Asian creators redefine success in the creator economy

On September 12th, 68 people gathered at Intercrew restaurant in Los Angeles to make history at the first-ever Asian Creator Awards. Hosted by Jerry Won, founder and CEO of Just Like Media, the event honored 14 outstanding creators who are making waves in the creator economy. Many creators were recognized in the expected categories, like Best Food Creator and Best Podcast Creator, but what stood out most were the unique journeys that got these creators to this point.

The awards spanned a variety of categories, from Best Gaming to Best Business Creator. Other highlights included Startup of the Year, Leader of the Year, Best Comedy Creator and Creator of the Year.

While these categories may seem typical for an event like this, what stood out were the unexpected backgrounds of the winners. Many of these winners had careers in traditional, high-powered professional environments before transitioning to the creator economy. Former employees of Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Instagram, Meta, Google, JP Morgan and LinkedIn are now full-time creators and leaders in the creator economy, producing content that shapes cultural conversations and engages millions of people.

The inspiration behind the inaugural awards ceremony was rooted in recognizing and celebrating underrepresented creators and leaders. “We created the Asian Creators Awards because there was no platform specifically celebrating Asian creators and leaders in the creator economy,” said Wong. “The impact and influence we have on the creator economy is undeniable, and it was time we created a platform where we could celebrate each other and be celebrated.”

How Ex-Career Professionals are Reshaping the Creator Economy

The influx of experts from the corporate world into the creative world raises important questions about the future of content creation as a business. Their expertise in strategy, finance, technology, and operations is reshaping the bar for what it means to be a creator.

No longer limited to passion projects or side hustles, content creation is becoming a highly specialized industry where strategic planning, data analysis, and financial management are as important as creativity and storytelling. Of course, traditional influencers who want to focus on their artistic pursuits can hire business partners, but can and want Are you going to do both?

Chloe Shih, co-host of the JOMO podcast and winner of the Best Podcast Creator award, is a great example of this transformation. Her experience in the enterprise helped her develop the strategic mindset that now drives her to succeed as a creator. “My experience as a product manager and my experience in the enterprise helped me think very systematically and strategically,” Shih says. “What’s interesting is that I love creating something out of nothing. A lot of people struggle with that transition because they don’t have a playbook, they don’t have a structure, they don’t have a schedule. But a product manager builds all of that for their team. I was able to start with a blank slate and design a workflow that worked best for me. It’s really cool to see all those skills come into play.”

Entrepreneurial creators are now businesses. Creators build brands and manage teams of editors and other creators. We launch content with key results and goals. We analyze metrics, execute milestones, and forecast channel growth. We work with companies to partner with us, often starting with negotiating our own brand deals (tip: always go into the conversation knowing your BATNA and get the deal done first).

Corporate creators building businesses

The lines between corporate careers and creative entrepreneurship are becoming increasingly blurred as more professionals leave the boardroom and jump into the creative world. The convergence of business and creativity is giving rise to a new type of creator: one who doesn’t just produce content, but builds long-term, scalable business models and forms strategic partnerships with global brands. These creators bring their corporate experience to their content creation with a mindset focused on growth, efficiency, and sustainability. As a result, many creators are no longer satisfied with short-term brand deals or viral fame. Instead, they are leveraging their expertise to launch their own venture-backed startups, turning their personal brands into full-fledged businesses with significant revenue potential.

John Foo, winner of the Asian Creator Awards’ Startup of the Year award, epitomizes this trend. As founder and CEO of Stan, an e-commerce platform that helps creators monetize their audiences, Foo successfully combines his background in finance with a passion for content creation. With over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, Foo’s journey, which began as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, highlights the growing connection between corporate skill sets and the creator economy. Reflecting on how his work experience has influenced his creative career, Foo says, “I think the discipline and analytical rigor I learned in my past life in finance has helped me excel in my new life and allowed me to really execute on the creative vision I have.”

His story highlights a profound shift in the creator economy. Creators like Hu are no longer just artists or influencers; they’re entrepreneurs, using the same skills they honed in traditional industries to run their creative ventures as thriving businesses. By applying the discipline, data analytics, and execution strategies they learned in corporate environments, they’re setting a new standard in the content space, proving that to succeed as a creator, you need not only a vision, but also the ability to effectively manage and grow a business.

Excelling in a corporate career and reaching an executive position not only equips you with the skills to shape your new creative career into a fully-fledged enterprise, but also inspires you to create content in the first place. My sister, Jean Luo, is a great example of this. Having started as an investor at Goldman Sachs before moving to tech as head of product for AR shopping at Snap, Inc., she uses her experiences to share what she’s learned with her audience on Instagram and YouTube. “The content I’m creating now is exactly what I wish I’d known at many points in my 15-year career but never had the chance to,” Luo said. “That’s the very ethos and mission behind our podcast, The Tiger Sisters, and why our mission is to be internet career mentors and sisters — helping others succeed in their careers while creating a life that’s fun, rewarding, and joyful.”

The Asian American Creator Experience

But it’s not as simple as just chasing your dreams. For many Asian American creators, the shift from a corporate career to content creation is not just a career change, but a cultural shift. The tension between fulfilling family obligations and pursuing personal passions is one that resonates deeply among Asian Creator Award winners. “For my parents, success meant a stable job and a high salary, but I realized that true success is following a path that brings me joy,” said Rajen Budhiyan, winner of the Best Lifestyle Creator award.

Chloe See echoes this cultural tension: “To be honest, I didn’t have a great relationship with my family growing up,” she says, “but once I started working in tech and became financially independent, they were a lot more forgiving.”

Brands and platforms that support creators

As creators increasingly assume roles as business leaders, platforms and brands are beginning to recognize the unique power of creative voices, especially among underrepresented communities. Brand-creator partnerships are no longer just transactional; they’re becoming strategic efforts to elevate diverse voices and celebrate cultures that have historically been marginalized in mainstream media. The Asian Creator Awards is a great example of this shift, with sponsors like Kajabi, TDW+Co, and Adobe Express coming together to highlight and support the achievements of Asian American creators.

Platforms like YouTube, in particular, have taken proactive steps to recognize the cultural and economic influence of Asian Americans and empower their voices. Leader of the Year Award winner Andrew Leonard, YouTube Partner Manager, leads the company’s AAPI Task Force, a key initiative aimed at empowering Asian American creators on the platform. “YouTube’s history is inextricably intertwined with the success stories of AAPI creators,” says Leonard. “The Task Force’s mission is to empower AAPI creators and enable more of them to participate. We’re educating through virtual and in-person workshops; building community through events; and honoring icons of the past and celebrating stars of the future through the YouTube AAPI Gala.”

YouTube’s efforts to celebrate Asian American creators are just one example of major platforms putting real resources into elevating underrepresented voices. From offering educational programs to hosting community-building events, brands and platforms understand that their future success depends on truly representing and supporting the diverse communities they serve. For many Asian American creators, these partnerships open the door to long-term growth, helping them expand their impact and monetize their content while focusing on authentic storytelling. Brand and creator collaborations reflect a growing recognition that supporting Asian American content creators is not only good for business, but essential to driving innovation and inclusivity in the creator economy.

When business skills drive creative success

In today’s world, the ultimate boast is no longer to have a traditional career but to get paid for your passion. The presence of multiple ex-corporate professionals at the Asian Creator Awards is a leading indicator of the significant shift in the perception of content creation. What was once considered a hobby or side hustle has transformed into a full-fledged business ecosystem with huge potential for growth, innovation and profitability. These ex-corporate creators are redefining the industry by bringing their boardroom business acumen into the creative space and seamlessly combining strategy and storytelling.

The transition of former professionals into the creator economy highlights the fact that content creation is no longer the purely artistic domain of individuals. Skills traditionally reserved for corporate environments – strategic planning, financial management, and operational efficiency – are being applied to personal brands and media platforms. This marriage of corporate expertise and creativity is establishing a new standard for how to succeed as a creator.

Startup of the Year award winner John Foo reflected, “It was great to be surrounded by so many Asians who started out in STEM and realized they had creative talent later in life.” His words capture the essence of this shift as content creation evolves into a dominant force in the business world, with creators like those celebrated at the Asian Creator Awards leading the way.

Acknowledgements

We would like to especially thank Jerry Won, Chloe Shih, Andrew Leonard, John Hu, Jean Luo, and Rajen Budiyan for their valuable insights and contributions to this discussion.

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