Talking taboos
I turned a self-initiated podcast into a cultural bridge, landing 10,000 loyal subscribers and a 4.6-star rating on Spotify.
10,000 subscribers, a 4.6-star rating on Spotify—how did a self-initiated passion project become an influential voice bridging cultural divides? I created “Ask An Iranian” not because of a client brief but from a personal desire to deepen my understanding of content creation, audience engagement, and cultural storytelling. Yet, beneath this exciting opportunity lay a tougher challenge: How would I sustain enthusiasm, consistency, and authenticity, while navigating tricky topics in a sensitive environment? So, could a side-project genuinely engage thousands without compromising honesty, humour, or—most importantly—my freedom?
“The show provides an unusual modern twist on an ancient yet unfamiliar nation. It’s entertaining yet informative, with excellent production quality.”
THE SOLUTION
While podcasts titled “Ask a…” typically feature experts like plumbers or doctors, we playfully flipped the concept: “Ask an Iranian”. Unlike typical expert-driven podcasts, being Iranian isn’t exactly a qualification—especially since I’m only half Iranian. Still, as an English-language podcast, we provided an authentic platform for a truer, modern Iran to be seen and heard, breaking free from mainstream media narratives.
We often remix existing images with a humorous twist as an attractive way to create related artwork and as a metaphor for what we do in the podcast show.
Landing guests can be daunting. Fortunately, leveraging my connections led to high-profile collaborations. A pivotal moment was featuring Farshad from the hugely popular Persian-language Digesttt podcast, whose insights—and fans—immediately 10x’ed our listenership. We also had memorable episodes with famous figures, like comedian Tehran Von Ghasri (also known from the hit show, Shahs of Sunset), whose hilarious roast gave us credibility and boosted engagement.
Initially hesitant, I found joy in loosening up our style. Seriousness gave way to humour, creating engaging, memorable, and shareable episodes that resonated widely.
With content crafted for the curious non-Iranian and the nostalgic Iranian diaspora, our podcast became more than just content—it became a cultural bridge. We enhanced this by providing detailed show notes, Persian word translations, and offering a range of print-on-demand merchandise, giving our international audience instant access without the logistical challenges of shipping from Iran.
We make episode-related and general merchandise for the fans who want a little more.
Through experimentation with social media, WordPress wizardry, and audience engagement tricks, this passion project also became an experimental lab, enhancing my professional toolkit. Hosting content directly on our own platform ensured we retained rights, avoiding the genuine risk of being de-platformed or censored due to sanctions or sensitive content.
THE RESULTS
I’m still not locked up—definitely a win considering our taboo topics. I’ve inadvertently become a minor celebrity. We’ve produced 63 episodes, ranging from quick listens to deep dives. Notably, we hosted numerous prominent guests, sold out a merchandise collaboration with Waltz Fashion, and achieved solid subscriber growth.
Ask An Iranian sharpened my skills in content creation, audience building, SEO, and UX/UI. Most importantly, we’ve sparked conversations, busted myths, and built cultural bridges—all without nervously checking if the front door was being knocked down.
Unlike your average podcast, we create, manage and manage all our content.
