In this episode, I sit down with Roger Nairn, CEO of JAR Podcast Solutions, to talk about how he’s grown a top-tier production agency working with brands like Amazon, Lululemon, Amex, and Cirque du Soleil.
We get into the systems, sales strategies, and creative positioning that helped him go from “no name, no business plan” to building a client list most agencies dream about.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – From hobbyist to first client in four days
02:35 – Why “just starting” beats overplanning every time
04:04 – Selling the business case for podcasts
05:12 – The hire that changed everything
07:29 – Building scalable systems with “the 8 P’s”
09:49 – Why this sales hire actually worked
11:46 – Outreach, targeting, and big-brand ABM
15:47 – How the playbook changed as the market matured
17:56 – Solving business challenges, not selling “a podcast”
22:59 – JAR’s client system: job, audience, results
24:49 – Knowing when to say no (and sticking to it)
28:45 – Finding and training podcast hosts
32:49 – The current sales process (and why Roger still cold outreaches)
35:23 – Inbound, RFPs, and fixing broken shows
39:21 – Pitching ideas based on brand news
42:03 – Balancing prospecting with live opportunities
45:04 – Making sales a leadership team effort
46:47 – What’s next for JAR
- Key Takeaways
- Waiting for the “perfect” start? That mindset kills momentum.
- Sometimes the priciest hire unlocks the biggest profit.
- Systems don’t have to be boring—they can fuel momentum.
- Selling the why gets easier when your market is educated.
- Saying no to the wrong projects creates space for the right ones.
- Outreach that’s brand-specific beats any templated campaign.
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