The NEW Way to Become a Full-Time Creator in 12 Months (or less)

Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Nathan Barry's podcast episode with Jed Eglington on becoming a full-time creator through the in-house path rather than traditional audience building.

1. You don't need a following to be a creator

The biggest misconception about the creator economy is that you need influence or a massive following to earn as a creator. Jed Eglington emphasizes that creators just need the right skill set. This opens up opportunities for people who understand storytelling, video editing, and attention capture without requiring years of audience building first.

Many aspiring creators get stuck thinking they must build a personal brand before they can monetize their skills. However, the skills themselves are valuable assets that companies desperately need. Understanding how to capture and hold attention is what matters most, not follower counts or social media metrics.

2. The in-house creator represents an underexplored career path

Beyond the traditional founder-creator and influencer paths lies the in-house creator role. These professionals work directly for companies, creating content that drives customer acquisition and brand awareness. Not all creators want to be in front of cameras or build personal followings, but they still possess valuable storytelling and content creation skills.

In-house creators become essential team members at companies where driving attention typically leads to sales and customers. They understand the product deeply, can move at speed, and speak directly to customers more than external creators ever could. This insider knowledge creates superior storytelling opportunities compared to outsourced content creation.

The role offers stability through salary and benefits while allowing creators to develop skills without the pressure of building their own audience. Companies are increasingly recognizing that 90% of new customer acquisition comes from paid ads or content, making this position incredibly valuable.

3. Master three core skills for in-house success

Video editing forms the foundation of modern content creation. Even creators who prefer being on-camera must understand end-to-end production. Companies need creators who can handle scripting, filming, and editing rather than hiring separate specialists for each function. YouTube provides extensive free resources for learning these skills.

Storytelling and script writing represent the second critical skill. Every great video starts with a solid concept or script. Successful stories typically involve conflict and resolution, creating problems that engage audiences and providing solutions. Understanding narrative structure helps creators capture attention more effectively than purely aesthetic content.

Being comfortable both behind and in front of the camera offers maximum flexibility. This dual capability makes creators more attractive to potential employers who want comprehensive content solutions. The combination allows for better storytelling and positions creators as full-service assets rather than specialized roles.

4. Gear doesn't matter as much as you think

Most successful content gets created using iPhones rather than expensive camera equipment. Jed notes that 90% of their content is shot on phones because it feels more organic and authentic. Big camera productions often feel too polished and fail to connect with audiences in the same way.

The low barrier to entry makes this career path accessible to almost everyone. We all carry capable cameras in our pockets, and basic storytelling skills matter more than technical equipment. This democratization of content creation tools means talent and creativity determine success more than expensive gear.

Casey Neistat's approach exemplifies this mindset perfectly. He treats cameras as tools rather than precious equipment, even being comfortable dropping them during shoots. This practical approach removes psychological barriers that prevent creators from taking action and experimenting with their craft.

5. Learn with purpose through systematic analysis

Random content creation leads to slow skill development. Successful creators analyze what works and why it works, then document their findings systematically. This involves studying viral content, forming hypotheses about success factors, and tracking performance against predictions.

Creating spreadsheets to track video performance, hook styles, and story formats provides valuable learning data. After producing 20 videos, creators can analyze patterns to understand which approaches consistently work. This data-driven approach accelerates skill development compared to intuitive content creation.

Copying successful videos helps creators understand editing techniques and storytelling structures. This involves recreating popular content with original footage to learn cuts, pacing, and narrative flow. The copying serves as skill-building exercises rather than published content, similar to art students copying master paintings.

6. Build a targeted body of work before reaching out

The difference between doing reps and building a body of work lies in purpose and audience. Reps focus on skill development through practice and experimentation. A body of work demonstrates capabilities to potential employers while aligning with their specific needs and brand aesthetics.

For cosmetics brands, this might involve creating content around beauty products. For SaaS companies, it could mean demonstrating technical storytelling abilities. The portfolio should show both skill mastery and understanding of the target company's content style and audience.

UGC marketplaces provide excellent opportunities for skill development and portfolio building. These platforms offer real briefs from actual brands, allowing creators to practice while earning modest fees. The experience provides insights into brand requirements and professional content creation standards.

7. Offer immediate value to make saying yes easy

Successful outreach involves providing value upfront rather than just requesting opportunities. This might mean re-editing an existing company video to demonstrate improved hooks or storytelling approaches. Creators can take existing brand content and show how their skills could enhance it.

Making it easy for companies to say yes involves removing friction from the hiring decision. Offering to sign releases and giving away initial work for free reduces risk for potential employers. If the content performs well, companies naturally want to continue the relationship through formal employment.

The approach works because it demonstrates actual value rather than theoretical capabilities. Companies can see immediate results and envision ongoing benefits from hiring the creator full-time.

8. Choose companies aligned with your future vision

Selecting target companies strategically accelerates long-term career development. Creators should identify businesses that align with their eventual founder ambitions or content interests. Working at a health and beauty brand provides more relevant experience for someone planning fitness content than a random software company would.

Having 4-5 target companies provides focus without creating unrealistic all-or-nothing scenarios. This approach guides skill development and content creation toward specific goals. Understanding these companies' content styles and customer bases informs learning priorities and portfolio development.

The in-house experience teaches business fundamentals that prove invaluable for future entrepreneurship. Learning how companies acquire customers, develop products, and scale operations provides insights that pure content creation cannot match.

9. Transition from crowd building to audience development

Many creators build crowds rather than audiences, chasing viral content across different categories. Crowds provide entertainment value but lack the focused interest that drives sustainable business outcomes. Audiences follow creators for specific value delivery and consistent expertise in particular areas.

The transition requires targeting content toward ideal customers rather than maximizing view counts. This means creating videos that speak directly to founders, fitness enthusiasts, or other specific groups rather than general entertainment content. Quality engagement from the right people matters more than broad reach.

Email capture helps identify true audience members within broader crowds. Offering valuable resources like courses or guides attracts people genuinely interested in the creator's expertise. These subscribers represent the core audience that will eventually support product launches and business ventures.

10. Follow the traffic-audience-product framework for founding success

The path from in-house creator to successful founder follows a specific sequence. Most brands have products and know their audiences but struggle with traffic generation. Creators typically excel at traffic but need to develop audience-building skills before launching products.

In-house roles teach traffic generation through attention capture and content creation. The next step involves building a targeted audience around specific expertise or industry knowledge. Only after mastering both traffic and audience development should creators focus on product creation.

This framework prevents common creator mistakes like launching products without sufficient audience development or trying to build everything simultaneously. The sequential approach allows creators to earn salaries while developing entrepreneurial skills, reducing financial risk during the transition period.