This episode is brought to you by Circle — the all-in-one platform to run your community, courses, and memberships in one place. Try it free 👉 https://circle.so/eclipse In today's episode Matt and Kolby break down Forbes' 2026 Top Creators list, the surprising revival of luxury print media, and Kit's biggest product launch ever—pulling out what's working, what's being left on the table, and what every media founder should take notes on. Timestamps: 00:00 Forbes Top Creators 202601:14 The ...

In this episode, Matt McGarry, Ryan Carr, and Kolby Hatch analyze the recent beehiiv summer release, discussing new features like community, podcast integrations, and ad networks, and sharing insights on how to effectively leverage these tools for business growth.

In today's episode Matt and Kolby break down historic media disruptions—from cable TV's ESPN and CNN to Joe Rogan's $250M Spotify deal—pulling out what's working, what's being left on the table, and who actually has a real thesis on AI today, from The Rundown's $10M+ newsletter to HubSpot's media buying spree. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro: AI Anxiety and Plateauing Founders03:59 The Framework: How Founders Should Respond to AI05:14 Is This an AI Bubble? Cable TV's ESPN and CNN Bet08:35 Web 1.0: ...

This episode is brought to you by Circle — the all-in-one platform to run your community, courses, and memberships in one place. Try it free 👉 https://circle.so/eclipse Chandler Bolt (SelfPublishing.com) joins Matt to break down how one niche book generated $7M in 12 months, why "the riches are in the niches," how to turn tactics into ownable frameworks, and the value ladder that grew SelfPublishing.com past $80M. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro02:25 Can a Niche Expert Really Write a Book?03:59 Why...

Build a community product with nothing but a prompt, try Circle AI free 👉 https://circle.so/eclipse Kolby and Matt rank 25 creator income streams and reveal the simple consulting-call-to-agency funnel that took Growletter to 7-figures. Timestamps: 02:28 Is Speaking Worth Your Time? 06:03 One-on-One Coaching's Underrated Upside 10:29 Sponsorships and Brand Deals 14:32 Programmatic Ads and MrBeast's $20M Month 20:00 Affiliate Marketing's Race to the Bottom 2...

Daniel Bustamante (Velocity, Ship 30 for 30) joins Matt and Kolby to break down the email launch tactics that add 20% to every launch—the mid-launch bonus that kills the dead middle, the $99 product that made $25K in 48 hours, the post-launch downsell, and the feedback email that makes your next launch better. Timestamps: 00:55 Expiring Mid-Launch Bonuses (Kill the U-Shape) 03:18 What Bonus to Offer & Ideal Launch Length 07:36 The 48-Hour Flash Sale: $25K From a $99 ...

Daniel Berk (Moneywise Podcast by Hampton) joins Matt and Kolby to talk about why the local newsletter isn't the business—the audience is, how AI services are the untapped green space for local brick-and-mortars, why the viral Substack tweet got email wrong, and how an X DM with Sam Parr turned into a podcast hosting gig. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:00 Palmetto Parents: Three Local Newsletters 06:40 How Local Newsletters Actually Make Money 11:00 "Own The Town" — Arbitragi...

Justin Moore (Creator Wizard) joins Matt and Kolby to talk about how Sponsor Games lost ~$10K in year two but still turned a profit, why 22% of his challenge attendees upgrade to VIP every single time, the great event food debate, and how to find your real ICP with a book funnel. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro00:26 Sponsor Games Year Two: A $10K Loss and a Reality Show03:50 How the Mastermind Offer Made It Profitable04:15 Marketing a Novel Event With No Speakers05:56 Changing the Date and Venue for...

Matt Paulson (MarketBeat) joins Matt and Kolby to talk about the SMS playbook that's now 25% of MarketBeat's revenue, why he pays Twilio $400K a month to make it work, and the case for treating digital media as a depreciating asset he'll shut down at 65 rather than sell. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:30 SMS Is The New Email 06:00 SMS Is Now 25% Of MarketBeat's Revenue ($1.5M+/Month) 10:00 Promoting Advertiser Offers Over Your Own 13:30 $100 Paid Webinars That Se...

Jonathan Hunt (VP of HubSpot Media) joins Matt and Kolby to talk about how HubSpot built a 50M-reach owned-media network, the four-part test they run on every acquisition (Hustle, Mindstream, Starter Story, Futurepedia), and why they killed every audio-only podcast on the network. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:33 Why HubSpot Buys Media Companies 04:45 What HubSpot Media Actually Is (65 People, 3 Pillars) 07:15 The Editorial Thesis Behind Every Acquisition 12:26 The HubS...