You Don’t Need Fans. You Need Teammates

In business and marketing, it’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing people as numbers: subscribers, ticket sales, conversions, attendees. 

For generations, we have approached this in a way that makes everything seem tidy and measurable. However, this mindset takes away from our true purpose: to build something together.

If success is measured only by attendance or payment, we overlook the more human and meaningful indicator of success: whether people felt included.

Is it better to have people in the room, or in the team?

This situation is similar to our school days; everything felt better when we were on teams with our friends. It was never enjoyable to look around at a group of strangers. We always had more fun when we felt like we were part of something with people we knew.

Last week was a big week in so many ways.

It was Creator Day, but during the week, we also tested out additional events that complemented the main occasion. We started the week with a Hall of Fame and ended it with a live podcast, which was something we had never done before.

We also refined our Working Together section of the day. This is our close where people come together to create a piece of work they promise to bring to life, but may have put to the side. Having other people on your side is about accountability, motivation and also encouragement.

By the end, I was exhausted, but it was worth it. People stepped up and participated. Whether they were delivering a presentation or attending the full week, everything felt worthwhile.

When attendees bring energy, warmth, kindness, and good feelings, it transforms an event into a collective act of making.

We are excited to announce that for Creator Day 2026, we are transforming it into Creator Week.

The traditional event model is built on transactions: you pay for a ticket, you receive a set schedule, you meet people and you leave with notes from the day.

The best events, the ones people don’t stop talking about, aren’t built like that. They feel different because the people in the room are part of something bigger than just sitting and listening. They’re not treated like consumers. They’re welcomed as part of the team.

I’ve learned over the years that it doesn’t work where you keep a distance between you and your audience. This creates a hierarchy and only egos want to create fan clubs. I used to think that was the way I had to approach everything. If I created a ‘know it all’ mindset it would give me a sense of worth where people would commit. 

When you bring everything right back, your audience is your team. 

It’s your audience who will ultimately decide if what you are doing is right for them. When it resonates, they feel more compelled to join in. A sense of ‘team’ is much better than simply spoon-feeding people.

There’s solid evidence behind this participatory approach.

I’ve seen it for myself, people don’t want to just passively consume, when it feels right, they want to contribute. That instinct doesn’t go away at events. In fact, events are prime places to channel that desire into something real.

I spend a lot of time asking people and getting feedback. This is what I am seeing when you invite people in, rather than hands off. Engagement deepens when people feel they’re building something, not just attending it. Those who contribute and know they are getting input back, could be as simple as a reply that isn’t from the company LinkedIn page, are more likely to return, share and stay connected long after the event good feeling has disappeared.

When we help make something together, we care more about it. We advocate for it. We remember it.

We are currently considering the idea of producing a newspaper for Creator Day 2026. The attendees will become the contributors to this newspaper. When it is published during the week, it will serve as a snapshot of that moment in time, showcasing the contributions of everyone involved. Together, we can all be the stars of the show.

You don’t need a community of influencers. You need a team of insiders. Over the years I thought that if you get a B2B celebrity it’s going to bring in hoards of people, that isn’t the case. 

Some of the most powerful Creator Day 2025 moments weren’t on the stage. They happened in passing. 

Ella Crossen White had never presented before and she kicked off the whole week as part of the Hall Of Fame event. Ella was part of the Creator Lab at Bournemouth & Poole College and has only recently started her career. She shared her aspirations and hopes for the future.

What no one saw before, was that Ella was extremely anxious and nervous before stepping up to present. By the end of the week, Ella was on the crest of a wave with the kindness of others and feeling the love both online and in person. You can’t capture that and how Ella felt.

The message I want to share is that this is what it takes to make an occasion feel lived in. The whole experience is shaped and interpreted by each individual.When it comes to treating everyone as part of a team, not the transaction, it sounds east on paper.

How do you build that, practically? This is what I’ve learned. 

1) Start With Participation, Not Just Performance

You have to build in chances for people to be involved. Whether it’s submitting a story for a newspaper or asking others who have a creative project (podcast, events, community) to bring their format in front of a new audience. You have to make it easy and low-risk for someone to raise a hand and step forward.

2) Make The Contributions Visible

Don’t bury people’s input. Thank people publicly. Give space for people to be seen. For instance, in the round up emails from this years Creator Day, the posts from others take centre stage so people can read. This means that an algorithm doesn’t determine who gets to see.

3) Keep The Feedback Loop Open

The input from the community becomes fuel for the next delivery. For instance, comments can turn into articles. You can have deeper dive sessions from aspects of the day at a future date (we’re doing that in YATM Club). People can suggest ideas that they want to bring into the mix for a future gathering. It becomes one big loop of belonging.

Over the years, I know I want to deliver and design with people, not just for them.

What we’re building here isn’t just a better conference. It’s easy to say you want to make each year better than the next, why not focus more on how you build momentum with everyone involved?

It’s a model for how community and creativity can merge, transforming your audience into your editorial board, event team, and even R&D department.

It’s a mindset you can take into your own business too.

Whether you have a newsletter, a consultancy or a personal trainer, ask yourself:

– Are people just “customers”? Or are they part of the story?

– Are you broadcasting at them, or building with them?

– Do people feel invited, or involved?

When you stop viewing people as transactions, you unlock something far more powerful than any marketing tactic: trust, commitment, and contribution.

Creator Week will be wc11th May 2026 and Creator Day will be Thursday 14th May 2026. The EarlyWhirlyBird is £145 until Friday 30th May.

Book here.

Creator Week 2026 is already on the move and if it feels right with you, we want you in it. Not just as a name on a list, but as a teammate in the making.

Whether you have an idea for the newspaper, an event you’d like to host during Creator Week, or a discussion you want to start, consider this your invitation.

This isn’t our event. It’s yours.