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 ]
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After AOLs layoff of 900 staff last week (the U.S. division losing 300 members), the Huffington Post Media Group has begun hiring. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zinio CEO Rich Maggiotto has posted an open letter apologizing for the digital newsstand being down for several days last week and attributing the problem to "misconfigured operational scripts that took down both core and redundant servers at Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Regional publisher Greenspun Media announced it will launch Vegas Inc., a weekly business magazine for the Las Vegas market, on April 4. Vegas Inc. staff includes Greenspun business editor Richard Pereze-Feria as editor-in-chief, Spencer Holladay as art director, Dave Mondt as designer asnd Erin... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Administrators are trying to sell 103 Borders and Angus & Robertson bookshops, after the parent of the book chains crumbled under its debt burden. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald
[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Back in 1984, I wrote a book that sold to a lot of libraries. It stayed on the shelves for over a decade. If it had been an ebook published today by HarperCollins, there's a good chance it would have been off those shelves within a year. Or sooner. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2011-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 02/03/2011 - 08:44 HMV Group has "substantially" backed a social networking site called aNobii, which aims to help readers find buy and share books. The website, www.anobii.com, has existed since 2006 but was bought recently by internet... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beginning Tuesday, Random House will join other major book publishers in selling its ebooks using the so-called agency model, setting its own prices for ebooks while the retailer takes a commission. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beginning in March, ebooks from HarperCollins may be lent by public libraries only 26 times before the license expires. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst Magazines Digital Media announced several changes to its roster today. Julie Hocheiser is now site director for Seventeen.com. Hocheiser served previously as the senior web editor for the Hearst Teen Network. Neha Gandhi also joined Seventeen.com as a web editor. Gandhi is the former... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Magazine publishers have a tough choice: an exclusive, pricey deal with the wildly popular Apple conduit, or Googles open, less expensive and less trafficked vehicle. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rockville, MDB-to-b media company Access Intelligence announced today the acquisition of Red 7 Media, owner of Folio: Magazine and several other leading media brands. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Meghan O'Rourke reported here last week, VIDA, an organization for women writers, has released a tally of male and female bylines for the 2010 run of 14 high-end, literary-oriented magazines. Despite a couple of relatively bright spots (the New York Times Book Review surprisingly being one),... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2011-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York City-based Dorchester Media LLC is fielding offers for the assets of its Lifestyle Entertainment Teen Magazine and Romance Groups. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Expect much higher capital expense costs and much greater need for in-house digital development skill. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York--There was a question during the morning session today at the Media Dealmakers Summit that crystallized what a lot of people are thinking about the future. "Are tablets and e-readers the future of media?" For George F. Colony, CEO of Forrester Research, the answer was simple: "Yes.... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After a month of negotiations, Hearst has made an offer to buy 102 magazine titles from the French publisher. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Puffin is to publish a new picture book by The Very Hungry Caterpillar author Eric Carle, his first in four years. The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse will be published in October 2011, in a global, simultaneous publication with Philomel, a Penguin Young Readers... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Demand Media started trading on the New York Stock Exchange this week, making it one of the first IPOs of 2011 and certainly one of the largest media IPOs that will be seen all year. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TED, known for exclusive events and online videos of speeches by celebrities like Al Gore, Bono and Malcolm Gladwell, plans to publish its own short ebooks, beginning with three that went on sale Wednesday. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Summit Business Media has joined the ranks of publishers seeking to reorganize and slash debt through a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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