Jonathan Reid on the Power of Podcasts and Building Vitamin U

Podcasting has emerged as one of the most powerful tools for building trust, sharing stories and creating meaningful impact.

In a world saturated with content, it offers depth, authenticity and connection. Many people are familiar with podcasts from a consumer perspective, but few understand their intricacies better than Jonathan Reid. 

As a dynamic communicator, creative strategist, and the founder of Reidentify, Jonathan has helped individuals and businesses harness the full power of podcasting to grow their audience and build authority, inspire action and spark transformation.

He is also the host of Vitamin U, a podcast dedicated to exploring what makes great people extraordinary. Through honest, purpose-led conversations, Jonathan creates a space for people to reflect, relate and recognise their own potential. 

From content creation and client work to speaking engagements and global podcasting, Jonathan has built a personal brand rooted in alignment, not just ambition. His work exemplifies what can happen when creativity, clarity and consistency come together, and he shares his podcast insights in this in-depth interview.

“If you don’t feel any sense of discomfort or imposter syndrome, I’d argue you’re not stretching yourself enough.”

It would be great to get a bit more about your background and what inspired you to start Reidentify.

In terms of what got me started with Reidentify, I’d say it began with the podcast I used to run called Purpose Led, which I ran and co-hosted with my good friend Robert Klutse. We ran that for about three years, and it became the top 5% most shared podcasts in the personal development sector.

That podcast opened doors for us. We spoke at companies like Deloitte, Microsoft, IBM, and HSBC, and that was what really helped launch our speaking careers. We also won an award and received various nominations and acknowledgments for the community we built. That’s when I realised podcasting can really be a game-changer and there’s a lot to this.

At the same time, I was wrapping up an apprenticeship in digital marketing that wasn’t renewed. That’s when I decided to build both Reidentify and the podcast alongside. But doing both simultaneously was a lot – editing, content creation, brand building and I thought there must be another way and there must be other people who experienced the same problem who want to grow their podcast, their brand and expand their network.

I’ve seen all the benefits of what a podcast can do for people so I’m trying to help other people do that too. So I said to myself, right, there must be an easier way of doing this, or there must be a more automated way of doing this.

So, looked into hiring an editor and a creative director, and realised this model could work for others. That’s how Reidentify evolved. It started as a digital marketing agency, and naturally pivoted into a podcast agency once I recognised how big the problem was.

Eventually, I honed in on B2B podcasting. I saw the power of podcasting not just in building a brand, but in building relationships that could lead to six, seven, or even eight-figure deals. I even know of someone who raised £500 million through podcasting in private equity.

That’s when I embraced what I now focus on: account-based podcasting. It’s a strategic approach where you invite ideal clients or collaborators onto your podcast to start building meaningful relationships. That’s the model we’re scaling now.

“Your personal brand is like an employee—it works for you 24/7, doesn’t take breaks and never calls in sick.”

In your experience, what are some of the biggest pain points clients have when they come to you, and how do you help solve them?

I’d say the main pain points my clients typically face before working with me come down to a few key things. First, they’re stretched thin. They’ve got so much going on in their business that running a podcast consistently just isn’t realistic. It ends up being one more thing on a long list that keeps getting deprioritised. 

Second, they don’t have an active method of getting in front of their ideal clients easily. While sales calls do work for them, inviting someone to a podcast is a much warmer approach. It builds a deeper relationship and creates a natural pathway to working together.

Another big one is the lack of a leveraged content machine. Many of my clients were posting content inconsistently, maybe a video here or a LinkedIn post there. What we do is we generate five to seven pieces of content each week. That’s a huge jump from posting once every few weeks or months. 

Finally, inconsistent podcasting is a challenge for a lot of people. They start with good intentions, but without a clear process or structure, episodes become irregular. One of the key things we help with is creating a reliable system so they can publish consistently and stay visible without burning out.

A lot of podcasts seem to launch with excitement but disappear after just a few episodes. Why do you think that is?

That’s actually really common, it’s called pod fade. The stats are pretty shocking: 90% of podcasts don’t make it past episode three, and of the 10% that do, another 90% don’t make it past episode 20. So if you get beyond 20 episodes, you’re technically in the top 1% of podcasters. 

That’s wild when you think about it. To me, that’s the simplest way to stand out, just keep going. Just by consistently showing up and posting episodes, you’re already ahead of the vast majority. But of course, being in the top 1% doesn’t automatically mean the podcast is good and it’s going to do anything for you, it still has to be valuable and well-executed.

With that in mind, what are the key ingredients to launching and sustaining a successful podcast?

Launching a successful podcast really comes down to a few core elements. First, it’s about understanding who you’re speaking to. I always encourage people to define three personas: your Ideal Listener Persona (ILP), your Ideal Guest Persona (IGP) and your Ideal Client Persona (ICP). 

The ILP is the type of person you want tuning into your podcast. The IGP is the type of guest you’d love to have on your show and who brings value, credibility or reach. And the ICP is the person you’re ultimately looking to work with or sell to. Sometimes, these personas overlap, but not always. It depends on the nature of your podcast and what you’re offering.

Second, you need to identify your North Star. What’s the bigger goal behind your podcast? For me, my podcast Vitamin U is a tool for building relationships, attracting clients and even creating opportunities like speaking gigs abroad. For example, I’m heading to Miami at the end of the month to speak at an event that came directly from the brand and presence I built through podcasting. And that’s just one of many doors podcasting has opened for me.

Third, the format is key. I always recommend a mix of solo and guest episodes. Solo episodes let you build a stronger, more personal connection with your audience and position yourself as an expert in your niche. 

Guest episodes, on the other hand, expand your reach and allow you to align yourself with other thought leaders. Being seen alongside respected names in your space boosts your authority. People assume if you’re in conversation with high-profile guests, you’re someone worth listening to.

“I’ve built what I call a flywheel—a positive feedback loop where everything I do feeds into everything else.”

How do you recommend new podcasters set themselves up for consistency in the podcast game?

One of the biggest keys to staying consistent with podcasting is having a process, a clear system that keeps you organised and on track. Without that structure, it’s really hard to stay consistent, and the podcast often ends up slipping through the cracks.

Personally, I use a Podcast Manager and it’s been a game-changer. It helps me keep everything in one place: a database of current and potential guests, ideas for future episodes, sponsor and partnership leads, analytics, and more. When everything is centralised and organised, it becomes so much easier to stay on top of your schedule and keep moving forward.

Another important tip is to incorporate solo episodes into your strategy. Guest episodes are great, but guests especially the ones you really want are often busy. I’ve had people who’ve agreed to come on my show, but it still takes months to pin down a date. 

One guest, who’s been on Diary of CEO and asked to come on, but even with that interest, it’s been a year and we still haven’t locked it in. That’s the reality with high-profile or in-demand guests. So solo episodes give you flexibility and control so you’re not at the mercy of someone else’s calendar, and you can keep things moving regardless of any delays.

Lastly, I always recommend having a repeatable format. If you’re trying to produce something that feels like a Hollywood blockbuster every time, it’s just not sustainable, unless you have a Steven Bartlett-level budget, which most people don’t. A consistent, simple structure helps you deliver quality content every time without burning out.

When it comes to podcasting many people struggle with speaking to a camera or even hearing their own voice. What were your first experiences like, and what advice would you give to someone trying to push through that barrier?

Honestly? Terrible. That’s the one word I’d use to describe my first solo shoot. It was all over the place! I didn’t know what I was saying, I was stuttering over my words, and I couldn’t land my points the way I wanted. But I knew I had to push through it. I kept reminding myself: if I’m going to tell others to do this, I need to be able to do it too. So I just kept going. Repetition is what helped me build confidence.

Before that, I was used to recording short videos, maybe 60 seconds at a time, which felt fine. But sitting in front of a camera and speaking for 15 to 25 minutes solo? That was a whole new challenge. It was in that stretch zone that my communication skills really started to grow. 

At the start, it would take me 30 minutes just to get 10 minutes of usable content. I remember calling my editor and asking what on earth was going on—he’d just laugh, knowing he’d have to cut half of it.

But with time, it got easier. Even recently, while recording for my current podcast I noticed how much I’ve grown. 

My first podcast did really well, the second one still brought in clients and some great partnerships, but it didn’t feel like the right format for me. That’s when I really started experimenting with solo episodes. 

By the time I recorded the first solo for my current podcast, I even had someone else in the room while I was doing it, and I breezed through it. Why? Because I’d been practising and pushing through those early, uncomfortable stages.

Let’s talk about Purpose Led. It feels like a real milestone project. Would you say it put you on the map? And what kind of impact do you feel it had?

Yeah, definitely! It had a much bigger impact than I realised at the time. In the moment, it just felt like I was having a meaningful conversation with a friend on camera. But it was only when I started going out and people were recognising me in the street or coming up to me at events that I really understood the scale of what we’d created. 

It felt surreal like I was a Love Island contestant without the Love Island! But seriously, people were telling me that the content genuinely changed their lives. That’s when it hit me: this wasn’t just a video or a one-off moment. It was something that actually moved people.

The reach of it online can sometimes feel abstract. You see thousands, sometimes millions of views, and it’s easy to forget those are real people with real lives. But every one of those views could lead someone down a positive path—from a video to a podcast, to a book, to a course—that changes their life. 

And I’ll probably never know the full extent of that impact because most people won’t say anything. But I’ve felt enough of it through those conversations and reactions in real life to know that it mattered.

“The beauty of solo episodes is that you’re not at the mercy of someone else’s calendar—you stay in control.”

Your new podcast, Vitamin U, explores what makes great people extraordinary. With that concept in mind, how do you hope listeners learn to tap into their own ‘Vitamin U’

The way I hope people tap into their own Vitamin U is the same way I tap into mine – through meaningful conversations. The episodes I record are honestly just an extension of the kinds of conversations I’m already having in real life. 

Whether it’s in private members’ communities or during casual chats with brilliant people, I’m constantly meeting individuals doing incredible things. Just the other day, I was speaking to someone who, with her co-founders, raised £15 million for a quantum tech project. 

That was a regular conversation for me but for a lot of people, stories like that aren’t as accessible. So instead of keeping them private, I wanted to create a space where those insights could reach and inspire more people.

When I speak to guests, I always try to draw out the gold. Those small but powerful qualities or mindset shifts that helped them succeed. I want listeners to not only be inspired but to see aspects of themselves in those stories. 

Maybe someone hears how a guest used their attentiveness—or what others might label as ADHD—as a strength, rather than a setback. Or they learn how resilience and persistence led another guest to close billions in sales across her businesses. That kind of insight has the power to genuinely shift someone’s mindset.

My friend who appeared on The Apprentice, Frederick Afrifa, one thing he speaks about is being “extra”. Growing up, being called “extra” was meant as a negative, but he turned it into his superpower. That boldness, that ability to stand out unapologetically, has helped him land massive speaking gigs, education partnerships, and opportunities he might not have had otherwise. 

That’s what Vitamin U is all about, helping people embrace what makes them different and showing them how those very things can drive their success.

My goal is that every episode gives someone one thing they can hold onto and apply in their own life. That’s how you tap into your Vitamin U by recognising your uniqueness, owning it and using it as a force for progress.

“The simplest way to stand out in podcasting? Just keep going.”

Do you ever feel imposter syndrome in the spaces you’re in now or do you feel like you’ve earned your place through hard work?

For me, I see it as a sign that I’m growing. If you don’t feel any sense of discomfort or imposter syndrome, I’d argue you’re not stretching yourself enough. You’re probably not getting into rooms big enough to challenge you. 

I’d rather be the small fish in the big pond than the big fish in a small one. That means there’s more space to grow, more opportunities and more room to improve.

Whenever I feel imposter syndrome like I did when I was in Dubai recently, surrounded by a level of wealth and success I hadn’t experienced before, I try to shift my mindset. I remind myself: This is a sign of growth. This means I’m in the right place, levelling up.

In terms of how I deal with it, first and foremost, I pray. I’m a Christian, so I lean on my faith and ask God for peace and clarity. 

I also take a step back and look at my journey. I remind myself that I’ve worked hard to be here. Despite what society says about us about being held back because of how we look, where we’re from or what our background is, I’m still here. 

I’m still in these rooms, and in many cases, I’m half the age of the people around me. That’s something to be proud of.

And that’s actually one of the reasons I started Vitamin U. I want people to experience these rooms, even if it’s just through conversation at first. Because sometimes all you need is to hear what’s possible and hear what those rooms sound like to begin imagining yourself there too.

Did your journey into speaking come off the back of your podcasting work? And what core messages do you hope people walk away with after hearing you speak?

Yes 100%. My journey into speaking definitely came off the back of the podcast. It acted as proof of concept. First, it showed that I could actually speak with clarity and purpose. Second, it proved I wasn’t just some random person talking nonsense. And third, it showed that I’m personable. 

I think people connect with me because I show up as myself, and that energy makes others feel comfortable too. I believe that when you’re comfortable with yourself, you give other people permission to feel at ease in your presence. That’s something I really value.

As for what I hope people walk away with, there are a few core messages I always try to leave behind. The first is that failure is part of the journey. Whether it’s in business, on stage, or in everyday life—it’s normal. I might even mess up while speaking, but I’ll just keep going. It’s not about perfection, it’s about progression.

Second, if I can do it, you can do it too. I really try to reinforce that message. I’m not some anomaly—I just decided to show up, keep learning, and keep trying. And I want people to know they can do the same in their own way.

And finally, I always want people to leave inspired. Every single time I speak, without fail, someone reaches out. Whether it’s a DM, an email or someone coming up to me after the talk, they’ll share how a specific moment touched them. That never gets old.

It’s always a reminder of why I do this. If even one person feels seen, heard, or moved to take action, then I’ve done my job.

How important is your personal brand to you, and how do you feel you’ve built it over time?

A personal brand is extremely important. It’s one of the main reasons I’m able to do what I do now and how I’m able to do it. The opportunities that have come my way, the people who want to work with me, the trust that’s already there before we even speak—it’s all because of the brand I’ve built over time. 

People know what I stand for. They’ve seen me operating consistently in certain spaces: Podcasting, speaking and communicating. That makes it easier for them to connect with me or want to collaborate.

The key thing I always say is your personal brand is like an employee—it works for you 24/7, doesn’t take breaks, and never calls in sick. If you build it well, it keeps working even when you’re not. That’s why I love platforms like YouTube and podcasting—they’re evergreen. 

Unlike TikTok or Instagram where a post might fade in a day, YouTube videos and podcast episodes can gain traction over time. Some of my older podcast content from years ago is still getting views to this day.

In-person personal branding is just as important as the online stuff and often overlooked. When people meet me in real life, I want the experience to be cohesive. I want what they see on stage, on camera, and in person to feel the same. There’s nothing worse than someone saying, “Oh, he’s not really like that in person.” I aim for alignment, always.

Then there’s my network. I genuinely believe you turn into what you tune into. That means being around the right people, but also the right energy, the right music and the right environments. 

Your personal brand isn’t just what you project, it’s also a reflection of what you’re absorbing. Garbage in, garbage out. So I’m super intentional about what and who I surround myself with because that’s what shows up in my brand.

“Every episode should give someone one thing they can hold onto and apply in their own life. That’s how you tap into your Vitamin U.”

With everything you’ve got going on from content creation and business growth to client work and your own podcast, how do you balance it all?

I wouldn’t say I balance it in the traditional sense, I structure it. I’ve built what I call a flywheel, which is basically a positive feedback loop where everything I do feeds into everything else. So let’s say I release a podcast episode; that one piece of content can be turned into multiple clips for social media. 

Those clips help me stay visible. That visibility brings opportunities. Whether it’s speaking gigs, guest invites, collaborations or new clients. Those opportunities fuel new conversations and new episodes, which then lead to more content and more visibility. It all builds momentum.

That’s how I see my life and business working. Everything is interconnected and adds to the overall direction I’m moving in. Speaking leads to more podcasting. Podcasting leads to more content. 

Content leads to clients and growth across both my B2B and B2C offers. On the B2B side, my team runs end-to-end podcast production for agencies and businesses. On the B2C side, I coach individuals on how to build and leverage a podcast to create a life-changing impact, just like I did.

So instead of thinking about balance, I focus on alignment. If something aligns with what I do and where I’m going, it’s a yes. If it doesn’t, it’s a no. It’s not always easy. Life has its complications and curveballs, but I try to keep things as simple and intentional as possible.

And lastly, what’s next? Can you tell us more about Reidentify, Vitamin U and any other projects you’re planning to work on?

Right now, my full focus is on Vitamin U and Reidentify. Those are my two main priorities, and I’m intentionally keeping it that way. There are a few other ideas I’m thinking about, but I’ve learned that when you chase two rabbits, you might catch one—but if you chase three or four, you’ll catch none. I’m already chasing two, but they’re running in the same direction, which is why I can keep up.

With Reidentify, the goal is to keep growing, bringing on more clients and helping more people through both the agency side and the coaching side. We’re focused on simplifying podcasting for busy entrepreneurs and businesses while also showing individuals how they can use podcasting to create real, long-term impact.

With Vitamin U, it’s all about building momentum. More episodes, more conversations, more travel. I’ll be recording while I’m in Miami, and God willing later this year in Dubai and possibly Portugal too. 

I’ve always dreamed of travelling the world and recording meaningful conversations, and the fact that I’m now doing it is a blessing. But even though I’m doing it, I still feel like this is just the beginning. 

There’s so much more to come, and I’m excited to build it with intention and consistency.