Dear Media bets on creator freedom to grow audiences and commerce
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Skinny Confidential's Lauryn Bosstick, Dear Media's Michael Bosstick and Axios' Kerry Flynn. Photo: Stacey Conant
Dear Media is betting that giving creators the freedom to say what they want will build more loyal audiences and a stronger media business.
Why it matters: That trust has helped it turn content into commerce, selling advertising while also launching and investing in products.
What they're saying: "I personally don't censor anyone on our platform," Dear Media CEO Michael Bosstick says. "I'm pretty much a free speech absolutist. I've gotten some flack for that, but I've always felt like, who am I to decide what people can say and not say on the platform?"
- "From a business perspective, to me, it also makes sense to let people share what they want to share in an authentic way because it's what audiences are craving," he added.
- Lauryn Bosstick, founder of The Skinny Confidential, added that advertisers don't need to agree with every opinion a host expresses.
- "When I go to dinner with someone, I hope there's 15 people at the table that have different opinions. I want it to be as colorful as possible, and I think the same goes with an advertiser and an influencer or a podcaster," she says. "You don't have to agree with every single thing they say."
Catch up quick: Founded in 2018, Dear Media hosts more than 100 entertainment, pop culture and lifestyle shows. The company's 2024 revenue was more than $50 million, with 70% year-over-year growth.
- The Skinny Confidential was founded in 2011 as a blog and has grown into a beauty and wellness brand with 50% year-over-year growth since it launched, with 2024 nearing 65% growth.
- The Bossticks co-host "The Skinny Confidential: Him & Her Show," which hit more than 500 million downloads.
Between the lines: The Bossticks see podcasts as a launchpad for other content and partnerships. Dear Media is focused on establishing connections between its talent and audiences through audio, video, social, products, events and more.
- "Podcasts are the new talk shows. It's just in a different delivery form," Michael Bosstick says. "For the longest time, they were the weird stepchild of media.… I don't even really talk about them as podcasts anymore."
Follow the money: Dear Media and The Skinny Confidential have invested in and incubated products. Lauryn posted on her Instagram account this week that her ice roller is sold out on their site.
- "The influencers, I feel like, that just slap a white label on something and it doesn't really make sense to their story, there's not a lot of longevity in that," Lauryn Bosstick says.
What's next: Dear Media plans to keep expanding in content and commerce and exploring more acquisitions, after buying Obé Fitness this year. They view AI as a tool, not a replacement for human creators.
- "We will still, as humans, crave that human connection," Michael Bosstick says.
