Emma Krebs has a message for the next generation dreaming of YouTube stardom: The real opportunity isn’t in front of the camera—it’s behind it.

As a freelance podcast producer who has worked with shows like “The Minimalist Podcast” and built her career through cold emails and sheer determination, Emma represents a growing class of professionals who are quietly building lucrative careers in the creator economy’s backstage. 

Speaking ahead of her VidCon Anaheim, where she’ll participate in sessions on podcasting and behind-the-scenes careers, Emma offers a counterintuitive view of where the smart money is flowing in content creation.

“When we think about YouTube specifically, we think about MrBeast,” Emma explains from her home in Calgary, having recently returned from three years in the UK. “But what a lot of people don’t recognize is that there’s an entire ecosystem, economy, industry, and sustainable long-term careers that exist behind the scenes.”

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Podcasting’s Monetization Advantage

The podcast industry’s growth trajectory tells a compelling story. With podcast viewership on the rise in the U.S., according to industry data, the medium has evolved from a niche channel to a mainstream marketing and content platform. More importantly for brands, podcast listeners demonstrate something increasingly rare in today’s media: sustained attention.

“If a consumer is willing to commit one hour of their time to this person, they are also very trusting of this individual,” Emma notes. This trust translates directly to the bottom line. Podcast audiences are significantly more willing to sit through advertisements compared to other mediums, making the platform increasingly attractive to brands seeking authentic connections with consumers.

The monetization potential extends beyond traditional advertising. Emma points to “The Minimalist Podcast,” whose tagline “advertisements suck” hasn’t prevented them from building a sustainable business model through Patreon subscriptions. “They have a very engaged and trustworthy audience that is paying every month to consume their content,” she observes.

The Producer Economy: Where Soft Skills Command Premium Rates

In an era where AI tools like Autopod can handle technical tasks and ChatGPT can generate show notes, Emma argues that soft skills have become the true differentiator in podcast production. “I think for a producer, one of the biggest strengths you can have is being a jack of all trades, but master of none,” she says, challenging conventional wisdom about specialization.

The role demands a unique combination of project management, client relations, and creative problem-solving. “The biggest challenge as a producer is managing people and communication,” Emma explains. “A lot of creatives are looking for someone to balance them out and be like, ‘Right, this is what we’re recording. We need to remain on this schedule.'”

This emphasis on soft skills opens the field to professionals from diverse backgrounds. Emma herself exemplifies this path, having spent years traveling and working odd jobs in Australia, New Zealand, and Bali before finding her calling in podcast production. “I say that I went to the university of life,” she reflects. “The confidence, the soft skills of building relationships, putting myself out there—so many things have really come full circle.”

Breaking down the AI Paradox

As artificial intelligence reshapes content creation, Emma sees both opportunity and ethical quandaries. While AI tools dramatically reduce production workload—from auto-editing to graphic design—she draws a hard line at synthetic content creation.

“I’ve heard people saying they could use AI to copy their voice and create new podcasts for them,” she mentions, adding quickly, “which personally is not something that I really stand by.”

The technology’s impact on employment in the creator economy remains uncertain. Emma predicts roles will pivot rather than disappear, with professionals either managing AI systems or focusing on “skills that are adjacent to the AI or something the AI cannot do at this time.”

The Cold Email Strategy That Works

For aspiring podcast producers, Emma offers a blueprint that eschews traditional job hunting. “I’ve cold emailed nearly all of my clients that I’ve landed and just really made up my own path and my own job title,” she reveals.

Her approach to pitching emphasizes providing value upfront. Rather than leading with credentials, she recommends demonstrating specific solutions to a creator’s problems—whether that’s suggesting equipment upgrades based on issues mentioned in their content or proposing concrete show improvements.

The strategy extends to brand partnerships as well. “Really focusing on title and thumbnail is literally the most important thing,” she advises, citing the MrBeast philosophy: “If they don’t click, they don’t watch.”

The Authenticity Trap: Why Consistency Beats Personality

In an industry saturated with creators promising “authentic” content, Emma expresses fatigue with the concept. “I hate the word authenticity,” she admits, before acknowledging its importance. “I just feel like that’s a moral code we should all follow.”

Instead, she champions consistency as the true differentiator. “So many people are not remaining consistent,” she observes. “It takes years to get to the level of a lot of these big creators. People get disappointed when they don’t see the numbers happen overnight.”

Her advice for content scheduling is refreshingly flexible: “It doesn’t have to be weekly. It can be whatever your consistent schedule is, whether it’s once a month, bi-weekly, etc.”

Forging Paths in Uncharted Territory

As the creator economy grows in complexity and scale, Emma sees continued opportunity precisely because the industry lacks established career paths. “We’re still making up job titles and really cultivating our own opportunities,” she notes. “There is no blueprint yet.”

This uncertainty, rather than deterring her, fuels her optimism about the next five years. “I think being able to pivot and learn new skills and really move with the whole industry is really important,” she says.

For those considering entering the space, her VidCon sessions promise practical insights rather than inspirational platitudes. “We’re not holding anything back,” she promises. “We’re being honest about what it’s really like to work behind the scenes.”

As brands continue to pour resources into podcast advertising and creators seek professional support to manage increasingly complex productions, the behind-the-scenes economy Emma champions appears poised for significant growth. In a creator economy often fixated on viral moments and overnight success, her message of sustainable, skill-based career building offers a refreshing—and potentially more lucrative—alternative.

Emma Krebs will be speaking at VidCon Anaheim on June 20, leading “Getting Started with Podcasting” at 12:30 PM and moderating “How to Build a Career Behind the Scenes in the Creator Economy” at 5:15 PM at the Anaheim Convention Center.