I'm ranting today. Women in the entrepreneurial space need to stop being put on a pedestal...because I'm starting to feel like a lot of them are being dishonest. 

Also we've got Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen back in court...the judge absolutely clocked what's going on there...

Plus Nike's embarrassing response to their Boston Marathon campaign backlash, and why their non-apology is a masterclass in what NOT to do when your brand gets backlash from the Karens. 

Next, how Emma Grede turned every controversy on her book tour into free press for Start With Yourself... and the reframe strategy behind it

And then I go into a rant about women in the entrepreneurial space, the wide-open-calendar performance, paying for proximity, and why the real opportunity right now belongs to the women who've actually been putting in the work.

I have opinions. 

(You've been warned.)

I'm Marisa Twentyman, website copywriter and founder of Dirty Copy, copywriting for brands that don't do boring.

I'm the host of Dirty Chats podcast...

And you can find me

HERE on Instagram

and HERE on my website

ON THE POD TODAY>>>

What happened in Belle Burden's  smash hit memoir Strangers? (and why did my carousel about it go viral?) I chat about the devastating prenup, what my husband said about the husband leaving, and what my carousel angle taught me about Instagram metrics. 

The Alex Cooper Vs Alix Earle drama explained: what actually kicked the feud off, and why Matt Kaplan is all of a sudden in hot water (and why he shouldn't called 'Matt')...and I pitch an unofficial PR plan for Alex Cooper that I will absolutely NOT be posting.

How can you make sure you actually achieve your goals? I learnt a LOT this week about the psychology between why some people achieve their goals, and others just dream about them. This part you genuinely don't want to miss. 

Get Viral Carousel Course HERE

What you'll learn:

→ Why Instagram's shift to interest media is changing who sees your content - and why your followers aren't the audience anymore

→ The one thing AI genuinely cannot do for your content (and why creatives are the ones who win in this new era)

→ Why Gabrielle Oettingen's weight loss study proves pure visualisation makes you less likely to hit your goal

→ How Peter Gollwitzer's "if-then" implementation intentions doubled follow-through across 94 studies and 8,000+ participants

→ The difference between confidence and self-efficacy — and why one predicts success better than IQ

→ Why elite athletes focus on process goals over outcome goals, and how to apply it to your business

If you want the exact strategy I used to land a carousel at 200K views (and the psychology underneath why it worked) — Viral Carousel is the course.

I'm Marisa Twentyman, website copywriter and founder of Dirty Copy. 

Find my website HERE

Justin Bieber's $10M Coachella Set, The Masters' No-Phone Policy, and the Marketing Power of Doing Less

Everyone has an opinion on Justin Bieber at Coachella. 

Here's mine.

This week I'm breaking down two very different events ...The Masters golf tournament and Justin Bieber's stripped-back Coachella set ....and what they both accidentally taught us about the most powerful marketing move of 2026.

(Yes, I'm talking about sport.)

Dirty Dish: The Masters has a no-phone policy, a lottery ticket system, and merch you can only buy on-site. The result? A Black Friday shopping frenzy and a crowd of euphoric, genuinely present people. M

Dirty Business: 

eanwhile, Justin Bieber walked on stage with a laptop and a stool, got paid $10 million, and pulled 94.2 million views — compared to Sabrina Carpenter's 2.1 million, with all the bells, whistles, and celebrity cameos money can buy.

I also give my actual take on what made the Bieber set so powerful — and it's not what most people are saying.

→ Why banning phones was the smartest marketing decision The Masters ever made — and what FOMO actually does to buyer behaviour 

→ How scarcity + urgency created a Black Friday mentality for golf merch 

→ The real reason Justin Bieber's laptop segment hit harder than a $5M production budget 

→ What counter-cultural positioning actually means for a small business (and what it costs you to do it) 

→ Why community is the most valuable thing a brand can manufacture right now

If you want carousels that actually stop the scroll, grab my Viral Carousel mini course HERE.

Hold your florals, because in this episode I SAVE BLAKE LIVELY'S REPUTATION. 

Also in this ep, it's the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni case explained - well, the updates anyway. 

Because Judge Liman just gutted two thirds of Blake Lively's lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.

So, in Dirty Dish: I break down exactly what happened with the Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni ruling. What was dismissed, why it's not as simple as "she lost," and what's actually heading to trial in May.

I also go line by line through her post-ruling statement, and discuss the diabolical dragon emoji 🐉

Plus I have a full image rehabilitation plan for Blake that I genuinely believe could save her career. 

Dirty Business: Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty has done two activations back to back that shows she's at the top of her marketing game. And I want to explain why they work on a brain level, not just a "oh that's cute" level.

Scratch-and-sniff billboards in New York City. A casino slot machine that dispenses foundation samples outside Sephora. And the psychological concept that ties them both together: the pattern interrupt.

I also bring in Steven Bartlett's £13,000 blue slide and what it has to do with your content strategy in a post-AI world.

→ Why Judge Liman dismissed Blake Lively's sexual harassment claim and what "independent contractor" actually means legally 

→ What's still going to trial in May and why the smear campaign claims were always the heart of this case 

→ How Rare Beauty's experiential marketing activations use pattern interrupts to trigger dopamine and create brand memory 

→ The neuroscience of novelty and why your brain remembers unexpected experiences more vividly than anything familiar 

→ What Steven Bartlett's £13,000 blue slide can teach you about standing out in a saturated, AI-content-flooded market 

→ The one question every brand needs to answer: what's your scratch-and-sniff billboard?

I'm Marisa Twentyman, founder of Dirty Copy and host of Dirty Chats.

Find my website HERE

Alix Earle just sold out a skincare brand in 19 hours. Here's exactly how she did it.

In Dirty Dish, hundreds of thousands of Chinese social media users are changing their profile pictures to Kris Jenner's face....but why?

Then in Dirty Business, I break down Alix Earle's pre-launch campaign for Real Actives, her new acne skincare brand.

🧩 Alix spent months feeding people's primal brains before a single product was available to buy. The rollout included cryptic Instagram accounts, passcode-locked suitcases sent to influencers, a physical puzzle billboard in SoHo, and the Empire State Building lit up in mint green.

The whole range sold out in 19 hours 🤯

I walk through every step of the campaign and the buyer psychology behind why it worked....

... including what part of the brain actually makes people buy.

The recap:

→ Why Kris Jenner is trending across China and what it says about how aspiration actually travels online 

→ How Alix Earle's Real Actives pre-launch campaign used curiosity loops and dopamine to sell out in 19 hours — before most people had seen a single product → The reptilian brain buying sequence (emotion first, logic second, purchase third) and how to apply it to your own launches 

→ Why overcoming objections publicly — the way Alix did with her Accutane history — is one of the most underused moves in product marketing 

→ What Alix Earl's daily Get Ready With Me habit teaches us about consistency vs. intelligence in business

I'm Marisa Twentyman, host of Dirty Chats, creative copywriter and marketing consultant for brands that don't do boring. 

THANKS FOR BEING HERE!

Check out my IG here

This week I'm unpacking the full Taylor Frankie Paul situation: the assault footage, the cancelled season, the lawsuit rumours, and the one question nobody's really asking....why did ABC cast her in the first place when they knew?

(We're blaming Nick).

I also have a full PR plan for three different parties caught in this mess: 
* the Bachelorette franchise
* The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
* and Taylor herself. 

And yes, I pitched ABC a plan to save their show. Six days later, Deux Moi dropped a blind item that suggests they may have… borrowed it. 

Still waiting for my cheque 😏

The real marketing lesson buried in all of this? (yes, I talk about marketing as well.)
The currency of marketing is feelings, and the second your audience feels bad about watching you, the money dries up. 

Here's what else I cover:
→ Why ABC's decision to cast Taylor Frankie Paul - despite knowing her domestic violence history - is a masterclass in what happens when entertainment brands chase drama over due diligence

→ The psychology behind why audiences forgave Taylor before the video, and why they can't now - and what that means for your brand's perception

→ Why the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives franchise may not survive this, and what a brand does when its main character becomes a liability

→ What a brand activation event at scale actually looks like - and how the Bachelorette could use one to rebuild visibility and recoup losses

→ Why silence is sometimes the only PR move that works (my real plan for Taylor, and it starts with a garden)

Check out the viral IG carousel HERE
And my website HERE

The one where I pitch Meghan Markle a business idea she didn't ask for - and break down Timothée Chalamet's Oscar campaign in history.

This week on Dirty Chats, we're covering two stories that have absolutely nothing in common except that both involve famous people who both take themselves very seriously. 

First up in Dirty Dish - Meghan Markle. The Her Best Life retreat in Sydney sold out in days, there are conflicting reports about whether she's getting paid $1 million or doing it "as a favour for a friend" (spoiler: it's neither and both), and Netflix has officially pulled out of as ever, her lifestyle brand.  I also pitch Meghan a business idea she absolutely needs to hear...what can I say, she needs me. 

Then in Dirty Business - will Timmy's gaffe hurt his Oscars chance? 

I chat timelines including Oscar voting dates.  

But the real story is his Marty Supreme marketing campaign, which was genuinely brilliant. 

• A fake 18-minute leaked Zoom meeting. 
• An orange blimp over American cities. 
• Climbing the Las Vegas Sphere. 
• Crashing a real table tennis tournament. Losing basketball to high schoolers with Adam Sandler.

We unpack how Oscar campaigns actually work (it's literally influencer marketing invented decades before Instagram existed), the bandwagon effect in action, Seth Godin's Purple Cow...

...and I break down one of my favourite marketing startup stories of all time: BUMBLE's. 

What you'll learn: → Why the Oscar FYC (For Your Consideration) campaign is a $25 million marketing exercise disguised as an arts competition → How Bumble shortcutted their way to perceived status with zero ad spend — and what that means for your brand → The Purple Cow principle and why safe is actually the riskiest strategy for your business → Why showing up where your audience ISN'T is the move that changes everything → The bandwagon effect and why social proof is still the most powerful conversion tool you've got

If you're creating content for your brand and want carousels that actually go viral  -  check out my Viral Carousel course. And if you want the gorgeous, psychology-baked templates to match, jump on the waitlist for Viral Carousel Templates. 

Join Carousel Template Waitlist HERE

Dirty Chats is hosted by Marisa Twentyman, NZ-based copywriter and founder of Dirty Copy. New episodes drop weekly.

Did Kim Kardashian just waste the best launch story of 2026? Obviously I have thoughts.

This week on Dirty Chats: my husband bought me a Thermomix and I've basically become a different person, Lily Allen showed up to her tour opening night wearing a dress made of actual receipts (and it's a masterclass in specific storytelling), and Kim Kardashian quietly became co-founder of an energy drink brand with absolutely zero buildup — which, for a woman who built her entire career on anticipation, is criminal.

I'm breaking down the psychology principle she completely ignored: Presuasion, the concept from Robert Cialdini that says the most powerful moment to influence a buying decision isn't when you make the ask — it's in the moments just before. What you prime your audience to think and feel before your offer lands determines everything. And I've mapped out exactly how Kim should have done this drop, week by week, if she'd wanted to actually build hype instead of just... posting a yellow can and writing "pineapple."

In this episode:

• Why Lily Allen's receipt dress is one of the best examples of specific storytelling you'll ever see — and what it means for your copy
• The Thermomix that has apparently saved my marriage and set feminism back 80 years
• Kim K's new energy drink brand Update: the product positioning is genuinely genius, the launch strategy is not
• Robert Cialdini's Presuasion framework and how to use it in your own pre-launch content
• Why the clouds vs. coins website experiment should change how you think about every piece of content you put out before a launch
• How to get your audience mentally identifying as a buyer before they've seen your offer

The big marketing takeaway: Most people treat pre-launch as a waiting period. Cialdini says it's actually the most valuable time in your entire campaign. The post before the launch, the email before the cart opens, the story before the ask — all of it is either building the right mental context or the wrong one. Kim built none, which means she left a lot of emotional investment — and probably a lot of sales — on the table.

I'm Marisa Twentyman, founder of Dirty Copy, and I'm your girl for website copywriting, copy and marketing consultations and an AI-powered business. 

Check out my website HERE

My Instagram HERE

Dirty Chats is BACCCCCK and firstly a note: the audio isn't quite as good as I'd hoped... 😬

In this episode, I’m breaking down two stories that had me (and the internet) in a full chokehold:

– The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, in Tucson, Arizona
– The Netflix docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model and the cultural reckoning around Tyra Banks and ANTM

And because I physically cannot consume media without turning it into a marketing lesson…

We’re talking about:

• The psychology of curiosity
• Why public attention has a 10-day shelf life
• How reality TV exploited contestants before social media shifted the power balance
• Why in 2026, authenticity beats polish
• And why AI might be the next cultural shift you cannot afford to ignore

I also highlight two real-life case studies of anticipation in marketing, with Jess Ruhfus' new supplement brand Staje, and Alex Warren's campaign of hype around his new single FEVER.

I'm Marisa Twentyman, founder of Dirty Copy, and podcast host of Dirty Chats - where we gossip and grow your business.

Download the website freebie HERE

Join the Claude workshop HERE

Follow Jess HERE

This week on Dirty Chats, I’m finally doing what you’ve all been waiting for: a forensic analysis of the Brooklyn Beckham family drama...plus my draft PR plan for Brooklyn and Nicola to help them come out on top of the PR war (which they absolutely can, if they become the first clients of my imaginary PR company). 

Yes, I know. This episode is late...BUT I'M STILL ON HOLIDAY, so feel special. 

So this episode is a bonus Dirty Chats: less business, more gossip (for now), and a brutally honest breakdown of why this situation played out exactly the way it did.

I go line by line through Brooklyn’s statement, unpack the wedding stories, the “signing away my name” confusion, the blocking/unfollowing chaos, and explain the one thing the internet never forgives: looking butthurt in public when you’re not beloved yet.

What I cover in this episode

• Why the internet sided with the Beckhams without a single shred of evidence
• How nostalgia beats logic every single time
• Why publishing family grievances online is reputation-defining (and rarely in your favour)
• What the “signing away my name” claim is actually about (hint: trademarks, not control)
• Why “we just want privacy” is the fastest way to become a meme
• My unfiltered take on who I believe, when, and why
• And finally: the only PR strategy that would actually work for Brooklyn & Nicola

The big marketing lesson....

This entire feud isn’t about truth - it’s about brand equity.

The Beckhams don’t just have a family. They have a brand.
Years of nostalgia, emotional investment, and masterful narrative control mean the public will instinctively protect them.

Brooklyn and Nicola?
 They haven’t earned public goodwill yet....and this moment has now become what they’re most famous for.

That’s not a moral judgement.
 That’s branding.

And to finish? My PR plan for Brooklyn Beckham & Nicola Peltz. 

Basically, they need me. 

This isn’t just celebrity gossip.
 It’s a real-time case study in what happens when you lose narrative control... and why brands (and families) guard it so aggressively.

It’s also a reminder that:

• The internet respects unbothered
• Nostalgia is undefeated
• And if you’re going to air your dirty laundry… you’d better already be loved

Get the VIRAL CAROUSEL COURSE HERE (use code DIRTYCHATS for 30% off)