Story Scaling

PodcastVideos.com

Story Scaling is an interview series from PodcastVideos.com that highlights the voices, journeys, and lessons of today’s most compelling content creators, including podcasters, journalists, influencers, and hybrid storytellers. Through thoughtful, conversational interviews, we explore how these creators found their voice, chose their platforms, overcame challenges, and built trusted audiences. The goal is to offer a real, behind-the-scenes look at meaningful content creation, supporting PodcastVideos.com’s mission to spotlight creators, build industry connections, and open doors to new collaborations.

  1. 1D AGO

    Building Brands in the Attention Economy | With Jeremy Bobo

    The grind looks different now, but the rules haven’t changed. Jeremiah sits down with creative entrepreneur and Walmart pre-media manager Jeremy Bobo to map the path from burning 5,000 CDs by hand to building brands that travel on algorithms. Jeremy unpacks why face-to-face hustle still matters, how to handle rejection without losing momentum, and the exact moments to choose free value over fast monetization to grow your audience and revenue. We start with Jeremy’s Little Rock roots and the soccer scholarship that opened his world, then move through a decade in music where he learned to create demand when the internet was more MySpace than For You Page. From there, Jeremy breaks down his three-part growth framework: sharpen the idea, lock the brand image, and aim with intent at the right demographic. He shares lessons from agency work on global kids’ brands like Hello Kitty and Paw Patrol, where consistent visuals and category cues drive sales, and he explains how to benchmark top competitors without becoming a copy. The conversation gets practical fast: guerrilla marketing versus today’s virality, how subscriptions and free content can coexist, and why nonprofits often out-execute for-profit teams on marketing discipline. We talk team culture and incentives, the microagency model behind District 21, and why sourcing the right partners can 10x speed to market. Jeremy also dives into Walmart’s tech-forward shift and what it signals for retail, automation, and media in the next five years. Plus, a powerful reminder to evolve, using Jelly Roll’s reinvention as a blueprint for staying relevant while widening your impact. If you’re a creator, founder, or marketer asking when to monetize, where to focus, and how to stand out without burning out, this conversation gives you a lean, repeatable playbook. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs the push, and tell us: which platform will you double down on this quarter?

    1h 2m

  2. FEB 5

    The Algorithm Is People: Creating Experiences That Actually Connect

    What if the feeling is the plan? That’s the question we chase with Preston Poindexter, a Memphis-born creative who blends church-bred musicianship with operations savvy to build events that actually mean something. From drumline captain who learned by ear to community-focused producer and founder of Black Opal, Preston shows how letting passion lead can still sell out rooms, without selling out the soul. We unpack the blueprint he grew up with: a music producer dad who gave him tools instead of rules, and a supply chain pro mother who taught him structure without killing the spark. That balance now shapes the way he designs experiences, like a modern roaring twenties New Year’s party where hip-hop met elegance and strangers felt like old friends by midnight. The method is disarmingly simple: start with the feeling, reverse-engineer the operations, and shave constraints without touching the core emotion. Think fewer, truer words; visuals that carry mood; and marketing that invites people to “play along” instead of perform for the algorithm. Preston also breaks down why people, not code, are the algorithm, why joy beats outrage for building durable communities, and why your books and taxes matter as much as your theme and playlist. We talk passion vs outcome, the lost art of hobbies that aren’t side hustles, and the quiet power of adult spaces designed for connection rather than networking. Plus, a preview of Club Noir: a monthly, dressed-to-impress social hour for a 25-plus crowd that wants to feel good without the noise. If you’re a creator, event producer, or simply someone who misses making things for love, this conversation offers a roadmap with heart. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck in hustle mode, and drop a comment: what feeling are you building next?

    42 min

  3. JAN 29

    Scaling Moments: No Ads, Just Grind: From 0 to 12K Subs with Shem Moss

    A strong why outworks every hack. We sit down with a creator who blends fatherhood, podcasting, and DJ life into a focused system that grows without ads. The conversation starts where real motivation lives: kids who didn’t ask to be here, and a parent determined to give them a better shot. That responsibility turns discipline from a nice idea into a schedule you can set your watch by, the kind that survives slow months and late nights. From there, we pull back the curtain on craft. Picking up a camera was only the start; research and repetition did the heavy lifting. You’ll hear how he built to 12,000 YouTube subscribers and 20,000 Facebook followers by planning drop times around audience behavior, tightening edits for retention, and obsessing over how viewers experience the first three seconds. We dig into the art of thumbnails as packaging, high-contrast images, clean titles, and a single point of focus that earns the click without empty bait. Lunch-break iterations with a designer show how small decisions stack into big results. The heart of the episode is five creator commitments that turn intention into momentum: choose a passion you can carry, build discipline into your calendar, connect with the people rooting for you, post daily in some form, and be about what you say you’ll do. We’re honest about metrics: some videos stall at 200 views while others spike to a million, and that’s normal. The answer isn’t chasing hacks; it’s consistency that teaches platforms who your work is for and trust that keeps people coming back. If you’re at the do-or-die point, this is your playbook for growing with purpose and staying sane while you do it. Hit follow, share this with a creator who needs the push, and leave a review telling us which commitment you’re claiming next.

    9 min

  4. JAN 23

    Streetwear, Shenanigans & Second Chances | With Louie Cortese

    If you’ve ever felt trapped between who you were and who you’re trying to become, this one will hit home. We sit down with BMX rider and creator Louie Cortese to strip success down to its studs: the choices you make after you fail, the people you become when no one’s watching, and how to build something real in a culture obsessed with optics. Louie opens up about identity beyond achievements, sharing a simple shift that changes everything: what you’ve done doesn’t define you; what you do because of it does. From the illusion of social media intimacy to the cost of living on the “fence,” we unpack judgment, grace, and accountability with a candor that’s rare online. If you’ve wrestled with criticism, burner accounts, or the urge to explain yourself to strangers, you’ll find tools here to protect your energy and redirect your focus. We also dig into the creator economy trenches. Louie breaks down live selling on Whatnot and TikTok Shop, from scrappy beginnings, first orders shipped in grocery bags, to building a community that shows up for conversation before they ever buy. You’ll hear how to host engaging streams without shouting, why authenticity converts better than hype, and how to keep your reputation clean in a streetwear scene full of shortcuts and copycats. We talk stewardship, living below your means, and stacking small weekly wins that change your month, then your year. Expect practical do’s and don’ts for creators, honest talk on comparison and algorithms, and a live, on-cue auction demo that shows exactly how calm authority can drive action. If you’re ready to stop chasing approval and start building durable trust, press play. Then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway, we read every one.

    58 min

  5. JAN 15

    Scaling Moments: Serving, Shooting, Scaling: Stories That Stick

    Start where most people get stuck: the blank page. We pull back the curtain on how redefining success as completion, not perfection, can transform creative work, career pivots, and community service. From early flowers to lived examples, the conversation maps a path anyone can walk: start, refine, finish, repeat. We dive into the craft of coffee and cocktails, where a barista competition opens the door to mixology, balance, and the quiet art of restraint. Wins matter, but the deeper lesson is process under pressure, skills that later power brand building and storytelling. A chance encounter in a grocery aisle becomes an unforgettable moment of service, leading to joyful drinks for a woman preparing for a double mastectomy. Hospitality becomes more than taste; it becomes care, connection, and memory. The lens widens to Black Southern narratives and why telling these stories changes the narrative about the South itself. A clear, practical lesson in equity, told through Seattle’s street lights, shows how designing for the most vulnerable ends up serving everyone. We talk servant leadership that shows up in small acts, the Three Fs that keep momentum (fun, focus, finish), and the deeper trio that sustains purpose through grief: love, wisdom, and courage. When HR doors close due to a record, the pivot to photography begins with a basic class, a job at the camera store, and thousands of reps. The mission sharpens as families ask for the only photo they have, proof that images are legacy, not luxury. Across these stories, a simple throughline holds: keep the main thing the main thing. When the main thing is service, craft deepens, confidence steadies, and impact compounds. If you’re building a creative life or rethinking what success looks like, this conversation offers a practical blueprint with heart, start where you are, honor your community, and finish what you begin. If this resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a nudge to finish their next project. What’s the main thing you’re keeping main right now?

    25 min

  6. JAN 8

    Scaling Moments: Create First, Optimize Later

    Stop trying to please an algorithm that barely knows you and start building an audience that won’t forget you. We dig into the creative tension every modern maker feels: protect your style or chase the quick spike that comes from on-screen hooks and caption-heavy edits. Our guest lays out a framework that’s both liberating and effective, use multiple channels as creative outlets and audience filters, keep your flagship visuals timeless, and deploy text hooks only where they actually move your goals forward. We retrace the early DIY grit of learning with whatever tools you could find and connect it to what works now: niche feeds that act like a small TV network. Weddings live with weddings. Fashion lives with fashion. Sports gets its own lane where posting 20 clips in a day doesn’t alienate anyone. This structure multiplies your surface area in the feed and makes discovery feel natural. If only a tiny percent of followers see any post, then several focused channels beat one bloated page. The result is more touch points, cleaner branding, and a workflow that supports both experimentation and craft. We also confront the myth of scale as success. A million followers might impress a room, but bookings often come from the city where you operate. That’s why local relevance matters more than global vanity metrics. Post when the work is ready, not when a clock says “optimal.” People will like before they watch. Some will scroll past everything. None of that changes the compounding effect of consistent presence. The takeaway is simple and powerful: show up with intention, test your formats, and make content that still looks good in 20 years. If you do that long enough, the right people will find you, remember you, and hire you. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a creator who needs the nudge, and leave a quick review so more makers can find these tactics.

    10 min

  7. JAN 1

    Scaling Moments: Just One Yes - Breaking Into Broadcast

    One reply out of forty. That’s how the journey started, and how it still feels when a single yes turns into real momentum. We open up about moving from radio and sports broadcasting into television news, and then translating all of that experience into a weekly podcast that began with audio and grew to include video. The through-line isn’t gear or luck; it’s a mindset shaped by cutting tape on a wood block, learning early digital tools, and building a process that makes publishing inevitable. We get specific about the transition from audio-only to a full video workflow in Adobe Premiere, the quirks that trip creators up, and the fixes that actually stick. Think camera management, formats, and compression, but also the unglamorous work of checklists and templates that keep episodes on schedule. Guest booking comes into focus with practical tactics: nurturing long-lead invites, saying yes to inbound pitches, and trying to keep two to three episodes “in the can” even when holidays blow up the plan. It’s an honest talk about what breaks a schedule and what brings it back. Comfort on the mic is built, not assumed. We explain the pre-interview ritual that sets expectations, removes off-limits topics, and calms nerves so the real conversation can happen. When early interviews went smoothly, it felt effortless; when tougher ones arrived, we learned to rely on good prep and open-ended prompts instead of forcing a script. Editing became less about perfection and more about protecting the truth of the story. Along the way, we admit to caffeine-fueled 3 a.m. upload sprints and the lessons they teach about sustainable cadence. If you’re a creator navigating the shift from idea to consistent output, this conversation offers field-tested steps to build trust with guests, stabilize production, and ship on time.  Subscribe, share with a friend who’s on the verge of starting, and leave a review with the one habit that keeps you publishing.

    8 min

  8. 12/25/2025

    Scaling Moments: From Reels to Real Life: When Community Finds You

    The first time a reel crosses 10,000 views, it feels like a tidal wave. Then the next post gets 700 and your brain starts writing stories about failure. Today we talk about that whiplash: how to ride the highs, survive the lows, and keep building a body of work you actually believe in. Ren Mclennon shares a simple rule that changed everything: never take it personal, take it seriously, and take care of it. When a clip underperforms, they don’t sulk; they re-edit, re-upload, and let the next rep carry the lesson forward. As the conversation deepens, we shift from metrics to meaning. A stranger recognized Ren in a grocery store and later invited them to craft drinks for a farewell party before a double mastectomy. That moment reframed what “audience” really is: not just views, but people who trust you enough to invite you into their lives. We unpack how connection forms online, why “the right views” beat big numbers, and how service turns casual followers into a true community. We also talk identity and confidence. Do you see yourself as the persona the internet knows, or the everyday person your friends see? The answer, it turns out, is both. Confidence here isn’t swagger; it’s craft. It’s liking your own work, being willing to change it, and letting your feed operate as a living resume that opens doors. If you’re a creator navigating algorithm swings, this conversation gives practical steps for iteration, a reminder to keep your standards high, and a reason to keep publishing when it feels like no one’s watching. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s stuck on their next post, and leave a review telling us what you’re iterating on next.

    8 min
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About

Story Scaling is an interview series from PodcastVideos.com that highlights the voices, journeys, and lessons of today’s most compelling content creators, including podcasters, journalists, influencers, and hybrid storytellers. Through thoughtful, conversational interviews, we explore how these creators found their voice, chose their platforms, overcame challenges, and built trusted audiences. The goal is to offer a real, behind-the-scenes look at meaningful content creation, supporting PodcastVideos.com’s mission to spotlight creators, build industry connections, and open doors to new collaborations.

Information

  • Creator
    PodcastVideos.com
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Story Scaling
  • Show Website
    Story Scaling