You Must Own Your Own Domain… Goodbye, Todd Cochrane.

Summary

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The Podcast Gauntlet — “You Must Own Your Own Domain… Goodbye, Todd Cochrane.”

Hosts: Mike Wilkerson & Bryan Entzminger
Date: September 16, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, Mike and Bryan come together for an emotional and spirited tribute to podcasting pioneer Todd Cochrane, who has just passed away. Drawing on Todd’s signature advice—“Own your own dot com”—and reflecting on his uncompromising vision for indie podcasters, the hosts explore the lessons, legacy, and personal memories that Todd leaves behind. The episode is both a celebration of Todd's profound impact and a call to podcasters to protect and own their creative work.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Todd Cochrane’s Signature Principle: Own Your Platform

[00:03-01:39]

• Todd’s famous mantra: “Own your own dot com. Own the domain.”
• This philosophy is positioned as a “guiding light” for podcasters, warning against relying solely on platforms that can “disappear.”
• “There are so many ways to make mistakes. And finding a guiding light that beamed as bright as Todd Cochrane is going to be very, very hard for, I think a long time.” — Mike [01:20]

2. Todd's Industry Legacy

[01:25-04:43]

• Todd described as not just a host, but a foundational figure: “a pillar of what has been built over podcasting the last 20, in his case, 21 years.”
• Bryan points out Todd’s dual role as “somewhere between conspiracy theorist and clarion voice for owning your own stuff”—always urging independence for creators.
• A memorable Todd quote, relayed by Bryan:

  “The reason I say this isn’t just for Google. This is because I don’t want you to be locked into something. If you’re an independent podcaster, you need to own the stack... you need to be able to pick it up and move.” — Todd, recollected by Bryan [02:54-03:32]

• Todd's delivery sometimes ruffled feathers, but “he has your best interests in mind as the indie podcaster.” — Bryan [04:18]

3. Personal Encounters & Memories

[04:43-10:19]

• Mike shares an early interaction on a message board, getting "both barrels" from Todd about self-promotion—setting the tone for Todd’s “no holds barred, double barreled, transparency.”
• Todd was known for interviewing the “nuts and bolts” people in podcasting, not just the stars:

  “He will go and he will get the people that are the nuts and bolts and nuggets and ask them the hard questions... more often than not he didn’t get the answer he wanted, but I love that he had the cojones... to not stop asking questions.” — Mike [07:11]

• Last personal conversation with Todd was about balancing busy work lives with family time. Todd’s response:

  “When is it you’re going to have some family time?” — Todd, recollected by Mike [08:31]

• Highlighted Todd's deep loyalty to his own family and to the broader ‘ohana’ (family/community) of his listeners.

4. Todd’s Work Ethic and Approach

[10:19-14:06]

• Todd likened to the "Wizard of Oz," a tireless presence behind the curtain, always managing multiple tasks.
• He was an innovator constantly pushing podcasting tools and tech:

  “He used every piece of human technology known to man and flew the gears into forward and watched it all work until it didn’t. And then he would go and find the fix…” — Mike [12:51]

• The train metaphor: Todd as the locomotive for podcasting, “grabbing on as many people as could see the train,” and even “slowing down to help the people that weren’t quite that fast.” [13:32]

5. Lessons for Podcasters: Legacy, Purpose, and Audience

[14:06-17:00]

• Bryan urges listeners to focus on their own version of success:

  “You don’t have to be Todd to all the people that Todd was Todd for, but if you are you for one other person, in my book, that’s success. That is leaving something behind.” [14:23]

• Todd never acted in service of ego or legacy, but purely from a mission-oriented vision centered on serving listeners.
• The key question for creators: “Is what you’re doing in service of the audience that you’re trying to build and the change that you want to either see in them or for them? If not, what would you want to tweak?” — Bryan [15:17]
• It’s not about numbers or fame, but dedicated pursuit of meaningful work.

6. The Ultimate Takeaway: Crafting Your Own Path

[17:00-19:53]

• Mike reiterates that podcasting is a space with no rulebook:

  “This is all about you and you choosing to make whatever you’re going to make to build the audience... continue on and as boldly as one Todd Cochran.” [17:44]

• Todd’s legacy: permission and encouragement for creators to forge their own path.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike on Todd’s candor:

  “No holds barred, double barreled, transparency. What I’m thinking, here you go, here’s a fork because I know you don’t have one.” [05:26]

• Bryan on Todd’s approach:

  “He’s maybe not nice, but he is kind. He has your best interests in mind as the indie podcaster.” [04:03]

• Mike’s tribute:

  “If I had a big old... in fact, you know what? I've got a icy cold diet Mountain Dew. I would be holding this up to Mr. Todd Cochran’s reasonably large glass of imported whiskey from somewhere expensive. Here’s to you, friend. You’re already missed in White Shores.” [19:45]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Todd’s passing and why he matters: [00:38–01:39]
• Todd’s “own your dot com” message: [02:10–03:35]
• First encounter memory with Todd: [04:43–06:00]
• Personal family conversation with Todd: [08:31–09:07]
• Todd as innovator and multitasker: [10:21–12:51]
• Train engine metaphor: [13:21–14:06]
• Applying Todd’s lessons to listeners’ own podcasting: [14:06–15:40]
• Ultimate takeaway and closing toast: [17:00–19:53]

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Tone and Style

The episode balances affection, candor, and practical insight—the hosts frequently share personal stories, admire Todd’s brashness, and invite listeners to examine their own motivations and approach to podcasting, all within a conversational, sometimes irreverent, but always sincere tone.

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Listener Engagement

The hosts invite tributes and stories from listeners on how Todd impacted them, emphasizing that “there are going to be so many stories about Todd Cochran that have nothing to do with podcasting for sure, that are epic. Just outright, just outright.” [18:51]

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For anyone in or adjacent to podcasting, this episode serves both as a heartfelt eulogy and a playbook for independence and authenticity—epitomized by Todd Cochrane’s unforgettable presence and unwavering message: Own your platform, serve your audience, and make your own rules.

Transcript

[A]

You're listening to a podcast on the two Guys Talking Podcast Network. There are many ways to podcast. In fact, probably too many to list inside of this program, but we're going to try. You see, there's one way that you as a podcaster should consider podcasting. The answer. Own your own dot. Com. Own the domain.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

These were the silver gilded words of one Todd Cochran, who unfortunately, as of yesterday, has died. Yeah, man, really a strange gut punch. Finding a moment where Mike Wilkerson has trouble speaking or finding the words to speak. I know, I know, all of you are thinking to yourselves, sure. No, really. Mike Dell called me and he too was absolutely just kind of a choke and I didn't know how to process it. And so I waited until the news got distributed and then I called Brian. I said, brian, we've got to do program.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because while we have done an episode specifically talking about all hosts die, let's, let's all be plain. There's a difference between a podcast host and somebody like Todd Cochran.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Todd Cochran I would not only call a pillar of what has been built over podcasting the last 20, in his case, 21 years, but he is a forthright, genuine, no holds barred, transparent voice inside of podcasting that I will dearly miss. I agreed with Todd on many things, including that you need to make sure that you're owning your own thing and don't piggyback on things that can disappear. I love that everybody in our space, Brian, has taken the time to make sure that people that they work with or consult or provide, even just little nuggets, little vegetable style nuggets into the podcast sphere are starting to do that now way more often than, you know what, just go hop on somewhere, you'll be fine. You'll not be fine. It's literally a landmine field. There are so many ways to make mistakes. And finding a guiding light that beamed as bright as Todd Cochran is going to be very, very hard for, I think a long time.

[B]

Yeah, it's a little bit weird for me because I've only been in the space for, I don't know, 10, 12 years, something like that. And I don't have as much history with Todd as some other people do. He and I never necessarily hung out or really talked that much, but I certainly followed him and he was always such an interesting mix somewhere between conspiracy theorist and clarion voice for owning your own stuff, like his phrase ownyourown.com I was listening to something that Dave Jackson shared today from one of his original from One of Todd's original talks where he's talking about the reason I say this isn't just for Google. This is because I don't want you to be locked into something. If you're an independent podcaster, you need to own the stack. You maybe don't own each piece of the technology, but you need to be able to pick it up and move. Because that's one of the beautiful, powerful, wonderful things about actual podcasting. I'm not talking about uploading to YouTube or a closed platform, but the podcasting space, you can literally pick up and move to another place if you want to and take everything with you. Obviously there are some differences between one media host and another in terms of what they offer, but you can pick up and move, your audience can come with you. They can change apps if they want to. And I loved that about him. I didn't always love his delivery, but that's okay. I didn't have to. Right. Because once you see past sort of that gruff exterior honed and sharpened over 20 plus years in the US military, you start to see a guy that he's maybe not nice, but he is kind. He has your best interests in mind as the indie podcaster. He's looking out for you. You may not like what he has to say, you may not like what, you know how he says it, but the fact was that he had a vision for what this could be and he was committed to doing everything that he could to make that possible for as many people as possible.

[A]

Yeah, committed is such a, such a phenomenal word for Todd. The first time that I met, encountered Todd, I remember specifically it was actually inside of a message board that was online in the heady days of the 24podcast.24podcast.com and I was promoting my podcast, you know, the thing you're not supposed to be doing instead of just general get after it message boarding inside of the podcast sphere, especially back then. And I remember specifically getting both barrels about not promoting that. You know, don't come out here, promote to insert series of Todd Cochran euphemisms. And it was spectacularly Todd, just wonderfully. No holds barred, double barreled, transparency. What I'm thinking, here you go, here's a fork because I know you don't have one. Yeah, he was just such a tremendous soul. I always tried to take time to chime in during his, whether it was his Geek News Central show. I always would love watching him and Rob Greenlee get after it. Because for those, for those that have not gone back to watch some of we should probably make an episode where we go back and we're reacting to some of that. You know, I don't know how to pick a pair of names to try and affiliate what was happening inside of the programs that they would conjure. But it is epic. The other thing, too, a lot of people don't realize this. I think it's just because Todd was so reasonably understated, except that he would tell you what he thinks. He had some epic interviews with people that were very much the same style, where for people that don't know me or haven't ever encountered me, I typically will go and I will interview, not the stars of entertainment and programming. I'll go and interview the people that are making those things, like the production designer, the prop masters, the people that actually are handling the show, as opposed to the director, as opposed to the, say, the stars. And Todd has done that for a long time inside of the podcasting industry, where he will. He will go and he will get the people that are the nuts and bolts and nuggets and ask them the hard questions. Because Todd was excellent at the prickly pear questions that he knew would solicit an answer whether it was the answer he wanted or not. I think we can all be plain and say more often than not he didn't get the answer he wanted. But I love that he had the cojones and the bold striding forward to not stop asking questions kind of regardless of how they made people feel. I work well like that mostly because I have a tether to the deaf and hard of hearing community. And guys, if you ever want to meet people that are not only bold, brash, and I'm going to ask you the question, you're going to give me the answer, go meet and interact with some deaf and hard of hearing people. I'm telling you bold, forthright, levied opinions that they will easily share and then ask you what yours are and then tell you what they think of your opinion. And I love that you could get that from Todd. The last time that I spoke to Todd was in, ironically, end of September last year, when I had a meeting with him to tell him about what I was planning for this year, 2025. And there are several things that strike me now, especially knowing that he's gone during that meeting. And the most important one was I was telling him about all these great things that I've got planned and what I'm going to do and how busy I'm going to be. And what he instantly said was, when is it you're going to have some family time. And he laughed and snickered. Yeah. But he was absolutely not snickering and laughing. And it's also one of the very bold things that I think all of us have to take from a sample like Todd where you can read it in legend from anybody that you want to online how busy and active the man was. But there's two things. One ridiculously dedicated family man. Just outright everything for the family. In fact the second thing to mention is that the people that he had inside of his audience he would call his family but he would use the Hawaiian moniker which. Brian, do you know what that is?

[B]

Oahu or something? I. I can't remember exactly. Oh, I don't know. I heard it today because I listened back to where he had used it, but I can't remember the word.

[A]

Yeah, it's. It's ohana.

[B]

That was it.

[A]

Yeah. It doesn't ring truer for someone other than a man like Todd Cochran. Just an amazing get after it soul, strident, forthright, goal oriented. His military background oozes throughout the organization where there are a series of things that need to be done. And while I know technology and the technology process would inevitably make speed bumps, man, he powered through all of it and was able to get what he needed to help foster along the customers that he had over has over Blueberry which by the way complete Transparency. I am one and have been for over, over 15 years. And the. I can't believe he's gone.

[B]

Right.

[A]

During the afternoons I can remember vividly where I would see a notification on Facebook that oh, going live again. And I would instantly just grab another window and slot him over. And even if it was just him for Geek news central or when Robin, he or someone else that they'd invited on were on on his show, just a. A total attention grabber for a number of different reasons. I go ahead br. I've got many other memories that, that strike me in regard to Todd.

[B]

Yeah. I don't know that it's so much a memory as I've. I've been kind of thinking about well, how does this apply to those who are listening now. Do you want to go there or do you want to spend more time?

[A]

I do. The other thing I want to mention about Todd and the activity I'm going to mention here or the movie that I'm going to mention here, it has an overtone of some sort of chicanery. That's not what I'm referring to when I use this sample. Do you remember the wizard of Oz, the original feature film.

[B]

Yeah. I watched it one too many Halloweens.

[A]

Okay. I'm going to use the sample where Todd was very much like the real person you would expect it to have been. The wizard of Oz. More importantly, when you'd actually see him working, what he would look like when he's working, because he's working so hard on so many different things, he would look like the wizard behind the curtain, except that it's all good. He's not, like, fumbling and being an idiot behind the screen. He's not only dialed in and focused on, but he's going from one thing to another to make sure that not only his show is ready, but that he's checking screens to see if people are leaving messages. And it's a. It's a. Again, the wonderful thing about podcasting, especially now that there's so many video elements, is that you guys can go and watch all of this right now, and you can see exactly what I'm talking about when I'm talking about Todd Cochran, about his dedicated focus, about his wondrous multitasking abilities, and then also, in a series of his programs, him marveling at what it used to take.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To get all kinds of kickassery, where all of that has now just become almost secondary. Of course it is. And we, as especially podcasters, especially those inside the video sphere, we now. We. There are so many things that we appreciate. Brian and I were talking about it in the. In the. The prelude to this program. I. Tonight, I'm wearing technology that I have never worn all at the same time, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

In honor to Todd, because Todd used every piece of human technology known to man and flew the gears into forward and watched it all work until it didn't. And then he would go and find the fix and he'd implement the fix and then fast forward on that son of a. Again. And I fucking love that. I. I think that that is so. Not only is it memorable, it's something where you look at it and you go, how. How do I. How do I get after it like that? And I hope that that's what people really do remember about him, is that there was a steam train engine, a locomotive that was traveling through the podcast sphere that would grab on as many people as could see the train and run up and grab onto it. And you know what? He'd even slow down to help the people that weren't quite that fast. He'd let them jump on, too, because you know what? That's podcasting. You Helping the other people that are around you to try and find a path so that you can get on board this wonderful mission and this direction that Todd and so many others like him take inside of podcasting. It's just. It's so phenomenal.

[B]

Yeah. So I do want to turn the focus a little bit toward you as the listener, because you could be listening to this and be thinking, hey, I would like to leave a legacy as well. And we have an episode where we talked about that. But I want to draw a couple things from my perspective about Todd. The first one is don't judge your success against his. My perspective is you don't have to be Todd to all the people that Todd was Todd for, but if you are you for one other person in my book, that's success. That is leaving something behind. The other thing is, you might be looking and hearing us talk about Todd's personality and how he approached things, but at least from my perspective, none of the things that he ever did were in service of trying to leave a legacy behind or trying to pump himself up or trying to get clicks by being contrarian or anything like that. From my perspective, everything that he did was based on the mission that he was setting out to do and his vision for how to do that for people. And I think that's the thing that I would take away from this for your show is, are you working hard? But that was another thing that he did. And is what you're doing in service of the audience that you're trying to build and the change that you want to either see in them or for them. And if not, what would you want to tweak? It's not about big numbers. It's not about any of that stuff. It's about being committed to pursuing a thing for the benefit of the community, for the benefit of the listener, that kind of thing. That's my perspective. I don't know, Mike. You might have different perspective or something to add. I don't know.

[A]

Yeah. The episode that Brian's referring to, it's literally called all hosts die, but your program lives on. And never a more perfect sentence has been made to refer to the legacy and life of Todd Cochran. He has some of the longest running programming ever. Is it everybody's cup of tea? No. Is the podcast gauntlet everyone's cup of tea? No.

[B]

No.

[A]

That's the whole point. It's an audience, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I. I love that the people that. The people that help prop up podcasting can all understand that. Look, this is all just captured perspective and whether you choose to go up to the tap and turn on the tap and continue to take it into your cup and drink, it is completely up to you. Todd was very forthright about that fact. And again, I think all the people that, that make their impact, or at least the best impact in the podcast sphere currently, I think they all think that the want for people to participate is not only a piece of paramount rules inside of podcasting, it's why we podcast you podcast. Because this is essentially all rules don't exist. Whatever you want to do after you hit the record button or even before you hit the record button, to make your background, to have lights, to, to have special effects, to have editing, to have anything that you might put in to your effort, a new wireless microphone while in tandem, using a wireless headphone that you've never used at the same time. Yeah, all of these things, these are all pieces of why we podcast. This is why we podcast. And I think if we really take the perspective of what Todd offers us, especially after he's now gone, is that you craft your own path in podcasting. Brian said it way more eloquently than I did. Reflecting and looking at someone else's sample of how they're doing that might give you a guideline or the skeleton for an idea that you might want to pull off. But remember, this is all about you and you choosing to make whatever you're going to make to build the audience. Watch your audience build, make your little tweaks here and there as you navigate the path and then continue on and as boldly as one Todd Cochran. And that's where we ask you guys, what do you remember about Todd Cochran? And I cannot wait to see the flood of feedback here because, I mean, it's already been online, but I love nuggets like this. Let us know what you think about Blueberry's Todd Cochran and a gentleman that has left such a massive legacy inside the vein of podcasting. Go over to our website [e-mail], fill out the quick web form and tell Brian and I, I'm serious, tell us exactly what happened with you and how Todd has impacted or pushed along a piece of your life, either as a podcast or not. Because he. There are going to be so many stories about Todd Cochran that have nothing to do with podcasting for sure, that are epic. Just outright, just outright. Brian, I don't drink, but if I had a big old. In fact, you know what? I've got a icy cold diet Mountain Dew, I would be holding this up to Mr. Todd Cochran's reasonably large glass of imported whiskey from somewhere expensive. Here's to you, friend. You're already missed in White Shores. Until next time, I'm Mike Wilkerson, one of your hosts.

[B]

And I'm Brian Entsminger, the other one of your hosts.

[A]

Thanks for listening. And thanks, Todd.