Finding the niche in a wild discovery
If you’ve ever thought about launching a podcast and were told to “find your niche,” take notes from Gary Stocker.
Gary didn’t just find a niche. He started from scratch and created his own.
He launched This Week in College Viability, a podcast that boldly calls out financial instability in higher education. It challenges bloated college marketing narratives and most impressively, powers a real business that helps families and schools alike understand which institutions are financially sustainable. After all, higher education is a huge investment. People want to make sure that they are not only investing in their education, but doing it with a financially sound institution.
Here’s how he did it, what you can learn from it, and why podcasting might be the exact strategy your business needs to punch through the noise.
From Medical Lab Coat to Podcast Microphone
Gary started his professional journey in a white coat as a medical laboratory scientist. Eventually, he earned a doctorate and served as chief of staff at a small college. One day, he made a disturbing discovery: The school he was working for wasn’t profitable. It was bleeding money. The institution was burning through its endowment just to make payroll.
In that moment, he didn’t just feel a bit betrayed, he found his calling.
When he searched and realized that no one was tracking the financial viability of higher education, he rolled up his sleeves, built data apps, and started a podcast to hold colleges accountable.
Podcasting as a Platform to "Lovingly Poke the Bear"
Gary refers to his show as a way to “poke the higher education bear.” Gary does things the right way. It’s data-driven, analytical, and factual. Gary is an animated guy, but he removes the emotion from things and looks at the facts that are presented by the accounting. The podcast is part commentary, part watchdog journalism, and it calls attention to what colleges aren’t saying in their glossy brochures.
Why this works:
Controversy with credibility: He’s not yelling into the void; he’s using numbers to back his claims.
Clear audience focus: His podcast directly targets provosts, board members, and media professionals in higher education.
He shows up weekly, like clockwork. And consistency in podcasting is everything.
“If you're going to be the fire alarm, you better ring every week,” Gary quips. And that’s exactly what he does.
B2B and B2C Podcasting at the Same Time?
Yes. And he makes it look effortless.
For business leaders in higher education, he provides the cold, hard facts about the financial condition of colleges—through his podcast and apps.
For families and students, he created Beyond the College Brochure, a podcast that helps people see beyond the marketing fluff and consider financial health in their college decision-making process.
It’s a split-market strategy that works because he reuses content, data, and frameworks across platforms.
Takeaway for Small Business Owners:
You don’t need multiple businesses to target multiple audiences. You need one core idea (with data or insights behind it) and the right media platforms to deliver it.
How the Podcast Supports the Business (Without Ads)
Gary’s podcast isn’t monetized through sponsors. Instead, it drives awareness and authority through facts and accountability. These are all essential ingredients for selling high-value data tools.
People discover Gary through the podcast, gain trust in his analysis, and then find his paid apps at CollegeViability.com.
Pro tip from Gary:
“I do the podcast to establish a reputation, not revenue.”
We love this as this is one of the things that we talk about all of the time. Podcasting is a long-term content play. Podcasting is not a short road to anything. This is the biggest piece that small business owners and marketing managers should pay attention to.
Lessons for Aspiring Podcasters (and Business Owners)
Whether you’re starting a podcast to support your business or turning a podcast into your business, Gary Stocker’s journey delivers several golden lessons:
1. Pick the Right Format
He warns against the pitfalls of a “bad interview.” Boring guests equal boring episodes. That’s why he recommends a news-and-commentary model where you are the expert.
If you do interviews, vet your guests hard.
2. Let Data Fuel Content
Gary gets content delivered via Google Alerts. This turns podcast planning into a rinse-and-repeat system that feeds itself.
Your industry has trends. Are you the one talking about them?
3. Be the Only Game in Town
Gary didn’t compete with other voices. He carved out a lane. If your business can dominate a narrow but underserved niche, podcasting can make you the trusted voice fast.
4. Persistence Pays Off
There’s no viral shortcut here. Gary releases an episode every Monday. That consistency built his reputation and trust—even among skeptics.
Final Thoughts: What's Your Fire Alarm?
Gary didn’t wait for permission to speak. He saw smoke rising from the world of higher education and decided to pull the alarm.
Your industry might have its own version of that fire.
Are you the one sounding the alarm…or just waiting for someone else to do it?