💡 Making Sense of a New Creator Paradigm

Last year, I watched portfolio careers go mainstream. What was once a niche model — pursued by a select few publicly — suddenly became lauded as a path to financial freedom, flexibility, and control.

But something about the speed with which the idea spread gave me pause.

I came to this model for financial reasons too, knowing all too well what it’s like to stitch together work when a “stable” job disappears. But as I continue down this unconventional career path, I realize that the real value isn’t just the financial independence it affords. It’s the perspective it gives you.

In its most unadulterated form, it helps people rebuild their careers from a different center of gravity and returns their agency, power, and purpose.

That’s when I started writing a series of essays: to reason it all out, as much for myself as for others. If I’m going to sell this brand of “freedom,” I had to show the substance behind that argument.

In this series, I unpack the recent tension I sense within the creator world, introduce the origin of personal branding, highlight the differences between portfolio careers and personal brands, and offer a new, more human-centered model for creators to consider.

Today, I’m excited to share the first essay with you. It feels like a creative birth!

So grab a coffee, take a seat, and read the full essay here.

Together, we will go back 35ish years… to the dawn of the personal brand…

I hope you find it cathartic to read!

Til next time,

Brie

P.S. - Bear with me as I’m in the process of refining the structure, look and feel of this newsletter. No bells and whistles just yet, but I promise they’re coming!