Chicken Soup for the Soul

Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC began in 1993 from a simple concept by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. They compiled 101 inspirational stories they used in their speeches into a book, which, after numerous rejections, was published by the small publisher HCI. The book's title was conceived as a metaphor for the comfort and healing that chicken soup provides. Propelled by word-of-mouth, it became a bestseller, leading to a series that has now sold over 500 million copies worldwide.

In 2008, the founders sold the company to a new ownership group led by William (Bill) J. Rouhana Jr. and Robert Jacobs. This marked a strategic pivot from a publishing house to a diversified brand. Rouhana, with a background in media, entertainment, and finance, including founding Winstar Communications, took the helm as CEO. He was joined by his wife, Amy Newmark, a former Wall Street analyst, who became the publisher and editor-in-chief, revitalizing the book series by publishing around 10-12 new titles annually based on reader-submitted stories. The parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, remains private and operates the publishing and pet food divisions.

A separate entity, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (CSSE), was formed and taken public in 2017 to expand into visual storytelling. The business model for CSSE focused on acquiring and distributing content through advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels. This was executed through a series of acquisitions, including Screen Media Ventures (which owned Popcornflix), a majority stake in Sony's Crackle, 1091 Pictures, and, most notably, Redbox in 2022 for a mix of stock and assumed debt. The strategy was to create a media company targeting value-conscious consumers by combining streaming services with Redbox's network of over 36,000 DVD rental kiosks. However, the debt-fueled acquisition strategy, particularly the Redbox purchase, led to significant financial distress. In July 2024, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment was ordered into Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, leading to the shutdown of its subsidiaries, including Redbox and Crackle.

Keywords: inspirational books, storytelling, publishing, brand licensing, pet food, consumer goods, media production, streaming services, video on demand, Redbox, Crackle, Popcornflix, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, William J. Rouhana Jr., Amy Newmark, self-help books, entertainment company, corporate diversification, brand expansion, media acquisition, bankruptcy