What happens when your definition of “podcast network” evolves from a simple matchmaking idea to an intricate ecosystem connecting dozens of creators and advertisers? This episode explores how the real work of building a network often differs from the original vision, especially when operational complexity and changing industry conditions reshape your approach. Hospitality media entrepreneur Wil Slickers reflects candidly on the lessons, pivots, and persistent challenges behind growing and ultimately selling a podcast network.

Wil Slickers brings a unique perspective from moving through hotel management into hospitality podcasting, eventually building and selling Hospitality.fm, a podcast network that scaled to nearly 50 shows across hotels, food, beverages, and travel. Today, he leads network operations for Skift, where he applies hands-on experience in niche content strategy, monetization, and long-term growth in the B2B audio space. His hands-on perspective covers everything from bootstrapped beginnings and production challenges to acquisitions and strategy within a larger media company.

Listen For:

02:52 What "network" meant at the start

03:58 From hotel manager to podcast host

09:40 The matchmaking idea takes shape

11:30 Cross-collaboration as the early network seed

15:12 Audience fit before everything else

18:37 On charging $200+ effective CPMs

23:02 Starting over: niche, quality, one lane

32:30 The missed opportunity in subscription revenue

36:07 What changed after the Skift acquisition

43:07 Who acquires a niche network — and why

46:48 The three-sided negotiation no one talks about

52:45 Where things are heading: Substack and long-form

01:00:51 The case for just running a good business

CONNECT WITH GUEST: WIL SLICKERS,

DIRECTOR OF VIDEO/AUDIO STRATEGY | SKIFT

LinkedIn | Website | Podcast |

Wil’s Podcast rec: Acquired

Wil’s Book rec: Superfans by Pat Flynn

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman

Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

What does it look like to build a network around removing every obstacle that kills podcasts before they ever find an audience?

Rich Butler started RAGE Works Podcast Network in 2014 after his own long-running podcast wound down and the people around him caught the bug. Rather than pointing them elsewhere, he handed them a blueprint and stayed in the room. What followed wasn't a revenue-first strategy. It was a production-and-distribution model built around making it easier for motivated people to create. His reasoning is simple and consistent: content is what grows a network, and the best way to get more content is to get out of the way.

What makes Rich's approach distinct is what he refuses to optimize for. He won't take a cut of ad deals he didn't facilitate. He won't chase podcasters for their episodes. He won't guarantee listeners or money in the first conversation. The network exists to water plants and watch the garden grow…and he'll tell you that's exactly why it works.

Listen For:

03:08 Network as a Discovery Platform

04:37 How My Take Radio Became a Network

07:41 Why the Dual-Feed Model Still Works

10:01 Revenue Without the Revenue-First Model

13:04 On Downloads, Die-Hards, and Real Numbers

16:25 What to Ask Before You Join a Network

18:47 Removing the Roadblocks That Kill Podcasts

23:53 Audio First, Video Second

27:48 What the Onboarding Process Actually Looks Like

31:04 The Jockey Runs the Horse

36:54 Gary Vee Called His Bluff

39:51 The Case for 10 Downloads

44:02 Be of Service, Not a Gatekeeper

CONNECT WITH GUEST: RICHARD BUTLER

FOUNDER OF THE RAGE WORKS PODCAST NETWORK

LinkedIn | Website | Website 2 | Instagram

Rich's Podcast Rec: The Jay Ferruggia Show

Rich's Book Rec: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman

Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

What does it look like to build a network around a purpose rather than a revenue model?

Adam Bird started Heroes Media Group in 2012 as a place for veterans and military voices, and has spent the decade since expanding that mission to cover all community heroes: law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, and other "community heroes," anyone who aligns with the cause. The network grew not from a monetization plan, but from a commitment to positive, purpose-driven content at a time when most media was heading in the opposite direction.

What makes Adam's approach distinct is what he actively refuses to optimize for. He's turned down six-figure investment offers and won't touch content that conflicts with the network's values, no matter the dollar amount attached. The business case comes second, and he'll tell you that's exactly why it works.

Adam started in terrestrial radio around 2011 and transitioned into podcasting when he realized he wanted to tell stories without editorial constraints. Over the last decade, he has personally worked on more than 28,000 podcast episodes, built a full production and agency arm at HMG, and grown the network to over 50 active shows.

Listen For:

00:00 Finding Purpose Through Podcasting

06:51 Helping Others, Finding Purpose

11:22 Building Connections Through Collaboration

15:58 Business Model Perspectives

19:07 The Power of Networking

19:58 Maintaining Network Support Over Time

23:03 Unpopular Opinions in Business Trends

28:41 Balancing Podcast Goals and Strategy

32:01 Podcasting's Future: Big Buyouts

35:11 Podcasting: Harder Than It Seems

36:31 Lessons on Starting Small

45:21 Finding Purpose Through Service

46:16 Grinding Toward Life’s Purpose

CONNECT WITH GUEST: ADAM BIRD

FOUNDER & OPERATOR, HEROES MEDIA GROUP

LinkedIn | Website

Adam's Book rec: Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill

Adam's Podcast rec: The Arms Room

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman

Systems, Sponsors and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

What does it actually look like when someone from Hollywood runs a podcast network?

For Aisha Corpas Wynn, an Emmy-nominated producer whose career spans scripted TV, unscripted reality, film, and the NFL Podcast Network, the answer is a masterclass in reverse engineering. She doesn't start with a mic and a guest list. She starts with the market, the mission, and the person, and works backward from there.

Aisha breaks down how she thinks about building podcast networks from the ground up, what most podcast creators get completely wrong about joining one, and why her entertainment background gives her a fundamentally different lens than most people working in the space today.

Greg and Aisha go deep on how Stoked Bros. Media is being built, athlete by athlete, show by show, with the same framework she'd apply to developing a TV series. They get into what it really takes to bring celebrity talent into podcasting (spoiler: fame is not a guarantee), how to think about rev share splits and network deals, and why the "hip hop model" of building an ecosystem is more relevant to podcasting than most people realize.

Listen For:

2:23 What "Podcast Network" Means: Cross Promotion First

2:58 How Podcasting Became Its Own Sub-Economy

11:06 Individual Brand vs. Network Ecosystem

13:28 The Hip-Hop Label Model Applied to Podcasting

16:07 Why Celebrity Doesn't Guarantee an Audience

22:14 Building Stoke Bros: Differentiating Within a Sports Network

34:41 The Economics: Funding vs. Rev Share

45:15 Questions to Ask Before Joining a Network

52:57 Why Your Wins May Not Be One for One

CONNECT WITH GUEST: AISHA CORPAS WYNN, STOKED BROS PODCAST NETWORK

LinkedIn | Website | Instagram

Aisha pod rec: All In and The AI Chicks

Aisha book rec: Psychology of Money

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS AT RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec Selling with Love by Jason Marc Campbell

Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

What does it look like to build a podcast network with no interest in making it big…and have that actually work?

Jason Falls started the Marketing Podcast Network five years ago after being burned by a network that didn’t deliver on its promises. What he built in response is deliberately small, community-first, and structured around a revenue model most operators wouldn’t choose. The result is a network of nearly 90 shows that has grown steadily without a sales team, a growth strategy, or a capitalist bone behind it.

Jason is the founder of the Marketing Podcast Network (MPN), a niche network built exclusively for marketing and advertising podcasters. He comes from a broadcast and radio background and now spends the majority of his time producing podcasts for clients, with MPN running alongside as a community he helped build and still stewards.

Greg and Jason dig into how MPN’s equal revenue share works… and what it asks of larger shows. They get into the two promises a previous network made that they never kept, how MPN sells advertising without a dedicated sales function, and why Jason would start a video-first network if he were doing it over.

If you’re a podcaster wondering whether a community-first network might be a better fit than a revenue-first one, this conversation is worth your time.

Listen For:

04:19 Evolving in Podcasting Challenges

06:45 Collaborative Marketing Podcast Network

10:10 Podcasting Profit Challenges Explained

15:51 Embracing Podcasts Through Technology

19:37 Efficient Network Advertising Solution

24:54 Building Collaboration for Podcast Growth

32:36 Podcast Analytics: Challenges and Limitations

34:35 Podcast Tech and Network Evolution

43:05 Building a Video-First Platform

45:37 Own It: Closing Gender Gaps

50:07 Jason's DIY Marketing Network

CONNECT WITH GUEST: JASON FALLS, FOUNDER, MARKETING PODCAST NETWORK

LinkedIn | Website | Facebook | X | YouTube

Jason Book rec: Brand Hijack: Marketing Without Marketing Alex Wipperfurth

Jason's Podcast rec: Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Systems, Sponsors and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

What would change if every podcast network made its integrity pledge public, and actually used it to decide who gets through the door? Building a network around editorial standards (instead of just downloads or scale) isn't the standard playbook, but that's where Dan Kendall's approach stands out.

Dan Kendall brings decades of experience in health innovation and hands-on experience supporting podcasters. After starting in health tech, he became a full-time podcaster, then launched and expanded a health-focused podcast network, Health Podcast Library, developing rigorous selection criteria and testing multiple monetization models along the way. He'll unpack the pressures and choices behind curating science-based health shows with clarity and transparency.

Listen for:

05:29 Health Podcast Model Evolution

16:04 Ethical Advertising and Trusted Referrals

20:07 Healthcare Podcasting Innovation Summit

22:15 Podcast Network Pricing Shift

28:06 Success Requires Effort and Tools

32:11 Podcast Growth Starts With Packaging

37:16 Engaging Clients Anytime, Anywhere

44:51 Rethinking Podcast Networks

45:54 10X Over 2X Mindset

51:38 Integrity and Dan's Network

52:55 Time, Teams, & Connections

CONNECT WITH GUEST: DAN KENDALL

FOUNDER & OPERATOR, HEALTH PODCAST LIBRARY

LinkedIn | Website

Dan's Book rec: 10x Is Easier Than 2x by: Dan Sullivan

Dan's Podcast rec: Speak Up for Your Health

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Systems, Sponsors and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories and Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Can a million Instagram followers actually fill a podcast feed? How do you turn influencers into Podcasters?

Podcast Nation co-founders Nadine Robinson & Clio De La Llave challenge familiar expectations about what a podcast network delivers, sharing lessons from their years helping creators, especially millennial and Gen Z women, build loyal audiences and sustainable businesses. Their on-the-ground experience shows just how much depends on the right fit, real partnership, and the daily grind.

Nadine and Clio have worked together for 18 years, building businesses together, evolving from a digital agency, Booje Media, focused on social and influencer campaigns, to creating Podcast Nation. Their operational experience spans helping podcasters launch successfully, managing network relationships, and navigating the fast-changing demands of content formats. They've seen every side of how creators cross from social to audio and what real support looks like. Their approach is marked by a hands-on, customized model designed for long-term results.

Listen for:

00:00 Podcast Networks and Influencers

10:01 Podcasting Requires Unique Skills

11:02 Success: Niche is Key

19:53 Show Development and Launch Strategy

22:02 Tips for Podcaster Agreements

27:36 Choosing Between Boutique and Large Networks

34:54 Cross-Platform Branding Challenges

41:17 From Social Media to Podcasts

49:20 No Magic Bullet

CONNECT WITH GUESTS:

CLIO DE LA LLAVE, FOUNDER OF PODCAST NATION

LinkedIn | Clio's IG

NADINE ROBINSON, FOUNDER OF PODCAST NATION

LinkedIn

PODCAST NATION

Podcast Nation

Nadine's Book rec: Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat

Nadine's Podcast rec: Petty Crimes

Clio's Book rec: Transforming Toddlerhood

Clio's Podcast rec: Take Your Shoes Off

CONNECT WITH GREG, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Greg's Book rec: Grit

Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories and Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

What happens when a podcast network starts by experimenting with a “sampler feed," packing dozens of niche music shows into one place? This approach shaped how one podcast network helped new podcasts find listeners and revealed what truly matters for building a network that endures shifts in technology and creator needs.

Peter Ferioli has been at the helm of Pantheon Podcast Network for nearly a decade, growing it from a passion project launched with a friend and co-founder, Christian Swain, into a home for more than 100 music-focused shows. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on how Pantheon was born out of a scripted rock history show that launched to crickets, why they walked away from ad money early on, and the counterintuitive moves that built one of the most respected independent networks in podcasting today.

Greg and Peter go deep on the "magazine feed" strategy Pantheon pioneered before anyone else was talking about it, why Slack is the most valuable thing they've ever built (more than any tool or tech), what "liquid content" means for the future of audio, and the red flags every podcaster should watch for before signing with any network.

Listen For:

06:28 Early Podcast Growth Challenges

13:22 Evolving Podcasts for Diverse Audiences

18:50 Building Listener Loyalty Strategy

27:11 Streamlining Podcast Tools for Creators

37:13 Music, Tech, and AI Insights

42:54 Gigaverse: Collaborative Content Platform

48:23 Consistency Over Star Power

51:48 Empowering Podcasters Through Support

59:51 Insights on Podcasting Success

CONNECT WITH GUEST: PETER FERIOLI

LinkedIn | Pantheon Podcasts | Instagram | YouTube

Peter's Book rec: Notes on Being a Man by Scott Galloway

Peter's Podcast rec: Possible with Reid Hoffman and Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Systems, Sponsors and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories and Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow