Jess is washing her walls with salt water to ward off negative energy, and Margy visits her first cat cafe in Brooklyn! They discuss the different styles of podcasts you can produce, and then do an interview with Jonathan Messinger, who produces the Adventures of Finn Caspian.

 

Different Kinds of Podcasts:

The style that is right for you depends on your brand, style and interest!

1. Interview: Great for connecting with potential clients and bringing a variety of expertise to your audience.

2. Solo Show: You have to be really entertaining! Examples are Grammar Girl and School of Podcasting by Dave Jackson. Dave is an introvert, which may be part of why he is such an excellent solo podcaster!

3. Co-Hosted/Roundtable: We loved Guys We F%$#@, co-hosted by two comedians. Choose your co-host wisely.

4. Fiction: More like an audio book. Takes a lot of work to write the story!

5. Journalism: Examples are Serial and Casefile (Margy loves crime shows!)

6. News/Current Events: Not evergreen, but a great way to educate yourself about what’s happening. We love Congressional Dish, hosted by Jen Briney!

7. Fan Podcasts: PLEASE do one for #Rockthepodcast. Jess has been a guest on The Walking Deadcast!

 

Interview with Jonathan Messinger

1. How is it podcasting with your son?

-Really fun

-He is a very critical editor!

-It’s very helpful because Jonathan can get feedback on the story before recording

 

2. What voice changer technology do you use? (Jonathan does all the voices in the show)

-Plug ins: Waves Sound-Shifter, little Alter boy from Sound Toys, another Waves plug in called Morphoder

 

3. How did you come up with the idea for the show?

-Was originally going to make a children’s book

-Had the idea to do it as a podcast so the audience could be more involved

 

4. What is your writing process?

-Procrastinate as long as possible

-General outline of story, but episodes incorporate kids’ ideas that they write in

 

5. Where do you come up with story ideas?

-Riff on elements of classic children’s books

-Kids write in with ideas i.e. what animals live in space?

 

6. Do you ever feel weird sitting alone in your basement making alien noises?

-Yes

 

7. Do people without kids listen to your show too?

-Mostly for kids, but some jokes for the parents, too!

-Geared towards 5-8 years old (Jessica’s 4 year old son loves it)

 

8. Tell us about leaving your job to podcast full time?

-Really optimistic about monetizing

-Audience growing steadily, at about 10,000 per episode right now

-Not a lot of advertisers that are right for children

-Created company called Gen Z Kids

-Might pitch it as a kids’ TV show (Jess and Nathan would love to watch it!)

 

9. Why did your election episode make Jess cry?!

-So bogged down, and his creativity felt stifled

-Jonathan realized that he was overloading his kids with politics because he was so absorbed by it

-It’s important to stay positive and creative, and let kids stay kids regardless of the political climate

 

Resources Mentioned:

School of Podcasting with Dave Jackson

Grammar Girl

Guys We F*&%$

The Podcast Producers

Serial

Casefile

Jen Briney

Congressional Dish

The Walking Deadcast

Waves Sound-Shifter

Little Alter Boy From Sound Toys

Waves plug in called Morphoder

The Wild Robot

The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel

http://www.kidslisten.org/

http://www.finncaspian.com/

https://twitter.com/finncaspian

http://app.kidslisten.org/

@interviewconnections

On today’s episode, Jess and Margy interview Canadian business executive turned podcaster, Chris Spurvey. Chris shares how he balances his personal brand with his executive role, his top sales mindset tips for entrepreneurs and how he stays so productive by working smart not hard.

Also in this episode: Margy is getting outdoorsy with a handsome gentleman friend, and Jess has seen the light about Himalayan salt lamps (see what we did there?!)

 

How Chris balances in his role as VP of Business Development for KPMG with his work as a sales/personal brand consultant:

-was lacking fulfillment in a large organization

-decided to write a book, which started his personal brand

-KPMG is very supportive of everything because his personal brand is helping word get out about the company

-people already know like and trust him because they have read his articles and listened to his shows

 

Chris’s journey with podcasting:

-Chris always had a dream of writing a book

-He used to think sales was “pushing people” and objection fighting, but began to see sales as more relationship based

-His own book is a narrative about him becoming comfortable with sales and finding success, but writing the book made him realize he didn’t have an audience to read it!

-Podcasting is a great platform builder and multiplier to connect with people at your level and above and tap into their audiences (and also learn a lot)

 

How entrepreneurs can be more authentic with potential clients:

-Observe your buyer’s emotions

-Help clients feel good about themselves in your presence

-Personal branding is key! EVERY entrepreneur should write or podcast to get their personality out there

-You can hire someone to help with your writing or podcast, so don’t let a lack of confidence hold you back

-As you grow your personal brand, you find your potential clients come to YOU

 

Chris puts out so much content. How does he stay SO productive?

-He used to run around like a chicken with his head cut off, but now he is a well-oiled content machine

-He got a VA, and they learned to work very well together

-Chris makes a short video, and his VA writes a draft of an article from that video and creates quote cards

-For the podcast, he creates an article instead of show notes

 

Resources Mentioned:

Chrispurvey.com

The Greatest Networker in the World

Mach II With Your Hair on Fire

Stand Out

Chris’s Book

@interviewconnections

This week’s episode is about repurposing your content and how Yann Ilunga vets guest experts for his 360 Entrepreneur Podcast. And later in the show, Jessica and Margy break down their experience of having an improv comedy workshop at the Interview Connections office.

 

Yann Ilunga Q & A

Yann is a successful podcast host and blog writer from the future, depending on where you call home. From his studio in Finland, he answers Jess’s and Margy’s questions about how he repurposes his content and how he determines who will be a great guest expert for his show.

 

Q. What are some ways podcasters and guest experts can repurpose their content?

A. Blogger, Vloggers and Podcasters often think about content at a surface level. Yann suggests approaching the topic from multiple angles.

 

Q. Why should a podcaster have show notes?

A. It’s a great opportunity to draw traffic to your website.

B. A listener can find all the information they need in one place.

C. Bulleted Timestamps could trigger someone’s interest.

 

Q. How does repurposing your podcast content expand the reach of your audience?

A. A blog post about your episode may entice your listener to dig a little deeper.

 

Q. How does Yann choose guests for his podcast?

A. Yann checks out their website and listens to other podcasts the guest may have been on.

B. Yann makes sure the guest is a good fit for his audience.

 

Improv in the Office

The team at Interview Connections recently welcomed improv comedian Melissa Bowler from the Providence Improv Guild (PIG) to their office for a comedy workshop and team building session.

The team participated in games exercises to learn lessons about:

1. Intent versus impact.

2. How to deal with unexpected change.

3. Why it’s important to listen before speaking.

4. Not to pick out other people’s failures.

5. Depending on your position in an organization, the company looks different.

 

Resources Mentioned:

Interview Connections

Interview Connections TV

@InterviewConnections on Instagram

@MargyLilly on Instagram

@theyannilunga on Instagram

Yann Ilunga

Podcast Success Academy

360 Entrepreneur Podcast

DIY Musician Blog — CD Baby

Sound Beats Blog

Melissa Bowler

Providence Improv Guild

7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey