Arielle Nissenblatt is a Community Director at Squadcast fm. Along with her exceptional career she’s also a podcast producer, writer, speaker, launch facilitator, marketer, and the founder of Earbuds Podcast Collective. The collective is dedicated to providing a podcast email recommendation service that amplifies indie podcasters to help build their platforms.

BIPOC Podcast Creators were able to connect with Arielle for a mini Q&A sesh - Check out what this podcast champion had to say about the culture and progress of the podcast community.

So can you elaborate on what your job entails at Squadcast? What do you enjoy most working in that community? 

AN: I am the head of community and content at SquadCast. We have customers around the globe, and my job as the head of community is to gather those who want to be gathered for opportunities to learn more about the product, find ways to collaborate, organize educational events, give them chances to show off their work on a large scale, and much more. Essentially, my job is to create and sustain a group of happy customers (and eventually product influencers). 

I also head up the content department, which means looking after our weekly podcast, weekly YouTube channel, blog, events series, and whatever else may pop up!

These two positions go hand in hand. Our podcast is dedicated to the community in that each episode features an interview recorded on SquadCast from one of our community members. Our blog often features customer stories as well. We are constantly looking for ways to show off our customers to the world! We know how hard it is to start, sustain, monetize, and maintain an audience, so we do what we can to make it happen for our SquadCasters.

What’s been the biggest challenge breaking into a podcast community? 

AN: When I first decided I wanted to work in podcasting, getting my first official job was HARD. I didn’t know where to start, how to break in, who to meet! I didn’t have any production experience and I mistakenly thought that the only way in was through producing. Once I expanded my view – after learning that any way in was a good way in – it got a lot easier. I ended up starting my own podcast recommendation newsletter and using that to get “real” jobs. I also put together networking events and invited people that I wanted to meet! And then made an effort to become a connector myself – introducing people I knew from different realms within audio and podcasting. 

What’s been the most innovative aspect in podcasting that you’ve ever seen? 

AN: Cover art. I ABSOLUTELY love seeing how people use their podcast cover art to convey a message, draw in an audience, make a statement, and set the tone for a show. Getting your podcast cover art right is crucial.

Can you elaborate on why you find it important to share your knowledge on podcasting and building community within the media? 

AN: I want more people to listen to podcasts. I think that if more people listen to podcasts, we’re exposed to more experiences, different from our own. This creates empathy. It also gets creators paid. It expands the pie. Let’s make it happen.

What do you hope to see in the future of podcasting?

AN: I have big hopes and dreams, but I’ll share just one now. I want more people to become listeners – to regularly listen to one hour or more of audio per week. There are constantly new stats emerging about listenership rising among certain demographics and in specific countries. But I want the average person to incorporate podcast listening into their daily (or at least weekly) lives. This starts with creators making (and getting paid to create) relevant content. And *that* starts with creator tools (like SquadCast) being super easy to use and having welcoming communities to join.

Arielle shares more of her invaluable knowledge with us in the next upcoming webinar, How To Use Partnerships To Grow Your Podcast For FREE where Arielle will give you the insider strategies, tips, and know-how to leverage one of the most overlooked ways to successfully grow a podcast. Join BIPOC Podcast Creators, Thursday, December 8th, at 8:00PM EST, followed by a live Q&A right after. 

This event is FREE for members of the BIPOC Podcast Creators community - head to the Facebook community page and use the event link there to register.