The co-founder of Bay Area Creator Economy, Monica Khan, sheds light on the criteria that determine the “best creators of the year.” Examining nominees from various media outlets and platforms — YouTube, Forbes, Rolling Stone, People Magazine, and The Hollywood Reporter—reveals a clear pattern in their selection process.
The key metrics shaping these lists include:
- Engagement: Highlighted by YouTube’s MrBeast, known for his record-breaking viewer interaction.
- Monetization: Exemplified by Forbes’ Emma Chamberlain, who has mastered diverse revenue streams.
- Cultural Influence: Recognized in Rolling Stone’s pick, Kai Cenat, for shaping trends and conversations.
- Recognition: Seen in People’s Nara Smith, a household name in the creator space.
- Versatility: Celebrated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Prajakta Koli, who excels across multiple content formats.
However, the content dominating these lists leans heavily toward entertainment or edutainment (entertainment-education hybrids). Purely educational creators, despite their impact, are overlooked in 9 out of 10 cases. This raises questions about the bias in these rankings.
Data from The Tilt shows that 78% of full-time creators earn through educational content like seminars, courses, and communities. Platforms like Teachable and Kajabi report their creators collectively earning over $1 billion, underscoring the financial heft of this sector. Moreover, educational creators benefit from a higher lifetime value (LTV) per client—generating million-dollar revenues with just a few hundred superfans.
So, who should we spotlight in the educational realm? Inspired by Monica Khan’s original post, Kajabi released its Top 24 Knowledge Creators list, featuring luminaries like Ali Abdaal, Colin and Samir, Jay Clouse, Alex Hormozi, and others. The full list is available at https://www.knowledge-creators.com/.
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We’d also nominate Courtney Fisher, a highly successful fitness influencer who left a major fitness platform last year to launch her own business. With a lean team of a few freelancers and two full-time employees, she’s already hit eight-figure revenue this year. On her platform, FitWithCoco, she affectionately calls her superfans “COCOnuts”, reflecting her personal touch.
The exclusion of educational creators from mainstream lists suggests a gap worth addressing. Who would you add to this roster? Share your picks and let’s expand the conversation!
