Building a Very Human Media Business | Erin Diehl #654

As AI becomes more embedded into content creation, discovery, and distribution, one truth is becoming clearer: the long-term winners in media may not be the fastest or the most automated. They may be the most human.

That was the core idea behind this conversation with Erin Diehl of Improve It! and the host of the Workday Playdate Podcast, and New Media Show host and Podcast Hall of Fame Inductee Rob Greenlee on New Media Show Episode 654, where we explored what it really means to build a media business rooted in trust, emotional connection, authenticity, and memorable audience experiences.

Erin Diehl, founder of improve it! and host of the Workday Playdate podcast, brings a distinctive perspective to this discussion.

Her work sits at the intersection of improv, leadership, communication, and community-building. On her podcast and in her live workshops, she focuses on helping people reconnect with empathy, listening, adaptability, humor, and playfulness as practical tools for stronger communication and leadership. Erin describes those same qualities as the traits of both a great improviser and a great human, and that framing shaped this entire conversation. (itserindiehl.com)

What made this episode especially timely is that it did not treat AI as the enemy. Instead, it argued that AI is becoming part of the infrastructure of modern media, especially in discovery, distribution, workflow, and scale, while human presence remains the true differentiator. I said during the episode that creators are still in the human media business, and Erin agreed that what continues to work is the authenticity of human experience.

That idea matters because audiences are increasingly surrounded by an abundance of content. When everything becomes easier to generate, the value of presence, perspective, vulnerability, and emotional resonance goes up.

Erin argued that humanity is not becoming less important in the AI era. It is becoming more important. She pointed to empathy, trust, culture, and connection as qualities that are not going away, even as new technologies reshape jobs, workflows, and media formats.

A major theme in this conversation was the role of play in serious work. Erin’s approach is not about being frivolous. It is about using play, improv, and emotional openness to create real breakthroughs in communication. In her workshops, she guides people step by step out of their comfort zones, not to embarrass them but to help them reconnect with spontaneity, attentiveness, and confidence. She explained that many adults lose that natural instinct for play as they grow older, replacing it with judgment, self-doubt, and emotional caution. Her work is designed to reverse some of that pattern and reawaken more authentic human interaction.

We also talked about how this translates directly into content creation. Erin shared that her podcast has become more than just a show. It is part of a broader ecosystem that supports her workshops, speaking, community, and business growth. She uses monthly themes to shape her episodes, guest selection, social content, and offers. That strategy helps create consistency, clarity, and a stronger trust pathway between audience attention and business outcomes. It is a smart reminder that a podcast today often works best when it is part of a larger media and relationship-building system.

Another valuable part of this episode was Erin’s openness about team building. She made it clear that creating across podcasting, social media, video, live events, and community is difficult to sustain on one’s own. She credited her team with helping manage production, guest coordination, marketing, logistics, sales, and creative execution. That is an important lesson for professional creators and media entrepreneurs. Building a durable media business often means building systems and support around your voice, not trying to do every part of the machine alone.

We also dug into mindset, self-expression, and the emotional reality of being a creator today. Erin spoke candidly about doubt, comparison, and the danger of code-switching or muting your true personality to fit an environment. Her advice was direct: find the people, audiences, and teams that allow you to be more fully yourself. In a media environment increasingly shaped by algorithmic incentives and imitation, that may be one of the most important strategic advantages a creator can have.

This episode is really about a bigger question facing everyone in podcasting, video, and digital media right now: if AI can help produce and distribute content at scale, what still makes a creator matter? The answer from this conversation is not just better tools or smarter systems. It is humanity. It is the ability to make people feel seen, understood, energized, and connected. That is what creates trust. That is what builds community. And that is what makes a media business more durable over time.

Brief Episode Description

In New Media Show Episode 654, Rob Greenlee talks with Erin Diehl, founder of improve it! and host of Workday Playdate, about what it takes to build a truly human media business in an AI-driven era.

They explore why trust, empathy, emotional intelligence, playfulness, authenticity, and community may become even more valuable as AI expands across media creation and distribution.

The conversation also looks at how improv principles can strengthen podcasting, leadership, content strategy, live events, and audience connection. Erin shares how she built her business and shows around human transformation, while Rob frames why creators still need to think of themselves as being in the human media business first.

Key Takeaways

– Creators are still in the human media business, even as AI becomes more useful for discovery, workflow, and distribution.

– Authenticity, empathy, trust, and emotional connection are becoming more valuable as content volume increases.

– Improv skills like listening, adaptability, humor, and presence map directly to stronger media creation and leadership.

– A podcast works best when it is part of a broader ecosystem that includes community, services, events, and business strategy.

– Monthly content themes can help creators build a more focused and sustainable content engine across multiple platforms.

– In-person human experiences still have unique power in an increasingly digital media world.

– A strong team can be essential for creators trying to build across audio, video, social, and live experiences.

– The future of media may depend less on sounding polished and more on being unmistakably human.

Relevant Links

Host Rob Greenlee
https://robgreenlee.com/ (Rob Greenlee)
New Media Show
https://newmediashow.com/ (New Media Show)
Rob Greenlee Live Podcasts
https://robgreenlee.com/live-podcasts/ (Rob Greenlee)
Rob Greenlee & New Media Show YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@RobGreenlee (Rob Greenlee)
Spoken Human Show – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@spokenhuman (Rob Greenlee)
LinkedIn – Rob Greenlee
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee (Rob Greenlee)
Instagram – Rob Greenlee
https://www.instagram.com/robwgreenlee (Rob Greenlee)
X.com – Rob Greenlee
https://x.com/robgreenlee (Rob Greenlee)
Adore Podcast Network
https://AdoreNetwork.com (Rob Greenlee)
Podcast Hall of Fame
https://PodcastHall.com (Rob Greenlee)

Guest Erin Diehl
https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin (itserindiehl.com)
improve it!
https://www.learntoimproveit.com/ (learntoimproveit.com)
Workday Playdate Podcast
https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page (learntoimproveit.com)
Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/workday-playdate/id1508450538 (Apple Podcasts)

The post Building a Very Human Media Business | Erin Diehl #654 first appeared on New Media Show.