Meet the Podcaster: Jack Laurence

Jack Laurence is the founder of Queensland-based network Mashed Pumpkin Productions, home to hit shows One Minute Remaining, What I Survived, Crime at Bedtime, Mysteries at Bedtime and Suing Daddy.

After swapping commercial radio for podcasting nearly four years ago, Jack has built a global audience through compelling long-form storytelling, with his flagship series One Minute Remaining recently surpassing an incredible 10 million downloads.

We caught up with Jack to talk about his journey from radio to independent podcasting, breaking into the US market and what he’s learned along the way.

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Interview with Jack Laurence

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Acast: Congratulations on reaching 10 million downloads for One Minute Remaining. Looking back, did you ever imagine the podcast would grow into what it is today?‍

Jack: Oh my god no! I started in my kids' toy room in September 2022 with a microphone and my laptop, just hoping I might get enough of an audience that I could leave radio and podcast full-time. That was the dream.

I remember the first week like it was yesterday. I think we did maybe 300 downloads, which looking back isn’t bad for week one but at the time I just thought, I can’t see me ever getting to the point I can do this full-time. I never even imagined I’d hit 1 million, let alone 10! ‍

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Acast: After 15 years in radio, you made the leap to independent podcasting in 2022. What motivated that decision, and what have been the biggest lessons from building your own podcast network?‍

Jack: I just hit a wall in radio, I wasn’t getting any opportunities to progress in the career. I’d worked every shift you could work, worked in almost every major city and I really felt like I had nothing to show for it. I wanted to build something for myself, have something I can look back on and say “I did that.” It wasn’t going to happen in radio so I took the leap to do it in podcasting. 

The biggest lessons would be: being independent is harder than I thought it would be but also so incredibly rewarding and just trusting my judgment, believing that I know what I’m doing. I’m still working on the second one!‍

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Acast: One Minute Remaining tackles incredibly sensitive and complex stories. How do you build trust with guests so they’re willing to share such deeply personal experiences?

Jack: Number one, not attacking them and just listening. The people I speak with are so used to being accused, called liars and being berated. I just show them that I’m here just to listen, I want to hear what they have to say, I’m genuinely interested. 

I also make a point of not just saying “Hey, tell me about this murder!” I ask about their lives before prison, their day-to-day life now, their interests, hobbies and just life. In radio you would have about 10 minutes at most when doing an interview to try and build rapport with a guest and get the best out of them. Now I don’t need to rush, some days I get calls from inmates and we just sit and chat about sport, the weather, an argument they had with their cellmate or wife on the outside. One of my guys is currently going through a messy divorce and he calls me a lot just to vent, that obviously doesn’t make the podcast!

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‍Acast: Your shows have built a loyal community around real-life stories of resilience and justice. What do you think keeps listeners coming back episode after episode?‍

Jack: People have said that they enjoy the genuine connection that I have with the people I talk with. I also pride myself on crafting every episode. 

In radio we used the term “All Killer,No Filler.” Basically I ensure every single second of every episode has a purpose. Every bit of music, every piece of narration or interview is there to keep the story moving forward. The two best compliments I can ever get are: “your episodes aren’t long enough” – leave them wanting more – and “that episode made me cry!”‍

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Acast: Earlier this year, What I Survived broke into the top tier of the Apple Podcasts charts in the US. How did it feel to see an Australian independent podcast resonate with listeners on the other side of the world?‍

Jack: Truly incredible! The US market is one that is so hard to crack, I’ve been trying for almost four years.

So when What I Survived found its way onto the front page of Apple Podcasts in the US, became the #1 documentary podcast in the country and started flying up the overall podcast charts, it was just amazing to watch.

I spent a good few days hitting refresh on the charts. Pretty wild for a show I almost didn’t release!

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‍Acast: What’s one thing you know about podcasting today that you wish you’d known before you hit publish on your very first episode?‍

Jack: I have been asked this question before and I sadly have no answer. I was very lucky that when I started I had some incredible support from other larger podcasters like Alpha Blokes and True Crime Conversations and a bunch of shows who all welcomed me onto their shows with open arms and introduced me to their audiences which gave me an incredible launch pad. Also, having the support of the Acast team, who are so great for advice! I know audio but I’m still a baby when it comes to podcasting.

I suppose if anything, I wish I’d just known the freedom podcasting could give me so I would’ve taken the leap sooner!‍

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Acast: What’s next for Mashed Pumpkin Productions? Are there any new series, collaborations or live shows coming up?‍

Jack: Yes! I recently decided to do a call-out to creators who need some help when it comes to guidance with production and storytelling, as well as a springboard to an existing audience. I want to expand MPP and - being only one man - I realised I can’t keep making the shows myself.

So many amazing podcast ideas came in and for now I’ve selected two to help develop.

One will be my first foray into a scripted fiction podcast, which is a crime thriller written by an incredible writer! I’m very excited about that. Then there’s a story of a young woman who was caught up in a global romance scam that she documented as it happened.

I’m excited to slowly expand the catalogue of shows with new and exciting creators!

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‍Quick-fire round

• Three words that describe One Minute Remaining? Mind-blowing, frustrating, bingeable.
• What’s one brand you think tells great stories? Not so much brand, but I think the gold standard for storytelling in podcasting is ‘Heavyweight’. 
• Dream podcast guest? Louis Theroux, I have no show I could put him on but I’d make one just to get the chance to pick his brain! He’s been someone I have looked up to since watching Weird Weekends as a kid. 
• Go-to snack in the studio? I had a lolly jar, but I had to remove it because it wouldn’t last a day! So now I just keep a bar fridge stocked with Remedy Kombucha. Can we get them on as a sponsor? 
• Most-used app on your phone? YouTube. I watch an unhealthy amount of YouTube Golf.