PodFest: A Legacy of Community & Growth with Chris Krimitsos

Intro: 00:00:01

It's not just for the geeks and OGs, this show's for those in and around podcasting.

Mark: 00:00:12

Hey, what's going on? Welcome to in and Around Podcasting, the podcast industry show that brings you a range of powerful podcasting perspectives.

And this week you have me, Mr. Mark, the founder, an MD of Captivate. Unfortunately, our friend in podcasting, Mr. Danny Brown, is unwell.

He's got a bit of a thick head, as he would say in his Scottish accent. He's got a bit of a cold and he's not feeling too good.

So he asked if I could do a special session with a wonderful co host to recap a wonderful event. Last week, Kieran and I shout out to Orlando, Florida to attend, of course, Pod fest in its 11th year.

I think I'm going to talk to the founder about that in a second. I think it's year 11 according to the program and it's always a fantastic week. So who better to recap that than the founder, Mr. Chris. Chris Sauce.

Hello, co host. Welcome to the show.

Chris: 00:01:15

Am I supposed to talk at this point?

Mark: 00:01:17

You don't have to talk. You can just do your facial expressions.

Chris: 00:01:20

I was gonna just do a deadpan, but on a podcast, I don't think if that. That doesn't work, does it?

Mark: 00:01:25

Yeah, like people just listening to the audio version would just think technical issues. I'm gonna go.

Chris: 00:01:30

Oh, yeah, something just dropped out. But no, thank you for having me as your co host and excited to be with you and hopefully I could recap or help you recap Podfest.

Mark: 00:01:40

Was it year 11? It was year 11, wasn't it?

Chris: 00:01:43

It's year 11, but we had like a year prior that we didn't count. So, I mean, it depends how you look at year 11. Officially. Yes. Next year will be our 12th year, so we're excited about that.

Mark: 00:01:53

Wow, that is insane. Well, we are going to recap it. I wanted to talk to you rather than just do a solo episode recapping PodFest.

It's quite a special event in many ways, and the way that it positions itself and the way that it does things for its people, and that's all led by you and the way that you do things. So I wanted to talk about that rather than just doing, you know, a solo recap that didn't seem to do it justice.

So we are going to do that in just a second.

But for you, the beautiful listener out there, don't forget that if you're into podcasting and you want the industry news or the views within the industry without the highfalutin, I suppose, view from the top, that's exactly what we do here at in and around Podcasting.

You can check us out on all the podcasting platforms or go to in and around podcasting.com to listen via the web player and also tell a friend, got someone that's into podcasting, send them the link, nice and easy. That'd be fantastic. Now captivate. And really any business that we've had in podcasting.

In fact, next month, February 18th, podcast website is 10 years old, which is our original business in podcast. And I've been podcasting for probably 12 years now, which is. Which is crazy.

Everything that I've ever done has been built on people, been built on events, built on relationships, and in particular, probably certainly pre covered.

I was traveling that much to every single event, every single event in the US That I could get to, to the point where I would get random spot checked every single time I entered the US because they clearly thought I was up to something. I was doing like six months of the year there. But dude, PodFest is really, really different.

So just, just let's go back for two or three minutes to the genesis of PodFest. Like, where did it start? What was the point in creating an event when other events existed? And why is PodFest a little different?

Because I think it really is. So just give us the backstory, mate, for a second.

Chris: 00:03:41

So I was running a community in Tampa for entrepreneurs, and we would have meetups on the street level at restaurants. And Steve Cherubino, who created Android app Addicts, he was one of the first few hundred podcasters. He created a course on how to podcast.

And he said, hey, dude, I'm loving these meetups. We were talking about Internet marketing. So he goes, can I teach about podcasting? And I said, as long as it's not blog talk radio.

No shade on blog talk radio. But at the time, the audio quality was really bad. So I knew long term that thing, it just wasn't gonna succeed. He goes, no, no. Like Apple podcasting.

I'm like, okay, great. So he taught about it and he had the course. And he goes, this young guy just bought my course called John Lee Dumas. He just started his show.

It seems like he's doing pretty good. And I said to Steve, are you going to keep selling your course? He goes, no, there's not enough podcasters for me. He was so early.

He flamed out before the boom, so to speak. It's so funny when you have really early adapters. So he was already transitioning, but in the meantime, I said, can you tell me more about it?

I Went home, by the way, we had 11 people at that meetup and 13 people bought his course. He discounted it like 90%. He was basically giving it away. But I've never had where 13 people bought when there was only 11 people in the room.

So I was like, there's something here. And I was part of the YouTube revolution on on Demand video. And I was like, why is audio lagging behind?

I went home, told my wife, and we had our first little spat who was going to create a podcast. First she won, so then I did what I'm comfortable with, which is be the marketing slash cheerleader.

So I was like, listen, Katie, for this to succeed, she created a show at the time called Biz Women Rock. I go, we need to get reviews. We need to get you seen publicly.

So I just started doing tons of meetups all around Florida, specific around podcasting with Steve. I would take him in the car and we would show up at places and I'd be like, just tell him what you told me. Tell them what you told me.

And he'd set up his looks to set up. What happened from there, Mark, is everybody started calling me for customer support. And as you know, I'm not a very technical person.

I'm more of a marketing type person. So I was like, I didn't know how to help all these people. They're like, what do I do next? How do I do this? I was like, let's all get together.

And that was the birth of PodFest. So it happened very organically, and it happened the same time that other conferences were being built at the same time.

It was like a six month lag, but it really was trying to service all these people I had helped. And then, as you know, one thing led to another, it just kept doubling in size.

And we made the documentary film about podcasting to help people see what it was, because we got tired of getting asked, what is a podcast? What does it look like? Because it was all audio at the time. So we created the documentary with Neil Gaillarte, the director of that.

So it's been a great ride. And my wife since has transitioned to the Women's Meditation Network, and millions of women listen to her meditations every month.

But it's been an amazing ride for me. Podfest is growing so much now that I brought in some partners to help me run it.

Because if it goes the way it looks like it's going, it's going to need a lot more capital to grow into the convention center spaces that it needs to go into. So it's an exciting ride and now I get to do marketing and kind of like you travel and meet people and.

You know, I remember when you had podcast websites. I remember when you were telling me about Captivate. I said, you need a big C logo. That was at the Harvard event that I was consulting on, remember?

So there's just a lot of. Actually that's where I met Nick, my partner and we became really good friends. Was at that Harvard event that I helped put on, so.

Or consult, I should say. I didn't put it on, but I consulted on it.

Mark: 00:07:12

a good event. What was that?: 2017

Chris: 00:07:17

That event saved my butt because I made a good relationship with the sponsor that then helped podfest out later on that year. So that was an amazing event, mate.

Mark: 00:07:25

But that's how it happens, right? So Captivate got acquired by Global, you know what, two months before I'd had a little girl. As you know, you met Dot and it was.

Do you know that came from podfest. So Global had got in touch with us. I checked my emails actually about this a couple of weeks ago, had that for something else.

Global had got in touch, maybe say for argument's sake, like July of whatever year, you know, whatever year it was. And it didn't. Nothing really went anywhere. It was just like, oh, hi, do you want to connect?

And we connected and it was like we might have some interest in something. And then nothing happened.

And then we met the Evergreen guys, Michael and David and everyone down there at podfest and everything circled back through the Global US team and people wanted.

The people at Global were looking for a podcast hosting platform and the recommendation was Captivate, which in turn came through podfest through Evergreen. So everything is relationship based. Everything is relationship based. That genuinely it all came from PodFest.

That one meeting, I think it was PodFest.

Chris: 00:08:35

It's crazy how all that happens. When you told me that I didn't believe you, but I believe you now.

Mark: 00:08:39

And it's all relationships and I think.

Chris: 00:08:41

Because we're like having fun, if that makes sense. Yeah. So the relational capital is happening. So.

Mark: 00:08:45

And like this still never feels like a job. And I know you feel the same. Like we've been to a couple of conferences.

Chris: 00:08:50

Oh, my mother in law was grilling me the other day, telling me what I do for a living. She just, she was at PodFest with us, you know, so it's kind of funny.

Mark: 00:08:56

Yeah, it's crazy how that works.

But look, the crux of this, the, the reason that I wanted to get into this is people that listen to this show tune in because they want the unfiltered on the ground version of what's going on in podcasting. And to me PodFest is trying to achieve the same goal and doing it so very, very well.

And I think that that for me stands out in the podcast conference space because so many other events that I love have had to become everything to the, the whole industry because there are so many different facets to the industry now. It's, there is the media, the talent, the big industry side of things, there's the top 1%, there's there in the, the indie podcasters out there.

It feels like you focus on creators in this and, and, and doing what you do best, which is fostering a really family based sense of community. Just talk, talk about that a little bit because I know you personally. For people that don't like why is that so important?

Why is that the core of PodFest and what can people expect if they were to attend?

Chris: 00:10:05

Well, I mean you and Kieran came from the UK and you guys brought us, I mean I don't know how much worth of British goods which, and I put a post up and I really mean this, we all were like young men without kids when we all first met or maybe I had my, you know, like we had. And now we all have families, we have children and we've grown up together. You know, I didn't have any. Now I have gray hairs. So do you.

So like you see that transition and it's over a decade and change and for me that's what PodFest is about in that there's young people coming in, there's veterans, everybody's in there to support one another and it's an ecosystem. So I look at podfests like a coral reef. All the pieces are there that you need.

I mean you got connected to Global, that's one of the biggest companies. But it starts with the independent creators in that community. So over time everybody will be attracted to us.

I mean the hall of Fame now is hosted at podfest. Tom Webster, I think he was formerly Edison Research, was acknowledged there. I think he's what sounds profitable, right? Do I have that right?

You know, so like these are people that would never step foot at PodFest in the past, just in general and they would say so like, hey, this is not our wheelhouse. But, but now they're coming to podfast. There's a community there supports them. The hall of Fame is pulling well over 130, 140 people in the room.

You saw it, it was packed.

So the reason it's packed is there's a community that's there to support the veterans of the industry because they're also there to help the beginners of the industry. And I think, to me, that's a full circle moment. I wouldn't want to do this if it didn't support the independence.

So, like, there would be no juice for me, if that makes sense. I like seeing people get started. I know you do too. You're a host for that reason.

But also, I also enjoy the pros, people like yourself that are coming back because, you know, you want to hang out, obviously, with me, I hope. And your friends. Yeah, yeah. Questionable. I know. So we all get to hang out. Gabe, who now has become a huge YouTuber, like, that's the other.

There's all these storylines, as you know. Like, we have friends that are podcasters and now they're some of the biggest YouTubers because creators create and, you know, you.

John Lee Dumas has got a YouTube channel. He's talking about that. So I just think we're a really great hub for creators. Podcasting, obviously, is where we started and now it's expanding out.

I do see some serious growth for PodFest, because as you saw at this past time, things solidified in a very different way. Did you feel it when you showed up? I'm assuming you did, because we felt it almost day one.

People were just very comfortable with each other and hanging out with their. I know we've had that in the past, but it was at a different level this past year.

Mark: 00:12:43

I think that's one of the things for me that sets PodFest apart. And I think it's driven by you and Katie in the way that you have.

You have protected the brand through the last 10, 11 years by almost by just being naturally yourselves.

I think so many people think that you've got to grow an event or you've got to grow a particular type of brand in a particular type of way and become potentially more corporate or to attract certain types of people to events in order to be legitimized.

And I think you, by virtue of being you and the way that Katie also, I mean, you two work off each other so well, the way that you work together, I feel like it's naturally protected the PodFest brand, which has then manifested in such a way that if I was talking to a brand new creator here, even here in the uk, and they said, look, I've Got budget for one show this year. I've been a creator for two years or I've been a creator for a year or I'm thinking about becoming a creator.

Where would you recommend I put that Budget? I would say podfest, because you walk into a room and everyone feels like they're there for the same reason. Everyone is there genuinely learning.

Everyone is there genuinely sharing. It feels like there are no tire kickers. You get that A lot of events, not just podcasting events. We've been to many events, you and I.

We've been to the big events in San Diego. We've been to countless events. There are always tire kickers. Like what is in this for my company?

And whilst there has to be an element of that to justify budget, if I'm an indie creator, that's not one. I don't want to be faced with that. And I think Pod. Podfest has fostered such a. A community spirit that it has become more palpable.

And you can feel it. Like you said, like Kieran and I got there, we were battered on. On from jet lag.

Chris: 00:14:37

Yeah, you guys, you looked it too.

Mark: 00:14:39

I was shocking. Like you took a picture of us at the bar. Not the bar. We weren't at the bar.

We were around a bar and we were at the bar and there's a picture of me floating around on social media with Chris and Kieran. I like I've been kicked in both eyes. And it was like we just flown in nine hour flight and we said, look, we can't go back to the room.

If we do, we're gonna pass out. You'll. No one will see us. Went straight downstairs, dude.

It took us 45 minutes to go from the elevators through the exhibit hall because ev, we knew everyone and we were catching up with people. That's rare, you know, that's rare. So I. I just feel you're right. I think it was palpable. I think you could feel the community and I feel that.

I feel that there was a sense of comfort from people that had attended the first time, if that makes sense.

Chris: 00:15:23

That's a great word. Yeah, I think that's what it was. I couldn't put my finger on it. Comfort would be the word it was.

You could feel that besides just us connecting, all of us that know each other, there was a comfort in the first timers because it created a. It was added into the energy. I do want to share a couple of things. Our education is the. I really mean this.

I don't think you could find it Anywhere else, because a lot of these educators have been with us for 5, 6, 7, now 10 years. So let's say, when you say, chris, I'd like to speak, I know you know that there's times that you don't want to speak.

So, like that alone, I know it sounds weird, but we have people that will educate at PodFest that you're not going to find anywhere else.

We also have people like yourself that say, hey, this time I want to sit out, but can I moderate a panel, Help some new guy, you know, put some new podcasters up. It happens all the time. Like Gabe Eluise, he's like, I don't necessarily want to speak, but can I support as a volunteer or moderate?

So the people are wearing the volunteer shirts sometimes are the most connected podcasters, creators you've ever met. You just don't know it. So it's a unique thing because, like, everybody comes full circle and how they want to support in that ecosystem every year.

And then we end the show with the gratitude ceremony and the closing keynote is the actual audience on Sunday morning.

Mark: 00:16:39

There's a lot of initiative there to keep people coming back as well. And I think that very often we found it with certain events. And again, I love all the events that we go to.

I genuinely do, because I've got great friends at every single event and you'll always see me repeatedly going to events. But I feel that sometimes at some events you have to, you know, you have to have a presence to exhibit, to make the most of it.

And you have to put a brand new talk together every time you go. And that can be really tough. Like, we're coming from the uk. It's, it's tens of thousands of dollars for us to get over there with an exhibit.

We've got to ship the entire thing. We've got to get merch in the U.S.

like, one of the years we came to PodFest, we got the ships, we got the, the shirts that we had shipped, they were a U.S. company. And we were like, okay, well, where are the convention center or the, the hotel? Where are the shirts? And they were in Kansas.

Like, they're the things that we face.

Chris: 00:17:33

I know, I remember that. I still feel bad about, oh, they.

Mark: 00:17:35

Came the next day, it was fine. We got rid of them all. People.

Chris: 00:17:37

I know, but it just. That stuff happens, like stuff gets lost.

Mark: 00:17:40

Yeah, it can't be helped.

But so for us to be able to come to somewhere like PodFest, support it, the way that we support it is by shouting about it and Telling creators and posting the social media and getting emails out to our captivate users and to, to a lot of conferences, certainly maybe conferences that aren't directly podcasting conferences, but where it's podcasting adjacent, you would almost just be disrespected for that. It's like, no, that's not enough. You've got to put 50 grand in.

And sometimes you just can't because there's no, there's no genuine logistical way to do it effectively. And what I love about podfest, like you said, is you can come, you can show up, and you can always help someone. You can, you can educate.

And one thing that I want to get across as well is that you can educate from any level. If I, when I got into podcasting, I'm like, you, you know, people person, marketing background. I came in and I was like, do you know what?

Year one, I'm going to talk marketing at a podcast conference. Because no one's really doing that at that point. They weren't doing it. And I just, I just really want to stress, like, if you're a creator and it's.

It's day one of your creation journey, you can still go to Chris and said, you know what, actually, I'm a brand expert and I see all these mistakes that podcasters are making. Could I speak?

And I feel like you are really good at helping people with it, the imposter syndrome and putting people on stage and recognizing their specialism. And one thing in particular you're personally really good at is connecting dots that people don't connect.

You know, okay, someone's really skillful over here at this thing. Why are they not talking about PodFest for the creators? Because creators need that. It's just that no one's told them that they need that.

And I think that, I think you're the essence of the podfest brand for that very reason.

Chris: 00:19:27

We do get a lot of. It's funny you say that. We do get a lot of first timers that we give at bats at PodFest, and for the most part, they exceed our expectations.

Every now and then we have some, that we have to give them some feedback on how they can make things better. But that allows us to discover new talent.

And then we have OGs like Ross Brand, who've been around forever, and he's like, chris, I submitted for this, but I just started testing podcasting through Substack. Is that something that you're interested in? Like, are you kidding me? Yeah, let's scrap whatever you're going to talk about.

Podcasting through Substack is as current as it gets, because now that's like a blogging podcasting hybrid that I think has legs, especially for journalists. And he did one of the first ever presentations on the ins and outs of podcasting through Substack.

So, like, we always try and keep, like you said, our ear to the ground on what's. What's trending for the veterans and the beginners. Two different pools, you know?

Mark: 00:20:18

Yeah.

I feel it's important to really highlight that comfort level as well, though, when you say veterans and new people, I think that's a demarcation that can sometimes scare newbies and can scare him. I don't want to say new people, but indies that feel like they've been podcasting and they've sort of. That was the best way to articulate this.

I feel that over the last few years, like, the elite of podcasting has managed to publicize itself very well because we see the big deals, we saw the boom in the exclusivity and so on, which is not quite there now. But I feel that the. The demarcation between, okay, you're a veteran or you're an expert and you're a newbie or an indie.

I feel like sometimes that can put people off. And I would really just stress that PodFest is. Is such a place where everything is leveled. Everything is leveled.

You know, you'll be having a beer with Dave Jackson, who's, like, forgotten more than we'll ever know about podcasting, and then someone that has just created a show, and there is no. I tell you what, this is the best way to sum it up.

The thing that I love about PodFest the most is there are no influencers going, oh, I can't talk to you, because I've got to go to this exclusive dinner with other influencers, which I see at other events all the time, and I think that is really crappy, because we're all people, and we're all really good at what we do.

And I think adding that almost that fake elitism is something that PodFest has never done and something that never naturally happens at podfest, because we're all there in the same room, dancing to the same music, enjoying the same education and all. It's all driven by the way that you have structured it. So how do you. How do you manage that balance? Like, how do you.

How do you make sure that you keep growing without alienating the new people in the indies? Because that must be really difficult.

Chris: 00:22:08

So, like you said, a lot of our veterans like this year, June Han said, I want to take on orientation. Put me, set me loose, give me some rooms. And then they'll welcome all the new, you know, anyone that's a first timer.

Like you said, they're not necessarily new to podcasting for the most part. Some of these people have been doing it for quite some time, but it's their first time at an event to meet their peers. He welcomes them.

And also, years ago, that delineation really bothered me. I'm sure you had those where you go talk to someone, they turn around while you're talking to them.

I mean, I was like, I hope no one ever has to go through this.

Like you're talking to the person, they literally mid sentence, just turn around, talk to the person next to them and just look at you like you don't matter. And I go, that is the rudest thing I've ever seen.

So in the very early years, speakers were not allowed to speak and leave, so they had to sign a contract that they would come and stay for the entirety of the event. And then we don't, like you said, we don't draw delineation speakers. There's no hierarchy and that's all done by intention.

There's a lot of little things that we do behind the scenes. So everybody knows we do a lot of speaker town halls, forums.

And one thing I say to them is we're entrusting you with the podfest experience with someone that might be a first timer. And I expect you to treat them the way we're treating you with open arms and welcoming. So we definitely infuse the ethos many times.

So before a podfest, I probably do, I don't know, at least six town halls for attendees, speakers, everybody. And we make sure the speakers know, just cause you're a speaker doesn't mean you're better than or less than.

Plus, some of these attendees might be the greatest connection you're looking for. So we just want you to be open to connecting one another.

And then we do that influencer meet and greet where we actually introduce everybody to each other. And a lot of people like yourself that like marketing and networking, they love that.

Cause they're like, oh my God, I just met someone, they just started this really cool niche, or I met someone else. And then the connection just happens from there. So there's a lot of intentionality in what we do. I love what I do. Also.

The exhibitors, you probably know this because you've exhibited. I started exhibiting for PodFest, so I never went to trade shows you might have with your background.

I didn't understand the value of trade shows till I started utilizing it myself for PodFest. But I remember paying an astronomical amount of money, and then they're like, you don't get to eat.

And I'm like, I just paid like $10,000 you're not gonna give me. They go, you could watch them eat. And I don't know who it was. It was like, they paid 1,000 bucks for a ticket.

And I'm like, this doesn't seem fair that the people underwriting the event, the exhibitors, are not allowed to eat. And we work like 12 hours.

Like, you know, you're standing up, you're tired, you know, and everybody you talk to, you're trying to make sure they have a good experience with your brand.

So for PodFest, I go, we're going to have a party for the exhibitors, and we're going to bring in our speakers and, you know, people that paid for the food access, because that is a cost.

We're going to close down for an hour, thank the exhibitors, give them a drink ticket, bring everybody, you know, everybody in that bought a pass for that party, and thank them for sponsoring our event. I know it sounds like a small thing, but that's a big thing. When you exhibit, they really don't.

Most conferences treat you as like, yeah, go set up your booth and we'll see you later. And they never ask, how was it? How could we do better?

So I think we had two or three different people going around to the exhibit saying, hey, how can we make your experience better? Or giving them feedback like, hey, we love you, but you have this one product that you didn't display.

If you displayed it, podcasters would be able to identify it and get you more traffic. So also giving feedback on how we could support them in the future, because.

Mark: 00:25:45

It is a two way street as well. We've spent, you know, hundreds of thousands on exhibits over the years at Captivate. And I was like you before podcasting. I've never really done it.

And I agree that it's a two way street. You know, there are many conferences we've been to where you pay your money and you've forgotten. Absolutely. And it's a nightmare.

So I, I appreciate that as an exhibitor and as someone running a company now, I'm conscious of your time and I know you've got a top of the hour call as we're recording this, but I want to talk about one last thing, because I truly, truly believe that Every indie creator in the podcasting space. Everyone listening to this should attend at least one Podfest. I'm going to get your flattering run.

Chris: 00:26:23

Three, but go ahead.

Mark: 00:26:24

I was going to go 10, but, you know, I mean, yeah, the next eight years would be great to get your flattering ram in just a second.

But one last thing that I want to talk about is there is an opportunity to test the pod, the podfest vibe, the brand, the feeling, the comfort levels, and to meet you. Outside of actually paying to go to PodFest, if people want to see you, they can actually catch you on the POD tour.

Can't they tell us a little bit about that? Because you travel and you meet people before Podfest.

Chris: 00:26:52

Yeah. This will be the fourth year that we're doing it.

So we'll do 30 cities all across North America and we'll just set up, we'll find a local leader, we'll set up at a local podcast studio, and then we'll usually do like top 10 tips. I'm not saying this because I'm interviewing your. Whatever this is. We're having a conversation.

But Captivate always comes up when I ask them which hosting provider, someone in the room, If I have 20 people is using Captivate, and they brag about it, which I always. It gives me a lot of pride because I remember when Mark had the idea for it with Kieran.

So we'll do 30 cities, a lot of them in some really cool locations. Also we do podfest Asia. So we'll be in Southeast Asia again. I'm finalizing the details. We'll be doing that for a second year. That's a full podfast.

That's like a two day experience. We're creating a pass this year where we could take 10 people with us that want to experience like Asia in general, not just a conference.

So it'll be like an elevated experience where there, you know, we have one of our. We have some really cool members. They have access to a huge yacht. So there's going to be like a yacht in the island of Cebu. Shout out to Aya.

And then we did Bogota, Colombia. Issa Yunca put this amazing voiceover podcasting conference over in Bogota. And that was really cool.

I'm sure you've done this because you're in Europe, but, like, people had the translators on while we were speaking and they gave me the translators. It was so cool.

And, you know, it's funny, you realize, especially as an American, how like, we think the world centers around us because I said to them, you know, back In America. And the gentleman goes, America, because it's called the Americas, you know, but we're in North America. I'm still in the Americas in South America.

So just it's little things like that you pick up on and you're like, it was really cool. So you can catch us on the pod tour@podfestexpo.com we have a Pod Tour tab I'll be posting.

We're going to do some Florida stops here shortly, but throughout the year we go. We. We go to different cities and set up. I think Adobe's gonna be working with us, thanks to you, where we might be able to use some of their theater.

So I'm really excited about that this year.

Mark: 00:29:00

That's really cool. Go and check out one of the Pod Tour stops.

And obviously you'll be looking for English speakers from England, the north of England, for POD Fest Asia. I know you will. So I will just wait here, ready for that invitation. Thank you, mate. You'd have to do that, but I appreciate it. No, it's fine.

I have to say anything. It's cool. Right, mate, Listen, if you're serious, if.

Chris: 00:29:20

You'Re serious, I mean, you know, you.

Mark: 00:29:22

Know, let's make it happen. I'm in. You know me. I can do jokes.

Chris: 00:29:26

All right. Yeah, let's. Let's do it.

Mark: 00:29:28

Jokes and knowledge. You are one of the most positive people that I know. Probably the most positive.

Chris: 00:29:34

I am. I am.

Mark: 00:29:35

Yeah. I'm saying that you'd have to be.

Chris: 00:29:37

To survive in the event business, right after covert and everything.

Mark: 00:29:40

I know how you do it.

Chris: 00:29:41

The most optimistic person ever.

Mark: 00:29:42

I don't know how you do it, mate. And we've. We toyed, like, probably seven years ago with that. Oh, should we do a mini UK event?

And the second that I thought that, I instantly went, I do not have the skin for that. I don't have the thick skin for it, Marc.

Chris: 00:29:54

The only time I'm negative, if someone's like, I want to do what you do, I was like, I don't recommend it.

Mark: 00:29:59

Yeah. Why do you think we're gray?

Chris: 00:30:02

Yeah. I go, I listen. If you want to do it, I don't want to stop anyone from doing it. But I always say, like, are you looking to make money from this?

And if they say yes, like, don't, don't, like, you have to earn. Where I'm at is a different ball game. But I help. I started with 13 people and, like, I started where, you know, there's no money being made.

They're paying me five bucks at 11 people at a. At a meetup. I just love doing it, so it's a passion of mine.

Mark: 00:30:24

Yeah, no, you can tell as well, man. It shines through. Now, we always like to finish up on a bout of positivity, and we do this through our fantastical segment called Chris.

I know you listen to the show every week religiously, but just in case anyone out there is new to the show, let me explain what this is. There's so much negativity, there's so much online trolling, and we're sick of it.

So we like to give a shout out to anyone doing good stuff for any reason. Let me give you some examples. I could give a shout out to Gabe Elusive for his wonderful dress sense in the golfing arena.

I could give a shout out to Harry Duran for his fantastic hair, or to Kieran McCuffrey for his interesting dress sense. So you, as the co host, get to go through and pick anything to be positive about. So who or what are you gonna flatter today?

Chris: 00:31:27

Glenn, the geek of the Horse Radio Network. And it's because he wears his beautiful big cowboy hat at PodFest and you could spot him anywhere he goes.

Mark: 00:31:36

And he's like 6 foot 4 as well, man. He's like a big guy. So that combined with the hat, you're like, oh, there he is.

Chris: 00:31:42

Yeah, yeah, you could spot him. And he's helped thousands of people. So I love him. He's helped a lot of podcasters and he's just full of positivity.

Mark: 00:31:51

I love that. I'm gonna, I'm gonna. And tack onto that, which I don't always do, but Zach Demopoulos, I need to give a shout out.

Chris: 00:31:58

Oh, yeah, Zorba. We call him Zorba.

Mark: 00:32:00

Zorba. Okay, that's a new one for me. I like that. I'm gonna use that. He's one of the nicest people that I know.

He's always so welcoming, so helpful to anyone, and he's just. You know, there are some people that when you see them, you just feel like, oh, that's good. They got me. They could look after me if I needed it.

Like, he is that guy. And that's coming from a 6 foot 1, 200.

Chris: 00:32:23

He's bigger. He's a lot bigger than you. He can lift you up, like, easily.

Mark: 00:32:26

Yeah, he's a big. And he's just so nice, man. So, Glenn and Zach. Yeah, much love.

And I also want to just say a big flattering to yourself, Kate, and your beautiful family as well. Mate, you cook some Beautiful stuff.

Chris: 00:32:38

I was gonna say Katie, but I didn't want to go to the. We loved having you guys over so hopefully you could come back over with Dot so she could play with the girls. But you mentioned Zach.

I just have to say this because we talked about Podfest. He started the cigar. He told me what it is, the cigar. Now you know you were out there, right?

Mark: 00:32:54

I know about.

Chris: 00:32:55

I was texting him the other day just telling him how much we.

I basically said what you just said publicly, but I just tell him how much we love him and he said perhaps we call it the Podfast cigar and friend working club. So he's already thinking about what he's going to be branding the cigar club. But it became a hot zone after.

And that was, you know, him and Lee started that many. When you first came to Podfast, I remember. And it's still going on. Yeah, still going on to this day.

So those are the things that you can't put your finger on when you go to PodFest. You're like, what is that? It's like they created it. People go out, hang out, you know, and they know to go where to find them. So it's pretty cool.

Mark: 00:33:33

That is always the place, you know, when it gets to a certain time, you just. Doesn't matter what.

Chris: 00:33:36

It's late, man. I don't know. You were doing it. I was asleep.

Mark: 00:33:39

We missed each other. You did.

Chris: 00:33:40

I made the other nights.

Mark: 00:33:41

You did. Day one when we were jet lagged, we went to bed at like 11pm, 10.30pm and then the next night I was text you, I was like, dude, where you at?

Where are you? And you just gone to bed.

Chris: 00:33:50

you guys were not there till: 11:30

Mark: 00:33:54

Yeah. Welcome to event life, man. Well, look, congratulations on everything you do with podfest. We love it and we love the way that you do it.

We love the way that not just the way that you do it, but the way that you do it for the people that matter and the way that it attracts and nurtures the people within the space that sometimes find it difficult to have that kind of representation. So congratulations, man, we love it. And thanks for coming on. We'll get you back on later this year to talk about next year's PodFest.

But what are the dates?

Chris: 00:34:23

My goal, Mark, my goal is to get as many Captivate users as we can next year so we can have a party.

Mark: 00:34:29

Yeah, we're going to do a coupon probably.

Chris: 00:34:30

I want to do a. How. Let's do something with how at the Moon. Because that's. That when you went up and played the bass guitar or whatever you did, people went nuts.

I mean, that's. That's our signature party, you know.

Mark: 00:34:39

Oh, man, don't get me on the howl at the moon train.

Chris: 00:34:41

That's my plan next year is we do how at the moon party. I'm. I gotta just find some sponsors, but we're gonna make it happen.

Mark: 00:34:46

man, when is. When is Podfest: 2026

If you got them tanned.

Chris: 00:34:56

January 15th to the 19th. So it's all the same dates as this. This past year might be 16th to the 18th, but it's somewhere in that. That range.

Mark: 00:35:04

It's the 16th to the 18th. I remember because I checked yesterday and I spoke to Kieran about it.

Chris: 00:35:09

Thank you so much for having my background. Oh, no, I got 15th to 18th. But you're right, 16, 17 are the two main days.

Mark: 00:35:17

They're the main days. All right, you should be there. And if you can catch Chris on one of the pod tour stops as well.

And please check out podfestexpo.com for all the details on that one. Once again, much love, my friend. Thank you so much.

Chris: 00:35:28

My bestie. Beautiful family. Thank you.

Mark: 00:35:31

Likewise, sir. Likewise. And to you, the beautiful listener, always a pleasure. Thank you for having us.

And do check it out on your podcast app of choice or tell your friends they can go to in and around podcasting.com next week. The man, the myth, the legend, the Scottish person that AI is now transcribing much better than it used to do.

Danny Brown will be back next week, so until then, much love. We'll see you soon. Bye.