The world of Fox Associates extends far and wide, and in the course of the firm’s journey—and yours with them—you meet all kinds of people in media, from all kinds of realms. Call them “Friends of Fox.”
Take Darley Newman, the award-winning multi-platform chronicler of travel adventures who has had several programs on PBS, most recently Travels With Darley,” where she focuses on immersive, experiential programs.
Newman, based in New York, has worked at Frontline, CBS, Food Network and more. She popularized a new genre of equestrian travel with her long-running Emmy Award-winning PBS and globally broadcast series, “Equitrekking.” She has been profiled in The Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, NPR and made live appearances on NBC’s The Today Show and The Weather Channel.
Darley Newman.
Fox Tales recently had an opportunity to chat with Newman about her business and career trajectory—and how she came to meet the Fox Associates team.
Fox Tales: You’re an award-winning journalist and video producer with distribution on Amazon and PBS, among other channels. How did you connect with Fox?
Darley Newman: I connected with them years ago on a trip to Chicago. We connected through their work in the travel realm. Fellow travel lovers connect with each other. It was a shared love of travel and also a potential media partnership. And I just stay in touch with people. I’m good at keeping in touch.
Fox Tales: How do you keep in touch with Fox?
Newman: I’m always inviting them to things I do, we sort of correspond and keep in touch. You just never know in life and in business—you just never know where a business opportunity or a networking opportunity might appear.
Right now I’m doing lifestyle and OTT and broadcast video, and I want to do more with print and podcasts. Maybe I’d work with Fox. That’s what I’m trying to figure out. That could include a non-traditional route of working with companies that want more content. They want content that is still good content and quality journalism, and everyone wins.
Fox Tales: Tell us about your own multifaceted business.
Newman: I’m excited, it’s strong. “Travels with Darley” finished its 10th season. I’ve been creating short video content over the years, also for sponsors and brands. Basically I take one trip or something I do and purpose the content out as much as I can. Livestream, Facebook or through, say, Smithsonian. I do social-media campaigns. I also do licensing and sponsored content, and distribute through OTTs. It’s basically taking content and multi-purposing it out. I try to get content in as many places as possible.
In my mid-twenties, I was working at PBS documentaries, on student-network shows, doing writing hosting, producing, camera work, production, editing, even accounting. I edited tons of PBS episodes myself in the beginning. As an entrepreneur it’s really been helpful to learn about those aspects of production. I had this drive to really get out there and explore.
Then I had this idea for a horseback travel show—the deal was, “we’ll air your show if you can find advertisers and sponsors.” I went out and pretty quickly got people to back my idea. They believed my idea had viability. Travel experiences on horseback. “Equitrekking.”
I’ve been building the business out in weird ways ever since. Now there are so many ways you can have a TV show—there were a lot of bumps along the way.
Including my social channels I’m between three and six million per week for my reach across channels.
Fox Tales: Do you do sponsored content?
Newman: I create content for sponsors and partners as well. And I also produce events. I try to make my projects as 360-degree as possible. I found that most modern organizations are trying to create content themselves. I monetize through distribution deals and through sponsors. And little by little, straight up through social media. I’m not receiving a lot of money, but I receive funds through Instagram and Facebook—which makes sense when you look at the money people make from YouTube.
(Bonus question) Fox Tales: Final thoughts?
Newman: People are welcome to reach out to me if they have ideas. That’s how I built my business. I always tell people who want to do something new to send a note and have a cup of coffee. You never know where the next opportunity comes from.