Habits and Hustle - Episode 18: Just Jared – Celebrity Writer – Why Second Place Is The First Loser

Episode Date: July 2, 2019

Jared Eng is the founder and CEO of Just Jared, which is one of the biggest sites for celebrity and entertainment news. Jared chats with us about his upbringing, how he started in the business, and how his hustle helped him become so successful in his field. We talk staying true to yourself, doing your own thing, and having a strong sense of morals. Youtube Link to This Episode Just Jared’s Website ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Did you learn something from tuning in today? Please pay it forward and write us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. 📧If you have feedback for the show, please email [e-mail]  📙Get yourself a copy of Jennifer Cohen’s newest book from Habit Nest, Badass Body Goals Journal. ℹ️Habits & Hustle Website 📚Habit Nest Website 📱Follow Jennifer – Instagram – Facebook – Twitter – Jennifer’s Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's where an award-winning pharmacy and nationally recognized care come together. Connect with one of our licensed pharmacists today at your local Croger and experience the care you and your family deserve. Croger Health, a world of care, is in store. Services and availability vary by location, age and other restrictions may apply. For coverage, consult your health insurance company, visit the pharmacy or our site for details. Celebrity News is a huge part of our society these days. And it can be salacious, invasive, and headline grabbing. But our guest today, celebrity blogger, Just Jared, has created his

own entertainment news empire by doing exactly the opposite. Jarrod has stayed true to himself by building his company from a place of uplifting positivity and rejecting the norms of judgment and negativity. Today we chat about creating success for being yourself, not sacrificing your morals and working your tail off. Jared's story is fascinating and you'll surely feel empowered to tackle your own dreams, while not sacrificing you in the process.

So listen in and I hope you enjoy as much as I did. All right you guys, I am so excited because we have Jess Jarrett, the founder and CEO of Jess Jarrett, who is Jarrett of course, on the podcast today. It is one of the biggest media platforms for celebrity and overall entertainment in the world. They have 10 million unique viewers a month and probably still growing. And he's here to kind of talk about how we got started, what was the kind of the reason why he even got into this business and maybe some like some juicy stuff if if if he's so desired. So thank you

so much Jared for coming. It's really I'm really happy to have you. Just to have that convey, yes. Wow. So Way to God God's two-part concert, like the first night was like her pop music and their second night was all jazz and piano and it's an incredible, like, I want to say religious experience. Oh wow.

So you know, I guess because of what you do and having such a successful platform, like, just Jared, you probably do get access to just about every cool thing that they're can possibly be in entertainment. I would say 95% of the stuff. Just 95%. There's the 5% of the people who are like Jared's press.

Jared is gonna write something negative and salacious. They just don't get the game, I would say. Really, even now and today's day, when that's all about that game. Just don't get it. I don't know how to explain it. Like I'll be at a celebrity's house and some other celebrity would be like,

why is Jared here? Like they don't see me as a human being, which is very difficult for celebrities to like, oh, he's a journalist, he's gonna write about me. Like just paranoid. Do you see, so I can see that because, first of journalist, he's gonna write about me, just paranoid. So I can see that because first of all, what's really unique about you,

and I think that what some people may be not understand is that you go kind of the other direction, because you're not salacious and you're not negative, you're actually quite the opposite, you're very positive. I read something recently that you don't wanna even take pictures of kids and use it on your website, is that correct?

We have the No Kids Policy. No Kids Policy. Paparazzi photos of kids are not allowed on the website anymore. Which I think as a mom, I think that's a great, I mean, that in itself says a lot about you, who you are, and what your whole overall corporate culture would be. So yeah, but I guess if people don't know that,

they just don't know, because of course, you have things like TMZ and Perez Hilton that are all about just throwing people under the bus and just being very, very salacious, right? So how do you do that? How do you kind of fight those negative type of... I would say, if I walk into a room and there's someone I've written about there, I wouldn't want them to think ill of me. Do you mean like, I would never want to walk into a room be there's someone I've written about there, I wouldn't want them to think ill of me. Do you mean like I would never want to walk into a room be uncomfortable because I wrote something

about someone. Right. So the fact that I can like walk and feel respected by peers and by people in industry both in front and behind the camera, I think that's what I always strive for. Well I saw, I think I also read that you went on tour with Rihanna or something like years ago, right? Yeah, I mean, it was a, it was a, a plain full journalists. And I was the only journalist that was allowed access, did hurt, access to her on a daily basis. I like went backstage hung out with her for a little bit, took a photo. I just got like behind the scenes information that like a lot of the journalists who didn't have access to her at all

Had so because you because of your reputation of being really kind of above board and more and actually just nice and positive Right, yeah, I think it's just the relationship building that I've created I've been doing this for 14 years now, which is really insane to me, but 14 years so how did you live and start? What was your whole background? Were you a journalist then or you weren't? I, that word journal is so weird to me. Like I, I didn't really read or write as a kid creatively.

Right. I have like read books obviously for school, but like it was never my intention to become a writer at all. Right. But I was say as a kid, I was very sheltered. My parents are super religious, they're Christian, they only allowed me and my brothers half an hour TV a week. They never took us to the movie theater.

I never got to see any Broadway shows. We only listened to contemporary Christian music. So it was in the school, when I discovered MTV. I guess my parents had never paid for cable TV growing up. Internet wasn't really big at that in those days. So my pop culture brain was like super, super, super tiny at that point.

You didn't have one. Yeah. And then once I got to college, all hell broke loose. I started to binge watch. And then once I got to college, all hell broke loose. I started to binge watch all television shows. I started to go to the movie theater. I've accidentally to get lottery tickets for Broadway shows, because I didn't have it for money

to buy tickets myself. And just I started to write about all the pop culture of consuming. My personal online journal just became a journal about celebrity. I could just look slowly evolved as I was writing about more and more the celebrity stuff and not my own stuff. Like I would realize traffic would get a bump

if I ever would about like Anderson Cooper, you know, if I ever would about, if I was actually doing jewelry, like I just wanted more traffic. I wanted more, more money to buy clothes. Remember my, so you would do more like a money's by close. Whatever, right. So you were doing more pocket money? Like a hobby, like a kind of something to do on the side,

like a side hustle. I still consider it to be a side hustle for some reason. Even though it's a full time job. Did you do something else that we don't know about? No, no. But it's like, it's not a corporate nine to five job. You know, I don't have to go into the office. I don't have to get dressed up.

Like I work from a bedroom. Like it's you do. Like tell me like exactly. Give me a day in the life of what you would do. Every day is different. You know, like, yeah, yesterday I didn't escape room and I went to the lady Gaga concert. Like, that's true. That's right.

And Vegas, that's right. But normally, like, let's say if you weren't like going somewhere traveling to Vegas, what would you be doing at home or, like a Monday or Tuesday morning to evening? As of now, I have a great team of editors who like around the clock coverage for the site. I definitely chime in here and there for bigger stories and if we need to buy extra photos, but now I'm trying to develop more

gesture branded things. Hopefully more like video content, more like photo shoot editorial-style photos. Just like develop taking meetings with people who can help me in each of those projects and endeavors. Like expand your brand more. So then like okay so let's go back a little bit. So what you said, you started as more like, for a lack of a better word, you started a blog or like a website, right? And you would just write about celebrity stuff.

Where would you get your information from? I would just scour the web. You know, I would find message boards. Message boards were much bigger back in the day. There weren't comment threads on Instagram to look through, which I would have to find fan websites, I guess, and just troll those until I found photos I liked or found information that people would want to know about. And I found things that cater to an audience. You look like I found,

like I mentioned, usually Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aston at that time. Right, those are just like the pinnacle of pop culture. And I would write about every single thing that they did when they walked out of their homes until they went to sleep. I'm sure a photographer was following their every move and we were writing about it. And I feel like people are so fascinated with anything celebrity.

And even today, with all the social media being like, at like an all-time, crazy high with now Facebook and obviously Instagram and all the other platforms, I feel like people are now, it's like steroids for people, right? Like it hasn't slowed down at all. People aren't bored by it. They're just more curious.

They're more intrigued. I mean, haven't you found that to be the case? But people, I feel like, or kids, these are growing up much faster because of your vast information available at the fingertips. Right. Just even something as simple as Wikipedia. Like, you can learn something so much quicker

than you did back in the day. Do you turn down a lot of stuff? For example, people go up there like teams, or wherever to get the hottest story of someone that's salacious. Does someone come to you? Do people come to you when you say, no, I won't do it because that's not what your brand is? Yeah, I mean, people give me information all the time that I can't write about.

People are just saying, it was between us, between us. And that's perfectly fine with me. I think just knowing information helps and kind of just save it for another day, or I know to keep that for something that I could publish in the future. It's kind of just like building blocks, I would say. You never want to break someone's trust, that's the only thing you have in this town. Right. This town is actually a lot smaller than people think.

So any like manager, agent, hair stylist, makeup artist, assistants, personals isn't executive assistant. Like, you need to know everyone in this town. Like, the waiter that serving you could be your boss the next day. You're like, you can't be rude and mean to one person and expect to be treated a different way.

Absolutely. Well, I think that back goes without saying in any world, you should never treat somebody badly because of who they are. I think that's a terrible trait in general. But I think especially here in Hollywood, right? Where everyone has 77 different jobs, and they could be the son to somebody

or the heir to something else. And you're right. And in your business, which is all about information, you want to make sure that you're nice to everybody and you have to have a really solid reputation for that, right? And it was never like, I'm going to be nice to the person or nice to this person. That's just, I think, who I am. Like, I want to be respectful to everyone. I want to be nice to everyone.

Why wouldn't you? Like, it is that. Absolutely, but you know what happens. I mean, a lot of times as people get more successful, a lot of times they get more of an ego and they get more arrogant and they have an attitude. And then they, you know what I mean? Like that happens all the time.

Always said, money and fame magnifies who you are. So if you are an asshole before, you're gonna be more of an asshole now. If you're a nice person then, you're just still gonna be nice person later. later. Absolutely true. I do agree with you And I think also we're maybe because of how you were brought up and where you you kind of came with a certain like level head Right, like you weren't all depends on your upbringing It's all your parents and great-gooper friends. You're gonna turn out just fine, right? I think a lot of

people who are like bad apples, like they didn't have good parenting. I hate to say it, but like. Now you're right, I think it's important because obviously it's your value system that you were taught when you were a young person, right? So that does go with you for sure. We're- Keep coming back, you got plenty of space!

Oof, not how you would have done that. You like working with people you can rely on, like USAA, who has helped guide the military community for the past 100 years. USAA, get a quote today. This episode is brought to you by Vonage. Is your business ready to integrate live video chats into your app? The Vonage Video API makes it simple for developers to build custom solutions that make sense for your business. From providing faster tech support

and better customer service to hosting more productive meetings and classes, live video enhances every conversation. Go live on your terms with Vonage. Learn more at Vonage.com. Where did you grow up? I was one of us in Queens. Oh, OK. And so that's why you moved to LA. Like, years ago. Oh, so you were doing just Jared for a while back in New York,

right? That's what yeah. And so let's just give us an idea. So as you were kind of writing about all these stuff and the blogs, it was getting bigger and bigger, how then how did you become? Did people then start to think of you as a source, so did then PR people and managers start to outreach, like reach out to you? Like that's, how does that work?

Like give us, like, or me, like how that would work. Um, I didn't know, when I started, I obviously didn't know, a single person in the industry. No, no, just right here, you're writing your website, right? And then, because you were interested in it, I obviously didn't know a single person in the industry. You're right in your website, right? And then- Because you were interested in it, right? So you had a passion for it? I think I'm a really good Googler. When someone, I need to reach out to someone, like you just have to like Google the right

phrase to find someone. And it's relatively easy to find email addresses for people. Like, if you find an email address for someone at say WME, you don't have someone else's, you just use obviously the same structure like the first initial dot last name at somewhere dot com. It's a common sense and also being resourceful. Yeah. Okay. So you just reach out to people, introduce yourself, say your business, state your business, and you know, most people respond to emails. As long as you have a legitimate reason to contact them.

But were you first contacted them because you were looking for information? You were just doing this on the side, you said, right? Yeah. I think the easiest thing for me was to contact people for fashion ideas, which is obviously very innocuous. What dress is this your client wearing? And if someone didn't have a publicist, I asked their manager. If what dresses as your client wearing, you know, like, and if someone didn't have a publicist, I asked their manager if they didn't have a manager

and ask their agent. So kind of that network sort of grew very slowly. And I would say one of the highlights of my career are just like these little stepping stones. I remember being at a party in New York and you know what Leslie Sloan is? No, who's that? She's this huge publicist.

And back in the day, page six was huge, especially living in New York. I would see Leslie's name being quoted. Who did she wrap at the time? At the time I honestly can't remember, but now she represents Blake Liveley and Katie Holmes and some other big clients. Okay. A lot of girls some other big clients. Okay.

A lot of girl like, like, female. Yeah. Okay, so I started listening to her. So she, I saw at a party one time and introduced myself and I was like, quivering. I was like, oh my god, I'm talking to Leslie Sloan. And when I was saying goodbye, she was like, do you have my information? I'm like, no. And then she, like, I was holding on my black wear at the time because black wear

existed then. She's like, grab my black wear, the time, because black wear existed then. She grabbed my black wear, I put her information in and gave it back to me, and on the taxi ride home, I was tearing up. I was like, less easily slow. I'm like the biggest publicist ever knows who I am. That's amazing.

And obviously this was super early in my career, and I think just, that gave me the validation. It didn't matter that a celebrity knew who I was like someone actually like worked in the industry and like represents like a wide range of clients like no who I am like that. Yeah and they like recognize who you were right. So like so then like basically based on that then when did it shift? When was that moment that breakthrough moment

when it went from you having to constantly reach out to then it shifted to where now everybody was reaching out to you because they knew that your platform was the place to be thought I'd get seen on. Yeah. I would say there's still, I feel like I still haven't reached that point.

Because I- Every entrepreneur says that, right? They all say that. Because they still do have to do a lot of reaching out. There are obviously a lot of pictures that come my way as well, but it's like, it's a give and take. Obviously, the biggest of A-list clients don't need to reach out to me to do something, but maybe a de-luster or something would need to reach out to me to do something, but maybe a de-luster or something wouldn't need to reach out more.

So, I don't know, there's like a, there's some sort of hierarchy. But I think that's what I want to talk about because I find it to be, that to me I find to be very interesting because I think, especially now again, with social media and I hate to say the word, but influencers, I feel like that's become like the new celebrity, right? Like people who have who are famous for nothing,

you know, who have 15 million people following them are much more influential sometimes in these like, you know, celebrities. So do you then give, do you give credence to that? Like you now just, is there like a balance where you say to your, a stat, like, you know, people who work with you? Is there some kind of way to format where you cover everything? I think the majority of the people we cover are more so actors, musicians, models. We've never really delved too much into the influencer realm, unless they have, I would say, like a specific talent.

Right, okay. Like we don't, like even reality shows, we don't really cover too many of them. Yeah, I haven't seen any on your site. And like, I would say like the housewives department or something. Not even the housewives. No, not really. But we cover more like the competition

shows like bachelor's survivor amazing race. Maybe I think that's probably, I mean, I don't run your business, but I would say because probably those reality shows are trash, right? Like they have really, I mean, it's all about salacious and it's about like throwing people under the bus and like just negative trash talking. And I think if your whole brand is to be the antithesis to that, it would be kind of counterintuitive to put those people on there, right? So what are you going to write about? I think part of it is just like personal preference. Like I just don't watch those shows personally, so I don't have my staff cover it. Right.

So it's a little bit okay, so it's... I mean, that's why I named the website JustJared. Back then, when I was, before I named it JustJared, people were naming their websites HollywoodThis.com, Hollywood Thatcom. Yeah. And I was still living in New York. I was, you know, enjoying Broadway shows.

I love fashion. I love technology. And I was like, how can I incorporate like all of these interests? So I was watching Will and Grace and Jack, just Jack has like this like television segment on the show. So I love that a lot of way. So I named my website after myself

so I could incorporate all of my interests without putting myself on it physically, does that make sense? Yeah, so that's, I saw you got got Justin from the whole just jack thing back then. Oh, I love that. Because that thing was so memorable. Just jack. I love that.

I still do actually. That's so cute. So then, so how is it kind of so with social media then? How has it affected that bit of your business? Like how does it kind of change the? I would say it's more competitive. Like there's so many more outlets now. Right.

So many more different mediums that people can get this same coverage. But I don't know. I think we have a very good way of curating our content. So people know where to go to get it. Like we're, excuse me, very consistent. We're very quick, speedy. We've great like high resolution photos that people could look at. And I don't know, I think when you're consistent, people know that like keep coming back. Right, right. And also you have a loyal fan base who kind of, that was built probably early on

and that's kind of stayed with you, right? Yeah, I think a lot of it was timing. Like I was just in the right time, right place. And good content. And then how do you grow then from that? Like what does, like you're saying now you're gonna go into video? Like what do you do?

Like how? I feel you do have video, I do some video. There's no roadmap. You know, like growing up, first of all, blogs didn't exist. So we could kind of aspire to become a blogger. And there's, I wasn't aspiring to be anyone else in my space also. I feel like the internet's so big that you quit your own thing.

You know, you just do you and let everyone else do their own thing. And I would say if you just like concentrate on your thing and like continue at it, like people will walk to you. Do you mean like it just feels more authentic? It does, it is a authentic. I mean, I just, I guess because of all the different,

like you were saying, all that is so competitive now, right? You wanna, you know, you do have your fan base, but if you want to keep on expanding, you're said, like, I guess we're talking before about, like, what you do day to day, you say you only have a schedule, you kind of just, every day is different. I'm kind of curious still, like, how, like, you're involved, obviously, right? So, like, what is, like, what do you kind of involve yourself in? What is your day to day schedule? Even if you don't have a schedule, give me a quasi-day in the life.

Quasi-day in the life. How did you look up in the morning? I'll just ask you the question. Everyday is different. Again, I don't have a regimented schedule. I think because the internet business is 24-7, like if I wake up super late, then I can go to sleep super late. Like if I, do you mean like I just adjust?

Yeah. Like if I'm at an event until like two, three in the morning, then you know, I'll just like wake up a little bit later in the day. Right. Lucky you. I wish I had your life. I mean, but when I first started, it was literally just Jared.

Like I was running around New York City with my laptop everywhere I went. I would only travel in taxis or black cars because I didn't want to go on subways because there was no internet reception. Oh, really? At the clubs at two in the morning, I'd be in my laptop in the corner,

like typing away, and like, you know, Brittany, like, Chase or head again, I need to be on it. Right. If you're not the first one, you're basically last. Right. So I really needed to be on the ball. But I think now that I have a team.

How big is the team by the way? We have about eight editors. Okay, well So it's pretty slim for I think the amount of content that we put out. Yeah But now there's just like more stuff to do like we have the update Facebook with up to Twitter with the update Instagram with the update Instagram story So it's a lot it's a lot more I would say and now you have just Jared Jr Facebook, read up a Twitter, with the update Instagram, with the update Instagram story. So it's a lot more, I would say. And now you have Just Jared Jr., right? And what is that really focus on? I think during the high school musical days, when like Zach Efron and Vanessa Hodgkin's

and Ashton Tisil, we're coming huge stars, I would post about them, every other post on Just Jared proper. And all my regular readers were like, who are these kids? Who are these kids? Why are you running out of them all the time? But they would always continue to get traffic. So I knew there was an audience for it,

but I knew that I just couldn't post them on JustJerid all the time. So it kind of created a spin-off, like a sister site that would only write about like teen-oriented celebrities. How is it doing? So cool. Yeah. I always thought that it would do better than just sharing,

which I haven't gotten there yet, but, because I feel like that generation is the one that's most tapped in, the most online. So that was thing too. So I feel like I just need to, you know, make some tweaks at some point. And maybe it just hasn't hit that tipping point yet. You know what I mean?

Like I think people maybe it will get there, maybe. It just hasn't yet. Who is your demo then? Like think people maybe it will get there maybe, it just hasn't yet. Who is your demo then? Like you guys have now, like is it mostly male, female, what's the age demo? I think we're at like 18th, 35th is the main demo. And it skews a little bit more towards female.

Yeah, I think so too. But not by much, it's not like 90, 10. It's like 60, 10. It's like 64. Oh, okay, really? Somewhere around there. Because I think everyone's just everyone everyone likes to be a boy or another people's life, right? So if you're a boy or a girl, right? It doesn't really matter. So that makes that makes sense to me.

But what would be like, what do you go do? Like what's your places that you find information that you like? I think I'm honestly just on Instagram most of the time. I was looking at, I think on the iPhone, you can check what apps you spend most of your screen time on and it's in the room. I think I spent like, is it two hours a day? Above average or two hours? It's two hours a day, I think, on Instagram.

Wow, we're just scrolling just, like what are you looking for? Just content for your own personal curiosity or for the short day. Everything in my life is so blended together, like personally and professionally, like that. Happens all the time.

Everything I do is mixed in. So I can't really separate how much of it's work and how much of it is not. Right. But I think I'm at a place in my career where it's a good balance. Right. I think being in LA has a good balance lifestyle for me.

I love it. Yeah, and then do you have any stories that would be interesting of like some, I don't know, like celebrity that surprised you if someone who's like especially nice or some kind of experience that I don't know, like celebrity that surprised you with someone who's like, especially nice or, you know, some kind of experience that... I must have a million of them.

Beyoncé? Okay, give me Beyoncé. Always Beyoncé. Beyoncé is always about Beyoncé. The first time I met Beyoncé, I believe, was in New York. I believe was at a Lorraine Schwartz party. And she introduced me to Beyonce and Again, I took a selfie with my blockberry

It was at a dark club and She didn't know who I was you know, I was just like a fan and who took a photo and I want to say like two or three years later We were at her Label's office She was premiering her run the world video. There was a bunch of fans, some journalists, and she walked in, she looked around the room,

and she was like, I know you. I took a photo with you one time. And I was like, what? Like, she recognized my face from this dark club from years ago. Wow. Just recognized my face. The fact that she could hone in on that was incredible.

It is incredible. And then two or three years later again, I saw her at Soho House. Rock Nation was having their annual Grammy's brunch. And I'd like to go over to say hello. And she goes, oh my God, Jared, congratulations, and I'm really just a success. Meanwhile, behind her is a skyscraper of her entire face promoting her HBO special.

Are you serious? I was like, that's a great one. And then another time I was at Ferrell's after party for the Grammys. And Jay-Z is walking into the party with Beyonce. And she's like pulling her along, holding her hand. And earlier in the evening, sorry, I was texting Lorraine Schwartz. And I was like, who's a jewelry designer?

Yeah, jewelry designer. And she, I was like, all of your girls looked amazing, especially Beyonce. Her jewels were incredible. So Beyonce's walking by and she's like, oh my god, Jared, Lorraine told me that you complimented me. Thank you so much. Huh? Really? Like, first of all, she didn't have to say anything.

She was like literally just like walking by. Right. And she like stopped to like say thank you for for complimenting her through someone else. Like it was just like so. It's real in a way, right? I think that's exactly who she is. That's exactly why she's number one and the most successful.

Right. She's classy all through and through. It's amazing. It's amazing that the attention to detail that she remembered you because how many people do you think that she hugs and has to a picture with daily, right? I mean, it's probably a thousand. But that's what her craft keeps getting better and better. Like if you watch her in her dressings,

child days, even when she first started solo. Like, she's nowhere near where she is today. Right. Like I saw her perform for Coachella live and it was just like an incredible experience. It's exactly true. It's like near perfection. I don't know how she's gonna get better than this.

I know she will. And you will. You know it's so true, because you know she's a true professional and she's a true icon because of that. Because the people who are really, really good and who are super talented, they keep on getting better because they work harder than everyone else and they keep on honing their craft.

Like another one is J-Lo. I mean, every time I think J-Lo is gonna be, how much better can she get than boom. Next year, like the year of following, she's even bigger, hotter, more successful. I mean, these are people that are very unique people like that, you know? I think this year and far between. Very few. Do you have a JLo story?

I don't have a JLo story. Oh, okay. Who else would have kind of good stories to have? Beyonce is a good one. If a Bradley Cooper story, I like him. I don't have the met him yet. Damn. The name of celebrity is the Abel Hapsa. Okay, those are the only ones I really like.

I think it's another story I have is Rihanna. Okay, Rihanna. She's always super, super sweet. But one time I was hanging out with her in New York and we were going to the club. The club? Most 50 cent there? I'm kidding.

So I don't know. It was like two in the morning. She was with her entourage of like 10, 15 people. And usually I've- Who was in the entourage of that many people? What do you have? Security, hair makeup, assistance, like friends. I'm sure a lot of them are just her friends. So most of the time when you're with a celebrity,

they get out of the car, you know, like security blocks, people, they walk right into the club. But being the classy person that Renata is, she like walks in, she like lets in all of her on-tries get in first because I feel like at a club, there's such a wrong, like, of people,

that like people are climbing to get in, there's so like at a club, there's such a wrong of people, that like people are clamoring to get in. There's so much chaos, your friends could get left out once the celebrity's inside the venue. So she made sure every single one of her friends got in and then she walked in after them. Well, yeah, that's really classy actually because you're right, that does happen.

I see it all the time, right? Because it becomes the them show and all the other people just get left like they were like pe it all the time, right? Because it becomes the them show and all the other people just get left like they were like peons in the back, right? So the fact that she was cognizant enough to do that, just again, says something about a character right there, right? This episode is brought to you by Nerds Candy, calling all the gaming tech-saving nerds out there,

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By what you put out there. That like, they're kind of not, maybe not scared of you, but they're like kind of like conscientious of how they treat you because of that though or um I would I would say just some people are they honestly are scared there's like paranoid they are afraid I'm going to write something bad but I would there's not have you ever written anything bad though I mean I'd like to consider myself like the Anna-Wintor of the web. I don't like something.

I don't write about it. But some news is like inherently bad. You know, some people get divorced. People get... Right. People split up. Right. But I don't add like a negative spin to it.

And if I know something bad personally and no one else does on a public level. I'm not going to out someone. Again, it's all about relationships in this business and not out to burn bridges. I'm in it for the long run. And I want people to be able to talk to me and feel comfortable that I'm not going to spill their secrets. So then you just kind of keep it on the download, and you just kind of write what needs to be written kind of thing. Now are there people out there that you won't write about? Because you just don't like them as a person, and you don't want to give them that kind of promotion,

and that kind of press, or? Um. The result? Or vice versa. Right? There was only one celebrity who will go on names right now. Um, the results or vice versa, right? There was only one celebrity, we'll go on names right now, but damn. They like attended one of my events.

We flew them out, we actually flew them to their home and then to another event. And they came to this party party obviously expecting to be photographed because like it's a press event and they arrived in their car service and like refused to come out and take photos. I'm like we flew you to this event. Can you please come out of the car and take a photo and the celebrity was like call my publicist. Just call the publicist. The publicist is like sorry I can't do anything.

And like that stung. You know, like we spent like thousands and thousands of dollars on someone to come to this event and we're not gonna come. So then we do, yeah. And oh, this is the kicker. They ordered like the most expensive bottle of wine when we had like free room service for them. And when you have that type of thing, you don't like abuse it.

You know, like, you can order a nice meal, but like, don't go crazy. Like, so after that, we had to like lock down everyone else's things because- Because that one person. That one bad egg. Was it a girl or a boy? It was a girl.

Yeah. Is the ground hair or blonde hair? No. No. You, well, there be, can I, Can I twist your arm and tell me who it is? No, I think it's not my place. I feel like people... Will you put them on your site again? It happens. What year did that happen? What year did that happen? It was a long, long time ago was a long, long time ago.

A long, long time ago. Yeah, so that's, I mean, that's super disrespectful. And like, yeah, so that's why I'm saying it was be super... But I will say that they're not very successful now, which I would say speaks, it wasn't for me. No, I know, but they are. It was like who they are. And like in this business, people want to work with nice people.

And especially I would say now that like everything out isn't open, you know, social media can catch anyone out of the club or catch anyone walking down the street in bad moments. Like people will know the next day or in the minute or of the hour, you know, people can go Instagram live right away. And spill it on them.

I know and then people won't want to work with them. 100%. Do you ever get tired though? I would feel like it's exhausting to be you because of what you created and stuff. It's like, you know, it's obvious. Like I said, it's a huge media entertainment celebrity site. So therefore, you're going to get invited to so much shit. Like, I can see it being super exciting for a while and then you get like burned out in a way.

Like, I'm like, oh my god, I gotta go now to this. Like, it's, everything always seems better on the outside, right? For sure. So, the first three years I lived in L.I. I went out probably like five times a week, maybe even more. Um, now I like, never go out unless it's with a friend to support someone or to an event

that I know I'll know a lot of people in the room. It's just like not worth my time at effort. I'll continue to do my job with them or without going to these events anymore. It's just about, to me it's more about balance like concentrating on the core group of people that I know. Right. And just like investing in those people. So are your friends mostly celebrities that, or are they mostly just like regular people like? Regular people. Like doing, working wherever?

Yeah, I mean, most people in town are in this business. Yeah, the creative people, but yeah. But I have people all over the business that I would say are the closest to me. Right. I mean, people who are, you mean like in your core group, you mean who are, sorry, the people in your core group are not like, they're regular people, right? But you obviously have friends who are in that space, they're just not part of your like day-to-day like team. So then, I thought your brother, because I thought your brother was front of my friend, isn't he involved in your build?

Yeah, that's the business side of things. Oh, okay, I see. And then so that's how you write. I handle more the front end, the editorial side. Right, which is all, which is what we see on site and stuff that. So I have another question for you. So how do you then like when it comes

to you as a person, right, versus like just your name is whatever, could you, how, how do you go somewhere where there's up those people and people don't bother you in that way? Like to not get invited. Can you ever just do something that's just not associated or affiliated with just Jared in a entertainment realm? Like would you ever just do something that's just not associated or affiliated with Jess Jarrett in an entertainment realm? Like, would you ever just go to a show and just not be that guy or in? When I go out, I actually try to only do non-work things even though it is a work event.

I'll only, because when I go to an event, I don't write so and so was convuling with this person. So and so was spotted, like holding hands with this person. Like, I'm not in a, I don't write so and so was convuling with this person. So and so was spotted, like holding hands with this person. Like I'm not in a, I don't do gotcha journal or something. Yeah. Well, that's a case of tell me in the case, it was the difference. So gotcha stuff is more like so and so was spotted. Blah blah.

What do you, what do you call yours? It's more just information base, right? Like this person. It's just news. Without it or just like abusing. What's news. Without, or just like, abusing. What's more like what I liked about yours to be honest with you before I even knew you or whatever, I liked your site because what people as voyagers like as a voyager, voyager, yeah, thank you for not a voyager, voyager. I like to see people coming out of a coffee

being with like what they're drinking and you know what they, what they're like in their day to day life, without having there to be any negative salacious stuff, just like, you know, like they're just like me type of thing. Like I feel like you guys do that really well. Yeah, I think people love seeing things that they can relate to. Yeah, like me or you or whoever. And I think a lot of the, I would say the paparazzi photos

do well rather than the red carpet like red carpets like More proper. Yeah, they can't really relate to it because they don't do a carpets themselves People go grocery shopping themselves and want to see what people are wearing and what they're doing and to go to spot it with and it Doesn't seem authentic right because it's already like it's contrived like they know they're gonna be photographed and did it and this is such more like hey, I'm buying a BLT or whatever, or Earth or I'm just making it up. Or an LA, Air 1. Yeah, Air 1, another good to say, or creation,

or whatever you want to say. Then how do you get the pictures? Like how do you get the finesse relationship with the different photographers and paparazzi so they go to you versus going to Perez or going to... Everyone has the same access. We all go to these photo agencies that represent a bunch of photographers and then we license those photos. So we can use them for that period of time. But for you to get to... Like, do you have this thing? And maybe I don't know, I'm asking as a, you know, as just a layman person here. but if someone spots something, right?

And you want to get that picture, do you want to get more exclusivity on that picture versus so and so? For sure. But again, it's the same thing I was saying earlier. Again, I don't want to gochua anyone. So if someone has photos of someone cheating, like they would try to sell it to me, or at this point, they know that I won't buy it, but people want an exclusive. So say TNZ,

if someone was about a cheating, they had the exclusive, they want that those photos, we would have to write about it eventually because everyone in the world would be writing about it. But I would never publish it exclusively first on my side. Because it's a gotcha thing. So what does the best for you? We know that it's not those red carpet pictures. We know it's not the teen pictures. Like what's like the, like the pinnacle, the best, like you tell me what the best kind of photo or story does. People love skin. People in bikinis or the shirtless at the beach. Right. Always does well. Couples photos, seeing people in love, people have to see good, photos, seeing people in love, people have to see a good love story. But I would say the slubberages themselves are always rotating. I think that's exactly why I don't put my own

image on my website very often because people get tired of the same people all the time. So it's always a rotating group of people. You know, like someone's promoting one movie that cycles finish, someone else comes in. Who's hot now? Who's hot now? Who's really? Who's the top three? Like hot people now that everybody is obsessed with. There's very different hot. Like applicable, whatever you want wanna call it, like looking at it. Like a bull. Not hot, like, sexy hot. I mean, who's hot? There are probably the ones you would expect, like Justin Bieber.

He's been like, for, since like, you know, such a star of probably. Yeah, it's the same one. I posted a throwback photo with him from 10 years ago. Yeah, the 10-year challenge. Yeah. And he has a side-soup tear.

Yeah. And it's probably like down to my elbow. It was hilarious. He's probably like 11 years old at the time. Oh my God. So he does well. He's always in well. Who else?

Like, beyond stay, of course. I would say she's actually not as powerful or click. I don't know. Worthy? I would say, if you want to know how someone performs, just look on Instagram. Like, to see their interaction. Not how many followers we have. Well, then I would be like, I would think

it'd be Selena Gomez and it would be- She's definitely out there for sure. But why? Why is so fascinated with her? I don't know. I mean, she's adorable, but- I would say people grew up with these stars. The same reason that like all the Disney and Nickelodeon kids, like they have fan base

since they were five, six years old. And then like every year, their fan base gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. And I mean, obviously it didn't hurt that Selena data Justin. Right, it didn't hurt at all. But you know, she also dips her toes in music, acting, like she does more than one thing.

And especially when a couple is dating someone not in their field, you kind of like double your fan base because you're like, let's say you're dating an athlete. All the sports fans will be curious to know about your relationship and you, they want to know more about your, their partner and if they're in movies like those fans will want to know more about the sports. So what's the JLo A-Rod coupling? Does that do super well for you then? Any couple. Any couple. So you got the triples, you got the couple, you got the sports and the movies, whatever

music. But JLo obviously JLo is like another shot. Yeah, it's like a whole different thing. I mean, anything you put on she'll like I mean on there's people will click on it. It's crazy. But I mean what's that one now? What other one? Which would be another one? Like the last one? Um, am I stumping you? I mean people again, I guess it cycles people come and go. Yeah, but right now. How about Lady Gaga? Does she do well because of her movie?

She does do really well. But it's usually the younger or someone with a rabid fan base. I would say Alexander Skarsgard during his true blood days like people were obsessed with him. His star obviously hasn't fallen but it's a different kind of like rabid fan base. I was like, Dara Butler has like crazy fans. He does? Why? Oh, I would say Sam Hewitt from Outlander. Really? I think these like, have swives at home who are like, need a little like.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm hilarious. They are all up over Sam and. So he does really well. So, so guys do really well on this. Like, I know you said 60, 40 of a split. Yeah. I just feel like, I guess that makes sense.

Like, I think as as a girl, I would be looking for like pictures of Bradley Cooper or maybe what you said Sam, but I would, that makes sense. I think as a girl, I would be looking for pictures of Bradley Cooper or maybe what you said sound. But that's interesting. So he does really a Gerard Butler too. Interesting. Wow. Could you ever take this plot?

So would this be something, would you ever have a podcast like this? Because I would think not like this. But because I feel like with media and everything else, right? It would be a new medium where it kind of like is a nice segue from what you're you know, to kind of understand your brand. Like, I think it's a very opportunity to roll along. I have no idea how the podcast business works. You'll have to tell me off live.

Exactly. I think I'll produce yours. Yeah, I think I want to try video first. I think television is a really big untapped market for my brand. Absolutely. I'm surprised you don't even have something now. If all these other kooky entertainment shows that are like not even, I don't think as, I think they can need some help in the massage, the show a little bit.

So, as a last time saying, I was curious of how you were thinking of expanding your brand. I would say shows like ETX's Hollywood, they're staple shows. So they do what they do well. They've done it for many, many, many years. But I would want my own spin on it. I would want things to be a little bit more intimate. I would want things to be more behind the scenes,

more backstage, to me, where it feels more authentic. Or what I feel is more authentic. Oh, absolutely. So when you went to Lady Gaga, you said you just came back. So were you there as press covering it then, or was it more just for fun? Again, mix.

Yeah, exactly. I mean, I was with Lady Gaga's camp and Lady Gaga after the show just like at this bar and hanging out before she took her private plane to fly back to LA like That's just like why don't you go watch the movie? If you have driving back why didn't she just jump on her plane? Because if I knew beforehand I would have driven there in some suitcase and got on a plane right back. That's right, exactly. So, I guess really, when last,

not my, everyone called question, whatever, like if you didn't do this, what would you have done? If this didn't work out as well as it did, what would be the other thing? Growing up, I didn't have a specific talent, so I never wanted to become a doctor. Like if I was, like, or I wasn't gonna, great was like, I wasn't great at math. I wasn't great at reading and writing.

I didn't have one specific thing. I really, really shined in. So I don't know, a teacher was a possibility. What did you like to do more than what were you good at? I enjoyed kids, which is why I wanted to possibly become with teacher. Want to be a nanny? I have two kids that I need help with sometimes.

I have two God Sons already. Oh, okay. So I do have my hands up. You need a side job, another side house. So I can give you one. An event planner was another possibility, but I just felt like my parents wouldn't have supported me. And then a backup dancer.

I think once I got to college, and I was like, oh my god, Bernie, series of backup dancers are so hot, and I don't know, I'm able to move like that. That's great. Are you a good dancer then? I mean, I took a semester of LA. I was on this like college dance troupe, which dance like pop hip-hop music. So I'm capable of doing something but again all those professions like the pay is so low that I was just like do I really want to invest in this? But thankfully again blogging did work out. So then how did you start making money? Like when did you start making money at it? Thankfully since day one

Really because to start a website you could find someone to host the website for free And you I was I was being like a penny a day a nickel a day a dime a day and I just like solely Increase so again, you can see it was kind of like a drug. Like I wanted more traffic. So to get that dollar a day and so the nickel, like what was it gonna write about. And I think at first I did start out writing things that didn't come naturally to me. That was like, oh, I'm just gonna do this because I'm gonna get me more hits.

Are you a good writer then? No. Do you think I'm still okay? No. I mean, I probably could write something but it would take me more hits. Are you a good writer then? No. Do you think I'm still okay? No. I mean, I probably could write something, but it would take me a week to do. Okay, I'll do. I'll do.

Like, I'm, that's why it's so much easier for me to just, like, pump out a news article more objectively and just, like, have people judge for themselves. Right. Like, I was saying, I have my own opinion, but it's so much easier just to, like, write the facts. Who, what, where, when, why? Right. And just let everyone else judge for themselves. I was saying I have my own opinion, but it's so much easier just to write the facts who but where, when, why, and just let everyone else judge for themselves.

Right, so not like a creative writer, but factual, you can just write down stuff. Oh, gotcha. Well, I mean, why do I have to make a second? Is there anything else I want to know? If there is, will you come back on? Of course. Okay, thank you for having me.

No, I think it's great. Thank you so much, Jared. This is really, really informative informative and I appreciate you coming on I know you don't do many podcasts like you said you one other one But that's great. So why don't you tell everyone where they can find you besides obviously just Jared calm The website is just shared calm Instagram or app just shared my personal Instagram is app Jared and My last name is Angie My personal Instagram is at Jared Ang. My last name is Ian G.

So, there you go. That's it. Well, thank you so much. It was a pleasure. Thank you. Bye. Next time. This episode is brought to you by the YAP Media Podcast Network. I'm Holla Taha, CEO of the award-winning digital media empire YAP Media, and host of

YAP Young & Profiting Podcast, a number one entrepreneurship and self-improvement podcast where you can listen, learn, and profit. On Young & Profiting Podcast, I interview the brightest minds in the world and I turn their wisdom into actionable advice that you can use in your daily life. Each week we dive into a new topic like the art of side hustles, how to level up your influence and persuasion and goal setting. I interview A-List guests on Young & Profiting. I've got the best guests.

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