Pod.op.o.lo
- The next dimension of podcasting where effortless discovery of the perfect listen meets meaningful conversation, connection, rewards, and mission-driven impact
- A smart podcast matchmaker or ‘dating app’ helping podcast fans easily find the right podcast at the right moment, and podcasters find and grow the perfect audience to expand their reach and influence
- A gathering place to fuel your brain, calm your soul, or open your heart – whether you’re looking for cutting-edge learning, bingeworthy entertainment, podcasts to soothe, uplift or inspire you, or ways to engage in conversation with hosts and friends about what matters to you
- A haven for creators who want an easy and timesaving way to grow their reach, influence, and impact and make money doing it, while fans reap valuable rewards just for listening and engaging – from free products to measurable charitable impact
Melinda Wittstock is the Founder and CEO of Podopolo. As a five-time serial entrepreneur in media and tech, Melinda has always believed that conversation is the best content.
Melinda's entrepreneurial journey began at a young age when she created her first interactive show for her neighbors at age six. She went on to work as a correspondent for The Times of London, covering business, media, and the early days of the internet. Steve Jobs once told her that she “asked the best questions”, and she later worked as a producer and anchor for CNBC's Financial Times Television, ABC News' World News Now, and the BBC, where she grew a TV newsmagazine to an audience of 20 million in just a few months.
Throughout her career, Melinda has learned how to create engaging content that benefits both consumers and creators. She is passionate about making sure content creators can earn a living from their work and has founded four successful companies in broadcast media, social networking, AI-driven consumer intelligence, gamification, and technology.
With Podopolo, Melinda has combined her knowledge of media and technology to create a next-generation podcasting platform at the intersection of social media, AI, and blockchain. Her vision is to create a world where podcasts can turn ideas into action, followers into movements, and communities into agents of change.
I launched my first podcast Wings of Inspired Business as a passion project, setting out to affirm and acclaim the entrepreneurial journeys of female founders like me who I believed were succeeding in silence, and ignite a community where women helped each other to soar to success. Like many podcasters, I created the show I wish I’d had when I needed it most and I wanted to give back.
Unlike many podcasters, I had a head start. I already knew how to grow audiences and engage listeners. Back in the day I had created and grown a “gamified” crowd-sourcing news app to 3 million users in just 8 months. But podcasting was different: There was no way to truly track or understand who was listening or how they were listening… because downloads didn’t tell the story. Still, like so many podcasters, I made it work… the hard way.
I found a way to grow my audience to a 1mm+ reach, creating 4 profitable revenue streams, and a special accolade: Wings was ranked #8 of 20 top business podcasts by Entrepreneur Magazine.
It wasn’t easy. I know what it’s like struggling to be discovered. I know what it’s like to burn out trying to grow and engage a community. I know how frustrating it is to be locked out of sponsor and ad revenue. I also learned that 85% of podcasters don’t make a dime – and that all but the top 1-2% with 10,000+ downloads per episode were excluded from lucrative sponsorship and advertising dollars. And I discovered that listeners and viewers were as frustrated as me trying to find and engage around podcasts, and that brands were holding back from advertising on podcasts because the lack of data was turning their ROI into guesswork. That all had to change. So I created Podopolo.
You may be tempted to pronounce it Podo-Polo. Like Marco Polo.
Which is fine. We don’t care how you say it so long you’re here at the party, and for the record we prefer Pod-op-olo (puh-dohp-uh-lo).
We wanted to say “podcasting” while also saying “community”, “social networking”, “fun & games”, and “mission-driven impact”.
The “pod” part was easy. The second part? Not so much.
So, we thought “polis” (or community), and something that suggested games and challenges -- that’s where the “polo” part comes in.
Mostly we just wanted to be different. And have a name as playful as we are!