NEW YORK—I love conferences, and I felt right at home at Creator Economy Live NYC. Very little emphasis on panels — it was all networking and roundtables. But more importantly, there were valuable lessons from the creator side and the brands. I came representing Creator Translator and RahimLovesSports, not Bottom Up Boston, which I admit felt strange — I'm known as a creator journalist. But for the day, I was just a creator.

I do this for the journalism industry, which is extremely behind in reaching audiences while creators are chapters ahead. You need access to these brands and to learn from these people. I get too many side-eyes from industry leaders who think I shouldn't be attending these things. But if you know me, that's not how I live life, nor should you as you begin your creator journey. Be an open book. I believe you should think of the entire world as your canvas — you can use every experience to improve your craft.

And, more importantly, we need sustainable revenue models in the independent landscape. I don't believe relying only on paid subscribers is the future of creator journalism. I believe there are mutual benefits in the relationship between brands, journalists, creators, and the broader creator economy. And I get it if you're not at the stage of partnering with a brand yet, or you're still hesitant — trust me, so am I. That's okay. Bottom Up Boston, my local creator-led newsroom, doesn't take brand deals. But if this is going to work long-term, we need to start thinking seriously about revenue models and content formats that actually make sense.

So here's what I walked away with: