Matador Network, a travel media company founded in 2006 with just $11,000, has survived where digital giants like Vice and Buzzfeed faltered by placing 70,000 creators at the center of its business model. 

Now, with their new “CREATOR, The Podcast” series, they’re documenting the actual trajectories of successful creators to demystify the path to sustainable creator careers.

“I thought why not do a podcast about creators for creators where you could be someone who’s up and coming or just starting and learn from a creator that’s super successful,” explains Matador Network founder & CEO Ross Borden about the weekly show that launches every Tuesday across audio platforms and YouTube. 

Beyond entertainment, the podcast serves Matador’s strategic goals: showcasing creator talent to brand partners while providing realistic roadmaps for aspiring creators.

Matador Network: Powering Creator Journeys

Founded with initial capital that wouldn’t cover most startups’ first month of operation, Matador Network has grown into a global publisher with 15.5 million social followers across major platforms while maintaining profitability—a rare achievement in digital media. 

As Ross points out, this success stems directly from his early recognition of creators’ value before the term “creator economy” existed.

“We are a global publisher, first and foremost, most focused on travel and adventure. The network in our name, Matador Network, is a network of 70,000 creators,” Ross explains. 

These creators generate content that powers Matador’s publishing operations while simultaneously creating opportunities for brand partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, tourism boards, airlines, and hospitality brands worldwide.

What separates Matador from typical creator platforms is its accessibility—it’s entirely free to join. “We’re not selling access. It’s totally free for all creators to use,” Ross emphasizes. 

The company generates revenue by functioning as both a talent agency and a production company, connecting creators with brands and taking a percentage of resulting partnerships rather than charging creators membership fees or commissions.

The Reality Behind Creator Success Stories

This creator-centric approach has given Ross unique insights into how creator careers actually develop, which contradicts the common perception of viral sensations achieving overnight success. 

His podcast conversations aim to repeatedly uncover a pattern of extended persistence before breakthrough moments occur.

Creator Monet Hambrick exemplifies this reality. Despite securing $2 million in brand deals through Matador Network, her beginning was humble. “She told me that she posted every few days in her first year. And at the end of her first year in trying to be a creator, she had less than a thousand followers,” Ross reveals. “And she said a lot of her followers were like friends from college or friends and family.”

This slow-growth pattern appears consistently across platforms, though Ross notes the timeline varies by medium. 

“YouTube is the hardest place to grow fast,” he observes from years of working with video creators. “I’ve watched people where it just took forever to get to their first hundred thousand followers, and now they’re into millions of subscribers. It’s not just a full-paying job; they’re crushing it.” 

This pattern of extended effort followed by accelerating returns forms the foundation of Matador’s approach to supporting creators through their development.

“CREATOR, The Podcast”: Documenting Real Creator Development

These insights into the true path to creator success inspired Ross to develop “CREATOR, The Podcast,” a series designed to document these journeys in-depth and provide aspiring creators with realistic expectations. 

Each episode features detailed conversations with creators who’ve achieved significant success, though that success takes different forms for different individuals. The show intentionally features diverse creator types and backgrounds. 

Cole Walliser built a 20-million-follower audience while also establishing himself as the cinematographer behind the GlamBOT at major award shows. Chris Burkard translated his passion for outdoor photography into a following of millions. Stephanie Cheape pivoted from recording artist to TikTok creator and BBC presenter. 

Perhaps most surprisingly, Luke “Sailing Songbird” Hartley, a former elementary school teacher, purchased a sailboat despite having no sailing experience, documented his solo journey from Seattle to New Zealand, and amassed 2 million followers in the process.

What distinguishes “CREATOR, The Podcast” from typical industry podcasts is its focus on pivotal career moments rather than vanity metrics. “I always ask like, what was the time, what was the big watershed moment where you could quit your job and go full time as a creator?” Ross explains. “And that’s always a really interesting story.”

The podcast’s video-first production approach further differentiates it in the crowded podcast marketplace. “You’ll certainly see the content across Reels, TikTok, YouTube,” Ross says. “We think it’s going to be a big focus on watching podcasts, not just listening to them.” 

Matador’s Rich Creator Ecosystem

The podcast represents just one component of Matador’s broader ecosystem, which supports creators throughout their development. This support extends beyond simply showcasing content, providing tangible opportunities that advance creator careers regardless of their current stage.

These opportunities manifest through various channels, Matador has developed over the years in the industry. “Every week, we’re sending creators out on free trips all over the world. And then every week we’re probably matching the right talent, writer, photographer, or video creator with a brand with a really high-paying gig,” Ross shares. 

The scope of these opportunities ranges from all-expenses-paid press trips that provide content creation material to brand deals reaching $85,000 for a single project.

Matador’s ecosystem extends beyond its original publishing platform through several complementary ventures that create additional creator opportunities. 

Their “Visit” brand has become the largest travel page on TikTok, with 7.7 million followers, and they maintain a strong Instagram presence of 1.6 million followers. Their AI travel assistant GuideGeek has quickly attracted one million users seeking personalized travel advice. 

They’ve recently expanded into streaming shows with brand-funded programs on platforms like Roku. Further extending their reach, content distribution partnerships with American Airlines, Uber, and other transportation services place creator content in front of new audiences in contextually relevant environments.

Positioning in the Creator Economy

This all-around approach to creator development has enabled Matador to establish a distinctive position in the industry. By focusing specifically on travel and adjacent lifestyle categories, the company has built deeper domain expertise than general-purpose creator platforms can offer.

“We work with fitness, cooking, food, like anything that’s travel or travel adjacent,” Ross explains regarding their content scope. According to him, this specialization allows Matador to better understand both creator needs and brand expectations within these categories, facilitating more successful partnerships than generalist platforms typically achieve.

The combination of publishing operations with creator services further differentiates Matador’s market position. “We have an entire part of our website where creators can join for free. They can add work that they’re proud of if they’re a writer, photographer, filmmaker, social media creator,” Ross describes.

The Accelerating Industry and Matador’s Expansion

Having established this strategic position, Matador continues expanding its creator initiatives to capitalize on what Ross sees as an accelerating shift toward creator-centered marketing. “CREATOR, The Podcast” exemplifies this expansion with an ambitious production schedule aiming for 100 episodes this year. 

Beyond digital content, the company is organizing a creator summit in partnership with Visit Reno Tahoe—bringing together brands and creators for in-person workshops, networking, and skill development.

These initiatives reflect Ross’s conviction about the trajectory of marketing dollars: “I predict massive disruption from [traditional advertising] companies towards in favor of creators and creator first content. I think the transition from what I would call traditional media, print, TV, whatever that billboard advertising towards creator content will be faster than anyone thinks.”

This perspective shapes Matador’s long-term strategy and informs the advice Ross offers creators through the podcast and other channels. “If you’re doing great things and resonating with even a very small number of people, if you just keep going, you’re going to be successful,” he counsels.