Earned: Unlocking the Power of the Creator Economy

In Ep. 88 of Earned, Conor sits down with TikTok star and podcast host Dulma Altan (@iamdulma). We start by learning how Dulma went from a career in tech at Google to launching her own clean fragrance business, all before becoming an "accidental creator" during the pandemic, when she began spotlighting noteworthy women-led brands in the DTC space on TikTok. We discuss how TikTok's unpredictable al...

In Ep. 87 of Earned, Conor sits down with Ana Maria Henao, the CMO and general manager of US Consumer Channel and Partnership Marketing at Microsoft. We start the show by diving into Ana Maria's recent transition from 25 years in the CPG sector—with much of her career spent at Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo—into the tech industry, and how the recent AI boom has shaped her experience thus far. We the...

REPLAY - In Ep. 68 of Earned, we sit down with beauty industry veteran Ken Landis. Ken has a proven track record of success, co-founding some of today's top beauty brands, including Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, TULA Skincare, and DIBS Beauty. To begin the episode, Ken reveals the core characteristics of a successful beauty brand, emphasizing the importance of a focused distribution strategy and unpackin...

In Ep. 86 of Earned, Conor sits down with 24 year-old wunderkind, public speaker, and entrepreneur Ziad Ahmed, the founder and CEO of Gen Z agency JUV Consulting. We start the episode by learning how Ziad, who was featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30 at just 19 years old, unintentionally became an entrepreneur while launching JUV Consulting seven years ago, before hearing his aspirations for the next d...

In our 85th episode of Earned, we're joined by Alicia Yoon, founder and CEO of fast-growing Korean skincare brand Peach & Lily. With her second child on the way, Alicia shares her approach to balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood, emphasizing the importance of prioritization. We then dive into Peach & Lily's origin story, and Alicia reveals why she was inspired to pivot her career away from th...

In Ep. 84 of Earned, we chat with James Nord, former Tumblr star, podcast host, and founder and CEO of ambassador marketing company Fohr. We start by learning the origin story behind Fohr's most well-known program, developed in partnership with Sephora: the Sephora Squad. James explains why the program was built on creators' genuine passion for beauty over follower size, and shares the company's m...

In Ep. 83 of Earned, we're joined by Jeremy Lowenstein, Chief Marketing Officer at cult-favorite mass beauty brand Milani. We start by learning how Jeremy broke into the beauty industry with a college internship at Estée Lauder, and why he's remained in the industry ever since. We then examine Milani's recent success on social, and Jeremy shares how the brand has invested even more deeply in devel...

In Ep. 82 of Earned, Conor sits down with author, professor, Emmy-nominated TV producer, and media industry expert David Craig. As a clinical professor at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, David's research focuses on "Social Media Entertainment" and the rise of "Creator Culture." To start the show, we ask David about the looming threat of a TikTok ban in the U.S., and he sha...

In Ep. 81 of Earned, Conor chats with Dr. Jason Wersland, founder and Chief Wellness Officer of tech wellness brand Therabody. We start by unpacking Jason's background, and hear how he transitioned from construction worker to chiropractor. Next, Jason shares how his painful recovery from a motorcycle accident inspired the invention of the cult-favorite Theragun, the hand-held, percussive massage t...

In our 80th episode of Earned, Conor sits down with Adrienne Lahens, the Global Head of Operations for Creator Marketing Solutions at the world's hottest social platform: TikTok. We start the episode by diving into Adrienne's role, and she explains what the TikTok Creator Marketplace is, and how it serves creators, brands, agencies, and influencer marketing platforms like CreatorIQ (wink). We then...

In Ep. 79 of Earned, we sit down with Adam Ross, CEO of leading affiliate marketing platform Awin. To start, Adam explains what affiliate marketing is, and how Awin helps connect companies to affiliate partners with engaged consumer audiences. We discuss why affiliate marketing is relevant to any industry, and Adam reveals how Awin is working to unite the influencer and affiliate marketing industr...

In Ep. 78 of Earned, Conor sits down with Sean Harrington, co-founder and CEO of luxury skincare brand Elemis. We start the episode by hearing how Sean's relationship with his co-founders has evolved over the last three decades, and the unique skill set that each of them brings to the table. We then ask Sean about his core business learnings and tenets, and he explains why a positive mindset, tale...

In Ep. 77 of Earned, we're joined by Roxy Young, Chief Marketing Officer at Reddit, the mega-popular discussion forum that's home to thousands of digital communities, aka Subreddits. We start the episode by hearing what's on the horizon for Reddit, including its goal to expand beyond English-speaking geographies, before learning what drew Roxy to join Reddit back in 2017. Next, Roxy breaks down Re...

In Ep. 76 of Earned, Conor sits down with Akash Mehta, co-founder and CEO of fast-growing, Ayurvedic-inspired haircare brand Fable & Mane. To start the episode, we discuss the resurgence of brick-and-mortar retail, and Akash explains the importance of continuing to invest in both online and in-store experiences. He shares some takeaways from the recent Sephora Brand Summit, including the importanc...

In our 75th episode of Earned, we're joined by Lee Stimmel, a veteran of the music industry and the current head of global partnership marketing at Prime Video & Amazon Studios. We start by diving into Lee's time at Amazon, and learn how he spearheaded the company's influencer marketing program before taking on his new partnerships role. Lee explains how the lines between traditional talent and so...

In Ep. 74 of Earned, we sit down with Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, the incredible founders of goat milk-powered skincare line Beekman 1802. To start, we explore why Brent and Josh are so eager to pursue new, varied opportunities, such as starring in their own reality TV show, *WINNING* Season 21 of The Amazing Race, and authoring best-selling memoirs, to name just a few. We then dive i...

In today's episode of Earned, we sit down with Evan Horowitz, co-founder and CEO of Movers+Shakers, today's fastest-growing creative agency that "connects brands to culture." We start by diving into Evan's background, and learn how he went from earning an engineering degree from Stanford to pursuing an MBA at Harvard. Evan shares why he decided to pivot into the marketing field, and what eventuall...

In Ep. 72 of Earned, Conor sits down with Silvia Galfo, general manager of Armani Beauty. We start by talking about influencers: when Silvia first realized their potential, and how the narrative—and budgets—around influencer marketing have shifted in recent years. Silvia describes how important it is for luxury brands to strike the right balance between establishing a brand-led narrative and givin...

In Ep. 71 of Earned, Conor sits down with Marc Hustvedt, president of the largest YouTube channel in America (137 MILLION subscribers): MrBeast. Marc's impressive resume also includes founding ventures like Tubefilter, Supergravity Pictures, and the Streamy Awards. We start the episode by learning why Marc enjoys building new companies, and hear why he's particularly interested in YouTubers. We as...

In our 70th episode of Earned, we sit down with Winnie Park, CEO of Gen Z retailer Forever 21. We start by discussing the resurgence of retail and in-store shopping, and how the industry has changed since the start of the pandemic. Winnie unpacks the evolution of Forever 21's omnichannel strategy, and emphasizes the importance of meeting the customer where they're at. We dive into the retailer's a...

In our latest episode of Earned, we sit down with Jason Wagenheim, President and Chief Revenue Officer at global media company Bustle Digital Group. To start, we dive into Jason's long-spanning career in publishing at Condé Nast, including his time at Vanity Fair, Glamour, and Teen Vogue. Jason reveals how accurate "The Devil Wears Prada" was, then unpacks how digital publishing took the print wor...

 In Ep. 68 of Earned, we sit down with beauty industry veteran Ken Landis. Ken has a proven track record of success, co-founding some of today's top beauty brands, including Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, TULA Skincare, and DIBS Beauty. To begin the episode, Ken reveals the core characteristics of a successful beauty brand, emphasizing the importance of a focused distribution strategy and unpacking his ma...

In Ep. 67 of Earned, Conor sits down with creator economy expert and gaming industry veteran Rodrigo Velloso. We begin by learning what attracted Rod, who built his early career in traditional media, to join the then-booming tech industry. Conor and Rod then share their predictions for how the rise in AI technology like ChatGPT will impact industries across the board. We dive into Rod's time at Yo...

In Ep. 66 of Earned, Conor sits down with Chelsea Riggs, Global President of top-ranking professional haircare brand Amika. To start the episode, we learn what attracted Chelsea, who joined the founding team of Amika out of college, to the then-small startup, and how she worked her way up in six years from being a business development manager to Global Brand President. We then dive into Amika's st...

In our first episode of the new year, we sit down with Raissa Gerona, Chief Brand Officer of fashion retailer and influencer marketing powerhouse Revolve. We start by learning how Raissa was a pioneer in the influencer marketing space, leveraging the then-new blogosphere in 2008 to promote her own Lovers and Friends clothing brand. Raissa shares her advice to marketers who question whether influen...