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 almost 20 years, lengthy earlier than it grew to become mainstream. Should you’ve ever questioned whether or not beginning a podcast could possibly be a invaluable addition to your model, or for those who’re interested by the true 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 contains names like Apple, IBM, TripAdvisor, and American Specific. However alongside his tech profession, Chris all the time 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 Beginner 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 needed to speak about creating wealth from the medium.
What drew him to podcasting was the format itself:
- He cherished that it was on-demand and match his schedule.
- It supplied a direct reference to audiences in a approach 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
Not like many hobbyist podcasters, Chris turned his ardour into an actual enterprise, although he’s fast to level out that it took almost twenty years of constant effort to get there.
Right this moment, Chris’s earnings streams are impressively various:
- Podcast Advertisements: His primary podcast, Beginner Traveler, generates $3,000–$5,000 per thirty days from advertisements, 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 per thirty days.
- Weblog Promoting: By means of Mediavine, Chris earns about $1,000 per thirty days throughout his blogs.
- Affiliate Income: Primarily pushed by lodging bookings through Stay22, with extra earnings 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 typically receives absolutely or partially comped journeys from airways, tourism boards, and tour operators — perks that may be price $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 earnings that funds the approach to life he loves.
Classes Realized: What Chris Would Do In another way
Chris would 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 number of of his greatest classes embrace:
- Be strategic along with your model title. Whereas “Beginner Traveler” works now, it is not a reputation folks naturally seek for.
- Don’t let concern maintain again monetization. Chris waited years so as to add extra advertisements, prioritizing listener expertise over monetary progress, 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 limitless potentialities.
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 some of the private — and typically irritating — platforms for content material creators.
Why podcasting is well worth the effort:
- It builds belief and long-term connections with listeners.
- Podcast audiences typically have interaction for 30, 50, and even 60 minutes at a time — unprecedented on most platforms.
- It unlocks alternatives, from partnerships and journey to talking engagements and media options.
Podcasting may 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 approach, due to the credibility his podcast established.
Last Ideas
Should you’re questioning whether or not podcasting may complement what you are promoting 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 below are just a few key takeaways to think about:
- Podcasting requires endurance, however few platforms construct as a lot listener loyalty.
- Monetization is achievable with a mixture of advertisements, affiliate earnings, partnerships, and inventive income streams.
- Be intentional along with your branding and format from the beginning.
- Don’t be afraid to evolve what you are promoting mannequin over time.
- The non-public connections and distinctive alternatives that come from podcasting are exhausting to copy wherever else.
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