Podcasting is changing faster than ever—and the creators who adapt now will have a massive advantage. Check out Riverside 2.0 at https://creators.riverside.com/BusinessOfCreators

In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Kendall Breitman, Head of Community at Riverside to explore how podcasting has shifted from traditional media to the creator economy. They discuss why community has become one of the most valuable assets creators can build, how video has transformed podcast discovery, and how AI is helping creators spend less time editing and more time creating.

The conversation also dives into the launch of Riverside 2.0, including powerful new AI features, social publishing tools, multicam recording, newsletter creation, website hosting and workflow automations that help creators produce professional content faster than ever.

Timestamps
0:00 — My experience podcasting
4:21 — The biggest mistake new podcasters make
9:09 — Why video helped this show grow
12:51 — How Riverside made creating easier
16:11 — Why clips are so important now
19:06 — A look at what’s new in Riverside 2.0
22:15 — Using AI without losing your voice
27:11 — Kendall’s advice for future podcasters

Topics Discussed
- How podcasting has evolved into a creator-first business model
- Why community is becoming a creator's biggest competitive advantage
- The importance of video for podcast discovery and SEO
- Building a content strategy before launching a podcast
- How Riverside 2.0 simplifies recording, editing, clipping, publishing, and distribution with AI
- The future of AI in podcasting and content creation

Key Takeaways
- How to build a podcast that attracts an audience instead of hoping people discover it.
- Why community is becoming the biggest competitive advantage for creators in the age of AI.
- The simple content strategy that turns one podcast recording into weeks of high-performing content.
- How AI can dramatically reduce editing and production time without sacrificing quality or creative control.
- The latest tools in Riverside 2.0 that can help you record, edit, publish, and grow your podcast more efficiently.

Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

The future of the creator economy isn't content—it's something much bigger. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Sid Yadav, Founder and CEO of Circle, to explore why the future of the creator economy is shifting from audiences to communities. Sid shares how creators can build sustainable businesses beyond social media platforms, increase customer lifetime value, and create meaningful transformations for their most engaged fans.

The conversation also dives into Circle Eclipse, the company’s biggest launch to date, introducing AI-powered business building, a marketplace for creator-led transformations, and a white-glove service designed to help creators scale community-driven businesses.

Topics Discussed:
- The difference between an audience and a community
- Why creators need to own their relationship with their audience
- How community-led businesses generate higher lifetime value
- Lessons from successful creators and communities using Circle
- The launch of Circle Eclipse, including Circle AI, Discover and Studios
- Why the future of the creator economy is moving beyond content alone
- Building the “Shopify for the digital economy”

Key Takeaways:
- The most successful creator businesses focus on transformation, not just content consumption
- Communities create stronger relationships and more sustainable revenue streams than audience-only models
- AI can dramatically reduce the complexity of launching and growing a creator business
- Discovery and distribution remain major challenges for creators—and new platforms are emerging to solve them
- The next wave of the creator economy will be built around deeper engagement, ownership, and community

Watch to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!

Most VCs hide behind pitch decks and private networks — Marshall Sandman is building a venture fund on social media, one daily post at a time.

In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Marshall Sandman, founder of Animal Capital, to explore how social media is changing venture capital. Marshall shares how posting daily content online has helped him source startup deals, build founder relationships, and grow one of the top-performing seed-stage venture funds of its generation.

Marshall also explains why some of the best investment opportunities exist outside Silicon Valley — and why “boring” businesses may outperform the hottest AI trends.

Topics Discussed:
- How Marshall built Animal Capital from scratch
- Why social media is becoming a competitive advantage for VCs
- How Instagram content is helping source startup deals
- The role creators and celebrities play in startup storytelling
- Why overlooked industries can create massive investment opportunities
- Lessons from investing in billion-dollar startups

Key Takeaways:
- How posting consistently on social media can create real startup deal flow and business opportunities
- Why storytelling and distribution are becoming competitive advantages for modern venture capitalists
- How creators and celebrities can help technical startups communicate complex ideas more effectively
- Why some of the best investment opportunities exist outside Silicon Valley and traditional tech trends
- What founders can learn about fundraising, pitching, and simplifying their message for investors
- Why “unsexy” businesses and service-based companies may outperform overhyped AI startups

Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!