We’re excited to introduce you to the host of Reddit on Wiki podcast. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John, Josh & Sean below.

Hi Reddit on Wiki, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

John Consignado: Funny enough, I learned how to podcast out of boredom. When the world was locked in during the pandemic, like many others, I needed an outlet. I learned basic audio editing by watching videos on YouTube along with trial and error. I’ve dabbled in various genres that didn’t stick and was fortunate to have found our footing with Reddit on Wiki.

As far as speeding up the learning process, I honestly wouldn’t have had it any other way. I was not classically trained in anything media. To this day, I’m still learning and soaking in as much knowledge as possible, which brings me to the skill that I felt I learned through this process: patience. It took us awhile to get some traction and there were times that it was demotivating, but luckily we had each other as support system to stay patient, humble, and eager to take on more challenges.

Lastly, the biggest obstacle was time. We’re privileged that most of the team are fortunate enough to do this permanently now. Prior to that however, balancing time trying to create/grow a show while working a full-time job, spending time with family, and self-care had their challenges and hindered our ability to upscale our skills and presence of the show.

Josh Schell: I went to school for Media Design which helped give me a basic understanding of audio and video editing as well as how to create a brand and build out a social media presence. However, I would say my many failed projects before this helped me learn how to find my voice and editing style which I would argue are the most important skills I have learned. I had 4 ‘failed’ podcasts before this one, some that lasted years and each one helped me hone my editing skills and allowed me to get comfortable talking to a microphone and get comfortable being myself on camera.

Sean Salvino: I got into podcasting because I needed a creative venture to put my energy into after leaving my dance career. I studied a lot AKA read a lot of Reddit posts and watched a lot of YouTube videos on how to start a podcast, how to brand it, etc. From there I got some friends together and just had fun.

Speeding it up sounds tempting, but I think I would’ve lost a lot of knowledge had I been perfect. In a lot of ways, mistakes can be the best way to learn. As far as important skills, I think being open-minded and “cautiously carefree” are very helpful.

John, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

John Consignado: Like Josh and Sean, I’m one of the founders of Cultiv8 Podcast Network and host of Reddit on Wiki. I was one of those pandemic podcasters who had nothing better to do with my life so I dabbled in content creation, tried my hand on different podcast genres but still am as passionate about podcasting and content creation to this day. I’m a proud Air Force vet, immigrant, and advocate of mental health and positivity towards neurodivergence. Reddit on Wiki was an idea that I randomly thought of and pitched to Josh and Sean who I’ve met in the podcasting space on Twitter. Although we were strangers to one another, we built instant chemistry and now run a business together.

What I’m extremely proud of and what I feel is what sets us apart from others is our empathetic approach and our authenticity. We are receptive to feedback, own up on mistakes, and what you see on camera is the same person you’ll see if we ever cross paths in person. We have a huge community of people who we lovingly call WikiManiacs who embody what the show is about. They created a community that is a safe space to have fun and deep conversations while displaying respect and empathy towards one another.

Josh Schell: I am a podcast host on the podcast Reddit On Wiki and part owner of the podcast network Cultiv8 Podcast Network. I got into podcasting nearly 8 years ago when my friend came to me wanting to start a Dungeons and Dragons podcast. After 4 years that podcast came to an end but I wanted to continue podcasting so I started Let’s Start A Cult podcast where I was introduced to John and Sean networking on Twitter. We hit it off and from that came Reddit On Wiki and Cultiv8 Podcast Network. Reddit On Wiki is a podcast where we read and react to Reddit stories. It’s a place where we put community first and want everyone to feel heard and comfortable even if the stories we read can sometimes be upsetting.

Sean Salvino: Much like my two co-hosts and business partners, I am one of the hosts of Reddit on Wiki and one of the owners of Cultiv8 Media LLC. Also very similar to John and Josh, I too hosted another podcast, mine was called Shots and Thoughts.

I love our show and the audience/community that we helped build. In my opinion, a lot of the ideas that built our community like starting a discord, making merch, building a subreddit, etc. came from ideas from our listeners. I am forever grateful to them for wanting to connect with us as well as other listeners. Just being a host of a show that has such an amazing community is what brings me the most pride and joy.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

John Consignado: While I take the credit for putting the foundation of the show together, I always credit Josh for taking us to the next level with his creative ideas/business savviness and for Sean keeping our audience with his larger than life character. As far as social media, it all started with one Tiktok that went viral over 2 years ago that molded how we approached our show today. The one thing that never changed however is us as people and I feel that’s a reason why we keep building our audience and retaining the listeners that have supported us from the beginning. Biggest advice is be unapologetically you. Speak about subjects you’re passionate about, be patient, be kind, don’t be afraid to make mistakes but have the humility to accept other perspectives, and most importantly: have fun. Content creation is your opportunity to showcase YOU to the world.

Josh Schell: Originally Reddit On Wiki was a podcast where we read and reacted to Wikipedia pages, however, one day in a bonus episode I introduced reading Reddit posts. We read an insane story about a husband who refused to take his pregnant wife to the hospital and instead went to a party to get drunk. Sean and John were irate and had some very engaging reactions. I clipped that story and posted it on TikTok along with their reactions and it blew up reaching over 2 million views and gave us a new format for the show.

The lesson from that story is don’t be afraid to try new things and find your voice. Consistency is great but don’t be afraid to allow yourself to experiment and pivot your content/business if you find a niche.

Sean Salvino: I have to give all the credit to my co-hosts and our audience on that one. John handles most of our listener engagement on our various social medias. Josh is the one who made us viral on TikTok which jumpstarted everything. And our amazing audience helped by telling us what they wanted and what platforms they wanted it on. I am just very blessed to be on this ride.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

John Consignado: It will always be the fans to me. To this day, getting messages from our listeners about how we impacted their lives in a positive way makes my eyes extremely watery. We’ve had fans tell us stories about how we got them through work/school, escaping bad relationships, and we even had one listener who established a relationship with their sibling by listening to our show. As creatives, we might never be everyone’s cup of tea, but knowing that it affected at least one person positively is the only validation I need to keep striving for better.

Josh Schell: Honestly, it’s the amazing messages we get from fans and the community we have built. It’s very humbling and heartwarming to hear someone tell you “your podcast and the stories you read have helped me get through postpartum (or a bad break up, or losing my job, etc).” Hearing stories like that are kind of mind boggling because most of the time it just feels like we are three idiots babbling into a microphone for an hour but they make me proud to do what I do.

Sean Salvino: For me personally, getting away from the grind of everyday life and putting your heart and soul into something is just insanely rewarding. Everything about talking to my partners and figuring out ways to improve the show, to chatting with listeners and laughing together, to filming the show. It’s all so great. I honestly can’t believe how lucky I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.redditonwiki.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redditonwiki/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095419006399
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RedditOnWiki
• Other: Tiktok- https://www.tiktok.com/@redditonwikipod

Image Credits

Order of pictures from left to right:
Josh Schell, John Consignado, and Sean Salvino, and cover art of Reddit on Wiki.