theSkimm Founders on Launching a Business With No Plan B, Being Bold & Taking Risks, and Building a Viral Brand Through Word of Mouth with Danielle Weisberg & Carly Zakin

Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin co-founded theSkimm in 2012, a
digital media company dedicated to giving women the information
they need to navigate life’s most important decisions. Since
hitting send on the first Daily Skimm email over a decade ago,
they have cultivated a trusted community that reaches more than
12 million women. As their audience has matured, so has theSkimm,
evolving beyond a singular newsletter into an award-winning
ecosystem that includes dedicated newsletters in money, wellness,
parenting, and shopping, a career podcast, an in-house creative
agency, and a commerce arm that performs at 3x the industry
standard.


Danielle and Carly both grew up with a love for journalism and
storytelling. The two met after a summer spent studying abroad in
Rome and reconnected after graduation while working in New York
City, where they eventually became roommates trying to make it in
the media industry. Both news junkies at heart, they quickly
realized there was an opportunity to change the way media was
consumed and created an outlet that provided its audience with
bite-sized and easily digestible news. With $4,000 between the
both of them, they decided to quit their jobs and launch
theSkimm. 


In this week’s episode, Danielle and Carly share their love for
storytelling, what it means to start their digital media company
from their couch, and why they thought it was a bigger risk to
not pursue theSkimm than it was to pursue it. They share what
it’s like to work with a co-founder and the benefits of having
one, ways they applied grassroots marketing in the early days of
the business when they had zero funds, and how they thought about
growth & monetization. We also get the inside scoop on how
they fostered an intensely engaged community through their
Skimmbassador program, how they balance their relationship as
friends and Co-CEOs, and what goes into producing great content.
Danielle and Carly also open up about their biggest mistakes
during their journey, how they dealt with rejection when
fundraising early on, and so much more. 


* In this episode, we’ll talk to Danielle and Carly about:


* Their lives as journalists prior to theSkimm. [02:53]


* Transitioning to full-time focus on theSkimm. [11:15]


* No Plan B: Driving force for productivity. [17:33]


* Growth propelled by theSkimm ambassador program. [22:01]


* Finding the right investors amid rejections. [27:06]


* Momentum building and monetization strategies. [29:56]


* Fostering their relationship as co-founders. [33:37]


* Tips for first time entrepreneurs. [38:35]


* Prioritizing self-care basics. [41:39]


* Who shouldn’t be an entrepreneur. [48:55]


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Follow Danielle and Carly: 


* Website: https://www.theskimm.com/


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskimm/


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlyanddanielle/


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