 |
|
|
|||||
In early 2024, Ben Collins was contemplating the future of the media businessand his place in it. He was in the process of resigning after spending six years as a senior reporter at NBC News, exhausted by the disinformation beat that took him to some of the darkest and most disturbing corners of the internet. It hadnt helped that in December 2022 NBC News had suspended Collins from the Elon Musk beat following his highly critical coverage of the gazillionaires acquisition of Twitter. The media landscape looked bleak. Layoffs were decimating storied media titles like Sports Illustrated, and Collins was hearing rumors that G/O Media, the holding company owned by private equity firm Great Hill Partners, was looking to shed 36-year-old satirical news publication The Onion from its portfolio. (G/O had dumped Jezebel and was about to purge other titles, including Deadspin and The A.V. Club.) As a joke, Collins posted a message on Bluesky: So uh how do we buy The Onion? Two media friends (Leila Brillson and Danielle Strle) jumped on board, and they quickly joined forces with another Onion lover, Twilio cofounder and former CEO Jeff Lawson, who also just so happens to be a billionaire. By late April 2024, the team had closed the deal. Heres how it felt from the inside. Ben Collins, CEO There was this article saying that The Onion is aggressively for sale. I knew that Elon Musk had been dreaming for a long time of owning it. And I was like, If The Onion is in his hands, just give up on American society. Hes the most humorless person on earth. So I [posted on Bluesky], Who wants to buy The Onion? I think I have $600. I had no idea how to buy a company. Im not a guy who buys stuff. All my shirts are from the dollar store. Its a huge problem. But Leila Brillson was sitting at home. She had just had a baby three weeks before. She was the first female executive editor for Playboy and then went to work at Netflix and Disney and TikTok. Leila Brillson, chief marketing officer I think the reason Ben picked up my call is that I had just moved back to Chicago, which is where Im from. The Onion is based in Chicago. My thought process was, Huh, its for sale. It cant be that much. Followed by, I bet they have an incredible social footprint. Followed by, Theyre in Chicago. Hey, Im in Chicago. I think he thought I was much more connected than I am. The best thing I brought to the table was that I was the only one who lived in Chicago. Also, my sister is an M&A lawyer. [Paula Brillson is now general counsel at The Onion.] Danielle Strle, chief product officer I had a lot of freedom after Tumblr [where Strle went from employee No. 8 to director of product] to just work on fun projects. I had helped a friend run a cheese shopI was the chief technology officer of New Yorks best cheese shop. When Ben called, I was immediately interested. I remember seeing The Onion on newsstands in New York right after 9/11, and I was like, Wow, The Onion is here. Were going to bounce back. My first call was to Scott Kidder [now acting as The Onions CFO]. Hes a true wizard on the spreadsheets. If youre going to try and buy something, youre going to need a powerful set of spreadsheets. Jeff Lawson, Owner Jeff Bezos bought The [Washington] Post, and Marc Benioff bought Time. The universe would just be right if I bought The Onion. This sort of started like a joke but then, as we looked into it more, it was like, its hit some hard times under the last owner and needs some revitalization. So it wasnt just a matter of, I could buy The Onion, [but] hey, we could save The Onion. There was a real opportunity here to take this modern American institution and help it thrive in a new media environment. An environment where we need satire more than ever.
Category:
E-Commerce
Showing enthusiasm in a job interview can be the make-or-break factor in getting that position. In fact, nearly 47% of hiring managers say a candidates keen interest in the job is the most important factor in determining whether they get the new role. Enthusiastic candidates are more likely to fit in, stay longer, and do great work. So, here are five ways to project excitement about the role throughout the job interview process: 1. ARRIVE EARLY First, show up 1015 minutes early for your interview. An early arrival demonstrates enthusiasm, shows respect for the interviewer, and helps you gather your thoughts so that you will come across as poised and prepared. Coming early has other benefits, too. For an in-person meeting, arriving early gives you time to get settled, use the washroom, and go over your notes. (Just make sure you don’t arrive too early, as the interviewer may not be ready for you.) If the interview is virtual, these 15 minutes will allow you to check your technology, your lighting, and your background. 2. PRAISE THE COMPANY When speaking to the hiring manager, share two or three things you love about their company. Do your research and write out your talking points. You might say, I appreciate the way employees are encouraged to collaborate. Or I value your hybrid work policy. It makes sense and its what I am used to. Or you might say, I admire the leadership of this company. . . . I heard your CEO speak at a recent conference and he was inspiring. You might even ask the interviewer, what attracted you to this firm? This will give her a chance to speak about the company, and you an opportunity to reinforce something positive. 3. GET FIRED UP ABOUT THE JOB Another important thing to share is why you would love to have the job. Dont wait for the hiring manager to ask you why you are applying. Instead, have a script ready with the reasons you are excited about the position. It could be the leadership role you have been searching for, or the fact that it will draw on your expertise in AI. Whatever turns you on should be written out in advance and delivered as part of your interview narrative. Get these points out right away. Share with the interviewer how important you understand the position is in the larger scheme of things. You might say I know the critical role this position plays in the department and in the companys communications with key audiences. Asking smart questions about the role is still another way to show enthusiasm in a job interview. You might say, This is a newly created position. How were its responsibilities handled before? Or you might ask Why has this position been created? Questions like this show that you take the job and its role very seriously. 4. USE POSITIVE LANGUAGE Throughout your conversation, make sure to be positive with your language. During your preparation, make a list of words and expressions that convey your enthusiasm for the role and show how well your qualifications fit the position. Use them in the interview. Your list might include, I love the fact that this company is leading the industry. Or I like the scope of the job. Or I know this team has an excellent reputation. Here are other possible expressions: I believe that I have the qualities and experience you are looking for, I feel this is the perfect next step in my career. Avoid negative or hesitant language, such as Im wondering, or I think, or I guess, or Im not sure. And avoid filler expressions like um, ah, and other nonstarters like thats a good question. Your role is to answer questions, not evaluate them. 5. SHOW OPEN BODY LANGUAGE Convey enthusiasm in a job interview with open body language. The physical signals you give can matter as much as what you say. During the conversation your face should have a warm, animated expression, but dont overdo it. When you are talking or when the interviewer responds to what you’ve said, hold your eye contact. Sit with an upright posture. Keep your shoulders back and your chin up. Slouching suggests a lack of enthusiasm. Having great posture displays confidence, and that’s the image you want to portray during the discussion with your potential employer. Keep your arms open, and gesture with your full arms, not with smaller hand gestures. And never fold your armsdoing so will look like you are arming yourself (literally), and that comes across as defensive.
Category:
E-Commerce
Influencers, how many late payments are you waiting on? Odds are, more than one. Influencer marketing is a booming $10 billion industry, but for creators, inconsistent cash flow remains a major pain point. Brand budgets shift, campaign timelines change, and payments can take months to land. For many influencers who rely on brand deals as their main source of income, financial instability is the norm. According to the Wall Street Journal, fewer than 13% of online influencers earned more than $100,000 last yearwhile nearly half made $15,000 or less. A fintech startup called Alchemy wants to change that. Founded by Isaac Wagschal, the company has launched a $100 million fund to provide creators with upfront payments based on projected future income. Since January, Alchemy has already distributed millions. Growing as a creator takes time, money, and the right opportunities landing in your inbox. But unpredictable income is one of the biggest obstacles to scaling. Some months bring multiple sponsorships; others are completely dry. And while traditional financial institutions are slowly warming to the creator economy, access to capital remains limitedespecially for creators still building their brands. (If youve ever tried asking a bank for a loan as a freelancer, you get it.) Alchemys approach is different. It looks at an influencers full income streambrand deals, Patreon, AdSense, and morethen uses the past six months of earnings to project the next six. Based on that, Alchemy prepurchases a portion of the creators expected revenue, providing a lump-sum payment upfront. A flat fee, typically around 1.15 times the amount advanced, is added. Say a creator is projected to earn $100,000 in the next six months. Alchemy might advance $30,000 by purchasing 30% of that income. When the full $100,000 eventually comes inwhether it takes six months or a yearAlchemy collects its 30%, plus a $4,500 fee. Theres no loan, no interest, and no fixed repayment schedule. If a creator underperforms, Alchemy takes the hit. To streamline the process, Alchemy is partnering with top creator agencies, managers, and influencer platforms to embed its financial tools directly into brand deal workflows. The goal: make upfront payments the industry norm. “The creator economy is booming, yet too many influencers are stuck waiting months for sponsorships and delayed payments to clear,” Wagschal said in a press release. “Creators should have financial access that matches the speed of the digital world.”
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||