Latest news with #Cisneros
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Gen Z loathes ads. Here's how one startup behind top podcasters gets around that.
Twelve-time author Ryan Holiday's attention is divided between his books, two podcasts, a YouTube channel, and an email newsletter. Amid this high-wire act, Holiday has a spotter: Backyard Ventures. The Austin-based media startup does the dirty work for creators like Holiday by finding them relevant brand partnerships. In turn, Holiday's YouTube channel and newsletter has grown its revenue 81% from mid-six-figures in 2023 to near the seven-figure mark so far in 2025, according to documentation viewed by Business Insider. And that doesn't even include the mid-six-figure sum in podcast ad bookings that Backyard Ventures has landed in July alone, when Holiday expanded his agreement with Backyard Ventures. Backyard Ventures founder and CEO Matt Cisneros prides himself on helping Holiday's business, and dozens of others', grow up. "We exist so that we can then aid him in monetizing and creating like-minded partnerships that don't taint his content," Cisneros said of Holiday in a recent interview. The author-turned-content creator concurred, telling BI that Backyard Ventures "allowed us to start producing the episodes and to hire a team to do it really well," which helped "take things to a different level." Authentic ads are Gen Z's jam Content creators and consumers often treat ads as a necessary evil. Ads feel inescapable and many times are boring, irrelevant, or both. But even ad-averse Gen Zers can appreciate ad breaks if they're tailored to their interests and those of the creator, Cisneros said. Gen Z audiences "want a seamless integration that doesn't feel like they're getting served an ad," Cisneros said. "They're accustomed to being served well-integrated content." Like any good matchmaker, Backyard Ventures vets both parties before recommending a pairing. Cisneros believes authenticity is key to compatibility, so creators should use the products they're selling, or at least vouch for their quality. "If a client has yet to try the product, they're not endorsing that product," Cisneros said. "We wouldn't allow that to happen." Value alignment is also crucial. Cisneros works with former ESPN and Fox Sports personality Skip Bayless, who he said doesn't drink or smoke but is fine with sports betting. So for Bayless' eponymous podcast, Backyard Ventures responds accordingly. Beer companies might want to reach that audience, but an ad spot would be inauthentic to Bayless and could jeopardize his credibility with fans. "This is not only about money," Cisneros said. "It allows the opportunity for your audience to see that you are truly by your content, because we're only embedding brands that are like-minded." Once ad partners are properly paired with podcasters, Cisneros said creators get a say over how ads are presented. Gen Zers are constantly bombarded by ads, so they're savvy at sniffing out whether creators actually care about the product they're selling. "If brands are smart, they say, 'Here are two or three talking points: please, creator, go do whatever you're good at,'" Cisneros said. Backyard Ventures said that most of its clients' audiences are in that coveted 18- to 34-year-old demographic, and added that 55% of Holiday's following that they track is 34 or younger. Gen Z's view of ads isn't necessarily night-and-day different from other generations, EMARKETER social-media analyst Minda Smiley told BI. However, she acknowledged that young people do take issue with creator-advertiser pairings that seem phony, or if they can't tell if an influencer actually uses the product they're hawking. "It's that gray area where Gen Z gets frustrated," Smiley said. Buzz sells, but brand safety still matters Backyard Ventures doesn't just put advertisers under the microscope. Cisneros said he's also choosy about his clients. While Cisneros said he works with all kinds of content creators, many of his clients have male-skewing audiences. They're well-positioned to capitalize on the boom in comedy podcasts, including so-called " bro-casts" typified by megastars like Joe Rogan and Theo Von. "If they have the audience and they can amass views, downloads, and general awareness for brands, that's who we want to work with," Cisneros said. That's not to say Backyard Ventures has adopted the "anything goes" mantra that some bro-casts live by. The phrase "brand safety" may be taboo now, but Cisneros still has it in mind. "We're not going to do anything that might be controversial, in the sense that it gets excessively offensive," Cisneros said. For example, he wouldn't be willing to work with Holocaust deniers. Live-n' it up The roughly 200 creators at Backyard Ventures hope to scale their side hustles into full-blown businesses. Cisneros' firm helps by providing an ad sales team so creators can focus on their strengths. Backyard charges a few thousand dollars to six- or even seven-figures for brand partnerships, depending on the audience size and other details, Cisneros said. His outfit then takes a 25% to 30% cut, so its incentives are aligned with its clients. "We are not a retainer-based company," Cisneros said. "We eat what we kill." Podcast ad rates typically range from $20 to $25 per thousand impressions, Cisneros said, though it's higher for video podcasts. For reference, podcasts on YouTube can rates can range from $20 to $50. Niche podcasts about finance or marketing can command higher rates, he added. As for Backyard's next gateway for growth, Cisneros said he's looking at live events. In-person meetups literally add another dimension to the robust parasocial relationships Gen Zers already have with their favorite content creators. "It's like you know somebody, without knowing them," Cisneros said. "You're one inch closer to having a friend feel, than the distant download."
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Members of Congress Investing In Defense Revealed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. At least four members of Congress have recently invested in defense companies, a Newsweek analysis has found. According to a review of financial disclosures—in collaboration with data platform Quiver Quantitative—Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, California House Democrat Gilbert Cisneros, Texas House Democrat Julie Johnson and Arkansas Republican Senator John Boozman have all purchased shares in defense companies since May. While they are not the only politicians to hold shares in defense companies, they are politicians who have purchased stock in defense companies since May. This time frame was chosen to gather the most recent available data, bearing in mind the 45-day lead-in time mandated for members of Congress to report their trades publicly. The stock purchases came at a time in which President Donald Trump mulled increasing U.S. defense spending. Some of the trades interacted with the members of the Congress's legislative committee. All of the companies the politicians traded with have received government contracts. Since purchasing the stocks, the share value of the companies has increased. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/AP/Canva Representatives for Mullin, Cisneros and Boozman said their finances were managed by independent third-party advisors and that they do not choose their shares. Johnson's representatives did not reply to Newsweek's request for comment. But ethics watchdogs warned the trades created conflict of interest concerns. Greg Williams, director of the Center for Defense Information at nonpartisan government watchdog the Project on Government Oversight, told Newsweek: "A blind trust is one in which the beneficiary cannot know what stocks and other assets it contains. If you know these trusts contain military stocks, then these Senators can know as well. If they know they contain these stocks, they can be influenced—knowingly or unknowingly—by that fact. "Whether or not they are involved in the management of these trusts, they are involved in legislation and oversight that may affect the value of these stocks. That is a conflict of interest." A spokesperson for Mullin, whose stock trades have previously drawn scrutiny, told Newsweek: "Senator Mullin uses an independent, third-party operator firm that manages all stock portfolio investments on his behalf. He does not conduct nor inform trades. This independent firm reports bi-weekly with Senate Ethics to ensure compliance with federal law." A spokesperson for Cisneros told Newsweek: "The Congressman and his wife have always employed outside financial advisors who have a fiduciary responsibility to maintain a diverse portfolio. The Congressman and his wife do not manage the day-to-day trading of their investments." A Boozman spokesperson told Newsweek: "The senator holds stocks through an IRA – a retirement account – which is managed independently by a financial advisor. He does not personally trade stocks and files all required disclosures, which are public records, and has supported greater transparency into Members' of Congress financial activities." Congressional stock trading is permitted, but the practice has attracted bipartisan criticism because of concerns it may facilitate insider trading if lawmakers are privy to information about assets that could move markets. There are also concerns politicians with stock holdings can influence the assets they hold to inflate their share value. Some members of Congress are now campaigning to impose a ban on all members and their immediate families from trading individual stocks. There are restrictions on Congressional stock trading. The 2012 Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act) prohibits members of Congress and other government employees from using non-public information for private profit. It also requires the reporting of certain transactions to the secretary of the Senate or the clerk of the House of Representatives within 45 days. According to a periodic transaction report filed in June, Johnson, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in General Dynamics Corporation Common Stock on May 2, 2025. Political stock filings come in ranges, not exact amounts. A similar June report showed that Cisneros, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, which funds the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Army, bought between $1,001 and $15,000 of shares within the same value in L3Harris and Northrop Grumman on May 30. Meanwhile, Boozman purchased between $1,001 - $15,000 of shares in Raytheon Technologies on May 30. Boozman sits on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, serving as chairman of the Senate Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and related agencies subcommittee which is in part responsible for funding construction activities in the DoD, like military housing. Mullin, who sits on the Senate Committee in Armed Services, which has legislative oversight of the military, purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 of shares in L3Harris on May 13. Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno, the CEO of RepresentUS, a nonpartisan anti-corruption group, told Newsweek the trades create "an obvious risk of corruption." "Stock trading by members of Congress and other senior officials who are making decisions that could affect the value of those stocks creates an obvious risk of corruption and is devastating to public trust," she said. "Americans deserve a system in which they can be confident that their leaders are making decisions based on the national interest, not their bottom lines. A ban on congressional stock trading has bipartisan public support--we just need Congress to act on it." In May, when these trades were made, the White House unveiled a budget blueprint in May which proposed increasing defense spending by 13 percent to $1 trillion. The budget ultimately increased, but by 4.2 percent and Trump bridged some of this gap by injecting funds into other parts of the budget. The "One Big Beautiful Bill," for instance, passed in early July, adding, among other spending agreements. $120 billion in military-related funds. Meanwhile, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and Raytheon, all global aerospace technology companies, have all long received government contracts from the U.S. Air Force, the DoD and other entities. L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon have all received multiple DoD contracts since May, while General Dynamics saw continued labor agreements. "One of the clearest examples of the problem with congressional stock trading is when lawmakers own stock in government contractors directly tied to the work of the committees they serve on," said Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel, and senior director, ethics of nonpartisan democracy group Campaign Legal Center. "It is nearly impossible for such lawmakers to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest — which can greatly diminish public trust," he told Newsweek. "Voters have a right to know that lawmakers are prioritizing the national interest over their own financial interest," he continued. "Until there is a ban on congressional stock trading, the public will continue to see suspicious activity and question what lawmakers knew and when." Donald Sherman, executive director and chief counsel at ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told Newsweek: "You don't need to be an ethics expert to understand why it's problematic for legislators to have a personal financial stake in industries directly affected by their legislative and oversight work. Congressional stock trading is a bipartisan problem that impacts every industry and state in our country; unsurprisingly, banning these conflicts of interest has bipartisan support from a wide majority of Americans. People who are struggling to pay for groceries and healthcare, or worried about the fate of our democracy, should not also have to question whether elected representatives in Congress are putting their stock portfolio ahead of their constituents' interests! He added: "Having a third party manager is merely window dressing that does not resolve the conflict of interest, particularly if a Senator is aware of their personal financial stake in a company or industry that falls within their legislative or oversight jurisdiction. The public should not have to wonder whether official acts made by their elected representative might be influenced by financial conflicts." However, some politicians are against greater regulating congressional stock trading. Speaking to The Free Press in November 2024, Texas Republican Dan Crenshaw said he was against a ban on congressional members trading on the stock market.
Los Angeles Times
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Go Betty Go's 25 years of DIY work ethic helped the group turn up for guitarist's cancer battle
In Los Angeles, few bands stay active long enough to celebrate a 25th anniversary. For the women in Go Betty Go, this milestone came as hard, fast and furious as one of their songs. Imagine a Latina version of the Ramones, with hints of Descendents and Blink-182 thrown in. Though the band hasn't gained major notoriety, its sound has earned the group a cult following. With a newly infused burst of energy and optimism, the band is on cloud nine now that guitarist Betty Cisneros is officially in remission from cancer, which was diagnosed over two years ago. 'When I was first diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer, it was too personal to share,' Cisneros said during a recent studio session with her band at Blue Beach Studios in Redondo Beach. 'I didn't even tell my family right away. I just told people it was Stage 4 cancer and left it at that.' Eventually, Cisneros began sharing her story, not with her close family or her band, but with the world, through posts on social media. 'That vulnerability sparked something powerful. Now I've got to meet so many people who've reached out to me, other cancer survivors, people going through the same thing. We've shared our stories. It's therapeutic for all of us.' Last week, Cisneros received the news from her doctors that her scans were clear, meaning that she's in remission. 'I am so thankful for this great news, but I still have a lot of recovery ahead of me,' Cisneros said. 'I still can't feel my hands or feet. 'Playing guitar again meant relearning everything, since I had a lot of issues with my hands and feet. But, thankfully, we made it happen.' As it turns out, Go Betty Go had begun writing new music in 2018, but when COVID-19 hit, obviously, things were delayed. The band went back to the studio after the pandemic began to wind down, but all noticed something was wrong with Cisneros. 'We knew something was going on with Betty,' bassist Michelle Rangel recalled. 'But we all kept pushing forward. The music gave us something to hold onto, as she went through this.' For a band like Go Betty Go, the music is vital, but so is the sense of sisterhood. 'We consider this band [a] family. So, of course, we all were behind Betty, supporting her during that difficult time,' Rangel said. 'And when Betty had to step away to take care of her health, she held the torch for her while she recovered,' vocalist Nicolette Vilar said. 'But we knew she'd be back. She never gave up.' The power of the music helped Cisneros during her recovery, she says. 'The music helped me focus on something else,' Cisneros said. 'If I stayed at home thinking about what I was going through, that's how you can get into a hole, you know?' As a band with 25 years of history and touring, including tours with bands like Flogging Molly, several appearances on Warped Tour in the early 2000s, and countless Southern California shows and nationwide tours over the years, it's noticeable how humble the musicians still are, sticking to their DIY work ethic. 'We book our shows. We design our merchandise. We don't have a huge team at all,' said drummer/band manager Aixa Vilar (who is also Nicolette's sister). 'Nicolette does our graphics, and Betty's our tour manager. We're running this ship ourselves, and we love it; we wouldn't have it any other way.' Cisneros agreed and laughed when asked how she juggled it all. 'I'm kind of the mom of the group. I like being in charge. Even though life has a way of pulling the rug out from under you, planning makes me feel grounded.' In a quarter-century playing music, the bandmates love the memories they have made and the music they have gotten to share with their fans. They've had the experience of watching fans grow up with them too. 'We have seen parents with their kids coming to our shows, and we love that,' Rangel said. 'It's amazing that fans can share our music with their kids and younger fans. We love that our music can inspire and influence people of all ages.' Cisneros recalled a recent show in Las Vegas and an encounter with a fan that moved her. 'After the show, I had a fan approach me and say, 'I have an ileostomy too.' This created an instant bond between us, and it was moving,' she said. 'We talked like we knew each other; it was very special.' With summer in full swing, and Cisneros' recent good news of remission, Go Betty Go does have plans for tours, but things are still being finalized, so nothing can be announced yet, the band said. But, for now, the band is beginning a weeklong tour of the West Coast, with its friends in the Dollyrots, which will make a stop in L.A. at the Echo on July 3. 'We do this because it's still fun,' Cisneros said. 'We're grateful people care. This all started from passion, and that's still what drives us.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans keep winning streak alive at Congressional baseball game
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Republicans and Democrats faced off Wednesday night for the annual Congressional baseball game. Republicans won for the fifth year in a row. It's a friendly competition for a good cause. Organizers say they've raised more than $2.8 million dollars, a new record. The money goes toward charities serving children and families in the Washington, D.C., area. California Democratic Congressman Gil Cisneros says the game sets a good example for the country. 'Whenever we work together, whenever we do things together, it always shows something positive for the country,' said Cisneros. The game also marks eight years since Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise was shot at a Republican baseball practice. This year, he was first at bat. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) says the friendly competition shows Americans things aren't as divided as they seem, even if just for a night. 'There's plenty of things to argue about tomorrow in Washington but tonight we're here for a good cause and it'll be a lot of fun,' said Schmitt. Organizers say they sold more than 30,000 tickets for the game. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Eater
29-05-2025
- Business
- Eater
A Cherished Napa Mexican Restaurant Is Expanding With a Downtown Sister Spot
Cinthya Cisneros is about to release the sequel to her super-popular Napa business La Cheve Bakery and Brews. The entrepreneur, who runs her restaurants with her family, will open Con Amor Botanas y Tequila this summer at 815 Main Street in the former La Taberna restaurant space. La Cheve, run by formerly undocumented Mexican owners, opened in 2020 as a tremendous, vibrant part of Napa's restaurant scene. The hope is to make this restaurant an ode to Mexican culture and ancestors who've passed. Whereas La Cheve is a brunch-forward, patio-friendly space, Con Amor is more nightlife and drinks-focused. This spot is a place 'you can bring your abuelita for a tequilita,' as the business's website touts. Expect well-made cocktails, small bites, or full plates — many dishes at La Cheve remixed for the sleeker bar location. Some of the beers from La Cheve will be on tap, too. Cocktails, like the La Llorona black margarita, should make the jump as well. The family's first restaurant is beloved for its all-day brunch items including Mexican avocado toast topped with Guava habanero jam and concha French toast. Cisneros's dad will be the chef at this new outfit like he is at La Cheve, but an executive chef will be brought on to help execute his vision. Her mom will still be the head baker. She'll keep handling operations. 'Now with two babies instead of just one,' she says with a laugh. The idea to open this second business came from Cisneros recognizing that all the family's eggs were in La Cheve's basket. If there's a slow day, that means no money across the board. She wanted to diversify her income streams and scale her businesses. Born in La Piedad, Michoacan, Cisneros was the first in her family to graduate college. Then she worked as a high school chemistry teacher, which led to her love of making beer. She cites her family's hard work ethic as the reason La Cheve has been so successful. 'I kept telling my mom this new place needs to be done con mucho amor,' Cisneros says, 'and she said why don't you just call it Con Amor?' Con Amor Botanas y Tequila (815 Main Street, Napa) will open this summer. Sign up for our newsletter.
