Co-Founder @ Measure Studio 📈 AI-Powered Social Media Insights

I’m a 3x entrepreneur and M&A advisor who helps founders sell their businesses.

👋 WHY ME?

After I sold my first startup (Paladin), several founder friends reached out to me. They wanted to know what it was like and what I learned in the process.

A few of them were thinking about selling their companies and asked if I would help. After all, I understood the industry and probably knew most of the potential buyers.

So I agreed to help a few of those friends and found myself with a new side hustle as a boutique investment banker.

After cutting my teeth on a few deals, I realized how much I love working with entrepreneurs, so I made it official and launched my own M&A advisory practice: Quartermast Advisors.

🤝 WHAT I OFFER:

I help my clients manage the entire M&A process from start to finish, which includes:

✭ Preparing your materials (management presentation, financials, etc.)
✭ Identifying and getting in touch with the right buyers
✭ Negotiating the deal structure and economics
✭ Coordinating with legal and tax experts to protect your interests
✭ Asking thoughtful questions and providing useful advice along the way

🤔 WHY WORK WITH AN M&A ADVISOR?

Research shows that hiring a banker results in ~25% higher valuation premiums, on average.

It also frees founders up to continue operating the business and hit their targets. There's nothing worse than poor company performance during a sales process, so it's often more valuable for the team to focus on delivering good results rather than managing M&A discussions.

👨‍💻 WHO I HELP:

I stick to what I know: digital media, tech, and the creator economy. I’ve helped sell influencer agencies, talent management firms, enterprise SaaS companies, and more.

If you’ve been approached or are just thinking about selling your company now or in the future, shoot me a note. I’d be happy to chat and answer any questions.

If I’m the right fit, I’d love to help you out. And if I’m not, I’ll gladly point you in the right direction.

💬 I'VE BEEN FEATURED IN:
- Business Insider
- Digiday
- eMarketer
- Forbes
- Net Influencer
- New Economies
- PRWeek
- Scalable
- The Information
- The Publish Press
- TheWrap
- They Got Acquired
- Tubefilter
…and more

📢 I'VE SPOKEN AT:
- 1 Billion Followers Summit
- Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
- Digital Entertainment World (DEW)
- Digital First
- Digital Hollywood
- DMEXCO
- Social Media Week
- VidCon
- Youth Marketing Show (YMS)
…and more

James Creech

Humbled to have been selected as "The Most Visionary Leader in M&A and Entrepreneurial Growth – 2026!"

The good news arrived yesterday via my spam folder (clearly an honest mistake on Gmail's part).

I didn't recognize the sender, but it came from a guy with two first names, so of course I trust him implicitly.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I wasn't familiar with this prestigious publication, so I visited the domain from the sender's email address.

The website was down, but I'm sure it's because they've gotten a huge surge in traffic after unveiling such an important list.

Incredibly flattered, I wrote back to graciously accept the award. There were, of course, some important logistical considerations to work out.

The most important detail was a $2,000 honorarium that I was expected to pay. I'll be honest, I haven't won many awards like this before, so this came as a surprise. But hey, welcome to the big leagues!

In exchange for this small fee, I would receive prime cover page placement, a 10+ page feature, an exclusive video interview, and global PR exposure.

That all sounded great, of course, but I paused and thought to myself: "What would a truly Visionary Leader do?"

That's when it hit me. A $2,000 certificate and online article weren't going to inspire those around me. We needed to think bigger. Much BIGGER.

How much would it cost for an oil painting or marble bust of me, I wondered? Better yet, how about a towering bronze sculpture to truly capture my visionary legacy?

Erin quickly gave me a quote and assured me that his team would take care of everything.

The whole thing wasn't cheap, but can you really put a price on visionary leadership?

The bronze sculpture is set to arrive in 10-12 weeks, so I'll be sure to share regular updates here on LinkedIn.

In the meantime, I had ChatGPT mock up the cover art to save their graphics team the trouble. I figured it's the least I could do.

Thank you all for your support! I'm blown away by this amazing honor!!

Founder, Quartermast Advisors 🤝 We help entrepreneurs maximize their M&A outcomes. 🚀 Co-Founder, Measure Studio 📈 AI-powered social media insights.💡

My years of watching too much online video content are finally paying off.

Excited to serve on VidCon's inaugural Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which will nominate and vote on the creators whose work has shaped the creator economy over the last couple decades. No pressure. 😅

Fun to see so many old friends also on the committee! Adam Wescott, Alessandra Catanese, Avi Gandhi, Brendan Gahan, Brian Flanagan, Chris M. Williams, Eric Wei, Farhad Meher-Homji, Jim Louderback, Joseph Marchese, Lauren Schnipper, Lia Haberman, Megan Lightcap, Meredith Levine, Phil Ranta, Sean Atkins, Shira Lazar, and more!

As the creator economy matures, so does the capital landscape around it. Here are the key players:

𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 – investing in early-stage creator tools, platforms, and creator-led companies.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 – acquiring and scaling established creator economy businesses.

𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 – democratizing investment access and empowering fans to directly back creators.

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 – providing revenue-based funding and liquidity solutions.

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – pioneering ways to get creators on the cap table so they can participate in equity upside.

𝐌&𝐀 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬 – helping founders maximize their exit outcomes.

𝐌&𝐀 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 – matchmaking platforms for business buyers and sellers.

💡The takeaway: The creator economy is evolving into a full-stack financial ecosystem.

For creators and creator economy founders, that means more paths than ever to build, finance, and eventually exit meaningful businesses.

---
👋 I'm the Founder of Quartermast Advisors. We help media, tech, and creator economy founders maximize their exit outcomes.

👍 Like this post to help me.
🔥 Repost to help others.

#CreatorEconomy #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #MergersAndAcquisitions

Today is my 36th birthday 🎉

Each year, I like to pause and reflect on a few lessons life keeps teaching me. Here are a few that feel especially true right now:

𝐁𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 🎯
Life moves fast. It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum, so occasionally stop and ask yourself, "Is this actually where I want to go?"

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐨 🙅‍♂️
I still struggle with this and often find myself overcommitted. One thing that helps is to periodically create a "stop doing list" (the opposite of a to-do list) to remind myself that every "yes" comes with a tradeoff.

𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟 😅
Most things that feel urgent today won’t matter a year from now. Focus on what truly moves the needle and let the rest go.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 🎮
Hobbies and passion projects make you more interesting and often make you better at your “main quest” too.

𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 😂
Make yourself laugh. Make others laugh. And most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself.

𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐆𝐞𝐭 🎁
The best relationships and opportunities grow from generosity. Helping others will come back in ways you never expect.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐎𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 🌍
I try to visit 3 new countries each year, which is a fun goal, even if I don't always achieve it. Exploring new places and cultures is a great way to reset your perspective.

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 🤝
Life is all about the people you share it with. Make an effort to connect good people and keep in touch.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 🌟
I'd rather be known well, than well known. A smaller circle of people who know and trust you is far more valuable than broad but shallow recognition.

Grateful for another trip around the sun and for all the amazing people who make the journey worthwhile!

P.S. I kicked off the bday celebrations at Sugarfish last night with my fellow Pisces Dylan Harari. Fun start to the weekend!

MrBeast has acquired Gen Z fintech app Step.

Here are the highlights, and what it means for the creator economy:

𝐁𝐮𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞
• Beast Industries, the entertainment, consumer products, and CPG company founded by YouTube creator and entrepreneur Jimmy Donaldson.
• Founded in 2012.
• 1,052 employees per LinkedIn.
• Raised $650M in total funding, including a $200M investment from crypto firm BitMine Immersion Technologies last month.
• Estimated valuation of $5B, based on investor pitch decks and reporting.
• Business lines include the MrBeast media empire (including the "Beast Games" series on Amazon Prime Video), chocolate company Feastables, snack kit Lunchly (JV with PRIME), and clipping platform Vyro.
• Step is Beast's 2nd publicly announced acquisition, after creator hiring platform Vouch in Oct 2024.

𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞
• Step, a fintech app that helps young people save, spend, build credit, and manage their finances.
• Founded in 2018 by CJ MacDonald and Alexey Kalinichenko.
• 276 employees per LinkedIn.
• Raised ~$500M in combined equity and debt funding.

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 & 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
• Undisclosed

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞
• Expand into financial services with an existing platform and user base. Step enables Beast to expand into the heavily regulated financial industry without building from scratch.
• Leverage Beast’s massive audience to drive adoption.
• Advance Jimmy's financial literacy and wellness mission. In his own words: "Nobody taught me about investing, building credit, or managing money when I was growing up. [...] I want to give millions of young people the financial foundation I never had.”

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲?

➊ Distribution is the new leverage.

Beast Industries is harnessing the global reach of its owned media engine to sell products and services to its audience at effectively negative CAC. This creates a direct line from attention → engagement → monetization.

➋ Audience monetization is maturing.

The first wave was brand deals. The second wave was CPG. And this next wave will include software, services, and more.

➌ Creators are becoming acquirers.

From Mythical buying Smosh to Epic Gardening acquiring Botanical Interests and Modern Farmer, we’re seeing creator-led companies buy strategic assets to accelerate their growth and enhance their capabilities.

The bar has moved from “can you monetize your audience?” to “can you build an enduring, multi-vertical company around your distribution advantage?”

Welcome to the era of creator conglomerates.

---
👋 I'm James Creech, Founder of Quartermast Advisors. We help media, tech, and creator economy founders maximize their exit outcomes.

👍 Like this post to help me.
🔥 Repost to help others.

The creator economy will generate $235 billion this year.

That's bigger than most other entertainment sectors…

🎮 Video Games: $205B
🎢 Theme Parks: $75B 
🎸 Live Music: $44B
🎞️ Movies (box office): $35B
🎭 Broadway Shows: $2B

And it shows no signs of slowing down. The creator economy is growing at an impressive 22.5% CAGR -- on track to reach $528B by 2030.

What’s driving this explosive growth?

1️⃣ More and more people are creating content.

Today there are over 200M people worldwide who identify as creators. AI tools continue to lower the barriers to entry for content creation, so this number is only going to increase.

2️⃣ The nature of work is changing.

The U.S. will be a majority freelance economy by the end of 2027.

Younger generations don't want to work 9 to 5, climb the corporate ladder, and retire with a pension.

They want to be their own boss and have independent, flexible careers. As a result, we live in an era of gig work, side hustles, and content monetization. 

3️⃣ We’re living more of our lives online.

Social platforms remain the primary attention economy, with traditional media and live events competing with creator-driven content for audience time and ad dollars.

YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms continue to define culture, and creators have become an essential part of the modern marketing playbook.

📌 Bottom Line

The creator economy isn’t slowing down. It’s a global economic force that has become a central pillar of modern culture and commerce.

It’s bigger than gaming, movies, and live music, and it's only growing as technology and audience behaviors evolve.

February was a busy month for software & media acquisitions!

Here's the full list of creator economy M&A deals from last month.👇

𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 🎥
• Consumable acquired interactive livestreaming platform Fireside.
• CANDLE MEDIA℠ sold digital media company ATTN: back to its founders Matthew Segal and Jarrett Moreno.
• Jellysmack-owned Law & Crime acquired Court TV from The E.W. Scripps Company.
• Marquee Brands subsidiary Culinary Media Group acquired Food52.

𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 👨‍💻
• New Engen acquired UGC marketplace GrapevineAI.
• Disrupt Marketing acquired market research platform Imagen Insights.
• MrBeast acquired fintech company Step.
• Red Seat Ventures acquired podcast subscription platform Supercast.
• Etsy sold secondhand fashion app Depop to eBay for $1.2B.
• BENlabs sold YouTube channel management tool TubeBuddy to GameSquare Holdings Inc. for $1.4M.

𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ⭐
• Parker Management acquired digital talent agency Estate Five Media.

---
👋 I'm the Founder of Quartermast Advisors. We help media, tech, and creator economy founders maximize their exit outcomes.

👍 Like this post to help me.
🔥 Repost to help others.

Introducing The Digital Dealflow, our weekly newsletter from Quartermast Advisors!

Each week, we break down the biggest deals, trends, and industry news shaping the creator capital landscape.

From funding announcements to M&A transactions, our newsletter equips creator economy professionals with the market insights they need to make smarter decisions.

Here's what we've got for you this week:
• Night raised $70M to fund additional M&A and expand into gaming, sports and music.
• Wasserman is reportedly exploring a sale amid the founder's recent Epstein controversy.
• Warner Bros. Discovery is reopening M&A talks with Paramount.
• LTK is reducing headcount to reallocate capital toward brand-facing tech and partnership tools.
• And more! Check out the full edition to get the latest news and updates.

🔗 Subscribe here:

Open article: The Digital Dealflow by quartermast.beehiiv.com

Our team at Measure Studio is hosting a private dinner for social media execs next Wed, March 18th. Free food + drinks and a great group of folks!

No panels. No presentations. Just good food, smart people, and candid conversations about where social is heading.

📍 West Hollywood
 📅 Wednesday, March 18th
 ⏰ 7:00 – 9:30 PM

We've only got a few spots left, so if you’re a senior-level social pro and want to join us, RSVP here: https://luma.com/b8acssny

It's been another busy week for creator economy M&A!

GameSquare Holdings Inc. acquired YouTube channel management tool TubeBuddy from BENlabs in a $1.4M all-stock deal.

Etsy is selling secondhand fashion app Depop to eBay for $1.2B, less than 5 years after buying it for $1.62B.

Paramount increased its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery to $108B.

Rich Sparkle stock hit a 52-week low, just one month after its $975M purchase of Khaby Lame’s Step Distinctive holding company.

...and that's just scratching the surface. Check out the full list of updates in this week's edition of The Digital Dealflow.

https://lnkd.in/g85wbJKP

What's happening in the creator capital landscape this week?

Meta acquired a social network for AI agents (Moltbook).

Netflix is buying InterPositive, Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking startup for $600M.

Dolphin partnered with DealMatch to expand online fundraising options for creators.

Devotion raised $4M to build an AI-powered influencer marketing agency.

Check out the full recap in our latest edition of The Digital Dealflow.

🔗 https://lnkd.in/g6uYg3Xn

We've got a fresh batch of creator economy M&A news for you this week!

Fixated acquired creator monetization firm Elevate Management Group.

HubSpot buys entrepreneurship media company Starter Story.

KSI invested in Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club.

SPIN acquired media outlet Live for Live Music.

And more! Get the full roundup in the latest edition of The Digital Dealflow.👇

https://lnkd.in/gNzEvs6r

Brendan Gahan

With over 18 years of experience, Brendan Gahan is a renowned leader in social media advertising, influencer marketing, and the creator economy. As a former Partner & Chief Social Officer at Mekanism, he significantly contributed to the agency’s growth and innovation, playing a key role in its acquisition by Plus Co in 2022.

Gahan has been a pioneer in influencer marketing, leading one of the first YouTube/influencer activations in 2006. He also founded Epic Signal, a prominent influencer marketing agency, which was acquired by Mekanism in 2015. 

He is an active investor/advisor in the creator economy and advertising sectors, contributing to companies such as Stan, Little Chonk, Orca, Glystn, and Trendpop (acquired). Additionally, he serves as a scout for Bessemer Venture Partners and Lunar X.

His industry involvement extends to his role as a VidCon Advisory Board member and as a co-host of the Creator Economy Live podcast. He was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2012, and his agency was recognized as Digiday’s Digital Video Agency of the Year in 2017.

Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice, Gahan's deep understanding of social media and influencer marketing has not only earned him a following of over 125k on TikTok but has also led to features in major publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, The Guardian, Ad Age, and CNBC.

Advisory Board Member  

𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝟱𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀. 

That's a lot of new faces. So let me reintroduce myself.

I've been in the creator space for nearly two decades. My first brand deal with YouTubers? 2006.

Since then I've worked with the Olympics, Pepsi, Unilever, Chevy, and even the Obama administration. For most of my career, I was behind the scenes.

Then in 2020, I posted to LinkedIn every day for a year. What I saw reminded me of the early YouTube days. This is still a nascent creator ecosystem with massive untapped potential.

So I scratched that entrepreneurial itch again.

A little over two years ago, I co-founded Creator Authority. We were the first influencer marketing agency really focused on LinkedIn That's probably how I first came onto your radar.

20 years after my first YouTube brand deal, I'm doing the same thing here on LinkedIn. Different platform. Similar opportunity.

And we're just getting started.

Thanks for the follow. 🙏

CEO/Co-Founder Of Creator Authority (Influencer Marketing Agency)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱'𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀?

Keith Bendes and I sat down with Jessica Dove, Director of Social Media and Influencer Marketing at MGM Resorts, for the latest Creator Economy Live episode.

Jess has been with MGM for over 10 years. She runs influencer programs across Aria, Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and more.

That's not one brand. That's a portfolio of properties. Each has a distinct audience, different voice, nuanced set of expectations from creators.

We got into the operational realities of running creator programs inside a massive organization:
• How to handle influencer partnerships across a diverse portfolio?
• What does creator selection look like at scale?
• How have the strategies evolved over a decade?
• What role do experiences and events play vs. everyday content?

We also caught up on some of the biggest creator news from the week:
• MrBeast + Salesforce at the Super Bowl
• The NFL hosted 160+ creators during Super Bowl week
• The mystery behind BoyThrob, the viral TikTok boy band 
  
If you're building or scaling an influencer function inside a large organization, this one's worth your time.

🎧 Link to the full episode👇

Open article: The Strategy Behind MGM’s Influencer Empire with Jessica Dove by open.spotify.com

The Strategy Behind MGM’s Influencer Empire with Jessica Dove

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The Battle

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Brendan Gahan

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