| Industry | Digital media |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 inAtlanta, US |
| Founders | Reid Hailey and Derek Lucas |
| Website | doingthings |
Doing Things Media (DTM) is an Americandigital media company that focuses onpop culture and humor. Its brands includeMiddle Class Fancy,Animals Doing Things,Shitheadsteve,Recess Therapy,Bob Does Sports, andOverheard.
It was co-founded in 2017 by Reid Hailey and Derek Lucas and was headquartered inAtlanta before opting for permanentremote work.[1][2][3] DTM's clients includeNetflix,Amazon,Anheuser-Busch, andT-Mobile.[4][5] As of 2023, the company has 35+ social media meme accounts with over 75 million followers acrossInstagram,Facebook,TikTok,YouTube, andSnapchat.[4][5][6]
Doing Things Media was founded by Reid Hailey and Derek Lucas in 2017 after both had developed large followings for postinginternet memes on Instagram. Reid Hailey created an Instagrammeme account named @Shitheadsteve in 2014, while takingcollege classes.[3] The account obtained one million followers in less than a year, and Hailey created other accounts such as @Trashcanpaul and @HouseofGaming. Hailey met his future co-founder Derek Lucas after Lucas created the meme account @DrunkPeopleDoingThings in 2015.[7] Both Reid Hailey and Derek Lucas dropped out of college.[3] Lucas starting a medical-marijuana delivery service before co-founding Doing Things Media.[3]
Hailey and Lucas were part of a group message that called itself the Meme Illuminati. The chat included meme accounts and celebrities includingChris D'Elia,John Mayer, andB.J. Novak.[2][3]
In February 2022, Doing Things secured a $21.5 million Series A funding round.[8] In August, DTM partnered withParamount+ to host the season three premiere ofStar Trek: Lower Decks.[9]
Doing Things Media was namedMost Innovative Publisher at the 2022 Digiday Awards.[10]
Paper Magazine writes that "the overall theme of what makes it onto any of their meme pages seems to be 'nostalgic wholesomeness' — humor that somehow doesn't offend anyone because the stereotypes they joke about are so deeply benign." DTM describes itself as a "24/7 dopamine drip machine.”[11] Because it produces dozens of popular social media accounts, DTM is able to cross-promote new projects.[12]
As of 2020, 30% of the company's revenue comes frome-commerce.[3] In addition, Doing Things Media makes money from subscription content and TV production and sponsored ads that resemble memes.[13][3]
Doing Things Media had a TV show on Nat Geo Wild called "Animals Doing Things" based on its @AnimalsDoingThings account.Howie Mandel is its narrator, executive producer, anddirector.[2] The company wrote a book calledDoggos Doing Things based on its @DoggosDoingThings account.[2] “We are always thinking about how to turn our social presence into a product," co-founder Reid Hailey toldThe Hustle. "Can we make a game? Can we make a beverage?”[14]
Doing Things Media acquired the brand MiddleClassFancy in 2018.[15] In 2021, MiddleClassFancy teamed up withGuy Fieri to release a limited-edition burger at Fieri'sghost kitchen called Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen.[16]
In 2019,Andrew Callaghan became a full-time content creator for Doing Things Media after the company's co-founder Reid Hailey saw one of Callaghan's videos.[17][1] Doing Things also hired Callaghan's longtime friends, Nic Mosher and Evan Gilbert-Katz.All Gas No Brakes got traction onYouTube in late 2019 and throughout 2020. In May 2020, the company signed a development deal with Abso Lutely Productions for a TV series based onAll Gas No Brakes.[18] The relationship eventually soured betweenCallaghan and Doing Things Media, with Callaghan citing contract issues and exploitative behaviour by Doing Things Media as the reason for his departure. As of May 2025,Callaghan and Doing Things Media reached an agreement to acquire All Gas No Brakes from Doing Things Media as an affiliate program of Callaghan's independent news network,Channel 5.[19]
In 2020,Julian Shapiro-Barnum began a video series in which he interviews children, originally titled asKids Doing Things.[3] Doing Things Media hired Shapiro-Barnum, rebranded the account, and launched it asRecess Therapy.[12] The host was inspired how “kids in the playground remained joyous despite the pandemic’s perturbations.” In an interview withThe New York Times, Shapiro-Barnum said, “The reason it’s calledRecess Therapy is that the original idea was that I was going to bring things that I was struggling with to children and, like, get advice from them.”[12]
Since its launch,Recess Therapy has over 2.4 million followers.[20] In 2022, the series produced the viral videoCorn Kid, which was named #1 TikTok trend of 2022.[11][21][22]
In December 2022, Shapiro-Barnum received theFamily Entertainment Safe Streaming Hero Award atVariety's inaugural Family Entertainment Awards Dinner.[23]
In January 2023, Doing Things Media acquiredOverheard, a social media brand dedicated to sharing eavesdropped conversations in locales like Los Angeles and New York.[8]
In 2021, Doing Things Media partnered with Robby Berger to create Bob Does Sports, an online series focusing on golf content.[24][25] Co-hosted by Fat Perez and Joe Demare, the account has over 330,000 Instagram followers.[26]
Doing Things Media faced criticism for posting sponsored content aboutMike Bloomberg's presidential campaign across twelve of the company's pages.[27] According toReuters, Doing Things Media founder Reid Hailey said it was "a creative decision, rather than an endorsement of Bloomberg."[28] Other meme accounts, such as those affiliated withFuckJerry, also promoted Bloomberg.[29]