Alex Parra (@alex1leg), a two-time cancer survivor and disability advocate, joins CREATOR: The Podcast to share his extraordinary journey of beating stage two bone cancer and stage four lung cancer before his 20th birthday. In this episode, Alex reveals the shocking moment at age 15 when he flipped a coin to decide between knee replacement and leg amputation—and how that gut decision saved his life when doctors discovered the cancer had spread further than expected. Host Ross Borden explores Alex’s path from a 10% survival chance and three months to live, to becoming cancer-free and inspiring millions through content creation. Alex shares the reality of phantom pain, the hidden cost crisis of athletic prosthetics ($35,000 out of pocket), and why he attempted a marathon on crutches to raise awareness. He also opens up about his “cancer bucket list,” traveling to Japan and Australia, and meeting young amputees who remind him why his advocacy matters. Whether you’re facing your own health challenges or simply need a reminder of human resilience, this conversation delivers a powerful perspective on turning tragedy into purpose.

Scott and Collette Stohler, the travel creators behind Roamaroo (@roamaroo), join CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss building a location-independent life and creative career while raising two young children. In this episode, the couple shares how a single podcast interview with Rolf Potts and Tim Ferriss inspired them to quit their jobs as a TV producer and chemical engineer, turn a planned seven-month trip into 18 months of travel, and launch a decade-long career as travel creators. Host Ross Borden explores their journey from living out of backpacks to surviving the pandemic in an Airstream for 18 months, plus their upcoming move to Italy through Boundless Life’s world schooling program. Scott and Collette offer candid insights about the challenges of creating content as a couple, how they structured their roles between “front office” and “back office” responsibilities, and the viral success of their “We’re Americans” video series that sparked conversations about parenting in the United States. Whether you’re an aspiring travel creator, a parent dreaming of location independence, or simply curious about unconventional family lifestyles, this conversation delivers practical wisdom on taking calculated risks and building a creative life on your own terms.

Jordan Egbert (@counting.countries) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss his goal to visit every country on earth and the unexpected business he built along the way. In this episode, Jordan reveals how he went from zero international travel until age 23 to visiting 142 countries, including returning to door-to-door pest control sales each summer just to fund another year of travel before monetizing his content. Host Ross Borden explores Jordan’s most unique destinations, from Turkmenistan (dubbed “the North Korea of the Middle East”) to the futuristic cities of China where you can pay with your palm print. Jordan offers practical advice for traveling with young children, and explains his counterintuitive content strategy of studying what already works rather than chasing viral trends. Whether you’re planning your next adventure or building a creator business, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on turning passion into profit.

Chelsea Yamase (@chelseakauai) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to share her journey from shy Hawaiian surfer to million-follower creator. Host Ross Borden explores Chelsea’s 11 trips to Indonesia and her philosophy of prioritizing raw, authentic experiences over Instagram-perfect locations. Chelsea dives into growing up in Hawaii and how she learned to free dive at a later age. She offers candid insights about earning 80% of her income through quality brand partnerships over quantity, organizing epic women’s adventure retreats from Patagonia to the Galapagos, and why she recently put everything in storage to search the world for a new place to call home. Whether you’re an aspiring travel creator or simply interested in conscious tourism, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on building an authentic creative career while grappling with your impact on the places you love.

In this special year-end episode, host Ross Borden revisits the biggest lessons from CREATOR: The Podcast’s most impactful conversations of 2025. Ross curates wisdom from five groundbreaking creators who’ve cracked the code on building massive audiences and sustainable careers. Adventure photographer Chris Burkard (@chrisburkard) explains his counterintuitive strategy of freely sharing his best work to create more opportunities, proving that exposure truly is a long-term strategy. Lifestyle creator Rene Daniella’s (@ownbyfemme) reveals how one cold pitch email to Google—found through a press release—turned into a two-year partnership including trips to Coachella and Puerto Rico. Diving creator Shane Brown (@shangerdanger) shares how one viral short about cracking an egg underwater generated over 400 million views and earned him a million subscribers from a single video. TV host Oneika Raymond (@oneikaraymond) discusses why 99% of her work is now inbound and how being genuinely easy to work with has created multi-year brand partnerships. And former Corporate VP Timm Chiusano (@timmchiusano) offers the brand perspective, explaining why authentic storytelling beats checkbox briefs every time. Whether you’re grinding toward your first thousand followers or scaling to millions, this episode distills the essential strategies you need heading into 2026.

To learn more about CREATOR: The Podcast, visit creatorthepodcast.com

00:00 – Introduction: Year-End Roundup

00:53 – Chris Burkard: Exposure as Strategy

06:03 – Renee Daniella: The Power of Cold Pitching

11:36 – Shane Brown: From 10K to 7M Subscribers

17:33 – Oneika Raymond: Building Long-Term Partnerships

23:09 – Timm Chiusano: Making Brand Deals That Matter

28:49 – Closing: Strategy, Persistence & Staying Ahead

Garrett Gee of the Bucket List Family (@thebucketlistfamily) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss building a travel media empire with his family as they’ve traveled to over 100 countries over the past 10 years. In this episode, Garrett shares how he sold his iPhone app Scan to Snapchat for $54 million, then made the bold decision to set that money aside and fund their world travels by selling everything they owned. Host Ross Borden explores Garrett’s journey of founding the Bucket List Family brand with over 5 million followers, diving into their philosophy of traveling with the entire family, and raising “brave kids” who approach new experiences with confidence. Garrett offers behind-the-scenes insights about expanding into hospitality with private island resorts in Tonga and Canada, plus his ambitious animated cartoon project that has 30,000 investors waiting for results. Whether you’re an aspiring creator, travel enthusiast, or parent wondering how to raise adventurous kids, this conversation delivers actionable insights about building authentic content businesses and living life on your own terms.

Kira Bella (@earthkira), Founder of Kirameki and rural revitalization entrepreneur, joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss building a cultural tourism business in the Japanese countryside. In this episode, Kira shares how she went from house-sitting cats and koi fish to becoming the third foreigner in Hiroshima Prefecture to receive a startup visa, including her journey of joining a 2,000-year-old Kagura dance team and performing in a UNESCO World Heritage rice planting festival. Host Ross Borden explores Kira’s transition from traveling to 40+ countries to settling in Kita Hiroshima, diving into the challenges of language barriers in rural Japan, the art of gaining community acceptance as an outsider, and her vision for scaling cultural exchange programs across Japan. Kira offers behind-the-scenes insights about navigating Japanese business culture without formal training, plus practical advice on building authentic relationships in traditional communities. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or simply interested in cultural preservation, this conversation delivers a valuable perspective on creating meaningful tourism that benefits local communities.

Kevin Droniak (@kevindroniak) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss the revolutionary concept of micro travel – the art of visiting international destinations for less than 24 hours. In this episode, Kevin shares how he’s been to places such as Egypt, Rome, and Ireland all as day trips, never staying the night in any of them. Host Ross Borden explores Kevin’s journey from creating YouTube videos with his grandma in 2012 to building nearly a million followers across platforms, diving into his budget travel hacks using Google Flights and Expedia, his upcoming one-day trip to Kenya, and how he manages both his own brand partnerships and his grandma’s influencer career. Whether you’re a travel enthusiast or simply interested in unconventional content creation, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on turning personal constraints into viral business opportunities.

Abubakar Finiin (@kidsofthecolony), the London creator behind the viral travel series Kids of the Colony, joins CREATOR:The Podcast to discuss how he turned BBC rejection into a huge YouTube success. In this episode, Abubakar shares his journey from university student to independent TV producer, including how he convinced his friends to travel to Bangladesh, Somaliland, and Morocco to explore their parents’ homelands. Host Ross Borden explores Abubakar’s unconventional approach to filmmaking, from learning camera equipment for the first time in Dhaka to creating authentic cultural exchanges through working local jobs like delivering water in Somaliland and serving tea to elders. Abubakar offers behind-the-scenes insights about funding episodes through regular day jobs, plus the viral TikTok moment that changed everything and brought attention from major publications like The Guardian. Whether you’re an aspiring creator or simply interested in authentic travel content, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on building something meaningful without industry permission or experience.

 Four-time Emmy award-winning host of Bare Feet, Mickela Mallozzi (@travelbarefeet) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss building an international travel show through the universal language of dance. Host Ross Borden explores her journey from classically trained dancer to independent PBS producer, diving into the challenges of self-funding 8 seasons of a travel show, navigating cultural appreciation versus appropriation, and building authentic relationships with communities worldwide. Mickela offers behind-the-scenes insights about working with tourism boards and creating respectful cultural exchanges, plus practical advice on maintaining artistic integrity while securing sponsorships. Whether you’re an aspiring content creator or simply interested in authentic travel storytelling, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on turning passion into sustainable creative careers.

 Rob Gerard, founder of the Tequila Collective (@the_tequilacollective), joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss building a multi-faceted tequila business from a pandemic hobby. Host Ross Borden explores Rob’s journey from LA real estate agent to tequila scholar, diving into the hidden world of tequila additives, the difference between highland and valley agave, and why expensive doesn’t always mean better. Rob offers behind-the-scenes insights about taking strangers on distillery tours in Mexico, plus he reveals how brands struggle to communicate with creators, leading him to launch a successful marketing agency. Whether you’re an aspiring content creator or simply interested in understanding what makes great tequila, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on turning authentic passion into sustainable business success.

Lifestyle creator Rene Daniella (@ownbyfemme) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss her decade-long evolution in the creator industry. In this episode, Rene shares her remarkable journey from studying in Paris to building partnerships with major brands like Google, Disney, and Hulu, including how she pitched a hair brand for her Barbados carnival trip and turned it into ongoing six-figure collaborations. Host Ross Borden explores her strategic approach to content diversification, her financial crisis moment when she had a countdown to bankruptcy, and her unique passions for freediving and Trinidad carnival culture. Rene offers candid insights about the business side of being a creator, from managing irregular income to negotiating multi-year brand deals, and defining success on your own terms. Whether you’re a content creator looking to scale or someone fascinated by unconventional career paths, this conversation delivers an honest perspective on building sustainable creative businesses beyond follower counts.

Multilingual travel creator Jo Franco (@jo_franco) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss being an immigrant kid who didn’t speak English to a global polyglot television host for Netflix and National Geographic. Host Ross Borden explores Jo’s journey from her three-year grind of uploading consistently to YouTube while working night shifts, the moment she chose risk over a corporate salary, and her recent accomplishment of learning Dutch as her seventh language. Jo offers candid insights about the emotional toll of being a creator where “if a video fails, it’s like I failed,” plus her philosophy that confidence comes from putting yourself in moments of true discomfort. Whether you’re a content creator looking to level up or someone fascinated by the courage required to reinvent yourself multiple times, this conversation delivers a valuable perspective on turning obstacles into opportunities and never settling for “young travel will never sell.”

Magdalena Wosinska (@magdawosinskastudio), a photographer and author known for her intimate celebrity portraits and skate photography, joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss the evolution of her creative career over three decades. In this episode, Magda shares how growing up in communist Poland shaped her fearless approach to art, including her decision to create “The Magdalena Experience” (@themagdalenaexperience), a nude photography series that both empowers and complicates her commercial career. Host Ross Borden explores Magda’s unconventional path from touring with a metal band while pursuing photography dreams to shooting major brand campaigns, and diving into her recent struggles with industry ageism. Magda offers candid advice about dealing with constant rejection, maintaining artistic integrity while paying bills, and why she believes older creatives deserve more recognition than “the new young hot thing.” Whether you’re navigating creative industry challenges or seeking inspiration for authentic self-expression, this conversation provides rare honesty about the unglamorous side of pursuing art as a lifelong career.

Jimena Agra (@himepaints), a Spanish oil painter with over 1 million YouTube subscribers, joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss building a fine art career through digital platforms. In this episode, Jimena shares how she learned oil painting primarily through YouTube rather than traditional art school, including her journey from disappointment with formal art education in Madrid to creating a thriving online art business in Los Angeles. Host Ross Borden explores Jimena’s path from viral cosplay content to serious oil painting, diving into her commission process, the economics of selling original artwork versus prints, and her recent gallery breakthrough with a piece called “Persephone in the Garden” at Modern Eden in San Francisco. Jimena offers behind-the-scenes insights about organizing painting retreats in Italy and France, plus practical advice on building authentic connections with followers while maintaining artistic integrity. Whether you’re an aspiring artist looking to monetize your craft or simply interested in the intersection of traditional art and modern creator economy, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on forging your own creative path.

Wade Holland (@wadeholland) and Abby Wren (@abbywrenartistry), the adventure-art duo behind Wrenegade Media (@wrenegademedia), join CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss revolutionizing brand partnerships through collaborative creativity. As two creators with experience on the agency side, Wade and Abby reveal how brands can elevate their content and the common mistakes they see brands make that waters down good creative. Host Ross Borden explores their journey from individual creators to founding a creative agency, diving into Abby’s transformation from behind-the-scenes makeup artist to viral face-painting activist, and Wade’s evolution from adventure host to creative director. Whether you’re a creator looking to scale beyond individual channels or simply interested in authentic storytelling that drives social impact, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on building purpose-driven content that cuts through digital noise.

Viral DIY creator Uncle Jhonn (@unclejhonn_) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss how he built 5 million followers in just one year by helping his neighbors for free. In this episode, Uncle Jhonn shares his incredible journey from selling women’s beauty products to becoming a viral construction creator, including how his very first fence video for his actual neighbor gained 6 million views and 80,000 followers in one week. Host Ross Borden explores how Uncle Jhonn taught himself construction skills, his decision to give away everything for free (including build plans), and how he selects his neighbors to help. Uncle Jhonn offers a refreshing perspective on social media comparison culture and the importance of “enjoying the journey” rather than seeking instant success. Whether you’re a content creator looking for authentic growth strategies or someone interested in community building and skilled trades, this conversation delivers inspiring insights on turning your passion into purpose while genuinely helping others.

Outdoor adventure content creator, Tanya Badillo (@tanyabadillo) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss her unique position as a Mexican adventure creator filling the Spanish content gap in US outdoor spaces. In this episode, Tanya reveals how growing up with a geoscientist father shaped her nomadic lifestyle, including her bold move from a stable oil company job in Mexico to starting over completely in the US. Host Ross Borden explores her decision to maintain authentic Spanish-language content despite the potential for broader English-speaking audiences, her extreme expeditions requiring rappelling and multi-day treks to reach Mexico’s most remote locations, and her philosophy of being “the bridge between cultures.” Tanya shares candid insights about the challenges of building a creator business while working a remote day job, plus her strategy for curating extreme adventure trips that push participants beyond their limits. Whether you’re interested in adventure travel or building an authentic personal brand, this conversation delivers inspiring insights on choosing authenticity over easier paths to success.

Filmmaker and storyteller Joshua Guvi (@joshguvi) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss the art of turning personal adventures into compelling content that inspires others to take risks. In this episode, Josh shares the pivotal stairwell revelation that led him to sell everything and embark on two years of nonstop world travel, including his terrifying first motorcycle journey across Vietnam that reconnected him with genuine happiness. Host Ross Borden explores Josh’s evolution from Vancouver burnout to successful travel filmmaker, diving into his adventures in Mongolia’s fence-free wilderness, his eye-opening cultural barriers experience in China, and the business realities of monetizing authentic travel content. Josh offers behind-the-scenes insights about building a following while constantly moving between countries, plus practical advice on finding the balance between creative integrity and financial sustainability. Whether you’re feeling trapped in the traditional twenties playbook or simply interested in alternative paths to fulfillment, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on why sometimes the scariest decisions lead to the most authentic life.

Travel Creator Yazan Koudsi (@zizotravels) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss building a career as an LGBTQ+ travel influencer with over 3 million followers. In this episode, Yazan shares his approach to creating content for LGBTQ+ travelers, including his number one priority: “The first thing LGBTQ+ people care about is safety.” Host Ross Borden explores Yazan’s evolution from posting travel photos as a flight attendant to becoming a sought-after travel advisor for major platforms, diving into his content strategy for hotels, his experience with tourism boards, and his memorable encounter with a U.S. state that wanted him to “keep it low key” regarding his identity. Yazan offers candid insights about platform monetization, revealing that Facebook surprisingly outpays both TikTok and Instagram for video views. Whether you’re interested in travel content creation or seeking authentic perspectives on global destinations, this conversation delivers valuable insights on building a career while maintaining authenticity in an ever-changing social media landscape.