464: Build A Network NOT An Audience (The Model That Actually Pays You)
Thu Dec 11 2025
Most entrepreneurs secretly feel like they are running faster and faster on a treadmill they never meant to be on. More content, more followers, more chaos, but not more freedom. In this episode, Josh and Braeden unpack why the traditional podcast model almost guarantees that outcome and why the Get Paid Be Free model flips the script.Instead of treating a show like an audience building machine, Josh reveals how the Golden Mic becomes a single point of leverage that sits above your offer, sales process, traffic, and systems. When you stop optimizing for downloads and start optimizing for status, authority, and relationships, you move from chasing clients to being the one they chase. He walks through his own journey from being a nobody with a skill set, to networking strategically with C, B, and A players, borrowing authority from people who already had his ideal audience, and eventually being invited by Russell Brunson to ClickFunnels HQ and the FHL stage.This matters because your goal is not to be podcast famous or Instagram big. Your goal is to get paid and be free. That requires a model that is intentionally designed to create high margin revenue, not endless fulfillment and low profit. When you understand that money runs in networks and relationships are the currency of the wealthy, you stop trying to build everything from scratch and start building inside the worlds of people who already have the attention you need.Topics covered:- Why most podcast models fail entrepreneurs and turn listeners into the product instead of the client- The Get Paid Be Free model and how the Golden Mic creates status, authority, and positioning on demand- The shift from building an audience to building a network in the world of your top dog- Josh's step by step story of using C, B, and A players to reach Russell Brunson and explode his perceived authority- How to use borrowed authority to raise prices, shorten sales cycles, and create more freedom with fewer clientsIf you are tired of feeling trapped by your own business and content machine, this episode will rewire how you think about money, attention, and growth. Watch this next to understand how to plug the Golden Mic into the rest of your funnel, subscribe for the next breakdown of the full five part model, and start building a network, not an audience.
SUBSCRIBE:<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-golden-mic-w-josh-forti/id1447016754" target="_blank">Apple</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6OTrbqCtivWYVNkTXZUyGN?si=55e448e93da2448e" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/JoshForti" target="_blank">YouTube</a> FIND JOSH:Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/realjoshforti" target="_blank">/realjoshforti</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joshforti/" target="_blank">@joshforti</a><a href="https://www.goldenmicmethod.com/goldenmic" target="_blank">Download The Golden Mic Method Book</a>
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Most entrepreneurs secretly feel like they are running faster and faster on a treadmill they never meant to be on. More content, more followers, more chaos, but not more freedom. In this episode, Josh and Braeden unpack why the traditional podcast model almost guarantees that outcome and why the Get Paid Be Free model flips the script.Instead of treating a show like an audience building machine, Josh reveals how the Golden Mic becomes a single point of leverage that sits above your offer, sales process, traffic, and systems. When you stop optimizing for downloads and start optimizing for status, authority, and relationships, you move from chasing clients to being the one they chase. He walks through his own journey from being a nobody with a skill set, to networking strategically with C, B, and A players, borrowing authority from people who already had his ideal audience, and eventually being invited by Russell Brunson to ClickFunnels HQ and the FHL stage.This matters because your goal is not to be podcast famous or Instagram big. Your goal is to get paid and be free. That requires a model that is intentionally designed to create high margin revenue, not endless fulfillment and low profit. When you understand that money runs in networks and relationships are the currency of the wealthy, you stop trying to build everything from scratch and start building inside the worlds of people who already have the attention you need.Topics covered:- Why most podcast models fail entrepreneurs and turn listeners into the product instead of the client- The Get Paid Be Free model and how the Golden Mic creates status, authority, and positioning on demand- The shift from building an audience to building a network in the world of your top dog- Josh's step by step story of using C, B, and A players to reach Russell Brunson and explode his perceived authority- How to use borrowed authority to raise prices, shorten sales cycles, and create more freedom with fewer clientsIf you are tired of feeling trapped by your own business and content machine, this episode will rewire how you think about money, attention, and growth. Watch this next to understand how to plug the Golden Mic into the rest of your funnel, subscribe for the next breakdown of the full five part model, and start building a network, not an audience. SUBSCRIBE:<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-golden-mic-w-josh-forti/id1447016754" target="_blank">Apple</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6OTrbqCtivWYVNkTXZUyGN?si=55e448e93da2448e" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/JoshForti" target="_blank">YouTube</a> FIND JOSH:Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/realjoshforti" target="_blank">/realjoshforti</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joshforti/" target="_blank">@joshforti</a><a href="https://www.goldenmicmethod.com/goldenmic" target="_blank">Download The Golden Mic Method Book</a>