Jack Wagoner started The Grateful Podcast when he was just 16 years old, while studying abroad in France. What began as a way to explore ideas, have deeper conversations, and eventually connect with people he admired has now grown into more than 100 episodes.
But reaching 100 episodes taught Jack something unexpected: consistency alone isn’t enough.
In this episode of My Podcast Story, Jack shares why simply publishing over and over won’t necessarily build the podcast you want, why improvement has to accompany consistency, and what he’s changing as he enters the next stage of the show.
We also unpack how he researches guests, why he believes great podcast episodes are largely won in pre-production, how he uses AI without outsourcing the human creativity behind his interviews, what it takes to produce both long-form episodes and short-form clips, and why being young may actually be one of his biggest advantages.
Jack also shares what it’s like building a podcast alongside school, work, coaching, and other interests—and why he believes you should ask the dream guest before deciding they’ll say no.
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Connect with Jack Wagoner
Website : https://jackwagoner.co/
Podcast: The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner
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Chapters
00:00 Why Consistency Is Only the Bare Minimum
00:19 Meet Jack Wagoner
00:40 Reaching 100 Podcast Episodes at 18
01:10 Starting the Podcast at 16
02:10 What The Grateful Podcast Is About
03:21 Balancing Gratitude and Ambition
03:33 Starting a Podcast While Living in France
04:49 Wanting to Interview the People You Admire
06:24 Why Jack Wishes He Had Started Earlier
06:51 What Podcasting Has Taught Him About Himself
07:55 Stop Rejecting Yourself Before You Ask
08:27 Why 100 Episodes Changed His View of Consistency
08:54 Consistency vs. Constant Improvement
11:44 Why the Person Behind the Podcast Matters
12:39 Building Credibility When You’re Only 18
14:29 Being Young as a Podcasting Advantage
15:00 Jack’s Podcast Production Workflow
15:37 How He Finds and Reaches Out to Guests
16:15 Why Great Interviews Are Won in Pre-Production
16:42 How Jack Researches Podcast Guests
18:01 Editing With Riverside, CapCut, and Premiere Pro
19:11 Why Titles and Thumbnails Matter So Much
20:00 How Jack Uses AI in His Podcast Workflow
20:44 Turning Long-Form Episodes Into Short-Form Content
21:10 Maintaining Relationships With Podcast Guests
21:44 Why Better Preparation Makes Editing Easier
22:01 How the Podcast Fits Into Jack’s Life
22:29 Studying Behavioral Neuroscience
23:14 Gratitude Coaching and Building Trust Through Podcasting
24:24 What Jack Wants to Change About the Podcast
25:41 Making More Interviews In Person
26:28 What It Costs to Record in a Podcast Studio
28:35 Building a Simple Podcast Studio
31:37 What Has Actually Driven Jack’s Podcast Growth
32:06 The Role of Ambition and Obsession
35:18 Does The Grateful Podcast Make Money?
36:04 Jack’s Plans for Podcast Monetization
37:14 Meeting Listeners Who Already Feel Like They Know You
38:07 Advice to His 16-Year-Old Self
38:30 Think Bigger and Ask Bigger Guests
39:25 A Message to His Future Self
39:31 Staying Grateful While Chasing Bigger Goals
39:51 Where to Find Jack Wagoner and The Grateful Podcast
