How five friends transformed viral trick shots into a multimedia business—and what entrepreneurs can learn about building beyond a single platform. By Conner Tighe Dude Perfect began with five college friends filming basketball trick shots. What started as a simple YouTube video eventually grew into a multimedia business spanning live tours, merchandise, toys, books, games, brand partnerships, and its own app. YouTube remains a major part of the company, but it is no longer t

How to turn every episode into searchable content, meaningful audience engagement, and new subscriber growth By Conner Tighe Substack is becoming more than a place to publish newsletters. Its expanding podcast tools allow creators to record episodes, distribute them to major podcast apps, publish video, reach subscribers by email, and offer exclusive content—all from one platform. Here are seven practical ways to make the most of podcasting on Substack. 1. Turn Every Episode

By Conner Tighe How a factory worker turned silent reactions, simple gestures, and universal humor into one of the creator economy’s most recognizable brands. The internet rewards noise. Creators are told to talk faster, post more often, and reveal increasingly personal details to keep an audience interested. Khaby Lame did the opposite. He stared silently into the camera, raised his eyebrows, and extended his hands toward an obvious solution. That simple gesture became one o

By Conner Tighe Curry Barker, Kane Parsons, and the creators who came before them reveal a new rule of media: build the audience first, and the industry will come to you. For decades, the path into entertainment looked almost embarrassingly predictable: make something, pitch it to a gatekeeper, and hope someone with money and authority decides you belong. In 2026, that order has begun to collapse. The clearest evidence may be two young filmmakers who arrived in theaters with

By Julie Lokun & Conner Tighe Podcasting has been "dying" every year since 2020. Just not in the way most people think. Look at new show creation, and the story looks grim: 2020: 1M+ new podcasts launched 2021: 740K 2022: 246K 2023: 221K 2025: 198K That's a 98% collapse in new shows since the pandemic peak. If you stopped there, "podcasting is dead" would feel like a fair headline. Why the Boom Went Bust The 2020 spike wasn't really about podcasting. It was about lockdown. Ev

By Conner Tighe Dolly Parton was much more than a country music icon. Her life, personality, career, and generosity have taught me lessons that apply far beyond the music industry. I don’t remember the exact moment I was introduced to Parton, but I know she has been a significant figure throughout my whole life. She was very different from the average celebrity, as shown by her acts of kindness and deep love for others. Over the years, her wisdom has always felt genuine and r

By Conner Tighe For years, Kwame Christian had a simple response whenever someone made a suggestion: “Sounds good.” The problem was that it often did not sound good to him at all. Behind the agreeable answer was someone who hated conflict, struggled to advocate for himself, and routinely placed other people’s comfort ahead of his own needs. Today, that description hardly sounds like the man who leads the American Negotiation Institute, hosts the world’s most popular negotiati

By Conner Tighe If the word "sales" makes your skin crawl, you're not alone. Funnels, scripts, and hustle-culture pressure tactics have given the profession a bad name, and for good reason: most of it feels gross because it is gross. It treats people as targets rather than humans. Neil Rogers has spent decades proving there's a better way, and he learned it not in a boardroom, but behind a bar top. His whole career is a case study in sales without selling. Neil is the author

By Conner Tighe Algorithms can shift how people think, vote, and buy, often without those people ever knowing they've been nudged. That's not a talking point; it's measured, replicated research, and it's the subject of the latest episode of the Creative Entrepreneur podcast, where Julie Lokun and Jen Fontanilla sit down with Dr. Robert Epstein to unpack how it works and what it means for anyone building a business online. Who Is Dr. Robert Epstein? Dr. Epstein isn't a pundit

By Conner Tighe & Julie Lokun There's a version of this story where a guy waits tables, has an idea, gets rich, cue credits. That's not this story. This is the version where "no" doesn't mean no, where letting go is the hardest and smartest move a founder can make, and where a mountain bike ride in Boulder, Colorado quietly rewires the natural food aisle for good. What does it take to turn a single mountain bike ride and a kitchen food processor into a household name? This we

By Conner Tighe There's a version of a business conference everyone's sat through before. Rows of chairs facing a stage. A velvet rope between the people who "made it" and everyone still trying to. Polite applause, a stack of business cards, and a drive home wondering if anything actually changed. Cre8tive Con: The Boston Intensive was not that conference. On July 13th, fifty entrepreneurs, authors, podcasters, and dreamers filed into One Financial Center in the heart of Bost

By Conner Tighe Let's talk about the moment we're in right now. The global creator economy was valued at $310 billion for 2026 — up from $252 billion last year — and analysts project it will exceed $1.3 trillion by 2033. That's not a trend. That's a structural shift in how business, media, and money actually work. And if you're reading this blog, you're already closer to the center of it than you think. Creators Are Becoming Companies The old model of a "content creator" — so

By Conner Tighe Are you struggling to get your book, product, service, or business in front of the right people? You are not alone — and according to publisher and entrepreneur Dominick Domasky, you also do not have to wait around for someone else to magically make it happen. In this power-packed solo episode of The Creative Entrepreneur Podcast, Dominick steps in while Julie Lokun is out on assignment to deliver a marketing masterclass for authors, entrepreneurs, small busin

By Conner Tighe Entrepreneurship is not just about building a business. It is about building a voice, a message, a movement, and sometimes, an entirely new version of yourself. That is the heartbeat of Creative Entrepreneur: A Podcast For Business Growth, Strategy and Monetization, hosted by Julie Lokun and Dominick Domasky. The podcast brings together conversations around business growth, branding, monetization, publishing, podcasting, creativity, and the courage it takes to

By Conner Tighe For many authors, publishing a book is the dream. But what happens after the final page? That is the question Julie Lokun brings to the Women in Publishing conference with her workshop, “From Page to Podcast.” Designed for authors, writers, and publishing professionals, the 90-minute interactive session invites participants to think beyond a single book launch and consider how their message can continue to grow long after publication day. A book gives readers

A recent episode of the Creative Entrepreneur podcast dove deep into the playbooks of the three undisputed titans of the digital age: MrBeast, Alex Cooper, and Gary Vaynerchuk. While they operate in vastly different niches—from high-stakes YouTube stunts to raw, intimate podcasting and high-level business consulting—their core strategies for growth, strategy, and monetization share a common DNA.

For the modern solopreneur—the consultants, the dreamers, the makers, and the disruptors—2026 isn't just another year; it’s a defining year. We’ve moved past the phase of "trying out" AI and into the era of strategic implementation. At Cre8tive Con, our mission has always been about turning that beautiful, messy creativity into a sustainable profit center, and this year, the rules have changed in the best way possible. Here is what you need to know to "show up bigger" an

Entrepreneurs wondering how to invest money this year will learn why pay-to-play marketing is essential for business growth, lead generation, and visibility in today’s economy, with practical strategies to invest smarter and attract more clients now.

Cyber Monday deals we personally trust, use, and believe offer meaningful returns. These tools cover AI content creation, CRMs, press access, SEO, imagery, video production, automation, signage, and more. If you want your business to operate at a higher level in 2025, this is where to begin

How Much Does It Really Cost to Publish and Write a Book? Publishing costs vary widely depending on your goals, format, and level of professional support. Here’s a general guide for 2025: Low-end (DIY/self-publishing): Around $5,000—this may include editing, formatting, and basic cover design. Mid-range (professional assistance or hybrid): Between $9,000–$15,000 for a full suite of services, from editing to marketing. High-end (comprehensive packages): $25,000+