🎙️I'm getting real close and personal

📔 Jeff’s Diary (yes I’ll let you read it)

Every week I’m gonna share my personal story building OWM right here. So if you give a 💩 about what I’m doing, the why, and how my story can help you; if nothing else, read this. Otherwise, my team puts together great stuff which you should read below.

Here goes….

I’m tired. I’ve had many recent moments late at night simply asking myself “why”. Why am I working so hard? Why am I doing “this”? Will what I’m building work? Do people get it? It was weighing so heavily on me I’m sure my family took notice.

But then I talked to a founder who said, “OMG, I need this”. Then another one. Then someone asked, “How much?”. And another said, “Where can I sign up?”. Then others started offering us lots of $$$ to help them build their Creator Advisory Boards….. and it was like a shot of adrenaline.

It’s tough to self motivate without progress, especially when you’re going 0 to 1. It’s like working out or eating healthy and looking in the mirror or at the scale and just seeing the same old you. Ughhhh, why am I denying myself that Chicken Parm?

But success breeds success. Momentum is contagious. And I’m reinvigorated.

I spent 2 days in LA last week running 10 meetings a day at every major talent agency. I want them to not just know what we do, but know me, Jeff. My story. The fact that I am going to have THEIR back. That yes, having talent invest their influence is new, but I’m here to support them. To make this work. To deliver on the promise. And they got it.

For 10 months, we built the pipes and infrastructure for the new ownership economy. The analogy I use is we first built the church because if you wanted to do an equity deal and get married, there was so much friction only the 1% could. Lots of people were fuçking, but like Beyonce said “when you own it, you treat it differently (so put a ring on it).

Now we’ve built the marketplace so companies can find talent and talent can find companies they want to invest their influence in. And even while in stealth, we’re getting 5-10 inbound emails a day from founders wanting creators on their cap table. It feels good to be wanted, so now its time to plan the coming out party - and I have no idea how we’ll do it, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in doing this ole marketing/content thing for clients the last decade, it’s that its “not what you say, but how you say it”….. so expect something pretty awesome from me.

The game hasn’t even started yet but we’re warming up for the first pitch. It took us a year to get here; building something no ones built before. Listening to all the problems everyone faced and building a platform that removed all the friction.

So here’s to building in public and sharing the good, the bad, and the “Jeff” -

📆 WHAT WE WILL HIT ON THIS WEEK:

→ Why creators are replacing cofounders (and what that unlocks for you)
→ The difference between a brand launching and a brand spreading
→ This week’s Creator Spotlight: @rpn and why he treats content like a product
→ What Kai Cenat, Rodd’s Coffee, and Crocs all have in common (hint: creator-led execution)

Why we are so obsessed with creators becoming owners?

Think of it like this:

You’re thinking of starting a business. You have a great idea and everything.

You’ve thought about what possibly could you be missing and what else do you need to skyrocket this.

You don’t even need to go find an engineer or a technical person. Cause all these AI tools can build you a website. Sure AI will replace the technical cofounder. What it won’t replace tho?

The fact that every company needs distribution AND an audience.

And luckily the people who have that audience you need aren’t the best operators.

So they are looking for you!

Here’s how to tap into the next brand building of the future:

Creators know what their fans want and how to get them excited.

It’s simple:

Logan Paul said it best:

He's not wrong. The OG YouTubers didn't just "graduate" to business - they completely flipped the script on what business even means.

Remember when YouTubers were just kids making videos in their bedrooms? Today they're running empires that have corporate giants shaking in their Italian leather loafers.

And it’s not only youtubers it’s every creator!

It’s okay tho. There’s a good side of this for founders.

The question isn't "what happened to the OG YouTubers?"

It's "what are YOU going to do now that they've shown you the blueprint?"

We don’t really care if Logan Paul and all of these creators are creating their own brands. They can totally do it.

It’s about all the creators that CAN’T do it like them.

They are looking for you.

A brand that nailed the “creator as cofounder” model?

👉 Mateína x Andrew Huberman

Mateína wasn’t built by a creator — but now it’s backed by one of the most trusted voices in health and science: Andrew Huberman.

In 2024, he partnered with the brand to help bring yerba mate to the U.S., not just as a promo move — but as a long-term co-owner and product collaborator.

He didn’t just slap his name on a can. He drinks it, believes in it, and helped develop a new zero-sugar line.

It’s a great example of how creator-led ownership isn’t just a flex — it’s a business growth strategy.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

For Founders: Without distribution, you die. Either become a creator yourself or partner (and give equity) with creators who own the audience you need.

For Creators: Your influence is currency. Are you spending it on one-time brand deals, or investing it in ownership that builds generational wealth? If you're still choosing one-off collabs over equity in the brands your collaborating you're basically driving a rental car while someone else builds equity in a house.

The next decade belongs to the people who understand this shift isn't temporary – it's the new business model.

They need you as a founder. And you need them as the creator.

You've built the business that fits what their audience wants and you need their distribution - that direct line to thousands of potential customers.

One builds the rocket. The other launches it.

So let me wrap it up for you: creators are the new co-founders.

🏛️ Kai Cenat Launches Streamer University

Twitch king Kai Cenat just announced Streamer University in a Hogwarts-style promo that crashed servers with 6.6M visitors in one hour.

The application-only program promises free room and board for 150 creators where "chaos is encouraged, and content is king." Courses include Business Management, Film/Acting, and Music Production.

Cenat, who became Twitch's most-subscribed streamer in just four years, is now watching hundreds of hopeful creators campaign for admission across platforms.

Want in? The application is live - just be ready for math trivia and a 45-second audition. The location? TBA. But let's be real - this is the only school where failing might actually make you famous.

☕️ YouTube Stars Turn Coffee Moguls

Will Lenney and James Marriott (10M combined subs) just launched Rodd's Iced Coffee in Sainsbury's across the UK.

Their creator clout helped them rack up 167K Instagram followers before most people even tasted their product.

Their edge? Plant-based, no weird additives, and ethical sourcing where profits actually go to farmers. The UK ready-to-drink coffee market is heading toward £350M by 2026, and these YouTube stars just claimed their stake. Creator playbook in action.

👟 Anthpo's Stealth Crocs Campaign Crushes It

Anthony "Anthpo" Potero just revealed he was the mastermind behind "Kid With Crocs" - those viral videos of 3D-printed Crocs on NYC statues.

The 40-day stealth campaign netted 700K followers across Instagram and TikTok with zero ad spend.

The kicker? Crocs gave him complete creative control. As Potero put it: "People want to see things created with passion—it's infectious." Another creator proving authentic stunts beat traditional ads every time. Madison Avenue, take notes.

Andy's here. Waiting to answer the questions you're afraid to ask in public (and yeah, he's actually NOT a paid spokesperson but our network of badass execs open to answering questions...for free).

Every week, Andy's ready to tackle the real shit that keeps founders up at night. No sugarcoating, no PC answers – just the truth.

Andy's sitting here with his mustache twitching, ready to drop knowledge bombs about creator equity that would cost you thousands with a consultant.

So drop your questions below. About valuations, term sheets, creator contracts, whatever keeps you up at 3am. The more uncomfortable, the better.

He loves this country and wants to bet on what makes it great – ownership and the generational wealth it creates.

He wants you to win, but he wants you to have fun doing it.

Got a question for Andy 😉? Drop it here — nothing is off limits. Trust us, he’ll GET the answer.

Found this valuable? Don't hoard the knowledge.

➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for the unfiltered takes I can't fit in this newsletter.

➡️ Forward this to another founder who's struggling with creator partnerships. Ownership spreads one conversation at a time.

➡️ Need 1:1 guidance? Block time with me any Friday here. No pitches, just real talk.