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Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
From Cordelia To Creator: Charisma Carpenter's New Podcast Turns Nostalgia Into Community
Charisma Carpenter greets the audience for the live taping of her podcast "The Bitch Is Back" on July 23, 2025 at Charisma Carpenter's Homecoming event. Matt Monath T he crowd inside New York's The Bowery Hotel Terrace at Charisma Carpenter's Homecoming event erupted in applause as surprise emcee Clare Kramer (Glory on the seminal TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer ) walked through the audience, golden sequin dress winking in the spotlights trained on her progress to the stage. The applause only grew louder when Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it's spin-off, Angel , entered the room. She greeted fans with hugs and by name as she took center stage. The first live taping of Carpenter's new Buffy and Angel -centric first watch podcast on Patreon, The Bitch Is Back , was under way. In an entertainment landscape defined by franchise reboots, rebrands and influencer overload, The Bitch Is Back stands out as something far rarer. Carpenter is building a direct-to-fan ecosystem by turning decades of fan devotion into something interactive, intimate and entirely her own. Carpenter has been considering the idea of a podcast since 2022. 'It was a gradual ease into it from social media,' she explains. 'There's really so many things that led to building this moment.' During the pandemic, Carpenter built a platform called MyCon, a virtual community for pre-recorded cameos and shout-outs, to sell signed photos and have one-on-one interactions with fans during a time when traditional conventions, which she's been attending for nearly 30 years, were put on pause. Other platforms such as Cameo and were more expensive for fans who didn't get as much time with the stars they wanted to engage with. 'It's always bothered me that you don't get to have time with your fans,' she says. 'People are waiting in line so you want to be respectful and not rush, but you also know they want to have an experience. MyCon was an awesome opportunity.' TikTok brought the idea into sharper focus. She was hesitant to join at first, but with encouragement from a friend she created an account. Responding to a fan comment trying to verify if she was the real deal, she posted her own video confirming, 'Yes it's me! You have to call everyone you've ever met right now and tell them I'm on TikTok!' Her follower count surged to over 120,000 in 24 hours. On TikTok, Carpenter decided to dedicate the platform's content to the Buffyverse because she's able to respond directly to fan questions, although the platform fell short for questions that required more thoughtful, in-depth answers. She needed a home to host longer-form content. Clare Kramer, Charisma Carpenter, Julie Benz and Amber Benson chat during the live taping of The Bitch Is Back podcast. Matt Monath The podcast's name nods to a quote from the Angel episode 'Rm w/a Vu,' where Carpenter's character confronts a ghost haunting her apartment: '...get ready to haul your wrinkly, translucent ass out of this place, 'cause lady, the bitch is back." Carpenter explains in the first episode of her podcast that the term 'bitch' is not derogatory. 'It was in that moment that I realized bitch is not a slur. Bitch is a defining moment of courage and strength and resilience.' When deciding to do the podcast, some things weren't up for discussion. 'It was kind of like a Goldilocks situation,' she remembers, thinking back to contract offers she'd reviewed over the years that were just not the right fit for the project. Then the opportunity came to create this podcast on Patreon. Carpenter still had doubts and asked her fans directly. 'They gave me permission,' she says. 'They've watched it a hundred times, and they wanted to see it through my eyes.' Two of the items on the list of non-negotiables were control over the content and platform. 'It has to be in my voice, I have to run it,' she says. 'Patreon made me the CEO of my vision.' Carpenter plans and writes the episodes and even moderates her own chat forums. Some of the The Bitch Is Back content is limited to paying members only, such as exclusive chats, bonus episodes and preferred seating at events. Because she's so intimately involved in the entire process, she's able to make tweaks along the way from feedback she gleans from her fan interactions. 'I'm in tune with them and I care,' she says. 'I would argue that is why this platform exists. That is why this podcast came to me. Because Patreon understood and respected my relationship with fans.' Patreon is a membership platform with over 300,000 active creators, ranging from podcast hosts to musicians and artists. Creators can earn money through exclusive content for paid members, which can be set to different tiers. The company takes between 5% and 12% of creator's earnings plus payment processing fees. Carpenter charges her army of supporters $7 a month. According to Patreon, the platform will host approximately 30 events this year centered around podcast creators. Charisma Carpenter's Homecoming event was limited to 100 attendees and generated a waitlist. During the live taping of the podcast Carpenter remarked on the packed room, stating that Patreon prepped her ahead of time for the turnout. It's typical to experience a drop off between registrants and actual attendees, though for Charisma Carpenter's Homecoming, there was minimal movement on the waitlist due to turnout. I'm A Slayer, Ask Me How! Buffy and Angel have influenced pop culture for nearly 30 years. The television show, picking up where the 1992 movie left off, first aired on the WB network in March 1997 as a mid-season replacement. In just seven seasons, Buffy has created a new vernacular, spawned college courses and Charisma Carpenter on stage during the live taping of "The Bitch Is Back" podcast on July 23, 2025. Matt Monath merchandise of every flavor from lollipops to prop replicas. The very concept of Buffy set the horror genre on its ear with a blonde cheerleader from California destined to save the world from vampires while also trying to maintain a social life and attend high school. Now streaming on Hulu in the U.S., both shows continue to attract viewers and generate money for the Disney-owned streaming giant. According to Parrot Analytics, a company that measures global audience demand, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has made just over $100 million for the streaming platform since the start of 2020 alone, while Angel has netted just over $20 million in the same time frame. Hulu has also ordered a pilot for a Buffy reboot series, although there isn't a set release date yet. The Buffyverse remains a popular brand magnet for new collaborations, ranging from Adidas apparel to Loungefly bags and collectibles on fandom sites like Box Lunch and Hot Topic. For those looking for something handmade or vintage, Etsy and eBay are an active marketplace with over 56,000 auctions currently up for bid. She's The Slayer. I'm A Homecoming Queen! Attendees to Carpenter's Homecoming were a motley crew of fans—some attended with family members and partners and some came solo. But no one was truly alone. 'I noticed that a lot of people were saying 'I'm coming, but I'll be solo!,' and I thought, we should start a chat for anyone who's coming solo so they can link up,' Carpenter says. The chat has since spawned its own events with NYC locals attending a Buffy trivia event together the following week. For this event, Carpenter enlisted surprise guests from both shows; Clare Kramer (Glory) as emcee with special guests Julie Benz (Darla) and Amber Benson (Tara). After the live taping, a cocktail party was held for attendees who could sample Cordelia-themed cocktails, like the Queen C Cosmo or Hello Salty Goodness Margarita, and passed hors d'oeuvres. A DJ spun Buffy- and Angel -inspired tracks as attendees mingled. The main draw was engaging with the celebrities while Carpenter took photos on an ornate throne and spent time with each guest. One fan, Alex Ngo, 28, wandered the event with a huge smile on his face, mingling with guests and stars alike. His mother introduced him to Buffy 10 years ago, and has since passed away. Now he watches Buffy to feel close to her, and it's become one of his favorite television shows. Clare Kramer, Julie Benz, Charisma Carpenter, Gregory Littley and Amber Benson pose for a quick photo at the party. Matt Monath The celebrities posed for photos, shared laughs and created community. During the taping, Benson addressed the fan base surrounding the Buffyverse saying that it was different from other 90's shows because it not only had the nostalgia but gave permission to those who felt like they didn't fit in to be different—and still fit in. Benson's sentiments echo Carpenter's views. 'That's the point,' she says. 'To make such a community out of this that it tells the community that this is a safe place where you are seen and heard.'
Miami Herald
24-07-2025
- Miami Herald
How creators can launch businesses and reclaim their audiences
In the heyday of the creator economy, stars are made in living rooms. Ordinary people prove capable of extraordinary things, turning content into cash and ideas into empires. But while creator power is growing, the control they have over their own brands on social media is not. Payment structures for sponsored brand content have shifted, as have algorithms and platform rules. A significant majority of creators view their monthly incomes on social platforms as unpredictable, while 78% say appeasing algorithms impacts what they create, according to a 2024 Patreon survey. As many of them wade into entrepreneurship and launch businesses of their own, this restrictive social media environment can hinder their growth. According to Shopify research, almost a quarter of businesses that added the platform as a sales channel did so to gain full control over their online presence. Ownership matters, especially for creators who build their audiences around their deeply personal identities. Learn how two creators, Katie Sturino and Rajiv Surendra, pursued entrepreneurship to diversify their projects and income streams-and keep doing what they love, on their own terms. When "too real" is just right Katie Sturino started in the same way as many of today's top creators: posting authentic content that attracted a niche audience. But she was before her time. "I was warned by people that I was too raw, too real," she says. A decade ago, filtered images of perfectly poached eggs and sleek manicured hands reigned on Instagram. Sturino was here for real talk. "I started my platform because I just wanted to help bigger girls find clothes," she says. "Then I realized women of all sizes were feeling bad about their bodies." Her content appealed to a wider audience than expected, and expanded to cover other body issues. The internet was ready for it. In the years since Sturino launched her personal brand, creator aesthetic has taken on a more authentic quality. "I'm very comfortable with the new landscape because it's all about being real. That's easy for me," she says. For Sturino, starting a business was about filling a gap she identified by listening to her audience. "I wanted to challenge the beauty industry to put out products that help with actual problems, not made up problems," she says. Problems like chafing, sweating, and even hemorrhoids. Megababe launched in 2017, founded by Katie, her sister Jenny, and friend Kate McPherson. At the time, Sturino had around 55,000 loyal followers on Instagram. "It's not a lot of followers to launch a gigantic beauty brand," she says. But it presented another way to deliver value to her fans and deepen the relationship. Go-live day was tense, with Sturino's parents' garage filled with product that wasn't flying out the door. Then, after landing a spot on The Today Show, the flood of sales happened. Megababe has since grown into a force in the beauty industry, expanding product lines and leaning into major retail partnerships. And Sturino's personal brand has grown alongside it. She's become a leading advocate for size inclusivity and published her first book, "Body Talk," a guide to self-acceptance. Still, her social content isn't reaching everyone. "For the past two years, I've been on and off shadow banned," she says. She's seeing it in her own data. "Plus size bodies often get flagged as inappropriate." Some 60% of creators say Instagram does not always show fans their best work, according to the same Patreon survey. "It's a real balance trying to figure out how to feed it correctly while also putting out content that you want your audience to see," Sturino says. "Platforms change, algorithms change," she says. Diversifying her projects and platforms-she's now on Substack and is publishing a second book-means she has more control over her message. And through Megababe's website, Sturino isn't at the mercy of the algorithm. She calls the shots on how and when her brand shows up. Her success with entrepreneurship hasn't changed Sturino's approach to authenticity. "I think people are shocked at how hands-on I am," she says. "It probably feels like someone else is answering my DMs. I'm still here talking to people about their armpits." A little dark, in a good way Unlike Sturino, scaling an empire isn't in Rajiv Surendra's plans. While the world may know him best for playing the charismatic and shameless Kevin Gnapoor in "Mean Girls", Surendra lives a decidedly quieter life these days. In 2021, HGTV toured Surendra's NYC apartment. The resulting video has garnered over 4 million YouTube views. Prompted by the enthusiasm for his lifestyle, he started his own YouTube channel, broadcast from that very apartment. That channel became a window into Surendra's world, a place where he shared his passions for art, vintage, and creating by hand. It's a blueprint for slow living, a throwback to simplicity. Fans follow along as he collects silver antiques, canes a chair, and makes candles and soaps from scratch. It's the latter that opened up a new opportunity for Surendra: His fans wanted to buy his products. "I didn't even know how to make that work. I only make like twelve bars of soap a year," he says. Eventually, he relented, though, and launched his own online shop. "I finally decided to say, 'OK, but you can only buy what I have.'" Alongside soaps, Surendra sells his watercolor studies and clay pots, also made by hand. "It was a big question mark for me whether people would be willing to pay $50 for a bar of handmade soap, but they were," he says, "and the soap actually is the fastest-selling thing on my website." While his approach means the store is often out of stock (awaiting the next drop of slow-crafted goods), the move unlocked a few things for Surendra as an artist. First, the store became a natural extension of his personal brand and YouTube channel, unbound by platform parameters. He worked with a close friend to design it after the feeling and aesthetic of his own apartment-the space that started it all. "The website feels kind of quiet, it feels a little dark in a good way," he says. "It really feels like me." Having full ownership over his brand like this is a stark contrast from his days in the entertainment business. "You would not believe how restrictive these contracts are. They want to own the rights to everything and have a say in everything," he says. "When I'm creating stuff in my apartment, no one's telling me what to do and how to do it." This new shop, launched in late 2024, isn't Surendra's first foray into entrepreneurship. He ran a calligraphy business for 10 years, producing signage and other projects for clients. It was here that he set boundaries for himself, once even turning down a massive client while he was struggling to pay rent. "A lot of people would say it was a stupid decision," he says. "But I knew that the goal was longevity and the only way to get there was by keeping the passion, by being excited about it." And he's able to do just that with his new venture, controlling what-and how much-he makes and sells. Selling products on his own site means he's closer than ever to his fans, too. "Now that I'm engaging in transactions with viewers, there's an added element of obligation," he says. "There's this new facet to the relationship that feels more personal." Forging these relationships is critical in a reality where more than half of creators say it's harder to reach their followers today than it was five years ago, according to Patreon data. These days, Surendra is thinking a lot about compromise. While in the past he's rejected the idea of mass producing something so personal, he's now entertaining ways to scale. "Maybe there are people or companies that can make the soap exactly as I make it," he says. "I am starting to think about ways of making it work, but still keeping the passion alive." This story was produced by Shopify and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Yahoo
Joe Budden Reveals He Makes $1 Million Per Month Through Podcasting
Joe Budden is making bank, at least according to what he told The New York Times. In a profile published Tuesday (July 22), the rapper-turned-podcaster revealed that his media company — the Joe Budden Network — is averaging $1.04 million per month so far in 2025 on membership platform Patreon, boasts 70,000 paid subscribers and is on pace to clock around $20 million in overall revenue by the end of the year, with that last number provided by chief executive Ian Schwartzman. More from Billboard Black Sabbath Members Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne: 'Goodbye Dear Friend' Talks Reportedly 'Failed' in Efforts to Bring ABBA Voyage to Australia The Damned Cancel North American Concert Dates Following 'Catastrophic Event' The subscription money alone is more than likely going to exceed $12 million, which will make Budden Patreon's top earner, a Patreon spokesperson told NYT. Budden's manager and business partner Schwartzman also told the publication that they sell their own ads instead of linking up with networks such as Wondery, iHeart and SiriusXM, where content creators have to share the revenue. This helps the Joe Budden Network to work with a maximum of three sponsors at a give time in an effort to not bombard the audience with ads. The money the network brings in allows the company to set aside $1.5 million for the podcast's cohosts Lamar 'Ice' Burney, Trevor 'Queenzflip' Robinson, Melyssa Ford, Antwan 'Ish' Marby, Parks Vallely and Marc Lamont Hill, according to the NYT. Schwartzman tells Billboard that he and Budden felt the need to share their revenue in a way to motivate fellow content creators. 'Yes, the numbers are real,' he says of the NYT reporting. 'In fact, we didn't want to share our income. The only reason we did was to show creators — signed or independent — that there is an alternative path. One that doesn't require you giving up control and ownership. A path that produces fruits just as great as any traditional method and in some cases even better.' Patreon also confirmed to Billboard that Budden is indeed their top earner, and CEO Jack Conte gave a statement applauding The Joe Budden Network for inspiring creators. 'Joe and his team are very much on the same mission Patreon is on: inspiring other creators to do what they do best, follow their passion, build a deep community, all while maintaining creative independence,' Conte says. 'By Joe providing this level of access highlighting the success of his business over the last few years, he's showing creators that it's possible to maintain ownership and cultivate sustainable businesses while staying true to his soul. Joe has continued to bet on himself and invest in his business and community on Patreon and is seeing the pay-off.' In June, Budden seemingly revealed on his Instagram how much the pod was making through Patreon subscriptions when he was trying to highlight how many visits the Patreon gets. He blacked out the breakdown of the money he brings in on his creator account. However, someone was able to doctor his screenshot where it showed that the podcast appeared to bring in around $900,000 that month. Last year, rapper Doe Boy asked Budden on the podcast how much he's made since he started podcasting, with the Jersey City rapper claiming that he's made 'about $4 million' in 10 years. 'I think about 4 mill. Early on, we was doing it for free,' he said. 'Then, we hit a little lick, Spotify. Then, n—as left, the building crumbled a little bit. My friends came, saved the day. Probably about three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half million.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
