Friday - June 5th, 2026
Apple News
×

What can we help you find?

Open Menu
March 25th, 2026

From Small Creator to NHL: How Nick Ciavarella Built a Viral Creative Career

  1. From Small Creator to NHL: How Nick Ciavarella Built a Viral Creative Career Larry Sprung 33:53

Most people convince themselves they’re not ready yet. They need the right gear, the right space, the right moment to start. Nick Ciavarella built two brands in an apartment and now his work runs on NHL social, ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Barstool.

In this episode, Nick, aka 716Nick, breaks down how he turned his creative passion into a career, how anyone can turn free work into paid opportunities, and why Relationships are the key to getting to the next level.

Topics discussed:

Introduction (00:00)

Nick’s origin story and finding his creative voice (01:56)

How the Dishin’ brand came together (05:51)

Leveraging social media to market your brand for free (08:33)

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs (10:56)

Creating content for the NHL (12:46)

How to speed up your workflow (16:32)

Motion tracking and going viral (19:01)

Should you work for free in the beginning of your career? (23:24)

How working with creatives drives your own Growth (27:27)

What brought you JOY today? (30:23)

If you’re a writer who wants to take control of your finances, read Mitlin Financial’s Write Your Financial Future: A Financial Guide for Authors: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/insights/blog/write-your-financial-future-a-financial-guide-for-authors/

Resources:

Connect with Larry Sprung:

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencesprung/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larry_sprung/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceDSprung/
  • X (Twitter): https://x.com/Lawrence_Sprung

Connect with Nick Ciavarella:

  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/716nick TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@716nick
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-ciavarella-24b757156
  • X: https://x.com/ehCavo

About Our Guest:

Known as 716nick, Ciavarella is an influential content creator, cinematographer and video producer whose work within sports has serviced top-tier athletes such as Rasmus Dahlin, Tyreek Hill and several others. He has also helped build viral brand content for national audiences featured on NHL Social, Bleacher Report, Barstool Sports and ESPN.

Disclosure:

Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest’s content linked on this site.

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

Lawrence “Larry” Sprung, CFP® is a husband, father, entrepreneur and mental health advocate.

Larry is the author of the Amazon Bestselling book “Financial Planning Made Personal” and the also host of the Mitlin Money Mindset™ a podcast that reminds you to ask yourself “What did you do today that brought you joy?®”

In 2004 he founded Mitlin Financial, Inc. naming the firm memory of Larry’s wife’s grandfather, Mitchell, and his mother, Linda. During his career, Larry has found that a lot of industry terms and concepts can seem confusing to outsiders. That’s why he works with the families he serves to break down complex financial topics into easy-to-understand concepts.

In recognition of Larry’s significant contributions to his profession, he has received quite a few awards. In 2021, Larry was named to the Investopedia 100 Top Advisors in 2021 and was even more humbled to make their Top Ten list for 2022.

Outside the office, one of Larry’s greatest passions is raising awareness for mental health. He spent over 12 years serving on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and sits on its financial and investment committees. With his wife, Denise, he has raised more than $1.7 million for the organization through the Keith Milano Memorial Fund. The fund was created in memory of his brother-in-law.

Larry values his family tremendously and his desire to do right by his wife and two sons drives who he is in and out of the office.