Shine A Light
The first BCC Newsletter went out on August 8, 2020, to 407 subscribers. I'd been writing online for years by this point, but this was the first time I knew I would be in it for the long haul.
In the 32 months since that first issue, this newsletter has grown to over 4,000 readers, and Craftsman Creative has grown into a six-figure business helping creative entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses.
With this 100th issue, I thank you all for your time and attention, your friendship, your feedback, and your support.
One of the tenets I have with Craftsman Creative is to Shine a Light. It's one of the many reasons my logo is a lightbulb.
Now, "shine a light" doesn't just mean putting my own ideas into the world. The best thing that creators can do once they've built a platform is to shine a light on others.
I wouldn't be here if it weren't for "bigger" creators like Josh Spector, Justin Moore, Jay Clouse, Arvid Kahl, and Joe Pulizzi shining a light on my content as I was writing my book in public, or sharing my event, or partnering with me on a new podcast.
Or if it wasn't for all of you sharing and spreading the word as well.
With that, I'm excited to dedicate this 100th issue to 100+ creators, submitted by you and other creators, to shine a light on those that are on the journey too.
I hope you'll share this post far and wide, and help add your spotlight to these amazing individuals as well.
Thank You To Our Issue 100 Sponsors!
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100 Creators
I've included the location where possible, as one of the best things you can do is connect with those that you find interesting, as well as those that are close to you. We have an incredible, global community of creators here and I urge you to connect with those that are close to you on this list...
Stephanie Gravalese - SlowLivingKitchen.com | Massachusetts, USA
"...A food and beer writer, photographer, and part-time forager. Whether you want to cook something special with your seasonal produce, explore the world of foraging, or try something new with food, come inside and check it out!"
Andrew Kamphey - BetterSheets.co | USA
"Make your sheets 1% better each day. Tutorials, templates, and tools to create better Google Sheets."
Monique Malcolm - TakeTinyAction.com | Florida, USA
"Monique is a productivity expert, author, and host of the Take Tiny Action podcast. She loves to tell stories and create things. Her mission is to help people see a greater possibility for their lives."
Jeff Felten - ContentRemedy.co | USA
"In the past two years, I’ve had more conversations than I can count with service-based professionals, and 90% of them struggle with email marketing.
There are very few online email marketing resources for people in your line of work, and that’s why this site (and my business) exists. My hope is for you to make email marketing a viable asset that grows your wonderful business!"
Chenell Basilio - GrowthInReverse.com | Delaware, USA
"Growth Strategies of Top Creators Delivered to Your Inbox. Each week, I reverse engineer how a top creator grew from 0 to 50k+ subscribers. You get the roadmap to replicate their growth – and save 40+ hours of research."
Dorothy Pedersen - WritingDoneRight.com | Ontario, Canada
"Communication Strategist for business and government."
Mike Cardona - BusyToLeveraged.com | San Francisco Bay Area, USA
"Free Yourself From The Work You Dread - Amplify your work by focusing on what matters, Save 30+ hours every month (and increase profits!), Get one actionable tip (or done-for-you automation template) every week."
Daniel Anderson - ModernWorkCollective.io | Melbourne, Australia
"A Microsoft MVP 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 develop careers, scale and 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗐 businesses 𝖻𝗒 𝖾𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 everyone 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝖼𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖬𝗂𝖼𝗋𝗈𝗌𝗈𝖿𝗍 𝟥𝟨𝟧"
Jamie Northrup - MinimalistHustler.com | Canada
"Join 1900+ online hustlers in receiving a daily email with 3 quick & valuable resources that will help you make more money online."
Abhishek Shah - Psychology of Marketing
"The marketing newsletter that's based on science."
Christian Collard - Get8am.com | Boston, USA
"Get the simple daily email read by 1000s of creators, entrepreneurs, hustlers, and growth-nuts. 8AM delivers just one great story, idea, or gem of advice every morning at 8AM."
Ayush Chaturvedi - SuperFrameworks.com | New Delhi, India
"Get 1 new actionable framework every week. Proven strategies, tactics and resources to succeed as a creator-entrepreneur."
Corey Wilks, Psy.D. - CoreyWilksPsyD.com | Kentucky, USA
"Helping creators reach their potential"
Christine Trac - ChristineTrac.carrd.co | Calgary, AB
"Gain insights on email marketing while reading wacky stories"
Lynn Zeng - @zeng_wt
"AI art & nocode enthusiast. Co-founder of whowhatwhyai newsletter."
Brian Ball - @brianball |
"Writer at whowhatwhyai - Get a dose of inspiration and information with WhoWhatWhyAi! Our beautifully curated newsletter blends art, stories and updates of the latest AI creations."
Ilze Švarcbaha - @IlzeSvarcbaha | Riga, Latvia
"I help online entrepreneurs show off their brand with value-led marketing"
Helen Garfield - TheCreativesDesk | Greater Bristol Area, UK
"I help busy business owners create exceptional content for their marketing and social media needs. I understand how overwhelming it can be to manage all aspects of a business, which is why I created our strategic templates to simplify the content creation process and help small businesses thrive."
Sidneyeve Matrix - xoxotemplates.shop | Ontario, Canada
"Make your courses unforgettable with visually captivating Canva templates"
Brianna Graham - LinkedIn | DC/Baltimore, USA
"I help publications, brands, & orgs teach people about health with compelling content. Articles, blogs, social copy, web copy, newsletters & more!"
Nayeli Lavanderos - NayeliLavanderos.com | NY, USA
"I’m a freelance 2D Motion Designer + Illustrator, with a vibrant, mixed-media style, creating content for commercial, entertainment, and educational industries."
Yewande Akinse - Yewande.me | Lagos, Nigeria
"Yewande Akinse (Adebowale) is a gifted storyteller, Poet and Author of two collections of Poetry titled ‘A Tale of being, of green and of ing..’ (2019) and Voices: A collection of poems that tell stories’ (2016). With over 110 published poems to her credit and counting, Yewande is one poet who doggedly seeks to change the narrative one poem at a time."
Clement Kao - ProductTeacher.com | San Francisco Bay Area, USA
"Our job is to make product management easier for everyone. Let us help you. For individuals, we provide on-demand courses, career services, and product job openings. For companies, student groups, and career centers, we provide training workshops and consulting."
Belinda Marie - SoulAndSelf.com | Melbourne, Australia
"Soul and Self is an online space for women to untangle from the striving pace of the world and soften into a creative, joyful life, fuelled by the radiance and heart of natural feminine being."
Kai Bergquist - In-Nested.com | Washington, USA
"A play on words for the nostalgic comfort and safety found in the fortress of blanket nests of my childhood; and the meaningful principles of self-investment; In-nested was created to be a retreat for my fellow sensitive souls: Empaths, and Introverts to find sanctuary and support on our journey to personal fulfillment, understanding, and restoration."
Theresa Sullivan - LittleFlameCreative.com | Boston, USA
"Brand messaging & website copywriting for creative and purpose-full businesses"
Ashton Smith - MyAwakening.co | USA
"Helping women in business build intentionally so they can leave a powerful legacy behind."
Clo S. - ThisTooShallGrow.com | Paris, France
"Reclaim your time and attention from your tech. With science-based insights and actionable tips, learn how to make your devices support your productivity, mental health, and well-being."
Tasia Malone - TasiaCreates.com | Arizona, USA
"I’m on a mission to teach the creative arts how to use Notion to support your creative practice, business, or program."
Sara Loretta - SaraLoretta.com | Austin, TX, USA
"Designer, Architect, Creator. When I’m not building for others, I’m shipping out a weekly newsletter full of uncanny business advice, and sharing even more tips & tricks for scaling your time, processes & income on Youtube and Twitter."
Thomas Frank - ThomasJFrank.com | Colorado, USA
"I’m an author, YouTuber, and Notion expert. I create in-depth tutorials and templates for Notion that help people be more productive and organized."
Evan and Katelyn - EvanAndKatelyn.com | Texas, USA
"We hope to show people that making is fun! You don't have to be perfect, and you can learn a lot if you give it a shot."
Jessica Stansberry - HeyJessica.com | North Carolina, USA
"YouTuber, Content Creator, Speaker. Traditional is boring. Live a life you love, doing what you love."
Phillipp Temmel - Creativerly.com | Styria, Austria
"A publication about creativity and productivity-boosting tools."
Arvindh Sundar - Marketing For Builders | Bangalore, India
"Step by steb guide to building your first marketing engine."
Jeff Parker - Youtube Marketing Secrets | Ohio, USA
"Teaching Youtubers about Marketing so they can grow on autopilot and build a business from YT"
Aprilynne Alter - The Beginner's Guide To YouTube | USA
"Finally launch that YouTube channel you've been thinking about. Discover your niche, build your studio, craft compelling videos, and unlock the YouTube algorithm as you embark on the journey to monetization"
Alex Llull - TheStealClub.com | Madrid, Spain
"The Steal Club is a free newsletter for creative entrepreneurs.We learn how the best creators use content to grow their audience and businesses. And how you can do the same by stealing their tactics and strategies."
Steve Koch - VandalPop.com | California, USA
"Podcast creation, management, & growth. Creating good content is a work of art. Every podcast should POP!"
Hayley Barry - TypeAffiliated.com | Utah, USA
Lettering artist and creator based in Provo, UT.
Treyton Devore - TreytonDevore.com | Missouri, USA
"I design & build beautiful websites and help self-employed creatives become financially independent."
Az Samad - AzSamad.com | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
"I help guitarists become musicians who are more employable via 1-on-1 lessons (in person & Skype), conduct guitar clinics & music workshops that inspire participants to become better musicians, give talks on creating a sustainable music career for musicians, coach & conduct 1-on-1 music lessons on jazz, improvisation, composition & music career (among many topics), am available for music business & arts/creative industry related consultation work (product promotion, product endorsements, clinics/talks for musicians, music companies and other creatives)"
Donnie Bonelli - @donniedoesitall | Utah, USA
"Curious creative with a passion for storytelling || Comedian/Filmmaker/Illustrator/Song Writer"
Glen Long - GlenLong.com | England, UK
"I help coaches and consultants create compelling courses that build their business and brand. Get free content and paid programmes to guide you safely through the course creation process."
Rene Coronado - DallasAudioPost.com | Texas, USA
"I record people and objects and make them sound very, very cool...at the premiere ADR, sound design and film mixing studio in the southwest."
Topher Hammond - TopherHammond.com | California, USA
"Sharing stories of successful mixed API’s & building a career in film"
Dylan Redekop - GrowthCurrency.net | British Columbia, Canada
Growth Currency teaches you how to → Start a newsletter → Get subscribers → Earn an income.
Justin Moore - CreatorWizard.com | San Francisco, USA
"I teach you how to find & negotiate your dream brand partnerships so you stop leaving thousands on the table."
Riah Hansen - @riahpaan | Utah, USA
"Creating Rupert and Bloo, A story for all who have loved and lost. Follow along behind the scenes as the magical world of Rupert unfolds."
Jan Koch - JanKoch.co | Emden, Germany
"Digital marketing advisory & implementation for B2Bs that want to stand out. Let's fix what keeps you awake at night."
Stacey Gonzales - Soul Growth | Chicago, USA
"We are building an empire of amazing humans who want to turn their journey of reflection into action by following their heart and being open to possibilities."
Cory Mon - CoryMon.com | Utah, USA
"Music-Maker, Singer-Songwriter, Producer"
Mark Hicks - JointEffort.net | Missouri, USA
"Web3 Woodworker, Working Together to Learn Hand Tool Woodworking"
Kevin Smith - @kevincarlisle_nyc | New York City, USA
" NYC Based Menswear Fashion Designer, Stylist, Model"
Scott Shepard - BookOnTapeWorm.com | Utah, USA
"Book on Tape Worm is a chamber pop band from Provo, Utah's fertile music scene. Their sound combines cinematic arrangements with lyrical narratives to create a soundtrack for both the familiar and the fantastical. Mixing sweetness and grandeur, their songs explore the nature of time, loss, and the ghosts (both living and not) that haunt our closest relationships. Book on Tape Worm intends to take listeners somewhere: into stories that paint dark clouds, but hint at silver linings."
Samantha Demers - SamanthaDemers.com | Ontario, Canada
"I help creators get clarity, take action & achieve their goals. Writing "Creator's Guide to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome"
Max Bernstein - FiveMinuteMonday.com | Atlanta, USA
"The most productive, predictable and profitable 5-minutes of your Monday. The "5-Minute Monday" is 3 quick-hitters (hence the 5-minute...) designed to get you thinking early in the week around Marketing, Personal Development and Learning."
Leo Guinan - The Internet Factory | Ohio, USA
"Teaching you how to build your own internet and take ownership of your online experience."
Jeremy Ginn - Social Blog | Nebraska, USA
"I was broke, empty, and weeks away from divorce, 4 conversations changed my life. | Writing about personal growth and life change."
Doug McCulloch - Deep Tracks Podcast | California, USA
"The whole history of rock, fed to you in podcast-size chunks every week."
Kathy Geffen - Fine Tune Coaching | Virginia, USA
"I help bespoke small biz owners improve operations & get back to the heart of their business"
Garrett Batty - Three Coin Productions | Utah, USA
"Film Director and Producer telling stories with meaning. Creating wow moments for narrative, documentary and commercial audiences."
Tony Dinh - TonyDinh.com | Vietnam
"Building software for a living"
Mark Masters - You Are The Media | England, UK
"Helping small businesses become self sufficient to get the audience they always wanted."
Matt Giaro - MattGiaro.com | Dubai, UAE
"Attract more clients by creating better content, faster. Follow me if you're an expert who wants to monetize its expertise"
Ryan Koral - TellStudios.com | Michigan, USA
"Telling Brand Stories Through Video Storytelling with Soul"
Billy Broas - FiveLightbulbs.com | California, USA
"A Better Way to Write Your Sales Pages, Emails, Facebook Ads, and More"
Jeremy Enns - Podcast Marketing Academy | Digital Nomad
"Scrappy, often unconventional marketing ideas to grow your podcast. One two-minute tip per week on how to punch above your weight as an underdog brand or podcast creator."
Rosie Sherry - Rosie.Land | England, UK
"Your golden community investment - Learn, connect and open your eyes to what your community could be"
John Bardos - CreatorBoom.com | Montreal, Canada
"Join 2200+ creators and solopreneurs getting the best links of the week to start and grow a content-focused business. I screen more than 200 sources to share only the most essential insights. Keep up with what’s working in the creator economy."
Simon Sarris - The Map Is Mostly Water | New Hampshire, USA
"Anecdotes, fables, tales, advice, photography, questions, sentiment, and ways to get lost in the forest."
Marc Hemeon - MarcHemeon.com | Los Angeles, USA
Artist working in variety of mediums including NFTs and Oils.
Ash Lamb - Visual Growth | Barcelona, Spain
"Visual ideas for creative entrepreneurs"
Brennan Dunn - CreateAndSell.co | England, UK
"Twice weekly, in-depth email marketing advice for creators."
Paul Millerd - The Pathless Path | Austin, Texas, USA
"The Pathless Path is an exploration of the invisible scripts that constrain our lives. It is not a how-to book filled with “hacks”; instead, it is a vulnerable and personal account of Paul’s journey from leaving a path centered around getting ahead and towards another, one focused on doing work that matters. It is the ideal companion for anyone contemplating an unconventional path or aiming to improve their relationship with work."
Steph Smith - StephSmith.io | USA
"I love writing about my passions (think: remote work, continuous improvement, women in tech, and learning to code) over at my blog. Since inception in 2019, I've been lucky to have 700k+ read my thoughts. I also wrote a book, Doing Content Right, that's sold over $200k and 4300 copies."
Hassan Osman - CreatorOnTheSide.com | Boston, USA
"Published 17 books on Amazon and 11 courses on Udemy (280K stdnts) while employed. I talk about how busy employees can turn knowledge into income."
Rob Fitzpatrick - RobFitz.com | Spain
"I've been building little businesses for 15 years and have written 3 books about what I've learned along the way, including The Mom Test and Write Useful Books."
Josh Spector - ForTheInterested.com | Los Angeles, USA
"If you don’t value learning, doing, and becoming better at your work, art, and life, then this site is definitely not for you. But if you do value those things, then you’re one of The Interested and welcome to our growing community!"
Jay Clouse - CreatorScience.com | Ohio, USA
"Become a smarter creator in just 10 minutes per week. Join 23,000+ creators getting firsthand experiments, expert interviews, and actionable advice every week."
Jens Lennartsson - Hot Mail | Göteborg, Sweden
"The non-hacky, hard-work way to build a 100k+ subscriber newsletter business. If you never want to worry about algorithms, revenue, or growing an audience again: Get weekly, actionable step-by-step instructions for building a newsletter strong enough to invade a small country."
Kevon Cheung - Public Lab | Hong Kong
"Helping creators grow raving friends & fans by building in public"
Josh Dance - Mythical AI | Utah, USA
"Once a week deep dive. What is happening in AI, and how you can use it"
Steve Soelberg - SteveSoelberg.com | Utah, USA
"Steve has performed in Alaska, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Croatia, Canada, annnd skipping a bunch of letters - all over the United States. YouTube commenters say, "Wow, this dude opened up a whole new perspective on comedy!", "He is SOOOO FUNNY!!!"... he got it done. More please!""
Jake Featherstone - Featherstone Film | Utah, USA
"We tell amazing stories through film"
Ryan Innes - RyanInnes.com | Utah, USA
"Over the years, Innes has developed a distinct and dynamic artistic voice. One that can be heartbreakingly intimate at one moment and soaringly epic the next. The range of emotions Innes can articulate in a single song or across a setlist mirrors the emotional scope of the artist’s life, a contrasting mélange of turmoil, peace, grief and hope."
Jop Habraken - 1% Founder | Tilburg, Netherlands
"Become a better founder by using the frameworks the top 1% of Founders use."
Rob Lennon - ThatRobLennon | United States
"Authentic AI-infused, strategies for growth, content, and business."
Dagobert Renouf - DagoRenouf.com | Lille, France
"Founder of logology.co - generate a designer-quality brand for your startup"
Daniel Vassallo - dvassallo.com | United States
"Building a portfolio of small bets"
Andrew Maxfield - AndrewMaxfield.org | Utah, USA
The compositions of Andrew Maxfield—hailed as “rhythmically vital … superbly judged … [and] tender” by Fanfare Magazine—have been performed throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Julian Shapiro - Julian.com | California, United States
- I pick a skill I want to be good at.
- I research and experiment to uncover its principles. I question the assumptions behind its conventional teaching.
- "The difference between knowledge and wisdom is experience,” so I get my hands dirty and experiment.
- I rewrite until I have a handbook that is interesting, concise, and effective.
- I post updates to my Newsletter along the way.
- I release the handbook for free. Each takes around 500 hours. They're read by over one million people every year.
Finally, some creators that I've personally learned the most from over the years...
Derek Sivers - Sive.rs | New Zealand
"I’ve been a musician, circus performer, entrepreneur, and TED speaker. I’m a slow thinker, explorer, social introvert, and I love a different point of view."
Rob Bell - RobBell.com | California, USA
"Rob Bell is the New York Times Bestselling author of 13 books and plays which have been translated into 25 languages. His podcast is called The RobCast which was named by Apple Best of 2015, and in 2011 Time Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. He lives with his family in California."
Mike Michalowicz - MikeMichalowicz.com | New Jersey, USA
"I became a business author with a clear mission: Eradicate entrepreneurial poverty. I have devoted my life to fixing those struggles for you, for myself, and for every entrepreneur I have the privilege to connect with. Successful entrepreneurship is not easy, but it can be a whole lot simpler."
Daniel Priestley - DanielPriestley.com | United Kingdom
"I help entrepreneurs Stand out, scale up and make a positive impact."
Justin Welsh - JustinWelsh.me | New York, USA
"Join 95k+ subscribers to the Saturday Solopreneur. Every Saturday morning, you'll get 1 actionable tip to launch, grow, and monetize your internet business."
Carl Richards - BehaviorGap.com | Utah, USA
"Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web".
Tony Robbins - TonyRobbins.com | California, USA
"#1 New York Times best-selling author, life and business strategist, philanthropist, entrepreneur"
None of this would have happened if I hadn't attended the 2019 Date With Destiny event. That was a major turning point in my life and career. While he'll likely never see this, I owe a huge thanks to Tony and the time I was able to spend with him at that life-changing event.
Thank you for sharing this list of 100 creators with your audience. If you haven't yet signed up for the weekly BCC newsletter, I share principles and frameworks to help creative entrepreneurs build and grow six- and seven-figure creative businesses. Sign up for free here: