Good morning. Google released its Year In Search trends for 2022, with Wordle topping the list globally. I take responsibility for 1/4 of those as I still participate nightly after all these months but absolutely could not tell you the URL to find it.

–Hannah Doyle

Emma Rogue: Media's It Girl

It’s been a good week for Emma Rogue—the fashion entrepreneur was among the 72 beloved New Yorkers on the cover of New York Magazine and earned a writeup in Instagram’s 2023 trend report.

It rounds out a year of impressive achievements, including her storefront expansion and a glowing feature in the NYT Styles section.

Over the last few months, Rogue has become the face of Gen Z retail, personifying thrifty fashion trends and expertly mobilizing a TikTok community offline…so?

Here’s how she did it:

• Rogue started a Depop while she was a student at NYU in 2018. She eventually landed a job at the site’s brick and mortar store in NYC, and she made regular appearances in their Instagram stories.

• When 2020 hit, Rogue started a TikTok packing her Depop orders that blew up overnight.

• Rogue used her growing TikTok following as the fuel to start her own vintage pop-up shop at the Bowery Ballroom.

• In the spring of 2021, the 26-year-old New Jersey native signed a lease for a 330-square-foot thrift store, Rogue, in Manhattan’s Lower East Side on TikTok Block.

But saying Rogue used her TikTok fame to start a business would be selling her short—her namesake Rogue isn’t just a shop, but a community hub.

When Rogue opened its doors, 400 people showed up to shop her hand-picked selects on launch day alone. And every weekend, Rogue hosts at least one event—whether a pop-up shop for an up-and-coming designer or a closet sale for a TikTok-famous creator.

Our Take

Rogue’s tastemaking and social savvy have made her shop and brand a springboard for Gen Z culture—and not just thrifted mini skirts or Ugg platforms. Appearing at Rogue’s side and in her store has become the verified check-mark for cool for all manner of creators, from music to comedy to art. And that makes Rogue’s time and efforts all the more valuable.

When Should a Creator Group Part Ways?

Last week, Good Good Golf announced that two of its team members, Micah Morris and Grant Horvat, left the group to pursue their own solo careers as creators and professional golfers.

Timing matters: The departures follow a huge boon for the group. Over the last year, Good Good surpassed 1 million subscribers, launched a clothing brand, and leased an office space.

Why they left is still unclear—Morris was upfront about leaving to focus on his own channel, but Horvat’s departure was more sudden.

“Bringing guys in, developing talent, and seeing them leave is tough,” Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick said in a recent podcast. “The goal is to put Good Good’s name next to Titlest and Callaway. It hurts when you’re on this path giving everything you got, and these guys leave.”

The pay breakdown, since we’re all wondering: Team members have equity in Good Good as an LLC. “Their pay is pro-rata based on equity in the company, and incentive-based comp. It’s based on the channel and sponsorship and it varies slightly per person, but is equal amongst them,” Kendrick said.

Our Take

Going solo could help Morris and Horvat separate themselves as household name-type brands. But going solo has its downsides—working with Good Good meant access to the team’s editors and videographers. Solo, they have to do it themselves. Golf may be an individual sport, but some goals—showing how YouTubers can compete on the professional level—are best tackled with a team.

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Is Streaming Platform Kick Legit?

Twitch and YouTube Gaming have a new livestream competitor: Kick.

The platform is backed by streamer Trainwreck and has some big creator promises: a 95-5 subscriber revenue split (higher than Twitch’s 50-50 and YouTube’s 70-30 policies) and same-day payouts.

Too good to be true? Though unconfirmed, the platform seems to be owned by crypto gambling company Stake, which Trainwreck has worked with.

Our Take

We’re getting vague SBF vibes from this venture, and others seem to feel the same way. Creators should exercise caution before going all in on new streaming platforms, especially with an opening week as mixed as this one.

🔥 Press Worthy

• TikTok goes full-screen mode.

• TMG Studios is expanding its podcast roster.

• VidCon releases tickets for its 2023 season.

• Tinx is hosting a giveaway every day leading up to Christmas.

• How Hank Green would bring back YouTube Rewind.

• Maris Jones transforms one room into a bedroom from four different decades.

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