Surviving as a Niche Network: Lessons from Scripted Fiction | GZM

What happens when a podcast network is built around storytelling as the organizing principle—not just as a buzzword or content strategy? That’s the lens this conversation explores: how prioritizing story and narrative coherence over ad inventory or content volume shapes not only production, but the listener’s entire experience. Joining to discuss, Jeremy Westphal explains why approaching everything—from show selection to advertising to surveys—with a story-first mindset creates a distinct identity and audience relationship. Jeremy Westphal draws on hands-on experience from building audio projects at major brands like Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to now running a 30+ show network, GZM, focused on original scripted fiction for kids, families, and young adults. With more than a decade of operational roles across production, ad sales, and partnerships, he brings unique perspective on how a podcast network can balance original storytelling with business realities. **Listen For:** 09:29 Creating Podcasts 13:41 Understanding Media Business Models 18:09 Challenges of original content creation 25:49 Understanding the audience demographics 29:33 Improving audience experience 32:57 Reaching your podcast audience 38:14 Importance of network and scale 48:52 Independent scripted productions success 50:24 The evolution of podcast production 01:00:00 Licensing books for podcasts 01:07:41 Building an Authentic Audience 01:11:37 Producing and sustaining a podcast **CONNECT WITH GUEST: JEREMY WESTPHAL, DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS AT GZM SHOWS** Website | LinkedIn | Podcast **Podcast rec:** Sherlock & Co*. |* Earth Rangers **Book rec:** Dragonships series by Scott Reintgen **CONNECT WITH GREG WASSERMAN,** **HEAD OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR** RSS.COM Website | LinkedIn **Systems, Sponsors, and Partners:** Hosted with RSS.com Podcast Hosting Produced by Stories & Strategies Content Repurposed with Castmagic Podcast Project Management with Northflow