Insights
Most "lifestyle businesses" are just broke people with good Instagram accounts
The real money in creator economy is in the pipes, not the content
Location arbitrage only works if you're not arbitraging your ambition too
Full Recap
The oceanfront restaurant was perfect. The conversation was better. Eight people who've figured out how to build actual businesses while everyone else is still taking selfies in Bali.
A documentary filmmaker who moved to Carlsbad three years ago broke down why most location-independent entrepreneurs are lying to themselves. "Everyone talks about $4 lattes in Mexico City, but they're making $4 an hour because they think geography fixes strategy."
The venture partner across from her nodded. She'd seen too many pitch decks from "digital nomads" building lifestyle businesses that couldn't support a lifestyle. "The problem is they're optimizing for Instagram, not income."
But here's where it got interesting. A subscription platform founder revealed how he'd built a $2M ARR business from his garage in North County. No co-working spaces. No networking events. Just relentless focus on solving actual problems for people who could pay to solve them.
The filmmaker's eyes lit up. She'd been struggling to monetize her documentary work. Within two courses, they were sketching a subscription model for behind-the-scenes content. The venture partner offered to intro her to a creator economy fund.
That's what happens when people who've actually done it sit in the same room. The bullshit evaporates. The real frameworks emerge.
Your Seat at the Table
These insights came from a single conversation. Imagine the opportunities that emerge when you're in the room.
If you're a leader building at the intersection of culture and capital, we invite you to be considered for a future dinner.