AR Media Consulting’s Inception Story | A Message From Our Co-Founders
In the bustling atmosphere of SXSW 2020, amidst the impending global crisis, a serendipitous encounter between two hearts would lay the foundation for a media revolution. This is the story of AR Media, born from the union of Andrew Rossow and Cassie Bilyeu.
Andrew Rossow, a cyber law attorney and tech journalist living in Dayton, Ohio at the time, arrived in Austin with plans for a brief visit to the annual tech and music conference where he would be co-hosting a series of week-long events at his former company’s “satellite” media house. Little did he know that this trip would become the catalyst for a transformative journey.
On March 13, 2020, fate intervened when Cassie walked into an unofficial SXSW satellite event at the Grit Dailly House, to which its co-founder, Andrew, was helping manage at the time during the anticipated two-week long programming schedule. Their eyes locked, and in that moment, amidst the bustling conference, a modern fairy tale began to unfold. However, the world had other plans. Just three days later, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, everything changed.
The Birth of AR Media
The pandemic, rather than hindering their plans, became the crucible in which their relationship and AR Media were forged. In the streets of Austin, amidst global uncertainty, Andrew and Cassie’s love blossomed. They planted the seeds of their future together, which would flourish 515 days later as they exchanged wedding vows and simultaneously gave birth to their collective vision: AR Media.
But the story of AR Media isn’t just about a chance encounter. It’s about a profound realization and a commitment to change. Andrew, with his background in law, journalism, and media consulting, had spent years reconstructing the craft of shaping narratives—often training public figures to speak without truly saying anything. He was part of a system that polished authenticity into something marketable but hollow.
The turning point came during a high-profile interview Andrew had meticulously prepared. Every word was vetted, every pause choreographed, every emotion calculated. Yet, when the cameras rolled, Andrew felt nothing. The performance was flawless, but it lacked soul.
It was then that he realized the very thing society claimed to value—authenticity—had become a commodity stripped of its essence.
This disillusionment led to a deeper question: Why had we become so afraid of earnest honesty? Why did we fear imperfection, vulnerability, and even failure? The world had become a stage where everyone wore masks, and Andrew could no longer stomach his role as one of its architects.
Inspired by iconoclasts like Salvador Dalí, who embraced their outcast status and wielded their truth like a weapon, Andrew and Cassie envisioned a new kind of media company. AR Media would become a platform where unfiltered voices could exist without fear of cancellation or rejection. A space where professional consulting and storytelling wasn’t sanitized but raw, visceral, and unapologetically human.
Rebel Culture and Changing the Narrative
AR Media emerged not just as a company, but as an act of defiance against the status quo. It’s a bold reimagining of what media can be—a space for authentic, human stories in a world craving genuine connection.
Today, AR Media stands as a testament to the power of authenticity and the unexpected ways in which transformative ideas can take root, even in the most challenging times. We’re here to challenge the status quo and provoke the question: If we’re all so obsessed with authenticity, then why are we so terrified of expressing it?
This is more than just our story—it’s an invitation. An invitation to join us in creating a space where truth can finally breathe, even if it means becoming an outcast in the process. Because in the end, it’s not about fitting in—it’s about standing out by sharing your love for human connection in making this world kinder, one voice at a time.
Welcome to AR Media, where we celebrate imperfection, vulnerability, and truth, embodying Andrew and Cassie’s shared belief in the power of unapologetically human stories.
After all, brevity is the soul of wit.
