The Creator Economy's Quiet Architect: Adam "Riv" Rivietz on Building #paid, $50M in Creator Payouts, and What Brands Still Get Wrong

What does it actually take to build the infrastructure behind the creator economy, not just talk about it? This week, I sit down with Adam "Riv" Rivietz, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of #paid, one of North America's leading creator marketplaces, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree.

Riv has spent over a decade turning creator marketing from a "free product" side deal into a legitimate profession, with real payment terms, USD payouts, and tools built from the ground up. #paid has now paid over $50 million to creators, and Riv has been evangelizing the space globally since before most brands knew what an "influencer" was.

In this episode, we get into all of it: the difference between influencers and creators (and why it matters), the Virgin Voyages x TikTok creator cruise that generated 108 million views, the Creator Calendar and why brands are now "upfronting" life milestones like weddings and pregnancies, what the 2026 Creator Signals Report reveals about shifting content trends, and how AI is reshaping every layer of the industry.

We also talk about what it's like to be a founder who's not the CEO, why Riv is also an ordained minister and children's book author, and what he'd whisper to any founder entering this space today.

Topics covered: Creator economy infrastructure · Brand education · Creator-first payment models · Forbes 30 Under 30 · Creator Calendar · Swan Beauty viral moment · AI and synthetic influencers · First-party creator data · Founder life post-Series B · The future of #paid

Connect with Riv: [#paid / LinkedIn / Instagram @hashtagpaid]

The Creator Economy's Quiet Architect: Adam "Riv" Rivietz on Building #paid, $50M in Creator Payouts, and What Brands Still Get Wrong
What does it actually take to build the infrastructure behind the creator economy, not just talk about it? This week, I sit down with Adam "Riv" Rivietz, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of #paid, one of North America's leading creator marketplaces, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree.
Riv has spent over a decade turning creator marketing from a "free product" side deal into a legitimate profession, with real payment terms, USD payouts, and tools built from the ground up. #paid has now paid over $50 million to creators, and Riv has been evangelizing the space globally since before most brands knew what an "influencer" was.
In this episode, we get into all of it: the difference between influencers and creators (and why it matters), the Virgin Voyages x TikTok creator cruise that generated 108 million views, the Creator Calendar and why brands are now "upfronting" life milestones like weddings and pregnancies, what the 2026 Creator Signals Report reveals about shifting content trends, and how AI is reshaping every layer of the industry.
We also talk about what it's like to be a founder who's not the CEO, why Riv is also an ordained minister and children's book author, and what he'd whisper to any founder entering this space today.
Topics covered: Creator economy infrastructure &middot; Brand education &middot; Creator-first payment models &middot; Forbes 30 Under 30 &middot; Creator Calendar &middot; Swan Beauty viral moment &middot; AI and synthetic influencers &middot; First-party creator data &middot; Founder life post-Series B &middot; The future of #paid
Connect with Riv: [#paid / LinkedIn / Instagram @hashtagpaid]

That Digital Take uncovers the ever-evolving world of influencers—challenging the industry, harnessing its power, and exploring how it connects us all. Through the lens of pop culture and entertainment,Torri blends: Insider interviews with industry leaders, viral influencers/ creators, actors, and rising stars. Behind-the-scenes  storytelling from her own experience navigating the digital space. Actionable takeaways for listeners curious about how digital culture shapes careers, business, and society.

That Digital Take uncovers the ever-evolving world of influencers&mdash;challenging the industry, harnessing its power, and exploring how it connects us all. Through the lens of pop culture and entertainment,Torri blends: Insider interviews with industry leaders, viral influencers/ creators, actors, and rising stars. Behind-the-scenes &nbsp;storytelling from her own experience navigating the digital space. Actionable takeaways for listeners curious about how digital culture shapes careers, business, and society.

That Digital Take with Torri Webster

Adam "Riv" Rivietz co-founded #paid over a decade ago when brands were still handing creators free products instead of paychecks. Today, the platform has paid out over $50 million to creators — and Riv has spent years on stages worldwide convincing brands that creators are professionals, not hobbyists. In this episode, we get into the Virgin Voyages creator cruise that broke the internet, why the word "influencer" does more harm than good, how AI is reshaping the entire industry, and what the data from 2026's Creator Signals Report reveals about where content is actually heading. Plus — why Riv is also an ordained minister, a children's book author, and somehow still one of the most interesting people building in tech.

Take #65 - Adam Rivietz on $50M in Creator Payouts, The Future of Influencer Marketing & What Brands Still Get Wrong

What if everything you thought you knew about PR was already outdated?

Ashley Orfus, founder of ALAB Group, left a high-profile career in luxury fashion and entertainment to build a communications firm designed for the way modern audiences actually discover and trust ideas. Over 13 years, she has helped category-defining brands across tech, food, hospitality, and culture do more than earn press, she helps them shape how their ideas are understood, adopted, and believed.

In this episode of The Digital Take, Ashley breaks down why traditional PR models are failing founders, what "performance-driven communication" actually looks like in practice, and how brands can cut through the noise in a world drowning in content.

In this episode, we cover:
Why press hits and impressions are the wrong metrics to chase
How to introduce a product or idea people don't have a reference point for yet
Why influencers should be treated as co-creators, not distribution channels
The danger of over-indexing on founder-led content (and when to create distance)
How AI is making communications more human, not less
What to do when you have no budget and everything to prove

Whether you're a founder shaping your first narrative, a marketer rethinking your PR strategy, or a brand trying to build genuine trust online — this episode will change how you think about communications.

Connect with Ashley Orfus: [ALAB Group]

What if everything you thought you knew about PR was already outdated?
Ashley Orfus, founder of ALAB Group, left a high-profile career in luxury fashion and entertainment to build a communications firm designed for the way modern audiences actually discover and trust ideas. Over 13 years, she has helped category-defining brands across tech, food, hospitality, and culture do more than earn press, she helps them shape how their ideas are understood, adopted, and believed.
In this episode of The Digital Take, Ashley breaks down why traditional PR models are failing founders, what "performance-driven communication" actually looks like in practice, and how brands can cut through the noise in a world drowning in content.
In this episode, we cover:
<ul>
<li>Why press hits and impressions are the wrong metrics to chase</li>
<li>How to introduce a product or idea people don't have a reference point for yet</li>
<li>Why influencers should be treated as co-creators, not distribution channels</li>
<li>The danger of over-indexing on founder-led content (and when to create distance)</li>
<li>How AI is making communications more human, not less</li>
<li>What to do when you have no budget and everything to prove</li>
</ul>
Whether you're a founder shaping your first narrative, a marketer rethinking your PR strategy, or a brand trying to build genuine trust online &mdash; this episode will change how you think about communications.
Connect with Ashley Orfus: [ALAB Group]

Ashley Orfus, founder of ALAB Group, built one of the most forward-thinking communications firms in the industry by rejecting traditional PR from day one. In this episode, she breaks down what performance-driven communication actually looks like, why most brands are measuring the wrong things, and how founders can shape narratives that earn real trust — not just press. From influencers as co-creators to AI as a creative accelerator, Ashley shares the frameworks she has refined over 13 years working with category-defining brands across tech, food, hospitality, and culture.

Take #64 - Why Your PR Strategy Is Broken (And What Actually Works Now) | Ashley Orfus, ALAB Group

What does a talent manager actually do, and what are creators completely getting wrong about the role?

This week on That Digital Take, host welcomes Kristen MacLellan, founder of Yesterday Agency, a Toronto-based talent and digital management firm she built from the ground up in 2021. Kristen has worked closely with creators, negotiated directly with brands, and built a sustainable business doing it which means she understands all three sides of the creator economy better than almost anyone. In this episode, Kristen pulls back the curtain on the creator-manager relationship: what managers do behind the scenes, how brand deals actually get made, and the very real ways creators are leaving money on the table right now.

She also gets honest about what makes a creator genuinely bookable in 2025 — and it may not be what you think. What you'll learn in this episode: → The real role of a talent manager (and what it's NOT) → How brand partnerships actually get negotiated → Why creators consistently undervalue themselves — and how to fix it → The subtle red flags that make managers and brands walk away → What makes a creator easy to sell to brands right now → How AI is changing contracts, negotiation, and strategy → Setting competitive rates — is there a real benchmark? → What types of creators will win over the next 1–2 years

Plus: a rapid-fire round covering the most overrated creator metrics, underrated revenue streams, and whether vloggers are actually making a comeback. Whether you're a creator looking to level up your brand partnerships, or just curious how the business side of the creator economy really works, this one is packed. Subscribe to That Digital Take wherever you listen to podcasts.

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creator economy, talent management, brand deals, influencer marketing, digital strategy, Toronto creators, content creator, tips podcast

What does a talent manager actually do, and what are creators completely getting wrong about the role?
This week on That Digital Take, host welcomes Kristen MacLellan, founder of Yesterday Agency, a Toronto-based talent and digital management firm she built from the ground up in 2021. Kristen has worked closely with creators, negotiated directly with brands, and built a sustainable business doing it which means she understands all three sides of the creator economy better than almost anyone. In this episode, Kristen pulls back the curtain on the creator-manager relationship: what managers do behind the scenes, how brand deals actually get made, and the very real ways creators are leaving money on the table right now.
She also gets honest about what makes a creator genuinely bookable in 2025 &mdash; and it may not be what you think. What you'll learn in this episode: &rarr; The real role of a talent manager (and what it's NOT) &rarr; How brand partnerships actually get negotiated &rarr; Why creators consistently undervalue themselves &mdash; and how to fix it &rarr; The subtle red flags that make managers and brands walk away &rarr; What makes a creator easy to sell to brands right now &rarr; How AI is changing contracts, negotiation, and strategy &rarr; Setting competitive rates &mdash; is there a real benchmark? &rarr; What types of creators will win over the next 1&ndash;2 years
Plus: a rapid-fire round covering the most overrated creator metrics, underrated revenue streams, and whether vloggers are actually making a comeback. Whether you're a creator looking to level up your brand partnerships, or just curious how the business side of the creator economy really works, this one is packed. Subscribe to That Digital Take wherever you listen to podcasts.
--
creator economy, talent management, brand deals, influencer marketing, digital strategy, Toronto creators, content creator, tips podcast

Kristen MacLellan, founder of Toronto talent and digital management agency Yesterday, joins That Digital Take to break down the business side of the creator economy — from how brand deals actually get negotiated to what managers are doing behind the scenes that creators never see.  Kristen shares what makes a creator genuinely bookable right now, where creators are consistently leaving money on the table, and the subtle red flags that make brands and managers walk away. She also gets into rate setting, AI's impact on contracts, and what types of creators she sees winning over the next two years.  If you work with brands, want to, or are thinking about what sustainable growth actually looks like — this episode is for you.

Take #63 - How to Get Brand Deals: What Talent Managers Actually Want From Creators

In this episode of That Digital Take, host Torri Webster sits down with Louise Upperton, sound meditation practitioner, somatic movement guide, Reiki practitioner, and Director of Programming, Partnerships & Content at Supernatural Toronto, to explore what it actually means to build a wellness life rooted in prevention, not reaction.

From breathwork and sound healing to cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, NAD+, and VO₂ Max testing, Louise unpacks the science and the intuition behind modern longevity, and why your nervous system is the foundation of all of it. They also go deep on The Portal at Supernatural, one of Toronto's most talked-about wellness spaces, and what it looks like when high-performance biohacking meets embodied, soul-led practice.

Whether you're deep in your wellness journey or just starting to ask bigger questions about your health, this conversation will shift how you think about your body, and what feeling well can actually look like.

In this episode of That Digital Take, host Torri Webster sits down with Louise Upperton, sound meditation practitioner, somatic movement guide, Reiki practitioner, and Director of Programming, Partnerships &amp; Content at Supernatural Toronto, to explore what it actually means to build a wellness life rooted in prevention, not reaction.
From breathwork and sound healing to cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, NAD+, and VO₂ Max testing, Louise unpacks the science and the intuition behind modern longevity, and why your nervous system is the foundation of all of it. They also go deep on The Portal at Supernatural, one of Toronto's most talked-about wellness spaces, and what it looks like when high-performance biohacking meets embodied, soul-led practice.
Whether you're deep in your wellness journey or just starting to ask bigger questions about your health, this conversation will shift how you think about your body, and what feeling well can actually look like.

Torri Webster sits down with Louise Upperton of Supernatural Toronto to explore nervous system health, sound healing, longevity, breathwork, biohacking, and the future of preventative wellness.

Take #65 - Adam Rivietz on $50M in Creator Payouts, The Future of Influencer Marketing & What Brands Still Get Wrong

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