Rachel Hardy PR

@StevenBartlett A really interesting read

Today we’re the daily cover of Forbes… which is honestly pretty surreal. 😵‍💫😮 But with that came a big headline: Why did we turn down a major podcasting deal and choose to stay independent? So I thought I’d share the honest answer. Last year, we were offered an undisclosed podcasting deal – the kind many of my peers whom I respect in this space have taken. And for good reason. These deals can be life-changing. But for us, in our specific situation, it just didn’t feel like the right path. There’s no “right or wrong” here. Everyone’s circumstances are different. This is just what aligned with our values, our audience, and our long-term vision. 🧠 Why we turned it down: 🚩 It would’ve meant *at least* 300% more ads on The Diary Of A CEO. And honestly, our listeners have been clear – they want fewer, better ads. We hear that, and we agree. Personally, I also believe there are smarter ways to monetise than just piling on more ads. Equity partnerships, long-term integrations and creating your own products, membership options… are more innovative options that keep the listener experience intact. 🚩 We would’ve had less control over where the show appears. With these deals, you’re often contractually incentivised to focus on certain platforms – and sometimes, that means removing your show from others altogether. For a show that’s always been built on independence and accessibility everywhere, that felt like a step back. I really think one of the beautiful things about podcasting is that it can appear on all platforms at once - and the viewer gets to decide where and when they watch it. 🚩 The numbers you see in the headlines don't tell the full story. You don’t sign a $100 million deal and get the cash up front. These are usually multi-year deals, spread out over time, tied to performance targets, and come with significant obligations. To put it in perspective: - A “$125m deal” might be $25m/year for 5 years, and that money will only be paid if you meet certain performance targets. That difference matters. Especially when you’re thinking about opportunity cost and long-term creative freedom. For full transparency: we were offered two deals. The most significant was over a 3-year term. The fee remains undisclosed. ✅ When our Chief Revenue Officer, Christiana Brenton, modelled the numbers, she and her team believed we could actually do better on our own – without flooding the show with ads. By thinking differently about monetisation, we could retain creative freedom and beat the offer over the next 3 years. ✅ We’ve now got nearly 100 full-time people building our media company, Flight Story (which is home to The Diary Of A CEO) led by Georgie Holt. In my view, they’re the best in the business. We’ve built every capability in-house – strategy, data, production, creative, partnerships, ecom, social, marketing, newsletters and more – and we believe in betting on ourselves! Time will tell if we were right 🤷🏽‍♂️ But betting on myself and my team is a decision I can live with – and truthfully, one I wish I’d made more often when I was starting out in my career. Hopefully this gives some clarity on why we chose to stay independent. We’re still learning, still building, and still listening. Thanks for being on the journey with us. ❤️🚀👊🏾

No trains again. I’ve been going back into London daily for 3 weeks and I think this is my 4th morning of zero trains or severe delays. No staff and zero information about alternative routes. @Kier_Starmer_PM @UKLabour @LouHaigh this has to be a priority.

It’s finally here! Voting has now opened for the 2024 NTA longlist of contenders... Head to nationaltvawards.com to cast your votes! ✉️ Voting closes 11pm Friday 31st May. T&CS at nationaltvawards.com

Netflix Premium: £215.88 a year. Netflix Standard: £131.88 a year. Netflix with adverts: £95.88 a year. TV Licence (covering all BBC TV, radio and online services): £159 a year.

Let's treat our Housemates with kindness 💙 #BBUK

People complaining Big Brother has gone 'woke' obviously never saw the series in the 2000s. It's always been a strong diverse mix of characters #bbuk

That Big Brother intro 😍 #BBUK

What the Naomi Campbell is going on with AJ Odudu?

“Not only were we blown away by the creativity and quality of the work, but we were inspired by the teams that created new innovations with AI technologies, built new responsible products, and so much more.” Ciel Vanderveen, Managing Director of the Webbys forbes.com/sites/cathyols…

Our first webby nomination with @Channel4 @Hollyoaks 🙌🏼

@LNRailway scenes at Berkhamsted were dangerous today! Families with small children running between platforms because the app + boards had wrong information. Changing as trains were pulling in leaving families in panic. Continued… 1/2

Wow what a reaction to tonight’s show @Being_Kelsey #soproud #lifeaftertom

@duncancraig_ would you still travel to Greece? Due to fly tomorrow for 1 week & because the border is open I’m not entitled to a refund, however with the announcement on Weds I’m fearing a move to the red list and the risk of hotel quarantine with 2 small children! Any advice?

@SimonCalder would you still travel to Greece? Due to fly tomorrow for 1 week & because the border is open I’m not entitled to a refund, however with the announcement on Weds I’m fearing a move to the red list and the risk of hotel quarantine with 2 small children! Any advice?

@grantshapps Help me out Grant, I have a holiday to Santorini booked, due to fly tomorrow with two small children. Is Greece likely to turn red in the next announcement on Weds? We aren’t entitled to a refund so will lose our money if we don’t fly but I can’t risk quarantine

Just posted a photo instagram.com/p/CJTLhLsnBgQ/…

Just posted a video instagram.com/p/CJR3Rixnlik/…

Just posted a photo instagram.com/p/CJOyM-gH3K1/…

Merry Christmas to everyone we know and love. We really hope the Christmas magic finds it’s way to you - you just have to believe ❤️ @ Gubblecote, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom instagram.com/p/CJM2JDCH0W-/…

@shaymantim @Tom_Kingsley I'd like to hear more about TOWIE's impact on Netball?

@Tom_Kingsley Working on two projects like that right now! Netball x TOWIE showed how well it can work, big factor in netball’s growth and never got the recognition it deserved.

Read a lot about the percentage uplifts but not seen the raw numbers until now. Quite something.