Podcasts have become an ever-popular form of entertainment to communicate exciting ideas, with 32% of Americans listening to a podcast in the last month according to Edison Research 2019. Several budding talents in the Peachtree Corners area have begun to star in, produce and edit their own podcasts.

We’re spotlighting three local podcasts — and we hope our readers give them a listen.

The Nick Rodriguez Podcast

Plenty of young men feel that they have passion for and insight into the great world of sports, but few have the presence and foresight to generate a compelling podcast like The Nick Rodriguez Podcast.

Nick Rodriguez began his self-titled project late last year, concentrating on providing one-on-one interviews with people excelling in the sports industry. He and his guests dive deep into their careers, learning how they became so successful.

“I had a lot of great relationships that really helped me to experience the behind the scenes world of podcasting,” Rodriguez said. “Being able to create something and find your next guest is always exciting. Each guest brings something different to the table.”

What makes his podcast unique is that he covers sports on the business end as well as from the athlete’s point of view. He talks to people from many angles of the arena, from media personalities and administrators to players.

When asked about some of the best interviews he could remember, he mentioned Maya McClendon, a former college volleyball player for University of Louisville and Arizona State. “She is doing amazing work, a major advocate for mental health in athletes and people in general,” Rodriguez said.

Jonathan Dwyer, Atlanta native and former Georgia Tech running back currently on the Pittsburg Steelsers roster, also proved to be a memorable interview. “It was a great conversation. I learned more about him and why he chose Georgia Tech,” Rodriguez said.

He added that he hopes to cover more diversity as well as higher-level athletes and players to expand the podcast’s reach and appeal. Hand and hand with that, The Nick Rodriguez Podcast will be releasing merchandise officially in November, with two different types of t-shirts.

For more on The Nick Rodriguez Podcast, visit nickrodriguezpodcast.com or listen on Spotify, Tune In and other major podcasting platforms.

Product Genius with Tiffany Krumins

To say that this “Mom Genius” is a force to be reckoned with would be a mild interpretation. Tiffany Krumins’ first claim to fame comes from her 2009 appearance on the inaugural episode of Shark Tank, the beloved ABC business incubator program. At that time, she presented Ava the Elephant, “…a patented singing medicine dispenser to take the fear and anxiety out of medicine time,” according to her website, tiffanykrumins.com.

After the whirlwind success of that product, which can now be purchased at buybuyBaby and countless other favorite retailers, Krumins has turned her attention to empowering others to be creative and informed.

She founded Mom Genius, an early stage incubator for inventors and entrepreneurs that assists them in product development and brand awareness. Though the Mom Genius incubator operates in Alpharetta, Ga., Krumins produces her Product Genius with Tiffany Krumins podcast out of Atlanta Technology Park in Peachtree Corners. She has recorded it for over three years now.

“I had countless Shark Tank fans reach out for advice. I found that even when I tried to consult, there just weren’t enough hours in the day,” Krumins said. “While being interviewed on another podcast, the host suggested that I start my own. I wasn’t interested, as I don’t really love the sound of my own voice. But I realized the value in being able to share nuggets of product development wisdom with a much bigger audience, for free.”

Krumins enjoys sharing from her experiences and wealth of knowledge — not just from her journey, but also from her podcast partners. Noah McNeely, an engineer from Product Quickstart, has contributed immensely to the Product Genius podcast, as well as Fulfillment Strategies International (FSI). FSI works with many of “the big guys” as a fulfillment center in Atlanta, but also supports entrepreneurs — a rare client range.

The podcast almost always covers product development topics, and Krumins said she often likes to cover the challenges facing other entrepreneurs. “I think we can all learn from each other’s mistakes. We don’t just cheer people on, we cover the hard things and real-talk about what it means to launch a successful product,” she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted Krumins to sometimes discuss pivots that entrepreneurs might take around obstacles. She said she “highly recommends other product developers streamline their supply channels due to what we have seen with COVID-19.”

In the future, Krumins hopes to take on an additional podcast partner who has relevant insights into the product development landscape that the podcast has not previously explored.

To follow Tiffany Krumins, tune into her podcast on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and most other podcast streaming sites.

Bears, Birds, and Brews

For those seeking a unique and lighthearted sports podcast, Birds, Bears, and Brews delivers. The podcast features all things related to the Chicago Bears, the Atlanta Falcons and, of course, beer!

Hosts Asif Lakhani and Nabeel Lalani try a different beer each episode. They also recap and preview each team’s most recent and upcoming games, as well as discuss other trending topics in the sports world. Birds, Bears, and Brews will be rounding up to its third year in circulation by October.

Childhood friends Lakhani and Lalani share a deep love for sports that shines through in their broadcasts. “The irony is that while we were both born in Chicago, Nabeel is loyal to their teams while I am a huge Atlanta sports fan,” Lakhani said. “Our personalities mesh well together too, but there can be some difficulties there as well, so it often makes for compelling conversations.”

After Lakhani began his role as Marketing and Operations Manager at Atlanta Tech Park in 2018, the dream of hosting a sports podcast with his old friend Lalani finally made sense. They started creating full shows at Atlanta Tech Park, though it took a while to develop their signature style.

“I went to school for journalism at the University of Missouri, so media and communications is literally my thing,” Lakhani explained. “The [podcasting] trend really took off a few years ago, and Nabeel and I launched our show just before everyone else launched theirs, it feels like. The process to conceptualize it took a few months, and the actual execution took a few tries the first go-around, but we got the hang of it eventually.”

Along the way, the dynamic duo has had the opportunity to speak with some impressive guests, including Greg Schaffer, creator of Brews Brothers on Netflix, and Nabil Karim, an on-air personality for ESPN.

And don’t forget the beer! They also feature local beer influencers and brewers. The podcast partners have made a point, during this time, to highlight small-to-medium businesses and breweries to show their support.

Though the sports landscape has changed drastically since the coronavirus outbreak, Bears, Birds, and Brews stays relevant with sports news updates and discussions on how sports and related businesses are adapting strategies and policies.

The future for the podcast looks as bright as a tailgate grill. The podcast partners’ most immediate hope is that a complete and safe football season can be covered from now until the Super Bowl in February 2021. Ideally, local Atlanta and Chicago sport stories, athletes and personalities will also get some airtime, in addition to other interesting folks in the craft beer and sports arenas.

To keep up with Bears, Birds, and Brews, tune in on Apple Podcasts, Listen Notes and other podcast streaming platforms.