Feed The Queue Podcast: Striking Gold With This Podcast Discovery Show
PLUS...New ACONIC Podcast Series: Challenging Stereotypes About Asian Americans
Think about reviews and recommendations for the movie industry. There are about 125 movies released every year and about 7,000 movie review podcasts, with thousands more online reviewers. In essence, there are too many reviewers chasing too little product. How many reviews can you read about Deadpool & Wolverine?
Now, think about podcasting. There are arguably about 40,000 active podcasts. More than 80 percent of them are independent podcasts, which means they don't have a Mother Ship like Amazon, Spotify, or iHeart to financially and logistically support them.
Numbers are admittedly sketchy on this, but there are a few thousand -- maybe-- podcast recommendation podcasts, online publications, or video shows. In essence, there are not enough podcast reviewers chasing a "googol" of excellent podcasts. (Note: A googol is 10 to the power of 100, 10¹⁰⁰).
As a podcast reviewer and recommendation publication, I can recommend some superb podcast recommendation crews such as Bingeworthy, BlkPodNews, Great Pods, Into The Podverse, Podstack, Podcast The Newsletter, and Feed the Queue.
You can't go wrong with recommendations from any of these sources. What I also admire is that these recommenders focus on independent podcasts that are often lost in the category 5 hurricane winds that define podcast discoverability.
Feed The Queue is a podcast recommendation show that just started its fourth season. It is produced by Tink Media, one of the outstanding podcast marketing companies in the space. Tink is run by Lauren Passell, one of the most well-known and highly respected people in the industry.
Feed The Queue describes itself as "the ultimate podcast discovery podcast! We’re feeding your queue with episodes of our favorite shows. Join the team from Tink Media and creators from across the industry to learn about shows you’ll love. Think of it like a char-queue-terie of podcasts, full of delicious sounds and flavors."
While the mention of a charcuterie board made me wish for some brie, there's nothing cheesy about this podcast. Every episode highlights a podcast that becomes ear-worthy right after listening to Feed the Queue and luxuriating in the podcasts they recommend. Feed The Queue is like Consumer Reports or Wirecutter for podcasts.
I readily confess that I have liked every podcast the show has recommended. My favorites include Beef, Digital Folklore, Rumble Strip, Skyline Drive, and The Nocturnists. Beef with Bridget Todd was a particular favorite of mine.
One of my favorite episodes -- November 17, 2023 -- featured one of my favorite podcasts, 6 Degrees Of Cats by Amanda B. On the episode, host Andreea and 6 Degrees podcaster Amanda discuss her background and bio, how she crafted her unique sound design for the show, and how she baked history, culture, and science into a podcast about cats. During the episode, the host and guest restrained themselves on cat puns, and the clip of the episode Andreea played was delightful.
I must note that 6 Degrees Of Cats was the July 2024 winner of the Ear Worthy Award for Best Pet Podcast.
The Feed The Queue podcast has gone through several iterations as it begins its fourth season, and that is a good thing. Podcasts that don't change, don't last, unless you count PodQuiz and its infernal yet charming conformity.
The Welcome to Season 4 episode was just released on September 10th. The intro music by Aakshi Sinha is pleasantly unique and acoustically quirky. Joni Mitchell, eat your heart out.
The co-hosts of this episode are Devin Andrade and Andreea Coscai. On the debut episode of season four, the co-hosts added a new element to the show, with each co-host asking three questions: How did you discover your love of audio? What is one of your favorite podcasts? If you had a budget of one million dollars, what podcast would you produce?
It's a light-bulb moment because those three questions elicit more personal information about the co-hosts but stick closely to the podcast discovery theme.
Apparently, different people from Tink Media will co-host the show, and with talented people like Wil Williams, the quality will not be diminished at all.
Podcast discoverability continues to be the equivalent to a cold that will not go away. Podcasters, podcast listeners, and industry people know that there are thousands of exceptional podcasts just waiting to be discovered.
However, needle meet haystack. Until a comprehensive, coordinated, and collaborative system of podcast discoverability is implemented (and even after), podcast discovery shows like Feed The Queue are essential for people searching for the next great listen.
Finally, as enthusiastic supporters of independent podcasts, I salute Tink Media for their commitment to the people who started podcasting and remain the heart and soul of the industry -- independent podcasters.
It may be breakfast or lunchtime when you read this, so Feed The Queue and devour a great podcast. Try Conspiracy, She Wrote. This way, you can find out where in Ohio those immigrants are apparently eating all the dogs and cats in the town. Run, Scruffy, run.
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New ACONIC Podcast Series: Challenging Stereotypes About Asian Americans
New ACONIC Podcast Series Launches to Challenge Stereotypes and Discuss Personal and Professional Highs and Lows with Asian and Asian American Icons
The Aconic Podcast, a new series featuring iconic Asian and AAPI leaders in candid conversation about the challenges and triumphs experienced along their journeys to success, has premiered today on all major podcast platforms and on YouTube. The debut episode features a frank and unfiltered discussion with San Francisco 49ers President Paraag Marathe, with following episodes to come every two weeks on Wednesday.
The Aconic Podcast is sponsored by Altos Ventures, the Founders of the Asian Alumni Chapter of Stanford Graduate School of Business, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and Gold House. It is hosted by Soon Yu, an international speaker, award-winning and best-selling author, and Forbes contributor who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and New York Times.
Each episode will delve into the guest’s “hero’s journey” to success, including the roadblocks, misfires, frustrations, and failures they faced and their seminal moments of vulnerability, hope, perseverance, and achievement. Through these stories, Yu explores the key lessons each guest learned and how they've used them to create lasting impact in their fields.
“Through this series, we are going to dispel the common stereotype of Asian Americans as a ‘model minority’ by having real and authentic conversations with some of the most prominent leaders in business, politics, and culture,” said Soon Yu, Host of the Aconic Podcast.
“Our conversations pull back the many layers of the Asian American experience to give audiences an inside look at what it really takes to rise above the obstacles that come along with the journey to success.”
“Our work at TAAF has shown that visibility is vital in shifting narratives surrounding our community,” said Norman Chen, CEO of the Asian American Foundation. “We’re excited to partner with Soon and his team to create a platform to showcase the complexity and variety of the Asian American experience and the triumphs achieved through adversity.”
“In a crowded landscape, it is up to us to invest in getting our stories out there to level the playing field when it comes to representation,” said Bing Chen, CEO & Co-Founder of Gold House. “We hope that Aconic will help Asian Pacific leaders reflect on their own journeys to success and inspire the next generation of Asian Pacific creatives, business leaders, and beyond to persevere as they pursue their dreams to become their best selves.”
“The powerful personal stories listeners will hear give moving examples of how some of today’s greatest leaders can stumble or face hardship but learn and grow,” said Chris Loh, GSB Asian Alumni Chapter Co-President and Aconic Podcast Executive Producer. “The lessons learned are truly inspiring, and we hope audiences develop new perspectives and helpful insights to use on their own journeys.”
Upcoming guests of the Aconic Podcast include:
Paraag Marathe, President, San Francisco 49ers
Debby Soo, CEO, OpenTable
Andrew Yang, Founder, Forward Party
Manny Maceda, CEO and Chairman, Bain
Deb Liu, CEO, Ancestry
Joe Bae, CEO, KKR
Jenny Ming, CEO, Rothys
Ho Nam, Managing Partner, Altos VC
Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio
Yamini Rangan, CEO, Hubspot
Bing Chen, CEO & Co-Founder, Gold House
Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts
Norman Chen, CEO, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)
Tiffany Cheng, Miss Asia USA
Steve Chen, Co-Founder, YouTube
I've listened to the first two episodes, and both were superb. The second episode with Debby Soo, CEO, OpenTable was especially enlightening with her memories of her parents consumed by their travel business, her time spent in the library, and her absorption of an intense work ethic.
The Aconic Podcast series was developed to promote positive narratives that inspire and empower the AAPI community. It features candid conversations with successful Asian and Asian American icons.
The Aconic Podcast is sponsored by Altos Ventures, the Founders of the Asian Alumni Chapter of Stanford Graduate School of Business, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and Gold House, and is hosted by Soon Yu, an international speaker, award-winning and best-selling author, and Forbes contributor who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and New York Times.
In each episode of The Aconic Podcast series, Soon Yu delves into the experiences of these icons - from moments of frustration to those of hope, determination, and achievement. Guests shed light on their personal journeys of overcoming challenges and sharing triumphs, as well as how they applied their learnings to create lasting impact in their fields. The Aconic Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms and on YouTube at @aconicpodcast. New episodes are released every two weeks on Wednesday.
Check out The Aconic Podcast to learn more. After all, the more we understand about other cultures, the more we can empathize and collaborate.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes by architect I.M. Pei, who once said: “Success is a collection of problems solved.”