Creator Playbooks

Michael Corcoran, brand and social strategist who built viral campaigns at Ryanair and now runs consultancy Slice. He breaks down why strategy beats content, explains the fast vs slow and prompted vs unprompted discovery framework, and maps a four-way matrix for winning on social. He also covers repeatable formats, search-on-social, distribution tactics, and how brands must rethink ownership and measurement.

Rachel Harris, multi award-winning accountant, entrepreneur and content creator who runs a multi-seven-figure firm and a huge personal brand. She reveals her viral playbook, from daily posting and micro-tests to pre-post checklists and post-mortems. Hear about monetisation paths like digital products, affiliates and brand deals, plus how she scales content, teams and revenue.

Simon Alexander Ong, bestselling author and former finance professional turned personal development coach. He breaks down building a million-dollar personal brand, from landing first clients and engineering viral YouTube hits to courting publishers and scaling premium speaking fees. Practical strategies on storytelling, platform roles, and creative access make the journey feel achievable and strategic.

Timo Armoo, serial entrepreneur and investor who built and sold Fanbytes and brokered multi-million media/data exits. He shares frameworks on pricing and selling to wealthier customers. He explains using inexperience as an advantage and manufacturing luck through networks. He outlines how to choose markets that compound growth and turn services into sellable assets.

James Smith, creator, author and entrepreneur who built businesses from personal training to bestselling books. He explains why chasing followers backfired and how slowing growth boosted revenue. Talks about using content to attract clients, pricing and offer design, the tension between fame and privacy, and building products and teams that scale.

Josh Sanders, Head of Content and LinkedIn growth specialist who scaled a personal brand to millions and co-built a revenue-generating creator accelerator. He breaks down LinkedIn growth frameworks, profile-as-landing-page optimizations, comment and content playbooks, how to turn attention into funnels and cohort products, and the newsletter-driven approach to compound audience growth.

A candid start-of-year business and life update with behind-the-scenes metrics and what worked in 2025. A surprising story of one low-play video that led to £250k in closed business. Tests with vlogs, long-form video pacing, and social distribution across platforms. Plans to go weekly, tighten focus in 2026, hire from the audience, and share personal habits and leadership lessons.

Get a breakdown of Jordan’s content engineering frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/4pLrw4dApply to work with me: https://bit.ly/3MsFlWeJordan Schwarzenberger is the manager behind The Sidemen — one of the biggest creator groups on the planet, with over 10 billion views and a content empire that extends into restaurants, vodka brands, trading cards, a membership platform, and more. In this episode, Jordan breaks down the systems, strategies, and business models behind The Sidemen’s explosive rise.We cover how The Sidemen built a 2-billion-views-per-year YouTube machine, the real economics behind content businesses, the future of creators, how to think commercially about your channel, why most creators are stuck, and why the next era of content isn’t production — it’s engineering. This is one of the most detailed creator masterclasses ever recorded.Listen on Your Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooksFollow Callum on socials:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thecallumcTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallumX – https://x.com/mcdonnellcallumLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnellProduced by 7xContent – make your own Podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.comFollow Jordan:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jordanschwarzLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanschwarzenbergerWebsite – https://www.jordanschwarz.comTimestamps:0:00 – Introduction: The next era is content engineering1:37 – When Jordan realised creators were different5:04 – Why YouTube is the engine room of the creator economy8:41 – Anyone can win on YouTube: the democratization of reach9:49 – How Jordan first identified the opportunity with The Sidemen12:20 – Building the business: the original strategy & 15 focus areas14:13 – Alcohol brand, restaurant, trading cards & Side+ — choosing what to build17:20 – Launching Sides, XIX Vodka & Best Cereal — the real challenges22:20 – Why Side+ (membership) is their most successful business23:48 – The economics of creator brands & realistic conversion rates28:40 – Joint ventures, partnerships & structuring creator businesses33:46 – Long-term thinking: why creators won’t see returns for years36:11 – Diversifying creator income & building financial resilience41:05 – Why most UK creators are stuck — and the algorithm trap43:21 – How to think commercially: audiences, niches & advertising lanes47:15 – Why YouTube should be your primary platform49:59 – Do creators need managers? (Jordan’s honest take)53:47 – High-volume content, storytelling & what makes content “good”55:58 – The three S’s: Stop, Stay, Satisfy — Jordan’s content framework1:01:34 – The importance of analysing content like an engineer1:03:29 – The monoculture collapse & how algorithms changed everything1:08:07 – Instagram vs TikTok vs YouTube: where the real value is1:13:37 – Why traditional TV talent struggle to transition to YouTube1:17:55 – Final insights + why we’re still early in the creator wave

Discover the common pitfalls that hold creators back, from the importance of setting clear, measurable goals to the value of low-view content. Learn how to treat your content creation as a systematic process, build a memorable brand through consistency, and shine a spotlight on others to generate interest. Get insights on tracking only the metrics that matter, and choosing the right platforms that align with your goals. This discussion is packed with practical advice that can save creators time and frustration in their journey.

Ben Branson, the visionary founder of Seedlip, revolutionized the beverage industry with the world's first non-alcoholic spirit. In this conversation, he shares his journey, starting from kitchen experiments that revealed a gap in mature non-alcoholic options. He discusses the strategic decisions that fueled rapid growth, including partnerships with prestigious bars and leveraging storytelling in branding. Ben also dives into his new ventures focused on sustainability and neurodiversity, showcasing how his experiences shape his innovative approach.