Betches' Aleen Kuperman on explaining new media to immigrant parents—and not wanting to write about 'The Bachelor' again

Aleen Kuperman is co-founder and CEO at Betches Media. The company has grown from a blog created in a dorm room at Cornell in 2011 to a sprawling media network including nine podcasts, New York Times-bestselling books and millions of Instagram followers. In this episode of the “Ad Block” podcast, Kuperman talks about growing up as the child of Russian immigrants who escaped the Soviet Union in 1988, a year before the Berlin Wall fell. In particular, it was a struggle to explicate what “Betches” was to her parents, who had always had high expectations for her future. “I had to explain to my parents, ‘I’m not going to medical school next year,’” she says. “I was terrified to have that conversation. They were like, ‘What’s a blog? How are you making money? What are you talking about?’” As with many new media startups, the business model evolved quickly, and as soon as she had gotten her parents on board, things would change. “They had just figured out Facebook, now they have to go learn Instagram,” Kuperman says. Tangible successes helped, like the book deal the team landed while still in college. “To my parents, that’s legit. A book, they understand.” Kuperman grew up hearing the stories of the family’s journey out of Russia, living in Vienna and Italy off the personal possessions they could sell before eventually being allowed into the U.S. and settling on Long Island. “Only now, I think back to all the things they instilled,” like her strong work ethic, she says. “It... Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-18 09:01:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #instagram followers #soviet union #high expectations #medical school #making money #long island #book deal

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WTWH Media Launches Solar Power World Magazine

Business-to-business media company WTWH Media, LLC isn’t afraid of the uncertainty surrounding the magazine market place—the company is launching a new title this month called Solar Power World magazine in an effort to expand its portfolio. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Another Editorial Shift Change For SPIN Media

SPIN Media announced three new changes to its editorial staff: Caryn Ganz as online editor-in-chief, Christopher R. Weingarten as senior editor and David Bevan as associate editor. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Phil Redmond writes novel and memoir for Cornerstone

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Tue, 11/10/2011 - 07:50 "Grange Hill" writer Phil Redmond is to pen a memoir and novel for Random House imprint Cornerstone. M.d. Susan Sandon acquired world rights in the two books directly with Redmond, who is best known for creating three of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Report: Media M&A Flat Through Third Quarter

A media M&A report for the first three quarters is out from M&A advisory firm the Jordan, Edmiston Group and transaction volume is about equal to the same period 2010, with value up by 10 percent to about $35 billion. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Don't write off physical too early, trade warned

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 30/09/2011 - 08:55 Publishers should not be too quick to write off physical products and should encourage competition between a number of digital players to avoid the mistakes the record industry made, the director general of the Entertainment... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Super Thursday fans media coverage

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 29/09/2011 - 09:37 Super Thursday has begun with a welter of press coverage about one of the busiest days in the publishing calendar. Today, 225 hardbacks hit shops including titles by Jamie Oliver, Alan Partridge, James Corden and Robert Harris.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Summit Business Media Sells Off Highline Data

Summit Business Media has sold Highline Data--its insurance information services unit--to SNL Financial LC. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Study Shows Only 38.4 Percent of Digital Media Users Engage with Mag Content

As publishers prep for the next big tablet hope (Amazon is set to release its much-awaited tablet device on Wednesday), a new survey released from global business advisory firm FTI Consulting, Inc. details how digital media users (including tablet users and non-tablet users) are engaging with... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marian Keyes to write cookery for MJ spring list

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 23/09/2011 - 08:35 Marian Keyes is writing a cookery title for Michael Joseph, as the imprint ramps up its spring food publishing list next year by releasing one title every month during the first half of 2012. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Get author consent in writing, publisher agents told

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 22/09/2011 - 15:46 Agents who wish to publish their clients’ work must offer them a detailed explanation of what they will personally gain from the arrangement and obtain their full and written agreement, the president of the Association of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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P D James to write Austen murder mystery

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 22/09/2011 - 11:01 Faber is to publish a new detective novel from P D James which combines a murder investigation with the world and characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, revisiting Darcy and Elizabeth six years into their... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Glam Media Acquires Ning

Glam Media, a lifestyle and fashion blog network, has acquired Ning, a platform for building social media communities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports are putting the price in the $150 million to $200 million range and mostly in stock. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Glam Media Buys Ning for Social Push

Glam Media has just acquired Ning, the build-your-own-social-network startup co-founded by Netscape creator Marc Andreessen. Glam is best known for building Web properties and an ad network targeting women, and it says it now reaches more than 200 million monthly users. Last month, it announced... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloody Scotland to host crime writing festival

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 19/09/2011 - 08:20 Scotland is to hold its first Crime Writing Festival next year, supported by Stirling Council, Creative Scotland and the University of Stirling, and working closely with Stirling's general literary festival, Off the Page.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philippa Gregory to write YA

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 15/09/2011 - 08:30 The Red Queen author Philippa Gregory is turning her hand to young adult fiction for the first time, after signing a deal with Simon & Schuster. Ingrid Selberg, director of children's publishing at S&S UK, and Jon... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are You a Media Company or a Technology Company?

Let’s start with two truths. First, publishers need cutting-edge technology to hook an audience through today’s digital media channels of the Web, mobile, social, and search. And, second, the breakthrough technology can’t just be about product design -- it’s got to go beyond to create... Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dawn Porter to write for Hodder Children's Books

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 01/09/2011 - 14:45 Hodder Children's Books has bought two teen titles from journalist and presenter Dawn Porter. Publisher Emily Thomas did the deal directly with Porter for a "sizeable" sum. The books are described as "epic stories of an... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Quants explained for Wiley

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 31/08/2011 - 14:37 Wiley Europe has acquired exclusive UK and Commonwealth rights to Models.Behaving.Badly by Emanuel Derman, in a deal struck with Max Brockman of Brockman Inc. The book is about quants—the physicists working on Wall Street as... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penton Acquires IT Publisher Nine Lives Media

In a move to grow its Technology Group, Penton Media has acquired Nine Lives Media. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Magazines Betting Big on Social Media

As their readers are spending more time online, publishers are trying to make social networking work for their advertisers. With a program launching Sept. 1, Marie Claire is betting that if readers are fans of the magazine, they will like its advertisers, too. Timed to coincide with the key... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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