How Justin Moore Reinvented His Career After a Crushing Failure

This week, I talk with Justin Moore—founder and CEO of Creator Wizard, longtime YouTuber, and entrepreneur who’s spent more than 15 years navigating the creator economy. But this conversation isn’t just about business. It’s about the tension between entrepreneurship and family life, the ups and downs of building something meaningful, and the resilience required to start over after failure. Justin shares how he and his wife, April, built a thriving business on YouTube, only to face a major setback when his agency collapsed during the pandemic. We talk about the lessons he’s learned, how he’s doing things differently now, and why his ultimate goal has always been to support his family. This is a deeply human story of commitment, reinvention, and making work matter. I think you’re going to find a lot to relate to in this one. Let’s get to it!

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro
(03:22) - How Justin ended up in a metal band
(06:18) - Music as an escape
(12:47) - Starting a YouTube channel
(19:49) - Why make videos?
(25:22) - Transition to full-time creators
(32:53) - Justin's first time dealing with online negativity
(35:43) - How Justin and his wife worked through the transition of careers and (roles) - in their marriage
(37:43) - Gender roles and family dynamics
(41:57) - Dealing with judgmental people
(44:48) - Life as a content creator
(46:20) - The importance of family time
(52:06) - Reflecting on parenting choices
(56:21) - Adapting to new environments
(01:03:57) - How Justin built a business from scratch
(01:10:38) - The moment Justin decided to shut down his business
(01:15:55) - The power of asking for help
(01:27:17) - How Justin built the business he's always wanted
(01:32:04) - Justin's beautiful future
(01:33:17) - Who Justin is becoming

Key Takeaways

Ask for What You Want—But Be Okay with Any Answer: Many people hesitate to ask for what they truly want, whether in business or personal life. But when they finally muster the courage, they often expect only a “yes” and struggle to accept rejection. Justin emphasizes that making peace with both acceptance and rejection is crucial in business, particularly for creators reaching out to brands.
Build a Business That Supports Your Lifestyle, Not the Other Way Around: After experiencing the pressures of running an agency, Justin intentionally built Creator Wizard as a lifestyle business, not a high-growth, venture-backed company. His goal was to maintain financial stability without sacrificing his personal values or mental health. This decision allowed him to avoid the burnout and misalignment that many entrepreneurs face.
Diversification is Key to Long-Term Stability: Justin started an influencer marketing agency to diversify his family’s income, knowing that relying solely on YouTube might not be sustainable. He saw an opportunity to leverage his brand experience to help creators navigate sponsorships and brand deals. His story highlights the importance of thinking long-term and creating multiple revenue streams.
Failure is Not the End—It’s a Setup for Growth: After his agency faced financial struggles, Justin had to make the tough decision to shut it down rather than run it into the ground. Though this felt like a personal failure, he later realized that this setback paved the way for the success of Creator Wizard. His experience is a great example of how to learn from failures rather than letting them define you.
Focus on the Relationships That Truly Matter: Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, Justin recognized that external opinions don’t matter—only the well-being and support of his wife and family do. Whether he was contemplating shutting down his business or navigating online criticism, he learned that staying aligned with personal values and prioritizing family over public perception leads to greater fulfillment.

Quotes

“You build up the courage to make the ask, but then you’re not comfortable with the answer. You were only comfortable with one answer, which was yes.” ~ Justin Moore

”The real reason that I decided to start an influencer marketing agency was to diversify my family's income. It wasn't because I really wanted to start another business. The YouTube stuff was going very well for us, but I always thought in the back of my mind, there's no way that this can continue.” ~ Justin Moore

”When I decided to shut the business down and not continue to try to make it work, it was acknowledging the last five years that I had spent kind of burning the candle at both ends. I had been telling [my wife] April the whole time, like, it's going to be worth it. This is going to be the thing that's going to help our family. That moment when I decided to shut the company down was as much of a terror as having to tell my wife that I had failed.” ~ Justin Moore

”No matter what you're doing, someone has an opinion about your life choices. And I think a piece that we've found as we've navigated these various life chapters has been just realizing that the only people's opinions that matter are me and my wife. That's it.” ~ Justin Moore

Links