How I Make $1.2 Million A Year From This Podcast | E94

For nearly three years, Bartlett published sporadically—sometimes with gaps of months—causing audience growth to stall and reset. When he committed to releasing every Monday at 7:00 a.m. without fail, listener numbers exploded by 10x. He emphasizes that consistency not only compounds growth but also helps audiences build habits around your content, which is critical given that many people listen during commutes or routines.

Bartlett shifted from solo episodes to guest interviews so each guest could bring their own audience and widen the show’s reach. Recognizing that Spotify and Apple have almost no viral discovery, he leaned heavily on YouTube’s recommendation engine and social media clips to drive new listeners. For aspiring podcasters, he stresses you must design clear pathways for organic discovery outside podcast apps.

Bartlett has recorded full episodes, including with a mega‑star with tens of millions of followers, and then deleted them because the conversation lacked depth, insight, or energy. He believes he has a duty to respect listeners’ two hours every Monday and to maintain their trust. This deletion policy also forces better guest selection and preparation, raising the overall standard of the show.

Traditional podcast ad networks typically pay $25–$50 per 1,000 downloads, making it hard to cover costs at scale. Instead, Bartlett built a short deck, identified five brands he genuinely uses (like Huel, Fiverr, MyEnergi), and emailed their CEOs or senior marketers directly with a bold, clear pitch and proof of being a real customer. All five replied, three became long‑term sponsors, and that direct, relationship‑based model now generates over $1.2M a year.

Bartlett only approached companies whose products he already used and believed in, such as Huel (where he later became an investor and board member) and MyEnergi, which matched his sustainability focus. These sponsors do not script his ads or control his messaging, preserving his autonomy and making the podcast feel like a passion project rather than a job. He argues this authenticity also makes sponsorships more persuasive and sustainable.