INTERVIEW | Make Money by Building a Career in Podcasting Without Following the Crowd with Laura Mayer

Laura Mayer has spent nearly two decades helping shape the podcast industry from the inside. As Head of Podcasts at Talkhouse, former Executive Producer of Podcast Programming at ABC News, co-creator of The Dream, and author of Try Hard: A Cautionary Tale of Clocking In and Spinning Out, she's launched more than 100 podcasts while witnessing the industry's biggest booms, acquisitions, and growing pains. In this episode, Laura joins Travis to share how she accidentally built a career in podcasting, what aspiring creators should know about networks, and why niche audiences may be the future of the industry. On this episode we talk about: How Laura Mayer built a career in podcasting before most people knew what podcasts were The differences between independent podcasts and podcast networks The realities of podcast monetization, advertising, and network deals Why niche podcasts often outperform massive shows from a business perspective Laura's journey from creating Shameless Acquisition Target to writing Try Hard Top 3 Takeaways Success in podcasting comes from consistency and genuine curiosity—not chasing trends or celebrity status. Highly engaged niche audiences can be far more valuable than massive audiences because they attract premium advertisers and loyal listeners. The people who learn the fastest are the ones willing to ask questions and embrace looking inexperienced instead of pretending they already know everything. Notable Quotes "The smartest people in the room are the ones who are willing to look dumb the most." "Podcasting is a hits business." "Anyone can make a podcast—that's always been the beauty of it." Connect with Laura Mayer: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-mayer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tryhard_laura/ Other: Try Hard: A Cautionary Tale of Clocking In and Spinning Out A Word from Our Sponsors: - Visit DrinkAG1.com/TMM to get a free AG1 Travel Case with 7 free AG1Travel Packs in your Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription order while supplieslast.  - Go to Leesa.com for 30% OFF select mattresses (through July 12, 2026) PLUS get an extra $50 off with promo code TMM, exclusive for my listeners  - To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney -Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices