CREATOR: The Podcast

About CREATOR: The Podcast

Join Matador Network CEO Ross Borden as he uncovers how top content creators turned their passions into thriving businesses. Each episode delves into creators' origin stories and biggest obstacles—from early setbacks to breakthrough moments—while revealing their strategies for growing audiences, monetizing content, and building brands while traveling the world. Perfect for aspiring creators and entrepreneurs seeking actionable insights to launch their own creative careers. Learn more at creatorthepodcast.com

Publisher

Matador Network

Category

business · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Jan 2025

Latest episode

3 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

79 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Nov 2026

   I Flew to Egypt for One Day | Kevin Droniak

   What if your next international trip lasted less than a day? Kevin Droniak went viral for “micro travel,” flying somewhere and coming home in under 24 hours. He walks Ross Borden through a day trip to Cairo, sleeping at the back of the plane, a flat tire that nearly derailed a day in Ireland, and how he plans a full day in Rome. He also explains why he started traveling this way and how he uses Google Flights and Expedia to find deals that make it work. This is a segment from the episode “Kevin Droniak: Going Viral for ‘Micro Travel,’” originally aired on September 23, 2025.

2. 

   20 Oct 2026

   How "WeekendMaxxing" Makes Epic Travel Possible on PTO | Garrett Sears

   He turned a weekend and $300 into a viral volcano trip — now hundreds are copying him. 🎙️ Subscribe to CREATOR: The Podcast for more conversations with leading creators, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and storytellers. In this episode of CREATOR: The Podcast, Garrett Sears — the travel creator behind the viral "weekend maxxing" movement — talks about how anyone with a job, limited PTO, and a few hundred dollars can take bucket-list trips on a regular weekend. Garrett has exploded across TikTok and Instagram by making travel radically accessible. He started with zero travel budget and no audience — stitching viral travel videos and telling people exactly where those places were and how much they cost. That "Shazam of travel" approach snowballed into original content, brand deals, and a community of followers who are actually booking the trips he posts about. Ross and Garrett go deep on the weekend maxxing concept, the Guatemala volcano hike that started it all, how to find cheap flights and plan fast trips, and what's next for Garrett's content and business. Garrett breaks down how he: • Coined "weekend maxxing" — epic travel adventures squeezed into a single weekend with one or two days of PTO • Hiked and camped on an active volcano in Guatemala for a few hundred dollars — and inspired hundreds to do the same • Grew from zero to viral by stitching popular travel videos and filling the information gap in the comments • Uses Google Flights' "search anywhere" tool to find affordable weekend destinations within reach • Gained ~90,000 Instagram followers from a single weekend maxing video • Plans each trip around one unforgettable activity — then lets the rest unfold organically • Went from broke college student road-tripping Iceland for under $400 to full-time travel creator • Is building a new series and a travel product to make weekend trips even more accessible Whether you're stuck in a 9-to-5 dreaming about travel or a creator figuring out how to break into the travel space, this conversation is the blueprint. 🔗 Follow Garrett Sears: https://www.instagram.com/yourdestinationinspiration/ | TikTok: @destination.inspiration 🔗 To learn more about CREATOR: The Podcast, visit https://creatorthepodcast.com/ Conversations with the people building careers, businesses, and culture through creativity. 🎙️ Subscribe to CREATOR: The Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creator-the-podcast/id1788987273 🎙️ Subscribe to CREATOR: The Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aHdngxWvkUbpDlmmCq8Z6?si=zQjPxLneRaOUIwP-y5BmyA 🕐 CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introduction to Garrett Sears 01:19 - Defining 'Weekend Maxing' 02:12 - Making travel accessible & avoiding doomscrolling 03:56 - Viral impact & audience DMs (Guatemala & Iceland) 05:17 - Weekend Maxing destinations: Iceland, Puerto Rico & Norway 06:27 - How he selects weekend destinations (Google Flights "Anywhere") 07:17 - Tetons & US weekend trips 08:08 - Future Weekend Maxing ideas 11:06 - Planning trips around one big activity (volcano hike) 13:22 - Hiking Fuego & Acatenango (trip details) 16:32 - Volcano safety, risks, and guide precautions 21:05 - Garrett's creator origin story & early travel 26:32 - 'Shazam of travel' strategy and content approach 29:17 - Content strategy that converts (value & accessibility) 30:35 - Future plans: long-form, product/service, expansion 35:31 - If you could live in only three countries 40:49 - Where to follow Garrett & sign-off #GarrettSears #WeekendMaxing #TravelCreator #BudgetTravel #CreatorPodcast #ContentCreator #TravelTips #VolcanoHike #Guatemala #Iceland

3. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Virgin Will Pay You $100K to Travel the World: Chris Tomkins on How to Become the next Head of Yes

   He spent six months getting paid to travel the world with Virgin. Now it's YOUR turn. 🔴 VIRGIN IS LOOKING FOR ITS NEXT HEAD OF YES Six paid months of flights, hotels, voyages and extraordinary experiences. You'll get £75,000 if you're based in the UK or $100,000 if you're based in the US. Want in? Good! To apply, tell Virgin about a time you said yes in a video posted on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram. Tag @virgin and use #headofyes. Apply by October 20. 👉 Learn more about Head of Yes: https://www.virgin.com/about-virgin/latest/ultimate-side-hustle-alert-were-looking-for-a-head-of-yes In this episode of CREATOR: The Podcast, Chris Tomkins, Virgin's first-ever Head of Yes, shares the full story of how he went from part-time watch salesman and aspiring content creator to travelling the world for one of the biggest brands on the planet. Over six months, Chris said yes to Edinburgh, New York City, a Virgin Voyage, a luxurious stay in Mallorca, a Southern States road trip, and a first-class press flight to Seoul for Virgin Atlantic's brand-new route. Chris breaks down how he: • Went from posting his first video while backpacking in Australia to landing a life-changing brand deal with Virgin • Almost didn't apply — and the conversation with his dad that changed everything • Created the application video that won him the role (and his tips for standing out) • Navigated content creation on the road while balancing Virgin's brand goals with authentic storytelling • Experienced Valentine's Day in NYC, including convincing a stranger to say YES to a helicopter ride • Fell in love with cruising on Virgin Voyages — and why he calls it "a happy little universe in the middle of the sea" • Flew first class to Seoul on a Virgin Atlantic press flight for a brand-new route launch • Met Richard Branson on board a Virgin Voyages ship and what "Dr. Yes" is really like in person • Maintained the freedom to work with other brands during his six-month Virgin engagement 🔗 Follow Chris Tomkins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christomkins1/ 🔗 Follow Chris Tomkins on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christomkins123 🔗 Learn more about CREATOR: The Podcast: https://creatorthepodcast.com/ 🕐 CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introduction to Chris Tomkins 01:04 - Overview of Head of Yes 01:44 - Background & path to applying 02:26 - How he heard about Head of Yes 04:10 - Application video and "yes" moment 06:51 - Notification reaction & reveal filming 09:12 - First trip reveal: Edinburgh 13:11 - New York trip & helicopter challenge 17:14 - Virgin Voyages cruise experience 21:32 - Southern States road trip & New Orleans 22:23 - Content creation process with Virgin 24:11 - Growth, exposure & community response 25:14 - South Korea press flight and Seoul highlights 27:27 - Meeting Richard Branson 29:10 - Season two application details & submission deadline 30:16 - Advice for applicants and content tips 31:10 - Working with brands and becoming full-time creator 33:59 - Passport question, closing thoughts & where to find Chris * This episode is proudly produced in partnership with Virgin. Terms apply, see https://www.virgin.com/about-virgin/latest/ultimate-side-hustle-alert-were-looking-for-a-head-of-yes. 18+ UK and US residents only. By submitting an application video, you agree to your video being reposted (in whole or in part) on Virgin channels. Head of Yes is a paid content-creator engagement selected on merit, not a prize draw or employment relationship, and is subject to the selected individual entering into a content creator agreement with Virgin Red. Apply by 20 October.

Who has been a guest on CREATOR: The Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Phil The Culture
• Phil Milwaukee
• Eva zu Beck
• Dan Cooking
• Max Kolo

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 51 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

88

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact CREATOR: The Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about CREATOR: The Podcast