{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Terrible Creative","title":"Economic Dumpster Fire - Why the Creative Economy Split in Half (and How to Navigate It)","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3913,"description":"Episode 34 | November 2025\n\nI was in my garage last Tuesday, shooting beef tallow. Yes, beef tallow—jarred cow fat with a marketing department. And while I'm adjusting highlights on solidified animal fat for the fourth time, I'm thinking: I used to shoot for Rolling Stone. What happened?\nThen my friend Candice texted. An illustrator in St. Louis. I asked how business was going.\n\"Everything is a garbage fire out there.\"\nAnd that's when I realized: we're both drowning. But for completely opposite reasons.\nShe doesn't have enough work. I have plenty of work—just the wrong work. And neither of us could shake the feeling that something bigger was happening.\nSo I dug into the data. Economic reports, central bank surveys, and consumer debt studies. And what I found explains why so many freelancers feel like they're either sprinting or sinking right now.\nThe economy didn't just slow down. It split in half.\n\nWhat You'll Learn in This Episode:\nThe Three-Restaurant Economy\nWhy Restaurant Two (the middle market) closed and nobody told you\nWhere the money actually went (and who's still spending)\nWhy some creatives are drowning in commodity work while others have empty calendars\nThe Economic Data (Made Human)\nThe US service sector flatlined in September 2025 (ISM hit 50.0)\n37% of European businesses postponed investment plans\n84% of people with credit card debt are cutting non-essentials\nThe top 20% now account for two-thirds of all consumption\nWhat to Actually Do Tomorrow\nHow to audit your clients into three categories (A, B, C)\nThree questions to ask yourself this week\nThe 80/20 split that keeps you sane\nWhere to find recession-resistant work (even if it's unglamorous)\nWhy Craft Still Matters\nWhat my daughter Lucy's drawings taught me about showing up\nMy brother Charlie's legacy (and why it has nothing to do with accolades)\nWhy being strategic doesn't mean becoming cynical\nTimestamps:\n00:00 - Cold Open: Beef Tallow in My Garage\n08:45 - The Text Message That Changed...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/qsOnUwMbUF-PHJZ7RwOm0Uh1mXJoqDwCz1nHN0z7r7Q/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wMTIy/MjM3Yzk2YTUzZDE5/ZjNiODE0Y2MxOTgz/MGRiNC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}