In this episode of the Creator Method Podcast, Gary Lipovetsky sits down with Vivian Tu, also known as Your Rich BFF, to unpack the gap between creator revenue and real creator wealth. Vivian is a former Wall Street trader, bestselling author, founder of Your Rich BFF, and one of the leading voices in financial education today. Together, Gary and Vivian break down why so many creators look successful online while quietly struggling financially. They discuss the pressure to appear rich, the lifestyle traps creators fall into, and why luxury spending, viral moments, and big brand deals do not automatically create long-term security. Vivian shares the biggest money mistakes creators make, from hiring too early and overspending after their first big check to failing to plan for taxes, inconsistent revenue, and slow brand payments. She also explains why creators need to think like business owners, manage cash flow over the year, and separate revenue from real wealth. The conversation also dives into Vivian’s journey from Wall Street to BuzzFeed to building Your Rich BFF, including how her first finance video went viral, why she left a high-paying sales career, and how she built a personal brand around making money conversations more accessible. Gary and Vivian also explore how creators can build wealth beyond their personal brand by investing responsibly, hiring strategically, and creating businesses or assets that can exist beyond their face, name, or posting schedule. If you are a creator, founder, or entrepreneur trying to turn attention into long-term financial security, this episode will change the way you think about money. 04:00 Why Creators Are Struggling Financially 05:30 The Pressure to Look Rich Online 07:30 The Biggest Money Mistakes Creators Make 09:00 Why Creators Hire Too Early 11:00 The $40,000 Fashion Week Mistake 13:00 Luxury Cars, Status, and Bad Creator Spending 15:00 How Each City Has Its Own Status Trap 18:00 Vivian’s Wall Street Origin Story 21:00 Moving From Finance to BuzzFeed 23:00 How Vivian Started Creating Finance Content 25:00 Going Viral With Her First Video 26:30 Building Your Rich BFF While Working Full-Time 28:00 Why Vivian Almost Burned Out 30:00 Leaving a $625K Sales Career 33:00 The Danger of Inconsistent Creator Revenue 35:00 How Creators Should Manage Cash Flow 38:00 What to Do With Your First Big Check 40:00 Gary and Valeria’s First $10,000 Brand Deal 42:00 Hiring, Delegation, and Valuing Your Time 44:00 How Creators Can Build Real Wealth 45:00 Why Personal Brands Need to Become Bigger Businesses 46:00 Building Ask Dolly 49:00 Should Creators Take Equity Deals? 51:00 Vivian’s Investing Philosophy 52:00 Why Diversification Matters 53:00 Building an AI Financial Platform 55:00 Creating Something That Outlives Your Personal Brand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices