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. (newsletter design refresh alert!!)

We had a wonderful creator walk last Saturday with plenty of familiar faces. We keep getting lucked out with the weather! I’m confident we can squeeze a few more in before NYC winter takes hold.

All of our events have introduced me to thousands of creators over the years, and somewhere along the way, I started seeing patterns. Not in what people create, but in how and why they create.

Ten distinct types emerged… and I think knowing yours is the key to everything.

Also, heads up, I have a big announcement and launch coming next Friday! Stay tuned!

Let's dive in.

— Brett

Why Parker Floris chose Shopify after testing everything else

I was recently catching up with a creator friend, Parker Floris, who's launching his own physical product. As we talked, I realized his story is proof that building a real business as a creator isn't as complicated as we make it out to be.

He's launching the next issue of his “Creators Trove” magazine (which is really cool btw).

Print-on-demand sites didn't meet the premium quality he was after, so he found a printer in London. Now he's handling fulfillment himself, which is fine, but he needed a proper backend to manage orders.

He tried another storefront platform first, but their shipping calculations were a disaster. Charging locals 3x more than actual rates while undercharging international orders. Not good either way.

That's when he landed on Shopify.

Why? 

More control over shipping. Better long term growth options. Access to a ton of plugins. And it’s dumb simple.

But beyond magazines or merch, this is about every creator who's tired of relying on ad revenue and brand deals to fuel their business.

You can build something that's actually yours, and Shopify makes it accessible.

Ready to own your creator business? 

Which creator type are you?

If you’ve ever walked into a Creator Economy NYC event, you know: no two creators are the same.

But after meeting thousands of creators in NYC (and hosting hundreds of convos), I’ve started to notice patterns. You start to see, creators fall into types… archetypes, almost. And once you spot them, you can’t unsee them.

This list isn’t meant to put anyone in a box. It’s meant to offer clarity. So you can better understand your strengths, your goals, and the ecosystem we’re all building in.

Let’s break it down:

1. The Educators

What they are: They teach. Skills, frameworks, knowledge. Their content has a clear learning objective. You leave smarter than you arrived.

Educators (aka “knowledge creators”) have the clearest path to monetization because they're solving a problem people will pay to fix.

Dara Denney is a great example.

2. The Entertainers

What they are: They make you laugh, gasp, or feel something. Entertainment is the product. There's no ulterior motive, no lesson buried in the punchline.

Entertainers are criminally underrated in creator economy discussions because their monetization path isn't obvious. But they have something everyone else wants: attention at scale.

The smartest entertainers I've met treat attention like a currency they can convert later. Sponsorships, merch, live shows, premium content.

Austin Nasso has done this well.

3. The Tastemakers

What they are: Curators. They point you toward the best stuff: products, books, restaurants, ideas, aesthetics. Their taste is the product.

Tastemakers are having a moment because we're drowning in options and fake shit with AI. We need filters. Someone with discernment who can say "this matters, that doesn't."

The monetization comes from affiliate revenue, brand partnerships, and eventually their own products that reflect their taste.

Luis Arturo Sanchez is a great example.

4. The Storytellers

What they are: They tell stories. About their lives, other people, ideas, moments. The narrative arc is what matters.

Storytellers are the most emotionally resonant creators, but they're also the hardest to scale. Every piece is handcrafted. There's no template. No "plug and play" system.

The best storytellers I know have learned to extract frameworks from their stories. They'll tell you about a failure, then zoom out and give you the lesson. That's how they bridge into education or commentary without losing their voice.

Most storytellers monetize through sponsorships, books, speaking, or premium content/communities. The key is building an audience that feels like they know you.

Tejas Huller is a great example.

5. The Builders

What they are: They build in public. Products, companies, projects. The content is a byproduct of the building process.

Builders are playing a different game. Content isn't the business, it's the marketing. They're documenting, not creating for the sake of creating.

This type is exploding right now because people are tired of empty content. They want to watch someone do something. The builders who win are transparent about the ups and downs. They show the messy middle, not just the highlight reel.

Monetization comes from the thing they're building, not the content itself. But the content compounds their credibility and distribution.

AJ Eckstein is a great example.

6. The Commentators

What they are: They react. They analyze. They give hot takes on what's happening in their niche or the world. The news cycle fuels them.

Commentators need to be fast and sharp. If you're commenting on something three days late, you're irrelevant. The best commentators have a distinct lens. They're not just summarizing the news, they're adding a perspective you can't get anywhere else.

The downside is you're always chasing. Always reacting. It's exhausting. The smartest commentators I know batch their commentary or build in "evergreen" analysis pieces so they're not constantly in reactive mode.

Monetization comes from sponsorships, subscriptions, and eventually consulting or advisory work where their analysis is valued at a premium.

Rachel Karten and Lia Haberman are great examples.

7. The Community Leaders

What they are: They build and nurture communities. The content is secondary. The real value is the people they bring together.

Community leaders are often invisible in the creator economy discourse because they're not optimizing for reach. They're optimizing for depth. They'd rather have 500 people who are ride-or-die than 50,000 who barely remember their name.

Buttttt, this is becoming an increasingly important type!

This is the hardest bucket to build, but the most defensible. Communities create their own gravity. People stay because of each other, not just because of you.

Monetization comes from brand partnerships, memberships, events, and eventually products or services the community needs.

I believe I fall into this type as an example!

8. The Advocates

What they are: They champion a cause, movement, or underrepresented group. The content is in service of the mission.

Advocates are mission-first, monetization-second. That's both their strength and their struggle. They have passionate audiences, but often leave money on the table because they're uncomfortable "selling."

The best advocates I've met have learned to monetize in alignment with their values. Courses that fund the cause. Products that support the community. Sponsorships with brands that share the mission.

The mistake is trying to be everything to everyone. The most effective advocates narrow their focus and go deep.

Cameron Katsky is a great example.

9. The Mass Creators

What they are: The household names. The ones who've crossed over from "internet famous" to just plain famous. They operate like media companies, with teams, production budgets, and distribution that rivals traditional entertainment.

Mass creators are playing an entirely different game. They're building empires. Like MrBeast isn't just a YouTuber, he's running a full production studio. Logan Paul isn't just a creator, he's a brand conglomerate. Emma Chamberlain has a coffee company and sits front row at fashion week.

10. The Hybrids

What they are: They don't fit neatly into one type. They educate and entertain. They build and tell stories. They commentate and curate.

Hybrids are the future. The lines are blurring. The most compelling creators I know pull from multiple buckets depending on what the moment calls for.

But here's the thing: you still need a primary identity. You can't be everything equally. The best hybrids have a core (educator, entertainer, builder) and then layer in elements from other buckets.

The mistake is trying to be a hybrid too early. Master one bucket first. Then expand.

So, which type are you?

My learning going through the creator journey myself is that clarity creates momentum. When you know which type you are you stop trying to do everything. You lean into your strengths. You find your people.

Maybe you're firmly one type. Maybe you're a hybrid. Maybe you're still figuring it out. That's fine. The point isn't to box yourself in. It's to understand the game you're playing.

Hit reply and let me know: which type do you identify with? Or are you building something that doesn't fit any of these?

Oct 22: Mixer, Panel, and Celebration with Teachable

And speaking of knowledge creators - join us on October 22nd in Brooklyn to mix and network with NYC's top creators, hear a big announcement from Teachable, and then settle in for a conversation with NYC creators Dara Denney and Mariana Anataya about turning lived experience into thriving education businesses.

LAUNCHING NEXT WEEK: "F*ck It, Create It" Course - 243 on waitlist!

After months of work, our first creator education course officially launches next week: "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.

BUT, if you've made it this far and you’re actually reading, we are actually soft-launching TODAY. And the first 50 who sign up, complete the course, and fill out the feedback form at the end will receive a limited-edition "F*ck It, Create It" hat.

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!)

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

• 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. And it’s free.

• Teachable: A platform I recommend to creators who want to monetize their expertise. Whether you’re teaching marketing, music, or Minecraft, Teachable makes it simple to create, launch, and sell courses without overcomplicating 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.

Thanks for reading! I'd love to know which type you identify with, or if you're building something that breaks the mold entirely.

See you next week,

— Brett