#communityovereverything: PodGrowth

Meet the owner of PodGrowth, Erin Gregor, in this month's member spotlight. PodGrowth is a premier destination for consulting, production, and marketing solutions in Dallas. Discover how this innovative studio is revolutionizing the way businesses connect, engage, and thrive in the dynamic realm of audio storytelling.

Tell us a little about PodGrowth.

We help businesses utilize podcasts as a way to connect with and build their clientele through three pillars: Strategy, Production, and Growth. We can help you with your own podcast, or we can also help with growing your business by being a guest on other people's podcasts if you're not quite ready to commit to your own.

What led you to start PodGrowth?

In the past 20 years, I've built and sold several businesses. Even though the industries were different and the marketing landscape has changed, the common theme through all of them was being able to connect with clients through storytelling. I started podcasting 10 years ago and fell in love with the medium, plus the connections I made through podcasting are still, to this day, invaluable. After building our own studio here at CityCentral about 5 years ago, other businesses came to us wanting to know how they could utilize podcasts, and the rest is history.

What sets your business apart from your competitors?

Podcasting isn't a one-size-fits-all strategy, and we work with your company to figure out the strategy that actually works. We are not here to get you to the top of the charts and make you the next Joe Rogan. Honestly, since we help businesses with this medium, being the next Joe Rogan would be, in and of itself, an entirely new job. We help you look at podcasting in a whole new way, where instead of adding one more thing to your extremely overflowing plate of things to do as a business owner, this can replace many of those to-do items. We also help you build and implement the right systems, so this becomes a long-term play. Sure, it feels like everyone has a podcast, but only 19% of the podcasts that were created are actually active. So, the long game is what wins, and we help you do that. Plus, we're not just another studio where you record, and we leave the rest for you to figure out. Production is just a small piece of a larger puzzle. You have to make sure you're marketing it to see the growth you want; otherwise, you'll get frustrated and stop making it a priority. We help you with the entire picture, so you see ROI.

What is something you wish you’d known when you were just starting your business?

If there's one thing I've learned from being in business for 20 years, it's that plans are nice to have, but you have to adapt. Our model changed drastically, as we thought we would be a studio rental spot with some editing. However, everything shifted when we realized we had to focus on strategy and batching. Plus, we would guide clients on how to market their podcast, but when their marketing team wouldn't implement our recommendations, they would tell us they needed to stop production because the podcast wasn't working. That's when we added the whole growth side to the company to show them the potential. We also spend more time setting up pop-up studios and virtual vs. in the studio, which was another thing I hadn't planned on.

How  do you navigate your work-life balance?

That will forever be a work in progress for me. However, I have made some things non-negotiable in my life. For example, my two kids, now 11 and 12, are in a hybrid private school. They go to school 3 days a week, and I homeschool the other two. This is an absolute non-negotiable for me, as I don't want them to think production is sitting somewhere for 8 hours. So I make the balance where I need to, but again, it's still not close to perfect.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

So many people toy with the idea of a podcast and feel they want to share something, but the unknown holds them back. Nothing is more rewarding than helping them bring this thing they've wanted to do to life. We help with all of the nitty-gritty stuff, in addition to the big picture, to help bring it all together for them. I love the excitement when they see it all become an actual, tangible thing.

How has being a part of the CityCentral community affected you and your business?

I can't believe I've been a part of this community for 5 years now, but it's been crucial for this business. It's been such a great place to meet people, bring clients to, etc., and I couldn't have created this without CityCentral. 

If you had a friend in town and you could take them to one of your favorite restaurants or spots in your community, where would you take them?

I really love Legacy West as there's a restaurant for everyone, and even the Starbucks is swanky. 

We would like to thank PodGrowth for being a part of our member spotlight series! If you would like to take part in our Member Spotlight Series, please don't hesitate to reach out to your CityCentral Community Manager.