Serving Underrepresented Voices: Q&A With Chris Colbert Of DCP Entertainment

 There are thousands of podcast about finance, relationships, technology, politics, business and sports. Many of those podcasts are "ear worthy" and life enhancing.

However, Chris Colbert, CEO of DCP Entertainment, has transformed the process of developing podcasts. Colbert is unique in that he and his company design podcasts by discovering audiences first and then matching their interests to a podcast concept. It's reverse engineering but more focused on finding audiences that need a voice than simply creating content for well-established audience groups.

Consider the core mission of DCP Entertainment: "DCP Entertainment is your destination for the underrepresented voice. We share stories you won't find anywhere else. Giving a platform to People of Color, Women and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as highlighting stories around mental health, disability and overcoming adversity, DCP presents stories that we can all relate to. With a focus on improving the world around us, DCP’s podcasts and video series go beyond entertainment and provide perspectives and lessons that can create positive movements.'

Most podcast networks design their content for porential isteners who already have a multitude of topic choices. DCP Entertainment designs its content for those people who somehow are overlooked, neglected, misunderstood, or worse, forgotten. 

Colbert runs DCP Entertaimment and hosts podcasts such as Entrepeneur Struggle. Check out some of their podcasts.

My favorites are Freaknik (I lived in Atlanta), Politics Of Food (It's much more than the Barefoot Contessa), Inner Space with Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen about mental wellness, and Entrepeneur Struggle, which deals with the mental and emotional health challenges that face entrepeneurs. The show is much more than listening to some billionaire talk about getting up at four in the morning to ride his Peloton and just think new ideas. 

DCP CEO Chris Colbert was able to find time in his busy schedule to answer some questions about himself, his company, his vision for the future, and how he constantly reevaluates the needs of his audience.

Q. There are many people who want to make this world better. Serving underrepresented voices certainly qualifies. How did you make that dream a reality?

A. I listened… And by that I mean, throughout my career I always made it a point to develop relationships with the people I crossed paths with, even if they were working in completely different career fields. Many of those people had marginalized identities, and the stories that they would share with me about the limitations they felt within their career and life allowed me to better understand how a company could truly be of service to not only provide opportunities for these kinds of people, but also how a media platform can be used to help them tell their stories to the world.

Q. How did your experience at Seton Hall learning broadcasting help you in life and your career? What was Pirate TV?

A. Seton Hall was pivotal in my career trajectory for multiple reasons. First, I developed close friendships with people whose career success continues to push me and provide opportunities for me everyday. Second, I got to learn from professors that were literally working in the #1 media market in the country, and those professors went out of their way to provide some of us our first opportunities working in the industry. Because of Seton Hall (and of course my hard work), I had offers to work for Sirius Satellite Radio (now SXM Media) and KTU (iHeart Media) before I graduated. And Pirate TV was a great proving ground, because (to make a long story short) a group of us revived the station in our sophomore year, creating TV shows for the campus that students continue to produce today, over 15 years later!

Q. How did your eleven years at Sirius prepare you for starting an entire podcast network?

A. Through my eleven years at SXM I got to see the company go through a merger, a recession, and natural disasters (like Hurricane Sandy), all while going from an unpaid intern all the way up to being on the executive level. That time and experience allowed me to see how companies have to be flexible and ready to pivot, because not everything is in your control. Also, because I worked my way up the corporate ladder and interacted with lots of different departments, all while managing multiple stations where our staff was located in NYC, LA & DC, I learned the roles and communication skills that would be needed for creating a successful media company.

Q. Your website proudly announces that DCP offers a platform to People of Color, Women, LGBTQ+ communities and highlights stories around mental health, disability, and overcoming adversity. That is a broad-based target audience. How do you organize and prioritize issues that impact these audience groups?

A. Because I am a Black man and our Chief Operating Officer is a Black woman, we started the company by prioritizing the stories impacting Black communities, because that’s the community we know best, and the area where we have the most connections to top talent. But at the same time we prioritized conversations around mental health because I am someone who suffers from PTSD, dysthymia (form of depression), racial trauma, and other forms of trauma, while also having family members that suffer from schizophrenia or have died by suicide. So we started with the stories that most reflected my own life. And as we continue to grow, we’ve been able to expand this to other marginalized groups so that their stories are also reflected in our programming in an impactful way.

Q. I watched DCP’s presentation at the IAB Podcast upfronts. Very impressive. During the presentation, emphasis was placed on the inherent purchasing power of black consumers. Why do you think advertisers may not recognize the purchasing power of black consumers?

A. Thank you! We had so much fun putting it together. We focused some of our presentation on the purchasing power of Black consumers because many of our shows speak to that audience. But more importantly, we made that a focus because for some reason advertisers continue to overlook and short change content created by and for Black people. Even though studies time and time again show that Black consumers are the leaders in digital purchasing and digital media consumption, we don’t get equal opportunities to bring in revenue. There is a reason that someone as successful as Byron Allen has to continue suing major companies for saying that they’re investing in the Black community, when they actually are not. So one of our goals was, and continues to be, showing major companies that it is beneficial to their financial bottom line to invest in Black creators who are speaking to the Black community.

Q. How do you host a podcast and manage an entire podcast network?

A. Sacrificing my personal life haha… But in all honesty, that’s basically what I do in order to make sure DCP Entertainment is able to be a top media company, while also creating the equity and opportunities for other companies and independent creators who are just like us. But the 80-hour work weeks that I have been doing to make this happen isn’t sustainable, and it’s a big reason why I host a podcast like Entrepreneur Struggle. I’ve been working on my own work-life balance while I learn from other entrepreneurs on how they’ve created successful and sustainable companies without burning themselves out or sacrificing the other parts of their lives that make them feel fulfilled. And so I hope as I figure this all out, my audience will get to learn how to improve their life as well.

Q. How did you connect with Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen of the Inner Space podcast and Danielle Moodie of Woke AF and Democracy-ish?

A. Dr. Barbara is someone that I met back when I was the Director of Urban Talk & Comedy at SXM. One of our hosts was working with her on a mental health special that allowed us to work with the White House and (at the time) Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. After that event Dr. Barbara and I developed a friendship based out of our experiences with schizophrenia in our families, and that eventually led to her being one of our first hosts when we launched Inner Space together. The other host that we launched with at that time was another friend, Touré. Because of his passion for what we are doing with DCP Entertainment, and his belief in Danielle Moodie as a star, he organized a dinner to bring us all together. Immediately I was in awe of her energy, presence, and perspective, which led to us being able to launch multiple shows with her including Woke AF & Democracy-ish.

Q. What strategic moves are you making in video?

A. We’ve always defined ourselves as a media company that isn’t limited to just the audio podcasting space. As technology evolves, we want to be using all forms of media to reach people where they are. So one day we will be working in augmented & virtual reality spaces. But for now we’re leveraging video to allow us to reach audiences on social media and YouTube as we market our various shows, build a community of likeminded individuals, and at the same time find new ways to generate revenue that will allow us to bring in resources to increase our impact.

Q. What do you think are the most significant opportunities in podcasting? What dangers will podcasting have to avoid?

A. One of the biggest growth opportunities in podcasting is for shows and networks like ours that speak to marginalized communities. This is still a very white, cis, male, heterosexual space, much like the rest of the media industry. But because podcasting is still so relatively young, we have the opportunity as an industry to course correct before we get to the point of reckoning that we’ve seen in other industries (#oscarssowhite). We have the opportunity to create true equity by funding, awarding, and promoting creators that represent the diverse perspectives from cultures around the world.

Q. Podcasting is still largely a white, male business like much of the media. What has to happen to make decisive changes in podcasting to find a balance?

A. Well, you hit on exactly why DCP Entertainment exists. Personally I think one of the biggest things that need to change is the lack of recognition that companies and creators from marginalized communities get through awards. Winning things like the Peabody Awards, Gracies, and Webby Awards can create opportunities to find future funding and partners for creators. But often times these awards go to major companies that have relationships with the award foundations and its members. And that’s before we even talk about the award submission fees that tend to be $200-$400 per application, which creates a major barrier to entry for many independent creators. So we need to lower these rates or provide assistance to independent creators looking to apply for awards, while also having more voters from diverse identities on these award committees, which is why I serve on the board of advisors for the Podcasting Seriously Awards fund, and I am now a judge for the Webby Awards & New York Festivals Radio Awards.

Q. As a podcast host, what’s the one tip you can offer to aspirational podcasters who hope to be successful?

A. Be yourself. That’s what people want. Podcasting, like music, is an emotional experience. The only way to truly connect with your audience is to be embrace who you are, quirks and all. None of us are perfect, and our audiences enjoy hearing our imperfections because it is relatable to their own experience, which helps us all feel less alone. So basically, don’t overthink it. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of marketing things you’ll need to do to help people find your podcast… But ultimately that won’t matter if you’re not being authentic to your own experiences.

Q. When you listen to yourself on a podcast, what’s your first thought?

A. I still need to perfect my hosting skills… Every time I listen to myself I am able to find areas where I need to improve. I have certain phrases that I use as filler while I’m trying to figure out my next thought, I sometimes talk too fast, or I may go on one too many tangents during the conversation… But I also think back to the first interviews I did back at SXM, and I’m able to see the vast improvements I’ve made over the years, which inspires me to think about how much better I’ll sound a year from now. I can only improve if I keep putting myself out there and stay open to constructive critiques from myself and others.

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Listening to Chris Colbert and his vision for offering a voice to marginalized groups, it's easy to be impressed by his empathy, his audacious work ethic, and his ability to attract and nurture talented people around him. 

But what Colbert offers is an escape. He offers many of us a chance to leave our echo chambers where we sit in our favorite chair and listen to Tucker and Laura spin convincing tales of replacement theory, as they turn up the flame on resentment for groups whose lifestyles are considered "unnatural." 

Chris Colbert, CEO of DCP Entertainment, is not just producing audio and video content for the voices that our society and culture either ignores or degrades. No, Colbert is offering all of us the opportunity to listen...to those we either choose not to hear or avoid.

As President Barack Obama once said, "Learning to stand in somebody else's shoes, to see through their eyes, that's how peace begins."