it’s a thriving apparel brand and full fledged business.

That's the power of reframing obstacles as opportunities and choosing tools that let you focus on what matters most.

Ready to turn your creative constraints into your competitive advantage?

✍️ Spotlight

I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.

We hosted an event with Visa on Monday around how creators are redefining what it means to be a business in 2025. We heard from Nicole Casperson, Vincent Chan, and Denise Press, who is Visa's head of small business for North America.

One thing became crystal clear from their conversation: the transition from "making content" to "running a business" is messier than anyone talks about.

And I should know. I did it completely wrong. But it doesn’t have to be messy.

When I started Creator Economy NYC, I went over a year without being a formal business. When sponsorships started picking up, I was literally having brands deposit payments into my personal bank account. I was expensing events on my personal credit cards.

It was a mess. But we eventually got it figured out. Well, kinda.

Listening to Nicole and Vincent share their journeys — plus the insights from Denise at Visa — reminded me that no one is going to legitimize your creator business for you. You need to take action to do it yourself.

So I wanted to break it down here with a few fundamentals, especially for those of you in the in-between stage, where the money’s starting to come in but the structure isn’t there yet.

If that’s you, here’s where to start:

1. Form an LLC. Don't wait. It immediately changes how you operate.

2. Open a business bank account. I use Mercury, which I love. (Here's my referral link if you want to try it.) Keeping your income and expenses separate from your personal life makes everything cleaner, especially come tax season.

3. Save 30% of every payment for taxes. Especially if you're in New York. Between city, state, and federal, it adds up fast. You don't want to get caught unprepared.

• I’d recommend opening a separate business savings account just for taxes. I legit just did this the other week.

• Auto-transfer ~30% of your income to that account immediately when payments hit your main account. (eg. If $1000 comes in, $300 is set aside for taxes.

4. Plan for slow months. Brand money doesn't always hit when you expect it. In June, I technically made $0. All of it hit in July because of net-30 and net-45 payments. Build an emergency fund for your business (like Vincent discussed), so you can stay afloat without panicking.

• Goal: 3-6 months of business expenses saved

• Start with 10% of revenue until you hit your target

5. Diversify your revenue (and how it hits). Nicole shared how she leaned on ticket sales for cash flow when brand payments lagged. Some creators have product sales, courses, or affiliates to balance things out. If everything is brand-dependent, you'll always feel unstable.

• Mix immediate payment sources (affiliates, products) with slower brand deals. I understand this can take time. And, of course, it’s the goal of Creator Economy NYC to help you get there.

• Negotiate better payment terms with brands: always push for Net 30 or better.

6. Track everything. Even when you're small. That "I'll deal with it later" mindset will come back to haunt you. Even basic spreadsheets are better than nothing. My tax season was a mess because I was totally a “I’ll deal with it later” guy.

• Use QuickBooks or a simple spreadsheet

• Categories: Revenue, Equipment, Software, Travel, Marketing, Taxes

• Keep receipts for everything over $75

And a bonus… set up a biz email. Like hi@yourwebsite dot com.

None of this is sexy. But this is the stuff that unlocks longevity.

Being a creator means being a small business. It doesn’t mean you need to become a corporate robot. But it does mean you need to own it, because no one else will.

So pick one action from this list and do it today. Then do another one tomorrow.

Your future self will thank you.

Remember, you mean business. Operate like it!

🎪 City Happenings

What's next: Summer and fall events preview

We're planning what's coming next for our Creator Economy NYC community. There will likely be events in August and September, and definitely something special planned for October.

Apply here to join us in October →

As always, you'll hear about confirmed events first right here in the newsletter, then on our socials. Stay tuned!

Plus: Pinterest resources following our virtual event

A lot of you were requested more resources on Pinterest following our virtual event the other week, so I wanted to share that below.

This library brings together curated webinars, actionable checklists, and expert tips, all designed to help you sharpen their skills, unlock your creativity, and maximize success on Pinterest.

📚 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! Remember: you don't need permission to call yourself a business. You just need to operate like one.

Let's keep creating,

Brett