TL;DR: This Summer in Phoenix, Creator-Entrepreneur Stone Fredrickson hosted the first-ever Creator-led Stan Session, bringing together a small group of Creators for a day of honest conversation about purpose, burnout, and redefining success. Rather than a workshop or lecture, the event felt like a roundtable for real talk—tackling topics like discipline, energy management, and faith in the Creator journey. Instead of the usual content tips or growth hacks Creators are encouraged to discuss, this session offered something deeper: connection, clarity, and community.

Stan Sessions were designed to inspire, educate, and unify the Creator community, and this time, we handed the reins to the Creators themselves. For our first Creator-led event, Stone Fredrickson was the perfect host.

At just 18, Stone built a six-figure business from his audience, helping over 200 Creators go full-time and generating more than $5M in client revenue. He’s since built two TikTok accounts with over 100K followers, coached over 500 Creators, and founded Stone Media, where he helps Creators grow without losing themselves along the way.

But what makes Stone’s story different isn’t just his success, it’s his shift. After hitting burnout early in his career, he took a year to solo travel, deepen his faith, and redefine what success actually meant. Now, he’s leading a new wave of Gen Z Creators who are rejecting hustle culture in favor of intention, impact, and inner peace.

“My mission isn’t just to help creators grow,” says Stone. “It’s to help them grow without losing themselves.”

The Session: Grounded Conversations, Honest Wins

Held in a sunlit co-working loft in downtown Phoenix, the room was small but powerful—a mix of Creators, entrepreneurs, and community builders. Rather than a traditional Q&A, Stone turned the event into a roundtable, inviting everyone to speak about their “why” and share the reason they create, the challenges they face, and the moments that make it all worth it.

The conversation ranged far and wide but stayed real:

• Consistency and how discipline, not motivation, builds momentum.
  
• Burnout and the need to protect energy before passion turns to disinterest.
  
• Trusting your gut in moments of uncertainty.
  
• Redefining success in a world that has templated what careers should look like.
  

Attendees opened up about getting laid off, walking away from 9-5s, and betting on themselves. Many shared that what keeps them going isn’t just money. It’s seeing their work create ripple effects in their communities, employing friends and family, and doing what they love on their own terms.

As Stone put it, “We’re all just trying to build something that feels like freedom.”

Faith, Failure, and Freedom

At one point, the group turned to a topic that rarely gets discussed in the content world: faith.
Stone shared how his spiritual journey helped him navigate loneliness, burnout, and uncertainty—a story that resonated deeply. What followed was an open dialogue about sharing spirituality and vulnerability online, and how doing so can foster more authentic community connections.

From there, the conversation flowed naturally between practical strategy and personal truth. They swapped stories about their first wins, sometimes in the most unexpected niches. For example, one Creator-Entrepreneur with a laundromat business shared that she’s going on a laundromat tour, hitting destinations as far as Australia, to share the value of social media marketing with other entrepreneurs in her industry.

Another Creator discussed how her doula business, while challenging, helps new mothers struggling with exhaustion and poor mental health. Stone reminded the group to stop, breathe, and remember that small and big victories ultimately weigh the same and should be celebrated. 

The Takeaway: A New Kind of Creator Community

By the end of the day, strangers had become collaborators, and what started as a small meet-up had evolved into something bigger—a shared commitment to balance, belief, and building with purpose.

This is what Stan Sessions are all about: helping Creators grow as people as much as professionals. And through Creator-Entrepreneurs like Stone, we’re seeing what happens when community leads the conversation.

The future of the Creator economy isn’t about algorithms, it’s about authenticity, alignment, and each other.

What’s Next for Stan Sessions

This  marked the first Creator-led Stan Sessions as the movement continues to grow  across North America. Stayed tuned to this space for more event recaps in cities like Atlanta. Each Session is locally rooted but globally inspired, designed to bring Creators together to share, grow, and connect.

⭐️ Want to be part of this movement or host your own Stan Session? Click here to learn more.