This Week’s Influencer: ORBIT’s #1 Self-Improvement Host, Gina Ryan Talks Authenticity; Podtrac’s Performance Tool, AI Aims At News, and More

Imagine you’re the best at what you do… and you didn’t realize it until now.

This week’s edition of Media Roundtable: Special Edition is another creator spotlight, as Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes Gina Ryan (Host, The Anxiety Coaches Podcast) to the pod.

Gina’s podcast is a quiet ORBIT powerhouse, recently ranked #1 in our Self-Improvement list. But because brands don’t usually share results with creators, she had no idea she was a low-key marketing superstar.

Dan and Gina sat down to unpack her (formerly) secret success. They’re talking: Honest Ads, The Listening Family, and Hyper Organic Growth. Let’s dig in.

“I just talk about it as it’s still me. I don’t all of a sudden switch into: ‘And now a word from our sponsor,’ and become a radio advertisement.” – Gina Ryan (Host, The Anxiety Coaches Podcast)

Be Clear, Be You – Gina’s success isn’t accidental; it’s the result of her very detailed approach to sponsorships. She discloses and separates the ads, then performs the read in her own voice. She’s not in sales mode: she’s the same calm, genuine presence that listeners hear during the show. She doesn’t rush copy; instead, she speaks from her experience and connects to brands she cares about. Another great sign: she rejects misaligned brands. It’s fine for an ad to clearly be an ad, as long as the host is still being their genuine self.

The Listening Family – That’s how Gina refers to her audience. Not consumers, not followers, family. It helps that Gina built her podcast with the intent to help, not to grow and monetize a following. You want a protective host because they’re actively maintaining the hard-won trust they’ve built with the audience.

Hyper Organic Growth – Gina grew the podcast over many years without relying on a dedicated marketing or promotional push. She focused on creating a show people loved. Every member of her audience found her organically and stayed because they love what she’s doing. Other shows might have bigger reach, but the depth of connection is unmatched, and that is what drives ad performance.

For more tips from a genuine performance superstar, check out the full episode below.

The Classifieds

Not Your Average Open Mic Night

Network: Backyard Ventures / Monthly Downloads: 55k

Even though we just highlighted our ORBIT Self-Improvement top-performers last week, it’s good to mix in some new folks to your media plan as well. This week, we have two such opportunities to help balance out your Q1 media plans. Our first juicy morsel comes from the folks at Backyard Ventures. It’s hosted by a comedic influencer with sharp wit and a unique perspective. Jessie Woo gained internet traction with her immense musical talent, but has additionally built an audience on social media by posting cultural criticism and humorous takes on current trends.
It doesn’t matter if she is giving her opinion on the music industry, reality television, or drama, she is always entertaining and refreshingly candid. Woo proves that an internet event on its own isn’t what’s interesting; it’s the way that it’s covered, and she is always ready to bring her wit to any red carpet. Though she has not yet worked with advertisers, female-skewing DTCs are highly recommended to test in Q1. If this offer wooed you, just take a couple of seconds to click the link below.

Get The Deal

To Be or Not to Be Real?

Network: Sony Podcasts / Monthly Downloads: 185k

For those uninitiated in reality show culture, Carl Radke’s name may not ring any bells. But, for those who were highly invested in Bravo’s Summer House, this new release is abuzz with excitement. Radke’s recent path to sobriety and personal development has led to his expansion into podcasting. Though the landscape is littered with celebrity podcasts, what sets this show apart is his continued messaging around empathy, openness, honesty, and personal growth. In his weekly interview-style podcast, he sits down with folks from all walks of life to speak about their journeys, no matter how rocky the waters may be.
Whether he’s centering the conversation around entrepreneurship, self-improvement, or habit formation, the emphasis is on creating tools and sharing different perspectives. Though the show is obviously recommended for anyone looking for reality TV fans, there’s also clear rationale for advertisers in categories such as Heath, Personal Finance, Recruitment, and Tech. If you want to breathe more life into your media campaign, it’s time to click the link below.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Podtrac’s Foray Into Ranking Multi-Channel Performance

Podtrac launched a new paid subscription product, the “Top 200 Multi-Channel Podcasts Ranking”, designed to measure podcast performance across audio, video, and social platforms. The monthly rankings include audio downloads and streams (Apple, Spotify, other apps), video views (YouTube, Spotify), and clip views (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube). The methodology combines Podtrac’s first-party measurement, platform data, and proprietary estimates developed over 20 years to offer a clearer, more unified view of how shows perform across formats. It’s a meaningful step toward grounding the audio vs. video conversation in real data. As the product evolves, we look forward to seeing the rankings expand beyond the initial 200 shows and reflect an even broader set of creators.

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YouTube’s 2026 Priorities Aim to Push Creators Into the Big Leagues

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan‘s 2026 letter outlines four priorities: positioning creators as full-scale stars and studios (including YouTubers buying Hollywood studio lots and green-lighting their own projects), expanding kids and teen safety tools (parental controls such as a zero-Shorts timer), continued investment in the creator economy ($100B paid over 4 years, $55B U.S. GDP contribution in 2024), and a broader adoption of AI creator tools (now used daily by 1M+ channels). Key for advertisers: new brand partnership tools let creators swap branded segments from back catalogs after deals conclude. YouTube is the backbone of the creator economy, and it isn’t standing pat. Creators now own production, distribution, and monetization, and they’re investing like real studios because the returns justify it. That should worry traditional TV networks that underinvest in content quality. Enough with the disposable primetime game shows. Consumers follow the best content, not legacy brands, and YouTube is increasingly where they find it.

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Digital News Outlets Worry About the Threat of AI Searches

Reuters Institute‘s 2026 journalism trends report finds news publishers expect search traffic to decline 43% over three years due to AI “answer engines.” In response, 71% say expanding audio formats is important since podcasts are harder for AI to rewrite/summarize than text. Two-thirds worry creators are drawing audiences away and 75% plan to encourage journalists to “behave more like creators.” U.S. creator ad spend hit $37B in 2025, growing 4x faster than the industry average. A projected 43% decline in search traffic is an existential threat to digital news. Audio and video are key to survival, so expect them to rise. The shift for marketers: newsrooms are pushing journalists to act more like creators, making premium news inventory feel less institutional and more personality-driven. For better or worse, early movers will benefit.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Taking Care of Yourself Goes From Fantasy to Reality With Function Health

Sisters Nicole and Lexi of Fantasy Fangirls are absolutely head over heels for this week’s #STLR shoutout, Function Health, using their signature spunk to narrate an epiphany for anyone who’s sick of guessing what their body needs. Nicole keeps it real by discussing her rocky relationship with food, and then reveals how Function’s data helped her finally ditch gluten, corn, and dairy and start to feel amazing. You can hear and feel how genuine her endorsement is, and it’s clear that the product made a mark on her life.
The sisters’ energy together makes the science feel like something you actually want to engage with: no boring jargon, just real talk from real people with real issues. They shout out Function Health Advisory Board Member Dr. Huberman to back up their statements. They make Function’s bite-sized lessons, personalized insights, and “$1 a day” price point sound like the ultimate self-care move. Their infectious enthusiasm turns health data into something empowering, not intimidating. With a $25 credit for listeners stacked on top, this read doesn’t just inform, it motivates with a wink, a laugh, and a whole lot of fangirling energy.

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