The Real Way to Monetize a Podcast (Without Millions of Views) w/ Travis Chappell 🎙️ EP150
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This episode features Travis Chappell, founder of Guestio and host of the podcast "Travis Makes Friends," sharing his transformation from aspiring pastor to door-to-door salesman to podcasting entrepreneur. Chappell explains how podcasting became his ultimate networking tool, leading him from complete obscurity to building meaningful relationships with high-caliber guests including business leaders, athletes, and celebrities. (03:00) The discussion covers various monetization strategies for podcasters, from sponsorships and affiliate marketing to building products around audience needs. Chappell emphasizes the importance of volume and consistency, revealing how he scaled from three episodes per week to two episodes per day through strategic batching and hiring a skilled producer.
- Main themes: Using podcasting as a networking tool, scaling content production through batching, and multiple monetization strategies for podcast success
Speakers
Travis Chappell
Travis Chappell is the founder and CEO of Guestio and host of the podcast "Travis Makes Friends" (formerly "Build Your Network"). After initially pursuing ministry with an unaccredited Bible degree, he transitioned to door-to-door sales before discovering podcasting eight years ago. He has since released over 1,500 episodes and built a podcasting empire that includes software companies, agencies, consulting services, and events, helping entrepreneurs leverage podcasting for networking and business growth.
Dan Fleyshman
Dan Fleyshman is a serial entrepreneur and the youngest founder of a publicly traded company in history. He hosts "The Money Mondays" podcast, focusing on teaching people how to make, invest, and donate money. He runs multiple businesses and charitable organizations, maintaining an ad-free podcast model while recently partnering with Go HighLevel as a sponsor - a platform he has used for years to power his business operations.
Key Takeaways
Use Podcasting as the Ultimate Networking Tool
Chappell discovered that podcasting provided him with a "Trojan horse" - a legitimate reason to connect with successful people he admired but had no previous relationship with. (05:16) Starting from complete isolation in a "bubble cult" environment, he used his show "Build Your Network" to systematically build relationships with entrepreneurs and business leaders. The key insight is that successful people will give you time if you provide value and have a legitimate reason for the conversation. A podcast gives you that excuse to reach out to high-caliber individuals who would otherwise be impossible to access through cold outreach.
Volume and Batching Are Critical for Podcast Success
Chappell scaled his operation from three episodes per week to two episodes per day (one interview, one solo show) by implementing strategic batching. (18:47) He can record eight interviews in three hours with his producer handling all research and prep work. This volume approach has two major benefits: it doubles monthly impressions for sponsorship opportunities and creates unlimited content for social media clips. The batching system allows him to maintain five weeks of content in advance, eliminating the stress of weekly content creation.
Build Products Around Your Audience, Not The Other Way Around
Rather than starting with a product and finding customers, Chappell advocates building an audience first around a topic you care about, then asking what they need. (07:12) After serving content for 6-12 months, you can survey your audience about their problems and build solutions they've already told you they want. This approach creates a much easier sales process compared to traditional cold selling, as your audience already knows your expertise and has expressed interest in your solutions.
Leverage Guest Credibility to Book Better Guests
The fastest way to eliminate obstacles when reaching out to potential guests is by leveraging names they already know and trust. (23:59) Successful people don't necessarily care about your audience size - they care about not wasting their time. When reaching out to new guests, leading with previous notable guests provides instant credibility and social proof. This creates a snowball effect where each quality guest makes it easier to book the next level of guests.
Invest in Your Setup Based on Your Business Goals
While you can start a podcast for $50 with a USB microphone, entrepreneurs should consider investing more to create a professional studio space that serves as a business development tool. (31:02) Chappell's client Jeff Fenster built a quarter-million dollar studio and can track multi-six-figure business deals directly to relationships formed by bringing prospects into the impressive studio space. The studio becomes an excuse to bring high-value contacts to your office, where natural business conversations can develop.
Statistics & Facts
- Podcasters can earn meaningful sponsorship revenue starting at 5,000-10,000 downloads per episode, with some niche podcasts earning $80,000 per season with less than 500 downloads per episode in specialized markets like vertical farming. (10:49)
- The Money Mondays podcast maintains a 93% listen-through rate, significantly higher than industry averages, contributing to its rapid growth and success. (00:25)
- There are 5.4 million podcasts currently active, but the vast majority never make it past 10 episodes due to consistency challenges and lack of commitment. (20:20)
