💰 Families Love This Money Podcast

Presented by Cozy Critters

🏠 Date the Rate, Marry the Home

It’s a real estate cliché, but it’s a podcasting truth too. Don’t fall in love with the flashy part. The trend, the format, the clicky title. That’s just the rate. And it’ll change.

What matters is the home. The idea. The voice. Rates go up and down. Tech evolves. Distribution shifts. But if you’re building on something solid—something worth showing up for—then you’ve got a podcast that lasts.

Sure, flirt with the shiny stuff. But build a home your audience wants to come back to. That’s the commitment that counts.

🎙️ Signal Flow: Bridget Bodnar

Industry game changers and valiant minds share their wisdom, adversities, and paths to innovation.

Bridget is the director of podcasts at Marketplace. She's also the host and co-creator of Million Bazillion, Marketplace's award-winning podcast for kids about money. Bridget has worked at Marketplace since 2011, when she started as an intern. Since then, she's worked across multiple shows and podcasts, including for several years on the flagship evening broadcast of Marketplace. She was the senior producer of Million Bazillion and Make Me Smart. Bridget is originally from Michigan but now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughters. They have a lot of cats.

Before podcasting, I worked in radio, producing segments for Marketplace’s evening broadcast. I was always drawn to the fun side of explaining complex economic topics in ways that felt entertaining and accessible. When Marketplace decided to create a kids’ podcast about money, I was brought in to help figure out what that could look like.

Million Bazillion launched during the first week of COVID lockdowns in L.A. With so many advertisers pulling out of podcast campaigns at the time, we were able to stretch our launch budget farther than expected. We even marketed on broadcast, which we haven’t done since. It paid off. The show took off fast, right when parents were desperate for screen-free educational content.

We’ve now released nearly eight seasons. Each episode starts with a real question from a kid, like why organic food costs more or what makes Fort Knox special, and we try to deliver a serious, accurate answer in a format that’s also entertaining for kids and parents alike. Our tagline is, “We help dollars make more sense.”

Naming the show was a journey. We went through a million ideas before Emily Cotter from our branding team walked in one day and said, “It’s Million Bazillion.” Everyone just knew—it was perfect.

There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with being a trusted brand for families. Our ads are handled with care. We have a clear firewall between our editorial team and advertisers. And while we discuss topics like budgeting or financial values, we’re careful not to impose moral judgments. Those decisions are up to each family.

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😴 Recommended by Pediatric Sleep Consultants!

Sleep isn’t just a bedtime goal—it’s foundational to a child’s wellbeing. Research shows that quality sleep supports stronger memory, better emotional regulation, improved learning, and overall physical health.

Cozy Critters is proud to help kids around the world get the rest they need, especially those managing pain, neurodivergence, or nighttime anxiety.

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Kids ask incredibly smart questions. And often, those questions have philosophical depth: Why is it awkward to talk about money? Why do athletes get paid so much? Why does organic food cost more? That curiosity drives our storytelling.

Some episodes lend themselves to skits or cinematic-style storytelling. Others are more straightforward. It depends on the topic and on the writer. Our colleague Ryan is especially skilled at building story-rich episodes that still deliver a financial lesson. We try to strike a balance: educational, but also funny, surprising, and emotionally resonant.

One episode I’m especially proud of is about negotiation. It was recorded with a kid and an expert in the same room, and we tackled both the art and psychology of asking for what you want. Another favorite was our deep dive into Fort Knox. Fun, informative, and full of mystery.

We often use skits to deliver exposition in a more engaging way—something we learned early on in the pilot process. If you’re giving the audience vegetables, find a way to serve them with cheese.

A big part of my job is making sure everything runs on time. That producer mindset means I’m often thinking about what’s practical. But working with editors like Jasmine Romero reminds me to stay playful. She brings such humor and creativity to story development. I admire that.

Over time, we’ve developed our “Bridget character” too. At first, I played more of the straight-laced expert, but now I lean into being curious and occasionally wrong, because that’s real. The fun of the show is learning alongside the listener.

Advice I’d give my past self: Read through your script before recording so you can make the dialogue sound more natural. And don’t be afraid to adjust your tone over time. Discovery is part of the magic.

This is a pretty amazing job, making a podcast that entertains and educates kids, that parents trust, and that sparks big conversations in families. I feel really lucky to do this work.

🎙️ Podcast of the Week: Script Apart

Ever wonder what your favorite movie looked like before it was a masterpiece? Script Apart cracks open the first drafts of iconic screenplays (think Get Out, Succession, The Social Network) and chats with the writers about what changed, what didn’t, and why. It’s a fascinating look at the messy, human process behind great storytelling. And a must-listen for anyone who writes, edits, or creates for a living.

🥾 Further Exploration: A Newsletter for Your Podcast

Looking to deepen your connection with listeners? Castos offers a comprehensive guide on building a podcast newsletter, covering everything from selecting the right email marketing tool to designing compelling content that keeps your audience coming back for more.

ICYMI:

🎙️ How a Harvard Podcast Found Its Voice

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❤️ The Podcast That’s Helping Cancer Patients Every Day