"Media Empires" | The Business of Newsletters, Podcasts, Creators, and Data Acquisition

In this episode of Media Empires, Erik Torenberg sits down with Snigdha Sur, CEO and co-founder of The Juggernaut, to discuss the challenges and strategies of growing a modern media company, including content strategy, team development, expanding their audience from 10,000 to over 500,000, and sustaining revenue, while emphasizing mission-driven journalism for the South Asian diaspora. For full sh...

Greg Raiten, a former lawyer and a co-founder at The Suite, a curated community-based platform for C-suite executives, joins Erik Torenberg to share the evolution of The Suite, from a side project that grew into a revenue-generating model through membership and sponsorships. They also discuss the process of building and scaling community-based businesses, effectiveness of paid memberships, and exp...

JT Barnett, a former professional hockey player and also the Founder and CEO of CreatorX, joined Erik Torenberg to share his journey from being the 'vibes guy' in the locker room to becoming an influential figure at the intersection of content and commerce. They also discuss the evolution of social media platforms, future of social media, creator financing, and the role of creators in shaping mode...

Rex Woodbury, Founder and Managing Partner at Daybreak Ventures, and previously a Partner at Index Ventures joined Erik to explore the evolution and impact of the creator economy. They discuss the challenges of monetization for creators, the future of consumer social platforms, and the changing demographics and behaviors of different generations. Grow and monetize your newsletter with Beehiiv: hea...

Michael Girdley, CEO of an 11-business holding company and Sean Linehan, CEO at Exec and Squad join Erik Torenberg to talk about the unique approach to incubating businesses, the importance of leveraging media presence, and understanding the intricacies of modern media and business strategies. Grow and monetize your newsletter with Beehiiv: head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code “EMPIRES” for 20...

Boye Fajinmi, co-founder of The Future Party, a community-based media brand with a daily newsletter reaching 200K subscribers, joins Erik Torenberg to share insights on transitioning from community events to a comprehensive media company, the power of specialized newsletters, and the necessity of diversifying revenue streams. Grow and monetize your newsletter with Beehiiv: head to https://Beehiiv....

Anuj Abrol, Creator, former Chief of Staff for Justin Kan and ex- McKinsey , and Sarah Wright, head of content at Product Hunt , join Erik Torenberg of Turpentine to discuss building successful newsletters. In this conversation, they trade innovative strategies for creating high-quality content that attracts readers derived from the Turpentine podcast network, the importance of understanding your...

Byrne Hobart, creator of the newsletter The Diff and Capital Gains, joins Erik Torenberg to discuss the intricate evolution of media industries. In this conversation, they delve into the comparative success of print and digital media, the economic transformation of the news sector, the disruption in media landscapes and the emerging scenarios in financial journalism. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 foun...

Dan Ni, CEO of TLDR Newsletter, a leading modern media company that operates 10 curated newsletters with over 8 million readers, joins Erik Torenberg to talk about the success of TLDR. In this conversation, Dan shares the secrets behind TLDR’s rapid growth, the importance of building an audience on your own platform, challenges and strategies of launching new content formats, monetization tactics,...

Austin Petersmith, an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in journalism joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his diverse experiences in the media and tech industries. He shares his journey at Inside, where he helped grow a remarkable newsletter business, and explores the complexities of user-generated content and niche social networks. In this conversation, they also explore the growth...

Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano, founder of The Pomp Letter, joins Erik Torenberg for a captivating, wide ranging discussion about modern media dynamics — recorded live in 2022 with special guests entrepreneur Jesse Genet, host of In the Arena Pod and Ryan Hudson, co-founder of Honey. They discuss building social and financial capital, Pomp's biggest lessons, and strategies for leveraging high-profile in...

Matt McGarry, a newsletter expert and the founder of GrowLetter, joins Erik to discuss his newsletter and media insights from his work with The Hustle, Sahil Bloom, The Milk Road, and more clients through his specialized agency. This is a masterclass in newsletter growth, email acquisition, and monetization models. Matt highlights opportunities in B2B and niche markets, stresses the importance of...

Noah Edelman, co-founder at The Neuron, a daily AI newsletter that attracted 100,000 readers in its first month, joins Erik Torenberg to discuss the AI content space. Noah elaborates on their growth strategies, the unique strengths that set The Neuron apart, and his insights on the future of AI in media. Grow and monetize your newsletter with Beehiiv: head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code “EMPI...

Yossi Levi, founder and CEO of Car Dealership Guy, joins Erik Torenberg to share the evolution from running a Twitter account to establishing a growing media empire with significant influence in the automotive industry. They also discuss the blueprint behind generating 120 million impressions per month, defining their insights advantage, the importance of listening to the audience, and strategies...

Jacob Donnelly, the founder of A Media Operator, joins Erik Torenberg to discuss the strategies behind building successful, sustainable media businesses, with a focus on niche markets. They also explore the role of technology and the significance of audience-centric approaches in both the media and events industries, providing a comprehensive overview of current trends and future directions for me...

Tyler Denk, co-founder and CEO of Beehiiv, joins Erik Torenberg to discuss how he came to be a part of building two media empires: Morning Brew and Beehiiv, a newsletter publishing platform which just raised a $33 Million Series B. They also discuss the market potential of email newsletters, ad networks, and successful newsletter strategies across industries. Tyler delivers a masterclass in unders...

John Yedinak, co-founder and president of Aging Media, joins Erik Torenberg to talk about his journey from the mortgage industry to building a powerful media company focused on the senior care sector. They explore the strategies for building a profitable media company in the B2B sector, the creator economy, and how traditional trade shows are being reimagined to engage audiences more effectively....

Craig Fuller, Founder and CEO of FreightWaves which began as a combination media company and data provider for the logistics industry, joins Erik Torenberg to discuss the evolution of FreightWaves, different media models and their scalability, and shares his thoughts on what the future of AI media will look like. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH - Keeping econ entertaining - Noahp...

Zawwar Khan, a CPG consultant for creators (Rel Brands), joins Erik Torenberg to talk about his journey from being the youngest brand manager at Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo, to advising media creators on building their own commerce brands. He also shares some strategies for creators to expand beyond their audience, the potential of creator-incubated businesses, and the future of the creator econo...

Danny Crichton, a  Fellow  at the  Manhattan Institute , Head of Editorial at  Lux Capital , and former Managing Editor at  TechCrunch , joins Erik Torenberg to discuss the evolution of  TechCrunch+ , alternative business models, strategic investments in media, and tips for building a tech media company. This show is produced by  Turpentine : a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering...

Dave Nemetz, Founder of  Bleacher Report  and  Inverse , joins Erik Torenberg to share his insights on media business models and the future of the creator economy. They also cover the growth of sports, web3, and B2B media. This conversation was recorded in early 2023 This show is produced by  Turpentine : a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — al...

Jamie Rawsthorne, formerly of the Zac and Jay show and now a YouTube strategist behind  The YouTube Views Machine  methodology, joins Erik to explore growth and success tactics on YouTube, monetization, and where he thinks the platform is going. This conversation with Jamie was recorded in 2023 This show is produced by  Turpentine : a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology...

Jordan Zaslav, COO at  Axios HQ , joins Erik to talk about the inspiration and launch of Axios. He shares his key lessons learned along the way and the importance of the smart brevity approach. They also chat about AI's impact on media and the need for companies to adapt. This show is produced by  Turpentine : a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture...

Nathan Barry, Founder and CEO of ConvertKit, joins Erik to discuss the evolution of the creator economy, the ‘billion dollar creator’, the importance of prioritizing long-term equity and adopting a flywheel approach to audience growth, and more. This conversation took place in early 2023 but is relevant and insightful for 2024. This show is produced by  Turpentine : a network of podcasts, newslett...

In this conversation, Andrew Sharp, the co-host of Sharp Tech and Greatest of All Talk, shares his journey building a podcast network at Stratechery. He discusses the future of the Stratechery network, lessons learned from the sports media industry, tips for becoming a great host, strategies for podcast network growth, and more. This conversation was recorded in early 2023. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST:...