Podcast Network Insights: Understanding the Business of Podcast "Networks"

What does it really look like to build a podcast network where creators are central, not just featured? This episode explores how a creator-first philosophy shapes everything from formats to hiring—and why betting on people instead of just shows might be the overlooked lever for genuine audience connection. Joining are Andrew Kenward (president and COO, formerly an agent at WME) and Paige Hymson (EVP of Podcasts, with a background in traditional audio journalism), each bringing perspectives from both legacy media and new digital models.

Andrew draws on his agency experience and perspective as a founder, while Paige offers hands-on insights from years in newsroom-style podcasting. Together, they’re building a network with eight long-form audio/video series across sports and comedy, developed around a tightly defined audience and a collaborative, cross-platform approach.

Listen for:

07:40 Origin of Almost Friday Media

14:16 Importance of Visual Elements

21:03 Collaborating with talent and creators

22:30 Organizing YouTube content like TV studios

28:20 Talent investment versus network deals

38:33 Strategic planning for live events

42:55 Value of host read ads in video

53:13 Reviewing audience engagement regularly

01:01:33 Innovative media strategy and format

GUESTS: ANDREW KENWARD, PRESIDENT | COO

Website | LinkedIn

PAIGE HYMSON, EVP TALK CONTENT (SPORTS AND PODCASTS)

LinkedIn

Andrew’s Podcast rec: Prof G Markets | Book Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

Paige’s Podcast rec: Wisecrack | Book Captain Cook: Exploring the Wide, Wide Sea

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

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

What happens when a podcast network is built with a laser-focused niche rather than sheer volume—and most of its shows are produced or hosted by the same person? In fields as specialized as legal compliance or rural West Texas storytelling, the logic behind network-building flips conventional wisdom. This conversation explores how specificity, not broad appeal, reshapes what a podcast network can do.

Tom Fox began his career as a lawyer and consultant before pioneering a compliance-focused podcast network in 2017. He now operates two networks—one with about 60 compliance shows (most hosted by himself), and another dedicated to local stories in Texas Hill Country. His approach is rooted in long experience creating, distributing, and monetizing highly specialized podcasts.

Listen for:

6:34 Starting a podcast

7:38 Podcasting motivations and process

10:24 Turning recordings into a podcast

19:54 Promoting shows through social media

22:52 Targeting niche compliance audiences

25:10 Advertising to small town businesses

28:33 Creating autobiography and podcast series

31:40 AI-generated content quality

34:56 Starting a local podcast network

40:28 Running a business without a website

48:10 Reflecting on meaningful conversations

CONNECT WITH GUEST: TOM FOX, VOICE OF COMPLIANCE, COMPLIANCE PODCAST NETWORK

Website | LinkedIn

Podcast rec: The Rest is History | Compliance Tip of the Day

Book rec: Deluge Before Dawn: Heartbreak, Survival and Resilience After the Guadalupe River Raged

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

Website | LinkedIn

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

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

How can building a podcast network act as the backbone of business development, instead of simply a content play or an ad-driven venture? This episode takes an inside look at designing a podcast network that functions as a strategic connector, breaking down organizational barriers and fueling collaboration. Guest Todd Eury shares how this approach can reshape both network operations and industry relationships.

Todd Eury spent years in telecom before moving into pharmacy tech and, in 2008, starting what would become a 40+-show network now at the center of pharmacy industry communications, the Pharmacy Podcast Network. Drawing on nearly two decades of operating a highly specialized network, Todd Eury brings a grounded, inside view you won’t hear from “big media” podcast network executives.

Listen for:

6:49 Podcast collaboration challenges

12:12 The rise of podcast accessibility

20:50 Podcasting should not stand alone

29:25 Leveraging pharmacy expertise and trends

35:00 Choosing the Right Podcast Network

42:37 Building a Podcast Network

52:40 Podcast Network platform

01:03:24 The network effect in podcasting

CONNECT WITH GUEST: TODD EURY, RXPODFATHER, PHARMACY PODCAST NETWORK

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Podcast rec: The Curbsiders

Book rec: Healing the Sick Care System: Why People Matter

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

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

What does it mean to brand yourself as a podcast network—even when you’re still on your first show? Most creators launch solo, but Glenn Hebert took a different path, establishing a network identity from day one to shape listener expectations and drive long-term opportunity. His approach reveals how intentional structure early on can set the stage for growth, monetization, and even acquisition in a niche landscape.

Glenn Hebert is a long-time podcaster who launched his first show in 2006 and built a podcast network serving the equestrian world. Over nearly two decades, he expanded from one show to a diverse roster of hosts and programs, ultimately leading to an acquisition. Glenn brings direct, hands-on experience with hiring, contracts, operations, and advertiser relations.

Listen for:

4:04 Building a Podcast Network

9:47 Choosing the Right Hosts

16:03 Unique advertising model insights

18:26 Host read ads and sponsor products

21:47 Handling podcast sponsorship obligations

24:30 Contract control over content

29:09 Preparing for a Future Sale

37:16 Letting hosts leave with their show

41:22 Managing time and sponsor relations

50:44 Challenges of Being Discovered

53:37 Building a Trust-Based Network

CONNECT WITH GUEST: GLENN HEBERT, FOUNDER OF THE HORSE RADIO NETWORK

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Horses in the Morning Podcast

Podcast rec: Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail | Horses in the Morning

Book rec: Cat and Wright Series by Lisa WYsocki

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

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

What does it take to make compassion and human connection a true operational thread inside a podcast network, rather than just a slogan? This conversation asks how centering real relationships and creative freedom can shape not only who joins a network, but also how shows are supported, grown, and amplified. Guest Amy Lynn Durham draws from her personal journey in both corporate leadership and podcasting to share how a values-driven approach influences day-to-day decisions.

Amy Lynn Durham left a corporate executive role to pursue her mission of infusing heart and connection into the workplace. After hundreds of guest spots and several years running her own show, she launched her podcast network at the end of 2025 with six shows. Her experience straddles independent podcast production, prior network participation, and now building a network from the ground up. Six months into building her own podcast network, she offers a practical window into shaping culture, structure, and opportunities for independent voices.

Listen For:

5:44 Why she built the network

9:17 The creative freedom she wanted

15:31 Questions to ask a network

23:48 Under-promising on purpose

25:24 The two production lanes

28:49 Who the network is for

35:30 Building the network feed

47:21 Card decks as revenue

52:16 Cost to join and the lift

CONNECT WITH GUEST: AMY LYNN DURHAM, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER | MAGIC THREAD MEDIA

Website | LinkedIn

Podcast rec: Circle’s Edges

Book rec: The Quantum Leader by Dana Zohar | EdgeWalker Card Deck by Dr. Judy Neal

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

Website | LinkedIn

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

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

What happens when a podcast network is built around storytelling as the organizing principle—not just as a buzzword or content strategy? That’s the lens this conversation explores: how prioritizing story and narrative coherence over ad inventory or content volume shapes not only production, but the listener’s entire experience. Joining to discuss, Jeremy Westphal explains why approaching everything—from show selection to advertising to surveys—with a story-first mindset creates a distinct identity and audience relationship.

Jeremy Westphal draws on hands-on experience from building audio projects at major brands like Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to now running a 30+ show network, GZM, focused on original scripted fiction for kids, families, and young adults. With more than a decade of operational roles across production, ad sales, and partnerships, he brings unique perspective on how a podcast network can balance original storytelling with business realities.

Listen For:

09:29 Creating Podcasts

13:41 Understanding Media Business Models

18:09 Challenges of original content creation

25:49 Understanding the audience demographics

29:33 Improving audience experience

32:57 Reaching your podcast audience

38:14 Importance of network and scale

48:52 Independent scripted productions success

50:24 The evolution of podcast production

01:00:00 Licensing books for podcasts

01:07:41 Building an Authentic Audience

01:11:37 Producing and sustaining a podcast

CONNECT WITH GUEST: JEREMY WESTPHAL, DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS AT GZM SHOWS

Website | LinkedIn

Podcast rec: Sherlock & Co. | Earth Rangers

Book rec: Dragonships series by Scott Reintgen

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 & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

When podcast creators see themselves as true partners in the network, not just talent, but contributors to the business side, where does that really take both the creator and the network? This episode unpacks how the attitude and approach of podcast hosts can be a deciding factor in whether a podcast network helps them grow and monetize, or leaves their show flat. Rachel Corbett offers a clear-eyed view from years of operating at scale in Australia, showing why long-term success hinges as much on mindset as on metrics.

Rachel Corbett draws on more than a decade in Australian radio and podcasting, including hands-on leadership roles at major networks. She has seen the evolution of the industry from its early days and currently manages the NOVA Podcast Network with hundreds of shows and millions of monthly downloads. Her background transitioning from traditional media to podcast network operations provides practical insight into how networks actually function behind the scenes, and how the Australian market operates, which, in some cases, isn’t too different from other markets.

Listen for:

04:20 Defining a Network as a Partnership

20:02 What Nova Actually Offers Creators

22:42 Podcast marketing strategies

24:27 What Audience Size Gets You In the Door

27:08 Working with brand collaborations

34:31 Providing feedback to show creators

37:10 When a Creator Is Better Off Going Independent

42:16 Building an Independent Network

46:36 How Revenue Splits Work With Partner Networks

50:40 Partnering with successful creators

57:12 Why Audio Feels Different Than Video

CONNECT WITH GUEST: RACHEL CORBETT, NETWORK DIRECTOR | NOVA PODCASTS

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Podcast rec: Two Broke Chicks

Book rec: Babel by R.F. Kuang

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

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

How can a podcast network use its editorial engine to make individual shows more visible, and does this strategy offer a real solution to the discoverability problem?

With podcasts often lost in the shuffle, The Charisma Podcast Network offers an opportunity to transform audience reach and podcast growth through content- and article-driven workflows.

John Matarazzo is the Media Manager at Charisma Media, with experience spanning legacy media and digital audio. After starting as a TV producer and moving into podcasting, he’s helped scale a faith-oriented podcast network within a 50-year-old publishing company, juggling workflows for about 70 shows and leveraging article-driven discovery methods for his podcasters and readers.

Listen For:

00:00 Understanding podcast discoverability

06:35 Charisma Media's early growth story

10:24 Improving podcast discoverability

15:23 Building a podcast network foundation

18:06 Improving podcast management

22:28 Joining the Charisma Podcast Network

27:31 Innovative podcast discoverability feature

29:40 Diversity within the podcast network

32:10 Increasing website content output

36:11 Expanding podcast reach with video

42:07 Finding purpose and making an impact

50:44 Discussing network systems and collaboration

CONNECT WITH GUEST: JOHN MATARAZZO

MEDIA MANAGER FOR CHARISMA MEDIA

Charisma Podcast Network | Charisma Magazine | LinkedIn | YouTube

John's Podcast rec: No Dumb Questions - https://pod.link/1204701206 |

John's Book rec: The Power to Prosper by Cap Chatfield - https://amzn.to/4euwJdz

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

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman - https://amzn.to/4tIyOXZ

Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

What happens when a podcast network isn't just a loose collection of shows, but an operational system with complete ownership, direct host management, and monetization strategies that begin before a single episode is released? This conversation examines a distinctive “own everything, sell before launch” approach, offering a pragmatic look at why full control might create better sponsor relationships and higher margins.

Mark LaCour draws on a decade-plus of experience building a podcast network from a single niche show into an international portfolio of 30+ in-house productions, the Oil and Gas Global Network, all within the oil and gas sector. Before starting his first podcast in 2011, he spent years in sales and technology, bringing a practical, industry-rooted perspective to every decision about network structure and growth.

Listen For:

00:00 Exploring Podcast Networks

6:15 Finding the right podcast host

11:34 Starting the first podcast

20:07 Managing podcast sponsorships

25:10 Making money from conferences

29:31 AI and augmented reality threats

33:15 Blocking AI spiders on content

40:04 Leveraging loyal listeners for growth

42:03 Measuring podcast value beyond downloads

49:47 Future of Video Content Creation

1:00:52 Hire an editor to improve podcast

1:04:12 Staying Creative and Engaging Fans

CONNECT WITH GUEST: MARK LACOUR, FOUNDER, OIL AND GAS GLOBAL NETWORK (OGGN)

LinkedIn | Website | Podcast | X

Book rec: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Podcast rec: Marketing Over Coffee - https://pod.link/251299460

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

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman - https://amzn.to/4tIyOXZ

Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.

What does it look like to build a podcast network revenue model that actually respects the diversity of its shows? Jethro Jones offers a candid view into how value, sponsorship, and compensation flow within a network, especially when not every show fits the sponsorship mold. His approach challenges common assumptions about monetization, showing what’s possible when incentives are designed to align with real operational and creative dynamics.

As a former school administrator who moved from running a single education podcast to launching the BE Podcast Network with 30+ shows, Jethro Jones has seen firsthand what it takes to help podcasters grow, learn, and discover the hidden challenges of network operations. His hands-on approach to onboarding creators, refining support systems, and structuring the business side is shaped by experience in both education and podcasting.

Listen For:

8:27 Starting a podcast for self-improvement

21:06 Coordinating podcast production details

24:05 Perception of podcast advertising

27:31 Making ad reads authentic

33:36 Exploring niche podcast opportunities

37:53 Joining the BE Podcast Network

48:08 Delegating tasks for efficiency

51:35 Finding your podcast community

59:00 Sampling content and leveraging SEO

1:01:04 Reflections on productivity and focus

1:06:25 Rethinking network value and content

CONNECT WITH GUEST: JETHRO JONES, FOUNDER, BE PODCAST NETWORK

LinkedIn | Website | Podcast | X

Jethro’s book rec: The Courage to be Disliked - https://amzn.to/4cIqOPL

Jethro’s Podcast rec: Transformative Principal- https://pod.link/770942472

Jethro’s Podcast rec: Great Houses - https://pod.link/1885728664

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

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman - https://amzn.to/4tIyOXZ

Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

Please share your thoughts and record a voice note for me using this link.