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.

This week, I'm sharing four takeaways from a dinner I had with Gary Vee in NYC.

Gary's built his entire career on one thing: identifying where attention is underpriced and showing up before everyone else realizes it.

Here's what he's betting on for 2026 (and why it matters for you).

Let's dive in.

— Brett

Where Gary Vee says creators should focus in 2026

The other week I sat down for dinner with Gary Vee in NYC through a dinner with Stan.

If there's anyone who comes to mind when you think about content, social media, and NYC… it's Gary. And while I've been building in the creator economy for years now, there's something about hearing perspectives from someone who's been calling these platform shifts for two decades that recalibrates your thinking.

So I wanted to share four takeaways from our conversation. Not as gospel, but as provocations worth considering as you plan your 2026 strategy.

1. Snapchat Spotlight + Facebook are having their "TikTok 2019" moment

Gary's most emphatic point? There's massively more demand than supply of content on Snapchat Spotlight and Facebook right now.

Think about TikTok in 2019. Creators who showed up early and consistently built audiences that would've taken years on Instagram. The platform was hungry for content, the algorithm was generous, and the competition was thin.

Gary sees the same dynamic playing out on Spotlight and Facebook today.

The opportunity: If you're already creating short-form content, cross-posting to these platforms is a low-lift arbitrage play. You're not betting the farm… you're just showing up where others aren't.

(And yes, the same principle applies to LinkedIn. More demand than supply. You know this already. 😉)

2. YouTube Shorts are being indexed and feeding Gemini models

This one's the long game.

YouTube Shorts aren't just competing with TikTok or Instagram, they're being indexed and used to train Gemini, Google's AI models. 

That means creators and brands publishing high-value content on Shorts aren't just playing for today's views. They're building future discoverability in AI-powered search and recommendations.

Here's what that means practically: When someone asks Gemini (or any Google AI product) a question in 2026, the models will surface content that's already been indexed and validated.

If your Shorts consistently deliver value on specific topics, you're building authority that compounds over time, not just algorithmically, but in the AI layer that's reshaping how people discover information.

The opportunity: Treat Shorts like you'd treat SEO-optimized blog posts in 2015. High-value, searchable topics. Clear answers to specific questions. Content that earns long-tail visibility, not just quick dopamine hits.

3. The URL → IRL shift is accelerating

This was one of my predictions earlier this year, and the conversation reinforced it hard.

As much as we obsess over platforms, social algorithms, and content formats, creators and brands are increasingly building offline experiences, real communities, and in-person moments that deepen loyalty in ways digital alone never could.

Online builds the demand. Offline captures the depth.

I see this with Creator Economy NYC every single week. Our socials and newsletter open doors, but our events… those create the deeper relationships. That's where trust gets built.

Gary's been saying this for years, but it's hitting different now. The best creators aren't choosing between online and offline, they're actually using digital to identify their people, then creating moments that turn casual followers into ride-or-die community members.

The opportunity: If you have any audience at all, experiment with one small IRL gathering in 2026. A coffee meetup. A workshop. A walk. You don't need a conference budget or a venue sponsor. You just need to show up somewhere and invite people to join you.

4. Do not sleep on live streaming (especially TikTok Live)

Gary was so bullish on live streaming that I almost thought he was being sarcastic. He wasn't.

If you're at the threshold where you can go live on TikTok, do it. Weekly. Consistently. Because right now, there's the same dynamic as Point #1: more demand than supply.

Live streaming gives you a direct line to your audience in a way no other format does. It's unedited, it's real-time, it's conversational. And algorithmically, platforms are pushing it hard because it keeps people on the app longer.

Gary's recommendation: Start once a week. You'll be uncomfortable at first. Everyone is. But like anything in content creation, you get better by doing it, not by planning it. After a few sessions, you'll find your rhythm. You'll start attracting the people who actually want to engage with you in real time. And now you've unlocked a whole new content medium that most creators are still avoiding.

The opportunity: If you've been putting off going live because you're waiting to feel ready, stop waiting. F*ck It, Create It. Pick a day, set a time, go live for 20 minutes. Talk about something you know. Answer questions. Be a human. Repeat next week.

Best influencer marketing conference of the year

Speaking of showing up where the opportunities are - I'm heading to Creator Economy Live West in Las Vegas this January, 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.

Thank you for an incredible year!

This was our biggest year of events yet, and it wouldn't have been possible without you showing up, engaging, and being part of this community.

From packed panels to spontaneous conversations in the back of the room, you made every event what it was. Thank you.

2026 is going to be even bigger. New partners. New formats. Maybe even new cities!

Our next event is likely the final week of January. Pencil it in. More details coming soon.

Finally, if you attended any of our events over the years, could you share a brief testimonial with us? Just click the link below!

If you’re feeling stuck, start here

One thing to go deeper. Two things to get moving.

F*ck It, Create It

Been waiting to create or thinking about the same idea for months? This is for that.

F*ck It, Create It is a short, actionable course we built to help you:

• get unstuck

• stop overthinking

• and finally move on the thing you already know you want to make

It’s not about growth hacks. It’s about clearing the mental friction that keeps creators frozen.

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

Not ready yet? Start smaller.

Two free tools I wish I had earlier:

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.

That's it for this week. Hope these takeaways from my dinner with Gary give you something to think about as you plan your 2026.

See you next week,

Brett