Summary
Overview
Guy Raz hosts The Advice Line with Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite, helping three entrepreneurs navigate business challenges. They advise a pottery YouTuber balancing content creation with e-commerce, a print magazine founder seeking to grow subscribers, and a baker promoting culturally-inspired dessert kits that require intentional time investment.
Introduction and Julia Hartz's Eventbrite Acquisition
Julia Hartz returns to the show following major news about Eventbrite being acquired by Italian company Bending Spoons. After 20 years building the company, she reflects on this transition and discusses the growing importance of live events as a strategy for brands and creators. Research shows 98% of Gen Z wants to extend their relationship with products they love into real-life experiences, positioning events as a crucial bridge between online communities and offline connections.
- Eventbrite is being acquired by Bending Spoons, an Italian company that also owns Vimeo, AOL, Evernote, and WeTransfer
- Julia Hartz has led Eventbrite for 20 years through multiple challenges including COVID-19
- 98% of Gen Z wants to extend their relationship with products they love into real-life experiences
" 98%, says that they want to extend their relationship with a product or a story that they love in real life. And that just, you know, bringing the niche communities into real life and creating that connection between identity and community that's cultivated online to a real life situation to offline is exactly the bridge that Eventbrite helps people build. "
The Power of In-Person Events and Community Building
Throughout the episode, Julia emphasizes the explosive growth of experiential events on Eventbrite, from live podcast shows up 65% to what she calls 'granny core'—activities like sauna raves, mahjong clubs, and silent book clubs. This trend reflects people's desire to slow down and connect in person, validating strategies like Maya's pottery studio, Anyway's potential school distributions, and Anga's baking workshops as critical business-building activities.
- Live podcasting shows are up over 65% on the Eventbrite platform this year
- Events provide the connection between online identity/community and real-life experiences
- Interactive events create repeat customers and build community, with participants staying connected after events
" One experience begets another and then people stay in touch. So maybe part of your events could be, you know, making sure that the people who want to stay connected after the class or after the event are able to do so really easily and then share their stories and their pictures and kind of keep that going. "
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