What CEOs Can Learn from MrBeast and Ms. Rachel
Why creators are winning the trust economy—and what executives must change to keep up.
In a world where resumes still open doors and proximity to power still trumps originality, two creators quietly rewrote the rules of leadership—not by climbing corporate ladders, but by showing up with a camera, a mission, and an obsessive commitment to understanding their audience.
They didn’t pitch venture capitalists. They didn’t wait for industry gatekeepers to give them the nod. They simply served their community, relentlessly, and in doing so built not just platforms, but movements.
MrBeast and Ms. Rachel may not look like your typical CEOs, but they’ve built businesses with global reach, $100M+ in revenue, and brand loyalty most companies only dream of. Their edge? Audience obsession, emotional resonance, and the courage to show up like real humans.
If you’re still chasing pedigree over community, you’re missing the future.
Because this isn’t just the creator economy anymore, it’s the connection economy. And the leaders who win next won’t be the ones who shout the loudest, but the ones who listen best.
While most executives are still chasing scale, quarterly earnings, or next-quarter headlines, creators like MrBeast and Ms. Rachel are playing a different game altogether, one rooted in belonging.
If you’re a CEO wondering why engagement is down and loyalty is fragile—you might want to start watching YouTube.
Forget Pedigree. Build Movements.
MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) and Ms. Rachel (Rachel Accurso) didn’t go to Stanford or study marketing. They started with nothing more than a problem worth solving, an internet connection, and an unshakable belief in their audience.
MrBeast reverse-engineered virality like a scientist—studying click-through rates, drop-off data, and title formats to hook viewers in the first second and keep them watching until the last. Every dollar he makes from his YouTube empire gets reinvested into creating more value for his audience, whether that means bigger stunts, stronger storytelling, bigger giveaways, better production, more impact. His snack brand Feastables outsold Hershey in some stores, with zero paid advertising, because he built community before he built distribution.
Ms. Rachel didn’t set out to be an influencer. She was a teacher. A mother of a speech-delayed son. She took her background in early childhood education and created Songs for Littles, a YouTube channel that became a lifeline for millions of exhausted parents and toddlers. Her videos aren’t just educational content, they’re rituals, moments of connection, and pockets of peace for burned-out families. One in four millennial parents in the U.S. rely on her content weekly, not because of a marketing funnel, but because they trust her. She speaks directly to their fears and delivers one thing: safety through consistency.
These two didn’t need pitch decks. They didn’t need press. They built something far more valuable: trust.
Why Brands Need a Creator’s Playbook
This past week, Substack writer
did a deep dive on social shows in her excellent Link in Bio newsletter. Two examples she shared stuck with me because they prove that storytelling-first marketing isn’t just for YouTube giants, it works for brands of every size.In Northfield, Minnesota, a tiny coffee shop called Little Joy built a devoted following with episodic series like “Day __ of trying new drinks until we find one good enough for the winter menu” and “Latte DIY or buy”. No trending sounds. No gimmicks. Just consistency, creativity, and a format people wanted to return to. Their revenue is up 40% year over year. As owner Cody Larsen told Karten (August 5, 2025 newsletter):
“Social media is replacing television. And just like in television, there are shows you tune in to watch and commercials you suffer through. Stop making commercials. Be the show.” - Cody Larsen
Karten also featured how New York based points-on-rent company Bilt created Roomies, a scripted mockumentary series about 20-somethings navigating adulthood. Instead of running it on their brand account, they launched a separate @RoomiesRoomiesRoomies account and let the story breathe on its own. Eight episodes in, they’ve racked up over 8M views and 115K followers—many of whom have no idea it’s tied to a brand. Why? Because it’s entertainment first, marketing second.
I found Rachel’s analysis and interviews—and the larger conversation she’s sparking—fascinating, because it reinforces what I’ve been saying for years: brands win when they stop pushing products and start building stories that connect.
Last week, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced the launch of their own in-house content and production studio, Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, to get closer to sports fans—signaling that even Fortune 500 retail is waking up: audience connection isn’t a marketing afterthought. It’s a strategic asset.
The throughline: The brands winning are the ones acting like creators—making shows people care about, not ads people skip.
Audience Development Is the New Leadership Skill
Most companies still treat audience development as a marketing tactic. The best creators treat it as a leadership skill. They don’t just push product; they build ecosystems of human connection. Communities. Places people return to—not because of the algorithm, but because it feels like they belong. They operate like architects of culture, not just marketers of product.
Here’s what CEOs should be stealing from the creator playbook:
1. Know Your Audience Like You Know Your P&L
MrBeast knows the exact second viewers click away—and he fixes it.
Ms. Rachel listens for the emotional pain points of her audience and creates to soothe them.
CEO Action: Go beyond demographics into behavioral and emotional insights. Use feedback loops, live conversations, surveys, and social listening to understand not just who your audience is, but what they actually need, and where your brand fits in. Your next business breakthrough might not come from a trend report, but from a parent on TikTok explaining what they really need.
2. Create Rituals, Not Just Products
Ms. Rachel’s videos are part of family routines.
MrBeast’s drops are cultural events fans plan around.
CEO Action: Build rituals into your brand. Create weekly touchpoints, founder notes, behind-the-scenes drops, or content series that become habitual—not just promotional. When people anticipate your presence, you’ve built a brand that matters.
3. Double Down on Trust
MrBeast has raised millions for charity and built brands off the back of community-first marketing.
Ms. Rachel built global reach without paid media, simply through parent-to-parent recommendations.
CEO Action: Creators don’t gatekeep. Be honest. Be human. Show your audience what’s behind the curtain. Admit when you’re wrong. Show your values in action. Trust is the algorithm—and it's earned through transparency.
The Data That Should Make You Rethink Everything
69% of consumers trust creators more than brands (Matter, 2023)
81% of consumers need to trust a brand to even consider purchasing (Edelman, 2023)
70% of consumers feel more connected to brands with socially active CEOs. (SproutSocial, 2025)
90% of Gen Z prefers creators over celebrities. (Morning Consult, 2023)
25% of U.S. millennial parents rely on Ms. Rachel’s content weekly. (2024 surveys)
$100M+ businesses (MrBeast & Ms. Rachel)—with 0 paid ads.
These aren’t anomalies. They’re market signals.
If you’re still spending more on ad creative than community, you’re not just behind—you’re building the wrong foundation.
Why Most Companies Still Miss the Mark
Too many leaders still operate from a place of fear—fear of failing, of being seen, of wasting budget. But creators don’t have that luxury. They test, listen, adapt. They ship imperfectly and course-correct in public. That’s not recklessness—that’s modern R&D.
In industries like Hollywood, legacy thinking runs deeper. Executives want guarantees, built-in audiences, IP, safe bets. They wait for permission. And in the waiting, they miss the stories audiences are already telling them they care about. They overlook the free market research playing out in real time on TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and Substack.
For development executives, this is gold. Use it to shape your next piece of IP. Test storylines before you pour millions into production. Let your audience show you what resonates—then build from there.
Creators are building businesses that feel different—because they are.
They lead with trust. And trust scales faster than impressions.
A New Leadership Playbook
This isn’t about becoming a YouTuber. It’s about leading like one—boldly, iteratively, transparently, with deep commitment to your community.
Here’s your new leadership stack:
Think like a creator: Launch imperfectly. Share your learning. Iterate in public.
Build like a founder: Community is your most resilient moat. Make people feel like they belong to something, not just that they bought something.
Lead with clarity: Ms. Rachel’s mission is simple: help kids learn to talk. MrBeast’s is clear: entertain and give back. If your audience can’t repeat your “why” in one sentence, your brand isn’t clear enough.
The Future: Ecosystems, Not Empires
Gatekeeping is eroding. Power is shifting from institutional hierarchy to emotional resonance. The next generation of leaders won’t be defined by pedigree or scale, but by their ability to build trust at scale. They’re optimizing for connection.
The leaders who win will treat their audience like co-creators. They’ll understand that clarity, transparency, and empathy aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re growth strategies.
If you want to lead like it’s 2025, look to the creators.
They’re not just making content.
They’re building the future.
With courage,
Maryam
If this resonated with you, share it with your team, your boss, or anyone who understands the power of the creator economy.
SOURCES
Karten, Rachel. Link in Bio Newsletter — August 5, 2025 (“Is Your Instagram Engagement Stuck? Featuring Little Joy”) & August 7, 2025 (“Inside Bilt’s Popular ‘Roomies’ Series”).
Matter Communications. The Rise of the Creator Economy: Why Consumers Trust Creators Over Brands (2023)
Edelman Trust Barometer. Brand Trust 2023 Special Report (2023)
Sprout Social. Social CEOs: The Business Impact of Leadership Visibility (2025)
Morning Consult. Gen Z’s Favorite Influencers and Celebrities (2023)
U.S. Parent Survey on Digital Learning Tools (2024)
The Hollywood Reporter, Dick’s Sporting Goods Launches Entertainment Studio (2025)
Thanks for the shout!