The Easiest Way to Start Conversations on LinkedIn (That Lead to Sales)

In this episode, Ken Freire talks with podcast producer Jake Doberenz (Theophany Media) about how he fell into podcasting, why the medium is still one of the best “authenticity engines” for building trust, and what it takes to avoid becoming another dead show in the podcast graveyard. Jake also shares how niching down (especially for nonprofits and mission-driven orgs) and relationship-first LinkedIn outreach have helped him grow a lean, specialized production business—plus a quick “fast five” on what he’s testing and where podcasting is headed.Resources Mentioned• Theophany Media — https://www.theophanymedia.com/• Jake Doberenz (LinkedIn) — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-doberenz• Own The Show — https://ownthe.show/Timestamps• 00:00–03:52 — Jake’s origin story: discovering podcasts in a boring archives job and launching his first show• 03:52–06:24 — From personal podcasts to building Theophany Media (and why podcasting became the main channel)• 06:24–11:12 — Core benefits: low barrier to entry + the “age of authenticity” and parasocial trust• 11:16–16:28 — Core downsides: the podcast graveyard, rising quality expectations, and fighting for a listener’s “top 3”• 17:02–21:17 — Stand-out strategy: “the riches are in the niches” (narrow focus opens doors and PR)• 22:26–27:00 — Growing the business: getting clear on the XYZ sentence + specializing in nonprofits/faith-based orgs• 27:02–35:17 — LinkedIn relationship-first outreach + Fast Five (video investment, seasonality, lead-gen podcast, industry shift to video, desired legacy)