What does it look like to build a network around a purpose rather than a revenue model?

Adam Bird started Heroes Media Group in 2012 as a place for veterans and military voices, and has spent the decade since expanding that mission to cover all community heroes: law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, and other "community heroes," anyone who aligns with the cause. The network grew not from a monetization plan, but from a commitment to positive, purpose-driven content at a time when most media was heading in the opposite direction.

What makes Adam's approach distinct is what he actively refuses to optimize for. He's turned down six-figure investment offers and won't touch content that conflicts with the network's values, no matter the dollar amount attached. The business case comes second, and he'll tell you that's exactly why it works.

Adam started in terrestrial radio around 2011 and transitioned into podcasting when he realized he wanted to tell stories without editorial constraints. Over the last decade, he has personally worked on more than 28,000 podcast episodes, built a full production and agency arm at HMG, and grown the network to over 50 active shows.

Listen For:

00:00 Finding Purpose Through Podcasting

06:51 Helping Others, Finding Purpose

11:22 Building Connections Through Collaboration

15:58 Business Model Perspectives

19:07 The Power of Networking

19:58 Maintaining Network Support Over Time

23:03 Unpopular Opinions in Business Trends

28:41 Balancing Podcast Goals and Strategy

32:01 Podcasting's Future: Big Buyouts

35:11 Podcasting: Harder Than It Seems

36:31 Lessons on Starting Small

45:21 Finding Purpose Through Service

46:16 Grinding Toward Life’s Purpose

CONNECT WITH GUEST: ADAM BIRD

FOUNDER & OPERATOR, HEROES MEDIA GROUP

LinkedIn | Website

Adam's Book rec: Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill

Adam's Podcast rec: The Arms Room

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec: Return on Courage by Ryan Berman

Systems, Sponsors and Partners:

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Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

What does it actually look like when someone from Hollywood runs a podcast network?

For Aisha Corpas Wynn, an Emmy-nominated producer whose career spans scripted TV, unscripted reality, film, and the NFL Podcast Network, the answer is a masterclass in reverse engineering. She doesn't start with a mic and a guest list. She starts with the market, the mission, and the person, and works backward from there.

Aisha breaks down how she thinks about building podcast networks from the ground up, what most podcast creators get completely wrong about joining one, and why her entertainment background gives her a fundamentally different lens than most people working in the space today.

Greg and Aisha go deep on how Stoked Bros. Media is being built, athlete by athlete, show by show, with the same framework she'd apply to developing a TV series. They get into what it really takes to bring celebrity talent into podcasting (spoiler: fame is not a guarantee), how to think about rev share splits and network deals, and why the "hip hop model" of building an ecosystem is more relevant to podcasting than most people realize.

Listen For:

2:23 What "Podcast Network" Means: Cross Promotion First

2:58 How Podcasting Became Its Own Sub-Economy

11:06 Individual Brand vs. Network Ecosystem

13:28 The Hip-Hop Label Model Applied to Podcasting

16:07 Why Celebrity Doesn't Guarantee an Audience

22:14 Building Stoke Bros: Differentiating Within a Sports Network

34:41 The Economics: Funding vs. Rev Share

45:15 Questions to Ask Before Joining a Network

52:57 Why Your Wins May Not Be One for One

CONNECT WITH GUEST: AISHA CORPAS WYNN, STOKED BROS PODCAST NETWORK

LinkedIn | Website | Instagram

Aisha pod rec: All In and The AI Chicks

Aisha book rec: Psychology of Money

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS AT RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Greg’s book rec Selling with Love by Jason Marc Campbell

Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow

What does it look like to build a podcast network with no interest in making it big…and have that actually work?

Jason Falls started the Marketing Podcast Network five years ago after being burned by a network that didn’t deliver on its promises. What he built in response is deliberately small, community-first, and structured around a revenue model most operators wouldn’t choose. The result is a network of nearly 90 shows that has grown steadily without a sales team, a growth strategy, or a capitalist bone behind it.

Jason is the founder of the Marketing Podcast Network (MPN), a niche network built exclusively for marketing and advertising podcasters. He comes from a broadcast and radio background and now spends the majority of his time producing podcasts for clients, with MPN running alongside as a community he helped build and still stewards.

Greg and Jason dig into how MPN’s equal revenue share works… and what it asks of larger shows. They get into the two promises a previous network made that they never kept, how MPN sells advertising without a dedicated sales function, and why Jason would start a video-first network if he were doing it over.

If you’re a podcaster wondering whether a community-first network might be a better fit than a revenue-first one, this conversation is worth your time.

Listen For:

04:19 Evolving in Podcasting Challenges

06:45 Collaborative Marketing Podcast Network

10:10 Podcasting Profit Challenges Explained

15:51 Embracing Podcasts Through Technology

19:37 Efficient Network Advertising Solution

24:54 Building Collaboration for Podcast Growth

32:36 Podcast Analytics: Challenges and Limitations

34:35 Podcast Tech and Network Evolution

43:05 Building a Video-First Platform

45:37 Own It: Closing Gender Gaps

50:07 Jason's DIY Marketing Network

CONNECT WITH GUEST: JASON FALLS, FOUNDER, MARKETING PODCAST NETWORK

LinkedIn | Website | Facebook | X | YouTube

Jason Book rec: Brand Hijack: Marketing Without Marketing Alex Wipperfurth

Jason's Podcast rec: Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN, CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER FOR RSS.COM

Website | LinkedIn

Systems, Sponsors and Partners:

Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting

Produced by Stories & Strategies

Content Repurposed with Castmagic

Podcast Project Management with Northflow