Founding An E-Commerce Empire By Accident With Travis Brown

Tell us about yourself and what your company does, & how long you've been working on it.

Travis Brown is a podcast producer and inventor of Pod Decks, a tool for podcasters to have better interviews and stay consistent. My life's goal is to help podcasters find their voice, grow their audience, and start their podcast movement. Pod Decks is nine months old, and we have thousands of podcasters all around the world using our products!

What inspired you to start your own company - tell us the story?

I've edited over 2000 podcasts, and I have listened to so many people struggle to have a good podcast interview. I wanted to help any podcaster have a great conversation without having to do any research. I decided to create Pod Decks to do just that. I also know how hard it can be to stay consistent with podcasting, so I created a deck of 50 podcasts starting ideas. All you have to do is shuffle up, pull a card, and start podcasting!

How did you decide on your company name and logo?

I am a big fan of starting lean. That means no budget for logo creation. If my idea sticks, I can always have my company re-branded. I just got a font that looked nice and made it my logo. New entrepreneurs like to do things like getting a logo before they have customers. That is super backwards to me!

What's been the right way of growing your customer base and sales? Can you share a few success stories with us?

I offer potential customers the opportunity to try my product for free. I believe in what I do so much that I know if they get their hands on Pod Decks, they will see what a great tool they are and want more. Free.poddecks.com

What did you wish you knew before you started your company? What advice do you have for first-time entrepreneurs?

No one knows it all. Yes. Some people go to business school, but in reality, you need to test and learn. See what works, see what doesn't. You'll learn from both. Avoid shiny new objects until you've proven the model. Also, build a team as fast as you can. Offload work you don't like doing. Oh yea, HAVE FUN!

What are the trends in your industry that you are excited about?

We just passed 1M podcasts on Apple Podcasts. Women lead 40% of those, so it is no longer a male-dominated industry, which is fantastic. So many people are starting podcasts and sharing their unique stories and messages with the world!

What are you looking forward to in the next week/month/quarter or year, and what are your aspirations for your company?

We're launching a mobile app this year! It's going to be a fantastic platform for podcasters to learn, grow, and have a library of unusual questions to ask guests in so many categories. We also have decks curated by some of our podcasting friends!

Any particular books or podcasts you can recommend?

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson. As an entrepreneur, you have to learn to run your race and not worry about others' thoughts. This book will give you the tools to do just that!

What's been your biggest challenge in life thus far, and how did you overcome it?

Alcoholism. I drank from the age of 15 to 40, and I am happy to be celebrating my first year sober. Sobriety has been a superpower for me. It allows me to feel my feelings, face my pain, and stop numbing everything out!

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I have a podcast called Cereal, where I eat and review Cereal.