Enter your entrepreneur era: creator business 101 - Episode 60
An article came out in the New York Times following the announcement of Anna Wintour stepping back from her editor-in-chief role at Vogue titled “The Concorde-and-Caviar Era of Condé Nast, When Magazines Ruled the Earth.”
It perfectly summed up why social platforms and content creation have become the new go-to sources for news and storytelling over legacy media. A standout quote for me was:
"To the extent that the Newhouses can keep bankrolling Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker into the next decade, it may be thanks to a shrewd bet on an internet company [Reddit] whose scruffy egalitarianism is the antithesis of Condé’s top-down, we-know-best approach. The cost of creating a Reddit post? Zero."
Content creation is no longer a hobby—it’s a viable path to income and impact.
If you’ve seen creators talking about paying rent with affiliate commissions or covering car payments through creator funds, this episode is for you.
Today I’m sharing tips on everything from setting up your business to finding your platform and creating long-term goals.
Create & consume:
What Austen is creating this week: a blog post about breweries in upstate New York
What Austen is consuming this week: Trader Joe’s Fruit Frenzy Bars, raspberry, lemon and strawberry frozen popsicles—a lifesaver for hot and humid days
In this episode:
Crafting a mission statement and vision for your brand
When I recently rebranded, I also rewrote my mission statement, which is now: “building a balanced and creative life in the city and documenting it all online.”
It’s specific enough to attract the right people, but broad enough to allow me to evolve.
Think about:
Who do you want to help?
What do you create?
Why should someone follow along?
If you’re serious about monetizing your influence, Module 1 of The Influencer Income Accelerator has a great worksheet called the Dream Big Brain Dump to guide you through this exercise.
Choosing a primary platform
It’s tempting to be everywhere at once, but trust me—focusing your energy is key. Choose one platform and one content medium to start with:
Content mediums:
Written (blog, Substack)
Audio (podcast)
Long-form video (YouTube)
Short-form video (TikTok, Instagram)
Photo (Pinterest, Instagram)
Platform pros:
TikTok = viral potential + community
Instagram = visual storytelling + community
Pinterest = traffic + blog growth
YouTube = evergreen long-form reach
Podcast = deep connection
Blog/Substack = long-form SEO content
The growing appreciation for meaningful, in-depth content is covered in Episode 38, where I discuss the long-form content renaissance and why it’s an exciting time for creators focused on depth.
Long-term goals
What do you want your content to do for you?
Launch a product
Publish a book
Speak on stage
Quit your 9–5
Free up schedule to spend time with family
Picture your ideal day. Are you solo or managing a team? Want structure or flexibility?
Some planning tools I love:
Google Calendar setups (and picking pretty colors)
Accountability groups
Take a “creator PTO day” and act out your dream schedule. It’s such a clarifying exercise.
Monetization brainstorm
Where does creator income actually come from?
Brands (sponsored content)
Advertisers (YouTube/blog ad networks)
Affiliate networks (LTK, ShopMy, Amazon)
Fan support (Patreon, Substack)
Platforms (TikTok Creator Fund, Reels bonuses)
Easy to start:
Affiliates
Creator funds
Requires more effort:
Brand partnerships
Fan-funded platforms
Ad networks
Legal business setup
If you're serious about this, you’ll want to legally protect yourself:
Register as at least a single-member LLC (can always change to an S-Corp or other formation later)
Apply for an EIN (employer identification number)
Set up any DBA’s if needed (for example I could be doing business as Keep Calm and Chiffon)
Open a business bank account for relevant expenses
This ensures that in any legal issue, only your business assets (not personal ones) are at risk. I spoke to a lawyer about all of this in a recent YouTube video.
Also start tracking income and expenses now—even a simple spreadsheet helps. This saved me so much stress come tax time.
Other quick tips to end us off
You get out what you put into content creation
Consistency matters more than perfection
Going viral isn’t always the goal
Set boundaries to avoid burnout
Invest in what works for you
Summary
You don’t need a fancy studio, big team, or a decade of experience to start. You just need clarity, consistency, and a willingness to learn.
This episode is your roadmap to getting started with content creation and turning your creativity into a real business.
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