On this week’s episode of the Area of interest Pursuits podcast, I sit down with Chris Christensen to discover the fascinating world of podcasting, journey running a blog, and constructing a novel model from the bottom up.
Chris, a full-time journey journalist, podcaster, and blogger, has been podcasting for practically 20 years, lengthy earlier than it grew to become mainstream. Should you’ve ever puzzled whether or not beginning a podcast might be a helpful addition to your model, or if you happen to’re interested by the actual ups and downs of constructing a profitable podcast, that is the episode for you.
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From Silicon Valley to the Podcast Corridor of Fame
Chris’s profession started within the coronary heart of Silicon Valley, working at each tech giants and small startups. His resume consists of names like Apple, IBM, TripAdvisor, and American Specific. However alongside his tech profession, Chris at all times carried an entrepreneurial spark.
It was that spark, mixed with a love for journey and a fascination with podcasting, that led to the creation of the Newbie Traveler podcast again in July 2005. On the time, podcasting was so new that most individuals hadn’t even heard of it. Chris was one among solely two folks at his first podcast convention who wished to speak about making a living from the medium.
What drew him to podcasting was the format itself:
- He liked that it was on-demand and match his schedule.
- It supplied a direct reference to audiences in a method conventional radio by no means may.
- His background in tech made him interested by new media, and he noticed podcasting’s potential earlier than most.
Breaking Down the Enterprise: How Chris Monetizes His Podcast
In contrast to many hobbyist podcasters, Chris turned his ardour into an actual enterprise, although he’s fast to level out that it took practically 20 years of constant effort to get there.
As we speak, Chris’s revenue streams are impressively numerous:
- Podcast Adverts: His foremost podcast, Newbie Traveler, generates $3,000–$5,000 monthly from adverts, whereas his faith-based podcast brings in round $2,100 month-to-month.
- Airline Syndication: His present is licensed to airways for in-flight leisure, including one other $1,300 monthly.
- Weblog Promoting: By Mediavine, Chris earns about $1,000 monthly throughout his blogs.
- Affiliate Income: Primarily pushed by lodging bookings by way of Stay22, with further revenue from excursions, Amazon, and different travel-related gives.
- Listener Excursions: He organizes annual listener-voted journeys, mixing income technology with constructing deeper viewers connections.
- Sponsored Journey: Chris usually receives absolutely or partially comped journeys from airways, tourism boards, and tour operators — perks that may be value $20,000 or extra per journey.
It’s taken time, trial, and loads of errors to construction the enterprise this manner — however the finish result’s a dependable, six-figure retirement revenue that funds the life-style he loves.
Classes Discovered: What Chris Would Do In another way
Chris does not draw back from sharing what he’d change if he have been beginning over. His honesty is refreshing and useful for anybody contemplating constructing a model or podcast.
A couple of of his largest classes embrace:
- Be strategic along with your model identify. Whereas “Newbie Traveler” works now, it isn’t a reputation folks naturally seek for.
- Don’t let concern maintain again monetization. Chris waited years so as to add extra adverts, prioritizing listener expertise over monetary development, a call he later reevaluated.
- Match your format to your life-style. His unique plan to solely cowl private travels wasn’t sustainable whereas working full-time, so pivoting to interviews opened up countless prospects.
These insights alone are invaluable for anybody considering launching a podcast or scaling a aspect mission.
The Energy (and Problem) of Podcasting
We additionally talk about why podcasting stays probably the most private — and typically irritating — platforms for content material creators.
Why podcasting is definitely worth the effort:
- It builds belief and long-term connections with listeners.
- Podcast audiences usually have interaction for 30, 50, and even 60 minutes at a time — extraordinary on most platforms.
- It unlocks alternatives, from partnerships and journey to talking engagements and media options.
Podcasting might be gradual to realize traction, however for many who keep it up, the rewards transcend simply downloads or income. As Chris shared, alternatives like worldwide journey, paid talking gigs, and even an invitation to the White Home all got here his method, because of the credibility his podcast established.
Closing Ideas
Should you’re questioning whether or not podcasting may complement your corporation or model, Chris’s story is the right instance of what is doable — with endurance, consistency, and a transparent understanding of your distinctive worth.
Listed here are a number of key takeaways to think about:
- Podcasting requires endurance, however few platforms construct as a lot listener loyalty.
- Monetization is achievable with a mixture of adverts, affiliate revenue, partnerships, and inventive income streams.
- Be intentional along with your branding and format from the beginning.
- Don’t be afraid to evolve your corporation mannequin over time.
- The private connections and distinctive alternatives that come from podcasting are onerous to copy anyplace else.
