Hey - Welcome back to the Creative Brink newsletter - each week this newsletter helps founders, creators and brands build leverage by breaking down key trends across the Creator Economy.

This week, I’ve been busy setting up the inbound flow for Ingenius, meeting with agencies and brands trying to solve for big attribution problems, and dodging any mention of rap battles across social media.

Let’s get into

• Building a brand beyond the logo

• Core needs of a creator-led brand

• Establishing longevity through authenticity

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The Creator-Led Brand Playbook

When I speak about ‘Creators’ people always assume I mean content creators; they are partially right because my definition includes content creators, but who I’m really talking about are the creators of companies: freelancers, founders, and brand enthusiasts who got tired of leaving their success up to others and decided to create their own luck by using their skills, talent, and knowledge to launch a business.

This blog’s for you.

Congratulations on launching, by the way, it’s one of the hardest things to do: take that first step.

You’ve just entered a crowded market with lots of naysayers. The challenge isn’t just to launch a brand; it's to sustain and grow it in a way that transcends trends and resonates deeply with an audience, forging a genuine connection with your community and establishing a presence that stands the test of time so you can scale your own creator-led brand.

Have you heard it’s the future?

What Exactly is a Creator-Led Brand

A creator-led brand is a business or brand that is developed and managed by an individual creator or a group of creators who leverage their personal influence, creativity, and community to drive the brand's identity, values, and offerings. This type of brand often originates from the personal brand of the creator, utilizing their established audience and reputation as the foundation for building the commercial brand.

Issa Rae is a quintessential example of a creator-led brand, exemplifying how personal creativity, community engagement, and authentic storytelling can be seamlessly integrated into successful business ventures. Her journey from a YouTube series creator to a prominent figure in entertainment and business with her media comapny, Hoorae Media, showcases the power of leveraging personal brand into broader entrepreneurial success.

I know what you’re thinking: “But, LaTecia, I am not Issa”. I know, but we can all learn a lot from Issa and other creator-led brands, so the below playbook is designed to guide freelancers and independent creators through the process of building your own creator-led brand.