Creator Playbooks

Stories behind some of the world's best creators & entrepreneurs.Hosted by Callum McDonnell.Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQtecnleIYyODepmiC-c7PQ

Creator Playbooks is a business podcast hosted by Callum Mcdonnell, with 54 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Callum Mcdonnell hosts Creator Playbooks, a business show with 54 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Creator Playbooks

  Meet The Podcast Genius Behind Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom | Ben Hancock

  Sep 30, 20262 hour

  Get a FREE breakdown of Ben's 9 podcast growth principles in my newsletter: https://bit.ly/4rBd4NI Start or grow your own Podcast with Callum: https://bit.ly/4hA1wpi Ben Hancock was one of the first hires at Modern Wisdom, where he spent four and a half years working alongside Chris Williamson as the show grew from 150,000 to 4.3 million YouTube subscribers. In this episode, he breaks down the 9 principles he learned from Chris, and the levers that took Modern Wisdom from a bedroom podcast to one of the biggest shows in the world. This is a podcast growth masterclass. We get into: • The Joe Rogan bump that kicked off the hockey stick growth • Why moving to Austin was the smartest growth move Chris made • How the show went from Chris's bedroom to a 100K+ cinema shoot with Matthew McConaughey • How mid-length clips released before each episode built anticipation • Why going from two to three episodes a week changed everything Follow Ben: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamingaryhancock/ Produced by 7xContent: make your own podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.com/home#apply Follow Callum: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Ben 02:23 The hockey stick inflection 04:56 Why Chris didn't quit and the Joe Rogan bump 08:29 The smartest growth move: moving to Austin 12:38 Data is useful, but don't compromise your tone of voice 17:28 The best will always rise to the top 18:43 The David Goggins cinema shoot (and the smoke alarm) 21:42 Should creators invest in sets? Why 95% of podcasts quit 25:12 Cultivate an audience you love creating for 33:05 Why no researcher can replace the host's preparation 35:36 How guests get booked and why 90% was outbound 42:51 Chris's obsession with the small details 52:26 Enjoyment first 54:25 Success is on the other side of cringe 56:30 Why the comments section beat every other metric 59:47 Create something beautiful 1:02:29 Why they waited so long to do short form 1:12:10 Three episodes a week and the volume inflection 1:13:33 Mid-length clips before the episode drops 1:21:37 One channel vs a separate clips channel 1:27:35 How Modern Wisdom makes money 1:37:51 Interviewing as a craft 1:42:52 Is podcasting still worth starting in 2026? 1:48:50 Why video-first shows are the blue ocean 1:52:29 Who Ben is watching right now

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  Creator Playbooks

  How to Get Ahead of 99% of Podcasts in 2026

  Sep 28, 202636 min

  Get the full 2026 podcast growth playbook in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/4d5O9uN Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/4uCJw2E In this episode, Callum breaks down his 21-step playbook for growing a podcast in 2026, based on years of working behind the scenes with some of the biggest shows in the world generating millions of views and listens every month. Most podcasts fail not because the host is bad, but because the show was never engineered for growth. He unpacks what actually moves the needle, from format and retention to the distribution stack that compounds attention across YouTube, Spotify, and social. Plus the volume, tracking, and double-down principles that separate podcasts that scale from podcasts that stall. If you're starting a show or trying to break through a growth ceiling, this is the episode to save and come back to. Connect with Callum: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallumX: https://x.com/mcdonnellcallumLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnellProduced by 7xContent - make and grow a podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.com/ Timestamps 0:00 Why 99% of podcasts fail in 2026 1:00 Know the goal of your show 1:30 The problem your show solves & your ICP 2:30 Format, signature segments & unfair advantage 6:00 Episode planning with proven topics & guests 7:30 Signature feeling & brand 8:00 Briefing & packaging every episode 9:30 Engineering a 5-star guest experience 10:30 Meta testing titles & thumbnails 12:30 Trailer structure & open loops 15:30 Distribution: YouTube first 16:00 Distribution: Spotify video 17:30 Native social content per platform 20:00 TikTok as a clip testing platform 21:30 YouTube mid-length clips channel 22:30 The guest launch plan 23:30 Fan accounts, theme pages & press 25:30 Calls to action that actually convert 27:30 The newsletter flywheel 30:30 Volume & posting frequency 32:00 Reactive & emergency episodes 33:30 Track your numbers every week 34:30 Double down on what works

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  Creator Playbooks

  Life Update: Hitting £1M A Year, Becoming A Dad & Selling My Business

  Sep 2, 202628 min

  Get weekly content growth playbooks in my FREE newsletter: https://bit.ly/3T7VV13 Work with me: https://bit.ly/4fLrshW It's time for the mid-year update. So far, this has been one of the most challenging years of my life, but also one of the best for the business. I love it when founders do these transparent updates, and I try to do them every 3 to 6 months.I’m sharing how I crossed the £1M ARR mark. Turning down a serious conversation about selling the business. Hiring mistakes. Losing team members. Client partnerships I'm incredibly proud of. And preparing to become a dad! Follow Callum on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum X: https://x.com/mcdonnellcallum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell Produced by 7xContent - make your own Podcast with us here: https://www.7xcontent.com/ Timecodes: 00:00 – Intro: The Mid-Year Update 00:19 – Reflecting on a Tough But Rewarding Year 01:19 – Personal News: A Baby on the Way 02:42 – Business Update: Crossing £1M ARR 03:49 – Landing New Clients 04:25 – Growing Shows With US and Global Creators 05:40 – A Night at 10 Downing Street 07:01 – The Failures: Hiring Mistakes 08:09 – Losing Team Members 09:37 – The Biggest Lesson: Slowing Down My Own Development 11:01 – Talking Numbers: Revenue and Margins 13:19 – A Serious Acquisition Conversation 14:36 – Why I Turned It Down 16:14 – What I Learned About Founder Tax and Structuring 19:46 – Health and Fitness Check-In 21:29 – The Podcast: What's Working, What Isn't 26:44 – Priorities for the Rest of the Year 28:23 – Books, Podcasts, and What I'm Watching

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  Creator Playbooks

  Founder Vlog: 10 Downing Street, Private Jet Shoot & Podcast Strategy Day

  Jul 23, 202615 min

  Get weekly content growth playbooks in my FREE newsletter: https://bit.ly/3T7VV13 Work with me: https://bit.ly/4fLrshW A look inside a week running a content led business, from 10 Downing Street to a private jet shoot and a full team strategy day. In this vlog, I take you behind the scenes of a visit to 10 Downing Street, a private jet shoot for a new podcast, and a day spent with the team mapping out our next strategy moves. A real look at what it takes to build a content led business, from client work and recording sessions to networking and creative strategy. Follow Callum on socials: Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum X, https://x.com/mcdonnellcallum LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell Produced by 7xContent - make your own Podcast with us here: https://www.7xcontent.com/ Timecodes: 00:00 – Intro: A Week in the Life 00:58 – Heading to London for the Private Jet Shoot 01:23 – On Set: Private Jet Business Interview 02:56 – Inside the Showroom: Building a Standout Business 03:32 – The LinkedIn Play: Meeting Lara Acosta 04:24 – Why Most People Get Their Market Wrong 05:15 – The Real Reason People Start a Podcast 05:57 – What C-Suite Clients Actually Want 06:23 – Team Day Begins 07:09 – Packaging Teardown: What Makes a Thumbnail Work 07:30 – CTR Benchmarks You Need to Hit 08:05 – From 100K to 14M Subscribers 08:44 – Rating Hooks and Trailers 09:43 – Heading to 10 Downing Street 10:35 – Walking Through the Corridors of Power 11:48 – Inside Number 10 12:36 – Meeting the Prime Minister's Wife (and the Cat) 13:26 – A Surreal Evening 14:26 – Wrapping the Week

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  Creator Playbooks

  World’s No 1 LinkedIn Creator: I’ll 10x Your Reach in 92 Minutes

  Jun 24, 20261h 32m

  Get the FREE breakdown of Lara's frameworks in my newsletter: https://bit.ly/4w4oRVK Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/3SgmP6z Lara Acosta is a founder, creator, and personal branding strategist who built a 7-figure business through LinkedIn.With 320K+ followers and thousands of students, she’s become one of the fastest-growing voices in personal branding - known for turning content into authority, attention into opportunity, and audience into revenue.In this episode, she breaks down the exact frameworks behind her growth - and why most people fail on LinkedIn (even if they’re consistent).This is a full personal branding masterclass.We get into:Why most people aren’t growing (and it’s not the algorithm)The SMPV framework to 10X your reachHow to structure content that actually convertsThe difference between creators and real operator-buildersWhy storytelling beats “educational content”Lara also shares:Her 4-3-2-1 content system (and how to apply it)The SLAY storytelling framework that drives engagementHow to build an audience that actually buysWhy email is her highest revenue channelHow to monetise a personal brand without brand dealsPlus: content strategy, LinkedIn growth, building a community (not just followers), and why most founders are over-optimising the wrong things.Follow Lara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laraacostar/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laraacostar/Produced by 7xContent: make your own podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.com/contactFollow Callum:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/Timestamps:00:00 Storytelling vs educational content (what actually works)01:00 Why most people aren’t growing on LinkedIn02:00 The SMPV framework (skill, market, problem, value)03:30 How to find your skill + what to post about05:00 Selling to the right audience (and why most creators are broke)06:30 Content that drives leads vs content that gets likes08:00 Why LinkedIn is different from other platforms09:00 The 4-3-2-1 content framework explained10:30 Ideal client vs ideal follower (underrated growth lever)12:00 Why email is the real monetisation engine13:30 Educational content: broad → narrow → niche strategy15:00 Why storytelling is the most powerful format16:30 ICP vs IFP content (and how to balance both)18:00 Going viral vs growing in your niche19:00 The “one” strategy: lead magnets + email funnels20:00 The SLAY framework (story, lesson, action, you)22:00 Writing posts that actually get engagement23:30 The psychology behind LinkedIn formatting25:00 Likes, comments & what actually matters26:00 Why you shouldn’t ask for likes or follows27:00 Building brand equity vs constantly selling28:30 What makes a high-converting lead magnet30:00 How to plan content without batching32:00 Why most content feels the same33:00 Using AI to write better content (properly)35:00 Best formats on LinkedIn (and why it depends on you)37:00 Finding your unique content style39:00 Metrics vs “vibes” (what to actually track)40:30 AI comments & fake engagement41:30 Why Lara does everything herself42:30 The importance of commenting daily44:00 Building community through comments45:00 Why you shouldn’t outsource your personal brand too early47:00 Scaling vs authenticity (founder trade-offs)49:00 Over-optimisation and why it kills growth50:00 LinkedIn algorithm changes + profile importance51:30 How to position your profile properly53:00 Optimising your featured section for revenue54:30 Why niche matters (and “you are the niche” is wrong)56:00 Banner, profile & conversion tips57:00 Monetisation: content → email → sales58:30 Newsletter strategy + launch model01:00:00 Using trends + storytelling in emails01:01:30 Building trust through long-form content01:02:00 Final thoughts + full playbook recap

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