Podcast Summary: Grow The Show Episode 241

Title: He Got 50,000 New Podcast Listeners With One Tiny Tweak
Host: Kev Michael (with coach Kevin Schmidlin)
Guest: Nate Palmer
Date: October 21, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Kev Michael and podcast growth coach Kevin Schmidlin interview Nate Palmer, host of the Low Carb Hustle podcast, about the simple but transformational change that helped him scale from a plateau of 10-12,000 downloads a month to a consistent 50,000 downloads per month—without additional marketing, advertising, or content grind. Nate dives into the actionable, psychological, and tactical moves that shifted his listener retention and grew his show into a million-download staple for health-driven entrepreneurs.

Key Discussion Points

1. Nate’s Stagnation and Early Growth Tactics

[00:08–02:23]

• Nate’s initial tactics: paid advertising, social media, and guest appearances.
• Despite these efforts, his listener numbers plateaued at around 12,000 per month.
• Metric discovery: Applying retention analytics with Kev’s guidance, he realized he lost 30% of listeners in the first three minutes—his “bucket had holes.”
  • Quote (Nate, 02:23):
    “You showed me how to pull up my metrics… we're getting like a 30% drop off rate. You were like, hey, you're probably getting growth, you're just not seeing it, because people aren't sticking around long enough.”

2. The “Tiny Tweak”: Restructuring the Podcast Intro

[03:31–07:13] [09:12–10:12]

• Old intro structure (played at [04:06–05:29]):
  Scintillating but often irrelevant cold open, canned voiceover, and unscripted banter—without contextual clarity for new listeners.

• Problems identified:

  • No clear communication of topic or value upfront.
  • Inside jokes and banter disconnected from audience needs.
  • Host and co-host not introduced or contextualized.
  • Quote (Nate, 06:18):
    “We’re what, 90 seconds in and I don’t know what this podcast is about or why I should stick around. Even I’d leave if it wasn’t my own sultry voice.”

• New intro structure (played at [09:12–10:12]):

  • Leads with a question/pain point tailored to the target listener.
  • Communicates episode value, core topics, and outcomes.
  • Brief host introduction focused on authority and relevance.
  • Clear promise of transformation.

• Impact:
  After changing the intro, Nate’s retention skyrocketed.

  • Quote (Nate, 08:43):
    “We’re keeping about 82% of people to the 75% mark. I’m not pouring any money into advertising and—I'm honestly not even spending that much time—I've still been seeing higher numbers.”

3. Crafting Listener-Centered Content and Episode Titles

[10:18–18:17]

• Shifted intro focus from host chatter to immediately addressing listener needs:

  • Start with “have you ever…” style questions to hook ideal listeners.
  • Emphasize what’s in it for the listener.
  • Introduce guests with direct benefit statements, not just bios.

• Title strategies:

  • Borrow frameworks from competitor research on popular YouTube titles.
  • Create searchable, curiosity-driven, and pain-point-oriented episode names.
    • Quote (Nate, 15:36):
      “The title should always be what someone is already going to search… you get to just jump right to reading your listener’s mind.”

4. Understanding Audience through Research

[17:37–18:17]

• Interviewed top listeners to understand language, pain points, and goals.
• Used audience language directly in show intros and episode descriptions.
  • “You learn the lyrics, as Pat Flynn says… you were trying to convey something, but they used different words to say the same thing.”

5. Podcast Guest Features and Networking

[18:49–23:02]

• Used Grow the Show strategies for guest outreach and cross-promotion.

  • Systematized identifying “medium-sized” podcasts aligned with his audience using competitor guest lists.
  • Reached out with listener-centric pitches.
  • Leveraged podcasting relationships beyond one-off appearances—reciprocity and collaboration.
  • Quote (Nate, 20:33):
    “Everyone’s cool, everyone’s nice, everyone wants to see everyone else succeed in the industry.”

• Built relationships by proactively offering to help hosts and guests after each recording.

6. Intro Creation Workflow & Iteration

[23:24–25:39]

• Developed a repeatable framework/script for intros:
  • Start with a question that hooks.
  • Preview transformation or episode value.
  • Contextual intro of host/guest for new listeners.
  • Light, relevant call to action.
• Over time, transitioned from scripting intros to improvising based on a template.
  • Now often produced in one take immediately after recording the main episode content.
  • Quote (Nate, 24:31):
    “Frameworks, baby. Templates, right? You don’t have to even think about it.”

7. Pitfalls and Critical Lessons for Intros

[25:52–27:20]

• Don’t make the intro about yourself—focus on the listener’s problem.
• Use hyper-specific, emotionally resonant questions to cut through listener multitasking.
  • Quote (Nate, 25:52):
    “People don’t care what you know, they care about themselves and what’s in it for them.”

8. Final Reflections and Advice

[27:20–29:41]

• Nate recommends focusing on topics that deliver unique infotainment—don’t copy generic interview questions.
• Be bold about your niche and don’t fear short-term listener drops; more engaged audiences follow.
  • Quote (Nate, 29:04):
    “My numbers dropped before they went back up… Be bold. Even though you might see a momentary decrease, I guarantee it’ll lead to bigger and better things.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Sometimes you just have to make one little tweak to your podcast and you unlock massive growth.”
  — Kev Michael, [00:22]

• “We’re keeping about 82% of people to the 75% mark… that’s the dream.”
  — Kevin Schmidlin, [08:49]

• “The title should not, should always be what someone is already going to search.”
  — Nate Palmer, [15:36]

• “The relationship that I built with some of these people have transcended that process.”
  — Nate Palmer, [19:37]

• “If you can hit them with a specific question… the better you know your listener, the easier it becomes to craft a really good question that hits them.”
  — Nate Palmer, [26:23]

Segment Guide with Timestamps

• 00:08–02:23 — Nate’s plateau & initial growth efforts
• 02:23–03:38 — The retention discovery and its significance
• 04:06–07:13 — Dissecting the old intro; identifying disconnects
• 09:12–10:12 — Example of the new, listener-centered intro
• 10:18–13:16 — Nate’s method for crafting compelling intros and questions
• 13:37–18:17 — Headline/title strategies; using research & audience language
• 18:49–23:02 — Networking, guest features, and leveraging podcast relationships
• 23:24–25:39 — Nate’s workflow for creating intros
• 25:52–27:20 — Common intro mistakes & best practices
• 27:20–29:41 — Long-term impact, advice to self & to podcasters

Takeaways for Podcasters

• Small structural changes—especially to the intro—can have outsized impact on both retention and overall audience growth.
• Prioritize listener context, needs, and pain points in the episode intro.
• Emulate successful formats for titles and hooks but tailor to your specific audience using their own language.
• Systematize guest outreach and always focus on “what’s in it for the listener.”
• Don’t fear temporary drops in downloads; long-term audience quality and engagement matter most.

For listeners wanting to connect:

• Instagram: Million Dollar Body
• Podcast: Low Carb Hustle in any podcast app