Denan Kemp: From NRL Outcast To Bloke In A Bar: How He Built The Biggest Sports Podcast In Australia

Denan Kemp, is a former NRL Player (Brisbane Broncos), the Host of Australia's No.1 Sports Podcast 'Bloke In A Bar' and the Founder of Bloke Beer.

Denan was an extremely talented athlete who had contact offers from the NRL, AFL & the A-League before choosing to sign with the Brisbane Broncos, whom he played 32 games for before moving across the ditch to the New Zealand Warriors (11 games). Regardless of his natural talent, Denan's playing career ended in a rather disappointing fashion at the age of just 27.

With no money in the bank and no qualifications following a life of a professional athlete, Denan had no choice but to start training as an apprentice electrician on above ground mines as a way to provide for himself and his future family. It was during this time working on the mines in freezing temperatures that he realised "there had to be more to life than this". After listening to the Joe Rogan experience for hours on end whilst completing monotonous he was inspired to start his own podcast but in a niche that he felt that he had an advantage on against all of his competition, interviewing NRL players about their journeys and careers.

Launching as "The Locker Room" which has now been rebranded to Bloke In A Bar, growth was nothing crazy for the first few years but after a realisation that putting his own personality into the content would make him stand out more and be more relatable to his audience, the podcast quickly exploded and fast became the no.1 sports podcast in Australia with over 1 million monthly downloads.

Off the back of the success of the podcast, he went on to launch the best selling Bloke Beer that had massive growth and a strong connection with its target audience, selling 750,000 cans in its first six months and now sees them stocked in thousands of retails across the country. His dedication to building a community is evident in the brand's significant social media presence, with Bloke in a Bar amassing a large following on platforms like Instagram, where it serves as a hub for sports fans.

Denan's story is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and the ability to turn a vision into reality. Join us as we take a closer look at how Denan Kemp has not only created a beloved beer brand but has also established a media platform that celebrates the sport he loves, making Bloke in a Bar a symbol of camaraderie, sportsmanship, and the Aussie spirit of having a good time with mates.

In this episode:

- The unfortunate situation that led to Denan retiring at 27 years old.
- What his life looked like working as an apprentice electrician in coldest above ground mine in Australia.
- How he used annoy all of the other boys on-site talking about how "there should be more to life than this".
- How sneakily listening to Joe Rogan while he was working led to him starting his own podcast.
- Travelling from the mines to interview Beau Ryan and why he had to ask his boss to finish work early just so he could record the early 'Locker Room' podcasts.
- How he secured sponsorship for Bloke In A Bar before most people even knew what a podcast was.
The one change that he made that saw the growth of Bloke In A Bar explode.
Launching Bloke Beer - a way bigger endeavour than he ever imagined.
Having to move back into his parents home to try and save his brothers Tapas Bar.
Why starting the Bloke Bar almost bankrupt him.
How an investor knocking on the door out of the blue one day changed everything.
The changing environment of sports media and why players need to start creating content for their own personal brand.

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