A Postcard from Podfest 2026
I journeyed to chilly Orlando for this conference of independent podcasters. Plus, Tom Webster on why Who matters in podcasting
I didn’t bring a jacket.
It’s Florida, I thought. Why would I need a jacket?
Boy, was I wrong. It was chilly in Orlando for this year’s Podfest.
Still, despite the unusually cold conditions there, you could feel the positive spirit. Independent podcasting was alive and well. So many smiles. So many hugs and handshakes.
The enthusiasm for the craft was on full display. These independent creators, many small and unheralded, serve as the unsung rank and file of the industry today.
YouTube Session
Personally, I was there to host a talk called Building a YouTube Channel: No Hammer Required. I ripped through 25 slides in 25 minutes for a room of almost a hundred people. I laid out how you can customize a YouTube channel for your podcast. I also dove into new features for creators. I ended up staying an extra hour to answer everyone’s questions. Memo to YouTube: Send someone to Podfest next year.
Hello Friends
Overall, it was wonderful seeing many friends and acquaintances like Ben Richardson, Rob Greenlee, Tom Webster, James Cridland, Arielle Nissenblatt, Alban Brooke, and Mathew Passy. I also got to meet Dave Ramsey as we shared an elevator ride.
I also spent time with Joe Saul-Sehy from the Stacking Benjamins Show. If you’re looking to build a community around your podcast, you should study what he does. He makes the rounds and does meet-ups with loyal listeners around the country, fueled by his lighthearted approach to personal finance. He calls his fans - wait for it - Stackers.
Who’s On First
When you think of Tom Webster, you think keynote addresses, webinars, charts, audience surveys, industry trends, and updates from Sounds Profitable. But Tom did something different at Podfest. He spoke off-the-cuff for 30 minutes about keeping your podcast fresh, episode after episode. His advice to those of us in the room?
Start with Who
Keep a specific person in mind
Hang up a picture of Who
If you have topics you want to talk about, you will always reach Who
Create channels for how you can reach Who directly, one to one
Master your craft and you will reach Who
As usual, Webster was the finest kind, as they say back in Downeast Maine.
Editor’s Note: A special shoutout to Jamie Maglietta from (On Cam) Ready. A fellow Substacker and entrepreneur, she was everywhere snapping photos. She’s a veteran television network producer who’s launched her own media strategy company. She also hosts the Unknown to Known podcast and she’s building a channel on YouTube. Thanks for all the pics, Jamie!
John Wordock runs his own consulting firm John Wordock Media. He served as Executive Editor and SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024, helping build Cumulus Podcast Network into a top ten network. He also served as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He started podcasting back in 2006.
Love this breakdown of Podfest. Webster's "Start with Who" framework cuts through so much noise about metrics and growth hacks. I've seen this work in practice, where shows that fixate on listener counts end up sounding generic, while creators who can describe their ideal listener in vivid detail naturally produce tighter, more compeling content. The bit about Cumulus Podcast Network's trajectory under your leadership is particularly instructive for anyone trying to scale without losing authenticity.