I lead Best Regards Media, a talent management and production company that proudly represents some of the most talented narrative storytellers in the social media space. With experience at WME, Fullscreen, and eko, I've been deeply involved in the creator economy for over a dozen years. My passion lies in helping creators bring their stories to life and thrive in a dynamic digital landscape.

Gil Kruger

Kaya Yurieff is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Scalable, a media company focused on the business of the creator economy, alongside Jasmine Enberg. Kaya’s rigorous reporting and industry expertise help readers and listeners execute their business strategies and better understand the sector, with insights delivered through Scalable’s newsletter, podcast, research report and annual event. 

She has spent more than a decade as a journalist on staff at media outlets including CNN and The Information. She was one of the first reporters to cover the Creator Economy as a full-time beat.

At The Information, Kaya launched the award-winning Creator Economy newsletter in April 2021, growing it to more than 100,000 subscribers and turning it into a must-read for people working in the industry. She has broken major news about the biggest social media platforms in the world, including TikTok, Meta Platforms, and YouTube, and has written extensively about the Creator Economy’s evolution.

Kaya makes regular media appearances, including on TV, podcasts, and industry panels. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from The George Washington University.

Kaya Yurieff

Our long national TikTok nightmare is over. 

TikTok on Thursday said it’s officially established TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, which it says will keep US user data secure. The JV has three managing investors, Silver Lake, Oracle and MGX, which each hold 15%.

Longtime TikTok executive Adam Presser will be CEO of the new entity. TikTok CEO Shou Chew remains in his position. 

I’ve been covering this story since 2020, when President Trump initially moved to ban the app. It’s been a long road to get to this deal, with lots of twists and turns… there were certainly moments I was skeptical that a deal would ever be finalized. 

TikTok’s statement also answers a major question — US users will still have a “global TikTok experience,” meaning US creators can still be discovered outside of the country and businesses can “operate on a global scale.”

But there is still other questions ahead, including how smoothly all of this will go down, whether US users will need to download a new app, and if so how do brands and merchants prepare, and so on. Jasmine Enberg and I will dive deeper into this in our newsletter and podcast next week!

We've accidentally kicked off something of a roadshow for Scalable Pod. Next week, Jasmine Enberg and I are headed to Sundance Film Festival in Park City, where we will record our second (!) live podcast on stage.

We're thrilled to be part of the annual BrandStorytelling.Vn event, which brings together brands, agencies and creators. 

The topic of the podcast? How creators and Hollywood are converging—what else! We're also excited to dive into how brands are navigating this new era of entertainment. We'll be joined by special guests from OceanSpray Inc to talk about how the 100-year-old company is reinvigorating its brand through social media and creators.

If you'll be in town, please let us know!!

2026 will be a big year for sports—and creator economy companies are getting ready. 

Sports is one of the few content categories that still garners big traditional TV audiences. But that attention is quickly splintering as broadcasters face increasing competition from YouTube, streamers and social platforms.

Jasmine Enberg and I discussed the latest examples of companies and creators moving into sports in our latest episode of Scalable Pod, from TikTok to the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl. Tune into the full episode anywhere you get your podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e-7ueHkq

SCOOP: Senate Democrats are planning their first-ever summit for creators, independent journalists and new media, Scalable Pod is first to report. 

The full-day event—hosted by the Senate Democrats’ Strategic Communications Committee—will take place on February 11 at the US Capitol. 

Democrats have frequently acknowledged their party trails Republicans when it comes to influencer strategies. 

But ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats have been trying to change that. They've also been working to boost their own social presence: Senate Democrats now have over 20 million followers across their social media accounts, up 80% from 2024.

Read the full story from me and Jasmine Enberg here:

Open article: Scoop: Senate Democrats To Host Creator Summit by scalablepod.com

Senate Democrats are hosting their first-ever summit for creators, independent journalists and new media at the US Capitol.

Scoop: Senate Democrats To Host Creator Summit

Hernan Lopez founded Wondery when podcasting was still nascent. 

Podcasting has exploded in the decade since, with ad revenue in the US expected to have grown to over $3 billion in 2025, up from just $169 million when Wondery launched. More recently the podcast industry has pivoted toward video shows. 

But that doesn’t mean every podcast needs to be on video, Lopez says. 

“There’s always a trade off between how much video you do and how much editing you can do,” he said, noting it can also be harder to book guests if they need to be camera ready.

But there’s a catch. “What I think is now table stakes is that every podcast needs to have a video strategy,” said Lopez, who sold Wondery to Amazon in 2020. That means that even if podcasters don’t plan to publish full-length video episodes, they probably still need to record video. 

On the latest episode of Scalable Pod, we also spoke to him about where podcasting is headed next (hint: vertical), the biggest lessons from his career, what he thought of Amy Poehler winning the Golden Globe for best podcast, and much more. 

Out now anywhere you get your podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e-7ueHkq

Creators have long debated how much they should engage in politics for fear of alienating followers. 

But Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, by ICE in Minnesota has prompted prominent creators who rarely discuss politics to speak out, including Alix Earle and Alex Cooper.  

As The Verge put it, even “the most seemingly apolitical creators have had enough,” including a duck account and one dedicated to gravestones of New England. 

Some users on social media have also criticized people who posted about the assassination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, but not about Pretti. Taylor Frankie Paul, a TikTok creator who will star in ABC’s “The Bachelorette” this year, may have seen those posts.  

“Feeling heavy from the video I saw today. My heart goes out to Alex Pretti’s family,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “It’s been weighing on me just like the day I watched Charlie Kirk’s video. Both were devastating to watch. Both are not okay.” 

The slew of anti-ICE posts come as many creators are rethinking the role politics and current events play in their work. Since the pandemic, more of them have used their massive followings to promote vaccinations, throw their support behind the Black Lives Matter movement or even back presidential candidates. 

Audiences are also increasingly expecting creators to respond to current events and use their platforms for advocacy. Brands have also gotten more comfortable with creators they work with posting about politics, even as many advertisers have moved away from overt political messaging of their own. 

Plus, when creators stay silent or neutral, especially in a moment that has lit up the country, it can be interpreted by audiences as tone deaf—or as a political stance.

Read the latest addition of our newsletter, which also includes the latest fallout from the US TikTok deal, takeaways from Sundance and much more: https://lnkd.in/guSavmGp

Scalable Pod Jasmine Enberg

Open article: The Fallout of TikTok's US Deal by scalablepod.com

Plus, creators speak out against ICE, YouTube dominates AI citations and Sundance’s AI moment.

The US hasn't done much to regulate the influencer industry beyond updating FTC guidelines that are rarely enforced. 

A nonprofit is taking a whack at being a watchdog instead. It's building the new Institute for Responsible Influence. The first order of business: creating a certification program for US creators.

The institute, which was announced this week, will provide training and other resources to creators so that they follow rules from the FTC to properly disclose sponsorship deals. Creators who complete the training will be certified—and the idea is that this certification will be a signal to consumers and brands that this creator complies with rules. 

The Center for Industry Self-Regulation, which is part of non-profit organization BBB National Programs, is the group behind the effort. While the initiative has a lot of support from ad agencies and organizations, it’s up to creators to enroll and complete the certification.

In our latest newsletter, we also wrote about what ChatGPT's move into ads could mean for the creator economy, what's behind Alix Earle's new YouTube series, and how anti-doomscrolling influencers are the new de-influencers.

Read the full edition here:

Open article: What ChatGPT Ads Could Mean for Creators by scalablepod.com

Plus, the first US certification for influencers, a crypto company invests $200 million in MrBeast and the World Economic Forum kicks off in Davos, with a bigger presence from TikTok and more creators.

taplio

The Battle

Gil Kruger

Kaya Yurieff

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreKaya Yurieff's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Gil Kruger

Kaya Yurieff

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kaya Yurieff's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreKaya Yurieff's LinkedIn Performance