Observed Signal · Jun 23, 2026 · Speaking Session · Source: Adweek · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Bossticks Reveal How They Built Media Brands
At ADWEEK House during Cannes Lions, Lauryn Bosstick (founder of The Skinny Confidential) and Michael Bosstick (founder & CEO of Dear Media) discussed how they transformed a blog into a media and lifestyle company encompassing a 100+ show network and a beauty brand. They emphasized treating creator projects as businesses, building trust with audiences, listening to feedback, and prioritizing conversion and product-driven metrics over vanity follower counts. Michael Bosstick described building shows around people with strong messages or credentials and measuring who drives sales or platform transitions. Both highlighted the importance of a distinct point of view for creators seeking sustainable growth in a crowded market.
Industry-interest story about creator-to-publisher business practices and audience monetization; offers directional insights but is not a major platform update or transaction.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Lauryn Bosstick founded The Skinny Confidential and positioned it as a brand and business rather than just a blog.
- The Bossticks grew their business into a media and lifestyle company that includes a 100+ show network and a beauty brand.
- Michael Bosstick is founder and CEO of Dear Media and emphasized conversion and product-driven metrics over vanity metrics.
- The couple spoke at ADWEEK House at Cannes Lions on 2026-06-23, in a session hosted by ADWEEK's chief content officer, Zoë Ruderman.
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Dear Media and Amanda Hirsch Favor Creative Freedom Over Scripted Ads
At ADWEEK's Advertising HQ event, podcast host Amanda Hirsch and Dear Media's president Mark Mullett discussed their approach to brand partnerships. Hirsch, host of Not Skinny But Not Fat, prioritizes authentic fit, accepting lower fees for brands she genuinely uses. Dear Media, with about 100 shows and a 40-person sales team, avoids programmatic ads in favor of host-read ads where talent shapes the message. Mullett criticizes brands that hand talent scripts, advocating for letting creators have creative control. The strategy has driven revenue to $50-100 million in the past year. The company is expanding into video partnerships, including branded shows like their recent collaboration with Weight Watchers.
Building Brands in a Social-First Landscape
Adweek covered an ADWEEK House Cannes Lions group chat co-hosted with Creatively Squared that examined how brands can build mental availability on social platforms. Panelists from Creatively Squared, Audible, Zoom, Yoobi, Livewire and Bask & Lather Co. argued that social remains a viable place for brand building if creative is native to each platform, emotionally resonant, and tailored rather than repurposed from long-form spots. Speakers recommended leveraging creators and outside storytellers with authentic voices, giving creators freedom rather than heavy direction, and using affiliates where trust and everyday relatability are important. The session highlighted that consistency and big ideas still matter, but the playbook for executing brand work must adapt to fast, scroll-driven social environments.
Scaling Brands Inside the Story
At an ADWEEK House Cannes Lions fireside chat co-hosted with EightPM, marketing leaders discussed how brands can move beyond one-off entertainment placements to build always-on, authentic integrations that drive measurable business results. Panelists — including Grant Regillo (EightPM), Samantha Catalina (fractional CMO for Happy Dad and Noble Pacific), Patrick O’Keefe (e.l.f. Beauty) and Jackie Widmann (BERO Brewing) — emphasized proactive monitoring of entertainment opportunities, preparing digital assets and inventory for fast execution, and relinquishing control when a placement works as a natural subplot. Examples cited include Olipop’s fast creative support to scale into Whole Foods and e.l.f.’s understated care package activation for creator Oliver Widger. Speakers argued entertainment integrations must be genuine and tied to retail and lead-generation outcomes, not only impressions.
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