What can indie podcasters learn from one of the most talked-about podcasts of the year? Quite a lot, actually. Today, Jonathan Howard walks us through why New Heights, hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, keeps fans coming back…and what we can apply to our own shows, even if we don’t talk about football (or engaged to Taylor Swift).

From authentic emotional moments to naming your community, building recurring segments, and leveraging vulnerability, we explore what makes a podcast not just popular—but obsession-worthy.

Episode Highlights:

[00:15] Welcome Back: Thanksgiving recap & missing co-hosts

[03:30] DR debuts a jazzy AI theme song using Suno

[07:11] Ralph and Jonathan on creating AI-generated podcast music

[12:10] Main Topic Intro: What makes New Heights obsession-worthy?

[18:14] Clip: Brotherly bond & emotional storytelling

[23:42] Clip: Jason Kelce breaks down after Super Bowl loss

[27:24] Nick and Ralph share how vulnerability strengthens listener loyalty

[31:26] Segment names and structure

[33:06] The power of naming your audience (“92 Percenters”)

[35:36] Clip: Listener shoutouts

[38:50] Clip: Behind the scenes of the “92 Percenters” inside joke

[44:20] Key takeaways

[48:21] Can solo podcasters create the same level of connection?

[53:11] Building familiarity through small, repeated moments

Links & Resources:

📌 Join the Empowered Podcasting Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredpodcasting

📌 Submit your podcast for a future evaluation: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8-Xv6O6lrNPcPJwj3N0Z5Osdl-5kHGz_PiAU45U

📌 December 4th's Podcast Evaluation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2504669/episodes/18099719

📌 Learn more about Suno (AI music tool): https://suno.ai

📌 Auphonic Audio Processing: https://auphonic.com

📌 New Heights Podcast: https://www.newheightshow.com

📌 Watch Marc’s podcaster float balloon video:https://www.instagram.com/p/DRkIJyFDoY7/

📌 Marc on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@marcronick

📬 Got a question for the show? Send it here: https://www.podpage.com/pmc/contact/ or email [email protected]

🎙 Want to be a guest on The Podcasting Morning Chat? Connect on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b

🗣 Join us live every weekday morning at 7AM ET: 🎧 Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/house/empowered-podcasting-e6nlrk0w

🖥 Chatter: https://preview.chattersocial.io/group/98a69881-f328-4eae-bf3c-9b0bb741481d

📺 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@marcronick

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