The Moment When Everything Changes

Issue #280 | Oct. 10, 2024

As Florida took its latest hurricane battering yesterday (you can donate to the Red Cross here), a man in a boat on Tampa Bay was busy becoming the internet’s latest main character. Meet Lieutenant Dan, the one-legged skipper who went from trying to ride out a hurricane on a boat, and ended his day with a streaming deal and the promise of a new $50k+ vessel. Not a bad turnaround.

It remains to be seen if the streaming contract will be lucrative, if the new boat will materialize, and if Lieutenant Dan can parlay his newfound attention into a sustainable career as a creator. At best, he can do a tour of late night shows and buzzy podcasts, spin up a formidable podcast a la Talk Tuah, and maybe sign a multi-year spokesperson deal with Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

At worst, he’s getting inundated with offers and contracts he can’t make sense of, he could feel a sense of imposter syndrome (he’s certainly not the only ex-convict living on a boat in Tampa), and he may not know where to turn next to turn his 15 minutes into something more lasting. Does he get a manager? An agent? A lawyer? Business manager? All of the above? None?

For anyone trying to make it as a creator, it’s important to think about that moment when everything changes before it happens. Do you have a lawyer you could call in a jam to review a manager contract? If a brand reaches out, do you have a sales-minded friend who can help negotiate your rate? All the biggest creators have a great team of people around them helping with all this stuff, and it’s so much easier to find (and trust) those people before you have your viral moment, not during it.

So give it a think. If you went viral tomorrow, who would you call to help you navigate the influx of opportunities and attention? If you’re scratching your head, that’s fine too. It’s actually one of the reasons why we started our Discord, so at the very least you could talk to us and each other about where to turn next.

We wish Lieutenant Dan the best in his newfound career as a creator, and offer our primary advice: Never sign anything without talking to a lawyer you’re paying for first (remember, other people’s lawyers are not working for you). Also: Strike while that iron is hot!

– James Del, Publisher

CULTURE

TikTok Could Help Free Lyle and Erik Menendez

After spending more than 2 decades in prison and out of the spotlight, convicted murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez are a trending topic once again.

By Lon Harris, Passionfruit Contributor

→ READ THE FULL STORY

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IN THE BIZ

A new card allows influencers to create sponsored content to redeem products and services at local businesses.
Adobe is launching a free web app to help creators add attribution to their work, identify AI-generated content, and opt out of AI training models.
Meta is testing a new feature that will let you post Instagram Reels directly to Threads.
Twitch changed its policies for what people can wear on-stream, and vtubers are not happy.