👋🏽 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.

This is the 90th straight CENYC newsletter! Thanks so much for being part of it.

Labor Day weekend is upon us. The unofficial end of summer. The moment everyone starts mourning beach days and lamenting shorter daylight.

But you? You should be getting excited as hell.

Because what I'm about to tell you might change how you think about the final four months of every year.

I call it "The Great Lock In" season. And it's when everything you've been working toward finally starts to compound.

Let’s dive in.

✍️ Spotlight

The Great Lock In of 2025

Let me get personal for a second. Over the past few years, every major breakthrough in my life and career happened between September and December:

• November 2021: My media company got acquired by a media startup, and I officially entered the creator economy as we know it today.

• October 2022: I offically moved to NYC. CENYC started shortly thereafter.

• November 2023: Got laid off from said startup. Launched this newsletter. Landed our largest single event sponsorship yet (with Teachable, $2000. All of it went to the venue lol). Kicked off job conversations with Kickstarter, which eventually led me to serving as their Head of Content Creators in the spring.

• Sept-Dec 2024: Secured my first long-term brand partnerships (with Teachable and beehiiv). Hosted our largest events ever. Got flown out to LA for a speaking gig. Ended the year with a big event with Shopify. Started conversations with Teachable about a year-long partnership.

Now this isn't just coincidence. It's compound interest meeting opportunity.

Here's what actually happens during these months: while everyone else is winding down, getting distracted by holidays, or already mentally checking out for the year, the people who stay locked in have a clear field.

The competition thins out. The noise quiets down. Your consistency becomes impossible to ignore.

The compound effect you can't see yet

Right now, all that work you put in during the messy middle months of the year is sitting there like logs waiting for a match.

Your audience is primed. Your skills are sharp. Your systems (hopefully) are working.

But most creators sabotage themselves right here. They see the "end of year" approaching and start coasting. They get caught up in the "new year, new me" mindset and forget that the real winners are made in Q4.

September through is the amplification period.

Your Great Lock In playbook

1. Reset ruthlessly this weekend: I'm serious about this. Use Labor Day weekend to completely reset your energy. Sleep in. Eat good food. Take actual time off. But do it with intention, not guilt.

Because Tuesday, you're going FULLL THROTTLE.

2. Pick ONE thing to obsess over: Not three things. Not five. ONE.

Maybe it's:

• Hitting 10K followers before New Year's

• Launching that product you've been "almost ready" to ship for months (this is ME WITH MY COURSE).

• Building the email list

• Creating the content series that positions you as THE expert

Whatever it is, make it your focus for the next 120 days. Make the goal visible for you to see every day.

3. Embrace the seasonal advantage: While others are distracted by pumpkin spice and holiday planning, you're building. While they're making excuses about "busy schedules," you're showing up consistently.

This is your unfair advantage. Use it.

The truth about timing

I could give you some motivational fluff about how "any time is the right time to start." But that's not helpful.

These next four months are different. They're when:

• Decision-makers are finalizing budgets for next year

• Content consumption actually increases (despite what people think)

• Your year-end push creates momentum that carries into January

• The people who matter are paying attention to who's still showing up

These are your months

September through December isn't the end of your year. It's the foundation of your next level.

It doesn’t matter if you’re not where you want to be this year so far. In fact, that’s the whole point!! Everything begins to compound.

So reset this weekend. But Monday night, start getting dangerous about your goals.

These are your months. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

Stay locked in.

🎪 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! Stay the course. Stay locked in.

Brett