TL;DR: Music curator and Creator Justin Westphal turned his passion for sharing music into a sustainable online business. Discover how he leveraged Stan to monetize his audience, quit his bartending job, and diversify his income streams—earning over $70,000.
Justin Westphal is a renowned artist, music curator, and Creator from Anaheim Hills, California. With over 3.2 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, he’s known for sharing curated roundups of songs—even curating playlists for TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.
His Creator journey began with a passion for sharing good music, inspired by listening to hip hop with his dad as a kid, and evolved from bartending to becoming a full-time Creator who not only curates music but creates his own.
Learn how Justin leveraged Stan to transform viral momentum into a sustainable online business that isn’t reliant on one-off promotions or platform payouts.
The Challenge: Finding a Way to Monetize Virality
Justin’s Creator journey was full of trial and error. He started on Vine, went viral on Twitter, and even grew a comedy couples TikTok page with his wife to 50,000 followers.
But after feeling too reliant on others to capture footage, he realized he needed a solo venture that combined his passions: music and creating videos.
Around that same time, he came across a TikTok video of someone suggesting playlist songs. “I listened to the songs they shared and knew I could do way better than this. I decided ‘I’m going to go for it.’”
So he started creating his own videos featuring curated songs, and his 10th video hit a million views. As he continued posting every single day, that growth skyrocketed.
At the time, Justin was working as a bartender—a job he hated—and was in “the most depressed mind state” he’d ever been.
“When I had a 9-5 job, I hated it so much. I want to be able to do whatever I want when I want. I want to prove to myself and my family that you can literally do anything if you just work hard.”
Content creation offered him a way out. As his videos gained traction, he received countless requests for paid song promotions from artists and record labels. But he knew that income alone wouldn’t be enough to leave his job—he needed another way to make money. One that was sustainable beyond one-off promotions.
The Solution: Turning Playlists Into a Product With Stan
In Justin’s search for answers, he came across fellow Creator Stone Fredrickson, who introduced him to Stan. Although he didn’t know what to sell at first, his wife and mother-in-law suggested he try selling his playlists. He decided to give it a shot, putting them up on his new Stan Store to see what would happen.
“What I like most about Stan is that it’s user-friendly. I can create a store within less than 10 minutes, add the link in my bio on any social media platform, and it’s already good to go. It’s so easy to use.”
He offered a few simple tiers—access to all his playlists for $7.99, custom-curated playlists for $19.99, and song promotions for $49.99.
The idea took off almost immediately. People started contacting him to make custom playlists, and within a month, his Stan Store “just blew up.”
The passive income was liberating. Justin would wake up to find out he’d earned hundreds overnight, which gradually helped him build the confidence and financial security to pursue content creation full-time.
“I would go to sleep and wake up to an extra $300. I was like wow—this is crazy.”
The Results: Financial Freedom and Multiple Income Streams
Justin has earned over $70,000 through Stan Store alone by selling playlists and song promotions. This income, combined with brand deals and platform payouts, allowed him to quit bartending and go full-time as a Creator.
It’s also given him something money can’t buy: the freedom to be at home with his wife and young daughter. While he acknowledges that his biggest sacrifice has been his time, he loves having the flexibility to manage his work and be present with his family.
This journey has boosted his self-confidence, making him feel more comfortable on camera and resilient to online criticism. And now that he’s no longer solely reliant on one income stream, building a career around his passions feels more sustainable.
“I think one of the most fulfilling things for me in my work is that I can look back at where I started with JayWest Films and see how much I’ve upgraded my content.”
What’s Next: Building an Empire Beyond Music Curation
With Stan powering his business in the background, Justin is free to focus on the next step in his career: building a personal brand. Inspired by top artists who build entire brands around themselves, he has begun creating his own music, discovering his sound, and gaining confidence as an artist.
“I want to make something of myself…I don’t want just to be a music curation guy. I want to build this big thing.”
He promotes his music under the name WE$TPHAL, cleverly weaving it into his JayWest Films content. His goal is to continue growing, setting new goals, and proving that if you work hard and fight for what you want, you can achieve anything.
Ready to launch your own Creator Store? Get 14 days free and see why Creators like Justin love growing their business with Stan.
Follow Justin’s journey:
Stan Store: Justin’s Stan Store
Instagram: @jaywestfilms
TikTok: @jaywestfilms
YouTube: @jaywestfilms
Spotify: WE$TPHAL
