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Everybody is building a stage for creators right now. Instagram has a trophy, LinkedIn has a cash register, TikTok has a movie studio. Before you run toward any of them, let's look at who actually gets in, what it costs, and how to build a room of your own.
✍️ Personal Insights
Before we dig in to this week’s newsletter, I wanted to share a very special night I experienced in Sand Diego two weeks ago… I was able to clear my calendar to join my friend Pam Covarubias celebrate her 10th annivery or “Diezvelada” alongside her most faithful listeners and community partners. I have to say that this celebration was literally one of the most authentic experiences I have ever attended… especially from someone with OG status like Pam.
If you have not had the pleasure of experiencing Pam via her podcast… listen today on all the platforms you get podcasts on…. and you will see what I am talking about. Top tier content that will actually enhance your human experience.
Here is a recap of the event in her own words…
Your teen viewers are about to get a shorter leash
Meta’s agreement with 52 attorneys general sets a default two-hour daily limit for teens, nighttime blocks, and prompts after 15 minutes of continuous scrolling. Parts of the deal depend on YouTube and TikTok adopting similar limits, and on Oct. 15 family groups pressed TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube to do just that. Try this: if your audience skews young, plan for shorter, more focused sessions instead of daily volume, which also takes pressure off you.
Which door are you standing outside right now? Is it invite-only, too expensive, or are you quietly wondering if you belong in the room?
🧠 The Reality Check
Before the shiny stuff, two honest looks at what these stages do to your head.
A trophy you can't apply for
Instagram brought back its Rings awards for year two, honoring creative courage instead of one type of content. Its own write-up talks about chasing ideas, finding inspiration when there is none, and pushing through self-doubt. But there's no entry form, because a panel of judges nominates and votes. Try this: write down the three biggest creative risks you took this month. That's your own Rings list, and nobody has to vote on it.
$100M in pledges, zero signed deals
At Advertising Week New York, Dhar Mann became its first Chief Creator Officer and said brands had pledged $100 million toward creator deals. He wouldn't name the CMOs, and none of the pledges are signed. He also said some of the biggest creators he invited to pitch brands on stage balked because they didn't know how. He's also opening Creator City, a four-acre LA production campus with five soundstages, built as a physical home for creators and set to open in February 2027. Try this: say your pitch out loud once this week (who you reach, what you make, what a brand gets) so the first time isn't in the room.
🌱 What's Moving
Now for the doors that are actually opening.
LinkedIn lets you get paid and stay close
LinkedIn launched Advice Sessions, paid 1:1 consultations booked from your profile, but for now they're US only and need a Business Premium subscription. Its In-Stream Ads, which pay creators when pre-roll ads run on their videos, are a test with select US creators, so don't count on that income yet. The quieter win may be the new personalized digital business card, rolling out globally over the coming months, built for staying connected with people you meet in person.
TikTok is betting on creator-led mini series
TikTok partnered with Made By Us Studios to co-produce vertical micro-series, and the first two star creators Hannah Stocking and Adam Rose. It builds on Screen Time, which has pulled in nearly 580 million views since April and is now the top-performing show ever on TikTok and PineDrama. The studio says creators can develop scripted stories and help shape projects, not just appear in them.
YouTube adds AliExpress to its shopping affiliate program
Eligible creators can now tag AliExpress products in long-form videos, Shorts, and livestreams and earn commission on qualifying sales. It starts in the US, Brazil, the UK, and Germany, with more markets phased in. You still have to meet YouTube's channel and Shopping affiliate requirements and apply in YouTube Studio.
🧰 Resources & Opportunities
Canon First Cut: $100,000 for your boldest pitch
Canon is funding four winners at $25,000 each, one per category: cinematic narrative, action-adventure, documentary, and lifestyle/vlog. Each winner also gets a one-hour mentorship with a creator judge. You enter with a one-to-three-minute video pitch posted publicly on YouTube, TikTok, and/or Instagram, plus the official entry form. Submissions close Nov. 10 at 11:59 p.m. ET, so check the official rules for eligibility before you enter.
Two days of free email tactics, starting Nov 12
GURU kicks off Nov 12. Join the 29,000+ marketers who showed up last year, 100% free and virtual.
GURU Conference, powered by Constant Contact, is back November 12–13. It's 100% virtual and 100% free, and it's packed with tactics you can use right away on newsletters, deliverability, design trends, AI, and what NOT to do with email.
What to expect:
Speakers including Molly Ringwald, Dan Levy, Amy Porterfield, Frank Vella + more
Sessions from world-class marketers at top brands
Networking every day
DJs, world-record breaking, and an alarming amount of rom-com fun!
Last year, 29,000+ marketers joined us. This year is even bigger, and spots are limited.
🌿 This is for you if you are a... community organizer
Every stage this week had a gate on it, and you already know how to open gates. LinkedIn's business cards and Dhar Mann's Creator City are both bets that creators need a physical place to meet, not just a feed. So host the room, then keep the room. Within 48 hours of your next event, message three people you met with one specific thing you could build together. A warm follow-up is worth more than another follower.
Pa'lante 💪
George
Siembra Connect 🌱