The Media Machine cover art

The Media Machine

The Media Machine

Written by: Johanna Salazar Host & Creator
Listen for free

About this listen

 The Media Machine is where media, business, and innovation intersect. Hosted by industry veteran Johanna Salazar, the podcast explores the future of content, technology, and entertainment through the lens of four key pillars: Process – The strategies, tools, and systems shaping media production and distribution. Profits – The business models, investments, and revenue streams driving the industry. People – The creators, executives, and changemakers redefining the landscape. Planet – The impact of media on culture, society, and sustainability. Through insightful conversations with visionaries, disruptors, and pioneers, The Media Machine unpacks the challenges and opportunities shaping the next era of media. Whether you're an industry insider or an innovator looking to break in, this podcast is your playbook for navigating the media machine.2025 Art
Episodes
  • You Don't Need a New Identity, You Need a New Container

    You Don't Need a New Identity, You Need a New Container
    Jan 8 2026
    EPISODE DESCRIPTION Season 2 of The Media Machine opens with a reset. In this episode, host Johanna Salazar is joined by new co-host Julie Kellman Reading to set the tone for a season focused less on hot takes and more on how media actually works. Together, they unpack what happens when legacy models break, why reinvention is often the wrong frame, and how builders who understand systems, not just ideas, are shaping what comes next. This conversation is about media as infrastructure, with power shifting from institutions to operators and creators. And about why this moment, while uncertain, is also one of the most generative periods the industry has seen. If you're navigating a pivot, questioning old paths, or trying to understand where leverage really lives in modern media, this episode lays the foundation. Don't forget to subscribe, like, reshare, repost, or just say hello! Want to receive our newsletter or list of small intimiate curated events --> SIGN UP FORM HERE **** Framework Takeaway When old models collapse, clarity comes from understanding systems, not chasing identities. **** What This Episode Covers Why media should be understood as a system, recognizing your skills and leaving your previous titles behindThe difference between reinvention and reframingHow creators, producers, and executives already have the skills needed to build what's nextWhy generalists and systems thinkers are gaining an advantageHow technology has shifted power from institutions to individualsWhat it means to be a "media systems builder" (Coined term by Johanna Salazar)Why this industry moment feels unprecedented, and why it isn't **** Key Themes Process over prestigeProfit as a requirement, not a tabooPeople as infrastructureResponsibility in how media is built and scaledDesigning new containers instead of chasing new labels **** Why This Conversation Matters Now The media industry is in a structural transition, not a temporary downturn. Understanding how systems break, rebuild, and reconfigure is now a core skill, not optional knowledge. This episode reframes uncertainty as a design phase and invites listeners to see themselves not as displaced talent, but as builders with leverage. About the Hosts Johanna Salazar is a media systems builder with more than two decades of experience operating across television, streaming, sports, and digital platforms. She brings an operator's lens to the industry, breaking down how media systems function and how power actually moves. Julie Kellman Reading is a creative executive, executive producer, and founder who has built across linear television and digital content, and independent ventures. She brings a people-first perspective and deep creative insight into how media is made, scaled, and sustained. Subscribe & Follow If someone sent you this episode, it's because they care about your future in media. Follow The Media Machine for weekly conversations breaking down the systems, deals, and decisions shaping the industry. **** CREDITS Created by: Johanna Salazar Hosts: Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading Executive Producers: Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading Edited by: Love + Daydreams WEBSITE LINK the-mediamachine.com SOCIALS LINKS Instagram: @themediamachinepodcast TikTok: @themediamachinepodcast Facebook: @themediamachinepodcast PODCAST LINKS Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-media-machine/id1805996037 Spotify - ​​https://open.spotify.com/show/66NrkMVorc47Ov6qDsvfwn Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d9671a97-b026-45a5-8cf0-1e389f052b9e/the-media-machine YOUTUBE @TheMediaMachinePod **** ABOUT THE HOSTS Johanna Salazar is a media systems builder with more than two decades of experience operating at the intersection of content, business, and technology. She has led global media and production initiatives across television, streaming, sports, and digital platforms, working with major networks, studios, and emerging ventures. Johanna brings an operator's lens to the industry, breaking down how media systems actually function, from deal structures and business models to leadership decisions and production realities. Through The Media Machine, she translates experience into clear, repeatable frameworks for builders, executives, and decision-makers navigating a rapidly changing media landscape. Julie Kellman Reading is an executive producer and founder with a career spanning linear television and digital content, independent media ventures, and a lifestyle brand Love + Daydreams.. She has built and led creative teams, launched production companies, and developed original projects across traditional and emerging platforms. Julie brings a people-first perspective to media strategy, with a deep understanding of how creative work, culture, and business intersect. As co-host and executive producer of Season 2, she grounds each conversation in human impact, creative...
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Stop Waiting for Permission: Johanna Salazar on Creating Your Own Future

    Stop Waiting for Permission: Johanna Salazar on Creating Your Own Future
    Nov 13 2025

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    In this special guest-hosted episode, Julie Kellman Reading sits down with Media Machine creator and Host Johanna Salazar for an intimate and wide-ranging conversation on creativity, innovation, and the discipline of building your own path. Johanna opens up about her professional reinventions, her philosophy of learning by doing, and the systems she's using to expand the future of media, tech, and FoodTech. This is a candid look at what it really takes to create momentum without waiting for approval.

    WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS

    This conversation explores one of the Media Machine's central ideas: the future belongs to those willing to build before they feel ready. Julie and Johanna move through the realities of reinvention, the power of gaining traction through imperfect action, and the role of AI as both collaborator and amplifier in modern creative work.

    For an industry where many feel stuck between ambition and uncertainty, this episode offers both a strategic blueprint and permission to step forward with clarity, ethics, and confidence. It's a reminder that the next era of media will be shaped by people who choose themselves long before the system does.

    WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

    • How Johanna rebuilt her relationship to creativity after burnout and career pivots

    • Why "learning by doing" is the most underrated strategy for growth in media and tech

    • How to use AI ethically and intelligently as a creative partner, not a replacement

    • Why traction matters more than talent when pitching, building, or launching

    • The role of systems, discipline, and emotional intelligence in staying consistent

    • Why giving yourself permission is the most important step in reinvention

    KEY TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS

    • 00:19 - Opening: Why this episode is guest-hosted by Julie

    • 03:21 - Johanna on rebuilding her creativity and flow

    • 08:41 - Reinvention, self-trust, and the cost of waiting

    • 10:16 - AI as augmentation and a creative multiplier

    • 39:23 - The discipline behind consistency

    • 40:32 - Permission, confidence, and the future Johanna is designing

    • 41:58 - Closing reflections: What Johanna is dreaming toward next

    LINKS & MENTIONS

    • Foodstream Network

    • The Media Machine Podcast website

    • Tools and workflows referenced during the episode (to be updated post-edit)

    FOLLOW THE GUEST

    Johanna:

    • Instagram: @johanna_salazar
    • LinkedIn: Johanna Salazar
    • Website: mediamachinepodcast.com

    Julie:

    • Instagram: @loveanddaydreams
    • LinkedIn: @juliekellmanreading
    • Website: www.loveanddaydreams.com

    CREDITS

    The Media Machine is hosted by Johanna Salazar.

    This special episode was guest-hosted by Julie Kellman Reading.

    Executive Producers Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading.

    Produced and Edited by Julie Kellman Reading.

    Music, graphics, and visuals by Envato Elements.

    THE MEDIA MACHINE LINKS

    Website: https://mediamachinepodcast.com
    Instagram: @themediamachinepodcast
    TikTok: @themediamachinepodcast
    YouTube: @TheMediaMachinePod
    X/Twitter: @mediamachinepod
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-media-machine/id1805996037
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/66NrkMVorc47Ov6qDsvfwn

    ABOUT THE PODCAST

    The Media Machine explores the intersection of media, business, and innovation through four pillars: process, profits, people, and planet. Johanna Salazar uncovers the future of content, technology, and creative leadership through conversations with visionaries, disruptors, and pioneers shaping the next era of media.
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • From Billion-Dollar Brands to Fifth Quarter Revenue: Media's New Playbook

    From Billion-Dollar Brands to Fifth Quarter Revenue: Media's New Playbook
    Oct 7 2025
    Profit is one of the most pressing, and rapidly evolving, challenges in today's media landscape. In this special compilation episode of The Media Machine, we dive into how companies and creators are rethinking monetization, ad revenues, and growth strategies in a shifting economy. Featuring industry leaders like Cathy Hackl, Sean Atkins, Larry Jones, Alan Wolk, Evan Shapiro, and Stuart Snyder, the conversation dives into how media companies can monetize in an era shaped by gaming, AI, and immersive tech. Discover the secrets behind scaling billion-dollar businesses, the evolution of streaming profits, the challenges of ad-supported models, and whether the current sports content boom is a strategic move or a bubble waiting to burst. Whether you're a creator, entrepreneur, or media executive, this episode offers critical lessons on the business side of storytelling and innovation. In this episode we revisit: Cathy Hackl walks us through how to monetize future tech like gaming, AI, and immersive platforms. Sean Atkins shares how he found a "fifth quarter" of revenue by repurposing creator content with 5th Quarter Agency. Evan Shapiro explains why massive sports-rights spending is creating a bubble. SHOW NOTES 00:00 Introduction to Media Profits 00:30 Exploring Revenue Models in Media 01:18 Blueprints for Future Media Monetization 03:28 Dhar Mann's Fifth Quarter Agency 06:39 New Streaming Models and Bundling 10:13 The Challenges of Netflix's Ad Tier 14:01 The Sports Gold Rush: Strategy or Bubble? 16:53 Scaling to a Billion Dollars in Revenue at Cartoon Network and Adult Swim 19:59 Conclusion, Future Insights and Credits CREDITS The Media Machine is hosted by Johanna Salazar. Our producers are Johanna Salazar and Mia Vinciguerra. This episode was edited by Adriana Saravia and Mia Vinciguerra. Our show art was designed by Gabriel Pareja. This episode features music, graphics and visuals from Envato Elements. WEBSITE LINK https://mediamachinepodcast.com SOCIALS LINKS Instagram: @themediamachinepodcast TikTok: @themediamachinepodcast Facebook: @themediamachinepodcast PODCAST LINKS Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-media-machine/id1805996037 Spotify - ​​https://open.spotify.com/show/66NrkMVorc47Ov6qDsvfwn Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d9671a97-b026-45a5-8cf0-1e389f052b9e/the-media-machine YOUTUBE @TheMediaMachinePod ABOUT THE PODCAST This is The Media Machine - where media, business and innovation intersect. Host Johanna Salazar will explore the future of content, technology, and entertainment through the lens of four key pillars - process, profits, people and planet. Through insightful conversations with visionaries, disruptors, and pioneers, The Media Machine unpacks the challenges and opportunities shaping the next era of media. #TheMediaMachinePodcast #JohannaSalazar #CathyHackl #SeanAtkins #LarryJones #AlanWolk #EvanShapiro #StuartSnyder #5thQuarterAgency #Netflix #NFL #CartoonNetwork #AdultSwim #Facebook #Youtube
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
No reviews yet