|
OUR STORY
|
|
From a Room Above a Garage to a Studio Built for Anderson
|
|
|
|
|
How Podforge Studios Came to Be
|
|
Before Podforge Studios, I spent almost 15 years in ministry.
|
|
During that time, I met people from every kind of background and in all different seasons of life. I learned that one of the best ways you can serve someone is to listen to them, believe in what they’re doing, and genuinely want to see them succeed.
|
|
|
I also saw how much can happen when people are given room to tell their story and you do life shoulder to shoulder. You begin to understand what shaped them, what matters to them, and why they do what they do. I learned that lasting transformation happens through genuine relationships.
|
|
I didn’t realize it at the time, but those years were preparing me for Podforge.
|
|
|
It Started Above a Friend’s Garage
|
Steve and me recording the HealthynHoly Lifestyle Podcast above his garage.
|
|
Before Podforge, I was building HealthynHoly, our lifestyle clothing brand.
|
|
After my wife and I found out we were expecting, we moved out of our camper in Honea Path and bought a home in Belton. Around that time, I relaunched the brand and eventually started the HealthynHoly Lifestyle Podcast with the help and encouragement of my friend Steve.
|
|
We recorded the podcast in a space we created in a room above Steve’s garage. Every time we recorded, I carried in the equipment, set everything up, recorded the episode, and then tore it all back down.
|
|
It wasn’t convenient, but it gave me a place to start.
|
|
Around that same time, I was attending business meetings in Anderson. When I talked about the podcast, I noticed that other business owners were interested. It wasn’t really the cameras, microphones, or equipment that caught their attention. It was what a podcast could do for them and their business or organization.
|
|
They wanted to share their stories and experiences, connect with people, grow an audience, and build trust.
|
|
I began looking for a permanent home for the podcast—a place where I could leave the equipment set up.
|
|
|
Building a Studio for Anderson
|
|
At first, I was just looking for a permanent place to record my own podcast.
|
|
But the more conversations I had, the more the idea grew. I began to realize there were business owners, leaders, creators, and organizations all around Anderson with something worth saying—but most of them didn’t want to learn how to operate cameras, set up lights, record audio, and edit everything themselves.
|
|
I didn’t want to build a studio just for me. I wanted to build something other people could use.
|
|
Eventually, I realized I wanted to build something for Anderson.
|
|
My connection to the community had already grown through local relationships, business meetings, and the Anderson Economic Development Center. Even the opportunity to lease our building came through a simple, honest conversation over coffee downtown about what I was trying to create.
|
|
When I signed the lease, I had some ideas, but I didn’t have every detail figured out.
|
|
Construction began in January 2026. Stephen Jones of Caba Homes helped me visualize what the studio could become using the same software he uses to design custom homes. His ideas helped lay the foundation for the space we have today.
|
|
The vision didn’t come together overnight, and we still haven’t fully arrived. There’s more we want to do, but at some point, we had to stop planning and start building. So we kept showing up, solving the next problem, and putting it together one piece at a time.
|
|
On August 11, 2026, we received our Certificate of Occupancy and official City of Anderson business license.
|
|
Podforge Studios was finally real.
|
Podforge Studios today — 110 W Greenville Street, Anderson.
|
|
|
Why Podforge?
|
|
I chose the name Podforge because our voices are formed by what we’ve lived through.
|
|
Success, failure, loss, faith, work, relationships, and responsibility all affect the way we see the world. They give us experience, perspective, and something useful to share with other people.
|
|
That has certainly been true in my own life.
|
|
Ministry taught me how to listen and serve. Nonprofit work showed me what can happen when businesses and communities come together around a shared purpose. HealthynHoly taught me how to build and communicate a brand. Starting a podcast showed me the power of sitting down and having an honest conversation.
|
|
For a long time, I didn’t know how all of those experiences fit together.
|
|
Now I do.
|
|
Podforge is where we help people take what they’ve learned, put it into words, and share it in a way that serves others and builds trust.
|
|
That’s what it means to forge your voice.
|
|
|
A Setting for Every Kind of Conversation
|
|
We designed each area of the studio to create a different kind of atmosphere.
|
|
The Anvil is built for focused, professional conversations. It’s a place to talk through ideas, challenge the way people think, and share lessons learned the hard way.
|
| |
|
The Hearth is warmer and more relaxed. It’s made for open conversations where people can settle in and be themselves.
|
| |
|
The Crucible has a darker, more cinematic feel. It’s designed for personal stories, defining moments, and conversations that carry more weight.
|
|
Each space feels different because every conversation is different. The setting should support the story instead of getting in its way.
|
|
|
You Have Something Worth Sharing
|
|
Podforge Studios exists to help business owners, leaders, creators, nonprofits, and everyday people share what they know and connect with the people who need to hear it.
|
|
You don’t need to understand the equipment.
|
|
You don’t need to show up with everything perfectly planned.
|
|
You just need something worth saying.
|
|
We’ll help you shape it into something people can connect with.
|
|
Forge Your Voice. Build Authority.
|
|
|
|