48. Ricky Brigante, Inside the Magic and Pseudonym Productions

Ricky Brigante founded Inside the Magic and now works in immersive entertainment with Pseudonym Productions.

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It’s a boom time for podcasting, which has evolved into big business. A BBC News article from July 22nd states that 11% of people in the UK listen to a podcast every week. That’s a huge percentage compared to where podcasts were just a short while ago. The landscape was entirely different in 2005 when Ricky Brigante started Inside the Magic. The Disney podcast was one of the first about theme parks, which are covered by hundreds of shows today. Inside the Magic grew into a major player in Orlando and ultimately expanded well beyond the podcast.

One of the reasons that I got back into Disney in the mid-2000s was listening to Brigante, Lou Mongello, Len Testa, and other early podcasters. Their enthusiasm helped me re-connect with my own fandom for theme parks. The weekly shows made it easy to get excited about the parks as more than places for kids. Brigante eventually decided to sell Inside the Magic earlier this year, and now he’s working on the creative side of the aisle for Pseudonym Productions.

Brigante is my guest on the latest episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast to talk about starting Inside the Magic and his current work in the field of immersive entertainment. It was a thrill to speak with a pioneer in Disney podcasts. Our conversation delves into these topics:

Why did Brigante become such a big fan of Walt Disney World when he was younger?
What inspired him to start Inside the Magic in 2005?
When did Brigante realize that his podcast could grow into more than a passion project?
Why did he ultimately decide to sell Inside the Magic?
What advice does Brigante have to creators trying to find an audience?