The Future Belongs to Smaller Creators

The Future Belongs to Smaller Creators

The future belongs to smaller creators. Here’s why:

For the past 10+ years, I’ve been at the forefront of noticing that 90% of brands that have budget to pay creators have solely chased the biggest numbers they could find. I can tell you firsthand that they’ve poured their budgets into creators with massive followings, hoping that their huge following would somehow guarantee sales, and dare I say a 3x ROI.

But what’s happening now is quietly rewriting the rules of the industry.

My predicting that 2026, smaller creators will reign supreme.

They’re more agile, more authentic, and more connected to their audiences than ever before. They understand their peeps because they truly know how to build trust in a way that feels human and genuine. And with brands contuining to tighten their budgets and social media audiences becoming more and more skeptical of anything that feels overly polished (thanks Gen-Z), real influence is starting to look a lot less like going viral and a lot more like credibility.

But here’s the thing, if you’re not prepared for this next wave, you will be left behind and “catching up” is going to be 10x more difficult. Why? Simply put, there are a sh*t ton more “smaller” creators than macro ones. So the more there are, the more competition you’re going to have.

This post isn’t to cause alarm. Far from it actually. What I want you to do is actually take this opportunity to SEIZE IT. Claim it. MAKE IT YOURS!

If you’re interested on how you can get ahead in 2026, come join my free live mentorship session on December 10th at 11 a.m. EST. This session is for the creators who are ready to take control of their growth in 2026 and learn how to leverage their size as their strength.

We’ll go over what’s driving this shift in the creator economy and what it means for your strategy moving forward. I’ll walk you through how smaller creators can position themselves for brand partnerships that align with their values, how to design growth that feels intentional instead of reactive, and how to keep showing up even when algorithms and engagement patterns keep changing.

→ Reserve your seat here

I know that for many creators, 2025 felt like an uphill climb, but this new year belongs to the ones who decide to lead differently. The ones who will prioritize clarity, consistency, and confidence in the value they already bring to the table.

I’ll see you live on December 10th.

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XX Idalia