Your podcast doesn’t grow just because you want it to. Here’s what actually moves the needle according to one of the industry’s most trusted voices.

Arielle Nissenblatt is a podcast industry leader, storyteller, and community strategist whose work spans nearly every corner of the audio world. She runs Earbuds Podcast Collective, leads community and content at Pinwheel by Orderly, hosts multiple shows, sits on the Podcast Academy’s Board of Governors, and brings more than a decade of experience helping creators build shows people genuinely want to listen to.

In this episode, Arielle breaks down why so many podcasters struggle with growth, what creators should really focus on before worrying about marketing, and how to build a year-round strategy that turns every episode into its own event.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why most podcasters don’t actually have a marketing problem
• What a 12-month growth roadmap looks like for a brand-new show and lessons you can apply for your existing show.
• How to make your episodes feel like events through novelty and creativity
• The sponsorship and pricing strategies that work even for small shows

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the show? We’d love a review! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more creators find us.

Want to grow your visibility through podcast guesting?

Work with us at PodWritten: https://podwritten.com/services/ https://podwritten.com/

🎁 Grab your free guide to get booked as a podcast guest in 4 weeks: https://podwritten.com/links/

💡 More resources: Blog: https://podwritten.com/blog/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwritten

Connect with Arielle

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielle-nissenblatt/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariellethisandthat/?hl=en

🎧 Past episodes mentioned in this episode:

-The game-changing podcast marketing hacks NOBODY is talking about with Lauren Passell | Ep 50: https://shorturl.at/7Lecx

💌 Questions or want to say hey? sam@podwritten.com

Find out how to choose the right podcast editor to skyrocket your show’s success.

Matthew Bliss is a podcast engineer, producer, and educator from Australia now living in Ireland. As the founder of mbpod.com and host of Rethinking Podcasting, he brings both philosophical and practical insight into what makes a podcast truly work. He has spent years helping creators refine their systems, elevate production quality, and build long-term partnerships with editors who actually understand their goals.

In this episode, Matthew explains how podcasters can hire the right editor, what red flags to avoid, and how to build a working relationship that gets better with every single episode.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What to look for when hiring an editor so you choose someone aligned with your vision
• Where experienced editors are actually hiding and why referrals outperform marketplaces
• How to set up workflows, communication, and feedback loops that save time
• What ethical trial edits look like and why the onboarding period matters for long-term success

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoying the show? We’d love a review! Reviews on Apple or Spotify help more creators discover the podcast.

Grow your visibility through podcast guesting https://podwritten.com/services/ https://podwritten.com/

Free guide to get booked as a podcast guest in 4 weeks https://podwritten.com/links/

More resources Blog: https://podwritten.com/blog/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwritten/

Connect with Matthew Website: https://mbpod.com Portfolio: https://mbpod.com/portfolio Podcast: https://rethinkingpodcasting.com/ Email: business@mbpod.com

Questions or want to say hi? sam@podwritten.com

Want to discover how health and wellness podcasters can secure lucrative sponsorship deals and build long-term brand partnerships that actually pay?

Bev Hampson is the founder and CEO of Category Three Media Group, a sponsorship and monetization agency specializing in health and wellness creators. With over a decade of experience in podcasting and eight years focused specifically on women’s health, Bev helps podcasters build sustainable income through ethical partnerships, strategic campaigns, and smart pricing.

In this episode, Bev breaks down how podcasters can start working with brands, build strong affiliate foundations, and structure sponsorship deals that grow both revenue and trust.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to approach brands even if you don’t have a big network
• Why affiliates are the best place to start if you’re a smaller podcaster
• What to include in a winning media deck and pitch
• How to structure multi-touchpoint campaigns for higher conversions

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the show? We’d love a review! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more podcasters find the show.

Want to grow your visibility through podcast guesting?

Explore how PodWritten can help: https://podwritten.com/services/ https://podwritten.com/

🎁 Free guide: Get booked as a podcast guest in 4 weeks https://podwritten.com/links/

💡 More resources: Blog: https://podwritten.com/blog/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwritten/

Connect with Bev

Website: https://categorythree.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/category3media

💌 Questions or want to say hi? sam@podwritten.com

Jonathan Levitt is the host of For The Long Run and the founder of Long Run Labs, a fast-growing podcast collective serving the endurance, outdoor, and performance industry. After leaving his high-paying tech job in 2025, Jonathan went all-in on podcasting and brand partnerships, building a network of 24 shows and more than 600,000 combined monthly downloads.

In this conversation, Jonathan reveals how creators can think like marketers, price like professionals, and build long-term partnerships that big and small brands actually want to invest in. He breaks down the systems, structures, and strategies he uses to negotiate better deals, deepen audience trust, and help podcasters earn more without compromising integrity.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The pricing blind spots that cause most podcasters to undervalue their work
• Why brand alignment drives better partnerships than audience size alone
• How Jonathan uses performance marketing, audience psychology, and lived-in storytelling to win repeat deals
• The operational habits that keep partnerships running smoothly and drive reliable results

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the show? We’d love a review! Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps more podcasters find us.

✅ Want to grow your visibility through podcast guesting? PodWritten can help: https://podwritten.com/services/ https://podwritten.com/

🎁 Grab your free guide to get booked as a podcast guest in 4 weeks: https://podwritten.com/links/

💡 Bonus tips & resources: Blog: https://podwritten.com/blog/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwritten/

Connect with Jonathan: Website: https://forthelong.run Instagram: (@jwlevitt) https://www.instagram.com/jwlevitt/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanlevitt/

If you enjoyed this, you might also like our previous episode: Mastering the art of securing sponsorships for your podcast with Jonathan Levitt

https://shorturl.at/hJXSD

💌 Questions or want to say hey? Reach us at sam@podwritten.com

Your life experiences can become the foundation of a strong brand, and today’s episode shows exactly what that looks like when someone builds a podcast that becomes bigger than content, bigger than metrics, and bigger than the original idea.

Broke Girl Therapy, a podcast by content creator Stefanie Meghan, began as a personal outlet during a chaotic period of life, with no budget, no equipment, and no strategy. What started in a $500 Craigslist basement apartment evolved into a business, a creative career, and an entire ecosystem built around storytelling, vulnerability, humor, and community.

In this episode, you’ll hear how raw beginnings transformed into a multi-platform brand, how relationships fueled exponential growth, and how social media became the true engine behind long-term audience expansion.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why connection and chemistry often outperform follower count in growth
• How social media became her number one discovery channel (and the strategy behind it)
• The difference between viral content and true audience growth
• How podcasting can open unexpected doors, from celebrity clients to major network opportunities

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the show? We’d love a review! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more creators find us.

Want to grow your visibility through podcast guesting? Check out how PodWritten can help: https://podwritten.com/services/ https://podwritten.com/

Grab your free guide to get booked as a podcast guest in 4 weeks: https://podwritten.com/links/

Bonus tips and resources: Blog: https://podwritten.com/blog/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwritten/

Connect with Broke Girl Therapy: Instagram and TikTok: @brokegirltherapy Website: https://brokegirltherapy.com/

Questions or want to say hey? Reach us at sam@podwritten.com

Here’s why most podcasters are measuring the wrong thing, and what to track instead.

Dan Misener is one of the most respected voices in podcast analytics and audience development. Dan, co-founder of Bumper, has spent years helping publishers, networks, and brands understand real listener behavior.

In this episode, Dan breaks down why downloads are becoming less meaningful, what loyalty data actually tells you, and how podcasters can finally understand whether their editorial and marketing decisions are working.

If you’ve ever felt confused by your numbers, stuck in a plateau, or unsure what’s really driving growth… this episode will completely change how you see your audience.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

-Why ALV (Average Lifetime Value) is the clearest measure of listener loyalty, and how it reveals what your audience is actually doing with your show

-Why downloads are a broken metric, how auto-download changes inflated numbers for years, and why the industry still relies on a flawed system

-Why publishing more episodes rarely fixes growth problems, and how overproduction can accelerate silent churn

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the show?

Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it truly helps more creators discover Mics to Millions!

📈 Want to grow your visibility through podcast guesting?

See how PodWritten can help:

• https://podwritten.com/services/
• https://podwritten.com/

🎁 Grab your free guide:

Get booked as a podcast guest in 4 weeks https://podwritten.com/links/

💡 More resources:

• Blog: https://podwritten.com/blog/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwritten/

Connect with Dan Misener:

• Website (Bumper): https://wearebumper.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmisener/

💌 Questions or want to say hey? Reach us at sam@podwritten.com

Here is a quick taste of what you can expect from next week's episode with Dan Misener, co-founder of Bumper.

This is what you can expect to hear in our conversation with Dan:

• Why “average lifetime value” and loyalty are often more useful than raw download numbers
• How he thinks about new vs returning listeners, and the danger of fixing the wrong problem
• What happens when you publish more episodes in response to declining downloads, and why that can quietly hurt your show
• The “worst butcher shop in the world” and what it reveals about how we buy and sell podcast ads

Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

In this episode, I’m breaking down the four biggest lessons I learned in 2025, insights that completely reshaped how I approach podcasting and the way we run PodWritten.

From why changing my show’s title backfired, to the real cost of being “cheap” with your tools, to why summer is the worst time for guest outreach, and why downloads are never the true goal, this episode gives you a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what actually moved the needle for the show and our business.

If you’re planning your podcast strategy for 2026, these lessons will help you make smarter decisions, avoid unnecessary mistakes, and build a show that genuinely supports your brand and your growth.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the show? We’d love a review! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

✅ Want to grow your visibility through podcast guesting? Check out how PodWritten can help: https://podwritten.com/services/ https://podwritten.com/

🎁 Get Booked on Podcasts with PodWritten’s Podcast Guesting Framework (Free): https://podwritten.com/podcastguesting/

💡 Bonus tips & resources: Blog: https://podwritten.com/blog/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwritten/

Connect with Sam Brake Guia:

• Website: https://podwritten.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelbrakeguia/
• Email: sam@podwritten.com

💌 Questions, feedback, or just want to connect? Reach out at sam@podwritten.com or via LinkedIn.