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Portland Trail Blazers · Original Content· 6-month launch window

The Trail Podcast

Zero data. Zero hosting reps. Triple the goal.

the six-month subscriber goal — 3,000+ against a target of 1,000
My Role
Co-host, producer, and editorial lead — topic slate, guest booking, data-informed programming once the numbers existed
Timeline
6-month launch window
Scope
A new franchise from zero
Channels
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, trailblazers.com
Team / Resources
Co-host · beat-writer mentor · Toastmasters, God bless them
The Blazers wanted an evergreen podcast — deep dives into franchise history to sit alongside current-team coverage. What I didn't know walking in: leadership wanted me as co-host and producer. As a Portland kid who grew up idolizing this team, the editorial half was a dream. The on-mic half was a leap. With no data to guide a brand-new show, I trusted my gut on the slate: the origin of the pinwheel logo, where "Rip City" came from, and the 31-year-old rookie whose acquisition required actual diplomacy with the USSR. Then I became a student — mentorship from our beat writer, a national podcaster I'd built a relationship with, countless YouTube rabbit holes, and yes, Toastmasters to fight the "uhms." (Still fighting.)
PodcastingHostingEditorialOriginal Content
Gallery
Bill Walton