Welcome the first edition of the Shams Club newsletter! As we move towards a focus on creator founders, creative entrepreneurs, and the content economy, we’ll be bringing you valuable industry news and the latest updates from our community. Our main goal is to help you grow in the content, creator, and business building aspects of your career.
What we’ll cover in this newsletter:
🌞 Shams Club Creative Retreat: Mexico City, 2026
Happening on January 9th - 12th, we’re bringing together a small group for our first creative retreat. Our programming is tailored to the founder, creative entrepreneur, or creator who is ready to take set a plan that will take 2026 to the next level with a curated community to help you get there.
Spend three nights in the heart of Mexico City where every detail is designed to help you grow, create, and connect. Nourish your days with meals from a private chef, start your mornings with grounding meditation, and dive into workshops that guide you through storytelling, strategy, content, and revenue growth.
You can expect meaningful conversations, creative breakthroughs, restorative moments, explorations of the city, and a space that invites you to rise, expand, and show up fully in the year ahead.
Apply To Attend. Deadline to apply is December 27th.
The Creator Economy Right Now
10 Lessons From a Year of Content Creator Interviews
Creator Diaries spent the past year talking to creators, community builders, and newsletter operators about what it really takes to build a business you actually love. The takeaways are so good.
Start before you have the full picture.
Don’t copy someone at your year five when you’re at year one.
Community is many-to many, not one-to many
Fear of being seen is the biggest thing that holds people back
Quality of audience beats quantity
Listen obsessively- your audience will tell you what to build
Be loud about what you’re building
Building relationships should be your top priority
It takes longer than you think (and that’s ok)
Go back to your why
Creators, this one is for you. If you are building anything online, this piece is worth the read. TikTok is turning single moments into entire story worlds, and the smartest creators are treating every post like a pilot.
📱 TikTok’s role in reshaping short form storytelling
📈 How one viral post can become an entire narrative format
💰 Smart ways to grow and monetize through serialized content
Check out the full piece here and see why serialized content is the creator playbook for 2026.
Filling You In
Billboard Arabia announces their list of 2025 Power Players
Netflix to acquire Warner Bros, shaking up the entertainment world
Youtube launched its very first Youtube Recap
From Stream to Screen: Spotify Rolls Out Music Videos in US and Canada
Movie, “Sinners,” Dominates with 7 Golden Globe Nominations
The Voice of Hind Rajab Earns Best Non-English Film Nomination Golden Globes
Community Marketing is the New Growth Strategy
Good Girl Snacks
Image Credit: Good Girl Snacks
Image Credit: Good Girl Snacks
MENA owned Good Girl Snacks has taken center stage, blending community, flavor, and connection. Founders Yasaman Bakhtiar and Leah Marcus quit their jobs to shake up the pickle market, documenting their journey on social to build excitement and a loyal community, now over 100k strong on Instagram. From intimate pop ups to lively gatherings, Good Girl Snacks is more than a brand, it is a community rooted in joy and togetherness.
Influencers Are Out, Ambassadors Are In
The Ambassador Strategy Behind Good Girl Snacks
Good Girl Snacks is tapping into real community power through its ambassador program, driving awareness in a way that feels authentic and genuine. A smart play in community marketing. Read more about it under this post by Female Founder World.
Image Credit: Female Founder World
Kotn’s Community Centered Strategy
Egyptian-Canadian brand Kotn is set to expand their global footprint following their shift to community-first brand building. The brand shifted to a “community-first” brand approach, moving beyond traditional retail and marketing. This new strategy helped Kotn turn a “cult" following,” into global growth showing that community and belonging can fuel real scalability. Read all about their growth here.
Image Credit: Business of Fashion
Inside Shams Club
Brewing Culture In Venice Beach
Ahmad, founder of Latieh Coffee, is bringing the first Palestinian coffee shop to Venice Beach and he’s using the Build In Public content strategy to grow and it’s working. Follow his journey on TikTok and stay tuned on Instagram for the launch.
Read here to see why his use of build in public strategy drives real community.
@amafosho Join me on the journey of opening up a cafe in LA #venicebeach #arab #coffeeshop #middleeastern #lacoffeeshops
Le Retour, “The Return” Passport Photo book
Shams Club member Roxane Cassehgari Posada created a new photo book that offers an intimate look at her return to Iran after twenty years. Through photographs and poetry, her passport style photo book captures nostalgia, resilience, and the rituals that shape everyday Iranian life.
Explore the making of the photo book here.
That’s all from Shams Club for now, but before you sign off, we’d love to invite you to become a member if you aren’t already. This is were we go in depth on topics to help you grow and have live chat so you can connect with others. Join Shams Club
Social Shows Are Shaping The Content Economy