DeepWater Strategies was built on a simple but powerful premise: the creator economy deserves structure as much as it does creativity. Founded in early 2019 by media veteran Shawn Kallet, the Stamford, Connecticut-based consultancy helps brands, creators, and media companies transform digital audiences into sustainable revenue streams.

“We help brands, media companies, and creators drive sustainable growth in terms of revenue, fan engagement, and audience development,” says Shawn, who serves as CEO. His term for the firm’s approach, “revenue engineering,” blends analytical precision with creative execution. 

“Like any engineering, it’s about using data and science to develop sustainable solutions,” he explains. “I want to help you build a foundation or reach another plateau in your business, not just through relationship-based sales, but through strategies you can carry forward.”

At a time when many businesses are still learning how to convert online visibility into measurable results, DeepWater Strategies has positioned itself as a translator between creative and commercial worlds.

From Traditional Media to the Creator Economy

Shawn’s perspective is shaped by more than two decades of working across television, digital media, and branded entertainment. His résumé includes stints at Comedy Central, MTV, NBC News Digital, Studio71, V10 Entertainment, and Branded Entertainment Network, where he helped brands and creators develop integrated content long before influencer marketing became an industry standard.

“I was in sales at MTV when Facebook and YouTube launched,” he recalls. “Back then, we were exposed very early to digital content, what we now know as creators or influencers. They just had Facebook pages and were forming partnerships that reached audiences not consuming traditional TV.”

At MTV, Shawn learned how to design sponsorship programs that “weren’t just about selling inventory, but developing programs that resonated with audiences.” After roles at NBC News Digital and Studio71, he joined Branded Entertainment Network (now BENlabs), helping brands integrate into streaming and influencer-led programming. 

That combination of storytelling and strategic insight became the foundation for DeepWater Strategies. “I wanted to take what I learned in those environments and apply it to my own company to help brands and creators grow together sustainably,” he says.

Identifying Gaps in the Market

When Shawn launched DeepWater Strategies, he saw a clear need for guidance among traditional media companies seeking to diversify revenue through digital creators. “The first gap I was trying to solve was helping traditional media companies develop new revenue streams through creators and content,” he explains. His first major client was AMC Networks, where he helped develop branded integrations for WeTV and built a go-to-market pitch system that became a new standalone revenue stream.

Then came an unexpected test: the pandemic. “I was building a big pipeline of media companies and publishers when the pandemic hit,” he says. “Over six months, I had to acknowledge the market was slowing down and pivot into where I could fill a need.” That need, as he discovered, came from small agencies and startups struggling to replace in-person networking with digital lead generation.

“I started helping agency leaders and small businesses move online, building out their content and email funnels,” he says. “For many, it was a lifeline to keep getting in front of people when everything was shut down.”

A Three-Part Model for Growth

DeepWater Strategies operates across three core lines of business: strategy consulting, project management, and production.

The first involves helping clients – from startups to global companies – design creator-led growth strategies. “That could mean building a creative brief for a brand or identifying strategic partnership opportunities for media companies,” Shawn says.

The second focuses on execution. “I’m not just developing strategies; I’m overseeing campaigns,” he notes. One current project involves the consumer brand HEDiGEAR, where Shawn is running influencer activations on college campuses through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals with college athletes.

The third is production. “I help develop brand-funded, creator-led productions for TV, streaming, YouTube, or social media, even micro-dramas,” he explains. “Between strategy, execution, and production, the goal is to help clients understand their audience, reach them, and build sustainable, audience-first revenue.”

Defining ‘Revenue Engineering’

Shawn’s preferred “revenue engineering” term reflects his belief that success in the creator economy depends on repeatable systems rather than one-off wins.

“If you build something that loses money, you can do that once,” he says. “But if you want to scale revenue, it has to work for everyone involved, operationally for the teams, financially for investors, and strategically for the brand.”

He focuses on helping clients create processes they can sustain independently. “You have to understand the team needs, investment needs, and potential return compared to other opportunities,” he adds. “Otherwise, you’re spending time on things that won’t scale.”

Bridging Brands, Creators, and Media Companies

DeepWater Strategies’ client base spans startups, portfolio brands, media networks, and creators themselves. This structure, Shawn reveals, allows him to see challenges from every angle.

“There are a lot of brands that think they don’t know anything about the space, but they have a great product or service,” he says. “They just need to get exposure and start building a community.”

For larger corporations, the issue is often relevancy, not awareness. “One client said, ‘We have 90% penetration in our market, but we need to be top of mind when people are making a purchase decision.’”

He also helps media companies adapt to new distribution models. “They often need help developing YouTube and social-first versions of their content,” he says. “Sometimes that means rethinking programming, sometimes collaborating with creators.”

Working directly with creators from independent producers to on-camera talent gives Shawn a firsthand look at their needs. “It’s about helping them understand their audience and build a loyal following that creates a flywheel for growth,” he says.

Learning from the Creator Economy’s Pain Points

Having worked on every side of the creator economy, Shawn says his advantage lies in empathy. “I’ve been in the role of a brand, media, and creator,” he explains. “You have to think client-first and audience-first.”

When it comes to the common mistake teams make in monetization, his answer is clear: “The fallacy of ‘if you build it, they will come.’ The platforms are designed to give audiences what they want, not push content just because publishers make it. You have to ask what makes sense for your audience and how to engage them so they come back.”

Case Studies in Creator-Led Success

Two projects illustrate DeepWater Strategies’ impact. One came while Shawn was working at V10 Entertainment: “Grave Conversations,” a YouTube series produced by The Year of Élan Productions and sponsored by Titan Casket, a direct-to-consumer casket company. The show features actor David Dastmalchian interviewing celebrity guests while both lie in caskets.

“It’s a branded entertainment series that’s changing the conversation around death,” Shawn says. “We launched on YouTube in February, achieved channel monetization within two months, and saw a fivefold increase in search results and organic mentions for Titan Casket.” The series has since produced three seasons.

Another example came from his consulting work with Live Nation. “I helped their media team identify an influencer marketing opportunity that led to the launch of ‘Last2Leave,’ the first creator house for music,” he says. “It became their most successful social product for three years.”

Building Smarter Partnerships

Shawn emphasizes the value of long-term relationships between creators and brands. “From the brand side, spend time doing your due diligence to find the right creators, then give them the freedom to make content their fans love,” he advises. “If you’ve done your homework and trust the process, good content will lead to great outcomes.”

For creators, his advice is the inverse: know when to say no. “The worst deals I’ve ever seen are when a creator says yes only because of the money,” he says. “If you don’t believe in the brand, your audience will know.”

What would Shawn change about the industry? In his own words, he would “treat creators as people, not inventory. Too often, brands and agencies think they just need an influencer to say a tagline. But the real value comes from understanding what makes their content special and integrating in a way that enhances it.”

He predicts the next wave of growth will happen offline. “More creators and brands are going to build niche communities around IRL (In Real Life) events,” he says. “With AI generating unlimited content, people are going to crave what’s real. A genuine connection between real people.”

Local Roots, Global Vision

While DeepWater Strategies serves clients nationwide, Shawn is increasingly focused on local growth. Earlier this year, he co-founded Fairfield County Marketing and Media Pros, a community of professionals from media, marketing, and production. “We’re bringing the quality of networking you’d normally get in New York or LA to Fairfield County,” he explains. “People want those connections without commuting or going to a conference.”

In the next year, he plans to expand DeepWater’s agency side, execute more branded content and NIL campaigns, and build advisory work for creators and investors. His long-term goal is clear: “I’d love for DeepWater Strategies to be the trusted resource for brands, media companies, and creators in the tri-state area,” he says. “Helping them develop fan engagement, audience development, and sustainable revenue strategies using YouTube and creator content.”

As for advice to those navigating the creator economy’s uncertainties, Shawn keeps it simple: “Try different things and make sure you know what you’re measuring for, so you understand what success looks like.”

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