Hiya 👋 I'm Mark Steadman, a creative digital maker and producer from Birmingham in the UK. I've been making noise on the Internet since 2004. Some of my highlights include

  • The first service that let you embed tweets into web pages without having to use screenshots
  • The first podcast media host with a manifesto and a mandate to remove anti-progressive content
  • The only podcast cataloguing the entire Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy universe from A to Z
  • An unwitting duet with Gilbert Gottfried that went a little bit viral, and a sea shanty that went actual viral
  • A 2-minute rap song given the official okey-doke by Sam Reich from Dropout.tv

Your voice is a beacon

Whether it was singing karaoke, listening to audiobooks, or devising a radio station in my bedroom, I've always appreciated the power of the human voice.

My love for radio started at a local level, in the glory-days of personality-based breakfast radio. That love affair was sparked at my home city's famous BRMB, but a succession of cost-cutting measures, takeovers, and technological advances would slowly snuff out that candle.

Episode one

I studied Media & Communication at Birmingham City University, specialising in Internet radio. I graduated the year the term "podcasting" was coined, but it would be a further four years before I'd pluck up the courage to pick up a mic and plug it into the Internet.

But in 2008, the podcast bug finally bit, and I started what would be a 14+ year career helping people make podcasts, first in exchange for beer, and then for money.

The little company with the robot fist

In 2016 I founded the media hosting company Podiant, which took me to the British Podcast Awards, and saw me present at International Podcast Day in 2020. The product served millions of listeners across thousands of podcasts, and in 2021 I sold Podiant so I could focus on working more closely with individuals and small teams, to set them up for podcasting success from day one.

And yes, the logo was a robot fist. My friend drew me a robot mascot for another podcast project back in 2014. I named the robot Loda, and used its mighty fist as my sigil.

From the ear to the brain to the heart

I founded a consultancy in 2021 to help impact entrepreneurs build trust with their audiences, and catalyse change. I did this through a combination of consulting, training, coaching, and mentoring. It centred around driving messages from the ear to the brain, where – through consistency and authenticity – they eventually land in listeners' hearts.

What's next?

I'm focusing on centring my creative practice, while still helping others tell stories in unique and interesting ways.