Sup (creator) nerds! 🤓 

Merry Chrysler, I hope that everyone is feeling ready to dive into a little bit of time off for some well-deserved R&R!

I’m hitting some crazy writer’s block this week, so I think my brain is ready to shut off for a day or two, but don’t worry, I’ll still be in your inbox next week at the same time. 😎 

This year for the holiday, I have a gift for you (below), and if you want to give me a gift, consider giving this newsletter a share with someone who you think would enjoy it. 😉 

I heard Santa really loves shameless plugs and shilling, so I’m just out here trying to make the big guy happy.

And here’s your gift! As mentioned in the last issue, we have some insanely exciting updates coming to CreatorPad very soon, and to celebrate the holiday season, I’m excited to announce the official waitlist for CreatorPad 2.0!!!

If you want to be the first in the know and be among the first to get your hands on the insanely cool updated site, be sure to sign up for the waitlist. I’ll see you all on the waitlist and in next week’s issue! Happy holidays peeps ❤️ 

-Luke

Creator Hangs with the Cartel 😅 

Yea, that title wasn’t a typo, even though it feels like one. This creator is commanding a very strange niche that places himself in precarious predicaments, all for us and the love of adventure.

NOTE: I dug a bit deeper into Arab and I’ve learned that he’s not a good guy and has been tied up in a lot of controversy. A lot of commenters are claiming this video is fake (in terms of who he interviewed), so I had a very heavy debate with myself about just cutting this piece. I decided to cover this story not to showcase this creator and provide a platform, but to instead highlight a content transition and to show other creators that a shift in content won’t be the death of your channel.

• Arab has been posting on YouTube for several years now, but his content was far from the thrill-seeking adventures that he currently explores.

• Arab was a large Fortnite creator, streamer, and coach who amassed a large following over 7+ years of pushing out videos on YouTube.

• Now, from the research that I’ve done on Arab, he doesn’t seem to have the best reputation. It seems as though he’s offended many people with his distasteful jokes and language, so I have super mixed feelings about covering this story.

• Again, I’ve decided to cover this not to showcase Arab, but to instead show the benefits of taking the risk to make content that resonates with you as a creative.

To me, this creator making the change from a full-time gamer to an adventure creator should be a sign for creators to follow their passions, even if it goes against the grain of what they normally create.

• What you start with in your creative journey doesn’t have to be what you end with. As creators, our passion and energy is what drive audiences to resonate deeply with content.

• If you care about your craft, it can come through on screen and viewers can feel it. So if you’re creating content that you’re not passionate about anymore, and you’re just forcing yourself to post for the sake of posting, your audience will feel that shift, too.

• So if you’re feeling like your candle has burned too low and you no longer care for the craft of creation, maybe it’s time to switch things up.

Take the time to reflect and ask yourself the important questions, and don’t be afraid to take risks and try out new content styles. If you’re not happy with what you’re creating, then what’s the point?

As mentioned, Arab doesn’t have a great reputation and some of his titles, thumbnails, and collabs are absolutely questionable, so check out his content with caution and a grain of salt.

[Link to Cartel Video]

NBA Tapping Into Creators 🏀 (ft. Justin Leusner)

The NBA partnered up with some basketball creators to host the Creator Cup, a basketball tournament featuring these content creators. So what’s the big deal and what does this mean for creators?

• With more and more consumers trusting their favorite creators over traditional media, massive organizations like the NBA are looking to gain more viewership through these influencers.

• If the majority of entertainment for younger sports fans is coming from content creators, then the NBA is losing a piece of the pie.

• Partnering with these creators not only allows for a behind-the-curtain look of their main focus but also allows for their fans to become more deeply ingrained in the ecosystem that they cover.

To get a pro’s opinion, I spoke with my good friend Justin Leusner who is building TDAY Sports, the sports network that’s giving ESPN a run for their money. Justin and I dug into his thoughts on the event and he shared some incredible insights on what this means for creators, other sports, and fans.

• When speaking to Justin about his thoughts on the why behind this move by the NBA, he quickly let me know that the NBA has been helping and working with creators to continue their growth for many years now. It’s actually one of the league’s strong suits.

• “The NBA has done a really good job of interacting and platforming their creators and even other social media brands like House of Highlights and even my brand, Basketball Today, not copyright claiming us for using videos. And they've benefited so much, growing globally, growing in Gen Z over the past ten years. And the NFL is slowly waking up. The MLB needs to wake up,” explains Justin.

• At this point, I felt a bit of a disconnect. While the NBA has been working with creators for years and they’ve been reaping the rewards, I couldn’t quite put my finger on why they would need to work with basketball creators to continue growth. If the creator is already focused on the sport, viewers of that creator are probably watching those same games, right?

• “Well, yes, but it goes much deeper than market penetration, it’s more in line with market domination,” Justin shares.

• “I think it's two things. I think it's one, what you said, like market penetration, getting kids’ time on YouTube to spend even more with NBA. But number two, it's getting them to spend their time on…. now that I think about it, I just realized a common trend.”

• Justin expertly switches his mindset to pull this new string he uncovered.

• “NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Summer League, NBA Draft, and NBA In-Season Tournament. All four of those are big-ish events the NBA puts on, but not everybody watches. I've watched the draft, like, two times. I never watched the summer league. I didn't really watch this in-season tournament. The only things I watch are playoffs and finals.”

• Justin is essentially saying that working with these basketball creators allows consumers to continue engaging with the NBA’s events, even out of season. Utilizing these creators is like a secret key to unlocking constant interaction and engagement from their audience.

In my eyes, this is a massive shift and opportunity for creators in other sports niches and beyond. As creators, we bring so much value to the table for these brands, that they’re willing to give exclusive access and opportunities to allow for constant attention on the league. They see your value, now you have to leverage that!

Massive thank you to Justin for sharing his insights into this collab between these creators and the NBA. It’s clear to see that brands who work with creators come out on top, and this is just the beginning!

Pondering Feelings with Jordan Carr

Meet Jordan Carr!

Among the algorithmic noise that YouTube tends to push, from time to time the platform can toss you some gems that have yet to blow up into the mainstream. These are my favorite videos, and how I discovered the spotlight of today’s Create section!

As a creator who got his first camera during childhood on Christmas, Jordan Carr believes that humans are wired to respond to stories, so he strives to create good stories to help people ponder the feelings of life.

Jordan Carr is a Director, YouTuber, story crafter, and so much more. Through the nine videos on his channel, sifting through his content catalog is not only insanely entertaining, but it showcases Jordan’s ability to grow and evolve his content.

With each piece of work Jordan puts out, you can see him hone in on production quality, storytelling, editing, shots, and beyond. He continues to push the envelope and make stronger content with each upload.

I believe this is why Jordan will see inevitable growth on YouTube. With 40 subscribers, it’s shocking to find content of this quality and just reminds me that the best creators are still out there, waiting to get their chance in the algo.

Jordan’s most recent short film, Ruby, is his strongest work yet in my eyes. It’s weird, funny, and tells a fantastic story about a “hillbilly chasing a bad guy in hillbilly fashion.”

What makes this short film so great in my eyes are all of the little things. From the music choices bridging certain sections of the film to the shots used and even the addition of notebook sketches of the current scene to stage a chapter, it takes a simple story and adds even more depth and emotion.

While Jordan is still early on his YouTube path, you can see his growth in each upload. From the quality of concept and execution to the number of views and subscribers growing, I believe that Jordan will inevitably become a major storyteller on the platform, and I can’t wait to see his continued evolutions.

Be sure to check out Jordan’s content and give him a sub, he deserves it!

🤔 What Are Your Thoughts?

Are you planning any holiday content?

If so, drop a link for a feature in the first letter of the new year!!

🚀 Up Your Career as a Creator

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️