Star podcaster Steven Bartlett may need to stay alert.

"I tell Steven all the time, I'm coming for you, because I think the most valuable consumer in the world is a female consumer," Maggie Sellers Reum, Bartlett's podcast protégé and the host of "Hot Smart Rich," told Business Insider. "So be ready."

Bartlett aims to build his "Diary of a CEO" podcast into a broader media business. One element involves signing and developing new talent. His initial major example is Sellers Reum, who received a seven-figure investment from him via his media firm, FlightStory.

Sellers Reum explained how Bartlett is using his methods with "Hot Smart Rich" and why she believes her program, though smaller than his at present, can reach his level. She even sets a timeline, expecting that achievement in 12 to 18 months.

That goal appears bold. His show ranks as the top business podcast on Spotify in the US and holds 17 million YouTube subscribers. She ranks at No. 13 in business on Spotify, with roughly 33,000 YouTube subscribers.

Sellers Reum contends that she targets a vast group of women, who drive most consumer purchases and serve as key influencers at home and in professional settings.

Bartlett's support for Sellers Reum fits a pattern where leading creators such as Alex Cooper and Dude Perfect add new voices to build networks. Outcomes have varied. Cooper's Unwell Network faced challenges, including a split with Alix Earle last year. Theorist continued after its founders sold to a startup, while Mythical Entertainment has produced several shows under its structure.

Jocelyn Florence, a consultant on creators for the management company Soft Shock, noted that operational help matters for this approach since the creator-founder focuses on their own material. A clear brand that carries over to new network members also helps.

"It's easier to sell a brand on a more unified vision," she said.

FlightStory runs five shows with creators besides "DOAC," such as Davina McCall on midlife topics and relationships podcaster Paul Brunson. Its "Hot Smart Rich" arrangement stands out as the sole equity investment, with Sellers Reum holding majority ownership.

Applying the Bartlett playbook

Bartlett's firm has used its operational approach to boost Sellers Reum's show by refining guest choices and boosting episodes via social clips. FlightStory broadened her guest roster past her own contacts to feature figures like entrepreneur Codie Sanchez and tech educator CatGPT.

Some differences exist in how "DOAC" and "Hot Smart Rich" function.

One involves the trailers. Rather than highlighting the "hero's journey" like Bartlett does with "DOAC," "Hot Smart Rich" trailers stress why listeners should engage with the guest and what insights they will gain.

Sellers Reum modified Bartlett's detailed pre-show research for her female listeners, yet she labels the resulting 18-page document a "gossip thread" instead of a "research brief."

"We're trying to reclaim what it means to gossip for women," she said. "Like, let's gossip about things that make us hotter, smarter, and richer, not about other people. And so we call it a gossip thread. He calls it a research brief. For Maggie and 'Hot Smart Rich,' it's a gossip thread."

She has kept her own interview approach. Sellers Reum said Bartlett's style is "expert-driven," while she favors a more conversational tone. She records from a relaxed chair with legs crossed and covers five consistent themes: money, power, relationships, business, and femininity.

"This is just more my gut; I feel that female voices in media are preferred by the female listener to be conversational," she said. "If you look at 'Giggly Squad,' Amy Poehler, 'Call Her Daddy,' it's actually like the viewer or the listener wants to hear the host's opinion a lot more than what I've seen in male-dominated podcasts."

When FlightStory suggested a Q&A format where she solves business issues for listeners, Sellers Reum declined.

"I said, 'I can't do that,' because I'm not better than anyone that listens to me. I was investing $2,500 checks," she said. "I wasn't a billion-dollar founder."

Soon she plans a behind-the-scenes YouTube series. Over time, she wants to grow "Hot Smart Rich" past the podcast and its WhatsApp fan group she terms "angels," possibly into books, TV, or merchandise.

Currently the focus remains on expanding the long-form podcast. She hopes for guests like Alix Earle, who has taken equity stakes effectively, or Reese Witherspoon, whose book club proved impactful.

"There's just such a big opportunity, but we have to earn the right to grow," she said.