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Oct. 29, 2024
Kevin Palmieri: Building a Profitable Podcasting Business One Episode at a Time
Have you ever wondered if your podcast could be more than a passion project—could it actually become a profitable business?
In this must-listen episode of Podcasting Tech, host Mathew Passy sits down with Kevin Palmieri, host of Next Level University, a Global Top 100 Self-Improvement Podcast with more than 1,800 episodes and 1 million listens in over 170 countries.
Kevin, a motivational speaker and experienced podcasting coach, shares his journey from a 9-to-5 job to becoming a full-time podcaster and entrepreneur, revealing the hard-earned lessons he learned along the way.
From initial misconceptions about monetization to discovering his unique coaching-based business model, Kevin discusses his path to turning podcasting into a sustainable career. He dives into the essential strategies that have fueled his success, including connecting with his audience, upgrading his studio on a budget, and mastering tools to elevate his content.
Kevin also highlights the role discipline plays in keeping his show’s content fresh, engaging, and impactful—even as he balances daily episodes, coaching clients, and a growing team.
Why You Should Listen:
This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone hoping to make podcasting a profitable venture. Kevin’s no-nonsense approach to building and sustaining a podcasting business offers a practical roadmap, from foundational monetization methods to maintaining high-quality content. His advice on adapting to new technologies and finding the right tools is a bonus for podcasters seeking efficiency without sacrificing quality.
IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:
From Corporate to Creator: Kevin’s transition from his corporate job to full-time podcasting and coaching, and the mental resilience it required.
Profitable Podcasting without Ads: His unique coaching-based monetization strategy that keeps him ad-free, sponsorship-free, and in control of his content.
Studio Setup Tips: Tips for creating a professional studio look on a budget with affordable audio and video equipment.
Key Tools for Growth: Kevin’s go-to tools like OpusClip, Metricool, and StreamYard, which help him manage content creation, scheduling, and editing.
Kevin’s Must-Listen Recommendations: Hear about Grow the Show by Kevin Chennaldin and other podcast recommendations to learn and grow as a podcaster.
Links and resources mentioned in this episode:
- Next Level University podcast
- Tune in to Kevin’s podcast
- Audio Technica AT 2020 USB microphone
- OpusClip for content repurposing
- Metricool for social media management -
- StreamYard for video recording -
- Grow The Show podcast by Kevin Chennaldin
- Podcasts by Mark Asquith
**As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases of podcasting gear from Amazon.com. We also participate in affiliate programs with many of the software services mentioned on our website. If you purchase something through the links we provide, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The team at Podcasting Tech only recommends products and services that we would use ourselves and that we believe will provide value to our viewers and readers.**
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PODCASTING TECH IS POWERED BY:
- Captivate - Easy, professional podcast hosting to create, grow and make money from your podcasts
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- Riverside.fm - Record Podcasts And Videos From Anywhere
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- Podgagement - Engage your audience and grow your podcast!
EQUIPMENT IN USE:
- Rodecaster Pro 1st Gen (No longer available). Consider the Rodecaster Duo or Rodecaster Pro II
- EV RE20 with 309a Shockmount
- Rode PSA1+
- iPhone continuity camera but previously the Logitech Brio 4k
- DCMEKA In-Ear Monitors
- BusyBox Smart Sign
Transcript
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Welcome to Podcasting Tech, a podcast that equips busy
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entrepreneurs engaged in podcasting with proven and cost effective
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solutions for achieving a professional sound and appearance.
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I'm Matthew Passi, your host and a 15 year veteran in the podcasting
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space. We'll help you cut through the noise and offer guidance on software and
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hardware that can elevate the quality of your show. Tune in weekly
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for insightful interviews with tech creators, behind the scenes studio tours, and
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strategies for podcasting success. Head to podcasting tech dot
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com to subscribe to this show on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform
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and join us on this exciting journey to unlock the full potential of your
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podcast. It's been a little while, but excited to get back and do
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one of our studio tours here on Podcasting Tech. Today, we are chatting with
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Kevin Palmieri. He is podcaster, speaker, podcasting coach. He
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has a show, the Next Level University podcast,
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and he's all about self improvement and helping people with a better life. Kevin,
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thank you so much for joining us today. Matthew, I appreciate you having me on.
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Any chance I get to talk about podcasting and all things podcasting, I am
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always excited. So I appreciate the opportunity. Oh, glad to have you on.
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So literally just before we we started to hit record, you were telling me what
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you were doing in life working for a company that helped out schools improve their
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energy efficiency. But, obviously, you're not doing that anymore. So what
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kinda led you from the the 9 to 5
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to switching to more of a entrepreneurial life and and get into podcasting?
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Yeah. When I was doing this job, I was convinced that if I made
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a certain amount of money, if I made a $100,000, all of the problems
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in my life would go away. I made the money, and it didn't it
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didn't seem to work like I had hoped. And I
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ultimately, I realized that for most of my life, I had lived unconsciously. I didn't
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know why I was doing any of the things that I was doing. The
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opposite of unconscious is hyperconscious. And in
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2017, much like a lot of people, I was watching a lot of Joe Rogan,
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listening to Joe Rogan, and I said it would be really cool to have a
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podcast about this. So in 2017, I started a
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podcast. I fell in love with it. Then the following year, I was
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sitting on the edge of a bed contemplating suicide because I was just
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so miserable, and I felt so stuck.
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And then I ended up leaving my job a few months later and then
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trying to figure out how to do this and how to do it profitably for
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the next few years. And here we are 7 years later. So
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you you used the word in there that I'm sure caught the ears and attention
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of lots of, listeners profitably. So
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what was the initial thoughts about how you're gonna be profitable with the
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podcast, and and where did it eventually lead you?
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Initially, I think I was very naive where I just thought, that'll happen
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eventually. It'll happen the way it's supposed to eventually. And that
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just wasn't the case. I was 2 years in, so we didn't monetize
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for 2 years. At that point, I was $30,000
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in credit card debt riding the struggle bus. And I said to my
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business partner, I said, I I really need to start making some money here, man,
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or I'm gonna I'm gonna be in a bad place. And he said, I think
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we should start coaching for free. And I said, I don't know if you heard
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the last part of what I said, but I need to start making money. So
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free is good, but I need to make money. And he said, well, Kev, you've
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never coached in this line before. You have to build trust with our audience. You
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have to build belief in yourself. So I reached out to 5 people who
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I knew listened to the show, because I had talked to them. And I said,
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hey. I'm interested in doing coaching. I've never done it. I will coach
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you for free weekly for the next 8 weeks, and
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there's no strings attached. And everybody I
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reached out to, all 5 people said yes. And I said, okay. This is something.
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This might be something. At the end of the 8 weeks, I said, I can't
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do this for free anymore. I'd love to keep coaching you. What do you think
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of $50 per call? And everybody said yes. So I went from
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making $0 to $250 a week, and that became
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the process of everything for us. That has been our business model
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since, I guess, 2019 when we started coaching people.
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Very, very nice. Is there any direct monetization from the
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podcast itself, or is it just the podcast as a vehicle for
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driving up sales in other places, which, by the way, I'm all for and highly
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encouraging people, but just wanna see if there's anything else you're doing that is, you
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know, more podcast direct. No. We've never done
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ads. We've never done sponsors. We've done never done affiliates. We have our own
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products. We sponsor ourselves, and we're kind of our own affiliates. So that's kind of
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the way it's it's worked for us. Okay. So, if
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you're not watching this, if you're just listening to the audio version, you're
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missing out that Kevin has a pretty nice studio there, really nice background.
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Take us through a little bit about the evolution of your technology and
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and how you get like, what you started with and what you are working with
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today. Yeah. In the beginning, I started with the old Audio
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Technica ATR 21100 mic. I have it here. Reliable. Alt
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yep. And then I had a I believe it was also an Audio
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Technica little mixer, a little USB interface.
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I started there. I wasn't I was using Audacity.
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Still use Audacity. Yeah. Still still a huge fan. In the very beginning,
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there was no video. So all I was
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doing was sitting in my living room, recording into my
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ATR, using Audacity, and then figuring out kinda how to do
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the audio editing there. Then we moved into
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my business partner's mother's house,
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and that became our first, quote, unquote, studio. And we had
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a couple of inexpensive Sony cameras. We
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got a new mixer. We had, like, a really big mixer that is way
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overkill that nobody ever really needs. And we kept using the
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same mics, and we kept doing that. And then, eventually, we
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upgraded to the camera I have, the Sony a 73.
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That became our studio camera. For a while, we had, like, multicam
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shots. And then we ended up I I would say
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the pinnacle of of the experience was at one point, we had our own
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studio, and it was it was the best. We had,
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like, TVs on the wall, lights everywhere, curtains,
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but it's really been the same equipment throughout
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until we upgraded to the I think this is the a t 2020 or the
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a t 2040 mic. Big fan of Audio Technica.
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Obviously. So it's, yeah, it's kind of been that. It there haven't been that
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many technological differences. A lot of it
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has been the branding and then, like, kind of the the backdrop. So I have
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3 d wall art. I have a bunch of lights in my studio. I have
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lights on the ceiling for downlighting and uplighting,
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and that's kind of and I have a TV that I'm seeing you on. So
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it's kind of mayhem in here. Behind the scenes, it's a hot mess, but it
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looks good on camera, and I guess that's all that matters. So I wanna talk
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about that 3 d wall art in just a second, but you you said you
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put together your own studio. So, Juan, is that where you're speaking to us
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from today? No. No. This is from home. Okay. So you have this
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studio. Is it like a commercial studio that you rent out and and use with
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other people, or is it just something for you and your crew to to use?
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This was just for us. It was an old mill building who they I
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think it was probably, I don't know, 300
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square feet. They gave us free rein. They said, yeah. You can put stuff on
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the walls. You can do whatever we want. So, yeah, it was it was in
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a mill building, and it felt really legit. There's something about
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turning the key, opening a door, and seeing your own studio that makes you feel
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super professional. So, it definitely helped me in terms of the belief of what we
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were doing. Very, very cool. Alright. Nice. And now
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let's talk about this 3 d wall art. So, again, if you're not watching this
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on YouTube or if you're not seeing one of the clips, please go check
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it out and and take a look just because it is a really fascinating backdrop
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that you have there. You said it was a 3 d backdrop. Does that mean,
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like, you printed it yourself, or do you buy it from someone else? I bought
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it on Amazon. Okay. I think it was, like, $100
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for, I don't know, whatever it is, 50 square feet. And then
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I just used the command strips
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to put it on my wall. Didn't like the way it looked. So
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they're black. It's black wall art. I didn't like the way it looked just black.
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It just looked plain to me. So then I got a bunch
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of lights to kinda angle off in certain directions so
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I could get some reflections, and then I kinda changed my lights. So I just
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changed my lights from whatever color it was to orange because we're kind of in
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hall halloween season. When we get closer to Christmas,
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maybe I'll do black and, green and red. I don't know black and red. So
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we'll see. We'll we'll see what happens, but I'm always trying to change something to
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keep it fresh. Very, very cool. You know, and
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in fact, we'll we'll we'll try and get a link for you from, where you
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got those so we can make it available for people. It's a very, very cool
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backdrop, and I imagine it does also help with the sound, but, right, it just
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creates a very dynamic look, going on behind you. What
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would you say, having been doing this for a while, was the
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biggest challenge in podcasting,
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or what remains the biggest challenge for you in podcasting?
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Man, I think the the thing
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that remains the biggest challenge for me now is making sure
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there's so much advice out there, and there's a lot of really good advice.
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But figuring out what advice actually applies to us, I
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think we're we're in a different space where we have a successful business, and
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this is very sustainable now. So it's not like I'm
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necessarily clamoring for listens. I'm more
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focused on making sure that the episodes are really good. We don't have guests
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anymore, so that's kind of been a different pivot for us. So I
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think the the hardest thing was monetizing, really, because
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this was the thing that was gonna pay my bills. So making a
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$1,000 a month wasn't gonna be enough because I I had more bills than that,
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unfortunately. Now it's really sifting through the information to figure
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out what is the most applicable information to us that
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we can take and run with, and then just making sure that we're focusing
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on what's the 20% of stuff that's gonna get us 80% of the
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results. That's really a a big thing for us, because without the
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podcast, none of this exists. So we have to make sure
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that we're producing high quality content. And when you're doing an episode every
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day, it's a challenge when you have dozens of
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coaching clients and a 20 some odd person team to make
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sure that you're putting the podcast first. So I would say
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that's kind of the the hardest thing now is with more opportunity,
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you need more discipline to make sure you're doing the right things that brought you
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the opportunity in the first place. Is there any software or any
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platforms that help you manage the podcast or
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or keep the, you know, trains moving on time? I
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love OpusClip. OpusClip is great for taking your
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long form content and breaking into short form. Other than
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that, no. Not really. We use Metricool for all of our social
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media posting, so that makes life a little bit easier. You can just set it
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and forget it. You can do that in Facebook groups too, so that makes it
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a little bit easier. We have Facebook group. I'm a huge fan of
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StreamYard. I know we're on Riverside here. Riverside's great, but StreamYard, we've
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used for a 1000 episodes, and that's been good. I always tell
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folks, like, you know, if if it works for you, then it's the correct solution.
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I mean, I I like to suggest certain things. I prefer certain things.
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But, really, when somebody says, oh, I see you use this. Do I have to?
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It's like, is what you're doing working? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Stick with
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it. Yeah. I tell people that all the time about Zoom. They're like, well, I
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need to upgrade from Zoom. It's like, just do Zoom. If it's if it's easy
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for you now, do it. And if you're here in 50 episodes, then you can
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upgrade. Don't you don't have to do it a second. Right. I've also, you know,
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seen the folks who are like, oh, but I gotta spend money on Riverside. It's
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like but do you? Like, use it. And then if you're making
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money and you wanna upgrade later, go for it. Just keep doing
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what works for now, and focus on the content. Don't be so obsessed with the
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the technology even though, of course, we're here on the show about why this technology.
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As a reminder, everybody, we're chatting with Kevin Palmeri. He is podcaster,
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speaker, and coach, Next Level University podcast. Of course, we'll have a
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link to that and all the places where you can find Kevin here in the
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show notes. Before we let you go, we have a couple questions we'd like to
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ask everybody on the show and and get your take. So one is that,
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is there a place in the podcasting world, whether it's
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from the producer experience, the listener experience,
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anything like that where you'd like to see some improvement? I would love to see
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improvement in terms of the analytics. I think right
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now, the analytics is just the Wild West, and
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it's hard to read. You don't really know what
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means what that analytics. I think analytics need to come
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way up. That's fair. I know a lot of folks working on that, and the
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the 2 point o crowd is is trying to get in there and do a
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little bit better. Some of it is just limitation of the technology. Some
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of it is regulatory limitations and privacy concerns, but I can
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I've always had, in my days of production and
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consulting, analytics, and and having a better understanding of our show is always
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a sticking point for people, so I I can totally get that. Is
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there any technology on your wish list, whether
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it's a piece of equipment, some sort of software, whether it's something that exists or
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something you'd like to see created that, you're yearning for? Oh,
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I'm very much looking forward to the days where the
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studio is bigger and there's a multicam. It
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wouldn't be a lie it wouldn't be, like, a live multicam, but I would like
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to have multiple cameras in the studio just because I think that makes for a
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nice dynamic product. It does.
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And in fact, I don't know if you saw recently at the time we were
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recording this, RODE just unveiled their RODEcaster video Oh.
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Which is a multicam video switcher. And while it
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has scenes that you could set up and you could switch the cameras very easily,
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it also can do AI switching in that. Right? It'll
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it'll jump to whoever is talking. So that's a really it
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seems like if it works the way it claims it's gonna work, it's an amazing
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product and seems like that could solve that problem for you that you're discussing right
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now. So, we'll try and throw a link to that in the show notes as
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well in case anybody else wants to check out the Rodecaster video. I
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am drooling for it. Hopefully hopefully, somebody will, you know, wanna put it
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on my holiday wish list this year. You know, the the cost, the price?
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About 1200. That's not terrible, all things considered. No. I
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mean, if it does if it lives up to the hype, it's well worth it.
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Mhmm. If not, yeah. But
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Rode hasn't put out a terrible product yet, so I I have very high hopes
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for it. Alright. And lastly, do you have a podcast
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that you listen to? In other words, is there a show that as soon as
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it comes out, you stop listening to other stuff or, you know, you
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you can't go a day or 2 without listening to
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this show, when new episodes drop. I know I always sound terrible
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when I say this, but, no, I don't really listen to anything else because I'm
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trying to review ours to make sure I'm getting better. And
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with with one every day, it's hard for me to do anything else other than
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that. So no. That is fair. Is there anybody,
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or any shows you just wanna mention or give some love to while you're here?
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Oh, man. I would say Grow the Show is
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a great show. Kevin Chennaldin, that's a great
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show. The oh, Mark
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Asquith has a show. I don't remember the name of it. Oh, Mark has a
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bunch of really good shows. He just launched a new one with Danny Brown. Those
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are all good. He was doing 1, on his own for a long time. He
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also does a Star Wars one. So Any any of those, specifically the
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podcasting ones, any of any of those, I would recommend for sure. Anything from Mark
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Asquith deal. I have no problem I have no problem putting a a link to
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Mark here on the show and, giving him some extra love. Well, Kevin
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Palmeri, podcaster, speaker, coach, host of Next Level
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University podcast. Please check out his stuff.
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We'll put links to everything that he does, including his coaching work if you are
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in the market for that. Kevin, thank you so much for joining us here on
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the show today. Thank you for having me, my friend. I appreciate it very much.
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Thanks for joining us today on Podcasting Tech. There are links to
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all the hardware and software that help power our guest content
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and podcasting tech available in the show notes and on our website
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at podcastingtech.com. You can also subscribe to the show on
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your favorite platform, connect with us on social media, and even leave a rating and
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review while you're there. Thanks, and we'll see you next time on
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Podcasting Tech.