May 10, 2026

INTERVIEW | Make Money Building an Audience and Surviving the Attention Economy with Jo Piazza

Show Notes

Bestselling author, journalist, and podcast creator Jo Piazza joins Travis to break down the realities of building a career as a modern writer. From working gossip columns in New York City to publishing bestselling novels, launching hit podcasts, and navigating today’s AI-driven content landscape, Jo shares the unfiltered truth about storytelling, publishing, audience building, and why creators need to think like entrepreneurs. With books published in multiple languages and millions of podcast downloads, Jo brings a candid, funny, and deeply practical perspective on making a living through creativity.

On this episode we talk about:

How Jo broke into journalism and built a writing career during a collapsing media industry
Why mentorship and hard work still matter in creative careers
The rise of self-publishing, Substack, and creator-owned audiences
How AI-generated content is impacting books, publishing, and attention spans
The business realities behind book deals, podcasts, and film adaptations

Top 3 Takeaways

If you want to be a writer or creator, start building your audience immediately instead of waiting for permission from traditional gatekeepers.
Creative careers require constant adaptation — the pathway to success changes, but opportunities still exist for people willing to hustle.
Owning your platform, audience, and intellectual property creates long-term leverage and financial opportunity.

Notable Quotes

“If you want to be a writer, you just have to be writing.”
“The traditional path that was available to me is not available anymore.”
“I adore writing books. It’s also a job. This is what pays my mortgage.”

Connect with Jo Piazza:

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