Zach Randles-Friedman on Leaving the Corporate World to Podcast Full-Time

What happens when your side project starts feeling more like your real calling than your full-time job?

Zach Randles-Friedman is a podcast host, content creator, and corporate communications professional with nearly 25 years of experience across banking, pharmaceuticals, and biotech. He’s the voice behind two podcasts: Everything and Anything…and A Bit Gay and Listen Up Girl.

In this episode, Zach joins Kristen to talk about his winding path from psychology major to digital pioneer in pharma, and his recent decision to leave the corporate world and go all-in on podcasting.

Watch or Listen to the Episode

Watch the full episode here or listen to it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

The Big Idea: Making the Leap from Corporate Career to Full-Time Podcaster

Zach didn’t set out to become a full-time podcaster. For years, he ran both of his shows after work—editing, booking guests, following up, building websites—often until 11 or 12 at night. But the pull kept getting stronger. When his company went through a restructuring and his role was eliminated, he made the call: instead of looking for another corporate job, he would make podcasting his full-time work.

For Zach, the conversations he was having and the stories he was helping people tell had become the most fulfilling part of his professional life. Three weeks into full-time podcasting at the time of recording, he was already wondering how he ever fit a corporate job alongside it—and getting better guests because he finally had time for proper research and outreach.

"I just said, this is it. This is the sign. I'm not gonna go look for another job. I'm gonna make this work."

Zach Randles-Friedman

Podcast Host, Content Creator, and Corporate Communications Professional

Key Takeaways

Zach spent years building his podcasts alongside working a corporate job, which helped him acquire the skills and confidence to make the transition when the time came.
Working in pharmaceutical communications, where regulations tightly control what you can say, pushed Zach to find new ways to tell stories, like launching a pharma company Facebook page focused on disease education rather than products.
Zach makes an effort to ensure that podcast guests feel comfortable telling their stories, assuring them they can stop and re-do anything at any time.
Running your own business requires taking yourself seriously as your own boss and learning to be accountable to yourself.

Ways to Connect with Zach

If you’d like to connect with Zach, you can do so here:

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