Sound Strategy with Lucas Dickey: The Most Meta Podcast About Podcasting Ever - The Echo of Community: Elsie Escobar & Rob Walch on Feedback and Longevity in Podcasting

The Echo of Community: Elsie Escobar & Rob Walch on Feedback and Longevity in Podcasting

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05/27/25 • 49 min

Sound Strategy with Lucas Dickey: The Most Meta Podcast About Podcasting Ever

IN THIS EPISODE: Lucas Dickey interviews long-time podcasting veterans Rob Walch and Elsie Escobar about their 17-year collaboration on 'The Feed', exploring their podcasting experiences, content creation strategies, and the evolution of their industry involvement.
TOPICS: Feedback, Production, Community, Podcasting, Customers
SUMMARY:
This episode features Rob Walch and Elsie Escobar, two long-time podcasting veterans who have been co-hosting 'The Feed' for Libsyn for over 17 years. Both Walch and Escobar share their extensive backgrounds in podcasting, with Escobar noting she entered podcasting in 2006 as a creative outlet without any initial technological knowledge, while Walch has been a full-time podcaster since April 2005.
The episode delves into their podcast production process for 'The Feed', which heavily relies on listener feedback and an ongoing list of topics. They emphasize the importance of maintaining a dedicated email address for podcast communication, with Escobar recommending a specific email address as the primary method for gathering listener input, including written and audio feedback.
Throughout the conversation, they discuss the evolution of their podcasting journey, highlighting how their workload and professional commitments have changed over the years. They maintain their podcast through collaborative research, gathering articles and listener questions, and have developed a workflow that allows them to consistently produce content even with increasingly busy schedules.
KEY QUOTE:
• "For the podcasting space specifically, you really have to think less about where you really like to be, but where your audience is going to be." - Elsie E.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Successful podcasting requires understanding and engaging with your audience where they naturally congregate, not just where you prefer to be
• Podcast content can be heavily driven by listener feedback, with shows like 'The Feed' sourcing over half their episode content from audience questions and interactions
• Email remains a critical communication channel for podcast audience engagement, with a dedicated podcast email address recommended as a best practice for creators
• Podcast production approaches can vary widely, with some hosts like Rob Walch requiring scripted preparation while others like Elsie Escobar are more comfortable with spontaneous discussion
• The podcasting landscape has become increasingly complex and time-consuming for long-time creators, with more professional responsibilities and scheduling challenges
• Building a podcast community is often about enthusiasm, networking, and being open to learning from other podcasters and audience members

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Previous Episode

Charting Inner Waters: Katie Krimitsos on Meditation, Mission, and Podcasting + Media Strategy

IN THIS EPISODE: Entrepreneur Katie Krimitsos built a successful meditation podcast network by creating intimate, high-quality content that empowers women to know themselves through mindfulness and self-reflection.
TOPICS: Women's health, Digital media, Podcasting, Meditation, Entrepreneurship, Self-reflection, Self-improvement, Honesty
SUMMARY:
Katie Krimitsos is the founder of the Women’s Meditation Network, a thriving collection of podcasts focused on mindfulness, sleep, and wellness. After launching her first business podcast in 2014, she pivoted in 2018 to meditation content specifically for women—a move that transformed her entrepreneurial path. Today, her network includes 20 shows that collectively garner over 3.3 million downloads per month and nearly 200 million lifetime downloads.

Beyond podcasting, her strategy includes cross-promotion, advertising, and expansion into platforms like YouTube and educational products. At the heart of it all is her belief that guided meditation can help women know themselves more fully—an intention that guides both her creative and business decisions.

BLOG POST: Dig into the key takeaways and juicy pull quotes later for a refresher at this blog post link.

KEY QUOTES:
• "The beating heart of why I do what I do and produce every single one of these meditations is because I want you to have an experience that allows you to know yourself." - Katie
• "My number one answer is really just forget about the numbers and lean into what it is you love doing." - Katie
• "I'm a recovering perfectionist and control freak. So, yeah, so it has taken me a lot of practice to delegate, to manage, to oversee all that sort of stuff [with my growing business]." - Katie
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Katie Krimitsos built the Women's Meditation Network from her closet, growing to 20 podcasts and nearly 200 million downloads through strategic experimentation and a passion for helping women know themselves
• Her meditation podcasts focus on creating intimate, high-quality audio experiences, with careful sound design that transforms each meditation into an immersive journey
• Katie's core mission transcends meditation techniques - she aims to help women deeply understand themselves through guided meditation content
• The network's growth strategy includes cross-promotions, podcast player advertising, and being guest interviewed on other podcasts to expand audience reach
• Katie deliberately treats her brand as a media company, exploring multiple revenue streams including podcast advertising, app distribution, YouTube, and potential future courses and journals
• Her podcast production involves a sophisticated team workflow, with quality control processes and writers who use AI as a supportive tool rather than a complete replacement
• Katie's entrepreneurial approach emphasizes continuous experimentation, listening to intuition, and being willing

Next Episode

From Rules to Resonance: Tiffany Kane and the Future of Spatial Podcasting

IN THIS EPISODE: Tiffany Kane champions authenticity and creativity in podcasting through her spatial audio technologies, awards program, and belief in breaking traditional industry rules.
TOPICS: spatial audio, community, monetization, authenticity, VR, video games
KEY FIGURES: Dolby Atmos, KaSa Media Productions, Sonic Bloom Awards
SUMMARY: Our guest: Tiffany Kane, a multi-faceted podcast professional and entrepreneur deeply passionate about the podcasting ecosystem. Kane discusses her diverse projects, from the creation of a Dolby Atmos recording studio in Orange County plus an innovative app designed to enable spatial audio podcast distribution & listening experiences.
We explores Kane's philosophy on podcasting, emphasizing authenticity and rejecting rigid industry rules. Highlightling the importance of creators staying true to themselves, creating content they're passionate about, & not getting bogged down by prescriptive advice.
Kane shares insights into emerging podcast trends, such as spatial audio and the growing desire for authentic, human content in an increasingly AI-driven landscape. She discusses her belief that imperfections & genuine human interactions will become more valuable as AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, and advocates for podcasters to embrace their individual styles and purposes rather than conforming to standardized expectations.
KEY QUOTES:
• "Podcasts started as a rebel medium. It was rebelling against big media, rebelling against all the rules, rebelling against all the structures. And then we take this beautiful rebellious art form and put rules and structures on it, shackle it." - TK
• "Do the podcast that is interesting to you, not the podcast you think you need to do." - TK
• "With the advent of AI, people are going to be looking more and more for authenticity. So perfection is going to be much less interesting to people." - TK
• "There's something to art that is to be consumed and isn't around forever. That makes it special. It makes it approachable." - TK
• "Just be you. Be real. Because that's what people want." - TK
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Authenticity is the most critical element for podcasters, with creators encouraged to embrace their unique style and voice instead of trying to imitate others
• Spatial audio and immersive sound technologies are emerging as significant innovations in podcast production, with potential to transform listener experiences across platforms like Apple and automotive systems
• Podcasting should be viewed as an art form with multiple valid approaches, rejecting rigid rules about frequency, production style, or monetization strategies
• Successful podcasting is often a long-term journey, with many creators taking 5-7 years to develop a sustainable audience and potential revenue streams
• With the rise of AI-generated content, human authenticity and imperfections are becoming more valuable, as listeners seek genuine connectio