Compiled by Trent Thomas
LiSTNR launches new podcast From Zero with Adam Schwab
The new LiSTNR original podcast series From Zero will see Australian entrepreneur Adam Schwab talk to world-renowned business founders to try and discover why some businesses thrive and others fail.
Schwab spoke with Mediaweek‘s Trent Thomas about what to expect from the new podcast.
Working with the team at LiSTNR Original podcasts Schwab has co-created the series to get inside the minds of successful entrepreneurs, a process that he said has been three years in the making.
Throughout the series, Schwab uncovers how his guests’ personal experiences shaped their businesses, ethics, how they got started and how they built their empires.
“The inspiration came from the How I Built This podcast which is hosted out of the states by Guy Raz on NPR which is an amazing podcast. It is about the stories but really humanises the journey that they have been through. Rather than talking about big business, this is about the journeys of the entrepreneurs, and it is really rare to go from zero to 100 without having some significant issues business-wise or personal.
“What we are trying to do is go behind the business story and talk about the humanity in it and the real people behind the business which you don’t tend to see as much in business podcasts.”
Schwab said that he is in a unique position as the interview in that he is an entrepreneur himself being the co-founder and CEO of Luxury Escapes, and is also an angel investor and business writers, including the Amazon bestseller, Pigs at the Trough: Lessons from Australia’s Decade of Corporate Greed.
“I work with entrepreneurs every day, so I am in a pretty unique position to know a lot of people who have been on this journey and to also know what to ask. If you have been through an experience it is pretty helpful.
“People who run podcasts are usually journalists which is great and they ask super insightful questions but they haven’t lived it themselves.”
The first part of the series has been pre-recorded but Schwab said that they want to see what episodes gain traction.
“We have seven episodes but we have a bunch of planned episodes as well all ready to go and lined up for the next couple of months, and then we have another half dozen that we can roll out after that.”
Guests in the series will include Yoobi co-founder Ido Leffler, Smiling Mind co-founder Jane Martino, Kogan co-founder, CFO and COO David Shafer and Carsales.com founder Greg Roebuck.
“It was a bit of an evolving beast, I want to do hundreds of eps so in a way there was no rush to get certain people. I tried to match the stories to people that I had a previous connection with.
“It is a chicken and the egg challenge in the podcast, you have got to get people to come on the podcast but there is no podcast yet. You tend to often speak to people you know, or done it before, or you know make great content.
“Part of the advantage that I have had in this series is having a lot of friends and connections who have started businesses and people who have helped me out by coming on the podcast without payment and without seeing huge audience traction.”
Those Two Girls move from radio to podcasting
SCA has announced that the Hit Network’s Lise Carlaw and Sarah Wills will be transitioning from their national early breakfast show to kick off a new daily podcast, Halfternoons with Those Two Girls, from May 31 on LiSTNR.
Released at 2pm weekdays, Halfternoons with Those Two Girls will be 30 minutes of the pair providing their relatable stories around what’s caught their attention that day.
Wills said: “The freedom, play and potential in the podcast space has excited us for some time and to work with the LiSTNR team developing a daily podcast right in time for those who need a little arvo pick-me-up, is where we want to be.”
Carlaw added: “The beauty of Halfternoons is people can listen to the 2pm drop, but it will absolutely still be relevant for folks on their evening commute home, or on the 5am trip to the gym the following morning; the aim is to keep our listeners company, whatever they’re doing.”
SCA has also acquired Lise and Sarah’s successful podcast, Forty, a weekly podcast series that celebrates the life lessons and stories of popular Australian women in their forties, including Ada Nicodemou, Sarah Wilson, Yumi Stynes, Mia Freedman, and Julie Goodwin. Forty has achieved more than 200,000 downloads and a 185% increase in listenership from 31 December – 31 March 2021.
[Listen to Those Two Girls catch up podcast here]
On Her Game partners with PUMA for six-episode special
LiSTNR has announced that the Sam Squiers podcast On Her Game has partnered with Puma to create a six-episode special as part of Puma’s “She Moves Us” campaign.
This is the first time that Puma has sponsored a podcast in Australia and it is part of the companies attempt to establish itself as a leader in gender equality by giving female athletes a platform to raise their voices and call for change in sport.
Sam Squiers
In the episodes, Squiers speaks to Puma sportswomen and partners and gets to know the person behind the athlete and learn what it takes to get to the top of their field.
The interviews focus on how female athletes and businesswomen would like to see change in sport and will feature exclusive never-before-told stories.
The interviews include netballer Jemma Mi Mi from the Queensland Firebirds, rugby league player and captain of the Brisbane Broncos Ali Brigginshaw in her first podcast interview and Peggy O’Neal, President of the Richmond Football Club.
Squiers said: “Through candid conversations with six of Australia’s top athletes and sports administrators we will hear women raise their voices, challenge expectations and inspire the next generation of would-be athletes. Puma is a perfect partner for On Her Game; we both want to empower women athletes to share their stories, raise their voices and create a positive future for women in sport.”
On Her Game, produced by LiSTNR’s Lindsey Green, is a weekly podcast published every Friday, from 21st May and is available on the LiSTNR app.
NSW Police State Crime Command confronts domestic violence in new episodes
Two women will reveal their intertwined experience of domestic violence at the hands of the same perpetrator in the latest NSW Police State Crime Command podcast, hosted by Adam Shand.
Over three episodes, the new podcast, entitled Control, explores how violence and control are two different tactics used by perpetrators in a relationship and what it takes to break the cycle.
Cassie was aged 29 when she met and married her partner after he moved to Australia. The couple welcomed a son in 2014. Throughout their three-year relationship, Cassie endured controlling, jealous and violent behaviour at the hands of her husband before she finally left him 2015.
In 2016, Kylie began a relationship with the same man. Together they also had a son.
Like many women, Cassie and Kylie hid years of abuse perpetrated on them by their partner from family, friends and even police because they lived with both fear and shame.
This podcast shares their very personal story, in particular, the way that violence and intimidation gradually evolved in their relationships.
“There is a fear that completely envelops you when you’re in an abusive relationship, and eventually, it becomes a matter of taking yourself out of the situation,” explains Cassie, now aged 39.
“To anyone experiencing any form of violence, find someone you can trust and have the courage to speak up and get out. Yes, it was hard to leave, but I can’t feel guilty for doing what was the right thing for me and my son.”
The podcast also highlights the red flags of a violent and controlling relationship and how together with police and support services, people can stop the cycle of domestic violence.
“Until you make that decision to call the police, you’re never going to get out of it because until the police are involved, you’re just going to keep going back and they’re not going to stay away,” Kylie said.
[Listen to NSW Police State Crime Command here]
The Chaser announces new daily podcast
The Chaser launched a bold initiative early Monday morning. The self-described “boring old farts” in conjunction with the self-described Chaser Interns™ and assorted contributors have entered the daily news podcast space.
The Chaser Report sees the comedy masters working with a new audio platform after time spent previously with SCA’s PodcastOne and more recently Nova Entertainment.
“We had to go to the phone book and Acast was at the top of the list so we asked them,” said The Chaser Report co-host Charles Firth told Mediaweek’s James Manning. Co-hosting with him will be the other Chaser co-founder Dom Knight.
“We will be working at 4am before it goes out,” Firth promised Mediaweek. “Rest assured we won’t be taking the lazy option and just prerecording and then scheduling it for a 5am release. Any breaking news that happens at 4am will be covered in our podcast. The entire 20-year history of The Chaser is doing things at the last minute, so The Chaser Report continues that tradition.”
While the comedians have singled out Schwartz Media’s 7am as the key “competitor”, they will also be alternative listening for an audience being offered LiSTNR’s The Briefing, Your Morning Agenda and Australia Today with Steve Price, Nova’s The Update, and News Corp’s From the Newsroom. Not to mention various news offering and catch-up programs from the ABC, Sky News and radio stations around Australia.
Firth and Knight are anchoring the new series with Rebecca De Unamuno reading the news. Also making an appearance will be other members of The Chaser team including Craig Reucassel, Zoe Norton Lodge, Sami Shah, Andrew Hansen, Nina Oyama, and Chris Taylor
[Listen to The Chaser Report here]
Harley Breen and Nikki Britton join Nova with their podcast Mates Talking About Stuff
Aussie comedians Harley Breen and Nikki Britton have you covered with their new Nova Podcast Mates Talking About Stuff, which launched on Monday 24 May. With episodes out every Monday and Friday, the podcast is recorded just hours before it goes live – it’s organic, unscripted and covers everything your mates will be chatting about that day.
Mates Talking About Stuff will tackle the big issues, the small issues, but most importantly the topics everyone overlooks…the medium issues; from Nikki’s love life, to the fact Harley had children because he needed more material for his comedy show, it’s a place to hang out and dissect the great mysteries of life, or just laugh at stupid stuff.
[Listen to Mates Talking About Stuff here]
