Aspiring Creator

In this week's episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about why it increasingly feels like we're unpaid beta testers for big brands, why I think our Prime Day video flopped, and the lowball offer that made no sense. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes every Wednesday 🚀 ⏰ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Our wee...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about getting treated like a celebrity for a day on a commercial shoot in Shanghai, finding the one type of content that actually funds your channel (hint: it's not AdSense) and why we stopped posting short-form content. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. Ne...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about my new one-take second channel, testing long-form video on Facebook, and what running shorts for 3 weeks straight did to my channel's numbers. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes every Wednesday 🚀 ⏰ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Why I started a seco...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about a brand that turned a 4-page brief into 40+ pages mid-shoot, what 2 weeks of focusing on shorts actually did to my views and subs, and how I just used Claude to plan my entire video schedule through the end of 2026. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. N...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about saving a tanking video by retitling it within 24 hours, losing creative control on a sponsored deal that completely killed it, and whether Claude is about to gut the SaaS industry. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes every Wednesday 🚀 ⏰ T...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about why YouTube views are tanking for established creators right now, why the algorithm has stopped surfacing videos to subscribers across the platform, and how I ended up with two failed monitor videos in a single week. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you....

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about the creator tools I'm building with Claude (a Monday replacement, brand tracker, contract checker + more), whether pausing long-form for 2 weeks to test shorts is worth it, and why Samsung (not Howl) might actually be the reason creators aren't getting paid affiliate income. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished versi...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about having 0 sponsorships booked for Q2 after our biggest quarter yet, building an AI system with Claude to automate brand outreach, and how persistence finally got Apple to send us products. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes every Wednesday...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about why short form is starting to out-earn long form, what brand trips are really like behind the scenes, and how AI saved me £3.5k on a surprise tax bill. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes every Wednesday 🚀 ⏰ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Brand trips...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about my experience at MWC (Mobile World Congress) and Samsung Unpacked, the current reality of sponsorships on YouTube, and why I’m seriously reconsidering the future of my website with the new AI advances. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes ev...

🚨 Sign up to Experiments in Progress - my weekly newsletter sharing tested tech and behind-the-scenes experiments: https://www.experimentsinprogress.com/ ***** In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about accidentally deleting my entire YouTube channel (yes, really), what actually saved it, and why it forced me to rethink how I’m building the business behind the scenes. I also dive in...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about using AI to analyse and refocus my YouTube channel, whether Shorts actually drive long-form views, and how I’m thinking about tax savings as a UK creator. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes every Wednesday 🚀 ⏰ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Asking A...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about getting threatened by affiliate platform, Howl, after chasing unpaid fees, why I turned down a £14k sponsorship, and the changes I’m making to simplify the business behind the channel - from editing workflows to shorts strategy. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I’m at CES in Las Vegas and thought I’d do something a bit different — stick a camera on the table at a steak dinner with a bunch of tech YouTubers and get everyone’s honest, off-the-cuff tips on growing on YouTube. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes e...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I talk about why affiliate links might not be working the way you think, what I learned from calling out an affiliate platform, and how CES ended up being our most profitable year yet. I also share my honest take on YouTube Promote vs building an organic audience. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (an...

In this week’s episode of Aspiring Creator, I break down what’s been going on behind the scenes this week - from delayed affiliate payments on Howl and the messy reality of tracking commissions, to getting set up with the Panasonic Lumix S1 II. I also share how I’m approaching CES this year and my 2026 goals for the business 💪 If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version...

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃 In this episode I talk about my Black Friday studio haul, the honest truth about finding a good agency, and the 36-page script that completely got out of hand. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's wo...

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃 In this episode I talk about the huge range of editing costs I uncovered this week, my accountant’s mistake that ended up costing me thousands. and then take you inside a full BTS Porsche shoot. If you’re curious how creators juggle editing,...

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃 In this episode I break down how we’ve ended up with a brand deal on almost every video - and the setup that finally makes it sustainable. We also get into a frank chat with a brand about expectations, plus a few behind-the-scenes upgrades fr...

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃 In this episode I talk about how we may have got confirmation that some creators are “legally” buying views to get sponsors, dig into the metrics brands actually check before they approve a deal and share how to actually make the most of CES...

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃 In this episode I talk about why I turned down a $25k sponsorship, how hiring an in-person editor has been game-changing and how I got on LEGO’s radar. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (a...

This week on Aspiring Creator, I’m back from a OnePlus press trip in Prague - and it didn’t quite go to plan 😅 From rain-soaked camera tests to awkward brand negotiations, this episode dives into the real behind-the-scenes of creator life. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what's working (and what's not), this one's for you. New episodes every Wednesday 🚀...

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃 In this episode I talk about using Claude AI to rebuild our entire project system, smashing Q4 sponsorship targets and how creators can pitch brand deals that work. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of what...

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃 In this episode I talk about what I learned at VidSummit 2025 - from how top creators run their teams and edit faster, to the weird world of fake affiliate channels , and why every YouTuber probably needs a producer , not just an edit...

I've relaunched Aspiring Creator and this time I've outsourced everything except sitting in the chair and talking, so kick back and come behind the scenes 😃 In this episode I talk about how much a 1-million-view video actually earns, YouTube’s new co-creator feature, and whether AI could really replace YouTubers. If you're building a creator business and want the unpolished version of...