3 creator lessons from leaving my purse in a NYC taxi
Plus: a platform that keeps brands from ghosting your invoice emails
✈️ Greetings from London… I almost didn’t make it
Two weeks ago I hopped out of a yellow taxi with the family at Grand Central Terminal. We were headed to Connecticut to say goodbye to the in-laws before our European summer. Sitting on the train with seven minutes to go, I realized I didn't have my purse. Inside that bag was everything but the phone in my hand: everyone's passports, my wallet, and my computer. You know, the only things that actually matter.
Time was not on my side. Even if I could recover the bag, I still needed to get to CT and then double back to JFK before our flight took off. What should have been a relaxing last day turned into all-out chaos. Here's what I learned and the creator lessons you can take from it (because obviously).
Lesson for creators
Keep what matters most closest to you. Everything else is noise.
I always keep our passports on me and toss the rest in a second bag, but I got distracted and it blew up my whole system. For creators: figure out what actually drives your business and stay focused on that. If revenue is growing but your follower count is flat, who cares? Prioritize what builds the business.Persistence is the difference between a win and a missed flight.
I filled out the form, sent the email, made the call. But I didn’t stop. I kept calling until someone realized this wasn’t just a lost bag, this was an emergency. Apple Pay gave them a masked card number that didn’t match what I shared, so they couldn’t locate my ride. Once we figured that out we were on our way. For creators: if a brand isn’t replying, follow up. Send a DM. Show up at an event. Put the request out into the universe (aka on LinkedIn.) You only need one opening to make the connection that changes everything. I can name at least 5 creators who had their careers skyrocket because they harassed me (politely) until I had an opportunity for them, so I know firsthand this works.Receipts are king. Always.
This entire disaster happened because I didn’t get a receipt. If I had, they could’ve flagged the driver before she went home to BROOKLYN. For creators: every conversation needs a paper trail. Phone call? Email recap. DM? Move it to your inbox. It protects you, clarifies expectations, and keeps momentum moving.
And in case you were wondering, I located the driver, went to her house in Brooklyn, politely declined an invitation to come up for homemade Indian food (because time), took the train up to CT, and had time to literally use the restroom before the Uber came to take us to JFK, where we barely got through baggage drop before it closed. So it worked out and now I’m writing this newsletter from a WeWork in Holborn.
🔍 Industry Strategy: Read the fine print
There’s a LinkedIn post going viral about influencer platforms and the shady stuff hiding in some of their Terms of Service.
Some platforms include terms that give brands:
Lifetime rights to your name, face, and content
Permission to repurpose it anywhere
No approval needed
No extra payment
No time limit
All for the price of one sponsored post.
And yes, the platform responded. But the OPs counterpoint also made sense. Creators are often just hitting accept to terms without reading them or are only reading the SOW to check the deliverables and the rate. The messy stuff? It's hiding in Exhibit B.
If you don’t speak legalese, that’s fine. Copy the entire contract, drop it into AI, and ask for a plain-English summary.
And if something feels off, trust that. Walk away. You don’t want to end up in a viral ad campaign that wins an award and all you got was your flat rate for a reel.
🗞️ Creator Economy News Brief
Congress forms a Creator Caucus
On June 5, Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) launched the Congressional Creators Caucus to support the creator economy.
I mean I’m surprised it took so long, but 70 million people making income online, I guess it was finally time.
Parties at the White House are cool, but you know what’s cooler? Benefits. And maybe an FTC that puts out guidelines that make sense to people who grew up on the internet and social media.
I'll be reaching out to Rep. Clarke this week (she reps Brooklyn!) to offer support and will keep you posted. In the meantime read the release here: Creators Caucus Announcement
🛠️ SaaS Spotlight: DuPay
If a brand owes you money, DuPay will handle it.
They help creators prevent late payments, recover ghosted invoices, and even advocate for you if things go sideways.
My friend Monica from Mom Creators used DuPay when a brand didn't pay one of her creators and they got the money within days.
More info here but I’m going to email them to get the scoop.
🌅 Closing Words
This is a big, beautiful world. Bigger than your to-do list. Bigger than the chaos. Bigger than whatever obstacle you're overcoming at the moment.
Take it in. Dream big. Then get to work.
You deserve every single milestone you’re trying to achieve and then some. Don’t forget it!
Brittany
Great info so glad it all worked out thanks for this