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 turned mainstream. When you’ve ever questioned whether or not beginning a podcast might be a helpful addition to your model, or for those who’re interested by the actual ups and downs of constructing a profitable podcast, that is the episode for you.
Watch the Full Episode
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 Novice 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 in every of solely two individuals at his first podcast convention who needed to speak about earning profits 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
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 twenty years of constant effort to get there.
In the present day, Chris’s earnings streams are impressively various:
Podcast Adverts: His foremost podcast, Novice 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 further earnings from excursions, Amazon, and different travel-related provides.
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 earnings that funds the approach to life he loves.
Classes Realized: What Chris Would Do In a different 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 number of of his greatest classes embrace:
Be strategic together with your model title. Whereas “Novice Traveler” works now, it is not a reputation individuals naturally seek for.
Don’t let worry maintain again monetization. Chris waited years so as to add extra advertisements, prioritizing listener expertise over monetary development, a choice he later reevaluated.
Match your format to your way of life. His authentic plan to solely cowl private travels wasn’t sustainable whereas working full-time, so pivoting to interviews opened up infinite potentialities.
These insights alone are invaluable for anybody considering launching a podcast or scaling a facet mission.
The Energy (and Problem) of Podcasting
We additionally talk about why podcasting stays one of the crucial 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 — remarkable on most platforms.
It unlocks alternatives, from partnerships and journey to talking engagements and media options.
Podcasting could be sluggish to achieve traction, however for individuals 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
When you’re questioning whether or not podcasting may complement your enterprise or model, Chris’s story is the proper instance of what is attainable — 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 artistic income streams.
Be intentional together with your branding and format from the beginning.
Don’t be afraid to evolve your enterprise mannequin over time.
The non-public connections and distinctive alternatives that come from podcasting are laborious to copy wherever else.
