Savannah James has launched a new company called Signed to house her expanding portfolio of women-focused businesses and media ventures.
Along with her business partner, April McDaniel, Signed will act as a holding company for the creative agency Crown+Conquer , the membership-based women’s community Let It Break, and their podcast Everybody’s Crazy .
The new venture is launched in partnership with MarcyPen Capital Partners, a private equity firm cofounded by Jay-Z.
“I’ve always been a champion of experts,” James told Fast Company. “There’s always somebody that’s smarter. There’s always somebody who’s more efficient. So if I can place those people around us, that’s what we’re going to do.”
“Once we really homed in on the purpose, it made us realize that we were sitting on something way bigger than we even imagined. Then it was about finding the best use of our superpowers,” McDaniel added. “And where we needed support and visionaries to help us scale to the next level.”
McDaniel also spoke about how important it was for the duo to control their own destiny.
“When we were leaving Dear Media, we got a pretty substantial offer to go in-house somewhere, but we bet on ourselves. We’re building our own studio,” McDaniel explained. “And we’re really building the opportunity to own the narrative. We don’t want to be on our podcast selling everything under the kitchen sink.”
The company’s name, Signed, stems from the idea “that James and McDaniel back whatever the company does.”
“It’s so important for us because we know that the consumer is watching,” says McDaniel. “We’re aware that we are trusted in what we say and what we cosign. And there is a level of responsibility that comes with utilizing your voice. So Signed is coming with that responsibility, that reputation, and also the possibility of doing what you love can really work out in the end.”