WE KNOW THE INDUSTRY BECAUSE WE’VE BUILT IT FROM THE INSIDE

OUR MISSION

At In Real Life Media, we believe independent magazines are essential cultural connectors—places where trust, creativity, and community come together in ways no other medium can. We help magazines build lasting partnerships with brands that value authentic storytelling and meaningful engagement.

By clarifying their vision and strengthening their business foundations, we ensure magazines don’t just survive but thrive, becoming powerful platforms that inspire readers, support creative voices, and deliver real value for their partners.

IN REAL LIFE MEDIA ON MONOCLE’S THE STACK

Listen to Co-founders James Laffar and Megan Wray Schertler discuss In Real Life Media’s mission, vision, and service offering on Monocle’s The Stack.

FOUNDING
TEAM

JAMES LAFFAR
Co-Founder

As Managing Director of Ra & Olly, James continues a four-generation legacy. His great-grandfather was a printer. His grandfather ran newsstands across London. His father owned a newsagent in Earls Court station. And James got his start delivering magazines like Private Eye and Time Out—earning the nickname “The Time Out Guy.”

Today, Ra & Olly distributes influential titles to shops around the world from bases in London, Berlin, Indianapolis, and Melbourne. Under James’s leadership, it has evolved into a global engine for independent publishing.

Having witnessed both the industry’s decline in the 2000s and its revival post-COVID, James has a unique vantage point. He’s seen a renewed appetite for print as a screen-free, tactile experience with cultural impact.

Over the past decade, he’s helped grow the independent publishing ecosystem through events, activations, and new ventures—like News & Coffee. James isn’t just in the business of distribution—he’s passionate about shaping the future of print.

MEGAN WRAY SCHERTLER
Co-Founder & Managing Director

Megan Wray Schertler is a leading voice in independent publishing strategy, known for turning ambitious editorial visions into revenue-ready brands.

As the founder of Weröld Archive and creator of the Magazine Accelerator, Megan works with magazine founders and brands to design systems that transform cultural capital into real business growth.

Formerly Publishing Director at Highsnobiety, she has helped shape some of the most influential titles of the last decade—including Fantastic Man, Interview, CR Fashion Book, Document Journal, COS Magazine, and Hypebeast. Her background spans not just editorial and brand strategy, but also retail: early in her career, she helped scale Marc Jacobs during its initial expansion.

With deep editorial instincts and strategic rigor, Megan helps magazines define their unique position, build sustainable business models, and grow with integrity.

DAVID ATKINS
Managing Partner

David Atkins has spent his career turning complexity into efficiency and legacy into innovation. As Managing Director of Newsstand, he’s reengineered a five-generation family business into the world’s largest online newsagent, serving over 200 independent publishers with single-copy fulfillment, white-label ecommerce, and nontraditional retail distribution.

Before Newsstand, David cut his teeth driving newspapers across France at 3am, building barcode systems a decade ahead of their time, building retail logistics platforms, and exiting multiple ventures, all before making Newsstand his full focus in 2011.

Under his leadership, Newsstand pioneered same-day single-copy shipping, reduced waste in print distribution, and gave indie magazines a real route to market with speed, service, and soul.

Today, David is proof that innovation in print isn’t theoretical; it’s logistical, and it’s already happening.