Podcast Spotlight: The Colon Health Podcast

Hosted by Dr. Dac Teoli and presented by Colonoscopy.com, The Colon Health Podcast wastes no time communicating a mission statement and subject matter. Presented in a polished, relaxing format, the podcast makes good use of Teoli’s Roman Mars-adjacent deep voice as the spoonful of sugar to make medicinal information go down smoother. Save for the introductory episode in which Teoli introduces himself, Colon Health operates primarily as an interview podcast with various professionals speak on their particular area of expertise while Teoli (firmly in his “Doctor Dac” branding) acts as patient advocate for the audience as they learn about a not-often-discussed corner of medicine. “This show isn’t about rendering diagnosis or prescribing treatments… rather it’s about the journey in which our aim is exploration.”

The primary goal of Colon Health is education and it is wholly successful on that front. One has to engage with the podcast bearing an open mind to the fact the mission statement doesn’t leave much room for interrogating systemic issues in the medical industry that differently-formatted podcast like, say, Maintenance Phase could. The Colon Health Podcast is primarily focused on using the current sum total of medical knowledge to address just that: colon health.

We were fortunate to talk with Teoli about the podcast, how they differentiate from other podcasts, and their future plans in podcasting. See below for our full Q&A.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

DISCOVER PODS: How’d you get into podcasting?

TEOLI: I’ve wanted to do podcasting in some capacity for years but never really had an opportunity that seemed to fit. When I was approached with the opportunity to host the Colon Health podcast, for Colonoscopy.com it seemed like a perfect fit. My medical practice involves referring and treating patients with a wide variety of colon health issues, and in addition, as a lifelong learner I really appreciate the opportunity to interview and speak with other medical practitioners, researchers, thought leaders, and technology developers who are shaping our understanding of and approaches to treating colon health.

DISCOVER PODS: In your own words, why should listeners tune in to The Colon Health Podcast?

TEOLI: For the general public, Colon health is one of the most overlooked aspects of our health, and because it is so overlooked, learning even just a few simple things can dramatically lower your risk of colon cancer for instance, or help you get to the root cause of some chronic ailment that you’ve previously been unable to resolve. For health practitioners, The Colon Health Podcast provides a leading source of cutting edge information, in an easily digestible (no pun intended) format, in an area of health and medicine where there simply aren’t a lot of resources to find out about new technologies, developments, approaches, etc.

DISCOVER PODS: What kind of feedback have you heard from your listeners?

TEOLI: We don’t currently solicit feedback from listeners, so truthfully no large scale feedback. Anecdotally, the few listeners I have spoken with have enjoyed how easily accessible the show is, even for non-medical folks. We try to be a balance between bringing sophisticated interviews but also distilling the information down in a way that even a curious layperson can understand the information and get something out of it. And the feedback I’ve gotten back, has been that people have really appreciated that balance, we don’t talk down to people, but we also don’t use so much medical jargon that they cannot follow along. 

DISCOVER PODS: Describe your recording set up? What equipment are you using?

TEOLI: It’s a pretty simple setup really. We use Uber Calls to record interviews, and as for equipment I use a Yeti USB microphone into my laptop. 

DISCOVER PODS: What’s the biggest challenge you face as an indie podcaster?

TEOLI: We’re still in early days, but as of today, the biggest challenge is getting the word out about the show. It’s a niche topic that appeals to a relatively small slice of our potential listeners, and so because of that, mainstream advertising for the show doesn’t make much sense. So we’re relying on word of mouth primarily, and while that’s going well, it’s been slow going.

DISCOVER PODS: Where do you want to take your podcast?

TEOLI: Professionally, I would like to continue to build the audience, and have the Colon Health Podcast be considered the leading authority on providing colon health information to the public. And on a more personal level, I’d like for this show to have enough reach that we made a positive and substantial difference in the lives of our listeners, either through educating other professionals about developments in the field that enable them to improve their practices, and for the public at large, by providing them with some basic information that they can actually use to prevent cancer, and improve their colon and overall health.

DISCOVER PODS: What other podcasts are you listening to now?

TEOLI: Weirdly, I’m not a big podcast listener. I’ll jump around from time to time based on people’s recommendations, but with my practice and running The Colon Health Podcast, I don’t have a ton of professional free time, and what I do, I generally spend on keeping up to date on the fields and conditions that impact my patients.