How do you take a brand-new media company and land a feature on the BBC in less than a year? 🎙️

In this conversation, Catherine Jelinek interviews Ben Schuman-Stoler, founder of Kollo Media and European partner of The Skinny Platform, about the journey behind his project Dig Where You Stand—a documentary on history, memory, and returning ancestral remains—that aired on BBC World Service.

Ben shares the lessons every emerging thought leader and creator needs to hear:

✨ Go niche, not broad – focus on specific, relevant ideas that matter
✨ Build before you pitch – create assets (podcast, newsletter, media partners) to prove your story has legs
✨ Collaboration > isolation – working with others accelerates creativity and opportunity
✨ Adopt the mantra: “Why not me?” – a mindset that breaks through fear and opens doors

✨ Always ask: Why should people spend time on this? – clarity of value is what makes your work resonate

📈 From founding Kollo Media to signing publishing deals, hosting live events, and influencing classrooms in Berlin, Ben shows how one high-quality idea can ripple across platforms and audiences.

👤 Who this video is for:

• Emerging thought leaders

• Entrepreneurs & founders

• Podcasters & content creators

• Creatives looking to break into major platforms like the BBC

🔑 You’ll learn:

• How to refine your niche and build authority

• Strategies to package ideas for maximum reach

• Why focusing on quality opens high-quality doors

• How to recycle one great story across multiple media formats

👉 If you’re ready to refine your story, build credibility, and share ideas that matter—hit subscribe for more interviews and strategies for thought leadership and storytelling.

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