Creator Playbooks

Get the breakdown of Sedge's frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/4tNXDkR Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/499YncxSedge Beswick is a brand and influencer marketing expert who’s worked with Red Bull, Nike, and ASOS - where she built the iconic Insider Program - and scaled her own agency to a £24M valuation.In this episode, she breaks down what actually wins in marketing in 2026 - and why most brands don’t have a content problem, they have a structure problem.We get into:- Why brand + performance silos are killing growth- How Adidas reinvented itself post-Yeezy (and why working with Molly-Mae makes sense)- The real reason M&S became “cool” again- The inside culture at Red Bull - and why “ask for forgiveness, not permission” works- The ASOS Insider playbook (and how you’d rebuild it today)Sedge also shares:- The eBay sneaker campaign that drove insane demand (and queues around the block)- Why consistency beats constant experimentation in marketing- The 3 P’s of personal brand that drove 75% of her agency leads via LinkedIn- Why TikTok Shop is the biggest opportunity right nowPlus: lessons from building and exiting an agency, mistakes founders make, and how to actually build a brand that converts - not just gets attention.Follow Sedge: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sedgebeswick/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sedge-beswick Produced by 7xContent: make your own podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.com/contact Follow Callum: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/ Timestamps:00:00 Intro + Adidas, Yeezy problem & changing strategy 01:00 Why most brands fail (structure problem) 02:00 Brand vs performance (biggest mistake brands make) 03:00 Adidas reinvention + Molly-Mae strategy 05:00 Building brands beyond the founder (Molly-Mae case) 07:00 Why M&S became cool again 09:00 Emotional storytelling in modern marketing 10:00 Long-form content: opportunity or overrated? 11:00 Red Bull culture + “ask for forgiveness” 12:00 Getting arrested at a festival (Red Bull story) 14:00 What makes Red Bull teams different 16:00 Working with Nike vs Red Bull 19:00 Best campaign: eBay sneakers breakdown 21:00 Building a campaign that actually works 23:00 Why most marketing teams are broken 24:30 The importance of consistency (not chopping & changing) 26:00 ASOS lessons + what actually drives sales 28:00 Biggest mistakes brands make today 30:00 How to pitch ideas internally 32:00 Personal brand: what actually works 33:00 75% of leads from LinkedIn (no big following needed) 34:00 The 3 P’s: Perspective, Proof, Personality 36:00 Where to focus today (platform strategy) 37:00 Why TikTok Shop is the biggest opportunity 39:00 Luxury brands + Emma Grede blueprint 42:00 Personal brands doing it right 44:00 Founder vs operator (why most creators get it wrong) 46:00 Finding your “superpower” as a founder 49:00 ASOS insider program deep dive 52:00 How to build a creator program today 54:00 How brands should work with creators long-term 55:00 Scaling & selling an agency (£24M valuation) 57:00 Biggest business lessons & mistakes

Get a breakdown of Tom's frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/48JKUaaApply to work with me:https://bit.ly/4aqqEewTom Lewis is Steven Bartlett’s advertising performance partner and co-founder of Metastat. At 22, he’s helped scale brands and creators by replacing guesswork with data.In this episode, Tom explains how top creators use paid ads to test thumbnails, titles, hooks, guests, and even product ideas before publishing, sometimes for under £100 on The Diary Of A CEO. He shares how Meta ads can help predict virality, improve click-through rates, and turn content into a repeatable growth system.We also cover when creators should monetise, why many launch too early, and why paid ads should support organic growth, not replace it. A practical guide to turning content into predictable growth and revenue.Listen on your podcast player:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooksFollow Callum on socials:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallumX - https://x.com/mcdonnellcallumLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnellProduced by 7xContent - make your own podcast with us:https://www.7xcontent.comFollow Tom: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-lewis-a46877167/Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript)00:00 Introduction to Tom Lewis and Steven Bartlett's Advertising Machine00:13 Tom Lewis' Journey and Partnership with Steven Bartlett04:46 The Power of Paid Media and Experimentation05:22 Deep Dive into Testing and Experimentation12:20 Practical Tips for Running Effective Ad Campaigns18:47 Optimizing Meta Ads for Traffic21:19 Budgeting for Effective Ad Campaigns22:59 Balancing Creativity and Data24:04 Tom's Best Frameworks25:28 The Importance of Eliminating Guesswork26:38 Building a Brand Before Monetization29:12 Using Paid Ads to Catalyze Growth29:12 Understanding Meta's Ad Auction System34:08 Creating Engaging Ad Content35:08 The Power of Problem-Solution Hooks36:42 Leveraging Dragons' Den Pitches43:48 Iterating on Successful Ad Concepts52:06 Meta Ads Campaign Structure52:45 The Outlier Graph and Winning Ads55:07 The Evolution of Magic Ads57:39 Setting Goals for Meta Ads58:00 Instagram Profile Visits Strategy1:02:50 Retargeting and Audience Segmentation1:06:08 Choosing the Right Product for Creators1:11:51 The Future of Meta Advertising1:14:24 Focusing on Long-Term Customer Value1:21:44 Structuring Your Team for Success1:24:42 Insights on Working with Steven Bartlett1:27:00 Conclusion and Next Steps

Get the breakdown of Michael’s frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/41tiga0Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/4bYmX1LMichael is a brand and social media strategist known for his work at Ryanair and now through his consultancy, Slice. In this episode, he explains why most brands do not have a content problem, they have a strategy problem and breaks down the 4 ways brands can actually win on social today.From fast vs. slow social to prompted vs. unprompted discovery, repeatable formats, search, distribution, measurement, and memorability, this episode offers a sharp, practical breakdown of what brands need to understand if they want social to drive real business impact.Follow Callum on socials:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/Produced by 7xContent: make your own podcast with us:https://www.7xcontent.com/contactFollow Michael: https://www.instagram.com/mc_so_me/Timestamps:00:00 Intro + why strategy matters more than ever01:18 The state of social in 2026: fragile platforms, outrage, and rented land04:46 Why trend-chasing is making brands less memorable08:26 The organic social renaissance09:36 Prompted vs unprompted discovery12:10 Fast vs slow social15:11 Fast prompted moments: culture spikes people search for17:11 The 4 ways brands can win on social22:04 Where the biggest opportunity is right now23:53 Brand examples: Currys, Candy Kittens, Confused.com, and more29:47 Slow unprompted content and thinking like TV33:01 How brands should find their real gap / problem / opportunity36:42 The marketing education gap in social41:13 When organic social is and isn’t the answer42:46 Distribution is the missing piece46:49 What brands can learn from podcasts, clipper accounts, creators, and aggregator pages53:26 How to actually implement creative distribution56:45 Why brands struggle to let go of control58:44 What Michael is excited about in 20261:00:47 Brands using social well right now1:02:25 What brands are struggling with most1:05:39 What still works from the Ryanair playbook1:10:05 AI, content abundance, and the return of the all-round marketeer

Get a breakdown of Rachel’s frameworks in my free newsletter: ⁠https://bit.ly/4bcKHi9⁠Apply to work with me: ⁠https://bit.ly/4kYIjiy⁠ Rachel Harris is a multi award-winning industry leader, content creator, entrepreneur and practice owner. She runs a multi seven-figure accounting firm and has built a personal brand (@accountant_she) that drives £100k worth of leads each week from socials.In this episode, Rachel breaks down the exact playbook behind her growth. From viral posting formulas, failing faster, her pre-posting checklist and post-mortem analysis, monetising content with digital products, affiliates and brand deals and so much more. Listen on your podcast player: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooks⁠Follow Callum on socials:Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/⁠LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell⁠Produced by 7xContent - make your own podcast with us: ⁠https://bit.ly/4kYIjiy⁠Follow Rachel:Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/accountant_she/⁠Timestamps:00:00 Intro + Rachel’s lead numbers from socials01:00 Rachel’s background + personal brand vs accounting firm profits02:15 Step 1: build a product worth talking about (reputation + reviews)03:20 Why professional services is a “blue ocean” on socials05:10 The reality of growth: 1 year posting daily to hit 4k followers06:25 The inflection point: “fail time” + weekly research + reactive planning08:10 Micro testing: makeup, tripod vs handheld, mic, production level09:45 The viral playbook: M&S sandwich x HMRC hooks + data-led creativity13:15 Pre-post checklist: point of the video, emotion, hooks, clarity15:30 Post-mortems + building the content playbook over time16:30 Seasons + evergreen topics + series ideas18:10 Feedback loops: call language analysis + 30-day series that gained 125k20:10 Trust timeline: average 18 months from follow to becoming a client21:10 Daily content + authenticity + disrupting “professional services” norms23:20 Rachel’s weekly schedule: analysis, strategy blocks, long-form filming29:10 The weekly scorecard: revenue-first metrics (no vanity metrics)35:00 Tightrope: leads you want + values-based filtering38:00 Funnel walkthrough: link-in-bio segmentation + nurture sequences42:40 Monetisation overview: affiliates, speaking, brand deals47:00 Digital products + community-led podcast + ascension model55:00 Recurring revenue and pitching brands proactively58:00 Advice: embarrassment, scalability, and building infrastructure01:02:20 Best business lesson: “make sure everyone gets laid” (curation)01:07:10 Team setup + what Rachel still edits herself01:09:00 ICP research: polls, surveys, and asking your audience01:12:00 Opportunities: PM interviews, PR, and asking for intros01:15:00 What’s working now: long-form value, short-form hooks + funnel

Get a breakdown of Simon's frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/4cc9RyuApply to work with me: https://bit.ly/3OXzZn0Simon Alexander Ong is a bestselling author (Energize, Penguin), keynote speaker and one of the world's leading personal development coaches. He left a six-figure finance career in 2017 to build a coaching practice from scratch, and has since grown a YouTube channel to 130,000 subscribers in under 12 months, a viral video with nearly 4 million views, a Sunday Times bestselling book, and a global speaking career.In this episode, Simon breaks down the exact playbook behind every part of his business. From landing his first coaching client to engineering a viral YouTube video, getting a Penguin book deal, and commanding premium speaking fees.Listen on your podcast player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooksFollow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnellProduced by 7xContent - make your own podcast with us: https://bit.ly/3OXzZn0Follow Simon: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/simonalexanderong/LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderongYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@simonalexanderoTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Simon Alexander Ong01:00 Why Simon left a six-figure finance career03:00 The journey from the head to the heart05:00 Going full-time into coaching in 201708:00 Warren Buffett's #1 most important skill in business09:30 How Simon got his first coaching clients13:00 The Third Door framework and how to use it practically17:00 How speaking grew organically from coaching22:00 Building a personal brand before social media28:00 How to answer "what do you do?" with a story32:00 The YouTube strategy: outlier videos explained40:00 How the "I'm 40" video happened (and nearly didn't)48:00 Why it ranked 9/10 for 3 days then hit 1.5M views52:00 Ad revenue breakdown and YouTube monetisation strategy55:00 LinkedIn content strategy: hero, educational and interactive01:00:00 What Simon's business looks like today01:05:00 What's possible in coaching at every level01:10:00 How to land speaking gigs and what fees are realistic01:14:00 The truth about book deals and why royalties aren't the point01:18:00 How to write a book (and why marketing is 50% of the job)01:19:00 The James Bond opening — how to hook any audience01:24:00 Simon's favourite coaching questions01:27:00 The stories we tell ourselves and how to rewrite them01:30:00 Why "making it" is a trap — and what to focus on instead

Get a breakdown of Timo's frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/48JKUaaApply to work with me: https://bit.ly/4rMKKXMTimo Armoo has built, scaled, and sold multiple companies. From his first exit at 17 to selling Fanbytes for tens of millions, brokering major media and data acquisitions and now investing through his own fund. In this episode, Timo breaks down what actually goes into building companies that are worth buying, drawing directly from the wins, failures and decisions that shaped his career.We cover how to build founder-level self-belief, why inexperience can be a competitive advantage, how to manufacture luck through networks and value creation, plus how to choose markets and customers that compound growth. Timo shares his framework for going from £0 to £1M+ per month, how to price and sell to wealthy customers, when not to raise capital, how to hire without killing momentum and how to turn a services business into a sellable asset.Listen on your Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnellFollow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/ Produced by 7xContent - make your own Podcast with us here: https://www.7xcontent.com/Follow Timo:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/timarmoo/Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript):00:00 Introduction and Early Exits00:42 Building Fanbytes: The Big Breakthrough01:12 Subsequent Ventures and Brokering Deals02:16 The 11 Cheat Codes to Life and Business03:50 Cheat Code 1: The Stories We Tell Ourselves11:02 Cheat Code 2: Inexperience as a Superpower12:21 Cheat Code 10: How to Get Lucky47:17 Cheat Code 3: Make It Easy to Win48:55 The Power of Belief in Sales49:12 The Moral Duty to Sell49:25 Dan Kennedy's Fire Door Story50:54 Psychological Barriers in Business51:48 Cheat Code: It's Not That Deep52:22 Emotional Investment in Business57:29 Raising Funds and Investor Relations01:00:37 Hiring Philosophy and Strategies01:07:16 The Role of Technology in Business01:13:54 Building and Leveraging Personal Brands01:20:11 Timing and Strategy for Selling Your Business01:30:11 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Selling a Business01:33:44 Final Reflections and Advice

Get a breakdown of James' frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/48JKUaaApply to work with me:https://bit.ly/48sQY8dJames Smith is one of the few creators willing to say the quiet part out loud. Despite building an audience of over 4 million followers and generating more than a billion views, James explains how chasing virality nearly destroyed his business and why deliberately stagnating his follower growth, ended up doubling (nearly tripling) his income. From seven-figure coaching businesses and bestselling books to a fast-scaling drinks brand and high-leverage mentorships, James breaks down what actually makes creator businesses work behind the scenes.In this episode, we dive into the real economics of content creation and how to turn content into clients; instead of clout. We also unpack James’ philosophy on strong opinions, calling out bad actors, audience capture and the psychological cost of fame. This is one the most honest conversations about money, status and content you’ll hear.Listen on your podcast player:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooksFollow Callum on socials:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallumX - https://x.com/mcdonnellcallumLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnellProduced by 7xContent - make your own podcast with us:https://www.7xcontent.comFollow James:LinkedIn - https://www.instagram.com/jamessmith/Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript):00:00 Introduction to James Smith's Success00:38 James Smith's Content Creation Strategy01:38 Building a Lifestyle Business04:37 Monetizing Content and Business Ventures07:25 The Importance of Client-Centric Content14:55 Pricing Strategies for Coaches and Trainers25:25 The Value of High-Quality Mentorship27:53 James Smith's Social Media Journey30:03 The Illusion of Vanity Metrics32:19 The Allure of Status in Content Creation34:40 The Complex Ecosystem of Content Creation37:55 Balancing Fame and Privacy50:06 The Ethics of Calling Out Competitors55:19 Chaos in Content Creation01:02:18 The Importance of Being Able to Speak Off the Cuff01:02:32 The Benefits of Scripting vs. Improvisation01:02:45 Live Events and Audience Engagement01:02:54 The Hypothetical Bird Becky and Utility of Deprivation01:03:36 The Impact of Alcohol on First Dates01:04:33 Creatine Video and Audience Engagement01:04:53 Balancing Scripting and Improvisation01:05:49 YouTube Strategies for Content Creators01:11:25 Instagram vs. YouTube: Platform Differences01:15:53 Building a Content Creation Team01:22:26 Launching Nut Tonic: From Idea to Execution01:28:36 Future Goals and Strategic Investments01:29:56 Conclusion and Future Discussions

Get a breakdown of Josh’s LinkedIn frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/48JKUaaApply to work with me:https://bit.ly/48sQY8dJosh Sanders is the Head of Content for Chris Donnelly, where he helped scale one of the fastest-growing personal brands in the world from 0 to 3M+ followers across platforms and a 0-250,000 subscriber newsletter in under two years, then engineered the systems that turned that attention into a $10M+ education business.In this episode, Josh breaks down the data-backed LinkedIn growth playbook behind that rise. We cover how to grow a personal brand on LinkedIn in 2026, how to turn views into customers using offers, funnels, and attribution, why “don’t chase, attract” is the most effective creator strategy, how newsletters compound audience growth, and what most creators misunderstand about monetisation. Unlike most LinkedIn advice, Josh’s insights are backed by large-scale dataset reviews, rigorous testing, and real revenue outcomes. This is one of the most practical LinkedIn and creator growth masterclasses ever recorded.Listen on your Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnellFollow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/Produced by 7xContent - make your own Podcast with us here: https://www.7xcontent.com/Follow Josh:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshejsanders/Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript)00:00 Introduction to Explosive LinkedIn Growth00:21 Meet Josh Sanders: Content Mastermind00:36 The Power of LinkedIn for Business Growth02:32 Setting Clear Goals and Content Pillars09:23 Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile17:21 Engaging with Your Network and Building Relationships25:57 Creating High-Impact Content28:10 Analyzing and Adapting Content Strategies45:50 Leveraging Lead Magnet Posts for Engagement46:56 Driving Conversations and Engagement on LinkedIn49:35 Crafting Effective Hooks and Content Structure51:47 The Science Behind High-Performing LinkedIn Posts58:06 Tracking Performance Metrics on LinkedIn01:03:55 Building and Scaling a Creator Accelerator Business01:07:23 Creating a Cohort-Based Program for Maximum Impact01:12:45 Marketing Strategies and Community Building01:28:10 Finding the Right Team and Incentivising Growth01:30:34 Conclusion and Next Steps

Email me [email protected] with 3 reasons / ideas / examples of your work if you’d like to work with me in 2026.Apply to work with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/7xcontent/jobs/Join Callum for a candid start-of-year business and life update, breaking down exactly what happened behind the scenes of Creator Playbooks and 7x Content in 2025.This episode covers real podcast performance numbers, what worked, what didn’t and how one underperforming YouTube episode went on to generate £250k in closed business.Callum also shares the evolution of the agency, from scaling end-to-end podcast production and chart-topping client launches to hiring from his audience and raising personal standards as a founder.Listen on Your Podcast Player:⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooks⁠Follow Callum on socials:Instagram – ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/⁠TikTok – ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum⁠X – ⁠https://x.com/mcdonnellcallum⁠LinkedIn – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell⁠Produced by 7xContent – make your own Podcast with us:⁠ https://www.7xcontent.com

Get a breakdown of Jordan’s content engineering frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/4pLrw4dApply to work with me: https://bit.ly/3MsFlWeJordan Schwarzenberger is the manager behind The Sidemen — one of the biggest creator groups on the planet, with over 10 billion views and a content empire that extends into restaurants, vodka brands, trading cards, a membership platform, and more. In this episode, Jordan breaks down the systems, strategies, and business models behind The Sidemen’s explosive rise.We cover how The Sidemen built a 2-billion-views-per-year YouTube machine, the real economics behind content businesses, the future of creators, how to think commercially about your channel, why most creators are stuck, and why the next era of content isn’t production — it’s engineering. This is one of the most detailed creator masterclasses ever recorded.Listen on Your Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooksFollow Callum on socials:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thecallumcTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallumX – https://x.com/mcdonnellcallumLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnellProduced by 7xContent – make your own Podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.comFollow Jordan:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jordanschwarzLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanschwarzenbergerWebsite – https://www.jordanschwarz.comTimestamps:0:00 – Introduction: The next era is content engineering1:37 – When Jordan realised creators were different5:04 – Why YouTube is the engine room of the creator economy8:41 – Anyone can win on YouTube: the democratization of reach9:49 – How Jordan first identified the opportunity with The Sidemen12:20 – Building the business: the original strategy & 15 focus areas14:13 – Alcohol brand, restaurant, trading cards & Side+ — choosing what to build17:20 – Launching Sides, XIX Vodka & Best Cereal — the real challenges22:20 – Why Side+ (membership) is their most successful business23:48 – The economics of creator brands & realistic conversion rates28:40 – Joint ventures, partnerships & structuring creator businesses33:46 – Long-term thinking: why creators won’t see returns for years36:11 – Diversifying creator income & building financial resilience41:05 – Why most UK creators are stuck — and the algorithm trap43:21 – How to think commercially: audiences, niches & advertising lanes47:15 – Why YouTube should be your primary platform49:59 – Do creators need managers? (Jordan’s honest take)53:47 – High-volume content, storytelling & what makes content “good”55:58 – The three S’s: Stop, Stay, Satisfy — Jordan’s content framework1:01:34 – The importance of analysing content like an engineer1:03:29 – The monoculture collapse & how algorithms changed everything1:08:07 – Instagram vs TikTok vs YouTube: where the real value is1:13:37 – Why traditional TV talent struggle to transition to YouTube1:17:55 – Final insights + why we’re still early in the creator wave