Rise of the Bro-Casters

About a year ago, Sean Kelly, then 26, decided to launch yet another business. Previously, he’d fooled around running a small drop-shipping company as a Rutgers University undergrad. Later he sold face masks and other personal protective equipment during the pandemic’s early days. Neither enterprise had really gone anywhere, and so after years of bingeing “The Joe Rogan Experience,” he settled on his next venture: his own podcast.

He billed his show, “Digital Social Hour,” as “in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs, thought leaders and high achievers,” attracting guests like longevity guru Bryan Johnson and Tulsi Gabbard, the Democrat-turned-Republican politician. He uploaded episodes relentlessly—both audio content and, importantly, YouTube videos—and amassed a dedicated male following.

In swift order, “Digital Social Hour” shot to No. 1 in Apple Podcasts’ “Self-Improvement” category. Meanwhile, Kelly has accumulated 11.3 million Instagram followers and more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube. He has leaned hard into video and employs up to eight freelance video editors at a time: six for his longer stuff and two for short, social media–friendly clips.