Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Bowlin.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I first began working at HowStuffWorks as an intern for the video department way back in 2007, when the company was primarily a text-based educational website. On my first day, I had to write a script about LCD displays for the founder of our company. Talk about pressure, right? Luckily, the good folks at HowStuffWorks kept me along for the ride, and it wasn’t long before we dove into the world of podcasting, (though it’s safe to say none of us knew what podcasting would eventually become). Our first shows were maybe five minutes long, and more like advertisements for the website articles than stand-alone content.
My first podcast hosting experience began on a show called CarStuff, which I helmed with my friend Scott Benjamin. We did this show for almost a decade! Over the years I’ve developed, produced, founded and hosted any number of other audio and video projects. Currently, I’m an Executive Producer here, and I continue to host podcasts like Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know and Ridiculous History (shoutout to my pals Matt Frederick and Noel Brown). Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know applies critical thinking to all sorts of conspiratorial allegations, unsolved crimes, fringe research, and cover-ups. Ridiculous History is best described as a continuing exploration of all the bizarre, strange and silly things our species has done over the span of human civilization.
And this job leads me on all sorts of strange adventures. Currently, I’m writing this while on a flight to Korea, where I plan to visit the DMZ. Every day is something new, different, fascinating and weird. Luckily, I’ve worked closely with some great folks for quite a while now, and we keep each other relatively on track.
Nowadays, it’s unusual to work with the same people, at the same place, for more than a decade. I’m incredibly fortunate! Podcasting as a whole is changing — hopefully, as always, for the better. On the development end, the current and subsequent chapters of my story focused on bringing new formats to the air — but, most importantly, bringing forward new voices and perspectives all too often ignored in other forms of media. And, as always, there are exciting, new projects on the horizon — things I can’t wait to mention when the time is right.
Has it been a smooth road?
I love podcasting, and as the old saying goes “the course of true love never did run smooth”. Over the course of my career, I’ve met with some hare-brained schemes, some well-intentioned missteps, and some wild experiments — none of which I regret.
Candidly, there have been plenty of struggles along the way, both in my personal career and in the industry as a whole. When I first set off on this strange adventure, podcasting itself was a nascent concept. One of the most important lessons I learned was as simple as it was alarming: No one knew what would or would not work. To a large degree, we still can’t predict what will or will not be a hit.
That’s what I call a great problem. This doesn’t just mean there’s more out there for us to explore — it also means this is one of the few forms of media where a small group of people really can make a global impact.
On a personal level, I had this hilarious Larry David-esque, ongoing thing for several years when I would try to explain to relatives and friends what it is, exactly, that I do for a living. Typical responses would be things like “Oh, nice — but, I mean, what do you do as your day job?”
We’d love to hear more about your business.
HowStuffWorks is the biggest commercial podcasting company in the world — which, specifically, means we’re bigger than everyone but NPR. As a huge fan of NPR, I’m thrilled.
HowStuffWorks is best known for podcasts like Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know and more. We produce shows in-house and also partner with people like Aaron Mahnke or Tenderfoot TV.
We’re known for being educational, entertaining and informative — what I like to call ‘content in context’ (a phrase I just made up but find myself pretty fond of at the moment). Sure, we want people to know how bifocals work, and why you can’t, for example, eat a polar bear’s liver, but we also want you to know the story of how the first bifocals were made. We want you to know what happened to a guy who did eat that liver!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I believe Atlanta is a great city for podcasting. There’s a ton of potential for growth. If someone were just starting out, I’d recommend Atlanta.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stufftheydontwantyoutoknow.com, www.ridiculoushistory.com
- Instagram: @benbowlin
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