Since the pandemic grasped the world in early 2020, statistics in all kinds of facets and forms shot up or declined as people were forced to find ways to cope with self-isolation. For many, podcasting became a positive solution to spend spare time whether it be through listening to one or launching one. Consider a report from Podcast Insights: There are currently over 2 million active podcasts with over 48 million episodes. This statistic represents an exponential amount of growth in such a short period of time given that in as recent as 2018 there were only 500 000 active podcasts. While podcasting short was already a climbing industry before Covid, it certainly grew leaps and bounds with the onset of the pandemic. 

With any kind of industry, as it grows so does financial increase. Edison Research has predicted that podcast advertising revenue will have spilled past the $1 billion mark by the end of 2021 and will double past the $2 billion mark by the end of 2022. For those trying to monetize their efforts in the podcasting profession it can be proven difficult to say the least with such heavy emphasis placed on trying to market your show in order to set it apart from others. Show hosts may wonder how any podcaster has been able to successfully monetize and build a lifestyle around their brand without losing most to all of their money in the process. While said process has never been easy, it is possible and thanks to entrepreneur Travis Chappell, it has been made so much easier for the future of podcasting.

Chappell is his own seasoned podcaster of his own rite with an acclaimed show, Build Your Network, featuring a slew of impressive guests such as Shaq, Rob Dyrdek, Matt Barnes, Tomi Lahren, etc. Subjects ranging of all kinds of topical interest have graced Chappell's episodes with a primary focus being on building connection, encouraging personal growth, and placing immense value on the concept of networking. It's no wonder then that Chappell's audience boasts a 46.5K Instagram following with a whopping 2 million downloads on his show. His professionalism and absolute authenticity lend to the substantial charm his show remains nestled in, supplemented with the content he produces for his social media. With experience as vast as his alongside the stamina required to build such an authentic, successful brand, Chappell certainly turned heads when, in the middle of the pandemic, he launched his app, Guestio.

Guestio, appropriately named, is a marketplace built for businesses and show hosts alike looking to promote themselves in an environment that, like its creator, places significant value on networking. Guestio allows for show hosts to connect with and book top level talents that they wouldn't otherwise have access to in one easy swoop through customized pitches unique to their brand. In addition to that, Guestio's software allows for show hosts to earn revenue based on their efforts and audience building. The marketplace was, and currently remains, the only solution of its kind today. Chappell's mission statement is to "access the inaccessible," a bold mantra exemplified through both the launch and success of Guestio. His desire to help others, whether they be up-and-comers or long term show hosts looking to pursue an active lifestyle alongside their brand, shines through. Guestio's vision of creating a solution out of nowhere certainly builds a distinct bridge over the floodgates that only existed before for those trying to jumpstart their shows. Constructing and then utilizing a network to connect your brand to others has proven successful for Chappell's own show, hence why cultivating the tools given directly from him would prove to be wise for anyone desiring to take their show to the next level.

For the 2 million podcasts out there, and for realistically anyone who has launched a business, Chappell advises that "If you build a good product, you don't have to spend as much on marketing." Putting emphasis on the quality of what you do allows for the desired audience you build to be based on the attraction and loyalty given to the product you've actually made. It seems to make all the more sense that in order to grow a community you need to invest in your own network to surround you. Chappell offers that "The number one factor that contributed to my ability to think bigger than myself was getting around high level people and being a fly on the wall. The way they communicate, the numbers they talk about, the people they know-it's all way bigger than I had ever thought. You can only achieve to the level that you believe you can." Investing in your network and cultivating that to build a more quality product will surely lead to significant results, and Guestio's tried and true method is the way to do it.