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In Episode 80 of Creator Economy Live, we’re joined by Kara Salazar, who leads influencer marketing at Southwest Airlines. Kara breaks down how the brand’s creator strategy has evolved over the past four years — from launching and scaling Southwest Creator Day (including its international expansion to Cancun) to managing major cultural moments like the assigned seats announcement and the massive social response that followed.

We also dig into what makes influencer marketing in the airline industry uniquely challenging, whether “free flights for posts” is really a thing, and how Southwest balances brand storytelling with real-time community feedback. Plus, Keith and Brendan unpack the latest creator economy news — from TikTok’s Branded Buzz payouts to Instagram’s hashtag limits and YouTube’s new AI creator tools.

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Want to hear this content and more LIVE? Join us at Creator Economy Live, January 13 - 14 2026 in Las Vegas! Save 20% off your ticket with code CELPOD20 at checkout.

On the 12 months of 2025, the social platforms gave to thee… a booming creator economy.

It’s our annual holiday special, and we’re back with the 12 Stories of Social—a festive, no-holds-barred look at the biggest moments that shaped creators, brands, and platforms this year. From age bans and algorithmic control to episodic content, creator media empires, livestream shopping, and the return of the written word, we’re breaking down what really mattered in 2025.

This year, we’re switching things up and inviting friends to the table to wax poetic, sip some eggnog, and debate the state of the creator economy with us, including Aneesh Lai, Kerry Flynn, and Monica Khan.

Together, we crown Creator of the Year and Brand of the Year, revisit the rise of creator content everywhere (yes, everywhere), and ask the big question as YouTube turns 20: is monoculture officially dead?

Hit play for laughs, hot takes, and a definitive look back at the year that supercharged the creator economy - and what it all means heading into 2026 🎄🎧

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Want these insights and more in person? Join us in Las Vegas, January 13 - 14 2026 for Creator Economy Live West and use code CELPOD20 at checkout!

This week Keith & Brendan are joined by Rob Mayhew, the creator who’s become the unofficial spokesperson for agency life, to talk about turning industry satire into real brand value, making the leap to full-time creator, and why B2B brands are finally embracing creators who actually get the business. Expect sharp insights, creator economy data you need to know, and a rapid-fire rundown of what’s shaping influence right now.