You know what time it is. It’s Crimbus season, and it’s feeling mighty holiday-ee around my house this year. I even put up a wreath. #HolidayKing I know, I know.

What do you readers do to get in the holiday spirit? To be completely honest with you, I always listen to Christmas with DOOM, an incredible mix of Christmas tunes overlaid with MF DOOM songs. 23 minutes of holiday cheer with everyone’s favorite villain puts me right into the x-mas mood, but I’m curious, is there any content or music that’s a must for your holidays? Let me know by replying to this email, and who knows, I may even feature you in next week’s issue so we can all get into the holiday spirit together!

-Luke

Simone Giertz is A Badass

• Do you know the story of the creator who is an inventor, entrepreneur, actress, survived a brain tumor, and so much more that I can’t even wrap it up into one cohesive sentence?

• Meet Simone Giertz, one of the most badass creators that I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing a deep dive into. Her background is insane, her track record of inventions will blow your mind, she boasts over 2.7M subscribers, has collabed with some of the biggest names in popular science, hosted a show, built robots for HBO, and that’s just scratching the surface.

• Simone started her maker career around 2013 when she began studying at a school in Stockholm and began exploring the world of open-source hardware (aka free tech for people to customize).

• One of her first inventions is actually what led her to YouTube! After making a toothbrush helmet for a show that was not picked up for airing, Simone uploaded the invention and video to YouTube, and the rest is history.

• With the success of this video, Simone began creating even more “tech solution” type videos, beginning her career as the self-described, “shitty robot queen.”

• Simone went on to create even more videos, pairing deadpan humor with her bizarre inventions like the “chopping machine,” and the “applause machine,” Simone began creating a cult following of viewers, and eight years later she’s among the highest regarded maker YouTube channels, racking up crazy collabs and features on major TV shows like Westworld.

• In 2018 and 2019, Simone announced that she was dealing with a brain tumor, and throughout the entire process, she kept her upbeat yet cold humor flowing while updating her audience on the progress. She’s not only an incredible creator and engineer, but she quite literally laughs in the face of danger while keeping her audience uplifted. Now that’s a badass creator if you ask me!

• Simone popped up on my radar after I found this Kickstarter for one of her inventions, Coat Hingers. Now, I’m not in the market for hangers (shoutout Costco) but the Kickstarter campaign caught my eye after seeing the raise goal get absolutely smashed. A $50k goal was almost 10x’d over the last few weeks, with the raise now sitting at just under $500k.

• To me, this is the beauty of being a creator and doing what you love. Creators like Simone can be a perfect showcase of reaping the benefits of creating content that is true to you and your heart.

• The creator journey, as I’m sure Simone can attest, is nothing short of dynamic. The winding path will lead you down some interesting roads, and on the journey you will continue to learn and grow with your creative pursuits, allowing you to hone in on making what you love while building out your audience.

• So creators, learn from Simone’s journey and keep pushing forward. No matter how many turns you take or the paths you explore, you’ll end up where you’re supposed to be. 😌 

Merry Thanksmas from this Creator

• Over the last six years, massive creator Jacksepticeye (Sean McLoughlin) has hosted ‘Merry Thanksmas,’ a charity event where the creator raises money for several different charities.

• While this year, like years past, was a massive success, Jacksepticeye has reached a significant milestone for this event that deserves a shoutout in this week’s newsletter.

• This creator just reached over $25M raised throughout the six years that this event has been going on.

• That $25M goes to charities that provide some incredible services such as World Central Kitchen which provides meals to those in humanitarian crisis; Red Nose Day which provides children with funds, education, empowerment, and beyond; and housing for homeless individuals through New Story.

• While creators like Sssniperwolf and Jacksfilms bicker over stolen content (as they rake in cash hand over fist), creators like Jacksepticeye is here to make a change and show you what being a creator is all about.

• So creators, be more like Jacksepticeye. Use your platform for good, lift up rather than tear down, and make a difference where you can. Tis the season!

Ludwig Pushes for YouTube Changes