Building a strong brand requires patience, execution, and community engagement.
Deliver value and focus on the audience's needs to build a successful podcast.
Embrace disruption, involve the community in product development, and diversify content to stay fresh in the market.
Deep dives
Building a Community and Brand with Patience and Execution
The podcast episode features an interview with Michael Bostick and Lauren Everett's Bostick, the husband and wife duo behind Dia Media and The Skinny Confidential. They discuss how they built their media empire and successful brands through patience, execution, and community engagement. Lauren shares her journey of starting The Skinny Confidential as a blog and pivoting to a podcast, while Michael explains the growth of Dia Media and their unique approach to talent selection. They emphasize the importance of putting the audience first, creating valuable content, and constantly shaking things up to keep the podcast fresh. They also discuss their involvement in e-commerce and the power of involving the community in product development. Additionally, they share insight into staying patient during the entrepreneurial journey, remaining focused on long-term goals, and adapting to the ever-changing market.
Balancing Impatience with Long-Term Vision
Lauren and Michael highlight the importance of both executing quickly and having patience in business. They discuss the value of having a long-term vision while staying agile in the short term. They share their experiences with impatience in previous ventures and emphasize the need to focus on delivering value to the audience and building a brand rather than just pursuing short-term monetary gains. The duo shares how their passion for creating and providing value to their community keeps them motivated even during challenging times. They also touch on the significance of having clarity and introspection in business, which they attribute to meditation.
Engaging the Community and Disrupting the Market
Michael and Lauren discuss the importance of community engagement and disrupting the market. They explain how they involve their audience in their product development by closely listening to their needs and taking their feedback into account. They emphasize the value of building a brand that adds value to the community and addressing pain points that are overlooked. They highlight the power of shaking up the content, diversifying guests, and maintaining a balance between interviews and more unconventional episodes. They also share their interest in investing in brands that align with their values and their future plans for expanding the Dear Media network beyond audio.
Lessons in Patience and Execution
Lauren and Michael reflect on their journey as entrepreneurs and the lessons they have learned. They stress the importance of patience and execution, despite facing challenges and setbacks along the way. They discuss the need to stay committed to long-term goals and not expect overnight success. They also share personal experiences where impatience led to less favorable outcomes and emphasize the significance of having a flexible mind and being open to adaptation. Additionally, they express gratitude for the growth and development they have experienced through patience and perseverance.
The Power of Empathy and Understanding
The podcast episode highlights the power of empathy and understanding in business and personal interactions. Michael and Lauren emphasize the importance of listening to different perspectives and understanding others' experiences even when they differ from one's own. They encourage active listening and approaching conversations with curiosity and open-mindedness. They believe that empathy can bring people together and foster a more inclusive and collaborative environment. They share their experiences of hosting diverse guests and how it has expanded their own perspectives and helped foster a strong community.
In 2011, Lauryn Evarts Bosstick was in college and looking for a community. When a sorority came knocking, Lauryn turned to blogging instead, asking herself the questions every entrepreneur asks: How can I create this and do it better? After 3 years of blogging 7 days a week, Lauryn built Skinny Confidential into a community and a full-time business.
Today, The Skinny Confidential brand garners more than 2 million monthly impressions, and the podcast currently boasts more than 90 million downloads. In addition, Lauryn, alongside her partner Michael, launched a podcast incubator called Dear Media, which focuses on women's voices and narratives.
Listen to Nathan discuss with Lauryn and Michael about:
How Lauryn built a loyal following as a college student
The early days of podcasting and how it's evolved
Launching the HIM & HER spinoff podcast
Launching their first branded product
Strategies to focus on your core audience
Why they've never missed a bi-weekly show
Lauryn's book The Skinny Confidential's Get the F*ck Out of the Sun
Starting their podcast incubator and identifying talent
And much more media business advice…
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