For many creators, achieving success means quitting their day jobs, going all-in, and riding the algorithm to riches. But for Kevin Norman, the path to winning in the creator economy goes in a different direction.

The Los Angeles-based BookTok influencer, who just wrapped up his featured creator panels at VidCon 2025, maintains a full-time position at an advertising agency while building what many would consider a dream career in content creation. His publishing imprint, his Spotify audiobook shows, and his engaged community across multiple platforms. All of it happens in the margins of a traditional 9-to-5.

“I actually am a full-time creator outside of being a full-time creator for myself,” Kevin says. But in an industry where 30% of creators report experiencing severe burnout and financial instability runs rampant, Kevin’s dual-career model might represent the future rather than the past.

The Part-Time Movement

At VidCon’s recent gathering in Anaheim, Kevin stood out among his fellow panelists discussing creative burnout—not for his insights alone, but for his solution. While others shared strategies like content batching and strategic breaks, Kevin offered something more radical: never making content creation your everything.

“When I feel creative burnout with my own content, I have the creative agency’s clients that I’m creating content for, which is so different than what I do,” he says. “It balances out where I still get to be creative, but I still get to take a break from myself and my channel.”

This approach challenges the very foundation of influencer culture, where total commitment is often seen as the price of entry. Yet Kevin’s success suggests otherwise. He’s built a significant following, launched a publishing imprint focused on marginalized voices, and partnered with major brands—all while clocking in at his day job.

The Benefits Package No Algorithm Provides

The practical advantages of Kevin’s approach become stark when he discusses benefits most creators only dream about: health insurance, dental coverage, and a retirement plan. “I have some friends who I know for sure are not very good with the money they’ve made,” he admits, highlighting a widespread problem in the creator economy.

His financial strategy extends beyond basic benefits. Kevin saves aggressively, putting 30% of every creator paycheck into an untouchable account. “I don’t know how long these opportunities are going to come,” he explains. “If it were to stop right now, am I going to be okay? And I believe I’ve set myself up in a way that I would be okay.”

This conservative approach stands in sharp contrast to the typical creator narrative. When large paychecks arrive, Kevin suggested, many creators “think it’s not going to run out” and adjust their lifestyles accordingly. The resulting precarity has become a defining feature of the creator economy—one that Kevin has deliberately opted out of.

Redefining Success in the Attention Economy

Kevin’s definition of success diverges sharply from conventional creator metrics. Rather than chasing virality or comparing follower counts, he focuses on sustainability and building a community. “When I start to fall into the comparison loop, where I will see what other creators are doing, and then I start hyper-fixating on numbers and engagement. I know I’m reaching creative burnout,” he reveals.

His solution? Step away—something he can afford to do precisely because his livelihood doesn’t depend entirely on the next viral post. “I just wait till inspiration comes again,” he continues, adding that creativity “is always there and it will always come back.”

This philosophy extends to his approach to trends. When asked about missed opportunities, Kevin was philosophical: “Truthfully, none of them. Because I always knew a new trend was right around the corner that I could jump on if I needed to.”

The BookTok Exception That Proves the Rule

Kevin’s influence in the BookTok community demonstrates that part-time doesn’t mean part-impact. Through his publishing imprint Violetear Books, he’s actively reshaping the industry, focusing on “marginalized voices and diverse stories” that traditional publishing often overlooks.

“BookTok has completely reshaped publishing,” Kevin observes, noting the unprecedented power of the platform. “You can’t walk into a bookstore without seeing some kind of ‘as seen on TikTok’ or a BookTok table.”

His cross-platform success—including partnerships with Spotify for audiobook promotion—proves that strategic, part-time creation can yield full-time results. Interestingly, he works with more brands outside the book space than within it, as companies recognize BookTok’s unique demographic appeal.

The Agency Advantage

Kevin’s dual perspective—creator and agency employee—provides unique insights into the often-fraught relationship between brands and influencers. “I don’t think these brands fully understand how social media works,” he says candidly, describing scripts that “make it sound like an ad and stifle creativity.”

Yet his agency experience also brings pragmatism. “At the end of the day, I’m going to give the brand what they want,” he acknowledges. This balanced view—understanding both creative authenticity and business requirements—positions him well in an increasingly professionalized creator economy.

The Mental Health Imperative

Perhaps most significantly, Kevin’s model addresses the mental health crisis plaguing content creators. His VidCon panels on mental health and burnout resonated precisely because he practices what he preaches. By maintaining a clear boundary between his creative work and financial stability, he has avoided the anxiety that plagues many full-time creators.

“I use humor to deal with my mental health and trauma,” Kevin illustrates, bringing levity to serious discussions. But his most powerful mental health tool might be his day job itself—a built-in boundary that prevents content creation from consuming his entire identity.

“Therapy. Very important. I think everyone needs it,” he continues, underscoring that even his balanced approach requires additional support.

The Future Is Part-Time

As the creator economy develops further, Kevin’s model offers a compelling alternative to the all-or-nothing approach. His upcoming pivot to longer-form YouTube content—identified as the major trend at VidCon—will happen on his terms, without the desperation that drives many creator decisions.

When asked what title he’d choose for a book about his life, Kevin says: “They don’t know where they’re going, but they’re going to get there.” This acceptance of uncertainty, cushioned by the stability of traditional employment, might be the key to creative longevity.

In an industry that often demands everything while guaranteeing nothing, Kevin’s part-time approach to fame might be the future. As creator burnout increases and platform changes leave even successful influencers scrambling, the question isn’t whether more creators will follow Kevin’s lead, but how quickly they’ll realize that keeping your day job isn’t giving up on your dreams. It might be the best way to achieve them.

“I can’t imagine not being a creator, and I’m not going to ever give up on what I’ve built. You would have to pry it away from me,” Kevin insists. “But I do think it is good, and it is smart, and not a lot of creators would have a thing to fall back on.”