Welcome to The Tilt, a twice-weekly newsletter for content entrepreneurs. Each edition is packed with the latest news, strategies, and tactics, plus inspiring creator stories and exclusive education, all to help you create, grow, and monetize better.

Features in this issue (view online):

• Full Tilt: More Business Manager Advice​
• Entrepreneur: The Family That Plays Together Stays Together​
• Stan: Blogger Expands into Multiple Channels​

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Signing a contract to work with a business manager doesn’t mean you can just stick to creating and expect your business to grow. That will only lead to frustrations for both you and your business manager. Instead, discuss what’s expected in the business relationship.

Here are two things business managers say all creators should do for a profitable, long-term partnership:

Don’t expect immediate success: You may go into the relationship eager to earn big money from day one. It usually takes a bit more time.

“I’d say it takes three months for us to introduce you to everybody, the brands that we’re working with, and having us consistently pitch you before we really start seeing the return,” says Becca Bahrke at Illuminate Social. “We really look for those long-term things. We’re not looking for the quick buck.”

And, she notes, it’s important to remember that brands have their own schedules. You might be perfect for a brand’s summer campaign, but it’s too early to plan for that. “Those are all things to keep top of mind when we first sign talent,” Becca says. “The first three months are going to be a lot of getting your name out there to clients.”

Be open to criticism: This is a team effort, Becca says, and building a platform takes some work. Creators need to be ready to roll up their sleeves, put in the work, and be open to constructive criticism.

“We don’t work for you; we work with you,” she says. “There are things that we know that we’re good at. And there are things that you know that you’re good at. And we’re trying to combine it and make it even better.”

– Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

To learn one more thing business managers wish you would know, read the full story.

Want more advice and insight from these and other business manager experts? How Content Creators Can Find a Business Manager That’s Right for Them and 6 Things Creators Should Do To Secure Brand Deals for Their Content Business.

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Tilt Education

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We recently expanded our educational offerings by launching our first online course, Content Entrepreneurship 101. Purchase today for LIFETIME ACCESS!

Take your content creation business from zero to millions with this online course.

Save $50 until the end of the year with coupon code TILTholiday.

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Entrepreneur: Kelsey Demers

Biz: The Tabletop Family​

Tilt: Board games

Primary Channels: Instagram (6.7K)

Other Channels: Blog (12K monthly), TikTok (16.1K)

Time to First Dollar: One year

Rev Streams: Affiliate sales on Amazon, contracts with game publishers for photo shoots

Our Favorite Actionable Advice:

• Serve your target audience: Kelsey unboxed 18 games and repackaged them to save space. Game hobbyists loathed the possibility. But her target audience appreciated it, and the TikTok video went viral.
• Be on a search-worthy platform: The Tabletop Family started on Instagram. But they quickly realized it wasn’t a good fit for audiences searching for board games. So, they created a website instead.
• Work for your community: Kelsey takes time to respond to direct messages asking for game recommendations. She even turns some of those requests into blog topics.

– Kimmy Gustafson

All the Story: To learn more about Kelsey Demers and how The Tabletop Family turned into a viable business, check out the longer story.

Know a content creator who’s going full tilt? DM us. Or email [email protected].

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Caught on … Twitter​

“Health is the ultimate tool for content creators. Take care of yourselves. It’s worth more than all the gear in the world.” – Professor Nez

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In 2010, Candice Hutchings started blogging on her vegan-friendly website, The Edgy Veg. As she describes today in her about section: “Edgy by nature, I use my YouTube channel, and Instagram pages to disrupt the vegan community with my candid and humorous take on activism not only for animals and food built differently, but also mental health, the environment, and female empowerment.”

Two years later, she expanded her brand when she uploaded her first video to YouTube (now 441K). Candice earns revenue through affiliate links with trusted brands, partnerships with companies, and created a cookbook in 2017. Last month, the YouTuber revealed her first product launch called Edgy Veg Essentials Bundle, “the world’s first sour gummy vitamin made by vegans for vegans.”

Why we’re a Stan: Candice ventured into another content platform, YouTube, after establishing her brand on her website. Now her brand, The Edgy Veg, continues to publish on those two revenue-earning channels and added a cookbook and vitamin product to her business.

– Shameyka McCalman

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• ​A 2022 Goal-Setting Process that Works (Content Inc. podcast)
• ​NFTs and Football Collide (This Old Marketing podcast)
• ​8 Ways Small Businesses Can Save Taxes Before Year-End (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
• ​How to Choose a Business Credit Card (CNBC Select)

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Your team for this issue: Joe Pulizzi, Ann Gynn, Laura Kozak, Marc Maxhimer, and Dave Anthony, with an assist from Angelina Kaminski, Kimmy Gustafson, Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Shameyka McCalman, and Don Borger.

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