Source: Kyle Simpson / Courtesy Of Talent
Kyle Simpson could teach a masterclass in marketing because the rise of
TheNeighborhoodTalk should be studied. Simpson stepped out on faith, in 2018, after a
stint at a former online blog and established TNT — a source for pop-culture news. As the founder and CEO, Simpson has one of the most influential platforms online.
Being the head honcho of such a massive entity appears overwhelming. But there’s a subtle confidence Simpson possesses. “Running a business requires a lot of confidence, both in your own abilities and in whatever product or service you are putting out,” he said via e-mail exchange. “It can be tough not to let the fear of failure get to you. But if you can overcome that fear and keep going, it builds your confidence immensely.”
Simpson is still “shocked” that he “created a page that people come to for their daily news or just for entertainment.”
“I remember the first day I created the page and telling myself I have a long way to go to get back where I was at my previous job but I stuck through it,” he reminisced.
Simpson talked about the sense of responsibility he feels to uplift Black creatives and brands. “If we don’t support our own kind, how can we expect people outside of our race to support us. It starts at home.”
With the help of early supporters like Tami Roman and Nicki Minaj , Simpson was able to establish TNT as a top aggregate news platform. “Nicki Minaj helped me get my page back when it was deleted the very first time, as well as letting me come on an episode of Queen Radio under my blog.”
But it was really TNT’s clever and witty captions that differentiated them from other social media destinations. “ When I started the page I already somewhat figured out, from my previous job, that when I put my personality in stories, jokes etc. the audience was much more engaged. I took that method to my new platform and told the team to have fun and let their personality shine through. DeAsia Robinson , our senior editor, took the captions to another level with her witty words and fun shade.”
Even “fun shade” can backfire. One of the biggest lessons Simpson has learned in the business is, to steer clear of celebrity friendships. “These celebrities are not your friends!” he said matter-of-factly. “Stay clear of them and just do your job. I learned that becoming friends with certain celebs start out good then quickly turns bad once you have to report something negative about them. To avoid that I’ve learned to keep it strictly professional to the point I will give them an email to contact before my number.”
Simpson has persevered through it all. He even had his personal information leaked, and was a victim of revenge porn. “It made me question at one point if this industry was even for me but I got through it.”
When you’re in the reporting business, protecting your peace is important. Simpson rewards himself by acting like he’s Beyonce and checking into 5-star hotels in various cities. You could find him relaxing at the spa or by the pool, practicing his version of self-care. As for what’s next for Simpson, he has his eyes set on getting back in front of the camera. “I feel like I took a step back to grow my business, and although I don’t want to do celeb interviews, I would love to host a game show.. something outside of celeb news. But other than that, continuing to grow my company and additional people to the team so I can completely be hands-off.”
What’s next for TNT, is ramping up video content, Simpson said. “In the next three years, I’m looking to revamp our website in a way that makes sense. Also, plan to go full force into video content. We have a couple of ideas that we would like to get off the ground by the end of this year. I really want to get more into investigative journalism so I’m seeing how a crime series might do on the page.”
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