Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – The Future Frontier: Insights from Diverse Leaders
Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Dave Bowden, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Irreverent Gent. Dave’s journey from journalism to content marketing has led him to turn his passion into a successful business. As we look ahead to 2024, Dave shares his hopes for expanding his blog into a multi-channel men’s lifestyle brand, while balancing his personal goals of being a devoted father and husband.
In our interview, Dave discusses the impact of technological advancements on his industry, the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in editorial leadership, and shares his favorite quote by Epictetus: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Join us as we delve into Dave’s insights and experiences in the world of men’s fashion and lifestyle.
Interview with Dave Bowden of Irreverent Gent: 2024 Hopes & Tech Trends
Interviewee Name: Dave Bowden
Company: Irreverent Gent
Dave Bowden’s favourite quote: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus
The Interview
Thank you so much for joining us today! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your backstory?
Dave Bowden : I started my career as a journalist working for old-school daily newspapers, before becoming a magazine editor and eventually a blogger for a travel company, where I ran their travel site and email newsletter.
My entrepreneurial journey really started when I made the shift from journalism to content marketing, when I saw how I could turn my editorial and content-creation skills into not just a job, but an entire business.
As we embark on the journey into 2024, what are your hopes and expectations for the year ahead, both personally and professionally?
Dave Bowden : On the professional side, in 2024 I’m hoping to turn my blog, Irreverent Gent, into a multi-channel men’s lifestyle brand that helps modern men merge the style, sophistication and social grace of a classic gentleman with the technology, tastes and expectations of the 21st century.
The goal is to expand beyond the blog into email and social media marketing, which will both expand our reach and diversify our sources of traffic and income.
On the personal side, I have a wonderful wife, Michelle, and two young sons (Jack is 2 and Nathan is just 9 months), so my goal is simply to be the best father and husband I can be while continuing to grow my business and pursue my professional goals.
How do you see technological advancements influencing your field or industry in the coming year, and what opportunities or challenges do they present?
Dave Bowden : My business is entirely web-based, so technology plays a huge role. The existence and accessibility of AI tools like Chat GPT and Google’s Gemini have already altered the landscape for content creation online, and that will only accelerate throughout the year as adoption increases and the technology continues to advance.
The other big technological change facing my industry is the ever-changing search landscape, where AI is also playing a huge role. People will soon start turning to AI chat bots to ask questions that they used to turn to search engines for, so information brands like mine have to be ready to adapt to the new landscape and find new ways to reach our core audiences.
As a leader or aspiring leader, what role do you believe diversity, equity, and inclusion will play in shaping the future of your industry, and how are you working to promote these values within your sphere of influence?
Dave Bowden : Diversity, equity and inclusion are increasingly important in editorial and content-creation businesses like mine. Nowadays people both expect (and I would argue, deserve) to hear from a wide array of voices, and have access to a diverse slate of perspectives.
People like myself, in positions of editorial leadership, have a responsibility to deliver on that expectation by thinking outside the box in terms of the writers and editors we hire to create content and serve our readers.
Even though my core audience is style-conscious men aged 30 to 50 (a demographic that includes myself), the truth is that the best way to serve my audience is by looking for people outside of that demographic, who can provide a perspective that I simply can’t.
Our senior writer and editor, Kirstyn Brown, is one example. As a woman with a long track record of writing about fitness and health, she not only brings a ton of journalistic experience to the table, but also a unique perspective that’s highly valuable to our readers.
We write about men’s fashion and lifestyle, and truth is that most guys don’t really care if other guys think they look good—but they care a lot about what women think. Kirstyn is just one person and by no means does she claim to speak for her gender, but she brings a unique and valuable perspective.
Both our publication and our readers are better for having her on staff, so it’s a win/win that might not have been possible if we had stuck to the old-school mentality of “men’s lifestyle content should be written by men.”
Leaders Perception would like to thank Dave Bowden and Irreverent Gent for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
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