A rocky first email thread turned into a decade of building rooms where creators actually want to linger. I sit down with Mark; producer, engineer, and self‑styled conversational architect to unpack how Podcast Atlanta grew from a reluctant meetup with free pizza into a reliable hub that puts our city on the podcasting map.
We dig into craft before hype: how a director’s ear shapes a better interview, the edit notes that protect story flow, and the quiet logistics that keep events sustainable month after month. Mark lays out his early growth levers (bribes, proximity, repeatable formats) and the bigger unlock designing for stages. Launching a show, growing an audience, re-branding, or pivoting a business each needs its own doorway. That programming lens, paired with genuine place identity, is how a community endures beyond a single host or season.
We talk re-brands without cringe by inviting member votes and shipping shy, then iterating. We trace the industry’s surge from $75M to a projected $2.4B in ad spend and what that means for differentiation now that “everyone has a podcast.” We also go deep on openness: why RSS still matters, how YouTube fits the funnel, and how to meet listeners where they watch without ceding control. Along the way, we share personal stakes... retirement plans, post‑COVID social batteries, and the odd Budweiser in an editor lounge because community is built by humans with limits and preferences, not just metrics and logos.
To listen to Mark's new Podcast - https://podcastatlanta.com/habitat/
Pod-Tour RSVP - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/atlanta-podcasters-meetup-tickets-1736086564649?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Podcast Atlanta Meetup - https://www.facebook.com/groups/PODATL/
Join The Newsletter - https://podcastatlanta.com/
