Rockin’ Libsyn Podcasts: Popcorn Finance

This series is all about libsyn podcasters. Its sole purpose is to introduce these awesome podcasts to the world as well as share their podcasting insight to empower the community!


Q & A’s with Chris from Popcorn Finance


When did you start podcasting?

I worked on my very first podcast back in 2009. A couple of friends started a video game podcast and I handled all their editing and post production.

Eventually I started joining them on the show and fell in love with creating audio content.

The show only lasted about 40 episodes and we never gained a huge following, but it was still a lot of fun. Seven years later in 2017 I finally started my own podcast, Popcorn Finance.

Why did you start podcasting?

I never planned on podcasting, it just happened naturally. I used to do a lot of video editing for fun, so that is why my friends asked me to help with their podcast editing.

When I finally joined them behind the microphone I realized how much fun it was to create a podcast.

I’ve been listening to podcasts since about 2009 and it is my favorite way to consume content because I can be literally anywhere and doing anything and still listen. So for me it was an easy choice to pick podcasting as the medium for my show.

What’s the name of your show and what is it about?

The name of my podcast is Popcorn Finance. The premise and tagline is “…Where we discuss finance in about the time it takes to make a bag of popcorn.”

Popcorn only takes a few minutes to cook, so I try to keep my episodes short and to the point while covering finance topics that we all deal with.

I’ve covered topics such as the basics of investing, discussing money with your significant other, saving for retirement and travel hacking. I’ve also had the opportunity to have some great guests and experts come on the show to share their knowledge and expertise.

What’s your podcasting set-up? Hardware, software, CMS, etc.

I use a pretty simple setup to record. I use an Audio-Technica ATR 2100 microphone with a windscreen.

I have my microphone connected to my desk using a scissor arm stand that I got for $12 on amazon.

I initially started editing using Garageband which came free on my computer. So my startup costs were really low, under $80 for all my equipment.

About two months ago I switched over to Reaper as my primary editing software. The price was very reasonable at $60, plus it gave me a ton of very useful features that I didn’t have in Garageband.

There is definitely a learning curve, but it has been worth it for the productivity I have gained.

Also, like Garageband, it is what is call a non-destructive editor. This means that even if you cut and audio clip or delete a portion of it, the data never disappears and you can recover it just by extending the beginning or end of the edited clip.

How have you promoted your podcast?

I promote my podcast primarily on social media. I try to stay active on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

I use a tool called Smarter Queue to help me schedule posts so that I can spend less of my time trying to come up with content on the spot.

This tool has saved me the most time when it comes to promoting via social media. I have also found that having guests on the show is a great way to increase exposure because they are usually more than willing to share the episode with their audience.

I have been very fortunate to have some amazing people join me on the podcast.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?

I wish I would have known that this whole podcasting thing is a journey. No matter how hard you try to will this thing to be successful, it is still going to take time.

I think I had the impression that I would just hop on the mic and people would automatically start listening, but that is definitely not how it works.

You have to really work on not only bringing in your audience but also creating a compelling product that will keep them. There has been a lot of trial and error, but I think that is how you learn and figure out what will work for you.


There you have it, if you’re interested in quick, easy and super helpful information about money and finances, you must subscribe to Popcorn Finance!


In case you’ve been listening to podcasts for years or happen to be supporting your friends with their podcast and the podcasting bug has bit you, we’d love to host your podcast! If you need a bit more support to get started, we have a free Podcasting QuickStart every first Wednesday of the month!

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