The Phelan Focus: My Podcast Origin Story
- Oct 9, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 27, 2025
Mark W. Phelan, Veteran and Co-Founder of PROJXON, The Momentum Internship Program (MIP), and The Phelan Focus (TPF), shares his story in this feature written by Varenya Subramanian.
Podcasts are everywhere, most fade fast but the ones that stick? They start with something deeper than a hobby or a marketing tactic. For me, the reason I hit record on The Phelan Focus wasn’t about building a brand or chasing numbers. It started with the people around me, it was their encouragement, their struggles, and their need for a space where their voices could be heard.
Every podcast begins with a spark. For me, that spark came from my team, their universities, and the people around me. They kept suggesting, even asking, that I start one. I had thought about it before, but back then it was mostly for selfish reasons, I wanted a platform, a creative outlet, a place to share my own thoughts. But then something shifted, the purpose grew beyond me.
The podcast stopped being about what I wanted to say and became about the people around me. It became a way to connect resources, to highlight what we were creating at PROJXON with the Momentum Internship Program, and to share the stories of young professionals and entrepreneurs who often don’t get a platform. I started the show to advocate for them, to give them a voice, and to create a space where they could feel validated and encouraged to keep going.
That’s how The Phelan Focus began.
Finding My Voice
Before starting, I thought I was prepared. I had listened to over 2,000 episodes of other podcasts. But what I quickly realized is that you don’t find your voice by listening, you find it by starting.
Voice is a process. It comes through trial and error, through conversations that don’t always go as planned, and through paying attention to what resonates.
For me, it started with Q&A sessions with my team and with other young professionals and entrepreneurs who were struggling. I noticed the common questions, the recurring advice, the consistent encouragement I was giving. Those became the threads I pulled on to begin forming my own voice.
But I’m still figuring it out. The podcast isn’t NPR, it’s not polished or static. It’s meant to be organic and alive, evolving with every episode. My voice will keep changing as the show grows.
The Lesson That Stuck
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it’s not about me, the guests, sponsors or even about downloads or analytics. The only thing that matters is the audience. The question I keep asking myself is: what is the listener experiencing? Is the message clear? Is the conversation relevant? Are we giving encouragement that matters to them?
That’s the bar.
Who It’s For
The Phelan Focus is for young professionals starting their careers. For entrepreneurs exploring and experimenting. For professionals launching side hustles or businesses, and for those searching for fulfillment and balance beyond just work.
At its core, the podcast is about walking someone through a journey: from unemployment to employment, from employment to purpose, and eventually into passion and giving back.
That’s the focus - personal performance, career, entrepreneurship, and living out your purpose.
Why I Keep Going
The reason I started came from my team and community. The reason I keep going is for the listeners, for the dreamers who doubt themselves, for the entrepreneurs who feel stuck and for the young professionals wondering if their work even matters.
If even one person feels seen, validated, or encouraged to keep moving after listening, then the podcast has done its job. That’s why I keep pressing record. Not because it’s easy or perfect, but because it matters. The Phelan Focus is still growing, just like the people it was created for.
And that’s exactly the point.
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