This week on The Creator Spotlight Podcast we are joined by Jesse Feister, the Executive Director of the Webby Media Group. In the lead up to the 29th annual Webby Awards ceremony, Francis and Jesse reflect on the evolution of the Webby Awards and the creator economy, exploring the creator to business pipeline and the three skills necessary to succeed as a creator. __________ Check out the Webby Awards: https://www.webbyawards.com/ Jesse's 'AI and Creativity' piece: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/two-truths-ai-creativity-jesse-feister-v0uue/ __________ Follow the Webby Awards X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheWebbyAwards Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewebbyawards/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewebbyawards (@TheWebbyAwards) Follow Jesse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-feister-6552b174 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessefeister __________ 00:00 Introducing Jesse and the Webby Awards 00:47 Jesse's mandate as Executive Director 03:37 How the Webby's define a creator 11:35 Understanding the grind of the entrepreneurial creator 16:00 Being a musician in the MySpace era 21:19 The 3 most valuable skills as a creator entrepreneur 30:20 Sustainable business models for small creators 34:04 The evolution of brand building online 38:46 AI and creativity: Creativity always wins 42:08 The biggest opportunities in the creator economy 44:56 The instant feedback loop — use it wisely 48:15 Plans for the Webby's 30th year #creatoreconomy #podcast #webbys