How Gary Arndt Built a 1.5M Monthly Download Podcast Without Chasing Social Media Clout
When the pandemic shut down the travel industry overnight, most travel bloggers scrambled to pivot—but few did it as successfully as Gary Arndt. With over a decade of experience as a travel photographer and blogger, Gary had already built a massive social media following. But when he launched his history-focused podcast, Everything Everywhere Daily, he quickly realized that social media wasn’t the key to podcast growth.
Instead, he took a different approach—one that went against the grain of influencer-driven podcasting. Now, with over 1.5 million downloads per month, Everything Everywhere Daily has become a powerhouse in the industry.
In this episode, Gary shares:
How he went from full-time travel blogger to full-time podcaster
Why he abandoned social media as a longterm growth strategy
The secret to podcast advertising (and why most indie podcasters get it wrong)
Why a daily podcast was the right choice for him (and the math behind it)
The two monetization models that actually work for podcasters
How to price podcast ads and avoid getting underpaid
Why YouTube’s push for video podcasts is a bad idea
How understanding the true value of a listener transformed his growth strategy
If you’re a podcaster (or thinking about launching one), this episode is a must-listen. Gary’s no-nonsense approach to podcasting cuts through the noise and offers real, actionable insights on what it takes to succeed.
Key Takeaways:
Social media is not an effective podcast growth strategy
Buying ads on podcast apps is a game-changer for audience growth. You have to spend money to make money
A daily podcast model can make more sense financially
The two paths to monetization: ad-supported or product-driven. Choose wisely
Podcasting has a high attrition rate—most competitors will quit. Staying consistent is a huge advantage
Evergreen content gives podcasts a long shelf life and allows old episodes to keep generating revenue
YouTube’s push for video podcasts benefits them more than podcasters
Podcasting doesn’t have an algorithm—your audience growth is in your hands
The biggest mistake new podcasters make? Expecting success without putting in the work
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Connect with Gary: https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/
