I sit with my co-founder Nick Madrid to discuss what we've learned in the last year of building this Podcast and Newsletter.

About Nick Madrid - Co-founder, The Free Toaster. Former Bloomberg (10 years) and Chime (3+ years). Now building media properties including The Free Toaster and the Uncovered Media brand.

Free Toaster Stats

1,200+ email subscribers (zero paid marketing), adding about 100 subs per month
13,000+ active users, 30,000+ views on www.thefreetoaster.com
118 posts published in 14 months

Main Topics of Discussion

Biggest lesson: Consistency matters more than predicting viral content
What's working: Writing online attracts opportunities
2026 plans: Building curated events for consumer lending, launching small business lending newsletter
Events vision: Intimate, niche gatherings (dinners, golf, coffee, even bounce houses for parents) - in addition to larger scale conference

Contact Us If: - Operators: you want to help us plan/execute an event

- Sponsors: you want to sponsor an event - Consumer lenders: you want to hear about our events/attend

Email us at: carlos@newmarketgrowth.com

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A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:

Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!

https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=dec

A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect

Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.

https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast

A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:

New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others. Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators. If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com

Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter: www.thefreetoaster.com/

E036 - Behind The Scenes - Nick Madrid, Co-Founder at The Free Toaster

The Free Toaster