Podcast Summary: Content Is Profit – Former Head Of Growth For HubSpot Talks How To Grow Your Podcast by 40%+ in 3 Months (Episode 243)
Date: October 28, 2025
Hosts: BIZBROS (Louise & Fonzie)
Guest: Jonathan Marshall, Former Head of Podcast Growth, HubSpot Podcast Network
Episode Overview
This episode delves deep into the strategies behind explosive podcast growth, featuring Jonathan Marshall, who scaled My First Million from 700,000 to over 1 million monthly downloads in just three months. Jonathan shares actionable tactics for both well-funded and bootstrapped podcast creators, details his own journey from podcast enthusiast to industry leader, and offers insight into sustainable relationship-building, cold outreach, and scalable growth systems.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Jonathan's Origin Story & Breaking into Podcasting
Timestamps: 06:28–09:52
- Jonathan started by obsessively taking notes on podcast episodes for personal growth, which evolved into contributing to a newsletter (The Podcast Wire, later Startup Mixtape FM).
- Built relationships through proactive outreach and eventually co-founded Lemon Pie, a podcast agency specializing in guest bookings.
- Quote:
"I somehow I'm like the guy who sneaks backstage at a concert and ends up like, going into the VIP and hanging out with Drake." (06:28, Jonathan Marshall)
- Made a decisive life shift: left a traditional job, moved back home, took a pay cut to pursue podcasting.
2. Entrepreneurship, Finding a Niche, and Agency Growth
Timestamps: 12:09–17:56
- Lemon Pie’s success stemmed from specializing in podcast guest booking, targeting B2B decision-makers with purchasing power.
- The agency grew through highly focused cold outreach—personalized, short emails based on research.
- Quote:
"We weren't just, like, spraying and praying... Every email we sent... was totally personalized." (23:15, Jonathan Marshall)
- Advice to agency owners: specialize instead of chasing multiple service lines; “figure out your special sauce and double down on that.”
3. The Art (and Importance) of Cold Outreach
Timestamps: 19:49–26:14
- Jonathan credits cold outreach as his most valuable and learnable skill; used for clients, job opportunities, and relationship-building.
- Effective outreach tips:
- Explain "what's in it for them"—make the value clear, targeted, and actionable.
- Be thoughtful: leave meaningful reviews, reference specifics, add value with every interaction.
- Stand out with authenticity and follow-up (e.g., tailored GIFs based on recipient's interests).
- Quote:
"What's in it for them? How can I articulate this in the simplest and clearest way possible and make it a no brainer?" (20:12, Jonathan Marshall)
4. Transitioning to HubSpot and Landing a Dream Role
Timestamps: 29:36–36:40
- Jonathan actively created his opportunity with HubSpot: engaged on public job threads, sent a tailored “10-second bio,” built assets upfront (e.g., guest lists, strategy spreadsheets), and added value before being hired.
- Relationship-building and proactive “what’s in it for them?” mindset opened doors.
- Quote:
"I just started doing work up front without any expectation... make it an absolute no brainer for them to hire me." (31:34, Jonathan Marshall)
5. Scalable Outreach and Tools for Podcast Growth
Timestamps: 37:34–41:53
- Growth processes can be scaled: an executive assistant can scrape leads, do basic outreach; founders handle high-touch responses.
- Podcast research and outreach tools highlighted:
- Refonic for podcast discovery by keyword/niche.
- HubSpot CRM for tracking pipelines, email templates.
- Start with “smaller” podcasts and work up the influence ladder for appearances and swaps.
- Twitter resource: Jonathan’s pinned tweet (@bar5hop) with detailed tool recommendations.
6. The 40% Growth Playbook: How 'My First Million' Scaled
Timestamps: 42:56–47:09
- Three primary levers drove rapid audience growth:
- Host-Read Ads: Allocated major budget to organic-sounding placements on relevant podcasts.
- Podcast Player Ads: Paid placements in apps (e.g., Castbox).
- Viral Giveaways: Crowd-sourced content via a clips contest and experience-based prizes (e.g., time with hosts).
- Quote:
"We figured out that we have this very die-hard audience... sort of an army ready to take action." (46:22, Jonathan Marshall)
- For those without deep budgets, guest swaps and relationship-based promotions are essential.
7. Bootstrap Growth Tips & Bootstrap “Hack” Tactics
Timestamps: 49:17–55:24
- For low/no-budget podcasts:
- Guest on other shows and arrange cross-promos.
- Episode “drops” in other show feeds.
- Guerrilla giveaways—partner with brands for free product in exchange for exposure, rather than cash prizes.
- Viral giveaway “loop”:
Have each entrant follow the podcast, share, or comment for multiple contest entries; leverage social platforms for organic amplification. - Quote:
"The best, the only way to... chart on Apple, follows are the most important thing." (53:41, Jonathan Marshall)
8. Turning Earned Into Owned Media & Repurposing Content
Timestamps: 50:36–52:29
- Winning contributors to contests often become part of the content team.
- Content from user-generated contests is repurposed for platform ads and social expansion.
- Aspirations to create newsletters and move listeners to owned email lists, but not yet fully prioritized.
9. On Consistency, Getting the Reps, and “Publishing”
Timestamps: 56:45–62:45
- Jonathan stresses the importance and value of invisible practice: unpublished podcasts, emails, internal docs—all “reps” that improve skill before going public.
- Quote:
"Even if I'm not pressing publish... anytime I click send on one of those emails... I sort of treat that as like my own pressing publish." (58:51, Jonathan Marshall)
- Consistency matters, but so does understanding seasons in life; behind-the-scenes work is still progress.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “I started out as it was my favorite show, and I was like, how do I get a job with these guys?... that was the impetus of it.” — Jonathan (05:39)
- “You’re kind of trying to juggle too much, and it just kind of becomes a lot… specialize in one thing.” — Jonathan (17:30)
- “So much of my success with outreach is in the follow up game. That's almost more important than the actual initial email.” — Jonathan (25:14)
- “You can really stand out from the crowd by just being... literally 5% better.” — Jonathan (23:40)
- “If you are developing a business on the side... you might be learning on the go. My reflection here is... where you start will dictate a lot—maybe the speed, maybe how you operate.” — Fonzie (15:58)
- “If you’re launching a show... run a contest... set up a viral loop” — Jonathan (53:21)
Section Timestamps
- Jonathan’s background & agency experience: 06:28–17:56
- The power of cold outreach & follow up: 19:49–26:14
- Landing the HubSpot gig: 29:36–36:40
- Growth tools & process: 37:34–41:53
- The viral growth playbook: 42:56–47:09
- Bootstrap marketing tactics: 49:17–55:24
- Repurposing, owned media & the importance of "reps": 50:36–62:45
Actionable Takeaways
- Personalize Everything: Whether pitching guests, jobs, or partnerships—show specific research and make it a win for the recipient.
- Start Small, Build Up: Grow your podcast presence with smaller shows before aiming for the biggest platforms.
- Lean into Community: Mobilize your existing fans with engaging contests or user-generated content campaigns.
- Bootstrap Creatively: No budget? Collaborate with aligned brands for product giveaways or cross-promos to expand your reach.
- Value Every Rep: Not every project needs to go public; behind-the-scenes practice translates into on-air excellence later.
Where to Find Jonathan Marshall
- Twitter/Instagram: @bar5hop
- Resource: See Jonathan’s pinned Twitter thread for a tool breakdown.
Final Thoughts from Jonathan
“Even if you don't feel like you're making progress... you actually are.” (62:29)
For More
Follow Content Is Profit on your favorite podcast platform, and visit Jonathan’s socials for additional resources, frameworks, and DM access.