After nearly five years of podcast episodes, PromoCorner’s “Industry Insider” series came to an end on November 22.

The bittersweet farewell episode was also the show’s Thanksgiving special, in which the three co-hosts thanked their many guests and listeners for supporting the weekly discussion about the latest happenings in the promotional products industry.  

“We knew this was coming and couldn’t think of a better time because we’re so thankful to have had the opportunity to do this,” said Stephen McFadden, CAS, president at Apex, North Carolina-based Perfect Promotions & More (PPAI 437026, D3). “We feel it’s almost our responsibility to the industry to allow new talent and perspectives to come in and share their fresh point of view.”

History Of ‘Industry Insider’

McFadden and Jeff Franklyn, MAS, national account manager at Frederick, Maryland-based Headwear USA (PPAI 176791, S7), were inspired to launch the podcast after attending a session on content creation at The PPAI Expo.

 

  • The first episode of “Industry Insider” aired in February of 2019.


Petrie suggested that the trio lacked a “feminine touch,” so the plan was for a rotating cast of women guests. However, Megan Erber, outside sales manager at Bolingbrook, Illinois-based S&S Activewear (PPAI 256121, S12) – ranked the No. 2 supplier in this year’s PPAI 100 – was such a great first guest that she joined the podcast full-time.

“You guys became the two best friends that a girl could ask for,” Erber said. “Thank you for your wives sharing you with me. I also want to thank S&S for giving me the freedom to express myself and be myself.”

‘Industry Insider’s’ Impact

“This opened a lot of doors and created relationships that may not have been there otherwise,” said Franklyn.

McFadden and Erber echoed that sentiment, adding that “Industry Insider” led to volunteer opportunities with PPAI, the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) and PromoCares, as well as speaking engagements that raised the profile of all three co-hosts in the promo world.

  • “Industry Insider” had 247 episodes with more than 6,900 minutes of content and more than 165 different guests.

 

  • The most frequent guests, appearing three times each, were Danny Rosin, CAS, co-president of BrandFuel; Charity Gibson, chief marketing officer at Proforma; and PPAI President and CEO Dale Denham, MAS+.

 

  • “Industry Insider” averaged between 1,200 and 2,000 unique views per episode, with several episodes reaching 5,000 unique views, according to Franklyn.


“We’ve had an insane amount of different voices from around the industry,” McFadden said.

Although it hasn’t been confirmed by PromoCorner, the three co-hosts said that they may reunite for a live episode at The PPAI Expo 2024.