The one trend in business that never goes out of style is news. Just ask Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg.
Through their newsletter TheSkimm, the co-founders are helping to fill the online news void. Every morning at 6 a.m., an email is sent to your inbox and clues you into everything you need to know to start the day, from news and politics to sports and entertainment.
Zakin and Weisberg clue us in to starting their newsletter, how twentysomethings navigate NYC and their Skimm style.
How did the theSkimm start?
Zakin: Danielle and I met on a college abroad program, and we worked at NBC. There we bonded and reconnected through work. We created this newsletter for our friends and noticed what kinds of news our smart and busy friends weren’t getting for their daily routine. We are the female millennials, and not only targeting that female. We are targeting anyone who wants the news.
Who’s the female millennial?
Zakin: It could be from 13-38. We define that as 22-34. The reason everyone talks about it is they are women who are highly smart and have bigger paychecks. We are targeting women who are highly educated and have big careers.
Tell me about your funding.
Zakin: We took a convertible note in 2012, a traditional note in 2013 and then another round of funding last October with Hunter Walk of Homebrew so we can show the brand in a different way: business, analytics and the editorial side.
Who writes the content?
Weisberg: For the first year and a half we did everything. We are roommates, and our offices were in our apartment. We were in charge of content, financing, tech, HR, development.
What’s the content of theSkimm?
Weisberg: We turned news into a lifestyle brand. That’s why we started the email. It’s very rare that people are voluntarily helping you out when starting a business. We have 100 influential women to help us grow the brand. We call them our ‘Skimm’bassadors.’
What’s your mission statement?
Weisberg: We make it easier to be smarter.
Why the quirky news headlines?
Weisberg: We wanted to make news down-to-earth and to give the reader what they needed to know. It also attracts a wider audience.
What’s #Skimmstyle?
Weisberg: For Fashion Week Spring 2015, we are starting a campaign to get people to style the Skimm tee. We want to see how you can dress up and style something that fits in with your routine — smart fashion in a literal sense. Tag @theSkimm or hashtag #SmartFashion or #SkimmLife, and we will repost them from theSkimm’s accounts.
Any advice?
Zakin: For us we had a passion and saw an opportunity. We also know when to raise our hands and to get help. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses. There are always going to be so many naysayers, but trust your gut.
