Elzie Flenard, founder of Podcast Town and author of Flamestarter, shares how lunch-break Skype interviews launched his podcasting business. He and Taryell Simmons discuss the attention economy, building an email list, B2B podcasting, his Five Ones framework for focus, healing your past, and pairing vision with daily action.
Welcome to the latest episode of the Rise Urban Nation podcast, hosted by Taryell Simmons. In this dynamic conversation, Taryell sits down with Elzie Flenard, the visionary founder of Podcast Town and host of Journey to Mastery. Together, they explore the transformative power of entrepreneurship, the critical steps of personal self-mastery, and actionable strategies for building a thriving media presence in today's attention economy.
Elzie shares his humble beginnings in Mounds, Illinois, and how conducting Skype interviews during lunch breaks launched his podcasting enterprise.
The discussion on why failure serves as a vital accelerant in business, echoing Mike Tyson's philosophy on resilience when life hits you in the mouth.
Elzie explains how any company, including a boutique clothing brand, can leverage podcasting and email lists to capture and monetize customer attention.
A powerful dialogue on self-mastery, highlighting the necessity of confronting your genesis and healing childhood trauma before scaling a business.
The crucial insight that vivid visualization must always be backed by intentional daily execution and a commitment to excellence.
The Attention Economy: Shifting marketing strategies from goods and services to capturing, nurturing, and converting audience attention through owned email lists.
Strategic B2B Podcasting: Leveraging business podcasts to build authentic relationships and industry authority rather than chasing superficial vanity metrics.
The Five Ones: Simplifying business growth by committing to one target market, one offer, and one conversion method for one year.
Healing Personal Genesis: Addressing unresolved childhood background and trauma to prevent personal struggles from impacting leadership and financial decisions.
Culture of Excellence: Committing to incremental daily improvements across all business functions while holding teams and collaborators to high standards.
Embrace rapid failure as a valuable source of data that reveals what to avoid and when to pivot.
Prioritize building an email subscriber list to track user engagement and guide prospects through customized purchasing journeys.
Master a single core offer before creating multiple complicated service tiers and packages.
Pair mental visualization and self-belief with disciplined daily execution and continuous one-percent improvements.
Elzie Flenard, known as "The Mayor," is an electrical engineer turned media entrepreneur and the founder of Podcast Town, an agency helping businesses grow their influence through audio and video. He is the author of the book Flamestarter: The Art of Self-Mastery and the host of the Journey to Mastery podcast. Learn more about his work and connect with him at https://elzieflenard.com.
Taryell Simmons: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another episode of Rise Urban Nation podcast, where we unite, uplift, and ignite. I am your host, Taryell Simmons. Today, we are going to explore the transformative power of entrepreneurship and self-mastery with Elzie, the mayor, founder of Podcast Town. Did I get it right?
Elzie Flenard: You got it right and you nailed it.
Taryell Simmons: It is great to have you here, brother. How are you this fine morning?
Elzie Flenard: I am doing fantastic. I am up in the studio talking to bright, brilliant folks like yourself, so I am on cloud nine.
Taryell Simmons: I appreciate that. Earlier, we were discussing my journey into podcasting and how it started as a passion project. I entered a Startup Weekend competition with Techstars and Google while helping them with a DEI initiative to bring more Black entrepreneurs into that space. Meeting so many brilliant people creating things inspired me to launch this podcast to highlight amazing individuals. When I did programming for young adults to help them access apprenticeships, many hesitated because they did not see people who looked like them. I realized they cannot be what they cannot see. Was your journey into self-mastery and discovery similar?
Elzie Flenard: I grew up in a small town called Mounds, Illinois. It has no stoplights, one gas station, one grocery store, and a diminishing population where everybody knows everybody. For me to be where I am today—talking to entrepreneurs literally from all over the world, including interviews from South America during a blackout—exposed me to different perspectives and ways of doing business. Podcasting has truly changed my life by allowing me to share different thought processes and help people improve their businesses through dialogue. I have learned so much about myself through the different businesses I failed at.
Taryell Simmons: Failure is so important to the process because you learn so much from it. I always say fail faster because it gets you to where you need to go.
Elzie Flenard: Failure is painful and embarrassing, but it is one of the main accelerants to success because you learn what not to do. Mike Tyson famously said that everybody has a plan until they get hit in the mouth. In business, everybody thinks their idea will work until reality hits. That is when you discover what you are made of. Knowing when something is not working and quickly pivoting is one of the biggest keys to success.
Taryell Simmons: I have been podcasting for about three years. It started as a passion project, but now I am turning it into a business. What motivated you to pursue entrepreneurship specifically in the podcasting industry?
Elzie Flenard: It happened somewhat by accident. Ever since I was fourteen, I knew I wanted a family and I wanted to own my own business. Throughout my career, including years working as an electrical engineer, I always ran side hustles. When I struggled to scale those businesses, I realized I needed to connect with established business owners who had already made the leap. Rather than asking to pick their brain cold, I started a podcast on Skype during my lunch breaks to ask them questions and help promote their businesses. After an interview, one guest told me that since I was good at asking questions and knew how to produce a show, I should help other business owners launch podcasts. I tested the idea, convinced clients to pay me, and that is how Podcast Town was born.
Elzie Flenard: Seven or eight years ago, the biggest hurdle was market education because few business owners understood what a podcast was or how it could serve them. Today, the challenge is competition as the industry has matured and on-demand content has become standard. We have shifted from a goods-and-services economy to an attention economy. If you are not getting, holding, and monetizing attention, your business will not grow. Our focus now is educating the market on how to leverage media to capture and convert attention effectively.
Taryell Simmons: We have seen podcasting evolve from audio-only to video on platforms like YouTube, with networks like Earn Your Leisure and Social Proof demonstrating how to build services around media. What do you envision for the future of the podcasting space?
Elzie Flenard: The industry is splitting into two clear spaces: entertainment and culture versus B2B business podcasting. In B2B, entrepreneurs use podcasting to build strategic relationships and grow their audiences organically. Understanding which game you are playing dictates your strategy. Additionally, while older listeners often prefer audio, newer podcasters and creators of color increasingly favor video. The key is understanding your target market and meeting them where they consume content.
Taryell Simmons: Can any business leverage a podcast? For example, how could a boutique Black-owned clothing store like The Museum in Washington, D.C., use a podcast to grow?
Elzie Flenard: They could launch a podcast featuring brand ambassadors and influencers wearing the merchandise while discussing their creative projects and why they collaborate with the brand. That content can then be repurposed across YouTube, Instagram, and other social channels. Crucially, they must use that content to drive listeners onto an email list. Only three to five percent of people are ready to buy immediately; the remaining ninety-five percent need nurturing. An email list lets you track consumer behavior and engagement, giving you the data needed to refine promotions, guest appearances, and product development. Every business needs a content generation strategy.
Taryell Simmons: What strategies and collaborations have been crucial to scaling Podcast Town?
Elzie Flenard: My show, Journey to Mastery, has been central because it teaches business mastery, which begins with knowing who you are and who you are not. At Podcast Town, I focus solely on helping entrepreneurs grow their business using their voice through podcasting. I do not build websites or handle unrelated services; instead, I refer that work to trusted partners who refer clients back to me. Having clarity and doubling down on what you do best moves the needle.
Taryell Simmons: Many business owners fall into the trap of offering too many packages and catering to too many audiences, which causes confusion. Simplifying and mastering one thing builds a repeatable system.
Elzie Flenard: Exactly. That aligns with the concept of the five ones: one target market, one offer, and one conversion method for one year. When your systems run flawlessly without you, only then should you consider expanding your offers.
Taryell Simmons: What are the most important lessons you have learned about self-mastery and building a successful business, particularly for Black entrepreneurs?
Elzie Flenard: In my book, I share core concepts about self-mastery. Step one is understanding your genesis and being comfortable with where you came from. You must deal with the residual effects of your past. Growing up, I witnessed domestic abuse, drugs, and violence in my neighborhood, and I had to resolve my relationship with my father before I could become the best version of myself. Often, that requires external guidance from therapists or coaches. If you do not heal personal issues, they will inevitably show up in how you manage money, organization, and leadership in your business.
Taryell Simmons: That connection between personal healing and business habits is profound. You also mentioned the power of mindset and visualization.
Elzie Flenard: As a visionary, I visualize things in sensory detail before they happen—seeing, smelling, and feeling the outcome. But visualization requires undeniable belief. Knowing who you are allows you to believe in your vision and avoid comparing yourself to others. Furthermore, faith without works is dead. Visualization must be paired with daily action held to a standard of excellence. Excellence means asking how you can get one percent better every day in your email copy, response rates, networking, and business operations while requiring that same standard from everyone around you.
Taryell Simmons: That is spot on. Prayer and belief must be accompanied by active work—praying on your way.
Taryell Simmons: Where can our listeners connect with you, learn more about Podcast Town, and find your book?
Elzie Flenard: My book is titled Flamestarter: The Art of Self-Mastery. I wrote it to share lessons and help others avoid the potholes I fell into. To learn more about my businesses, projects, and insights, visit elzieflenard.com.
Taryell Simmons: Thank you, Elzie, for sharing your invaluable insights today. Be sure to check out Podcast Town and grab a copy of Flamestarter. To our listeners, subscribe to Rise Urban Nation podcast, share this episode, and stay tuned for our next empowering discussion.
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