Creative Control

Creative Control

The days of celebrities, athletes, and creators relying solely on their talent to build their brands is over. Today, it’s all about partnering with brands, investing in companies, or even launching a business of your own. Join host KC Ifeanyi each episode as he talks to one of the world’s most creative people about how their business endeavors intersect with, and grow, their creativity.

Episodes

May 12, 2026 38 mins
Playwright and director Aleshea Harris knew early on she wouldn’t be satisfied playing a role in someone else’s story—she wanted to create her own. Harris initially set out to be an actor, but quickly realized the limits of waiting for permission to tell more expansive stories centered on the Black experience. So began her career as one of the most fearless playwrights in contemporary theater, with works including What to Send Up W...
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In 2022, Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell was the global head of social and editorial at Twitter until he was part of the mass layoffs following Elon Musk's acquisition of the company. Terrell and his fellow Twitter alum DeVaris Brown immediately pivoted to create their own social media platform, Spill. After years of seeing how harmful and exploitative social media apps can be to Black and queer folks in particular, they were determined t...
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When Riz Ahmed feels lost in his creative endeavors, he asks two questions: Does it stretch me? Does it stretch culture? Those questions have guided Ahmed to an Oscar- and Emmy-winning acting career (The Long Goodbye and The Night Of, respectively), a boundary-pushing music catalog, and stories that have redefined who gets to be seen at the center of the frame. And now, in the latest chapter of his career as WePresent's guest curat...
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In 2022, Jennette McCurdy shook the culture with I’m Glad My Mom Died, a brutally honest memoir that spent more than 80 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, sold more than 3 million copies, and is now being adapted as a series for Apple TV+. But more than anything, the book marked a turning point for McCurdy as she reclaimed writing—not acting—as her true creative home.   Now, she’s pushing her passion even further with h...
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Grammy-winning producer Hit-Boy has shaped the sound of modern hip-hop—crafting timeless records for Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Nas, Kanye West, and more. But behind the hits is a deeper story about creative ownership, personal growth, and learning when to let go. Recorded live at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, executive director of editorial programming KC Ifeanyi traces Hit-Boy’s evolution from a teenage producer chasing opportunity t...
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Since its debut, Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross has become Roku’s most-watched unscripted original (show?) ever—igniting global conversations about self-discovery, independence, and the freedom of traveling alone. At Fast Company's 11th annual Innovation Festival this past September, Tracee and Brian Tannenbaum, head of Roku Originals, took to the stage for a candid conversation about how the series redefines unscripted stor...
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Small business owners are staying optimistic — three-quarters expect revenue gains despite ongoing labor shortages, inflation pressures, and economic uncertainty. Their confidence, fueled by strong demand and increased clarity around tax policy, is driving investment and innovation heading into 2026.
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November 3, 2025 43 mins
Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, has spent nearly 25 years turning horror, humor, and high camp into an art form—and a solid business. In this bonus Halloween episode of Creative Control, Peterson opens up about her wild journey from Las Vegas showgirl to pop culture icon, discussing how to build a brand that lasts and her latest project that's been decades in the making: Elvira's Cookbook From Hell...
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Shea Couleé has become an undeniable force in drag, rising from Chicago’s local scene to snatching crowns on RuPaul’s Drag Race to breaking new ground in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Shea has been an integral part of drag becoming mainstream—and she has a few ideas on where it should be headed next. In this episode, Shea charts her creative journey through drag, lessons she’s learned in building a brand, how her Black and queer i...
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Las Vegas Aces star Jewell Loyd has amassed a stack of staggering accolades: garnering two WNBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, and six WNBA All-Star nods, not to mention being anointed as the "Gold Mamba” from the late great Kobe Bryant himself. But Loyd’s impact goes beyond the court.   In 2015, she and her brother launched Loyd & Co., a financial services firm they built to give underserved communities real access to c...
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In this bonus episode, executive director of editorial programming, Kc Ifeanyi, chats with editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan about Fast Company's Innovation Festival 2025. They discuss the latest panels, and Fast Tracks, or what Brendan likes to call "field trips for grown-ups." This is where attendees visit the companies that FC reports on.     Later, Brendan asks Kc about a moment at the innovation festival that "keeps him up at ...
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Neon couldn't burn any brighter than it is now. The film production and distribution company acquired the rights to six consecutive Palme d'Or winners at the Cannes Film Festival: Parasite (2019), Titane (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Anora (2024), and It Was Just an Accident (2025). Parasite was the first foreign language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2020. Longlegs became the hi...
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For 11 years, Joy Reid was one of the most prominent journalists at MSNBC, spearheading three shows for the network, including The Reid Report, A.M. Joy, and The ReidOut. Her sharp commentary earned her top ratings, a loyal following, an Emmy nomination, and an NAACP Image Award. However, she was unexpectedly fired in February when MSNBC announced a network shake-up. Just four months after her ouster, Joy launched The Joy Reid Sho...
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Moby’s prolific music career spans 35 years, most notably helping to bring electronic music to the mainstream—and perhaps less notably, but still importantly, giving so much of that music away for free. Amid consistently putting out albums, Moby launched Mobygratis in 2005, a platform where creatives can download instrumental music made by Moby to use in any number of projects. Moby has continued to update and iterate on Mobygr...
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June 3, 2025 51 secs
The days of celebrities, athletes, and creators relying solely on their talent to build their brands is over. Today, it’s all about partnering with brands, investing in companies, or even launching a business of your own. Join host KC Ifeanyi each episode as he talks to one of the world’s most creative people about how their business endeavors intersect with, and grow, their creativity.
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September 18, 2023 1 min
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Steven Lim used to work at Buzzfeed, cohosting the wildly popular show ‘Worth It.’ But a few years ago, he left to start his own digital studio, Watcher Entertainment, to take a chance on making content a little differently. Being a creator himself, Lim knew the struggle of writers, producers, and talent fighting to keep their own IP and earn what they’re worth, so he decided to take a unique approach that could be a new standard f...
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Last week, we took a trip to VidCon in Anaheim, California, to meet up with some of the top creators in the industry. Joel Bervell, a fourth-year medical student at Washington State University, rose to fame on TikTok for calling out racial inequities in the healthcare system. One of his first videos, posted early on in the pandemic, taught people that pulse oximeters can overestimate oxygen saturation on people with darker skin—a f...
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SuperOrdinary launched in 2017 as a way for U.S. brands to reach consumers in China. The company has since expanded to working with creators in other international markets. SuperOrdinary cofounder and CEO Julian Reis explains how his company is further leaning into what he calls the “supporter economy”—and how he’s navigating operations amid geopolitical tensions.
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Founded in 2017, Cameo is a platform that allows people to buy custom messages from celebrities to send to their family and friends. The company has expanded the business and created a viable revenue stream for celebrities and creators—even for those who may not be in the traditional Hollywood spotlight. Cofounder and CEO Steven Galanis believes the company amounts to a public utility, connecting celebrities to fans in a direct, ac...
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