We are asked at least once a week by a podcast guest: “Can you get me on Joe Rogan?”
It’s become such a common request that our founder, Tom Schwab, pulled the data on every single guest Joe had on the show in September 2025.
What he found should give anyone a serious sense of what it takes to be a guest on the JRE.
If you want to be a guest on Rogan, you need to first ask yourself if you have what it takes for him to say YES.
Let’s be blunt: The Joe Rogan Experience is the number one podcast in the world. It’s the Everest of podcast appearances. Like Everest, most people who dream of summiting never will and have absolutely no business being there.
The September 2025 Reality Check
Here’s what happened in just one month on JRE. I counted approximately 13-14 guest appearances (some episodes had multiple guests). Let me walk you through what these people brought to the table:
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY (Episode #2379)
- Academy Award-winning actor
- #1 New York Times bestselling author
- Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin
- Co-owner of Austin FC soccer club and Pantalones tequila
- Social Media: 11M Instagram followers
TAYLOR KITSCH (Episode #2381)
- Award-winning actor (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Lone Survivor, Friday Night Lights)
- Star of multiple hit television series (Waco, Painkiller, American Primeval, The Terminal List)
- Has appeared on JRE before (repeat guest – Rogan’s friend)
- Social Media: 488K Instagram followers
ANDREW SANTINO (Episode #2382)
- Stand-up comedian, actor, and producer
- Host of “Whiskey Ginger” podcast (Top 0.05%)
- Co-host of “Bad Friends” podcast with Bobby Lee (Top 0.01%)
- 8th appearance on JRE (clearly in Rogan’s circle)
- Social Media: 1M+ Instagram, 252K Twitter
MARK KERR (Episode #2384)
- Retired mixed martial artist and wrestler
- MMA legend from the sport’s early days
- Documentary subject (HBO’s “The Smashing Machine” from 2002)
- Personal connection: Friend of Rogan’s from the MMA world
RICK STRASSMAN, MD (Episode #2385)
- Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at University of New Mexico School of Medicine
- Author of multiple books, most recent: “My Altered States” (2024)
- Pioneer in psychedelic research
- Medical degree and decades of clinical experience
THE RED CLAY STRAYS (Episode #2386)
- Country rock band with Brandon Coleman, Andy Bishop, and Drew Nix
- Signed to a major label with national distribution
LIONEL RICHIE (Episode #2388)
- Four Grammy Awards, one Oscar, one Golden Globe, 18 American Music Awards
- Sold more than 125 million albums worldwide
- Social Media: 2M+ Instagram followers
IAN EDWARDS, GREGG BRADEN (Episodes #2382, #2387)
- Professional comedians with Netflix specials and podcasts
- Published authors with major publishers
GORDON RYAN, BRENDAN SCHAUB, & BRYAN CALLEN (Fight Companion, September 6)
- Gordon Ryan: World champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, considered by many the greatest grappler of all time
- Brendan Schaub: Former UFC fighter, comedian, multiple podcasts
- Bryan Callen: Actor, comedian, host of “Off Limits” podcast, co-host of “The Fighter and the Kid”
- All three are repeat guests and close friends of Rogan
The Numbers That Should Scare You
Let’s talk about social media following—because this is where most people realize how far away they really are:
Average social media following of September guests: 1.5M – 11M followers
- Matthew McConaughey: 11M Instagram
- Andrew Santino: 1M+ Instagram, 252K Twitter
- Lionel Richie: 2M Instagram
- Taylor Kitsch: 488K Instagram
Where are you right now?
Even Taylor Kitsch—who isn’t considered a massive social media personality—has nearly half a million people following him. That’s years of successful TV shows, major films, and being a recognizable name.
The Pattern You Can't Ignore
Notice something? Let me spell it out:
- They’re already famous – Every single guest had significant name recognition before setting foot in Joe’s studio. We’re talking Oscar winners, professional athletes, bestselling authors, and established entertainers.
- They have prior accomplishments – Academic credentials, championships, awards, millions of social media followers, and successful businesses. These aren’t people hoping to make it, these are people who’ve already made it.
- Many are repeat guests or friends – Andrew Santino was on for the 8th time. Taylor Kitsch is clearly in Rogan’s circle. The Fight Companion crew are his close friends. This isn’t a cold pitch—it’s relationship-based.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Podcast Booking
Here’s what I tell every potential client who asks about getting on Joe Rogan: The dirty secret of top-tier podcast booking is that hosts want people who are already successful, interesting, or connected. They want:
- Their friends
- Friends of friends
- People they want to be friends with (usually because those people are already successful/famous)
Joe Rogan isn’t looking for your pitch. He’s not scouring LinkedIn for interesting entrepreneurs. He’s talking to Oscar winners, world champions, and people who’ve already proven they have something worth saying to millions of people.
But Here's What Nobody Tells You About JRE
Even IF you somehow got on Joe Rogan tomorrow, here’s the uncomfortable question:
Would his audience even care about what you do?
Joe Rogan’s audience is massive and incredibly diverse. That’s his strength—and your problem. His 11+ million listeners include:
- MMA fans
- Comedy nerds
- Conspiracy theorists
- Psychedelic enthusiasts
- Political junkies from both sides
- Tech bros
- Hunters
- Scientists
- And about a hundred other subgroups
If you’re a B2B SaaS founder, a financial advisor, a category designer, or selling any kind of professional service… what percentage of Joe’s audience actually needs what you offer?
Maybe 1-2%?
Bigger Isn't Better. It's Just Bigger
Here’s the math that should change how you think about podcast strategy:
Scenario A: Joe Rogan Experience
- 2 million downloads per episode
- 1% are your target audience
- = 20k of your ideal audience
Scenario B: Industry-Specific Podcast Campaign
- 10 targeted podcasts with 5k listeners each
- 80% are your target audience
- = 40k of your ideal audience
See the problem? You’d get BETTER reach from targeted podcast with a fraction of Rogan’s audience.
A SaaS founder gets way more value from “SaaStr” than JRE. A real estate investor wins more from “BiggerPockets” than appearing between a comedian and a UFC fighter on Rogan’s show.
So What Should You Actually Do?
If you’re serious about leveraging podcasts to grow your business (which you absolutely should be), here’s the strategy that actually works:
1. Start where you actually belong
Find podcasts in your industry with audiences. These are shows where:
- The host actually needs guests
- Your expertise matters more than your fame
- You can provide genuine value to their specific audience
- You can actually get booked
- The audience is pre-qualified to care about your topic
2. Target audience, not audience size
Stop asking “How many listeners?” and start asking:
- “What percentage are my ideal clients?”
- “Does this audience have buying power?”
- “Will these listeners actually need my service?”
3. Build a catalog
Do a campaign of 24 to 48 targeted podcast interviews over the next year. Get good at telling your story. Develop your speaking skills. Create content that actually helps people. Build relationships with hosts.
4. Leverage each appearance
Every podcast interview should drive results, build authority, and create opportunities. That’s the real ROI, not some fantasy booking for your ego on JRE.
5. Grow systematically
As you build credibility, move up to bigger shows. But here’s the reality: even if you execute perfectly, JRE might never be realistic. And that’s okay. There are thousands of podcasts where you can make a legitimate impact on your business.
The Bottom Line
Look at that September list again. Oscar winners. Professional athletes at the top of their sport. Bestselling authors. Established comedians with their own successful shows. Social media followings in the hundreds of thousands to millions.
That’s the bar.
If you’re not there yet, stop dreaming about Joe Rogan and start doing the work that might someday get you there. And more importantly, start using the podcast interview marketing strategy that will actually grow your business today.
The truth is, you don’t need Joe Rogan to succeed with podcasts. In fact, for most businesses, appearing on 10 targeted podcasts will generate more long-term results than one appearance on JRE to millions of people who mostly don’t care about your industry.
But you do need a realistic strategy, consistent execution, and patience to build relationships in the podcast ecosystem.
That’s what we do at Interview Valet. We help thought leaders get booked on the podcasts where their ideal audience is listenintg. Shows where:
- Your expertise matches the audience’s needs
- The listeners have the problems you solve
- The host actually wants to book guests like you
- You’ll drive real business results, not just feed your ego
The Good News and the Bad News
- The Good news is that you’re not dying.
- The bad news is this is not Make-A-Wish.
If you want to explore if a strategic podcast interview campaign is right for your business? Let’s talk about shows where you can actually get booked, where the audience actually cares what you have to say, and where you can actually make money.
Because at the end of the day, would you rather tell people you were on Joe Rogan once, or tell them you landed 47 new clients from podcast interviews this quarter?
Instead of focusing on Rogan, shift your intentions toward finding your equivalent.
Paul McManus shares a powerful experience where a a single appearance on a top 10% podcast yielded 60 appointments in three months with high-quality prospects. Becoming his Orpah/Joe Rogan moment.
Looking For More?
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