Is Rise25 Legit? An Honest Review of Rise25’s B2B Podcast Strategy

TL;DR

Yes—Rise25 is a legitimate B2B podcast agency with over two decades of combined experience helping founders, CEOs, and professional services firms use podcasts to generate referrals, clients, and strategic partnerships. Rise25 is not about chasing downloads or celebrity fame. It’s about using podcasting as a relationship-building and ROI engine.

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Executive Summary

If you’ve searched “Is Rise25 legit?”, you’re likely evaluating whether Rise25 is worth the investment—or whether podcasting can truly drive business results.

Rise25 is a done-for-you B2B podcast production and strategy company co-founded by John Corcoran and Dr. Jeremy Weisz. Unlike traditional podcast production agencies that focus primarily on editing and distribution, Rise25 emphasizes strategy, relationships, and ROI.

Their approach is built on a simple but powerful idea:

The most valuable podcasts in B2B are not built for listeners—they’re built for relationships.

This article breaks down what Rise25 does, who it’s for, how their system works, and why podcasting—when done correctly—can be one of the highest-ROI business development channels available today.

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Key Takeaways

• • Rise25 is a legitimate, established B2B podcast agency with proven results
  • Their focus is relationships, referrals, and clients, not vanity metrics
  • Podcasting works best for companies with high client lifetime value
  • Weekly consistency matters more than perfection or virality
  • Most podcasts fail because they lack strategy—Rise25 solves that problem

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Table of Contents

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What Is Rise25?

Rise25 is a B2B podcast production agency that helps business owners launch, run, and monetize podcasts without dealing with the technical, operational, or logistical headaches.

Founded by John Corcoran (former White House writer and host of Smart Business Revolution) and Jeremy Weisz (host of the long-running Inspired Insider podcast and former senior producer for one of the very first groundbreaking business podcasts, Mixergy), Rise25 has been deeply immersed in podcasting since 2009—long before podcasting became mainstream.

What Makes Rise25 Different

Most podcast production companies sell audio editing. Rise25 sells outcomes.

Rise25 helps clients:

• Build deeper relationships with ideal clients and referral partners
• Create a predictable system for business development
• Turn podcast conversations into long-term marketing assets
• Save time compared to traditional networking and outreach

What Services Does Rise25 Offer?

Rise25 provides a done-for-you podcast solution, meaning clients focus on conversations while Rise25 handles everything else.

Core Services

• B2B podcast strategy and positioning
• Podcast setup and onboarding
• Audio production and publishing
• SEO-optimized podcast blog posts
• Distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more
• Guest outreach and Dream 200 strategy

Add-On Services

• Video podcasting and YouTube publishing
• Podcast guesting services
• Dynamic social media snippets
• Relationship-driven gifting programs

This is why Rise25 is often described as a B2B podcast agency, not just a podcast production service.

Rise25’s B2B Podcast Philosophy

Rise25’s approach is intentionally different from influencer or entertainment podcasting.

Relationships First, Downloads Second

In B2B podcasting, downloads are a lagging indicator, not the goal.

If you interview:

• Ideal clients
• Strategic partners
• Referral partners

You can generate ROI even if only a few hundred people listen.

 

Source: rise25.com

Why Most Podcasts Fail

Rise25 has seen thousands of podcasts stall because:

• There’s no clear business goal
• Hosts chase downloads instead of relationships
• Publishing is inconsistent
• The host burns out managing details

Rise25 solves this by combining strategy, accountability, and execution.

Who Is Rise25 Best For?

Rise25 works best for:

• B2B founders and CEOs
• Digital agencies
• Consultants and coaches
• Law firms and professional services
• IT services firms and MSPs
• M&A advisors and financial professionals

Who It’s Not For

Rise25 is not ideal for:

• Hobby podcasters
• Influencers seeking sponsorship fame
• Low-ticket, high-volume consumer brands

If your business relies on relationships and trust, Rise25 is a strong fit.

Is Rise25 Legit? The Proof

Experience and Track Record

• Podcasting experience dating back to 2009
• Thousands of interviews produced
• Clients ranging from niche firms to nationally recognized brands

Real Results

Clients regularly report:

• New referral partners
• New clients directly tied to podcast conversations
• Speaking opportunities and partnerships

Rise25 emphasizes outcomes that matter in B2B—relationships and revenue, not vanity metrics.

How Rise25 Helps Clients Get ROI From Podcasting

Weekly Consistency

Rise25 recommends a weekly publishing cadence. Over a year, that means:

• 30–40+ strategic conversations
• Dozens of new relationships
• Compounding ROI over time

Turning Guests Into Opportunities

Podcast interviews are structured to:

• Build rapport
• Highlight the guest’s expertise
• Create natural follow-up opportunities

This is fundamentally different from cold outreach.

 

Source: rise25.com

Common Concerns About Hiring Rise25

“How Do You Make Money From a Podcast?”

In B2B, podcasts generate ROI through:

• Clients
• Referrals
• Partnerships
• Faster sales cycles

“Is Podcasting Too Time-Consuming?”

Done correctly, podcasting replaces networking rather than adding more work.

“Do I Need a Big Audience?”

No. One right relationship can be worth more than 10,000 listeners.

Why Podcasting Works Right Now

According to Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2025, podcasting is at an all-time high:

• Over 70% of Americans have listened to or watched a podcast
• Monthly podcast consumption continues to grow year over year
• Video podcasts are accelerating adoption

Podcasting remains one of the most trusted digital media formats, especially in B2B.

Rise25 vs Other Podcast Production Agencies

Feature	Typical Podcast Agency	Rise25
Focus	Editing & publishing	Strategy & ROI
Business Development	No	Yes
Guest Outreach	Rare	Built-in
Accountability	No	Yes
B2B Expertise	Limited	Core focus

Rise25 is not the cheapest option—but it’s designed for businesses that care about results.

Final Verdict: Is Rise25 Legit?

Yes—Rise25 is absolutely legit.

They are best suited for B2B companies that:

• Value relationships
• Have high client lifetime value
• Want predictable, long-term ROI from podcasting

If your goal is to build a business—not chase downloads—Rise25’s approach is proven, strategic, and effective.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rise25

Is Rise25 legit?
Yes. Rise25 is a legitimate B2B podcast agency with a long track record helping founders and B2B companies use podcasting to build relationships that lead to referrals, clients, and strategic partnerships.

How much does Rise25 cost?
Pricing varies based on services, but Rise25 positions podcasting as a business investment, not a hobby expense.

Do I own my podcast and content?
Yes. Clients retain 100% ownership of their podcast IP.

How long does it take to see ROI?
We have had clients who’ve gotten results even before they publish their first episode or record their first interview because they have followed our advice to be proactive in reaching out to their network including current and past clients to tell them about the podcast. That then gets them into conversation with their ideal clients which can lead to further discussions around services. For other clients depending on how active they are and how many interviews they do, it could take months or compounding ROI over six to twelve months.

 

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About the Author

John H. Corcoran is Co-Founder of Rise25 and a former White House Writer, speechwriter, attorney, author, and B2B podcasting expert. He is the creator of Smart Business Revolution and host of the Smart Business Revolution podcast. Since 2010, he has interviewed over 1,000+ successful entrepreneurs about how they have used relationships to grow their businesses and careers.

He is the author of 3 books about relationship building and client acquisition, and has been profiled in Forbes and featured in Entrepreneurial You (Harvard Business Review Press), Stand Out (Portfolio) by Dorie Clark, The Connector’s Advantage (Page Two) by Michelle Tillis Lederman, Success Is In Your Sphere (McGraw-Hill Education) by Zvi Band, and The Successful Mistake by Matthew Turner. His writing has appeared in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Art of Manliness, Lifehacker, Business Insider, and numerous other publications.

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Ready to explore how strategic podcast production can accelerate your business development? Schedule a free podcast ROI consultation with John and the Rise25 team to map your Dream 200 targets and design a relationship engineering approach optimized for measurable business outcomes.

Contact Rise25 →