‘Walt Disney is not Mickey Mouse’: The modern creator career path, from full-time to founder
By Tim Peterson • July 14, 2025 •
The business of being a creator isn’t a solo show. They have become full-on productions.
In the two decades since YouTube’s debut, creators such as Smosh’s Ian Hecox as well as Mythical Entertainment’s Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal have helped to map out the path to becoming full-time creators. They have built out teams and eventually entire companies around themselves.
Now other creators like Dhar Mann and Savanah Moss are following suit by erecting what are effectively the new generation of Hollywood studios and production companies. Meanwhile, the likes of McLaughlin, Neal and Hecox are charting the next phases of the creator career trajectory, as covered in the video below.
https://digiday.com/?p=583056
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