The Creator Spotlight Podcast

Caper is a new media company covering the people, money, ambition, power and chaos that fuels the food world. In this episode we speak to Max Tcheyan, the co-founder and CEO, as well as three of the founding journalists.

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Caper

Newsletter

Caper

LinkedIn

In this episode

Max

Emma

Annie

Chris

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Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Caper Media

01:00 The gap in the market

03:45 Who is the audience?

07:29 How equity changes journalism

15:46 Food journalism that makes a difference

23:46 Building a team of founders

26:30 The $2.5M bet

29:28 Doing something that matters

Daniel Berk is beehiiv’s first sales hire-turned-strategist, cofounder of a local newsletter Palmetto Parents, and cohost of the Two Dads in Tech podcast. In this episode we discuss his journey from chaotic notebooks to 25,000 LinkedIn followers, how he helps creators and enterprise media businesses grow and monetize, and how to run a profitable newsletter and podcast.

Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles

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Use code: CREATOR1X1

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Daniel Berk

LinkedIn

Twitter/X

Threads

Podcast

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Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Daniel Berk

01:34 13 years of writing newsletters

05:25 The problem every creator and business has

11:13 Adapting to the AI driven web

14:24 Best and worst social media platforms

21:58 Why a big LinkedIn platform is so important

29:16 Making $60k with a podcast side-project

38:33 Building a community driven local newsletter

46:38 Outcome vs output driven creators

50:26 The value of writing every day

Grant Beene is a short-form video creator known for crafting wild, story-driven skits that have generated hundreds of millions of views across TikTok and Instagram. In this episode, we break down how he writes and produces viral short films, structures brand deals without compromising creative integrity, and why he believes short-form is the training ground for becoming a world-class director.

Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles

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Grant Beene

TikTok

Instagram

Francis Zierer

LinkedIn

Twitter/X

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Introducing Grant Beene

00:02:34 The process behind a 120M view video 

00:07:32 Limitations creating uniqueness 

00:10:47 Early TikTok growth 

00:22:41 Pushing short form content to the extreme 

00:26:22 Difficulties monetizing as a short form creator 

00:34:45 The value of collaborating in the creative process 

00:41:03 From short form creator to artist 

00:48:11 The role of faith in drive and discipline 

00:52:47 How the creative process changes with long form 

00:59:10 Unlocking the creativity 

01:05:45 Inspirations in art and film 

01:12:29 Make art and it will take you to your goal

Lucie Fink is a creator and entrepreneur who’s built a successful personal media company across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, podcasts, and newsletters. In this episode, we break down how she actually makes money as a creator, dealing with and confronting online trolls, and pivoting from lifestyle influencer to artist.

Read the newsletter: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/profiles

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Lucie Fink — All my Income Sources Revealed

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Lucie Fink

YouTube

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Podcast

Francis Zierer

LinkedIn

Twitter/X

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Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Lucie Fink

01:10 Confronting an online troll

08:57 I’m an artist, not an influencer

12:59 Building a personal brand while at Refinery29

17:02 First year challenges going solo

20:58 Making over $100k as a creator

32:30 Learning from previous course mistakes

39:52 Making $50k from one video

45:46 Adapting content to a shifting audience

48:20 Maternal burst of creative energy

51:53 Aspirations of a Netflix show

Marissa Lovell is the founder and operator of From Boise, a local newsletter business generating over $100k in annual revenue. In this episode, she breaks down how she built it, what nearly made her quit, and the decisions that finally made it work.

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Get 10,000 free monthly credits at Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/

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Marissa Lovell

LinkedIn

Twitter/X

From Boise

Francis Zierer

LinkedIn

Twitter/X

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Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Marissa from Boise

01:00 From nearly quitting to $100k+ revenue

06:18 The once-a-month growth strategy

09:34 Early stage experimentation

12:15 Accidentally growing a “personal brand”

17:56 Zero to 10k subscribers in one year

23:20 How big can a local newsletter be?

24:18 How to monetize a local newsletter

30:37 Investing in a website that feels right

33:27 Why a discount card for the community didn’t work

38:14 Connecting a community with dinner clubs

42:15 Building in public and empowering female entrepreneurs

46:58 Creating in way that suits you

52:35 Becoming a six-figure solopreneur

55:09 Doubling revenue for 2026