Keeping Listeners Hooked: How The Cost of Glory Achieves 90%+ Consumption Rate

When Alex Petkas launched The Cost of Glory, he had a clear mission. He wanted to make the most influential biographies in history accessible and riveting for today’s listeners. Inspired by Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, the podcast brings ancient leaders to life with dramatic storytelling and insights for today’s ambitious minds.

"I was reading some of the great biographies written in antiquity about ancient Greeks and Romans. I thought, ‘Wow, this material is so inspiring, ’ but you really need the right context to get the full impact. I wanted to retell these stories in a more entertaining, dramatic way and draw lessons that make them feel practical."

Alex Petkas, Founder & Host - Cost of Glory Podcast

That vision resonated. With over 1.3M combined downloads and views, and a 90%+ consumption rate on Apple Podcasts, The Cost of Glory has one of the most engaged audiences in its genre. Episodes often run over 90 minutes, yet listeners stay to nearly the very end. Many even watch again. This level of engagement is rare. It proves that great storytelling and high production quality keep listeners hooked.

From the start in 2021, Lower Street helped Alex refine the show’s identity, sound, and production. Through expert editing and strategic support, the partnership transformed The Cost of Glory into a polished, engrossing experience.

This case study explores the origins of The Cost of Glory, how Lower Street helped Alex bring his vision to life, and how the show built such a loyal and engaged audience.

The Background

Before launching The Cost of Glory, Alex Petkas was a professor of ancient history and philosophy. After leaving academia to enter the business world, he found himself drawn back to the classic biographies of ancient leaders. He saw something powerful in these stories—lessons in leadership, strategy, and personal growth that are still relevant today.

However, he realized a problem: to fully understand what these stories had to offer, you needed the full context. And to get that full context, you might need something more engaging to share the stories rather than an original text.

As a professor, he had always had a somewhat mediated relationship with whoever he taught—being subject to the terms the university would set and only to the students let in by the school.

On the other hand, there was podcasting.

“Podcasting opened up this route to have a direct relationship and be more creative about the kind of people you reach and what that relationship looks like and meeting new people. I found that very exciting.”

Alex Petkas, Founder & Host - Cost of Glory Podcast

It was the perfect medium. It offered the freedom to tell these stories in a gripping and practical way. He could bring ancient leaders to life with high-quality narration, immersive sound design, and clear lessons. But while Alex had the vision, he knew he needed expert media support to make it successful.

As he searched for a production partner, he was introduced to Lower Street through a fellow podcaster. What stood out was our expertise in long-form storytelling and narrative podcasting. 

"I wanted to come out of the gate podcasting at the highest level, working with people who really know the terrain was extremely helpful. Lower Street helped me get the production quality where I wanted it to be."

Alex Petkas, Founder & Host - Cost of Glory Podcast

With that partnership, The Cost of Glory was born.

Making the Podcast A Reality

From the start, Alex wanted The Cost of Glory to be more than just content. He wanted a show that would stand the test of time.

"The core of the show is these highly researched, very thought-out, structured, scripted to a large extent, biographies. I want those to be of a quality that people will still be able to listen to in 10 or 15 or 20 years. I want them to last."

Alex Petkas, Founder & Host - Cost of Glory Podcast

To bring this vision to life, Lower Street worked with Alex to refine both the content and production quality. He knew his stuff when it came to research, but our senior producer, Alex Bennett, helped fine-tune the structure for maximum engagement. He also enhanced the audio with original music and immersive sound design. This brought The Cost of Glory polished, professional episodes that made long-form storytelling feel seamless.

Another key step was defining The Cost of Glory’s audience. Lower Street helped Alex create an ideal listener profile to guide his content creation and promotion. At first, it seemed simple—someone interested in history but looking for a fresh, practical approach.

But after working through deep strategic questions, Alex and Lower Street defined a much more specific audience: a man in his late 20s, likely into working out, thinking about starting his own business, and curious about history—despite never studying it formally because he pursued something more practical. The real draw isn’t just history; it’s the leadership lessons within these ancient stories.

“They’re a lot like me—kind of an earlier version of me. I see this podcast as telling a story to a younger version of yourself, with the stuff you wish somebody had told you.”

Alex Petkas, Founder & Host - Cost of Glory Podcast

Focusing on this clear listener profile laid the foundation for a loyal fanbase. Listeners re-play episodes, stay engaged for the full runtime, and even attend live retreats to get closer to the show’s valuable lessons. 

Going Beyond Audio

As the podcast grew, Alex saw an opportunity to expand beyond audio. He had noticed that audio-only episodes over a full-length static image on YouTube would also gain a lot of views. 

"That’s when I realized, to really grow this thing to the size that it deserves to be we needed to invest in video, and Infinite Media was down for that.”

Alex Petkas, Founder & Host - Cost of Glory Podcast

With the support of Infinite Media, he began developing a video version of the show, bringing The Cost of Glory to YouTube. Instead of a studio setup, his video producer took a B-roll approach, layering engaging visuals over the storytelling. This move allowed the podcast to reach new audiences, leveraging visual storytelling to enhance its impact. 

To take it further, Alex started creating YouTube-first content, producing shorter clips to highlight key takeaways or shorter anecdotes.

“I've only just begun; there's a lot of potential. I have a strong sense that YouTube and video are very important. We’ve started doing clips and shorts, and they've definitely reached new subscribers and grown the audience base.”

Alex Petkas, Founder & Host - Cost of Glory Podcast

By combining high production value, a clear audience strategy, and a commitment to quality storytelling, The Cost of Glory continues to grow while staying true to its original vision—and delivering real value to listeners.

The Cost of Glory Achievements

Few podcasts can hold a listener’s attention for over 90 minutes, but The Cost of Glory does exactly that. With 1.3 million downloads across audio and video and a 90%+ consumption rate on Apple Podcasts, Alex Petkas has built an audience that is fully hooked. 

"If people are listening to an hour-and-a-half episode all the way through, I think it's because of good storytelling. You need to get invested in the characters, understand what they want, and feel the stakes."

Alex Petkas, Founder & Host - Cost of Glory Podcast

That level of engagement is rare, and it didn’t happen by luck or accident. It’s the result of meticulous research, immersive sound design, and high production quality—elements that Lower Street helped refine from the very start. As the podcast grew, Infinite Media stepped in to help expand its reach on YouTube, opening new discovery channels. 

Beyond the podcast, The Cost of Glory has also become something bigger: a real-world experience. Alex has launched leadership travel retreats, giving listeners the chance to explore lessons from antiquity hands-on in Italy, Greece, and soon even closer to home. 

The podcast has done more than build an engaged audience, it’s created a genuine community. And for Alex, it has opened the door to a full-time career in media, proving that with the right strategy, storytelling, and execution, a podcast can become so much more than just a show.

With the help of Infinite Media, the show is expanding into video and growing on YouTube. Meanwhile, Alex has also partnered with travel companies to develop leadership retreats based on the content of the podcast.