Let me set the scene for you.

The year is 2023. Spring break is in full swing and a freshly turned 20 year-old Sean is working his part-time retail job at London Drugs. He gets to work at the back of receiving, meaning he can listen to music and/or podcasts whenever he pleases. One day, the hockey podcasts he would normally be listening to weren’t doing the trick so he opted for something new.

Sean knew of someone in his same program that had a podcast which he had not previously checked out, and curiosity got the best of him. He clicked play, and to his delight, it was an enjoyable episode.

There was just one thing that was rather surprising to him.

Sean had barely talked to the co-host that went to his school, but in the few interactions he had with him, he interpreted him as a light-hearted, funny guy who would usually be committed to whatever bit he decided to try on any given day.

So when the two hosts started discussing topics such as mental health and addiction, it was quite the heel turn from what he initially expected to get from the show.

And that’s exactly what brought him back.

‘BeerSos’ is a podcast hosted by fellow Vancouverites, Nicolas Phonsavath and “D-e-r-e-k-Z-h-u, Derek Zhu.” The two have co-hosted the show for the better part of two years, with them experiencing exponential growth within the last few months; and they are more than well deserving of their recent success. With just under 5,000 subscribers and over 380,000 views on YouTube, as well as 20.5K followers on TikTok, it’s safe to say that the duo are on the rise.

The growth of BeerSos can’t just be attributed to one, singular thing. There are multiple factors as to why they have been able to amass a cult following in such short order, and that’s exactly why I am writing this piece.

So, as someone who has listened to the show consistently over that past ~10 months, I figured I’d tell you why this show is so special, and why I think it has the potential to grow even more in the coming years.

Moving to video podcasting and weekly uploads

This is maybe the most instrumental part of the duo’s recent success.

For the first ~2 years of production, BeerSos would regularly post one episode every two weeks, strictly on podcast-friendly outlets like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. While you can find moderate success doing that, it’s crucial to be a multi-media outlet in order to succeed in today’s social media landscape.

Nico was in school and has gone on record saying that he felt it was holding the show back from its true potential. He would eventually drop out, putting his focus solely on BeerSos.

I mean, talk about a high risk, high reward decision; but so far it has paid off.

One decision would lead to another as Nico and Derek would expand their podcast to YouTube, giving the show another gear. One of the show’s previous strengths was how interactive it felt, and expanding to YouTube increases the interactivity since you can actually see the conversation that is taking place, making the listener more involved.

Before the new year, BeerSos announced that the show would transition from bi-weekly uploads to weekly uploads. This was music to my ears (seriously, I heavily lean on podcasts while at work). The quality hasn’t dropped in the slightest, with each new episode being just as engaging as the last.

The show has stayed true to its roots and has continued to have the same genuine appeal that it previously had, even with all of the recent changes. The adaptiveness and willingness to change and grow has only helped the show’s quality, which isn’t always the case for others.

Maybe one day we’ll get multiple podcasts a week, but I, along with thousands of others, are more than satisfied with the show’s current formula; and it’s clearly working.

Vulnerability, relatability, and candor

I think the main reason why this show resonated with me, personally, was because of just how candid Nico and Derek were during the first episode I heard. It was honestly impressive. Luckily, the two are still just as honest and candid as they’ve ever been.

It truly feels like the two use the show as an outlet to get their emotions out, and it’s something that I have admired about them ever since the first episode I heard titled “drowning.” The two actually called back to this episode in “We’ve changed a lot…” and mentioned how they were in a really tough spot at the time of its release.

And that right there is exactly it. You get the same level of honesty and candidness in every episode. It’s not always doom and gloom, but you’ve got to respect the fact that they are not afraid to say what’s on their mind, even if it may be difficult to hear.

BeerSos isn’t one dimensional as it explores a plethora of different topics. Mental health, addiction, and self-worth have been consistent talking points for the two, even in their more lighthearted episodes; but they have brought on many different guests from many different backgrounds and occupations, keeping the show fresh and exciting with each new release.

Many people in today’s world want this type of content (especially Gen-Z), and it makes a lot of sense. The COVID-19 pandemic put all of us through the ringer, forcing us to dig deep and reflect on basically everything. Everyone is constantly looking for outlets to get their emotions out, and I think BeerSos has probably helped many in that regard.

They’ve been able to relate and connect with thousands of people, which is something that every show strives to do; and it’ll only reach more and more people as time passes.

Dialing in and focusing solely on the show

Nico and Derek are no strangers to trying new things. When only uploading bi-weekly, the two attempted to grow their brand in various different ways. Whether it be ‘SkillSos’ where the two would try to learn new skills like writing music and skateboarding; or their ‘Zesteas’ series that was basically them just trolling people in Vancouver with a pop-up lemonade stand.

These videos were wildly entertaining, but they weren’t garnering the attention that they may have hoped for.

Nowadays, the podcast is the sole focus. Not only do they post one episode a week, but they also post clips in between each full-length release on TikTok and YouTube.

I mentioned earlier how being a multi-media outlet is crucial to succeeding in the social media landscape. Although people tend to clown on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, this change has helped the show grow exponentially. Whether it be one-minute shorts or extended bits from an episode, the volume of content they’ve dropped has spiked, therefore leading to more engagement and interactions on several platforms.

They’re not on Twitter (I’m not calling it “X”), but I honestly can’t blame ’em. That site is in the mud right now.

Overall, BeerSos is a product that Nico and Derek should be immensely proud of. The two are clearly gifted and talented. Having the skill to mix harmless potty humour with genuinely thoughtful commentary is something that is so, so rare. You’ll be wheezing one moment and tearing up the next, and it never feels like whiplash. The show doesn’t feel overly structured and that’s one of the biggest possible compliments that a podcast could receive. The flow is seamless.

These two are *seriously* cooking with oil and I can’t wait to see what’s in store. It’s an already great podcast, but I truly believe it’s capable of becoming a giant in the industry.