Building something meaningful is hard. I went to SXSW EDU looking for answers. But I found something bigger: a community. Here are my biggest takeaways from SXSW EDU 2026: From the start, Yousra Magouri spoke about mentorship as a force for transformation. Real mentorship means sharing failures and the messy parts of the journey so others can find their own “aha” moment. Kirstie Papworth, Michellana Jester, Ari Lightman, and Bill Heinrich Heinrich reinforced why experiential learning and learning by doing matter. AI can support learning, but it cannot replace human learning. Elaine Zuniga and Ryan Westrup shared an honest founder story about building an EdTech startup together. Bootstrapped. No perfect roadmap. Just resilience, trust, and learning how to keep going. At the FOHE Mixer hosted by Future of Higher Education, it was energizing to connect with founder Ray Batra, reconnect with Connor Koblinski, and try to get Reed Dickson to give me high fives :) At the meetup with Julia Kaziewicz Collier, the advice was practical, generous, and interactive. She pushed us to share, connect, and create content. It was a reminder that telling our story matters. The keynote with Martha Salazar-Zamora, and Adeel Khan, founder of MagicSchool AI, made one thing clear: teachers must stay at the center. AI should support educators, but never replace them.

One line from a recent conversation between Tony Robbins and Alex Hormozi stayed with me: “I don’t have all the answers. But I have access.” That single sentence explains why interviews and podcasts are such an unfair advantage. Tony shared how frustration with a broken system pushed him to interview 50 of the smartest people on the planet—people who started with nothing, not privilege. Different industries. Different personalities. One common thread: Access. * Not theory. * Not opinions. * But patterns revealed through real conversations. Here’s the part most people miss though 👇 You don’t need to start with massive access. You create access. When you ask high-level people for their time, there are usually only three options: 1. Pay their consulting fee 2. Join their paid mastermind 3. Or… invite them onto your podcast Most people can’t afford option 1 or 2. But almost no one is talking about option 3. An interview podcast lets you: ✔️ Learn directly from people you’d never otherwise reach ✔️ Build proximity without paying thousands ✔️ Create value first instead of asking for favors ✔️ Turn conversations into long-term relationships ✔️ This is why interview podcasts are modern-day apprenticeships. - You’re not just recording content. - You’re collapsing decades of learning into hours. - You’re building a platform that attracts wisdom instead of chasing it. And the beautiful part? 👉🏻 You don’t need to be famous. 👉🏻 You don’t need a massive audience. You need: - A mic - Curiosity mindset - And the willingness to do the work most people avoid If you’re still thinking about starting a podcast in 2026, I’ll ask you honestly: What’s stopping you? Because if you’re serious about growth, authority, and access, this is the leverage move.

A year ago, podcasting felt like a big-genre game. Everyone was chasing: • More downloads • More views • Bigger reach • Viral clips Millions of views became the benchmark of success. But quietly… the game has changed. 🎙️ Podcasting is no longer about mass appeal. It’s becoming deeply niche-driven. Today, most high-impact podcasts won’t do millions of views. They’ll do hundreds… or a few thousand views. And that’s not a failure. That’s maturity. Because what really matters now is: 👉 Who is listening, not how many. A niche podcast attracts: • Decision-makers • Founders & leaders • Serious learners • People with context, intent, and buying power These listeners don’t binge content. They listen with purpose. One aligned listener today is worth more than 10,000 random views. Here’s what I’m seeing behind the scenes: 🔹 Niche podcasts are closing high-ticket deals 🔹 Episodes are turning into long-term relationships 🔹 Conversations are leading to collaborations, clients, and credibility 🔹 Authority is being built quietly, consistently The algorithm may not reward you. But the right audience will. Podcasting is shifting from: ❌ Entertainment-first to ✅ Relationship-first From: ❌ “How many views did it get?” to ✅ “Who reached out after listening?” This is why podcasts are becoming one of the most powerful long-term assets for personal brands, consultants, and entrepreneurs. If you’re starting a podcast today, don’t ask: “Can this go viral?” Ask: “Can this speak directly to the people I want to work with for the next 5 years?” Because in 2026 and beyond: 📌 Depth will beat scale 📌 Trust will beat traffic 📌 Conversations will beat content And the most successful podcasts? You won’t always see them trending. You’ll see their hosts building influence, income, and impact quietly. That’s the real power of podcasting today.

Don’t Start a Podcast to Grow Fast. Start it to Grow Deep. If your goal is speed, you’ll quit. If your goal is depth, you’ll compound. Podcasting rewards patience. It punishes shortcuts. Every meaningful brand I’ve seen was built slowly but intentionally. Depth lasts longer than hype.

In this video from Dan Martell, you will learn how the simple act of showing belief and support for someone can inspire them to change their life direction and realize their true potential.