Asian Creators Redefine Success in the Creator Economy

On September 12, a group of 68 people gathered at the Intercrew restaurant in Los Angeles to make history at the inaugural Asian Creator Awards. Hosted by Jerry Won, Founder and CEO of Just Like Media, this event celebrated 14 exceptional individuals making waves in the creator economy. While many were honored for categories you'd expect, such as Best Food Creator and Best Podcast Creator, what stood out most were the unique journeys that led these creators here.

The awards spanned various 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 such an event, what stood out were some winners' unexpected backgrounds. A number of these individuals previously had careers in traditional, high-powered professional environments before pivoting into the creator economy. Former employees of Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Instagram, Meta, Google, J.P. Morgan, and LinkedIn are now full-time creatives and leaders in the creator economy, producing content that shapes cultural conversations and engages millions.

The inspiration behind the inaugural awards ceremony was rooted in recognizing and celebrating underrepresented creators and leaders: "I created the Asian Creator Awards because no space existed specifically to celebrate Asian creators and leaders in the creator economy," said Won. "Our impact and influence on the creator economy has been indisputable and it's about time that we create a space for us to celebrate each other and to be celebrated."

How Former Career Professionals Are Reshaping the Creator Economy

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

No longer limited to passion projects or side hustles, content creation is becoming a highly professionalized industry where strategic planning, data analytics, and financial management are as important as creativity and storytelling. Sure, the traditional influencer who wants to focus on their artistic pursuit can hire business partners, but what about the creatives who can and want to do both?

Chloe Shih, co-host of the JOMO podcast and winner of the Best Podcast Creator award, exemplifies this transformation. Her corporate experience helped her build the strategic mindset that now fuels her success as a creator. "Having a heavy product manager and corporate background helped me be an incredibly structured and strategic thinker," says Shih. "What's interesting is that I love creating something out of nothing. A lot of people struggle with the transition because there's no playbook, no structure, and no schedule to follow. But as a product manager, you build those all for your teams. I was able to start with a blank canvas and design the workflows that work best for me. It's super cool to see all those skills come in handy."

The entrepreneurial creator is now a business: creators build brands and manage teams of editors and other creatives. We launch content with key results and objectives. We analyze metrics, enforce milestones, and project channel growth. We interface and partner with corporations, and often start out negotiating our own brand deals (tip: always go into the conversation knowing your own BATNA and be the first to anchor the deal).

Corporate Creators Building a Business

The lines between corporate careers and creative entrepreneurship are increasingly blurred as more professionals make the leap from the boardroom to the creator space. This convergence of business and creativity is giving rise to a new breed of creator—one that not only produces content but also builds long-term, scalable business models and forms strategic partnerships with global brands. These creators are harnessing their corporate experience to approach content creation with a mindset focused on growth, efficiency, and sustainability. As a result, many are no longer satisfied with short-term brand deals or viral fame. Instead, they're using their expertise to launch their own venture-backed startups, transforming personal brands into full-fledged businesses with significant revenue potential.

John Hu, winner of the Asian Creator Awards' Startup of the Year, exemplifies this trend. As the founder and CEO of Stan, an e-commerce platform that empowers creators to monetize their audiences, Hu has successfully combined his background in finance with his passion for content creation. With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers and a career that started as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, Hu's journey underscores the growing connection between corporate skill sets and the creator economy. Reflecting on how his professional experience shaped his creative career, Hu remarked, "I think the discipline and analytical rigor I learned in my past life in finance has helped me outperform in my new life, making sure that I actually execute on whatever creative vision I have."

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

For some, excelling and reaching executive roles in their corporate careers not only provides skills to fashion their new creator careers as full fledged enterprises, but serves as the inspiration for content creation in the first place. My sister, Jean Luo, is a prime example. Having started her career as an investor at Goldman Sachs and then transitioning into tech to become Head of Product for AR Shopping at Snap, Inc., she draws on her experience by relaying her learnings to her audience on Instagram and YouTube. "The content I create today is exactly what I desperately wish I knew at so many points in my career over the last 15 years but never had access to," Luo remarked. "That's the entire ethos and mission behind our podcast, The Tiger Sisters, and why our mission is to be the internet's career mentors and big sisters – to help others succeed in their careers while creating fun, rewarding, and joyful lives."

The Asian-American Creator Experience

But it's not as simple as just following your dreams. For many Asian-American creators, the leap from corporate careers to content creation is not just a career change—it's a cultural shift. The internal struggle between fulfilling familial duties and pursuing personal passions is one that resonates deeply among the Asian Creator Awards honorees. Rajen Budiyan, winner of the Best Lifestyle Creator award, shared, "to my parents, success meant a stable job with a good salary. But I've come to realize that true success is following a path that brings me joy."

Chloe Shih also touched on this cultural tension: "To be honest, I used to have a challenging relationship with my family earlier in my adulthood," she said. "But once I became financially independent through working in tech, they let go quite a bit."

Brands and Platforms Championing Creators

As creators increasingly step into roles as business leaders, platforms and brands are recognizing the unique power of their voices, particularly within underrepresented communities. The partnership between brands and creators is no longer just transactional—it's becoming a strategic effort to uplift diverse voices and celebrate cultures that have historically been left out of mainstream media. The Asian Creator Awards provided a prime 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 empower Asian-American voices, recognizing their cultural and economic impact. Andrew Leonard, winner of the Leader of the Year award and a YouTube Partner Manager, leads the company's AAPI Task Force—a key initiative aimed at supporting Asian-American creators on the platform. "The history of YouTube is intertwined with AAPI creator success stories," Leonard said. "The Task Force's mission is to support AAPI creators so we continue to see more. We do education through our virtual and in-person workshops. We build community through events. And we also honor the past icons and celebrate our future stars through our YouTube AAPI Gala."

YouTube's commitment to celebrating Asian-American creators is just one example of how major platforms are putting real resources into elevating underrepresented voices. From offering educational programs to organizing community-building events, brands and platforms understand that their future success lies in authentically representing and supporting the diverse communities they serve. For many Asian-American creators, these partnerships open doors to long-term growth, helping them scale their influence and monetize their content while maintaining a focus on authentic storytelling. The collaboration between brands and creators reflects the growing recognition that supporting Asian-American content creators isn't just good for business—it's vital for fostering innovation and inclusivity in the creator economy.

When Business Skills Fuel Creative Success

In today's world the ultimate brag is no longer about having a traditional career—it's about being paid for your passion. The presence of multiple former corporate professionals at the Asian Creator Awards is a leading indicator of a broader shift in how content creation is perceived. What was once considered a hobby or side hustle has transformed into a full-fledged business ecosystem, with vast potential for growth, innovation, and profitability. These ex-corporate creators are redefining the industry by bringing business acumen from the boardroom into the creative space, seamlessly combining strategy with storytelling.

The transition of former professionals into the creator economy underscores the fact that content creation is no longer the domain of purely artistic individuals. The skills traditionally reserved for corporate settings—strategic planning, financial management, and operational efficiency—are being applied to personal brands and media platforms. This blending of corporate expertise and creativity is setting a new standard for what it means to succeed as a creator.

As John Hu, winner of the Startup of the Year award, reflected, "It was so cool being surrounded by so many Asians who had started in STEM, but realized later on in life that they had a creative muscle." His words capture the essence of this shift—content creation evolving into a dominant force in the business world, with creators like those celebrated at the Asian Creator Awards leading the charge.

A special thanks Jerry Won, Chloe Shih, Andrew Leonard, John Hu, Jean Luo, and Rajen Budiyan for their invaluable insights and contributions to this discussion.