When BetterHelp started testing podcast ads in 2017, they discovered something unexpected: listeners actually felt grateful for their sponsorship messages. Five years and 5 million users later, the world's largest online therapy platform made the leap from advertiser to content creator with "Mind If We Talk," filling a critical gap by combining raw personal stories with clinical feedback in single episodes. Brittany Clevenger, Senior Director of Growth Marketing at BetterHelp, and Emily Rudder, VP of Acast Creative Studios, reveal how their health podcast now averages over 75,000 downloads per episode and earned a Signal Award nomination. They share why audio tactics converted more listeners than Instagram ever could, why masculinity emerged as one of the most searched mental health topics, and why healthcare brands need testing mindsets over perfect plans. This episode features a recording from the 2025 Health Podcast Summit. Get free access to all 37 sessions here: ⁠healthpodcastsummit.com Chapters 00:00 - Intro 05:39 - BetterHelp's Podcast Growth Journey 07:18 - Advertising Strategies and Attribution Insights 10:05 - Unlocking Podcasting's Global Potential 13:55 - Collaborative Growth in Podcasting 18:43 - Power of Podcasts in Marketing 22:40 - Expanding Access to Mental Wellness 25:43 - Global Advertising in Audio Markets 29:35 - Exploring Struggles with Expert Insight 30:58 - Seasonal Podcast Strategy Insights 34:13 - Foundational Content for Deeper Exploration 40:38 - YouTube Focus for Next Season 41:46 - Data-Driven Health Podcast Success 45:47 - Testing Mindset Transforms Advertising 49:33 - Healthcare Podcasts: Expanding Impact Potential Resources Mentioned BetterHelp - www.betterhelp.com Mind If We Talk podcast - BetterHelp's mental health show Acast  Connect with Emily Rudder on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-rudder/ Connect with Brittany Clevenger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyclevenger/ Connect with Dan Kendall • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://linkedin.com/in/dankendall⁠⁠ • Instagram: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/healthtechdan⁠⁠ Connect with HealthPodcast.Org • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthpodcast/⁠⁠ • Instagram: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/healthpodcastorg⁠⁠ • YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HealthPodcastOrg⁠⁠ Visit our other resources and sites to learn more about Health Podcasting: • Health Podcast Show - ⁠⁠HealthPodcastShow.com⁠⁠ • Health Podcast Awards - ⁠⁠HealthPodcastAwards.com⁠⁠ • Health Podcast Library - ⁠⁠HealthPodcastLibrary.com⁠⁠ • Health Podcast Community - ⁠⁠HealthPodcastCommunity.com⁠⁠ • Health Podcast Network - ⁠⁠HealthPodcastNetwork.com⁠⁠ • Health Podcast Summit - ⁠⁠HealthPodcastSummit.com⁠⁠ • Health Content Integrity Pledge - ⁠⁠https://healthpodcast.org/health-content-integrity-pledge⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Health Podcast Show⁠⁠⁠⁠ is part of ⁠⁠⁠HealthPodcast.Org⁠⁠⁠ // Brought to you by Mission Based Media