Listen "How three Morning Brew alums struck out to build their own niche media network"
Episode Synopsis
My newsletter: https://simonowens.substack.com/ Of all the media outlets to have launched in the last decade, Morning Brew has had one of the most impressive growth trajectories. Not only did it build its main newsletter to millions of subscribers, but it also spun off multiple B2B niche verticals and has had enormous success on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. So it's not surprising that when three of its early employees left to launch their own media company, there were plenty of high profile creators eager to work with them. Under the banner of Smooth Media Creative Holdings, these alums have built out an influencer marketing agency and also their own niche outlets. In a recent interview, co-founder Josh Kaplan delved deeper into Smooth Media's strategy, explained how it works with big YouTubers, and discussed why the company decided to acquire a 30-year-old B2B media brand.
More episodes of the podcast The Business of Content with Simon Owens
Why this business news outlet ditched advertising to focus entirely on paid subscriptions
19/11/2025
This local newsletter covering a Dallas suburb has the highest paid conversion rate on Substack
06/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.