When I first met Jordan Power he had no time for me. He’s like that with everyone at first. If you are one of the few to get him to lower his guard you begin to understand, he’s a very complex person with a big heart. He’s misunderstood in a lot of ways. If he likes you, he’ll do anything for you.
We decided to start this podcast after a few drinks because we witnessed immeasurable pain in gay men. In many ways, it has gotten better but it’s not even close to parity.
Jordan spent the large majority of his 20s in a state of perpetual anxiety. We both made horrible choices in men. But it is these moments that provide comic levity and have taught us lessons we share with our listeners.
The podcast was first launched in March and I think we had less than 200 downloads. Then the downloads doubled every week. Since then we’ve had close to half a million downloads in over 50 countries. We have thousands of listeners in countries where it’s not ok to be gay. We’ve interviewed ex-boyfriends, one-night stands, strippers, former illegal immigrants, and even a man who pooped on a plate for $700 cash.
I attribute a lot of the growth to Jordan’s seemingly endless work ethic. He doesn’t watch TV or socialize too often. He works around the clock coming up with content ideas, guest ideas, responding to fans, and studying low cost ways to increase the footprint of the podcast. He is fearless and resilient with a dedication to improving his craft in broadcasting. At times he kind of revels in that fact that he shakes people up and pisses them off. He’s a free thinker through and through. He has said to me many times that you’re never going to achieve greatness if you prioritize being liked.
Since the podcast has started we’ve received 100s of emails from people who have come out of the closet including a catholic priest. We’ve practiced radical self-disclosure and we find the vulnerability is disarming. It allows us to connect with people beyond a superficial level. Neither of us is playing a character or playing it safe. Our podcast is real and very honest.
In 2020, we’ll be going on an eight-city tour. I don’t think this has been done for a podcast like ours so it’s incredibly exciting. We also have a big base in London and Australia so we shall see how that grows.
We both feel we’ve largely eliminated the last residual gay shame we have. We are proud gay men who are sexually liberated, and hope others can join us.
-by his best friend and Shame On You Podcast co-host Brad Price
What ‘hood are you in?
Theatre District
What do you do?
I am a writer, gay activist, and the co-host of Shame On You Podcast, unapologetic guide to zero gay shame.
What are you currently working on?
I’m finishing my first book titled, “My Therapist Sent Me Nudes, as well as recording new episodes of our podcast. We also just built a Patreon for those who want access to Bonus content. (patreon.com/shameonyou). We totally underestimated all that goes into a weekly show. Guest research, booking, editing, advertising/marketing, PR, tour booking and more. Whenever anyone asks me for advice on launching a successful podcast I just discourage them from doing it. There are over 750,000 so you better have a niche and be willing to take very large risks. That being said, it gives me immeasurable purpose and I can’t imagine our lives without it now.
Where can we find your work?
My book will be coming out late in 2020. New episodes of our podcast come out every Thursday. We’re also currently planning our 2020 North American Tour hitting 8 cities. We will be at Rivoli in Toronto November 21st. Doors 8pm. Our live shows are the ones where we take larger risks as they’re paywalled.
