"If you truly believe in yourself, your idea, and your team, don’t quit just because there are roadblocks" with Madison Catania

Madison Catania is the CEO and Co-Founder of Wildcast, Inc. (gowildcast.com), a patent-pending podcast platform that connects those within the industry through guest and podcast discovery, booking, messaging, and calendaring. The Wildcast marketplace launches in late August/early September 2020 to the public after having soft-launched to early users, including top-charting podcasters and well-known guests in various industries. Madison recently earned her MBA at the Rady School of Management at UCSD (San Diego, CA) and served as a lead producer at a podcast network prior to founding Wildcast.

Can you tell our readers about your background?  

I graduated from Villanova University in 2014 and since graduating, I’ve explored various industries while working in the marketing field, from a tech startup and popular magazine in New York City to hospitality in San Diego. For the past several years, I’ve been a huge fan of podcasts including true crime, pop culture, and current events. I realized the podcast industry was something I wanted to explore professionally, even though it was completely outside of my past experience! I figured why not reach out to some of my favorite podcasts, and by doing so I met a woman in the industry who ultimately led me to where I am today.  

What inspired you to start your business?  

After having worked as Head of Production at a small podcast network, mainly working on top pop culture and reality TV podcasts, I realized there was still so much to do to streamline the podcasting space for those within the industry; the podcasters, producers, guests, and sponsors. Right after finishing my MBA program, my co-founder (who also happens to be my godfather!) and I decided to form Wildcast together. Wildcast is a patent-pending networking platform and marketplace for those within the podcast industry who are looking to connect with new talent, get their messages heard by a new audience, and promote their podcasts. We hope to end the chains of pointless emails and irrelevant pitches by introducing our platform that includes custom calendaring, messaging, and networking abilities to streamline the podcasting industry from within.   

Where is your business based?

We say San Diego because that’s where I am, but my cofounder is on the East Coast and we also have a couple of partners in Los Angeles and Canada. We’re all over the map!  

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I was in an MBA program when I decided to start my business so luckily, there were a lot of resources and tools I was learning in the classroom that helped. I began by making some awful yet useful wireframes to map out what I wanted the final platform to look like. Of course, it looks nothing like that now! We also focused a lot on name, branding, and high-level goals to begin.  

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

In the beginning, our efforts were really just focused on reaching out to those within our personal and professional networks, but as we grew, I turned to social media, particularly Instagram, to connect and discover potential users. We’re also in the process of teaming up with a PR and digital media agency to really push once we’ve launched. 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?  

My biggest challenges thus far leading up to launch, have been encountering competitors, copycats, and negative feedback. While it’s of course important to be mindful of others in the space as well as constructive feedback, it’s equally – if not more – important to pursue what our team believes is the best course of action. My co-founder has been critical in getting me through the times when I feel extremely discouraged. If it were not for him, we definitely wouldn’t be where we are today.  

How do you stay focused?

It’s definitely hard to stay focused when there are so many moving parts. I like to break goals down into actionable items that I can cross of a list and really pursue one step or move at a time – otherwise, I tend to get overwhelmed.  

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Because I’ve worked on several podcasts as a producer, we had the first-hand experience of what those within the industry would look for in a platform such as ours. We’ve really been focused on providing the best user experience, branding, and most qualified and quality guests and podcasters. We’re focused on giving our users exactly what they want, so we’ve implemented features based on feedback immediately and plan to continue to do so moving forward.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?  

I love partnering with other businesses or individuals who are aligned in some way, whether that’s through the podcast industry or with those in PR. Finding people who have similar goals is so critical. In that way, you can support each other in a way that makes sense for both parties.  

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

If you truly believe in yourself, your idea, and your team, don’t quit just because there are roadblocks. No one ever had an easy road to meaningful success.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is Canva. I’ve been obsessed with Canva for a VERY long time now. I have no experience in the design whatsoever, but I feel like their site has made it easy for someone even with my lack of experience to create something really compelling.  

My favorite blog at the moment is Hot Pods to keep up with news and resources within the podcast industry.

My favorite book I’ve read recently is Untamed by Glennon Doyle. I found myself highlighting new quotes and insights every few pages.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why? 

There are so many but recently, I’ve loved using Wavve.co to build custom content for the podcasts I work on. They make social media promotion simple and beautiful.  

Who is your business role model? Why?

Two women who inspire me in business and beyond are Brene Brown and Michelle Obama. The book, Daring Greatly, has changed my perspective on vulnerability and creating meaningful connections. Both women inspire me to be the most authentic self I can be.

How do you balance work and life?

I make sure to prioritize the things that bring me joy. I find that when I constantly focus on work, I’m actually less productive because I haven’t taken time for other things I enjoy and given myself a chance to recharge. My husband and I always make time for dinner together and take an hour to watch our favorite show or read at the end of the day. I also love going on one-night weekend getaways when possible. Even though it’s only 24 hours away from home, it can still feel like a vacation. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Honestly… listening to podcasts! Some that I listen to involve my full attention but others just feel like you’re hanging out with friends. I also love going for walks with my two dogs, but I have to admit I’m probably listening to podcasts while doing that as well.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We have some incredible early adopters but we’re focused on scaling over the next six months. We want to make sure to include those from all categories of the podcast space as well as a very diverse range of guests.  

How can our readers connect with you?

You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @gowildcast, and visit our website at gowildcast.com! Please feel free to email me directly at madison@gowildcast.com as well.