Promoting more than just a product

The Nisus Nation podcast does not focus solely on products, despite being from the maker of sustainable products for the professional pest control industry, including DominAnt, Nibor-D and Niban.

Host Jason York asserts that’s not the purpose of the podcast, which launched in August 2024. “We talk about products, and sometimes Nisus products will come up, but the show is not about promoting our products,” he says. “We want to promote the industry and the people in the industry.”

Running with an idea

The podcast came about when York applied for his job as senior media specialist and designer at Nisus. Podcast host was not in the job description. During the interview process, however, he asked if they had thought about doing a podcast.

“Nisus President Lee Barrett said it sounded like a great idea,” York recalls. “When I got hired, it just flowed naturally.”

That’s because York was a natural fit for the Nisus Nation podcast. Not long ago, he and a friend recorded a pop culture podcast that ended when his friend became a dad. As a father of three himself, York understands that finding spare time to record a podcast is no easy feat for first-time parents.

Making the jump from movies and video games to pest control required a slight learning curve because Nisus Nation encompasses the entire pest control industry.

“It’s more about the people who offer pest control,” York says. “I want personal interest stories from the technicians who have gone above and beyond to help their customers. That’s how I envisioned it, and I want to do more of that.”

At the National Pest Management Association’s PestWorld event next month, he will get his chance, as he plans to record Nisus Nation live and invites everyone to stop by the Nisus booth.

It won’t be much different from the episodes he already has recorded, he explains: “We invite someone on and have a general discussion. The format is conversational, just sitting down and getting to know them, and letting the listener experience that as we go.”

Respect for the pros

Pest control is new to York, who worked in the jewelry and gemstone industry doing photography and graphic design. At first, he says, it was daunting. “I had a preconceived notion of what pest control is, but once I was in the industry, I realized it’s a lot more than just ‘a guy coming to your house and fumigating,’” he admits.

York says he’s impressed by how kind the guests have been to him and one another. “I’ve noticed no matter if you’re a competitor or you’re from another part of the industry, everyone seems to get along well,” he says. “The pest control industry seems like a huge family.”

His rapport with his podcast guests comes across in every Nisus Nation episode, which also has a video version that does very well. York records in the office once a month and strives for professionalism. “I always edit the audio to make sure it’s really good,” he says. “I play bass guitar, so awesome audio is really important.”