So you have a podcast – but how can you turn it into a business?

That’s exactly what Michelle Akhidenor was testing when she found her answer in the inverse.

Making podcasts for businesses!

Not just any businesses though.

Through running her own BIPOC and female-led podcast – “PEERS”, it only made sense that her agency would focus on developing credibility and trust for progressive companies through podcasts.

So she founded The PEERS Project, where she’s produced chart-topping podcasts across diverse industries, including recruitment/HR (Indeed), retirement (Estia Health), energy (AGL) and Fortune 500 tech giants (Alibaba).

This landed her in both the @Forbes 30U30 and @B&T 30U30, which recognises trailblazers who dare to be different in the realm of media and advertising.

But after bringing this podcast agency model to the US, which has a market that’s “50 times bigger”, Michelle realised she needed to niche down much more “just to get meetings”.

So first she focused solely on tech, but found out even that wasn’t niche enough. A year of experimentation later, she landed on venture capital firms.

Why? Because she found that:

[1] One in ten VC firms have a podcast already,

[2] VC firms are the most engaged  segment of tech in podcasting, &

[3] The US has thousands of VC firms, with hundreds in New York alone.

It was the clear choice.

Michelle explained how she’s tackling this enormous opportunity today and delved into all the dreams and challenges leading up to it.

This episode is a must listen for anyone who wants to positively impact the world through business.

Enjoy :)

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Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Episode

00:02 Meet Michelle Akhidenor

01:43 Michelle's Early Career and BCSS

03:51 Discovering a Passion for Marketing

05:14 The Love for Languages

07:17 Cultural Immersion and Business Lessons

11:00 Diverse Career Path

13:33 Starting the Peers Podcast

19:01 Challenges and Triumphs in Podcasting

28:17 The Journey to Sponsorship

31:21 Persistence Pays Off: Landing the Shopify Deal

34:48 The Importance of Representation in Media

37:55 From Podcasting to Business: The Journey

41:53 Navigating the US Market: Lessons Learned

50:02 Quick Fire Questions and Personal Insights

54:35 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

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You can connect with Michelle here:

* https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleakhidenor/

* https://www.instagram.com/michakhidenor/?hl=en

You can check out The Peers Project here:

* https://www.instagram.com/thepeersproject/?hl=en

* https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-peers-project/

* https://thepeersproject.com/