The final stage of summer

The difference between a successful creator and one that is not can be smaller than you think. In the final episode of season 3 I talk with with Charles Haynes, manager of James Hoffmann, founder of Ziggurat xyz and “king of niches”. If you aren’t where you want to be yet I really think this is the most valuable episode I published this year.

At the end of June I set out to start my Summer of Progress. 100 days solely focused on one thing. The Orbit for Creators YouTube channel. Not with the focus of growth but just giving it 100% of my energy and attention and the goal not being numbers but becoming part of the creator conversation.

Today I’m heading off to the final destination on that journey. As I’m going to New York to attend Colin and Samir’s Press Publish NYC event on Sept 4th. To celebrate my return to NYC and the upcoming 2 year anniversary I made a little Zine. Once I get back we’ll know the real results of the last 100 days but until then here is the opening letter from the zine, and why this trip is so important to me.

A letter from a recovering filmmaker, who left New York and returned as a creator.

I loved this city. I grew up here, creatively and I made some of my closest friends here. But New York takes a toll.

In 2009, I moved to New York for an 8-week filmmaking workshop and ended up staying for 8 years. I hustled for every gig I could. Chasing light across rooftops, spending hours with podcasts during long subway rides and sustaining myself on dollar slices and “living the dream” But after one particular shoot, I saw that this road is going nowhere. I realized I didn’t want to become another resentful filmmaker, still chasing the next gig just to stay afloat. So I moved back home to Vienna, Austria. To take it easy and get off the freelance rollercoaster. I got a job doing boring work for boring clients. Creating content without a purpose. Making money but itching to be creative.

Then 2020 came and suddenly I had nowhere to go, all the gear I needed and a little too much free time.

So I finally pressed publish and took a turn to become a creator. Matt D’Avella opened up a course called Master YouTube and to my surprise it came with a whole community of people just like me. Ready to share their stories with the world.

When I got offered to take over the boring agency, I heard myself say NO before I even thought it through. I knew I had to jump ship and take the opportunity to build something with purpose. Build a home for creators. In Europe. With Friends. Instead of another show hosting the top 1% Creators I choose to visit my YouTube friends, in person, to see how they work. It took a full year to get the first few episodes out but for the first time everything I’d done before made sense. The corporate Interviews, working on small crews and my curiosity about people’s work. On September 25 2023 the Launch Crew Season was off the ground. With David Ritt’s Studio Tour. That was the kick off to what is now Orbit for Creators. Three and a half seasons, sixty episodes and countless hours editing.

But none of it would’ve happened without Colin and Samir. Their conversations with creators showed me this was possible. Their Creator Support made me believe in myself. Their communities continued request for more diverse voices pushed me forward. That’s why being back in NYC for Press Publish means so much to me. This city was my first creative home. But I return as a different version.  Chasing views not awards. Creating with friends not for productions. Pressing Publish instead of submitting to festivals. And meeting in person the guys who fueled this crazy ride. Because nothing beats hanging out with other creators in person. That’s exactly why I created Orbit for Creators.

To create a space where weirdos like us can hang out and talk about all the details no one else understands. Because every single creator I talked to on the show or offline has felt unsure of their next step, wishing they had someone to talk to.

Just know if you’re a creative who feels stuck, you’re not alone.

In this Zine I’m sharing moments and tools that helped me keep me going even if it was hard.  So that together we can Forget the algorithm and create with friends! Thank you for reading

💛Valentin

PS: How has your summer been?