83. Crissle West, The Read Co-host

Crissle West is the co-host of the enormously popular podcast The Read, and she joins Adam in The Wolf Den to talk about her experience in podcasting, and growing the diversity of voices heard in the medium. Crissle shares the story of how she met her co-host Kid Fury, started the show with the Loud Speakers network, and then settled into its successful format. She explains that when The Read started the only podcast she listened to was This American Life, in part because there were very few shows featuring people of color then. Now that The Read is popular, Crissle discusses what it’s like to have a loyal fanbase and do sold-out live shows. She also talks about how she is able to make a living from the show—something she did not anticipate—and the value of working with a network. Finally Crissle gives her advice for new podcasters, and predicts what’s in store for her in the next couple of years.