Samantha Sager of SURROUND Network: 5 Things You Need To Know To Create A Very Successful Podcast

An Interview With Jason Hartman

Be team members, not competitors: For content creators, the ultimate benefit of a podcast network is community. Our hosts promote one another, appear on each other’s shows, and share resources and audiences. We’re not competitors, we’re team members — a rising tide lifts all boats. Starting and growing a new podcast is HARD — why not join a collective of like-minded creators and work together?

As part of my series of interviews about “5 things you need to know to create a very successful podcast”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha Sager.

Samantha Sager is Head of Podcasts at SANDOW Design Group and helped launch the new SURROUND Podcast Network in June of 2022. Prior to working at SANDOW DESIGN GROUP, Samantha served as Director of Events at Interior Design Magazine.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit of your “personal backstory”? What is your background and what eventually brought you to this particular career path of working for a podcast network?

I’ve lived many lives in my career! My first job out of college was working for a nonprofit arts organization in Poughkeepsie, NY where I led a career-exploration program for at-risk teens. From there, I worked in marketing and client relationship management (CRM) for luxury retail brands, and eventually managed the events team for Interior Design magazine. While it’s been a journey, I can say that throughout my career, the idea of connection and building relationships has remained central — whether that’s with teenagers looking for guidance, or with luxury retail buyers, the holding power of connection has always really struck me. When we decided to build our podcast network, this was the concept I kept going back to and I think my career really has led me here.

Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you joined the podcasting world?

Since I began working in the podcasting industry, the most interesting thing that has happened to me is getting to meet so many incredible people in a really intimate setting. It’s a very humanizing experience! Especially on our shows like Once Upon a Project or Design Tangents, you begin to see how important the little moments are that make up someone’s life and work. I’m such a people person and getting to hear about such vastly different experiences and see what makes people light up has been really meaningful for me.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting in this industry? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Oh my gosh, one of our first in-person recordings was on a hot summer day and we were borrowing a studio. They said we’re fine to use their equipment so I had gone the day before to test everything and make sure it worked. I had two microphones on me, and was borrowing a third from the studio. I tested it out and everything worked, but on the day of the actual recording I realized they didn’t have an XLR cord to connect the mic to the recording device I was using. I had tested it out with my own cord the day before and it didn’t occur to me they were missing one! Well, I had to SPRINT a few avenues across town to buy one… I was so flustered, drenched in sweat, and our recording ran 45 minutes late. Let me tell you, I always have extras of everything now!

How long have you been working in the podcast industry? How many shows have you worked with?

I’ve worked for SANDOW Design Group for over six years and I helped bring SURROUND podcast network to life in June of 2022. We started with five shows and we’ve just added our 13th! My team also operates as a production house, we actually work on even more podcasts than the ones in our network — so, that’s a lot of shows!

What are the main takeaways, lessons or messages that you want your listeners to walk away with after listening to podcasts on your network?

After listening to podcasts on the SURROUND Network, I hope listeners feel a stronger sense of connection to- and within- the architecture and design industry. I really want people to understand that this is a community we’re supporting. I want listeners to find inspiration — perhaps from an industry leader who overcame adversity, a project that defined norms, a new way of thinking, an emerging issue, or an opportunity to uplift their work. We are in the business of sharing stories and ideas to inspire this community that we love so much.

In your opinion what makes for a binge-listenable podcast? What do you think makes SURROUND Network podcasts unique from the others in your category? What do you think is special about SURROUND’s hosts, guests, and content?

The reason SURROUND Network podcasts are so binge-listenable is because we’re deeply tuned in to the design world. We’re really sitting at arms-length to some of the absolute best brands in the design industry, like Interior Design, Metropolis, ThinkLab, Luxe, etc. and the treasured relationships that sustain them. We are stronger because of the expertise of each of our brands, there is something for everyone… business, sustainability, story telling, technology, art. Whatever it is, we have something to sink your ears into.

Doing something on a consistent basis is not easy. Working with podcasts every work-day, or even every week can be monotonous. What would you recommend to others about how to maintain discipline and consistency? What would you recommend to others about how to avoid burnout?

It’s tough! When working hard to build something from the ground up, it’s really easy to get caught in a cycle of burnout, and I’ve experienced it myself. I’ve spent a lot of energy figuring out the right system of organization for our team and workflow. I’m constantly thinking about new efficiencies! I’m happy to say that while my team is small, we really have each other’s backs. Every person on my team was hired during or after the pandemic, after we moved to remote work. Podcast production can span from project management and organizing people, to editing content and sound design. My team has to be both creative and technical, and that can get really draining. I’ve been implementing some regular team-building activities where we can discuss the things that inspire us. I also hold brainstorm meetings where we can think through new formats to explore. I found that’s been energizing for my team, and getting to work on projects they believe in or have total buy-in to, can really help counter that burnout.

Is there someone in the podcasting world who you think is a great model for how to run a really fantastic podcast? What are the ingredients that make that podcast so successful?

What’s great about podcasts is how PERSONAL they can be! The shows I listen to religiously in my personal time, like No Stupid Questions and Huberman Lab, might be totally different from the ones you listen to — BUT I will say, really successful podcasts have authenticity — and consistency.

Can you share with our readers the five things you need to know to create an extremely successful podcast network? (Please share a story or example for each, if you can.)

1. Be team members, not competitors: For content creators, the ultimate benefit of a podcast network is community. Our hosts promote one another, appear on each other’s shows, and share resources and audiences. We’re not competitors, we’re team members — a rising tide lifts all boats. Starting and growing a new podcast is HARD — why not join a collective of like-minded creators and work together?
2. Diversify voices and perspectives: It’s extraordinarily important for us to showcase creators from different backgrounds and with unique perspectives. We believe diverse audiences want to hear diverse voices and topics. We also look for strong storytelling and creators interested in what we call “breaking the format.” Podcasting is a flexible medium — we’re not restricted by word count or programming blocks, so why not get a little weird and try something new?
3. Find your niche: Podcasts best serve passionate audiences, so it makes sense that a network is made up of experts in a space. Podcast networks need to be listener-first — and a niche network gives an opportunity for a listener to dig deeper and discover more premium content within that niche. Activations within a network can also be more meaningful as you get the opportunity to bring ultra-passionate storytellers together in a room with diehard fans.
4. Lead with curiosity: it’s easy to think you know what will resonate or what your audience wants, but your audience is not a monolith. The most interesting stories stem from mutual curiosity. Rather than work to crank out what you think someone will want to hear — ask them what they want to hear and follow the journey.
5. You don’t eat the fruit the same day you plant the seed. It will likely take your shows, and the overall Network, some time to grow. Although podcasting is booming, it’s a totally different ball game than other media and meaningful audiences aren’t built overnight. You will need to practice consistency, authenticity and patience but you will begin to see results.

Can you share some insight from your experience about the best ways to: 1) book great guests; 2) increase listeners; 3) produce it in a professional way; 4) encourage engagement; and 5) the best way to monetize it? (Please share a story or example for each, if you can.)

1. The best way to book great guests is to utilize your personal network and Linkedin. In the early days of our podcast Design Nerds Anonymous, we relied heavily on the network and reputation of our host, Amanda Schneider. We’ve been able to land some really prominent guests across a variety of fields and as we grow our outreach has only expanded.
2. A great way to increase podcast listeners is to cross promote or collaborate with other shows in your network, or where cross promotion is authentic. You’ll notice hosts of our shows invite each other on their podcasts as guests. New audiences are introduced to other podcasts in our network and loyal listeners are offered a new perspective or story from a host they care about! It’s a win win!
3. Producing a podcast in a professional way is important because there are a lot of really good podcasts out there. This is no longer the early days of podcasting — it’s estimated there are over 5 million podcasts, with over 70 million episodes between them, according to Demandsage. While anyone can start a podcast, not everyone can produce a great one. Or several of them. If you want your podcast to succeed it needs to sound good and run professionally, so do the work in preproduction, be thoughtful about your recording space, and invest in good equipment (or, hire an amazing production team to help you out 😉).
4. The best way to encourage engagement is to be consistent and engaged yourself. Many of us know from our personal lives, relationships are not one way streets. If we are not keeping our end of the deal — sharing relatable, consistent content and also engaging with listeners first…how can we expect others to be engaged with us? We are always looking for ways to reach out to listeners. This might look like a fast response to feedback, listening parties, call-in lines, and episode topic requests. We try to invite listeners into the process by practicing engagement.
5. A great way to monetize your podcast is to get creative! There doesn’t need to be a one size fits all model. We work with sponsors and brands on custom sponsorship packages. Creative solutions allow us to meet a variety of needs and provide new opportunities to monetize.

For someone looking to start their own podcast, which equipment would you recommend that they start with?

Personally, my favorite podcast equipment is the Zoom H6. It’s a portable recorder that is loved by beginners and experts alike. It’s easy to use! Plus small but durable enough for portable and home recording. And flexible enough to record up to 4 guests at once. Plus it’s great for field recording! Shoutout also to virtual recording softwares like Riverside that allow us to operate virtually and internationally.

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I love this question, and gosh there are so many ways I want to answer this. I think in the most general sense, I’d like to inspire a cultural shift where everyone leads first with curiosity. If we try to bring curiosity into our relationships, into societal issues, to our workplaces, I think there would be less talking and more listening — and ultimately, more understanding. Honestly, I think podcasting supports this — it gives a platform with room for real discussion; a small salve for the divided attention and hyper-efficiency characteristic of our modern times.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can check out SURROUND’s full podcast lineup on https://surroundpodcasts.com/shows/

Follow SURROUND on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/surround-podcast-network/

Follow SURROUND on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/surroundpodcastnetwork/

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.