How Dr. Jeremy Weisz Scaled His Podcast Business With Virtual Assistants

Did you know that 70% of podcast fans are listening to their favorite show while doing housework? And as of 2022, 62% of Americans have listened to podcasts. That is almost 177 million people in the US alone!

Our client, Dr.Jeremy Weisz of Rise25, has undoubtedly contributed to those statistics! Dr. Jeremy has built his podcast business while harnessing the talents of remote freelancers for over a decade. 

Let’s take a look at the behind the scenes secrets he has to share from podcast management to scaling the business using FreeUp’s services!

What is your business/industry?

Response:

Response:

The business is Rise25. I was trained in biochemistry and as a chiropractor, but I’ve been podcasting for over fourteen years through INspired INsider.

That includes interviewing founders, and entrepreneurs and learning how they built their businesses. Through that journey of podcasting, people started asking me to help them start their podcasts and to run their podcasts, so I’ve been helping people run and launch podcasts for over a decade!

John Corker, my business partner, and I came together, and both of us started helping people launch and run podcasts. So that is essentially where we are with Rise25. 

We’re an easy button for a company to launch and run their podcast, and to make sure that it generates ROI for them. 

We focus more on businesses that can really feature and profile their best partners and champions in the industry. I look at podcasting as a way to give to my network of people and profile them. So we do everything from the strategy to the accountability to the execution of a podcast. 

One of the things we’re always doing is we’re always hiring different people that we need for portions of the processes because there are a lot of moving pieces involved in producing, running, and even podcast editing.

How long have you been using freelancers for your podcast business?

Response:

Since I got smart! In the beginning, I was doing everything! I did have someone that was doing the audio and video early on, over a decade ago, however, I was writing…and I’m not a writer.

So early on I had audio and video help, and then I realized that  I shouldn’t be doing a lot of the other tasks such as writing. It was not the best use of my time. 

The best use of my time is building relationships and running my business. So I got it off my plate very quickly, I would say within the first year I had people for the writing, the editing, the audio, the video posting, etc.

How much time do you spend on strategic planning before you hire? Do you create a Scope of Work?

Response:

We have done a good job creating SOPs and Scopes of Work because it simplifies the onboarding process. We’ve built all of our processes out, so when someone does come on board we say, here is the scope, here is how you do it, here’s how we train on that piece of work, etc. 

We have a step-by-step process that people can follow, and it makes onboarding someone much, much easier, especially onboarding multiple people over the years for the same position. 

It’s a good experience for the person coming on, because they have the expectations set, and they know exactly what they need to do. It’s been helpful to really streamline onboarding to have those processes in place. 

What do you wish you would have done sooner in terms of hiring or working with freelancers?

Response:

I’ve had to retrain my thinking on working with freelancers. When you’re used to doing the work and just rolling up your sleeves and doing it on your own it’s sometimes hard to shift and say, I just need to find someone else to do it!

I’ve gotten better at it, however, if something is on my plate, and it’s been on my plate, I have to pay attention as that’s usually a signal for me that I need some assistance from a freelancer!

And with certain tasks, such as writing, there is someone who probably could do it better than me in the end anyways. 

I like to think if it isn’t my “superpower”, and it’s not really what I should be focused on, I should probably hand it off. So listening to the signs is the best advice I can give, and just do it sooner! 

What successes have you seen while working with FreeUp freelancers?

Response:

One example is us bringing on a freelancer for a specific task but they far exceeded our expectations and ended up managing other tasks for us. They grew to do other things beyond just the thing that we actually brought them on for which is always great! 

What challenges have you run into?

FreeUp is one of those companies that could help shortcut a process. You know you’re already getting vetted people, and you don’t have to sift through hundreds of applicants which is a pain point for hiring. So for us, it is mostly a positive experience. 

We look at our cultural fit when hiring a person, so the person may be great at what their position is and what they do on paper, but we do want someone who is a cultural fit as well. So that means taking a little extra time to ensure they are good at communicating with our team and our model. It isn’t a challenge as much as it is something that takes time to vet on our end.

What advice would you give a person in your industry who is interested in working with freelancers for the first time?

Response: 

Figure out what is holding you back! The mindset that someone you hire might not be able to do it as well as you can will hold you back. You might be right, but if you start by laying all the processes out it can make it easier. Once I documented everything it became easier to get it off my plate!

Scale Up Using FreeUp Today!

As you can see, Dr. Jeremy Weisz has cultivated a positive and successful work culture utilizing the talents of pre-vetted freelancers here at FreeUp Marketplace. : From podcast management, writing, and podcast editing.

If you would like to learn more about the podcast business or scaling up your own business, in general, click the link below to book a free consultation with a FreeUp Account Manager today!