How do people actually make money from poetry? Spoken word poets Priya Malik, Vanika Sangtani and Amandeep Singh break down the income streams in poetry, from live shows and brand collaborations to books and ghostwriting, how to start, and how to build a livelihood from words without waiting for a viral moment.

In this episode:

- How poetry became a paycheck: the first brand call and the first paid performance

- Income streams like live ticketed shows, private and corporate events, brand collaborations and books

- Unusual gigs, from ghostwriting speeches to a poem that announced a baby's name

- How to start: courses, open mics and your first small ticketed show

- How Instagram changed poetry, and why the business side (keywords, teams) matters

- Why language should never be gatekept: write in the language you think in

- Rejection, luck, and a poem written on the spot

If you're a freelancer, a creative, a writer, or anyone wondering if a non-traditional path can be a sustainable one, this one is for you.

TIMESTAMPS

00:54 How poetry became a paycheck

04:38 The first time someone paid for a performance

00:00 Introduction

00:46 When did passion start paying?

05:15 Can you train to be a poet?

07:35 Vanika’s rejection story

08:50 Poetry 10 years ago vs now

11:02 The Instagramification of poetry

13:27 Hack to balance passion with business

16:20 Income streams for poets

18:08 How to start: your first ticketed show

20:26 Teams, managers and trust

23:55 Does language matter?

27:31 Agree, Disagree or Reframe

30:30 A poem on the spot

33:51 What's next and a final message

The BreadButter Show is a playbook for creative people: how unconventional careers work, what they pay, and the journeys behind them.

If your work doesn't fit on a resume, might we suggest checking out more about BreadButter: bb.bio

How do people actually make money from chess? Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi and ChessBase India founder Sagar Shah break down every income stream, the true cost of building a chess career in India, and how to build a livelihood in one of the most expensive sports even if you never become a top-30 player.

In this episode:

- What a chess career costs (coaching, travel, investment for a young talent)

- Income streams like prize money, appearance fees and sponsorships for professional players

- Various chess formats explained for beginners

- How Sagar went from a blog to building ChessBase India

- Why chess players are "the OG AI" and how grandmasters memory functions

- Life after professional chess, and what being multi-hyphenate means

If you're a freelancer, a creative, a parent of a young player, or anyone wondering if a non-traditional path can be a sustainable one, this one is for you.

TIMESTAMPS

00:40 Their first paycheck from chess

04:06 How to enter tournaments and get a FIDE rating

08:51 Chess Formats Explained

12:41 Why chess is so expensive

25:29 Income streams for professional players

36:52 Beyond playing: coaching, streaming, content

43:16 Being multi-hyphenate

45:25 Agree, Disagree or Reframe

48:21 Game: No Good Square

50:42 Final advice for young players and parents

The BreadButter Show is a playbook for creative people: how unconventional careers work, what they pay, and the journeys behind them.

If your work doesn't fit on a resume, might we suggest checking out more about BreadButter: bb.bio