Why Niche Podcasts Are The Bedrock Of The Industry

 

Forget Joe Rogan and his millions of listeners/viewers. Remember this name: Paul Rosenblum and his thousands of listeners. Why am I asking you to do that? Because Paul Rosenblum and his indie podcast, The Not Boring, Boring Bookkeeping and Small Business Podcast are the OG of podcasting.

Beyond its roots in pirate radio and nerdy tech, podcasting came into existence to serve the underserved. The neglected. Those not worthy of a genre or even a sub-genre. In the primeval ooze of podcasting, no subject was too insignificant to be covered in a podcast. I worked with a woman who created a podcast about sewing. In 2006, I wrote scripts for a man from Baltimore who produced a podcast about baseball’s greatest third basemen. Not baseball’s greatest players, just one position — third base.

I reviewed a podcast in 2008 about Eastern Red Cedar trees. Not about trees. Just one kind of tree! Did you know that the Eastern Red Cedar is the most drought-resistant of all native trees in the East? I still remember it 18 years later.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Reddit began on June 23, 2005, and Apple introduced podcasts to iTunes on June 28, 2005, with the release of iTunes 4.9. The update launched with a directory of over 3,000 free podcasts. Users subscribed to more than one million podcasts in the first two days alone.

Why this confluence of events? Because niche media was hatched, and podcasting was a primary driver of this user-led search for topics that had escaped the notice of the masses.

Despite the forced makeover by podcast networks, advertising agencies, and tech giants, podcasting still pays homage to its roots, with thousands of podcasts that aren't even trying to compete with Rogan, Amy Poehler, Dax Shepard, Mel Robbins, and Jay Shetty.

Today, niche remains resilient and robust. Consider a podcast about almost famous people Dead and Kind of Famous, in which the co-hosts dive into the life stories of dead folks who enjoyed a touch or two of fame in their time and now reside permanently in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Or Someone’s In Here, in which the podcast follows host Ben Castleman on a journey as he talks to family, friends, scientists, doctors, CEOs, and even porn stars to figure out why talking about the bathroom, especially talking about poop, is so taboo and if it should be.

In this essay, we will talk about Paul Rosenblum and his podcast, The Not Boring, Boring Bookkeeping and Small Business Podcast, which explores the human side of bookkeeping and business.

Mr. Rosenblum doesn’t attract millions of listeners. He never will unless accountants launch a global coup. The closest accountants have come to the cultural zeitgeist was the 2016 Ben Affleck film, The Accountant, and its sequel in 2025, named The Accountant 2. (Note: That sounds accountant-ish!) That’s not counting the Enron scandal!

Yet, Mr. Rosenblum is celebrating the release of his 100th episode this month, and that is quite an accomplishment. His achievement is further evidence that niche podcasts cannot be nuked, even though Amazon, iHeart, SiriusXM, and Spotify would love to see them join the artifacts pile with VCRs, Microsoft Zune, Newton, and 3D TVs.

Mr. Rosenblum doesn’t have a large audience, but an extremely loyal one. I count myself in that esteemed group. Do I know anything about bookkeeping or accounting? No, but listening to Paul Rosenblum, I want to know more.

Here’s creator/host Paul Rosenblum: “If you’ve ever felt stuck in the digits, this show brings your business personality to the forefront. We go beyond spreadsheets to talk about the relationships that make businesses thrive — between bookkeepers, clients, accountants, and financial professionals.”

The Not Boring, Boring Bookkeeping and Small Business Podcast explores the human side of bookkeeping and business. Paul Rosenblum is a New York-based bookkeeper with over 30 years of experience and decades of teaching QuickBooks. This podcast is for bookkeepers and small business owners who know business is about more than just numbers.

Paul Rosenblum is a surprisingly upbeat, witty, and engaging host. I know that sounds like the proverbial left-handed compliment. Accountants and bookkeepers are typed as boring. Rosenblum has a knack for storytelling and clearly knows his bookkeeping.

The podcast’s marketing says: “Our resident Bookkeeping Mensch, Paul Rosenblum, knows that whether you’re a W-2 employee or running your own business, knowing what to track now will keep your books in top shape — and your future self will thank you.”

In one of my favorite episodes — How to Do Bookkeeping for Etsy, eBay, and Online Side Hustles (Fees, Inventory & Taxes) — Rosenblum answers a listener question about how online sellers should actually handle bookkeeping, especially when platform reports, fees, and inventory start to blur together at tax time. He breaks down what really needs to be tracked, what doesn’t, and how to keep your books clean without turning your side hustle into a full-time accounting project, because spreadsheets should help you sleep better, not keep you up at night.

It’s timely and relevant, since so many people have side hustles.

Here are just a few of Mr. Rosenblum’s listeners expressing their views:

“Wow, I am so glad that I stumbled upon this accounting podcast. As a small business owner, this is one part of the business that mystifies me. Paul so easily explains things, and I look forward to every episode. Who knew I would like accounting so much?”

“Paul makes me want to be an accountant! His explanations of complex topics are straightforward and clear. I’m so happy I found this podcast.”

Podcast Strategist Stephanie Fuccio says: “The thing I’ve loved watching happen with Paul’s episodes is the engagement that it elicits. The number of times he’s gotten emails from both business owners and fellow bookkeepers explaining how an episode resonated deeply with them is inspiring. This deep connection is where podcasting, especially audio-first podcasting, shines.”

The Not Boring, Boring Bookkeeping and Small Business Podcast is another example of podcasting's underlying strength. What TV shows or movies have bookkeeping how-to’s and training sessions? Sure, YouTube does, but none as entertaining and in-depth as this podcast.

Niche podcasting and making money are not mutually exclusive. Monetization of a niche podcast often (almost always) follows a different strategy than, say, marketing a celebrity interview show, but the goal is the same. I’ve told this story before, so apologies if you’ve heard it. When Florence, the sewing podcast creator/host, set up a live show at a Joann Fabrics in 2008, we thought maybe 20 people would show up. How about 400? After that, I passed Flo over to a true podcasting expert, who helped her take her show to the next level and make serious coin!

Kudos to Paul Rosenblum for turning a potentially sleep-inducing subject into something relevant, lively, and informative. If I had to choose between listening to Joe Rogan or Paul Rosenblum, I’d go with Paul every time. Plus, Paul can help me deduct my office as a business expense.