Lansing, Michigan

Real estate developer James McManus joined Michigan’s Big Show host Michael Patrick Shiels to discuss his ongoing financing dispute involving Fairbridge Asset Management and what he believes are broader concerns about transparency, accountability, and alleged fraud within the private credit industry.

During the interview, McManus discussed an $8.2 million term sheet he signed on August 14, 2024, to finance a Connecticut development project. According to McManus, the financing commitment was rescinded the following day, halting construction. He also alleged that he was later asked to provide an additional $1 million payment unrelated to the original financing terms and that more than $500,000 was withdrawn from the project’s interest reserve account.

McManus told listeners the financial and emotional toll of the dispute contributed to heart failure that required life-saving sextuple bypass surgery on December 4, 2024. He said he later entered into a new agreement in February 2025, under which the lender ultimately received the additional $1 million payment.

“This is about more than one real estate project,” said McManus. “It’s about accountability, transparency, and protecting borrowers from practices that can jeopardize businesses, livelihoods, and families.”

“Our goal is to let listeners hear Mr. McManus’s perspective and allow them to make up their own minds based on the facts presented,” said Michael Patrick Shiels.

The appearance on Michigan’s Big Show is the latest in a series of national media interviews as McManus continues raising public awareness about his allegations and advocating for greater oversight of commercial lending practices.

Watch the full interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuGelvDr4-4

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NEW YORK, USA

Tinuiti, a leading independent media agency, today announced it has been named Media Agency of Record for Allies of Skin, the fast-growing premium skincare brand known for its science-backed formulations and high-performance approach to skincare.

As premium skincare brands increasingly navigate fragmented consumer journeys spanning social discovery, search, retail media, direct-to-consumer, and marketplaces, the partnership positions Allies of Skin to accelerate growth through a unified marketing strategy that connects every consumer touchpoint.

As the brand, based in Los Angeles, prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary with continued product innovation and global expansion, Tinuiti will lead integrated media across streaming video and TV, paid search, paid social, and commerce media—including Amazon advertising and retail operations—through a single full-funnel strategy that unifies brand and performance marketing to drive measurable business growth.

Nicolas Travis, Founder & CEO, Allies of Skin, said: “As Allies of Skin continues to grow, we’re focused on delivering cutting-edge innovation for consumers wherever they discover and shop our products. As we enter our 10th anniversary year, we’re investing in the next chapter of our brand, and we looked for a partner that could seamlessly connect strategic media, commerce expertise, and technology across every consumer touchpoint. Tinuiti’s integrated approach makes them the ideal partner to help accelerate our continued global growth.”

Jeremy Cornfeldt, President of Tinuiti, said: “The traditional path to purchase hasn’t disappeared—it has fragmented into millions of shoppable moments. That’s especially true in premium beauty, where consumers move seamlessly between social discovery, search, retail media, marketplaces, and DTC before making a purchase. Allies of Skin has built an exceptional brand through innovation and product efficacy, and we’re excited to accelerate its next phase of growth with an adaptive strategy that connects every consumer interaction to measurable business outcomes.”

Tinuiti helps marketers understand the full enterprise value of their media investments by connecting brand and performance within its proprietary Bliss Point Marketing Operating System, the ultimate brand and performance unifier, which fuels decisions across Audience, Creative, Media and Measurement. The result is smarter investment decisions, more confident budget allocation, less waste across fragmented media investments, and greater business impact across DTC, retail, and every place consumers choose to shop.

For premium skincare brands, where consumers increasingly move fluidly between social platforms, retail partners, branded websites, and marketplaces before making a purchase, this unified approach provides a clearer understanding of what drives growth—and makes smarter business decisions about where to invest next.

Complementing this foundation, Tinuiti will leverage its exclusive AdCopy AI paid search technology to optimize creative messaging, accelerate search performance, and inform broader cross-channel investment decisions. Combined with an audience-centric creative strategy and an integrated measurement framework spanning paid search, paid social, streaming video, commerce media, and Amazon, Tinuiti will help Allies of Skin connect every marketing investment directly to measurable business outcomes.

For Allies of Skin, the partnership reflects its continued investment in building a modern marketing ecosystem that mirrors how consumers actually shop. As the brand enters its 10th anniversary year and prepares to introduce its next generation of skincare innovation, unifying brand strategy, media activation, retail media, and Amazon commerce under a single operating model will strengthen customer acquisition, improve measurement, and support continued global growth while maintaining the premium experience that has defined the brand since its founding.

Allies of Skin is a hyper-growth premium skincare brand that has disrupted the clinical market by replacing tedious 10-step routines with “supercharged,” multi-functional formulas—such as their virally popular, award-winning Peptides & Antioxidants Advanced Firming Daily Treatment—that pack maximum active concentrations into single steps. Allies of Skin employs a highly sophisticated, multi-channel distribution model that blends high-end prestige luxury with cutting-edge digital commerce. They meet the “skintellectual” consumer across luxury retailers and modern commerce platforms—including Nordstrom, Amazon, Revolve, Dermstore, and TikTok Shop. Like Tinuiti, Allies of Skin has built its success by reimagining outdated approaches and creating simpler, smarter experiences that deliver better outcomes for modern consumers.

This win reinforces Tinuiti’s growing momentum across beauty, retail, and consumer brands, where marketers are increasingly looking beyond channel-specific execution toward integrated partners that can unify brand storytelling, commerce, and performance measurement. As premium beauty continues to redefine how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products, Tinuiti is helping brands build marketing strategies that reflect how modern consumers actually shop.

This latest win builds on Tinuiti’s continued momentum as brands increasingly seek a unified approach to brand and performance marketing. Since Abbey Klaassen’s appointment as CEO, the agency continues to expand its roster of leading Agency of Record relationships, including Carter’s, Inc., Serta Simmons Bedding, Wolverine Worldwide and now Allies of Skin—while helping leading brands such as e.l.f. Beauty, Instacart, and Liquid I.V. navigate today’s biggest cultural moments like Amazon Prime Day, Super Bowl LX, and the Winter Olympics. Tinuiti also recently hosted Tinuiti Live in New York City, where marketers and industry leaders explored “The Orchestration Era: Bridging Human Strategy & Agentic Execution”—highlighting how AI-powered execution, unified measurement, and human strategy are reshaping modern marketing. Watch the sessions here.

About Tinuiti

Tinuiti is a media agency that not only builds brands, but architects business outcomes. Guided by its mission to “Love Growth. Hate Waste.”, Tinuiti creates immediate and lasting growth for clients. At the center is Tinuiti’s Bliss Point Marketing Operating System—the ultimate brand and performance unifier—which fuels decisions across Audience, Creative, Media, and Measurement. This approach allows Tinuiti to treat each client’s business like its own, making smarter decisions, faster, and with greater accountability. With more than $4.5 billion in media under management and 1,200 employees across the U.S., Mexico, and EMEA, Tinuiti delivers measurable impact for leading brands. For more information, visit www.tinuiti.com.

For Tinuiti
+1 (412) 240-6043
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Lagos, Nigeria

His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, and Her Majesty Olori Atuwatse III, Mama Iwere, have spearheaded a cultural identity movement and digital platform known as Iam Itsekiri, aimed at uniting Itsekiri people and their friends across the world around a shared heritage and sense of belonging.

The initiative, set to be launched soon under the authority of the Palace of the Warri Kingdom, is designed to connect Itsekiris at home and in the diaspora through a media-driven cultural campaign and a dedicated mobile application that serves as a digital gathering place for members of the community.

Speaking on the vision behind the project, His Majesty said the movement is built around a central truth that the name Itsekiri means “blessing surrounds us,” adding that the platform seeks to strengthen identity, pride, and unity among the people while extending that sense of belonging to friends and allies of the kingdom.

According to them, the initiative redefines Itsekiri identity beyond geography and population size, stressing that history has shown that communities driven by a strong idea can grow into influential movements.

“To say ‘I am Itsekiri’ is to make an active declaration that one belongs to a people that blessing follows,” His Majesty stated.

Their Majesties explained that the movement welcomes three groups into one community: those born Itsekiri, those who became part of the family through marriage, and friends of Itsekiri who identify with the values and ideals of the people.

The approach, they noted, broadens participation while preserving the cultural pride and heritage of the kingdom.

Their Majesties further disclosed that the Iam Itsekiri application functions as a digital village where users can access updates from the Palace and the kingdom, connect with fellow Itsekiris across the globe, and engage with cultural content that promotes language, traditions, customs, and indigenous cuisine. The app will soon be available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

They added that the movement is being amplified through the #IAmItsekiri Challenge, which encourages participants to share personal stories, testimonies, and experiences that reflect the Itsekiri identity.

According to His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, the initiative is “not nostalgia, but strategy,” aimed at preserving Itsekiri heritage, strengthening community bonds, and projecting the blessings and values of the Itsekiri people onto the global stage.

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