Can you tell me a bit about your background?

In 2015 I Co-Founded a production company Unity & Motion with Ashley Samuels-McKenzie. I was in my early 20’s, fresh from completing my degree in media production, I had little idea about the world of business, but I had some key ingredients. Hunger, passion and a desire to make something of my life…and a camera, that was also helpful.

I was succeeding and failing all at the same time, day by day. I attended hundreds of networking events to build up my non-existent network. Things got off to a great start and we landed KPMG in our first year, that led to some work with RBS and Wimbledon Tennis and we were off!

I had the pleasure of working with amazing clients over 9 years, including Chanel, Amazon, Reebok, European Space Agency and The Rosewood.

In 2022 a long term dream was realised, we produced our very first content series for ourselves, in the form of a podcast. We called it ‘How I Became’ and implemented all we’d learned about making incredible compelling content that generates millions of views, into the series.

We booked out an Airbnb for a month, filmed 17 episodes in 4 weeks and the rest is history.

It became the UK’s Top 10 Careers Podcast and Top 50 Business Podcast. We interviewed Grime legend Skepta in Austin, Texas, shared the life story of Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran and shared the story of amazing business leaders like Karen Blackett OBE. I’m very proud of all my co-host Ashley and I achieved.

How has the world of Podcasts changed over the last few years?

Podcasting has really matured as an industry over the last few years. Back in 2019, when I was making plans to launch a content series, I didn’t even consider a podcast—it was going to be a YouTube series. But then 2020 hit, and everything shifted. More people started listening to podcasts, often for the first time, and they were tuning in more frequently and for longer periods. Podcasts became like a companion for those long lockdown walks.

Since then, we’ve seen a massive rise in both the number of podcasts and the quality of the shows. In 2019 there were 274.8 million people who listen to podcasts around the world, today that number is 546 million. That would not have happened if the average quality of podcasts hadn’t increased.

Video podcasts have taken off in a big way, and marketing spend has skyrocketed. In 2024, podcast ad revenue is expected to reach $4.02 billion globally. That’s more than 2,070% increase since 2015, when podcast ad revenue was just over $100 million. The U.S. is currently leading the way, investing more heavily in podcasting, with total sponsorship in the US at $2.57 billion this past year. The UK is slowly catching up with podcast ad revenue at £83 million in 2023.

Businesses are being built off the back of podcast sponsorships—AG1 is a prime example. Their CMO had the vision to make them the number one audio brand globally, pouring millions into podcast advertising on some of the world’s biggest shows, and it’s really paid off for them. In 2024, AG1 expects to generate over $600 million in revenue, which is about four times the $160 million in sales in 2021. Their main marketing channel has been podcast sponsorship.

All of this has made podcasting better for listeners because the quality just keeps improving. But it’s also made it much more competitive—you won’t succeed unless you’re delivering truly brilliant episodes.

It seems things are changing quicker than ever, how do you keep up yourself?

Things are definitely moving faster than ever. I was fortunate to have a bit of a head start because when we launched our podcast in 2022, we kicked off with video, which was less common at the time. Most people started with audio and then moved to video, but we went straight in with high-end 4K video. Video has become the norm now, but we were ahead of the curve in terms of quality, and it’s all about maintaining and building on that.

To stay ahead, I listen to great podcasts—especially the ones at the top of the charts. I pick up ideas, see what’s working, and follow the trends. You’re right, it’s a fast-paced industry, but that’s what makes it exciting.

Who is really setting the standards in podcasts? Who should we be keeping an eye on?

Here are five podcasts that are really setting the standard across different fields.

For social media and podcasting, The Diary of a CEO is unbeatable. What Stephen Bartlett has built is incredible—they really know how to leverage social to drive listeners and viewers.

If you’re looking at how celebrities should get into podcasting, SmartLess is a perfect example. The chemistry between the three hosts makes for engaging, entertaining content. Their fame and network also allow them to bring on top-tier guests.

In comedy, Wolf and Owl with Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis is setting the bar. It’s raw, mostly unplanned, but their real-life friendship translates perfectly on air, which is what people love—authenticity.

For sports, The Athletic does an incredible job with high-quality journalism across a range of sports. They’ve also nailed niche podcasts dedicated to specific football clubs, covering everything from Manchester United to Brighton.

And finally, keep an eye on Alex Cooper with Call Her Daddy. She’s part of a new breed of ‘podcast superstars’, pushing the boundaries and entering a new era of what’s possible with podcasting. SiriusXM just recently paid her $125m to leave Spotify and sign with them, giving them exclusive advertising and distribution rights over the next 3 years.