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Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Steven Bartlett Becomes Co-Owner Of Stan To Back Creator Founders
John Hu and Steven Bartlett Steven Bartlett is no stranger to backing the next wave of disruptors, but his latest move is more than an investment. The entrepreneur and host of The Diary of a CEO is joining Stan, the creator commerce platform, as a co-owner to help build what he sees as 'the future of entrepreneurship, one Creator-entrepreneur at a time.' As Stan crosses $30 million in annual recurring revenue and $300 million in gross merchandise value, Bartlett's hands-on involvement signals a growing belief that the middle-class creator is the business story of the decade. Bartlett, whose personal capital and FlightStory Fund are both behind the deal, explained that 'this is not a passive investment. I will be taking an active role in the business as a co-owner,' positioning himself not only as a strategic partner to the executive team but also as a direct contributor to the success of creators on the platform. He added that his involvement would include sharing business insights, helping shape product strategy and offering exclusive opportunities to Stan's user base. 'I am invested in Stan creators,' he said plainly. Stan has grown to more than 70,000 users in just three years, a trajectory that founder and CEO John Hu attributes to obsessive focus on creators who are building real, sustainable businesses without massive teams, investors or platforms. According to Bartlett, Stan stands out because 'it removes friction. It gives creators a streamlined way to monetise, engage their audience and scale all from a single link.' He added that most creators trying to scale spend too much time juggling disconnected tools, and that the most successful ones 'treat their brand like a business from day one,' focusing on systems, automation and leveraging their unique skills rather than spreading themselves thin. Hu agreed. 'The creators succeeding on Stan aren't just influencers. They're educators, coaches, spiritual mentors, even lawyers,' he said. 'They're building lean businesses with high-leverage digital products, courses, communities and services.' Hu added that the company's edge is cultural as much as technological. 'This isn't just a business. We're building for ourselves and our peers. The bar is higher because we care more.' For Bartlett, the appeal of Stan was not only its traction but also its mission. 'Having navigated my own journey and built businesses from the ground up, I totally get the ambition of every creator looking to work for themselves,' he said. 'Stan is the easiest and most affordable way to get started as a creator entrepreneur.' Bartlett said that his connection with Hu was grounded in shared experience. 'My relationship with John is built on a shared experience. Both being self-made entrepreneurs who rose from disadvantaged backgrounds, we are united in our commitment to paying it forward by actively championing Stan creators.' That alignment is core to the company's direction. Hu added that Stan was originally created to solve a problem he faced himself while growing a content business on TikTok and YouTube. 'There wasn't a single product that let you launch and monetize easily,' he said. 'So we built it.' Since joining the company, Bartlett has been hands-on in product strategy and team discussions, particularly around AI. 'He's been texting us constantly about AI,' said Hu. 'It's like having a board member in your group chat.' Vitalii Dodonov, Stan's co-founder and CTO, added that many of the company's current experiments with artificial intelligence emerged from conversations with Bartlett. 'A lot of the ideas sparked from Steven sharing what he's seeing across the industry,' he said. 'We're building something to help creators figure out what to launch and how, faster and more clearly.' Bartlett sees this next phase as a shift in the industry. 'The investment will be used to further enhance the Stan experience,' he said. 'We're building a platform that supports creators at every stage, especially those just getting started.' The investment also aligns with Bartlett's broader vision through FlightStory Fund, which backs growth-stage startups challenging conventional business models. 'The fund is dedicated to supporting disruptive founders with funding, guidance, and a network that fuels their growth,' he explained. 'Stan aligns perfectly with that thesis.' Bartlett emphasized that Stan is not a one-off bet on the creator space, but a central piece of a longer-term commitment to entrepreneur-first infrastructure. 'We invest in missions that challenge the status quo,' he said, adding that Stan represents 'exactly the kind of company we want to scale.' Asked how he would build a creator business today if starting from scratch, Bartlett didn't hesitate. 'I'd find a niche with a proven engaged and loyal audience. I'd post daily content to build my community and I'd use the most efficient and affordable tools to monetize as quickly as possible.' He said Stan would be part of that toolkit, especially for creators who need clarity, speed and access to mentorship. Bartlett also spoke candidly about the biggest mistakes he sees creators make. 'They try to do everything themselves, and they burn out,' he said. 'Time is the one thing you can't scale without. Stan gives them that time back.' While much of the attention in the creator economy has gone to celebrity influencers and big-name platforms, Bartlett and Hu are betting on the opposite: small, focused, independent creators building real businesses. As Hu put it, 'Stan was built on the belief that anyone should have the opportunity to make a living working for themselves.' For Dodonov, the motivation went even deeper. 'The foundational desire to be free… is the most core pursuit that I had,' he said. With Bartlett now embedded in the company's leadership and strategy, Stan is positioned as the backbone of a new class of digital entrepreneurship. This partnership brings together two builders with shared backgrounds and a common belief: that anyone with a skill or story should have the tools to work for themselves. Selected clips taken from my in-depth interview with John Hu about the investment, featured on The Business of Creators podcast.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This millennial CEO grew up with a heroin addict dad. Now he's running a multimillion-dollar agency
This millennial founder got his start working alongside Diary of a CEO's Steven Bartlett, before launching a rival multimillion-pound marketing agency of his own. But before his rise in the agency world, Sam Budd was grappling with the trauma of his brother's death, battling school expulsions, and visiting his homeless father under motorway bridges. Now he tells Gen Z they can emulate his success by making the most of every single person they meet. Money makes money. Research estimates that just 12% of CEOs come from a working-class background. And the startup world is no different: Entrepreneurs without wealth or connections face an uphill battle for funding—without the capital, connections, or safety nets their privileged peers often take for granted. Sam Budd is an outlier. He had a rough start to life—expelled from school multiple times, with a father battling heroin addiction and an alcoholic stepdad. 'My dad was a heroin addict, and my half-brother was in foster care. It was very heartbreaking to be a part of that,' he recalls to Fortune. 'As I was growing up, I had to deal with my dad being under bridges, homeless.' While Budd was silently struggling with the chaos, his brother ended up in prison for five years after a cash machine robbery turned violent. 'The day he came out, he overdosed on heroin with my dad and died in my dad's arms. Three years later, my dad got stabbed and beaten up based on a drug deal issue—he ended up dying in a gutter of pneumonia.' Then things started turning sour at home, after his mother remarried and uprooted the family to Cornwall, England. As his own anger bubbled away, Budd recalls getting increasingly out of control and even being arrested for fighting. 'If I'm honest, I felt really isolated, I felt worthless, I hated myself,' Budd explains. 'I got kicked out. I fell out with my stepdad. He ended up drinking himself to death and dying of liver failure.' 'I was systematically imploding. I couldn't deal with it.' Against all odds, the 36-year-old Budd is the high-flying CEO of his own £3.8 million-a-year ($5.1 million) marketing agency, Buddy Media Group. Founded in 2020, it's gaining some serious steam. While the top independent agencies in Britain have a 36% growth rate, Buddy Media is achieving nearly 100% year-on-year growth and attracting the attention of major clients with Apple, Spotify, and Procter & Gamble among its 26 accounts. As the adage goes: It's not what you know, it's who you know. It's why, for those from marginalised backgrounds with zero corporate connections, it can feel like they're locked out of the working world. But you don't have to be at a networking event or scrolling LinkedIn to start making connections. Budd's big break came thanks to connecting with people in the most unlikely of places: on the beach. At 18, he was working as a lifeguard in Cornwall, Britain's coastal hotspot. Although it wasn't his dream job or industry, he made it his mission to talk to as many people as possible and ask for their email address. 'But I would actually follow up with an email and say I would love to come and do five days' work experience with you,' he adds. In the end, it only takes one connection to open the right door—and that's exactly what happened to Budd. One person he connected with was hiring for Beach Break Live, a musical festival on the beach for students. And of course, given his local knowledge of the area, Budd was the perfect fit. 'I didn't just apply with a CV. I told a story, and then I highlighted what value I believed I could bring.' The role meant he had to uproot to London, but from there he saw his career take off. He impressed the co-founder, Celia Foreshew, so much that she brought him on as a founding member of her next venture Seed Marketing which was eventually acquired by another agency, Amplify, 'for several millions'. That's when he crossed paths with Diary of a CEO's Steven Bartlett. 'I couldn't afford to live in London. I took the job because I knew they would put me on a platform that would get me here,' Budd explains the snowball effect Beach Break Live had on his career. 'What did that turn into? Seed marketing agency, which sold several million and I was one of the founders. And where did that take me to? (Bartlett's marketing agency) Social Change. And where did that take me to? Launching Buddy Media. So it's like, you've just got to find a way in.' Budd's not the only person to use their first job to land a big fish. Many Gen Z grads today are successfully trying their luck with strangers to get a foot in the door of employment. Gen Z grad, Basant Shenouda, landed an internship at LinkedIn—where she still works years later—by using the networking platform to see which conferences recruiters were posting about. She then waitressed at those events, armed with a stack of résumés to hand to hiring managers. Likewise, 25-year-old, Ayala Ossowski used the 20 hours a week she was working at a pizza shop in suburban Washington to try to get poached by DC's elite. She wore a baseball cap emblazoned with her university logo on the front to every shift and launched into an elevator pitch any time a customer asked about it. After a month of pitching herself while serving pizza, Ossowski landed her first corporate job. But you don't have to hold off your networking journey until after you've landed an internship or weekend job—where you can cosy up to bosses, like-minded peers or in Budd's case, beachgoers. The world really is your oyster. Without even really realising it, Budd had already created a springboard for his career as a teenager by impressing his friends' parents. 'Maybe it's my ADHD. I feel so much, and I care so much about everything, but what it has done is I've been so desperate for a dad-like father, I went out and saw other people's parents as role models,' he says. 'Weirdly, it is the most critical part of how I achieve success.' He got close to a couple of his friends' dads, and is still in their family WhatsApp group chat today. But one in particular, Jeremy Martell, took Budd under his wing when his life was crumbling—both figuratively and literally. Budd lived with Martell for 6 months, gained work experience as his assistant and credits him for shaping his entrepreneurial mindset. It's why, he says Gen Zers struggling to launch their careers can emulate his success if they make the most of every connection they make—even if that's just a best friend's dad. 'You have all of it at your fingertips if you approach it with the right way: You seek to add value of some way, and most importantly, you ask for help,' he advises. 'How many people really have the courage to say, 'Can you help me? I would love your support. I really respect what you do and I would love to change my stars.'' Today, Martell is on Buddy Media's board. 'And he introduced me to our other board member, who's the ex-financial director of Procter and Gamble,' he explains. 'All of a sudden it all starts coming together. Now I've got people that I can call up, because I've invested time over the two decades, building relationships. Because really, life is about building relationships.' Are you a successful executive who, like Budd, had an unusual start to their career? Or maybe you're a Gen Zer who thought out of the box to land that first interview. Fortune wants to hear from you! Email: This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Wales Online
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Stephen Fry's life from cancer battle to prison stint and much younger husband
Stephen Fry's life from cancer battle to prison stint and much younger husband Stephen Fry has had an incredible career and has enjoyed fame for decades, but his road to success has been a rocky one, with the TV star battling his fair share of heartache Stephen Fry has been confirmed as one of the 18 celebrities set to appear on the inaugural series of The Celebrity Traitors alongside host Claudia Winkleman. But before then, the much-loved QI host, writer, author and director will be joining TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson for the ITV1 Celebrity Special Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? airing on Thursday, May 15. He'll be in the hot seat, pitting his wits against the clock in hopes of raising substantial funds for a charity dear to his heart. With all the excitement surrounding Stephen's forthcoming TV appearances, we took a look back at his past and found that the TV star had led quite an extraordinary life, filled with many ups and downs, reports Surrey Live. Prison spell Stephen Fry spent three months behind bars Stephen has always been candid about his childhood, previously sharing on the Diary Of A CEO podcast, revealing he felt "lost and adrift" which led to a brief stint in prison. Article continues below He faced struggles during his teenage years and was expelled from numerous schools. By the age of 17, Stephen found himself incarcerated for credit card fraud and was sent to Pucklechurch Prison, where he was held on remand for three months. Reflecting on how he ended up in prison, the actor detailed how he'd stolen a coat from a pub, later realising the owner had left a wallet with two credit cards inside, and ultimately decided to use them. On the podcast, he admitted: "They were very easy to use fraudulently." The TV host then began "embarking on a countrywide spending spree," before being apprehended by the police. Despite a challenging start with a prison sentence in his teens, Stephen has carved out an exceptional career and now stands as a notable writer, actor, comedian, and director, credited for work on Blackadder and The Hobbit film series. Three-decade age gap with husband Stephen Fry and Elliot tied the knot in 2015 (Image: FILE ) In their private life, Stephen and his husband Elliott Spencer choose to keep a low profile despite over a decade of marriage. The couple, who have a significant age difference of 30 years, wed in 2015. Before their relationship hit the headlines, both Elliot and Stephen kept their romance away from the public eye, with Stephen even referring to Elliott as "Mr E,". This changed in time, with Elliott speaking openly to The Independent about their bond: "I don't care what people think. Stephen is the love of my life, the light of my life. We laugh all the time." Elliott further shared the significance of humour in their union: "Humour is the binding thing in our life. I think that's what brought us together. It's been incredible." Cancer battle Stephen Fry battled cancer in 2018 (Image: ITV ) In terms of health concerns, Stephen bravely disclosed his battle with prostate cancer in 2018, admitting he underestimated the long-term effects. During a recent Radio 4 discussion with Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, he conveyed his reflections: "I wish that I'd known that it would take so long to get over it all. I don't mean the actual physical recuperation and convalescence. I mean that it takes a long time to leave you, cancer." In an emotional video message to his supporters, Stephen expressed his gratitude towards his husband and family for their steadfast support throughout his cancer struggle. He commented: "My family and my divine, darling husband were just marvellous. "And those friends who have known have been very kind about it. I'm lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people. Lucky to have such an incredibly team working for me." He then expressed his appreciation for his health, saying: "And lucky to have an immune system working for me." Bipolar diagnosis Stephen Fry was diagnosed with bipolar at age 37 (Image:) Turning 67, Stephen reflected on his Bipolar diagnosis at age 37, which proved to be a moment of clarity for the multifaceted star. Having faced numerous mental health challenges and surviving three suicide attempts, with the latest occurring in 2012, the beloved figure from Blackadder candidly discussed his lifelong battle, particularly during his conversation with Herring at a packed central London theatre. Article continues below He opened up about living with Bipolar disorder, revealing: "I am the victim of my own moods, more than most people are perhaps, in as much as I have a condition which requires me to take medication so that I don't get either too hyper or too depressed to the point of suicide." Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Celebrity Special on ITV1 on Thursday, May 15 at 9pm *If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Trial lawyer reveals the word that usually exposes when someone is lying
A trial lawyer has revealed the one word that is typically used by liars. Lawyer Jefferson Fisher, from Texas, boasts six million followers on Instagram and often posts about why the language you choose to use can have a big impact on how you present yourself. And recently, he went on the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett to share the one 'dead giveaway' that someone is being deceitful. Jefferson revealed that when a person is being deceitful, they will often use absolutes and extreme wording in an attempt to deflect you from sniffing out their lies. But the one red flag you should watch out for is the word 'never', as it is often a favourite among fibbers. Jefferson told host Steven: 'Never is an extreme. Extremes are a dead giveaway that they're usually not telling the truth.' The attorney gave an example, telling Steven to ask him: 'Were you texting while you were driving that day?' Jefferson then responded: 'No, I never text. Never text when I drive.' He added: 'Everybody texts when they drive at some point. That's why the word stands out.' The TikTok famous lawyer said that liars will often reply quickly to your questions without thinking about what has been asked of them. This is because they are not thinking back to a memory or trying to recall anything - instead they are just rehearsing what they have already planned in their head. Jefferson says that this tactic can be reversed and used to catch them out, simply by slowly repeating the question. He used the example: 'You never text while driving?' This can cause the deceiver to crumble and go back on their original answer. He added: 'What they'll do most often is say, "Well, I mean, sometimes I do." Now they know "never" is a risk word.' However, Jefferson says the key thing is not to pounce on them once they start back peddling as this can be counterproductive. Instead, the legal practitioner says that it is important to 'give them an out'. For example, saying: 'If you were texting, it's okay'. Jefferson says that this strategy can depressurise the situation and instead allow them to be honest with you. However, there is a third way you can crack a fabricator - staying completely silent. 'Silence is the ultimate nemesis of liars,' he expressed. They create dialogues in their minds for you.' The painful quietness can often make them feel uncomfortable and leave them itching to fill in the gaps by explaining themselves without even being asked.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chris Eubank Jr says father ‘slept on stretcher in hospital' after Conor Benn fight as bond grows
Chris Eubank Jr has opened up on how his relationship with his father, Chris Eubank Sr, has changed since last month's fight with Conor Benn. On 26 April, 32 years after Eubank Sr fought Nigel Benn for the second and final time, Jr outpointed Benn's son Conor at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The scintillating fight followed a chaotic build-up, during which Nigel stood by his son while Eubank Sr called his own son a 'disgrace'. Advertisement As such, it was a major surprise to see Eubank Sr arrive at the stadium with Jr on fight night, before the pair walked to the ring together. Eubank Sr recently explained how he and Jr, who had been estranged for some time, reconnected the night before the fight, and Jr has now delved deeper into their latest chapter. 'Since that night before the fight, every day since then it's been all love between me and my old man, which is incredible to think,' Eubank Jr said on Diary Of A CEO. 'I was in hospital for two days after the fight; he didn't leave the hospital. 'When I say he didn't leave the hospital, I mean he's sleeping on one of these stretchers outside my room, just in the hallway. That means everything to me. Regardless of the differences, and the things that have been said and done, a man who's gonna stay by his son like that... That's love. Chris Eubank Jr and Sr walk to the ring in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (PA Wire) 'It's been so long since I've had that type of feeling with him, and you only get one father. So, now we're gonna build and build and build, and I think our relationship is only gonna get stronger and stronger and stronger.' Advertisement In the months before the fight, in which Eubank Jr handed Benn his first professional loss, Jr publicly took issue with his father creating distance between them, saying it was no way for the older Eubank to behave following the deaths of Sr's son Sebastian and brother Simon Eubank in recent years. 'Regardless of what he said about me and about the fight, he was there when it mattered the most, and that means everything,' Eubank Jr said this week. 'As soon as he picked the phone up, there was a tone in his voice that I hadn't heard for years. 'It was a tone of happiness, lightness, joy. 'Hey, how you doing, son? What's going on? How you feeling? I know you've got a big day tomorrow, and... I wanna be there for you.' I heard that, and I was like: 'Is this a dream? This is Chris Eubank Sr I'm speaking to? Who is this?' Eubank Jr during his thrilling clash with Conor Benn (PA Wire) 'I envisioned walking to the ring alone, being booed, and getting into that ring and fighting with anger in my heart. That's what I thought that fight was gonna be. What it turned out to be was: I'm walking to the ring, my old man is behind me – is with me – and for the first time in my whole career, I'm walking through a crowd and there's no boos [...] I'm walking past people and I'm seeing tears in their eyes.' Advertisement After beating Benn 116-112 on all three scorecards, Eubank Jr was taken to hospital for surgery on a cut above his eye. 'There were moments in that hospital where I'm feeling... I caught myself in the mirror, I see my face is all puffed up, I've got this massive cut across my eye, my headache is crazy,' said the 35-year-old. 'I'm feeling sorry for myself. 'This is f****d up.' I've got my family around me, some of them are crying, [I'm thinking:] 'This is so bad.' 'I'm lying there, I've got my oxygen mask on, I can hear everything that's going on. We're in a ward, somebody gets wheeled into a room next to me. There's no walls, it's just sheets separating. 'Get me the morphine, get me the morphine.' They can't get you the morphine until they sign off on some stuff, so I'm waiting there. Eubank Sr hoists his son aloft after Jr's victory in front of 65,000-plus fans (Getty Images) 'Then I hear the doctors saying, 'We have to operate on him now, otherwise he's gonna die;' I heard that from the other room, and I thought: 'Oh, my God. I'm great. I'm blessed. I should not be feeling sorry for myself at all.' I knew I was in pain, but there's a guy next to me who's about to die.' Advertisement It is expected that Eubank Jr and Benn, 28, will square off again later this year, possibly returning to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a rematch in September. Eubank Jr has also been linked to a bout with super-middleweight king Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, though the Mexican icon will face Terence Crawford in September. Similarly, Benn has been linked to welterweight champion Mario Barrios, but the latter is due to fight a returning Manny Pacquiao in July. In Benn's fight with Eubank Jr, the former moved up two weights beyond his usual division of welterweight, meeting Jr at middleweight. The latter, however, was restricted by a rehydration clause.
