After ten incredible years of breaking taboos, sparking conversations, and helping people talk more openly and honestly about money, I am officially ending the Unleash Your True Value®, a Breaking Money Silence podcast in December. The original podcast, simply named “Breaking Money Silence®,” launched on January 20, 2016. Since then, my team and I have produced almost 300 episodes.
As I contemplate saying goodbye to this experience, I want to share 10 things I learned as a podcast host.
- You never know who will say yes. One of the wonderful things about podcasting is you can connect with people who previously seemed out of reach. I have interviewed several New York Times Best Selling Authors and people I admire. Even when I thought they would say “no” many of them said “yes.” This makes podcasting a great networking tool.
- Preparation is good, but don’t over do it. The best podcast interviews occurred when the guest and I had talking points but didn’t overly script the conversation. My advice is to plan and then let the conversation organically evolve around these touch points.
- Don’t compete, highlight. One of my gifts as a host is I really enjoy highlighting other’s accomplishments and expertise. Some hosts try to compete with their guests and lose the essence of what podcasting is about – the guest! Come from a place of abundance and celebrate your guest’s work as it makes for a good show.
- Not all guests are created equal. Look for guests that have a strong point of view, a following on social media, and who are interesting to listen to. The best guests over the years definitely knew how to speak in soundbites and leverage the podcast interview on their own platform. Vet guests and know it’s okay to say no to an interview. It’s your podcast and your brand, so protect it.
- Create value for listeners. Always keep the listeners in mind. The best podcasts speak to your target market and provide valuable insights and inspiration to take action.
- Leave them wanting more. The sweet spot for most podcasts is 20-30 minutes unless you are a journalist or a celebrity host. Based on the average commute time, this allows you to introduce the guest, get into the topic, and then leave the listeners wanting more. When they want more, they follow up with and/or your guest and that is a good thing!
- A good editor is a must have. I have been fortunate to work with excellent editors over the past decade. They have saved me when I have flubbed a name (more than once!), or had to make a last minute change in content. Yes, editing is an investment but it has a big ROI, so don’t podcast without a good editor by your side.
- Repurpose the heck out of it! Podcasting takes time, energy and financial resources. To get the most out of your investment, it’s vital that you repurpose the content and have a strategy for promotion. At first, I just published the podcast. By the end, I published the podcast on all popular podcast platforms, did a blog on each one, posted several times on social media about the episode, and did a top 10 list at the end of the year. Not only did the downloads and viewership go up, my guests appreciated the extra exposure too.
- Consider sponsorship. Sponsors want brand awareness, access to their desired consumer market, and a way to showcase their offerings. It took me years to get the courage to ask for sponsorship and was pleasantly surprised when I did. This allowed me to work with wonderful people and firms that shared my breaking money silence philosophy. If I had to do it again, I would work with sponsors sooner.
- Have fun! A core value of mine is doing work that is fun. When you are enjoying yourself you also produce and host a better podcast. So whatever you do with your podcast, make sure you are having fun and enjoying the ride!
Now take a listen to the original podcast with my first guest, Lauran Star, Ph.D. where we tackle the myth that “Only men should be breadwinners.” It’s a fun blast from the past.