About Podcast Marketing Academy

See, for the first three decades of my life, I identified first and foremost as a creator.

But not just any type of creator.

No, between writing poetry, publishing philosophy essays, and writing and performing both hardcore punk and and indie singer-songwriter music, (not to mention also being a photographer)…

I was trafficking in at least four of the most marketing-averse creative disciplines possible.

And like so many creatives, I wore my anti-marketing ethos like a badge of honour (even as I failed to gain meaningful traction with any of my projects).

Until one day*, something shifted.

And I realized that I’d been thinking of (not to mention doing) marketing all wrong.

That marketing wasn’t at all the adversary to great creative work I had thought it was.

That it was actually baked into (and a natural extension of) the very creative process itself, whether that revolved around a podcast, product, poem, album, photo, video, or anything else you could dream up and create.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

It’s a little strange to admit my life was changed by a clothing company’s marketing video.

But that’s exactly what happened.

The company in question was Hiut Denim, a small direct-to-consumer jeans manufacturer based in a small, scrappy, rundown town in West Wales at the end of the Earth where the road ends at the cliff’s edge and the wild North Atlantic begins.

As a small brand with the deck stacked against them, Hiut have learned a thing or two about marketing.

And in 30 minutes, they exploded my worldview of what marketing could be, and changed my life in the process.

The video is a masterclass in storytelling.

But what I took away was more profound. 

Hiut’s video taught me the power of not just storytelling as marketing—but of the power of my stories as a differentiator.

I realized that you can build a whole brand around a story… and in fact, you have to.

And that the specifics of my story, my vision, my personality, my tastes, and more are the very things that draw the right people in.

Beyond storytelling, Hiut’s marketing video gave me irrefutable proof that it was possible to market in a way that felt good to create and good to consume.

What’s more, it worked*.

This type of marketing is the basis for everything we practice, teach, and our clients build at Podcast Marketing Academy.

If you want to explore our marketing philosophy in more depth, read our marketing manifesto.

Today, I teach business owners, professional creators, marketers, and podcast producers & managers how to systematically grow their shows and use them to drive revenue.

As a sound engineer, former podcast production agency owner, storytelling nerd, and someone who’s listened to several thousand podcasts over the past decade, I have a deep love for and appreciation of the craft of creating a compelling podcast.

And as a bleeding heart creative turned reluctant (and then enthusiastic) marketer, I understand the challenges—and opportunities—of marketing creative work.

Both these perspectives are woven into everything we do at Podcast Marketing Academy.

At the core of our process is The EARS Framework, our signature 4-part framework that outline the four specific jobs your marketing and your content need to achieve in order to grow your audience and drive revenue.

Your system for consistently and predictably gaining exposure to new potential listeners, clients, and customers who are a perfect fit for your show and your work.

The more attractive your show, the less time, effort, and money it takes to grow it. It’s the difference between pushing a boulder up a hill, and riding a toboggan down one.

Less than 30% of first-time listeners stick around. Which means your biggest lever for growth isn’t getting in front of more new people, but keeping the existing ones coming back for more.

Whether your business runs on clients, customers, or sponsors, chances are, you don’t need a huge audience to generate significant revenue from your show… if you know how to use it strategically to complement your other marketing & sales channels.

With the EARS Framework as our overall strategic guide, we then work with you to build out 4 tactical systems that will power your podcast (and business) marketing strategy.

The result is a high-octane Podcast Growth Engine personally tuned to you, your show, and your business to grow both your audience and your income.

Increased revenue, audience growth, podcast awards, improved efficiency, chart rankings, and more. Our clients and community members have used our system to do it all.

So that’s it.

We’re pretty well acquainted.

If you’ve made it this far and are looking for more, you’ve got a few options.

Or, if you’re feeling especially saucy, you can apply to work with me directly via a personalized podcast audit, custom growth plan, and ongoing 1:1 marketing support.