James Jacobson

Podcaster, Entrepreneur, CEO

James Jacobson is the Founder of Dog Podcast Network. James was promised a dog when he turned 10 years old. Instead, his parents bought him a Panasonic tape recorder. Although it didn’t fetch, roll over and certainly wasn’t adorable, it would eventually be a tool that would help shape his life. That recorder gave James an ability to discover his own voice. It allowed him to be inventive, creative and established his love of communication.

His path in media would develop in his teens and continue through university. Growing up in the suburbs of Washington DC, James spent his summers working in the United States Senate, performing at the Kennedy Center and hosting a talk show on a major market radio station.

James Jacobson (continued)

After a long layover in 1990 landed him in Hawaii, James felt connected to the island in a way he could not describe. He was determined to make it his home. Thinking outside the box was nothing new to this “serial entrepreneur.” He remained confident he could continue to create businesses, recruit the brightest and most talented from an island in middle of the Pacific Ocean. He created the concept of “distributed teams,” which involved running companies with a remote workforce long before it was mainstream.

The overarching theme of James’ career has always been in building ventures that make meaningful differences in the lives of as many people as possible. For over 20 years that took the form of businesses he developed and founded including a video yearbook company, a tele production and video marketing company, a talk radio station, a cable TV network, an e-commerce company, a magazine publisher, a book publisher and a biotech nutraceutical company dedicated to canine health.

It took 13 years of a very long distance commute, but in 2003 James finally was able to settle down in Hawaii. He also had his own dog, a Maltese, appropriately named “Maui.” As James and Maui spent time walking on the beach, James would listen to podcasts. The technology was in its infancy, but he figured out a way to listen.

He loved them. . .almost as much as his dog. It was a different kind of entertainment. Informative, imaginative, educational and provided a unique perspective from voices all over the world. He could listen to them on his time. At the time he was on air at a local radio station, he convinced them to create one of his own for his listeners. His following was instant, and it was global. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one smitten by the medium.

James has created the Dog Podcast Network, which is entirely devoted to dogs and the people who love them. DPN brings together James’ two passions: dogs and the world of podcasting. He waited a long time for his own dog. He waited even longer for the podcasting world to be ready for his vision. James knows the bond we share for our dogs connects us in a very special way. He firmly believes we need this connection, now, more than ever.

James lives in Maui with his wife, Molly, and their two dog companions, Kanga and Roo.

He still has his Panasonic tape recorder, but upgraded his technology.