Building with Intention in a Creator Economy
Why Mad Focused is returning—and how we’re helping creatives cut through the noise and build what matters.
Mad Focused Is Back.
After a long pause, the Mad Focused newsletter is back—and more intentional than ever.
I first launched this platform in 2020, at a time when everything was in flux. I was pregnant, unemployed, and living in New York City at the height of the pandemic. After over a decade leading marketing strategy for some of the world’s biggest brands, I knew I didn’t want to go back to business as usual. Instead, I wanted to use my skills to help people—not just companies—navigate a rapidly shifting cultural and economic landscape.
What began as a consulting practice quickly became something more: a way to support working creatives—freelancers, small business owners, cultural workers, and anyone building something meaningful—by offering both strategic insight and grounded support. The goal? To help people grow without losing touch with their values, voice, or creative spark.
Now, Mad Focused returns with that same mission in mind—offering cultural context, creative clarity, and strategic perspective for people doing real work in a noisy world.
What’s a “working creative”?
We define working creatives as people who use their creativity, talent, and lived experience to build businesses, careers, or passion projects—on their own terms.
That includes:
Independent artists and entrepreneurs
Creatives working inside agencies or companies
Side hustlers with a vision still in development
Most of our community doesn’t have a traditional business background. What they do have is talent, perspective, and a hunger for meaningful impact. Mad Focused exists to meet them where they are—and help them go further.
What You’ll Find Here
Mad Focused isn’t another hype cycle newsletter. We don’t care about the latest brand stunt or billion-dollar rebrand. This is a space for slower, smarter, more culturally attuned insights—for those building something rooted in purpose.
Expect regular updates on:
🧠 Marketing & Consumer Trends
📲 Platform Shifts & Digital Strategy
🧰 Content Innovation & Storytelling Tactics
🎨 Cultural + Creative Inspiration
📆 Productivity Tips & Seasonal Planning
🌍 Localism, Ethical Consumption & Conscious Branding
Monthly digests will always be free. Weekly deep-dives on key themes—from community-driven marketing to creator monetization—are available for paid subscribers.
What We're Noticing Lately
Here are just a few shifts shaping how creative work is being made, shared, and sustained:
🤖 The rise of AI-assisted creativity—and the questions it raises about authorship, value, and authenticity
🌱 A return to organic community-building—think Substack, Reddit, DMs, and real conversations over big ad spends
🧩 Creator identity over brand identity—people are connecting with people, not logos
🛍️ A push toward intentional consumption—supporting small, local, and value-aligned businesses
⚡ The growing realization that everyone is a creator—but not everyone is building with intention
Whether you’re pivoting, evolving, or just trying to stay grounded in your creative work, Mad Focused is here to help you navigate what’s next—with insight, intention, and a little bit of edge.
Hit subscribe. Let’s build something meaningful.