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EP 026 - How We Started Cincinnati Podcast Studio (Our Story)

How did two guys who've known each other 26 years end up co-founding a video podcast studio after a single coffee meeting? Josh Lewis and Brian Erickson tell the real origin of Cincinnati Podcast Studio — the LinkedIn post, the "devastated" reaction, and the 10-minute conversation that changed everything.

Josh and Brian walk through their paths into video — Josh from explainer video company Epipheo to Director of Communications at his church, producing The Couch Time Podcast along the way; Brian from GoPro edits and live production at Cedarville to six years at Crossroads Church and his own production company. They cover how Brian found the Chicago Podcast Studio model, why Josh was planning a virtual setup when Brian's LinkedIn announcement hit his feed, and the coffee at Crossroads East Side where Brian said "I'm leaving my job" ten minutes in.

From there: the OTR storefront that stretched from three months to 18 months, the Longworth Hall build-out that fell through, and the move to a two-studio space with concurrent recording. They close on where the business is heading — live stream webinars, subbrand shows, and why AI is pushing human conversation into premium territory.

In this episode, we cover:

- How Brian got started in video through GoPro edits and the early YouTube algorithm

- Why Brian took a live production job at Crossroads after swearing off live production

- Josh's path from Epipheo to producing The Couch Time Podcast for parents

- The 26-year family friendship that made the partnership possible

- How Brian found the Chicago Podcast Studio and realized the model was viable

- The LinkedIn post that devastated Josh

- The coffee meeting that turned two competitors into co-founders

- The timeline: May 2024 coffee, June 2024 LLC, November 2024 OTR studio open

- The move to the current two-studio space with concurrent recording

- Why live streaming and webinar-style shows are the next frontier for B2B clients

- How the TBN acquisition and OpenAI's $100M purchase signal where podcasting is headed

- Why AI is making human conversation more valuable, not less

- The kind of business owner Cincinnati Podcast Studio is built to serve

If you want to understand the philosophy behind trust-building video podcasting for business leaders, this episode shows you where we stand before you book a discovery call.

Timecodes

00:00 Why We Started Cincinnati Podcast Studio

01:43 Brian's Path From GoPro Edits to Live Production

07:36 Josh's Early Video Work and Explainer Video Career

11:20 How Podcasting Became a Common Denominator for Video

15:24 26 Years of Friendship Between Two Cincinnati Families

17:44 Why Brian Left His Production Company to Build a Studio

19:54 Discovering the Chicago Podcast Studio Model

21:35 The LinkedIn Post That Devastated Josh

22:36 Why Video Podcasting Is a Trust-Building Machine

24:30 The Coffee Meeting That Turned Competitors Into Partners

26:25 Opening the OTR Studio in November 2024

27:46 Why We Outgrew OTR and Moved to the Current Space

30:03 Where Video Podcasting Is Heading in 2026

32:15 Why AI Is Making Human Conversation Premium Again

35:22 The Future of Cincinnati Podcast Studio

37:51 Who We Actually Work With and Why

Connect with us on LinkedIn!

Brian Erickson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwerickson

Josh Lewis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatjoshlewis

Produced by the Cincinnati Podcast Studio. We simplify video podcast production so credible business leaders can show up, share their message, and build trust — without drowning in the technical side.

Learn more: https://cincinnatipodcaststudio.com/discovery