CEOCast

How Raheem Aziz Built the UK's #1 Business Podcast to $720K/Year

February 22nd, 2025

Founded By

Raheem Aziz

Monthly Revenue

$83.3K

Starting Costs

$16

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2019

Customer

B2B & B2C

Founded By
Raheem Aziz: Monthly Revenue
$83.3K: Starting Costs
$16

Founders
1: Profitable
Yes: Year Started
2019

Customer
B2B & B2C

Who is Raheem Aziz?

Raheem Aziz, the founder of CEOCast, hails from East London and has consistently been driven by an entrepreneurial spirit. Prior to starting his podcast, he worked various jobs, including positions at Carphone Warehouse and BT, before deciding to pursue his passion for business content creation. Raheem developed CEOCast to interview business leaders and learn about entrepreneurship, eventually turning this endeavor into a successful full-time career.

What problem does CEOCast solve?

CEOCast tackles the challenge of bridging the gap between aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners by providing insightful and relatable conversations that unpack the entrepreneurial journey, offering listeners practical lessons and inspiration. The podcast's success lies in its ability to bring diverse stories from both well-established and up-and-coming entrepreneurs, making it a go-to resource for anyone seeking guidance, motivation, and real-world business wisdom.

CEOCast YouTube Channel

How did Raheem come up with the idea for CEOCast?

Raheem's journey to founding CEOCast began during his early days at a routine 9-5 job at BT, where he felt a strong yearning for something beyond the typical career path. Observing the business successes of people around him, he got curious about their journeys and the mechanics behind their success. This curiosity, coupled with his passion for cars, drew him to the stories of entrepreneurs who turned their dreams into reality.

He began the podcast as a way to learn directly from successful business owners. His strategy was straightforward: by interviewing these entrepreneurs, he hoped to uncover the secrets to their success and discover his path in business. Starting with a minimal budget, Raheem invested in some basic equipment and leveraged his natural curiosity to strike up engaging conversations.

Through initial trial and error, Raheem refined his approach based on feedback from viewers and the entrepreneurs he interviewed. Each episode became an opportunity for learning, both for himself and his audience. Faced with challenges like securing high-profile guests and building a reputation from scratch, he persisted by continuously reaching out and networking, proving that persistence and a genuine interest in his subject matter were key to overcoming these hurdles.

How did Raheem Aziz build the initial version of CEOCast?

Raheem, the host of CEOCast, began his podcasting journey with minimal resources, utilizing just a £20 microphone setup and leveraging his current smartphone as a camera. He meticulously edited each episode by learning from online resources, primarily relying on iMovie in the initial stages. Balancing a demanding job at BT, he dedicated his evenings to researching, filming, and editing, typically investing around three days to craft each episode. Over time, Raheem transitioned from a one-man operation to having a more developed support structure, which allowed him to focus primarily on content creation while his team handled editing, thumbnails, and promotion. The building process faced challenges, particularly the need to maintain a consistent output while growing his audience and securing high-profile guests in the business world, which he achieved by smart networking and consistent quality upgrades.

What were the initial startup costs for CEOCast?

Podcast Equipment: Raheem initially invested £20 in two microphones and used his own camera for the initial episodes. Eventually, he upgraded his setup to include three Sony A7C cameras, each costing around £2,500-£3,000, with additional lenses and teleprompters, adding about £16,000 to £17,000 total for his studio setup.
Brand Deals and Sponsorship: Raheem's first brand deal was with a watch company at a rate of £250 per episode while he had under 10,000 subscribers, eventually bringing in £1,000 a month. Sponsorships now make up about 70-80% of his income.
YouTube Monetization: It took Raheem approximately a year to start making money on YouTube, with his first check being £70. Over the years, the channel has generated between £350,000 to £450,000 in total revenue.
Unexpected Costs: During the initial phase, unforeseen costs like travel and accommodation expenses impacted the budget, which eventually led to renting a studio space to save on ongoing travel costs.

What was the growth strategy for CEOCast and how did they scale?

YouTube

Raheem began his YouTube channel, CEOcast, in December 2019. It took some time for the channel to gain traction, but things started taking off after his interview with Mikey Mellon, a restaurant owner, which garnered 10,000 views in the first week. Later, interviews with high-profile guests like Lord Aleem and Andrew Tate catapulted the channel's popularity, leading to millions of views.

Why it worked: Raheem's YouTube success can be attributed to strategic guest selections and captivating storytelling in each episode. Featuring well-regarded entrepreneurs and influential individuals, he provides engaging and informative content that keeps the audience coming back for more. Each episode is grounded in real-life experiences and offers valuable insights into business and entrepreneurship, creating a loyal fan base.

Sponsorship and Brand Deals

CEOcast early on understood the power of sponsorships, which became a primary source of revenue. Raheem cleverly negotiated brand deals, starting even before having 10,000 subscribers. His first deal came from a watch brand, earning him £250 per video, which marked the start of substantial sponsorship revenue.

Why it worked: Raheem built strong relationships with brands through genuine connections and offering value first. By showcasing products he believed in, sponsors noticed the authenticity, which translated to higher engagement and brand loyalty. His strategic approach allowed the podcast to generate a significant portion of its income from these partnerships.

While Raheem initially emphasized short-form content for driving traffic, he realized over time that focusing on his personal brand was more effective. By building a recognizable brand around himself and his story, he attracted a dedicated audience who were invested in his journey.

Why it worked: By leveraging his personal brand, Raheem created a deeper connection with his audience. This not only increased viewer retention and engagement but also widened his influence across platforms beyond YouTube. His relatable story of starting from humble beginnings resonated with many aspiring entrepreneurs, further solidifying his brand.

Event Hosting and Expansion Plans

Raheem announced plans for CEOcast to host live events and networking opportunities, such as the CEO Hub, providing an interactive platform allowing direct engagement between entrepreneurs and audiences.

Why it worked: Hosting live events leveraged the existing audience's trust and loyalty, offered tangible value, and provided networking opportunities. This expansion illustrates Raheem's dedication to nurturing a community around CEOcast, thereby elevating the brand from a podcast to an ecosystem for entrepreneurship inspiration and education.

What's the pricing strategy for CEOCast?

CEOCast, a UK-based business podcast, offers free content on major platforms and employs a monetization strategy primarily through sponsorships and YouTube ad revenue, with sponsors contributing about 70-80% of revenue, often negotiated based on engagement rather than flat rates, and YouTube ads making up the rest.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building CEOCast?

Persistence Pays Off: Raheem demonstrated that reaching out persistently can turn possibilities into opportunities, as seen when he secured Andrew Tate as a guest after consistent follow-up communication.
Adapt and Evolve: The shift from a single guest focus to a broader entrepreneurial narrative helped CEOCast maintain its growth. This included widening content from simply interviewing CEOs to broader entrepreneurship topics.
Invest Wisely in Equipment: Raheem initially started with minimal equipment and gradually invested in better gear as the podcast gained traction, showing that you don't need the best equipment from the start.
Build Genuine Relationships: Genuine connections with guests, such as Mikey Mellon and Lord Aleem, paved the way for further opportunities and collaborations, emphasizing the importance of sincerity and relationship building in business.
Stay True to Core Values: Although lucrative sponsorship opportunities came, Raheem stayed true to his values, declining deals that didn't align with his personal beliefs, demonstrating the importance of integrity in business.

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