On this episode of Rhodes to Success, I interview Vernon Foster, who is a podcast educator, speaker, and coach. He oversees a small army of audio engineers, graphic designers, and transcriptionists under the Pod Parrot brand. Vernon continually seeks out new ways to innovate and strategically leverage podcasting as a viable platform for small business professionals, startups, speakers, and coaches. During the show, we discuss event planning, podcasting as a tool, how Pod Parrot shifted focus, and how the industry as a whole is changing.   

Main Questions Asked:

• What are the biggest skills that go into event planning?
• What were your biggest skillsets in podcasting that you thought you could use to launch a business?
• What was the need you were filling, and how are you different from your competitors?

Key Lessons Learned:

Event Planning

• When it comes to event planning, it’s all about ‘butts in seats.’
• You need to start planning 6-12 months before an event.

Podcasting

• This is an opportunity to interview potential customers and get real-time feedback.
• If you are going to create a product and service, and you don’t even know if it’s something people want, then you are spinning your wheels.
• Podcasting is the cheapest research and development you can do.
• Some people will say focus on the production, while others will say to create compelling content.
• Really great content is more important than having the best microphone.

Podcasting as a Tool

• Podcasting is not your business; it’s a tool for your business.
• When podcasting is used properly, it can be a massive generator of business by connecting you with like-minded people.
• Podcasting brings you closer to your audience, and it lets you interview some of the people you might not normally have access to.
• If you don’t treat podcasting like a business, then it will just be a hobby.

Pod Parrot

• Pod Parrot has moved from the role of service provider into the role of educator and evangelist.
• Vernon worked with clients one-on-one before he started the brand.
• The challenge to overcome is people flooding the marketplace.
• The market is shifting and becoming commoditized because people don’t want to pay a lot of money.
• There’s a lot of people who don’t understand the podcasting business.
  

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

Links to Resources Mentioned

Pod Parrot

Mic Science Podcast

On this episode of Rhodes to Success, I interview John Maddox, who has been a serial entrepreneur and has had a few successful exits, most recently with Nashville-based interactive agency 10 Fast Feet. During this episode, John and I discuss circumventing the gatekeeper, overcoming ‘podfade,’ entrepreneurship, and looking long-term.

Main Questions Asked:

• Talk about being on Entrepreneur On Fire.
• What was your thought process around what podcasting would do?
• What have been the pain points you have overcome that have allowed you to continue podcasting?
• Talk about your entry into entrepreneurship and what it’s been like.
• Tell us about the last company you sold.

Key Lessons Learned:

Circumvent the Gatekeeper

• John started podcasting as a networking tool in order to reach people and ‘circumvent the gatekeeper.’
• Podcasting is a way to build relationships with people of significant influence.
• Big name guests want to share their knowledge and help other people; however, you won’t always get the people, and they won’t always respond.
• Direct messaging and tweeting is a handy way to reach people directly, as a lot of people manage their own social media.

Overcoming Pain Points

• If there isn’t a direct revenue stream coming from the podcast, it is easy to lose focus on the relationship building.

Entrepreneurship

• Don’t view what you are doing as big or small, but rather view it as giving you control over your life.
• As an entrepreneur, you are still relying on other people to write you checks.
• If you are the owner, you are the last to get fired, so if the business goes down, you don’t get laid off.
• The more you grow your business, you have to balance your cash flow with the client generation.

Looking Long-Term

• A lot of people in the entrepreneurial world are very short-term focused instead of looking at mechanisms to leverage the ultimate goal.
• As a society, we have become conditioned to look a quarter or two ahead.
• Look outside the box on how you are going to circumvent your opponents. 

Shifting Focus

• John wanted to shift away from the work for-hire-model to the work for equity and focus on the big picture of return on investment.

Investment Legal Changes

• On May 16, 2016, new laws go into effect under the jobs act that allow non-accredited investors to be equity investors in new companies.
• For the last 82 years, the only people who were allowed to invest outside of friends and family have been accredited investors.
• We will all now have the opportunity to be investors in companies.

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

Links to Resources Mentioned

Serious Startups

John Maddox

Let’s Talk Serious Startups (podcast)

Idea Shares

The Crowdfunding Pitch Show

On this episode of Rhodes to Success, I interview Brandy Butler, an online business coach and strategist who is passionate about the power of spreading positive messages. She helps her clients magnify their message and gain momentum in their business. During the show, we discuss having an online business and working with local clients, consistency, the power of podcasting, targeted adverts, live events, how to get local news coverage, and what it takes to write a book.

Main Questions Asked:

• Talk about having a business where your clients are local.
• How are people following you?
• What difference did your live events have on your coaching business?
• How do you pitch your events to the news?
• Tell us about your book, Girl Just Quit. How long did it take you to write it?
• How did you leverage your podcast to write your book?
• What are the first steps for someone who wants to start a business?

Key Lessons Learned: 

Brandy’s Butlers Business

• Brandy helps her clients gain credibility, visibility, and profitability.
• She focuses on women entrepreneurs who want to create influential brands.
• 10% of Brandy’s clients are local, and 90% are online.
• When having her own local events, Brandy is diligent about using targeted Facebook adverts.

Consistency

• Even if you take a break from podcasting, the good news is that episodes are evergreen content and still searchable on iTunes.

Meeting People at Live Events

• You can’t beat in-person meetings. The human factor of hearing and meeting you is about resonating and connecting.
• The best way to close sales with coaching clients is to get them in a room with you.
• Live events increase the brand equity, as the people online also get a chance to see the ‘real’ you.
• You don’t have to host your own live event, the in-person meetings can also be via other people’s conferences.
• If you meet current clients in person, it makes them want to work with you longer.

Brandy’s Live Events

• Brandy is based out of St Louis and has the intimate masterminds of 20 people.
• Collaborations are about bringing together like-minded people. You might not be able to answer the question, but someone else might.
• Last year, Brandy had more than 100 people at her third annual vision board event.
• Make the event fit in with local news cycle in order to get additional media coverage.

Pitching Events to Media

• Pitch your story on the news and media websites, and make sure to have a great magazine-style headline.
• Use newsworthy and relevancy factors to hook your event and story.
• Brandy got her vision board event on the news, as she was able to pitch it in the framework of new year’s resolutions.
• Having a book will help you gain creditability and makes it easier to pitch media outlets for coverage.
• Brandy used the local media coverage to sell out her vision board event.

Writing Girl Just Quit

• The book is for women entrepreneurs and those searching for their purpose.
• Appreciate your job as an investor, and make smart and strategic moves while you are working so you can be in a better position to quit your job.
• Brandy leveraged her podcast to write her book. Some of it is transcribed from the podcast, webinars, and other parts from blog articles. 
• Writing a book doesn’t have to be a from-scratch New York Times bestseller; it’s perfectly fine to repurpose your content from existing content.

First Steps

• Think about what you really want to do, and don’t focus on the money.
• Focus on what you are good at and comes naturally.
• What you should be doing might feel too grand at first, but follow the trail.
• If you focus on what’s trendy and making money, you will become bored and unfulfilled.
• If you can speed up the process of believing in yourself, you will save a lot of time.

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

Links to Resources Mentioned

Brandy Butler

The Girl Just Quit (podcast)

The Package, Podcast and Profit Show 

On this episode of Rhodes to Success, I interview Adrion Porter, who is a brand builder, podcaster, speaker, and consultant, and has a background working for Cartoon Network, HBO, Cinemax, and Citi Group. Adrion’s podcast, Gen X Amplified, focuses on empowering Gen X to be stronger leaders in the new media marketplace, define their story, and lead millennials. During the show, we discuss getting big name guests on your podcast early on, networking at live events, and the value of non-celebrity guests.

Main Questions Asked:

• How did you connect with big name guests and get them on your podcasts early on?
• Talk about the value that non-celebrity guests bring to your show.

Key Lessons Learned:

Multi-Platform Approach

• Get yourself known in a number of ways such blogging, video, podcasts, social media, conferences.
• The multi-platform approach for content makes you recognizable and more approachable.

Gen X Amplified Podcast

• The show focuses on the Gen X generation.
• Gen X is the generation between the baby boomers and millennials, and are aged mid 30s-50s.
• The goal of the show is to redefine the narrative and brand and empower Gen X.
• Before Adrion launched the podcast, he went to Social Media Marketing World to test out the how idea amongst attendees.

Getting Great Guests

• When you are pre-launch, it’s hard to get well known guests to be on your podcast.
• Get great guests though hustle, determination, a strong purpose, brand, and vision.
• Create a list of people you have in mind for your show.
• You need to have a consistent clear message, purpose and target audience, and be able to articulate it.
• Stick with it and don’t change your show strategy.
• Be consistent in making connections, and find common pieces in conversations and optimize it.
• 6 degrees of separation is a real thing. Take advantage and work your connections.

Attending Live Events

• Meeting prospective guests at live events in person is the most effective way.   
• Develop a relationship before asking your potential guest to be on your podcast.
• Events such as Social Media Marketing World can be pricey. The way to look at this is that each attendee also made the investment, which brings instant respect.

Guests By Referencing

• If one of your guests mentions someone in their interview, use the opportunity to reach out to that person and leverage it. 
• This namedropping method shows you aren’t a fan and have already been spotlighted on your show.

5 Things to Articulate

• When pitching potential podcast guests, you need be clear on the following:

1. Message

2. Branding

3. Audience and target market

4. Show’s purpose

5. Staying consistent

• If you are able to articulate the above, you will be more likely to get great guests regardless of whether the show is pre-launch or established.

Celebrity Guests

• Regardless of what people say, celebrities will not make or break your podcast.
• Every guest will bring tremendous value for someone.
• Your listeners download your show because they like you, not because they like the guest.

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

Links to Resources Mentioned

Gen X Amplified

Adrion Porter

Lee Caraher Episode