The Studio @ FLIGHTSTORY

A year ago today India Leishman, Adam Farrell and I started at FLIGHTSTORY. To say this has been the most transformative year of my life would be the biggest understatement of all time. They say it’s a privilege to love your work, that you don’t work a day in your life. But I’d take it one step further and say: There’s truly nowhere else I’d have wanted to spend this year of my life. Spending a year around truly the most humble, hardworking, talented and most hilarious group of people has turned me from someone searching for direction to someone with a clear purpose. There’s something about being 24, every year is pivotal. And I genuinely feel like I'm growing up here. I know I’ll keep growing too, because every day is a masterclass in getting 1% better. To Amy Golding, thank you for bringing me into this wild, brilliant place. And to Christiana Brenton, Georgie Holt and Steven Bartlett, thank you for trusting me, giving me the space to thrive, and always keeping me in the growth zone. Here’s to year two. (And yes… I’m holding back tears writing this 🥹)

🚨 𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 FLIGHTSTORY! 🚨 We're on the lookout for top-talent to join our 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥, 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 teams in London, Manchester, Los Angeles, and New York → Job Info on the link below 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://lnkd.in/eqCcEw82

If you’d told me 5 years ago I’d be working for Steven Bartlett at FLIGHTSTORY (home to The Diary Of A CEO), I would’ve laughed… Back in 2012 I was medically discharged from the Royal Marines after sustaining an injury during a training exercise. That moment changed everything. I had always wanted to be a Royal Marine growing up. It was a tough pill to swallow, but it sparked something inside me - a deep curiosity about human performance, health, and resilience. I threw myself into academia, eventually completing a PhD in Exercise Physiology. Over the past decade, I’ve worked as a university lecturer and researcher, supporting elite athletes, driving innovation in sports-technology, and publishing studies on cardiovascular health and training optimisation. It was purposeful work. But over time, I started to feel the pull toward something new - something more applied, fast-paced, and culturally relevant. When I discovered FlightStory, it clicked… Here was a company blending content, research, and real-world impact. They were bridging the gap between what we know, and how we live. Their work wasn’t just reaching people, it was changing people. And I knew I wanted to be part of it. So, I made the leap… I’m proud to share that I’ve joined FLIGHTSTORY as a Research Manager. I will be supporting the team to deliver insight-led research that shapes some of the most influential conversations in media today. With a proven track record in delivering actionable insights and a passion for uncovering the stories behind the data, I’m excited to leverage my skills to support the team in shaping influential media strategies that resonate and inspire. My ability to translate complex information into compelling narratives, combined with a collaborative mindset and a commitment to excellence, aligns perfectly with the company’s mission to drive impactful conversations. Even after just one week in the Shoreditch Flight HQ, it’s clear this is a culture-first company where curiosity, creativity, and integrity drive everything we do. Everyone here is a real A player who shares a common goal: to inspire and cultivate a happier, healthier humanity through meaningful strategic investments and impactful media. And I’m just getting started…

The most effective ads are the ones that people enjoy... I'm still giggling over Davina McCall's latest ad on our FLIGHTSTORY show Begin Again with Ancient + Brave | B Corp 👀👇 🤭 Nearly 30% of Begin Again's YouTube audience are watching on their TVs. It’s now the fastest-growing way people are choosing to consume the show. 📺 YouTube is the most-watched streaming platform globally, with over 10% of all TV usage (Nielsen). 🎙️ And it's now the #1 podcast consumption platform in the US, with the UK not far behind (Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights). 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 ‘𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴’ 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. For us at FLIGHTSTORY, it means how our brand partners show up on the big screen matters more than ever. So we're on a mission to create the best sponsorship reads in the world - full of personality, creativity and built to resonate wherever they’re consumed. Shouts to the team who worked on this: India Leishman Alanis Braun Sally Buch and of course Carrie Mash at Ancient + Brave | B Corp 💫 What other eras of Davina should we do next??

I was told social media was a waste of time. Turns out, it was the best investment I ever made. Growing up, I was constantly told to choose a traditional path because it was safer. Thankfully, I didn’t listen. I’ve been doing social media for 14 years now so it’s time to tell you how I ended up where I am… I jumped on Instagram when I was 13. It all started when I made a page for my dog that somehow grew to 12,000 followers. I wasn’t sure if this was just a fluke or maybe I could be good at this so I kept going. I made accounts with all different niches. A lot of them failed but I was determined. Eventually, one took off. I grew a meme page to 456k followers in a year. That opened my eyes to the business side of social. I started working with companies like Atlantic Records, Lionsgate, Instagram and Daniel Wellington - companies that understood the power of social early on. I was obsessed with learning. I knew if I stayed consistent, it would pay off. Throughout school and college, I grew 20+ pages that all reached over 200k followers each. I did it by following trends, which led me to creating pages for shows like Riverdale and Stranger Things. Thinking back, I definitely wasn’t as focused on school as I should’ve been. I was more interested in keeping my followers happy. It was a lot of 2am nights trying to find the best content to post (sorry Mum and Dad 😅). At first, I was embarrassed. I didn’t want anyone to find out about my pages. But then I met people like Kit Chilvers and Iyrah Williams who were doing the same. They encouraged me to be proud of what I’d built and I’m so glad they gave me that advice. This started as a hobby, but I knew I loved it. I wanted to build a career doing something I enjoyed. You work five out of the seven days in a week (do something that excites you!!) Choosing social as a career led me to join LADbible Group after college. I learned so much there about how to grow & harness community. I wasn’t just building brands in my bedroom anymore. In three years, we grew LADbible Ireland from 0 to nearly 4 million followers. We even won several awards along the way. For a small country, that’s something I’ll always be proud of. Now, I work with Steven Bartlett and lead a brilliant team at FLIGHTSTORY, helping change the media game. Social gave me purpose, a creative outlet and eventually, a career. I’ll always be grateful for that. For anyone who sees this, and wants to work in social, here’s my advice: Be consistent - Post every day. I try to post around 5 times a day. 150 posts = 150 learnings a month. Build a network - DM people. Go to that event. The best industry friends often start with a message! Experiment and fail - I grew the most when I leaned into new platform features and embraced failure. Use podcasts and socials to learn - Podcasts and TikTok have taught me more than any course ever could. Share your wins - You never know who’s watching… Here’s to the next 14 years 👊🏻

I’m hiring someone to work in the year 2035 🤖🔮 At FLIGHTSTORY, we believe the future belongs to those who build it, and we're hiring someone to help us do just that. We're looking for a CREATIVE INNOVATOR to work across all of our shows, including The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett. Someone who is obsessed with emerging tech, fluent in AI, and always testing what’s next in storytelling, content, and creative experimentation. You'll be scouting the latest tools, launching fast-paced creative experiments, and co-creating wild ideas that turn into real campaigns. To thrive here, you need to be bold, curious, and endlessly experimental. Someone who sees ambiguity as opportunity and can turn innovation into action. If that sounds like you (or someone you know), reach out. Let’s build the future together! 🚀

The “Format Fight” Is a Distraction!! This is what we need to be talking about at The Podcast Show  👇🏼 You can find FLIGHTSTORY presenting on stages and speaking on panels with Spotify Sony Music Entertainment Arcade Goalhanger Podnews Sounds Profitable Platform Media If you are OBSESSED with the future of media and influence....see you there! 🔥 Pollyanna Ward Clare Suchley-Smith Natasha Birk Lily Taurau Leon Farrell Christiana Brenton ❤️

One year ago, I got a message that changed everything. Steven Bartlett’s team reached out to see if I’d consider moving to London. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was intrigued… What was meant to be a quick call with Grace Andrews turned into a two hour chat talking about our obsession with social. Getting off that call, I knew this team wasn’t just following the rule-book, they were ripping it up! A few Zooms and a meeting with Steven later, I made the hardest decision of my career - leaving LADbible Group, a role I loved, for this opportunity in London. I was nervous. I was moving to a new country, not knowing many people, but I was ready for a new challenge. I joined FLIGHTSTORY last February as Head of Social and in March, they promoted me to Head of Media Growth. I quietly transitioned into this role in January and I’ve loved every day of it. I’ll now lead a new division focused on supercharging growth: audience, revenue, retention, and fund growth across all shows and talent. It’s surreal to finally share this news. Since joining, it's been a whirlwind (in the best way possible). A few highlights: – The Diary Of A CEO hit 10M subscribers on YouTube. 6 million subs in the last year alone, making us the second-biggest show in the world 🤯 – We locked in some HUGE guests: Michelle Obama, MrBeast, Trevor Noah, Simon Cowell. – On top of our YouTube growth, we gained 5M followers on the other platforms. – We launched We Need To Talk with Paul Carrick Brunson and Begin Again with Davina McCall. Both are now UK Top 10 podcasts and the fastest-growing new shows in the country. – Launched our first newsletter ‘100 CEOs’ that hit 130,000 subs before email #2 was even sent. – We dropped ‘The 1% Diary’. We grew our waitlist to 55,000 in under 2 weeks, and sold out twice in less than a week. – Hired the best social team I’ve ever worked with. I’m lucky to have you Ciaran McCabe Connie Jobling Shrey Patel Juliet Walsh 🔥 But beyond the numbers, it’s what we’re building that’s exciting: not just social, but product, brand, and IP. All of this has helped me grow more in a year than I thought possible. Massive thank you to Grace Andrews Christiana Brenton and Georgie Holt for this opportunity. Learning from you is something I’ll never take for granted. Steven told me early on: “You don't build a business. You build people, and people build the business.” That has always stuck with me. That’s exactly what Flight is about. This place empowers people to step up and grow in ways they never expected. I’m so grateful to be part of it. Lastly, a huge thank you to Steve. You’ve been an incredible mentor and friend since we met (pity Man United haven’t achieved the same success in the last year 🙃). I never imagined that making an Instagram page for my dog at 13 would lead me here but when you find something that you’re good at, even when it makes no sense, you often stumble into your purpose. Here’s to the next chapter 🚀

💥 Influencers and creators are no longer just advertising space… they’re now entrepreneurs… and I believe AI changes everything… read 👇🏾 💵 Phase 1: Influencers became ad space! At the start of influencer marketing, brands and marketers treated influencers (Zoella, Alfie Deyes, Shane Dawson etc.) as paid billboards - hand over cash, get a post. It was simple and transactional, and it worked. Some of today’s biggest brands were born in this moment. 👷🏽♀️ Phase 2: Influencers became employees! As channels filled with ads, authenticity dropped. Smart brands signed influencers to deeper, longer contracts. Molly‑Mae became Creative Director at PrettyLittleThing, Ashley Graham partnered with Revlon, Brooklyn Beckham became Creative Partner at Superdry. Influencers secured steady income, and brands gained credibility through closer ties. 📃 Phase 3: Influencers became equity partners The smartest creators stopped taking only fees and asked for upside. Equity aligned incentives, extended pay‑days, and reduced brands’ need for endless sponsorship spend. Emma Chamberlain took equity in Bad Habit Beauty, Kevin Hart in Fabletics Men, Naomi Osaka in Sweetgreen. 🛠️ Phase 4: Influencers became entrepreneurs A slice wasn’t enough - now creators want the whole pie. MrBeast has launched half a dozen companies; Feastables alone may near $500m this year. Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee outsells many heritage brands without a single shop. KSI and Logan Paul’s PRIME is valued in the billions. ———- Influencers began as billboards, became brand insiders, graduated to shareholders, and are now bona‑fide entrepreneurs. 🤖 AI will only accelerate this. The cost of making software, video, images, and ads has collapsed. One person can now launch a store, build marketing, and produce content without a team. At FLIGHTSTORY we’re building creator‑led shows - and the commercial ecosystem around them. Our next critical hire is Leon Farrell, here to turn our creators into entrepreneurs. Leon joins us from Warner Music Group, where he drove revenue for Dua Lipa, Muse, Ed Sheeran and many more. Please do me a favour and join me in welcoming Leon Farrell to the team 👊🏾

The exact moment The Diary Of A CEO hit 10 MILLION YouTube subscribers 🤯 At some point I’ll take the time to reflect on what a milestone this is, the lessons we’ve learnt & just how far off this felt when we started. But for now, it’s time to celebrate the team who’ve got us here. The most obsessed, focussed, ridiculously kind & humble people you’ve ever met. Cheers to 10 MIL! 🥂