5 Creator Tools You Must Have as a Creator in 2026

Let’s talk real talk—being a creator in 2026 and beyond isn’t just about creating content or brand work with marketing A to Z or influencer marketing.

It’s about running a real business with systems that help you create a life and business you love with freedom. I know what it feels like to be caught up in the clutter and chaos with launches, courses, and content while wondering how to actually turn all that effort into consistent cash flow. 💸

Creator Tools You Must Have as a Creator

If I were starting as a creator in 2026, I wouldn’t ask “What platform should I post on?

Bestie… these 5 tools run my entire creator business — whether I’m in Bali, Peru, or Atlanta.

Not trends.

Creator tools are a must as a creator. Creator tools help you create clarity, calm, and confidence as a creator with purpose, priorities, and profits.

Foundational tools I’ve used for years across content, courses, and community.

1 ClickUp — My Creation HQ

I’ve used ClickUp since 2020, but truthfully, project management has been part of my life long before that. When I was in Corporate America from an analyst to a Corporate Executive, I used numerous project management tools. As I transformed from Corporate to Calling, I test drove numerous tools.

Before becoming a full-time creator, I project-managed across:

• Start-ups

• Scaling brands

• Fortune 500 companies

Strategy, finance, operations — all of it.

I create templates. I create dashboards. I create clarity.

ClickUp is where:

• My weekly KPIs get checked (yes, weekly-ish — I let myself flow)

• My Creator Brand Pitchs and Proposals are organized.

• My Creator Flow launches are mapped

• My Creator School assets are organized

• My Content Creation lives.

Clarity fuels my creativity. I love creating with structure. Dashboards are visual evidence of progress.

I’ve even created Creator Templates and dashboards specifically for creators who want systems all inside Creator School.

👉 Related read:Creator Templates You Must Have as a Creator

2. ChatGPT (via OpenAI) — Creative Bestie + Thought Partner

I’ve been using ChatGPT since 2022, and I don’t treat it like a shortcut — I treat it like a creative partner.

Bestie, this is important: I don’t let AI think for me.I train it to think with me.

I challenge myself to:

• Think first

• Prompt intentionally

• Teach AI my vision, voice, values.

• Push back on lazy outputs

• Iterate until it sounds like me

Over time, that turned into something bigger.

In the last year alone, I’ve created 7+ Creator AI Agents, including:

• Creator Content AI

• Creator Cash AI

• Creator Launch AI

They live on Shopify, Gumroad, and are all included inside Creator School 

In my Creator Templates Bundle, ALL my Creator Templates are included

with Notion, ClickUp, Canva, Honeybook, and more.

Depending on how you look at it, AI either:

• Saves me 25+ hours a week, or

• Gives me 25+ hours back to create, live, and lead

👉 If you want the full breakdown, start here:I Used ChatGPT 100 Ways — Here’s What Happened and The Ultimate Guide to AI Agents for Creators & Brands

3. ManyChat — My 24/7 DM Assistant

I started using ManyChat about a year ago, and honestly?

ManyChat lets my:

• Instagram

• Keywords

• Comments

• DMs

…run on autopilot while I focus on Creator Brand work — things like:

• Content Campaign Creator Projects

• Influencer Marketing Pitches + Projects

• CMO-style brand partnerships

• Courses and frameworks I turn into Creator School

Instead of constantly replying to DMs, I let keywords start conversations.

Instead of chasing engagement, I design it.

This is how followers turn into:

• Conversations

• Community

• Cash

If you’re still manually DM’ing everything, you’re doing creator life the hard way.

4. Kajabi — My All-In-One Business Engine

I first learned about Kajabi in 2016 through Brendon Burchard and Chalene Johnson.

I started using it in 2017, and I’ve never looked back.

Kajabi is where:

• My courses live

• My emails go out

• My funnels run

• My freebies convert

• My templates are housed

• Creator School exists

• 
  

It’s the backbone of everything I sell and share.

I am a Kajabi Expert and may set up your Kajabi too.

Instead of duct-taping tools together, Kajabi lets me run:

• One platform

• One login

• One ecosystem

For creators who want simplicity with power, this is it.

5. Canva — Visual Creation A to Z

I’ve been using Canva since around 2010, back when it wasn’t cool yet 😅

I use it for:

• Presentations

• Social graphics

• Carousels

• Lead magnets

• Swipe files

• Creator Templates

  
  

Canva lets ideas move fast — from brain → visual → publish.

No bottleneck. No perfection paralysis. Just create and go.

Creator Tools You Must Have

Bestie, let me say this plainly:

• ClickUp — my brain, my calendar, my creation HQ

• ChatGPT — my creative team that gives me 25+ hours back a week

• ManyChat — my 24/7 DM assistant turning followers into conversations (and cash)

• Kajabi — where my courses, emails, funnels, and Creator School live

• Canva — for fast, beautiful visuals without friction

If you’re not using these…You’re doing the creator journey on hard mode.

And you don’t have to.

✨ Final Bestie Note

Tools don’t replace talent. They protect your energy and multiply your impact.

If you want help setting these up the creator way — not corporate, not chaotic — everything I use, teach, and create lives inside Creator School.

We don’t just create content. We  CREATEIT Like a Boss

 Share this post, tag me in IG stories, or DM me as you create your creator business via @katrinajuliafit 🚀

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