How I made $1 million as a creator

Hey! Last week, James and I took the train to New York City to attend the NYC Creator Event! Hosted by The Publish Press, I answered questions on the behind-the-scenes of creator life…including how we made over one million dollars in 2023. 

That number still blows my mind. So today, we’re going into the specifics: The dollar amount, costs, and more. Scroll to get the scoop. 👇

$1,043,740. That’s how much Salary Transparent Street made in revenue in 2023—after just two years in business. Best of all? Our business grew while we got to do what we love: promote salary transparency around the world. 

But there is way more to this number than meets the eye. 🙇‍♂️

In the spirit of #transparency, we’re sharing exactly where this money came from and how we spent it. Ready? Let’s go!  

First: Where Did This Money Come From?

This money didn’t just fall from the sky. These were our two biggest sources of revenue: 

1) Brand Partnerships 

A brand partnership is when a company pays us to promote their product or service in our content. And these can be very lucrative: We made $1,012,329 in total from brand partnerships (96% of our 2023 revenue). 

The Deets: Our prices begin at ~$15,000 per video ad*, and we prioritize long-term partnerships with a handful of companies we organically use and love.

When we go for higher quality, more in-depth partnerships (over higher quantity), we can create better content while remaining true to our brand and community.

^{*Our rates fluctuate depending on factors like distribution, usage rights, exclusivity, etc.}

2) Ad Revenue 

Ad revenue is the payout from the social media channels we post on (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Twitter, and Snapchat). This came out to $30,265 last year—about 3% of our income. 

Zoom Out: Each platform pays creators differently. Snapchat, for instance, currently pays us around $3,000 a month, while YouTube is closer to $500.

Next: How Did We Spend The Money?

Bringing in $1 million does not mean James and I became millionaires: The business had a lot of expenses! Three big-ticket items cost the most:

1) Our Salaries 

In 2023, I took home ~$125,000 as a full-time CEO after giving myself a $75,000 pay cut (more about that here). Our incredible cameraman (and my husband!) James brought home $65,000. 

If your eyebrows are raising 🤨 at James’ salary, here’s some context: James has other sources of income outside of STS and only works part-time as the STS cameraman.

• Looking Ahead: As STS grows (as do my responsibilities), my salary for this year will be $200,000. 

2) Contractors and Part-Time Employees 

We hired an assistant, accountant, lawyer, newsletter team, and blog writer in 2023. This cost us $361,058. 

Pricey? Yes. But having experts guide us through taxes and legal documents and take tasks off our plate that aren’t our forte? Priceless.

3) Website Expenses 

Our website—which is full of free resources such as a salary database and an interactive map of pay transparency laws—cost $215,770.

There’s still more we haven’t covered—including other misc revenue, how much we pay for travel, and how we handle payroll. If you want the full (unfiltered) story, watch our video!

Interested in becoming a content creator yourself?

Then this episode of The Break Room is for you! You’ll hear from three full-time content creators (including myself 🙋‍♀️) on how to get started, land brand deals, and keep your platform sustainable.

This was one of our most popular episodes—so don’t miss out!

• We just collaborated with one of our dream partners! Invest in your career growth with Coursera Plus–the ultimate subscription for online learning. Sign up for a free trial here.*

• Housekeepers in Florida are earning up to $250,000 a year. 🤯 There just aren’t enough housekeepers in Palm Beach…so homeowners are shelling out to snag the best talent. And when you consider the sheer size of these mansions (some are ~50,000 sq. ft.), this compensation is pretty fair IMO.

• Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun faced questioning by the Senate panel last week about the company’s safety practices given the numerous plane issues under his leadership…and grilled him on his $32.8 million pay package. 

• A Chick-fil-A in Louisiana is under fire for offering a “summer camp” for kids that sounds more like a work shift. The itinerary includes learning dining room and customer service skills, how to bag a guest order, and making ice cream.

• Snapchat will pay $15 million to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit in California. Snap allegedly paid women less and didn’t promote them equally compared to male employees. Even worse? When the women complained, they faced retaliation in the form of denied promotions and in some cases, termination. (Is it just us, or does $15 million seem low?)

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

Thanks for being here! Looking for a short Tuesday read? 

I got you. I chatted with HR Brew about going from being underpaid $25,000 as a Senior Data Analyst to amassing over a billion views for Salary Transparent Street, and how we’re promoting pay equity every step of the way. 🙌

See you next week!