Good morning. This week, I’m wishing everyone the same unbridled joy, wonderment, and gratitude that Drew Barrymore feels every time she goes outside in the rain.

–Hannah Doyle

As most creators (or anyone who attended their five-year high school reunion) could tell you: Growth isn’t linear. It can go up and down or zig-zag or totally stop before going gangbusters.

Adrian Bliss is today’s prime example. This month alone, the comedy creator has gained over half a million YouTube subscribers, now totaling 3.2 million, and earned a spot in the top 50 most-viewed channels worldwide.

But you likely know him better from TikTok, where his comedic skits about history and science (see: The First Matador and Welcome to the Stomach) have helped Bliss grow his TikTok following to 6.7 million followers in the past two years.

Bliss might seem like an overnight success, but as with most overnight success stories, his “overnight success” was actually a long road. His story began almost a decade ago.

How did he get here?

Creators have to throw a lot of ideas at the wall to find what sticks. But trying different walls is just as important—each platform has different strengths and weaknesses in distribution. For instance, TikTok may expose you to more new faces—the volume play—while YouTube can help you deepen your relationship with the audience you already have. Creating for multiple platforms can be beneficial, but be mindful of performance. Some content simply doesn’t translate well across platforms; for example, some ideas are just made for TikTok.

Brittany Broski, aka Kombucha Girl, really knows how to stretch her 15 minutes—and her savings account.

At VidCon, the 25-year-old spilled her money strategy to CNBC. Here’s what it looks like:

“That’s another thing that happens to online creators: you get drowned by taxes. It’s all about planning,” she said. “I have friends that do the job I do and are in debt. It’s a scary thing. They throw you in and they don’t tell you how to navigate it.”

According to former YouTube creator liaison Matt Koval, the average lifespan of a creator is about 5–7 years, whereas a more traditional career could span 40. With that brief time in the spotlight, it’s important that creators think realistically when it comes to making a living that’ll outlast their popularity.

The rules are still being written for ways to future-proof your career as a creator, but getting educated is a good place to start—may we suggest starting here?

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Sound familiar? Not even three weeks after Ryan Trahan finished his epic 30-day vlog series traveling across the country, lifestyle creators Brooklyn and Bailey are doing the same thing—on slightly different terms.

The twins are road tripping with the goal of visiting all 50 states in 28 days, or before Bailey’s next period. On each day and in each state, they’ll vlog their way through activities like ax throwing and quizzing people on the street.

The goal? To raise money for the National Diaper Bank Network’s Alliance for Period Supplies. Six days in, they’ve raised two-thirds of their $100,000 goal.

We knew from the jump that Trahan’s series would impact the way creativity manifests on YouTube. While this is the first example we’ve seen that takes direct inspiration, we expect to feel the ripple effect of Trahan’s series in more subtle ways going forward. Think monthly uploaders posting more frequently and high-production creators going more lo-fi.

*This is sponsored advertising content.