Lawson McDonald, co-founder of The Hockey Guys, returns to Sportonomics for the first time since S1 E2.

He pulls back the curtain on what six years in the creator economy actually looks like — plateauing views, compounding networks, and why brand deals keep coming even when the algorithm doesn't cooperate. The conversation takes a sharp turn into brand-building as Lawson breaks down how he's growing No Bad, his hockey apparel company, from a merch side project into a standalone e-commerce brand with its own identity and target customer. If you've ever wondered what separates creators who last from those who flame out — and how the skills you build along the way become the real asset — this episode is for you.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 — Intro - Welcome back Lawson

2:18 — 6 years with The Hockey Guys

5:39 — More money in the creator space = more demand

7:17 — Behind the scenes of The Hockey Guys today vs. 2020

8:11 — Why no new hockey creators are breaking through at the top level

9:03 — Brand vs. metrics: what gets you in the door vs. what sets your rate

11:37 — Defining the "creator avatar" and why a unique story beats raw numbers

13:52 — Breaking down "avatar" in marketing

15:03 — Why being a friend group is The Hockey Guys' biggest competitive advantage

32:18 — No Bad: from Hockey Guys merch line to independent apparel brand

33:30 — Finding new customers outside your existing audience in a tight-knit sport

36:46 — Building skills (paid ads, email, copy) as insurance for whatever comes next

37:44 —The brand-side POV on creator partnerships

39:03 — Would Lawson ever work for someone else? Probably not.

40:28 — How creator skills transfer: Notion, short-form video, and content systems

43:13 — Why branded content is performing worse and what that means for the whole ecosystem

44:17 — Outro - Jake gets a live discount code: Jake20 for 20% off