Former Hartbeat CEO and award-winning producer Thai Randolph believes creators need to build a strong foundation in business.
The serial entrepreneur, who currently serves as a board member and strategic advisor at Rock The Bells, knows firsthand what it takes to succeed.
Randolph co-founded Hartbeat, the multi-platform media company now led by founder and comedian Kevin Hart. Hartbeat was valued at $650 million following a merger she spearheaded in 2022. She made history by leading one of the largest funding rounds ever secured by a Black woman.
Beyond this, Randolph’s career encompasses success across content, consumers, and commerce. She has helped Hart, WPP, Publicis, Sony, and Facebook with brand development and revenue.
While on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas, she shared her industry insights on what she believes is a requirement for creators in today’s digital age.
Business Acumen Is A Must
“I really don’t think you can afford today to be just a creator and not have some business acumen,” Randolph said on the podcast. “And I say that because if we look 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, you can say creators have an opportunity to promote themselves across social Instagram and TikTok and Snap, but they almost have an obligation to now you have to be able to put the work out. Even the machines that organize around us, the labels, the managers, the agents, they have to market you through a stream. And those streams are analytical in nature.”
She continued, “Now, does that mean that everyone has to be digital first? Does that mean that everyone has to take the same approach to promotion or that everyone has to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to build an enterprise around myself? Maybe not, right?’ There are going to be different flavors. Just like in business, pure entrepreneurs operate on different levels of scale, but creativity in a digital age is inherently entrepreneurial, period.”
Creators Paving The Way
Additionally, Randolph gives certain examples of creators who have masterfully navigated the terrain as both creator and entrepreneur, scaling from endorsement deals to business arrangements that reflect their awareness of value, resulting in greater participation, whether that forms through brand deals, equity agreements, or perhaps forming a business of their own.
Examples of this include MrBeast, a YouTuber with at least 377 million subscribers who has profited from brand sponsorships and his own chocolate snack brand (Feastables), which earned $250 million in revenue in 2024, per Bloomberg. Understanding the structure of business has led MrBeast to generate revenue that surpasses his earnings from content alone, according to Bloomberg.
Moreover, Feastables is under the umbrella of his holding company Beast Industries, which is forecasted to generate $899 million in revenue in 2025 and $1.6 billion in 2026, Business Insider reports. He hopes to branch out with other launches that include vitamins and electrolytes, soap and lotion, and beverages. MrBeast is also a shareholder in the snack brand Lunchly and is the co-owner of the software firm Viewstats as of 2023.
“Influence has shifted away from institutions to individuals, and these individual brands are now some of the fastest growing in certain segments,” Randolph said. “You talk about MrBeast. When was the last time the chocolate industry was disrupted?”
Randolph also mentioned Tabitha Brown’s business blueprint. Brown first went viral from a viral video eating a Whole Foods sandwich. In a full-circle moment, she became a brand ambassador of the food retailer. VegNews reports she appeared in their 2018 marketing campaign and went on to partner with brands such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Sabra. Brown currently has an ongoing partnership with Target, leading to her own apparel, home goods, food, and kitchenware line. Brown is also a co-founder and CEO of her haircare company, Donna’s Recipe, which Target also carries, and has a fragrance line with her husband, Chance.
