Category: Creator Economy

Smart Brevity book cover
"Smart Brevity" Book Review β€” Can it Help Improve Your Writing?
I'm not 100% sure when it was that I first heard about the site Axios. Regardless, these days, I'm subscribed to several of their newsletters, regularly visit their website, and may or may not have already taken some inspiration from them when revamping the news style of the Disney site I write for. For those...
robot hand and a human hand holding a pen
Blogging Tools: AI Writing Generator Test
Previously when I kicked off my Blogging Tools series, I shared a look at some services you can use to improve your writing by fixing grammatical and spelling errors. Well, today, we're taking things to a new level and looking at tools that will actually do the writing for you! That's right, we're going to...
Writing on an iMac
Blogging Tools: Writing and Grammar Tools
It's been a while since I've written about writing. While this section of my site has sat up next to more frequently covered topics such as Travel, I haven't explored the meta opportunities of blogging about the practice of blogging for far too long. So, today, I'm working to correct that by kicking off a...
Stock Video Footage: Pros, Cons, and Options for YouTube Creators
This may shock you, but not everything you see on YouTube is 100% produced by the creator uploading the video ;)  Instead, in some cases, they may be using what's called "stock footage" to accompany their talking head clips or voiceover. So where do these creators find such clips β€” and how much does it...
video editing software
4 Tools That Could Help "Level Up" Your YouTube Game
Amazingly, it's now been just over five years since I uploaded my first YouTube video. What's more, as I just learned by happenstance, I've apparently uploaded 200 videos to my channel. As you can probably imagine, since that first video, a lot has changed. Beyond changes to my scripting, structure, and skills, the past few...
YouTube screenshot
How I Create My Video Reviews for YouTube
Let me cut to the chase: this week, my YouTube channel officially surpassed 10,000 subscribers. This is something I never really expected when I launched my channel a few years back and, while I'm not one to wrap my self-worth up in such metrics, I am incredibly proud of this milestone. So, to celebrate, I've...
video play button
YouTuber Brand Deals: My First Sponsored Video Experience
A couple of months ago, I reached what I think is a YouTuber milestone: I completed my first brand deal. Okay, "brand deal" sounds very influencer-y, but I did make my first sponsored video. Previously, I'd made a handful of videos about products or services I'd received for free (but with no promise of a...
#FinCon21 logo
#FinCon21 Recap: My Virtual Experience
And just like that, another FinCon is in the books. As I mentioned in my preview, although this year marked the return to an in-person event (taking place in Austin, Texas), I made the last-minute decision to go virtual. Of course, with approximately 20% of conference attendees choosing this option, there were plenty of tools...
#FINCON21
#FinCon21: My 11 Most Anticipated Presentations
For weeks, today has been on my calendar as the day I was going to dive into the FinCon 21 schedule in order to prepare my annual look at the panels and presentations I was most looking forward to. Ironically, today also ended up being the day I canceled my trip to FinCon 21. Well,...
Sony ZV-1
Cameras for YouTube (2021): What I Bought and Why
It's hard to believe that I've now been creating YouTube videos for more than four years. What's even crazier is that my channel has garnered more than 1.6 million views in that time! I share this not to brag but because I honestly just learned this information. Since starting my channel, a lot has changed....
Storyblocks screenshot
Storyblocks Video (Videoblocks) Review: An Affordable Stock Footage Option?
When I started creating videos for YouTube, I quickly fell into a format that finds me on camera to introduce a section while filling out the rest with images and clips. While this has worked well for my app reviews and other finance topics overall, there are some limitations β€” namely, it can be difficult...
YouTube Studio logo
YouTube Studio in 2021: The Latest Upload Process Updates for Creators
Just over one year ago, I wrote a post detailing some of the changes YouTube had been making to its YouTube Studio platform and how these adjustments impacted creators. Since then, the site has continued to make updates β€” including some that have arrived in just the past couple of weeks. Therefore, I thought it...
Featured Articles
Do Allbirds Wool Runner Mizzles Make For a Go-To Travel Shoe?
As a semi-frequent traveler who looks to pack pretty light, I’m used to taking only one pair of shoes with me on any given trip. Thus, whatever shoes I’m taking with me need to not only be comfortable but also adapt to different situations β€” including the possibility of damp weather. That’s what attracted me...
How Did I Not Know About This Awesome Capital One Perk?
Earlier this month, I once again found myself in Las Vegas for CES. Each time this happens, I'm reminded of just how damn expensive The Strip has become. Seriously β€” $6 drip coffee, $9 cheese pizza slices, and a $14 cheese quesadilla that turns into a $23 quesadilla if you want to add a protein...
Dressing Like an Adult: Comparing Pants Instagram Sold Me
For most of my life, the bottom half of my body has been covered almost exclusively in denim. Specifically, except for the years when I had to wear a suit to work, I'd be seen in long jeans as I rarely ever wear shorts (although I did cave and wear some in Florida a couple...
Everything You Need to Know About Flying Allegiant Air in 2025
When my wife and I moved to Springfield, Missouri a decade ago, one of the selling points (or at least what kept it in the running) was that there was a nearby airport that served a decent number of destinations. Unfortunately, while it is convenient, flying out of such a small airport can also get...