Ever catch yourself hooked on a podcast and wonder why? In this episode, I break down the secret sauce behind the biggest shows in the world—and what that means for your own content, business, and voice. Spoiler: it’s not what you think.

From Mel Robbins’ “you” language to Smartless being charmingly bad at interviews (and still crushing), we unpack how positioning, intimacy, trust, and catchphrases can make or break a podcast.

If you're creating content or even just obsessed with it, you’ll never hear your favorite podcasts the same way again. Get your notes app ready.

[02:15] – Mel Robbins’ genius use of "you" language

[06:10] – Glennon Doyle vs. community naming (Pod Squad vs. intimacy)

[08:45] – Why catchphrases matter (and how culture spreads them)

[12:25] – SmartLess: terrible interviewers, wildly successful

15:10 – The Commercial Break’s episode promise: LOL guaranteed

[17:55] – Armchair Expert’s trifecta: humor, guests, insight

[21:40] – What most podcasters get wrong (and blame marketing for)

[25:10] – Joe Rogan, Stephen Bartlett, and the dark side of "curiosity"

[29:45] – Alex Cooper and the Call Her Daddy empire

[34:30] – Tim Ferriss’ no-promo policy: a boundary masterclass

[38:20] – Why you might be “healing” too much

[42:10] – The business case for your podcast

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Podcasts referenced:

• The Mel Robbins Podcast
• We Can Do Hard Things
• Entrepreneurs on Fire
• SmartLess
• Armchair Expert
• Diary of a CEO
• The Daily (NYT)
• Call Her Daddy
• Huberman Lab
• Tim Ferriss Show

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