Thank you #AspenIdeas for a magical three days. Loved talking Guerilla Creativity onstage with Business of Fashion’s Imran Amed and Substack co-founder Chris Best, who has played such a huge role in The Ankler’s success. And special thanks to Maer Roshan for his deft moderation and always entertaining conversation… Link to video below if you care, but even better, try to go next year. Aspen Ideas was one of the best gatherings I’ve ever attended https://lnkd.in/gbyx2r7w
Amazing
Thanks Digiday and Kayleigh Barber for having me on, and always delivering a smart conversation about our business. Thrilled to be a guest! And big nod to my partner in crime, selling all those ads... London Blue Sanders
Earlier this year, Janice Min, CEO of The Ankler, said that she’s expecting to hit $10 million in annual revenue in 2025. During a podcast recording with Digiday, Min revised that statement to say, “We have a shot of getting to that number this year.” To do that, Min’s team is taking a three-pronged, straightforward approach: Make good content to attract audiences, quality audiences that are attractive to #advertisers, and combine those things in-person through events. “I wish we had some AI-generated something that was going to be the thing that rains down millions of dollars on us, but it’s really boring,” said Min. “Boring” or not, it’s notable that a media company that launched in January 2022 and covers #Hollywood is charting revenue growth at all amid two major film industry strikes as well as a tumultuous period for #advertising revenue.
For those riveted by the Michael Kassan-UTA drama: A new must-read deep dive from The Ankler with lots of juice, including scoop that a $3.3 million IRS tax lien was placed on his Beverly Hills house the week before he went to war with UTA, and revelations around a Covid PPP loan taken out shortly after he had received $69 million for the sale of his company. Still his friends go on the record with support, with one telling us: 'I get that Michael is mercurial, that he has these idiosyncrasies' https://lnkd.in/g6iUCPga
Great read about the impact of #Ozempic culture in Hollywood leading to the #Oscars. "Forget Chanel, Dior or Prada: This year, the most prominent designers on the red carpet are Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Company, whose injectable weight-loss drugs are the new couture" https://lnkd.in/gwgZvsGb
Thanks Andrew Murfett! So fun to talk about the big success of The Ankler, as well as the nostalgic elements of publishing from earlier eras. Also some great photo research in here. TLDR: Skip to the photo of Jessica Simpson, Jann Wenner and I eating birthday cake at 1290 Ave. of the Americas in his office...
Janice Min is a titan of the magazine publishing world, responsible for two of the most celebrated turnaround jobs in media: US Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter. Yet her focus today is digital as she leans on her editorial leadership skills to run the buzzy Hollywood media company The Ankler. I learned a lot speaking to Janice, who was very generous in sharing her insights and war stories. In my piece she covers: - Her rise through the ranks of New York magazine royalty. - The pressure of weekly cover sales figures. - The scale of profits that were at stake in the industry’s halcyon days. - Arriving as an outsider in LA and taking on a management gig in a hostile room of journalists. - Pivoting to the start-up and fundraising world. - Her vision for The Ankler. You can follow Janice on LinkedIn and I hope you enjoy the terrific insights she shares in this piece.
Major Events and Creator Economy Partnerships | Co-Founder Whosay (acquired by ViacomCBS) | Previous: President, Daily Beast | Publisher of Rolling Stone | Conde Nast | Scientific American.
5dJanice Min terrific panel and so fun to compare notes :)