From Freelancer to Founder: Why Today's Creatives Need a Shift of Mindset.
- Kalema Jonathan
- May 11
- 4 min read
Updated: May 15
How to Turn Content into a Scalable Brand
In the age of reels, brand deals, and digital hustle, the word "creator" has never held more weight. But here's the truth: being a creator isn't enough anymore. The game has shifted. To build something lasting—something that lives beyond algorithms or one-time clients—today's creatives must start thinking like founders.
This isn't about abandoning artistry; it's about anchoring it in vision, structure, and ownership.
The Evolution of the Creator Economy
The early 2010s marked the beginning of what we now recognize as the "creator economy." As major social media platforms consolidated their positions in our daily lives, how we interacted with them evolved dramatically. We moved from text-based expression to visual storytelling and now to a dynamic hybrid of video, audio, and imagery. This rich, complex expressive format shapes today's creative landscape.
Fast forward 10-15 years and creators' influence on culture and society has grown exponentially. According to Market US, the Global Creator Economy is projected to explode from $143 billion in 2024 to nearly $1.5 trillion by 2034—representing a staggering 26.4% annual growth rate.
This rapid expansion and increasing competition is precisely why every creative needs to shift from seeing themselves as just a service provider to becoming a business builder.
The Limitations of the Freelancer Mindset
Freelancers constantly chase the next project. There's no ownership. No control over income stability. The endless cycle of creating content specifically designed to secure the next opportunity becomes exhausting, depleting the very creative resources that drive artists to create in the first place.
Many creators spread themselves thin across numerous platforms, each demanding different content formats to succeed. While content remains their product, this approach forces constant diversification without building equity.
Consider this sobering reality: countless creators have built their entire businesses on rented digital real estate—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. The vulnerability of this approach became painfully evident in October 2021, when the entire Facebook ecosystem experienced a global outage for 7 hours and 11 minutes. Countless creatives lost money, business opportunities, and the ability to share content they'd spent countless hours developing.
I was one of those creators. That day, I realized we're all vulnerable to the same dangers and must approach our creative journeys differently.
Freelancer Thinking vs. Founder Thinking
Freelancers typically focus on short-term gains ("How can I get more clients this month?") rather than building assets or systems. This shortsightedness can be devastating, especially when navigating complex economic climates. Sustainability requires the ability to pivot, with systems and assets in place to support those transitions.
Being a creator doesn't mean being rigid in business while remaining nimble creatively. True sustainability requires long-term strategy—being systematically adaptable while staying true to your creative core.
Let's compare these mindsets more directly:
The Freelancer Mindset embraces a limited-options approach, putting all eggs in one basket and hoping things work out. It asks: "What do I need to do today?"
The Founder Mindset builds contingency plans and strategic pivots. It considers: "Where is this going?" It's vision over task lists. The shift from Freelancer Thinking to Founder Thinking explored below.
Curious about where you land? Take the Creator vs Founder Quiz at the end of this post to find out.
Building a Brand, Not Just Creating Content
Creativity in today's economy is fundamentally about brand building. Being a founder means constructing a business around that brand—a responsibility that requires delivering consistent value to the community you serve.
This includes establishing ownership of platforms and products: informative newsletters with industry insights, dedicated websites, products that enhance experiences, and educational courses that share valuable knowledge. Founders focus on scaling their impact beyond themselves through teams, technology, and strategic partnerships.
From Creator to Founder: Success Stories
Issa Rae exemplifies this transition perfectly. She began with a YouTube series called "Awkward Black Girl," where she wrote, filmed, produced, and edited most content herself. This platform allowed her creative autonomy while building recognition.
As she shifted to a founder mindset, she created the critically acclaimed show "Insecure," which not only showcased her talent but provided a platform for others. Evolving from actor to executive producer gave her greater influence and control, eventually leading to her production company, Hoorae Media—an enterprise that amplifies opportunities for others while building with a founder's vision.
On a different scale, Oren John leveraged his corporate experience and creative storytelling abilities to serve his community by developing a 30-day boot camp teaching short-form video creation for creators and brands of all experience levels. His community-building approach demonstrates the powerful transition from creator to founder.
Both examples illustrate that this transition happens gradually, shaped by experiences gained as a creator. These experiences form new perspectives and provide the fundamentals needed to evolve from creator to founder.
My Journey
Early in my creative career, through studying individuals who successfully scaled from creativity to ownership, I realized that sustainability as a creator comes from the evolution of creativity itself. Being a creator is just the beginning; the catalyst for growth is shifting your mindset from simply creating content to serving a community and building operational systems that allow you to scale as a founder.
The founder mindset combines vision, passion, and relentless drive—essential elements for building a successful, sustainable business.
Practical Steps to Adopt a Founder Mindset
Audit your current work: Are you building a brand or just fulfilling tasks?
Craft a larger vision: Where do you want your brand to be in 3-5 years? Answering this creates the runway for your next steps.
Build owned assets: Develop a website, email list, and products or services that directly serve your community.
Invest in personal improvement: Learn business fundamentals including marketing, branding, and basic financial management.
The Choice Is Yours
Being creative today means being a builder. The question is: will you build something that outlives the platforms you post on?
You can work for your brand, or you can build a brand that works for you. A broader vision allows for a new perspective. I encourage you to take one small step today toward shifting into "Founder Mode."
Are you ready to discover where you are on your mindset journey? Take our quiz below to find out!
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