S7E8 - Lessons, Laughter and Connections (From Panels to After Parties): Unveiling our Experience at The 5th Annual Afros & Audio Podcast Conference <Part-1>!!

Have you ever wondered what it's like to attend a podcast conference, especially as an African, Diaspora, or a person of color? Well Sambaza and I's incredible journey at a recent podcast conference will give you the inside scoop as you join us in reminiscing about the electrifying in person experience we had. From celebrating our first IG live with a yogurt shot to panel discussions and lessons learned from our fellow Podcasters of color.

Navigating through the conference, we realized just how rewarding it can be to channel creativity, even with limited resources. As we were confronted with the challenges of securing sponsorships and dealing with budget constraints, we discovered the value of networking and expanding our knowledge - all contributing to unique podcasting experiences. Attending the Afros conference, the importance of making connections and exploring creative advertising on a budget were invaluable lessons on the journey.

Sambaza shares valuable insights from his 1on1 with Amy, our experience with  responsible and ratchet promotion, and the importance of consistency to one's brand. 

We also highlight innovative ways to engage listeners, such as using SpeakPipe to collect voice notes and merchandise for giveaways. 

Finally, what would a conference be without the afterparty? The vibrant energy, the chance to unwind, socialize, and build relationships made it an unforgettable experience. We had a blast creating content for social media, celebrating our journeys within the podcasting world, and gathering knowledge from different communities. By the end of it all, I was emboldened by self-belief, encouraged by the tremendous support from others, and ready to make my mark in the podcasting world and stages.

This episode is a celebration of all those experiences and more, so come, join Sambaza and i on this recap! Also this was our IG-Live which we did on Saturday Oct 28th, The live video is on our IG-Page!

Sambaza is originally from Kenya but has lived in the USA  for over 20 years and is the Host of Sambaza Podcast.

Sambaza podcast strives in its uniqueness as it strives to uplift Africans in Diaspora and the rest of the world bringing out stories that are relevant

Transcript

Afros & Talkseuropean Conference Experience

Speaker 1 0:00

recorded them. But the problem was you two Paulers were getting excited over something we can't talk about over here. I have it.

Speaker 3 0:11

I have it. I have it shout out to the Booni breakdown. So what Sambasa is talking about? Booni hosts honest, candid conversations about love, relationships, pop culture, feminism and a whole host of other shit. Now you know I get excited at a word shit, right. So she came up to our table and just gave us these amazing boxes and our business card. And our business card says be responsible and ratchet. So you know she condemns being ratchet, but she also wants you to be responsible. So you know what's in here.

Speaker 1 0:54

No, nope, nope, nope, sambasa was going crazy.

Speaker 3 0:59

Sambasa was like what the hell?

Speaker 2 1:02

Hi shit talkers, welcome to TalksEuropean, and I am your host, paula the shit talker. I mean, don't we all like talking shit anyways? Are you a creator? If so, you are in the right space. Talkseuropean is a place where we showcase and celebrate the talents, works and stories of creative minds from all walks of life, while also raising awareness for mental health through providing a supportive space to share their stories, insights and experiences. We will be discussing creative journeys, the high lows and the ways we manage our mental health through it all. Join us each week for inspiring conversations, useful resources and a community of like-minded creators as we dive into the minds of creative beings to explore their journeys, struggles and triumphs. So, whether you are seasonal, creative or just starting out, talkseuropean is the podcast for you.

Speaker 3 2:06

So, sambasa, how are you doing? Welcome?

Speaker 1 2:09

back, I'm good. I'm good, I've been back. You know you just get back and get to everything you know. I haven't even looked at my collection of stuff that I collected. This is how much I collected. It's all in here. I need to go in and collect what I not collect, but look at what I had on the Are you going to look at what we are doing this live?

Speaker 3 2:34

We are kind of talking about Afros because I also have my shit, I have all my oh you did.

Speaker 1 2:39

Okay, because I got, I got. Well, we'll compare.

Speaker 3 2:43

We'll compare. So first of all I believe this was your first- conference, right, podcast conference.

Speaker 1 2:51

Yes, it was. It was actually. This was my first. I was going to go for the one for last year, but see, the problem with that is I'm usually in from, I have to say usually, but last year I was in from Kenya, so it was like I was in and then another week and then you travel. It was kind of a lot for me, so I decided to kind of give it some time. So it was in Philadelphia, so I did virtually. Then this other time actually I was even presenting last year, virtually, yeah, with Dana Seder from Sima Box, who I've also done something with him. It's coming out this in the next couple of weeks about African podcasters, but anyway. So this year I decided, you know what, I'm going to attend it because it's I've been doing for the last three or four years. I've been there virtually, so why not attend it and make a difference? So that's how I showed up and yeah, Nice.

Speaker 3 3:50

So at least you had already been attending it virtually, like I have. I only had about it last year, the weekend it was happening in Philadelphia and I didn't even know there was a possibility of attending it virtually. So I have never. And then I say this year I have to make it. And it was, it was, it was amazing, it was, it was interesting. So how do you feel?

Speaker 1 4:22

Man it was. It was one of those things that you don't anticipate. You know how, how great stuff is when you are going to meet people Because you know them. You know them throughout the year online and you talk to them some of them and, like you, we chat, but I've never seen you live. I mean, hey, you're a full bubble of energy. So I can say it was, it was. It was one of the best experiences any podcaster can can get into, especially if you're an African podcaster or a diasporic podcaster or even an African American podcaster, podcaster of color. It doesn't matter if you're black, melanated, white or whatever. Yeah, it's getting into African American podcasters, but still, it's one of the most wonderful experiences you'll ever see.

Speaker 3 5:12

It's where every black class needed to be Exactly. If you are creative in the creative world, you needed to be there. I love that much. So for me, afros and I just is a little bit different because I don't know as many people in that industry compared to other conferences, because I've been a part of the community longer compared to Afros, but it was amazing how I'm raising you with the other people. Shut the fuck up.

Speaker 3 5:45

It was amazing to see how I didn't even feel like I didn't know. A lot of people Like you just blend in the energy, the vibes, the collective, like people were just willing to talk and meet, compared to now. You go to other places and you feel like because you're new and you're always sitting like in the corner waiting for somebody to talk to you or somebody to drag you or no, it wasn't like that, it was like hey, what's? Up. What's going on? Let's go through Friday first. Did you arrive on Friday?

Speaker 1 6:29

Oh no. Okay, yes, I did arrive on Friday, but I arrived on Friday kind of late.

Speaker 1 6:34

Late because I got there at nine o'clock. You were probably there early and you know this is one thing I'll always tell you about life If you make a plan or something, sometimes just make the plan according to the way you feel it. I wanted to leave like early in the morning and I was to attend a show in Washington, washington DC, which I really wanted to attend and I wanted to go there with like Corey Corey and somebody else like to lead, to kind of talk to Africans, to kind of show up as Africans there who are in DC. However, push come to show up. I changed my plans and I'm not going to be doing that. I'm always going to stick to my plans. So I showed up at nine o'clock and I know you showed up earlier and they had stuff going on and I missed the party too. So you got to tell us what happened.

Speaker 3 7:25

Actually funny. Now, you're right, you should always follow your instinct. But I also, I arrived there early but I got to the hotel by six hours there. But I've been traveling the whole day, because when I say the whole day, it means if you've ever traveled from Atlanta, you know airport is annoying. So I, whenever I have a travel day, and because I take the train, there's a train from the train station goes straight to the airport. Because an Uber will cost you like $60 to the airport where you can get a train, just so I always $2.50. $5 is return, you know, and then while here I have to pay a hundred. So fuck that shit. So because of the airport in Atlanta it is, and because I was not going to take a train, I don't like to be worried, stressing, looking at my time. So even if, because you know public transport is never going to be on time, it's going to work on each time. So I always go early.

Speaker 3 8:36

So I left my home around 12. I hadn't eaten, I hadn't shit by the time I got to the airport. And it was crazy. Literally, through TSA in Nipaka, I'm getting to my gate. My gate had already started boarding and my flight was leaving at 2, I believe. So when I got to the hotel the checking in was a lot and I was waiting for my best friend to come in. He was driving from Canada and so I was like I'll check in when he comes. So I just left my bag there and I went to the bar because I really needed to eat. But then, once I said to the bar and started eating and drinking and talking to people at the bar, I was like kind of don't want to go now because I was so tired and I was like I don't want to start where my energy is low, meeting new people, because they might think, oh, she's too stuck up or she's by herself. But I was just rigid, tired and I didn't want to, you know.

Speaker 1 9:39

Wait, who's stuck up you? Yeah, no, I haven't seen you with low energy. That's a lie, exactly.

Speaker 3 9:49

Because I don't show up when I have low energy, because I know it's not me. That's why people don't see, because when I'm really low energy, like I don't even want to talk, so imagine me not talking.

Speaker 1 10:03

I'm here to see you with low energy. I've never seen a Paula with low energy. The only time I see you with low energy is in the morning, when we're doing the morning chat with podcasters. Every morning, that morning voice when you start off, but as soon as you get around to it, I mean, hey, it's business as usual. So that's. I'm going to take that with a grain of salt.

Speaker 3 10:22

It's seven fucking in the morning, so of course I'm going to. I always tell Mark you should be happy, I'm okay, and that was six o'clock in the evening, right?

Speaker 1 10:34

So you should have been up and doing everything that you're supposed to have been doing.

Speaker 3 10:38

But I had a long day so the energy has already been drained. So you see, early morning you're still finding your energy. Very late in the evening the energy has already been gone, depending on the day you had.

Speaker 1 10:52

You see, the face is the making, because I was on. Saturday. I was on Saturday and you were like a hundred, from morning all the way till 10 o'clock.

Speaker 3 11:03

But do you remember I didn't make it to the to the evening talk. You remember I left early and went to nap. Do you remember that? Oh, okay.

Speaker 3 11:15

Yeah, okay. So I do have to take some moments to recharge in order to come back full force, and especially since I knew at the after party we will be out and then I'll also continue hanging out, because my friend was in town as well, so I didn't have to just entertain the podcast, I also had to hang out with my homeboy, so you know. So I knew I was gonna have a long night and the fact that I even made it because it was because of you, you remember. I wanted to leave right after lunch. I at least squeezed in until I almost made it to the very end, but I was like, fuck it. So we all didn't go to the kickoff party. So we might have to find somebody else to hear how the kickoff party was. Ralph.

Speaker 1 12:00

Ralph will probably tell us Ralph. If you get Ralph, he'll probably let us know what happened. Tell us what happened on Friday? Yeah, because they had. They say it was cool and I looked at the pictures. They really had fun. And also, since you were you are moderator right On Sunday they had like a party especially for for the moderators. So you missed out. It's Mike's. I think, Mike's bar and grill.

Speaker 3 12:28

Yeah, um, I didn't make it to that, but also again, because I literally checked it, we only got to check it into our room by nine o'clock, so and then, after checking in, we had to go outside and buy some stuff we needed and then, uh, so actually when I was coming back from buying our shit, I met Walter and Chris, who they did an amazing presentation. I kind of missed half of it. I'm sad, but Walter lives in Atlanta and I can't wait to connect to them and even connect with Chris, because their presentation was incredible, which we're going to talk about. But I met Walter and Chris downstairs and we were talking. They did tell me, like you know it was, it was cool, the kickoff, everything. But I got to chit chat to them for a minute and stuff. So because at that time I'd already rested, I chilled because it was already 11, 12. So my energy was coming back again, you see. So I spent like an hour at the lobby, around 11 to midnight or 10, with them hanging out talking.

Speaker 1 13:37

But you know, also, on the Friday they do have a virtual kickoff that they do online. So if you are online, you will get to do a virtual kickoff. They have a party, they don't, because I did it the year before and I actually met two people, really cool people, and I actually follow them, and one of the guys does garden and beets. He does, he's gardening, organic gardening and beets. We still connect up till today. So, yeah, there's a virtual one and there's a physical one. So if you're going to be part of the aphorism audios next year, you can always do the virtual one and you can also do the physical one. If you cannot get to the location at any one time, you actually have access to that.

Speaker 3 14:24

That's not true, because it did start Friday on virtual Like. Throughout Friday, there were presentations as well which were not in person, so let me ask you for Saturday. Right, there were amazing sessions, great panels, let's talk about meeting you.

Speaker 1 14:44

Meeting you, Paula. That was the bomb.

Speaker 3 14:50

Yeah, because that's how we are getting to it. We met on the first presentation, right? Right, because I've just seen your video, because I remember earlier in Clubhouse Dominique had said I can't wait to meet some buzzer and everybody later, but for me, for some reason, it didn't click. I really didn't know if you were going to be there or not, because you're quiet, you don't talk and you haven't been talking about it, and I just found out that I wasn't following your Instagram. I don't know how that happened so I didn't see shit. But then when I saw I got tagged on Woover app and then I went to look at it on TikTok and Instagram, that's when I realized what I didn't have sound Shea Manu for posting shit with no sound.

Speaker 1 15:41

Hey, social media manager. That's why you're my social media manager now.

Speaker 3 15:45

But then that's when I said, and I was like oh somebody's here and then I texted you where you were literally sitting and said to that first panel Miss Lisa, miss Naomi and Miss Latrice, oh my God.

Meeting at Afros and Audio Conference

Speaker 3 15:58

I love Latrice and I can't wait to do some amazing collaborations with them. They kicked off Afros and Audio. It's the right way. Their panel was amazing and I saw you sitting right next to Dominique in there, because I had already met Dominique the night before when you just arrived. But yeah, so I was sitting at the bar and there was a lobby at the lift and I just stood up from my stool and I said Dominique and I shouted Dominique. He looked and I was like who is this person? And I jumped up and went to him and I hugged him. So I had already seen Dominique the night before and then doing this presentation. That's when I saw it. So, shea, you experienced some buzzer. How was it finally meeting me?

Speaker 1 16:45

It was great. Okay, my experience, the morning session, well, the whole experience was great. Right now you say about meeting me.

Speaker 3 16:53

We are talking about meeting you Okay, cool, let's see.

Speaker 1 16:58

Meeting you, I told you you're just a bubble of energy, you know, the one thing about you was that you are no stranger. It's like I met you. It's like I met you just like 20 years ago. We're just linking up. That's how it felt, because you know some people. It usually is hard to connect the first day, but you, it was like ah, you're here, oh, come on, let's go, let's go, you know. And then the fact that we also speak Swahili, because you're from Tanzania.

Speaker 3 17:25

I was allowed to say that.

Speaker 1 17:27

Oh, that was that was just like okay, here we go. You know, it was like our inside joke.

Speaker 3 17:34

My favorite part was saying shit about shit while people are there but they don't know we are there, you go.

Speaker 1 17:51

Yes, it was nice. It was nice. The meetup part was nice and I want to thank you for one thing you have you're very open and when you talk to people, you kind of you kind of, you kind of make fit somebody feel comfortable. You don't you don't make them feel like, oh, I'm meeting Paula, because normally when you're meeting somebody the first time, you kind of like have to gauge yourself about how you're going to talk and how you're going to know.

Speaker 1 18:17

No, no, no, paula, you, the way you are on the on clubhouse is the same as you are in person and no frills, nothing. You just go at it and we're talking and everything is just like, hey, we're here, let's go. You know we're at a conference, this is what we're going to have fun. I like your gear too, by the way. You know you got some good gear. You know, if there's any podcast I think if they've had an award for, for a year, best gear and best advertising from a podcast that should have gone to you because, hey, you look, you rocked the six, you rocked it up, you know please make sure you let you let coin off, for the next black podcast is the one, yeah ready to receive.

Speaker 1 19:06

You had it. You had it on point. It was on point.

Speaker 3 19:09

I mean even I think that the Nikes was like the killer, like them, Nikes was the killer. You all should get shooted with your face on it, Trust me.

Speaker 1 19:22

I think, I think, yeah, that's something we should probably, we should probably talk about. But before, I think we have a lot to talk about, especially with that, that thing about branding yeah, the meeting part, so that was great. Are we talking about the other stuff, like the first session or the second session?

Speaker 3 19:43

We actually, me and you attended almost the same sessions the whole day before I I I ducked off. I'm going to go through the, the, the, the panels we attended and you tell me what was your favorite part and this favorite part of that. All right, so we started the first one. Get your Stitch Together by Lisa, Naomi and Latrice. They killed it. I loved it. I loved Lisa. I loved Naomi oh, my God.

Speaker 3 20:13

Actually, Lisa even came to my panel and she was very supportive throughout, and Latrice and I are going to talk some shit and thank you to you because we were standing together and you're already on Latrice and you spoke to me and I got a chance to meet her and she was amazing throughout. Every time she would see me, don't forget, we got a link. So I enjoyed that and I learned a lot on how you can. You can how to work your passion into your ethic and giving each other grace and trusting your partner, whether it's your co-host, whether it's your team, to actually deliver what they need to in the time. Otherwise, don't work with people you can't trust them to to deliver the shit. You hired them for all the reason you're working with them.

Speaker 1 21:03

So I have to. I have to make a confession, paula, I'm not really the person that is very, very. I really take time to get accustomed to people, right, and all these people have taken time to have known them before I came to, we came to meet up. So I thank you because of your being around me, you actually give me, it's like you. You, you give me that energy to to get to talk to them, because I'll probably have been like, hey, how you doing?

Speaker 1 21:32

You know I am Sambhata from Sambhata podcast and you know this is what. But you know, with you, right by my side, right my social media manager, smg, okay, no, it's SMM, smm, sm squared, actually SM squared, my social media manager. So you know, with me on, with you on my side, it was like I know no, no, no, no, no, hey, we're going to go talk to these people, we're going to do this, we're going to do that, we're going to do that and it was very, very, very nice and fulfilling to have you by my side and I want to thank you for that. So, with the panel, like the first one with Latrice, latrice, lisa, and the third one, naomi- right Naomi.

Speaker 1 22:16

Very, very nice they. The kickoff was nice and this is a panel where you're actually sitting in a room. I like the way they did the rooms, the style right, the place that you sit.

Speaker 3 22:27

I know I like how they had the classroom function that was there in the main stage, where they actually didn't put like stools or shit. It was like very fancy sofas, you know.

Speaker 1 22:38

Right, right, right. And so, coming from there, going to the classroom session where we had to sit, and what was it that?

Speaker 3 22:48

the one that we attended Creative producer with Angela and I like that because a lot of people were very participating, very interactive.

Speaker 1 23:00

And I think most the thing about that is most of us were indie, indie podcasters. We're not part of like a huge, we don't have huge budgets. So we were actually giving our own experiences and I think the topics that were generated from there or what we talked about, we could have expounded them, only that time was not available. So it was really a good way of kind of channeling how we do as podcasters. You know, because you and I I mean I am the well when it comes to the creative part yeah, I'm the creative producer. Then there's I have a team that we kind of talk about the topics and once we get the topics, everything else falls on to me. So it's more like you have a constricted budget, you don't have a overflow of writers and everything like that, which makes everything easy. Or you know, when you have a writer and everything like that, all you just do is just sit there and talk.

Speaker 3 23:58

I can't wait for the day that I just literally show up, talk my shit, walk out and they do everything. You know they do the editing, the postage. I can't wait for that motherfucking day Because the talking, this part, this part is easy. It's the back end shit. And that's what I liked about this panel and Angela. I mean this session. Angela was very inclusive, like she made, like where everybody was sharing what they were doing, what they were using. They were cracking jokes. We were learning from Angela, but also from each other and shout out to that guy from Podastik Podastik, yeah, podastik, the one with the lime sweat.

Speaker 1 24:47

Yeah, his name was L. He starts with an L. I'll find out the name, but yeah, I love them, it was funny, by the way, all the way through, even till the end, when they were talking, when they were explaining about the products, remember, and the whole team was there.

Speaker 3 25:11

Yeah, he was very, very nice and I think that entire team because I only got to speak to Q Lewis and I was supposed to go catch my interview but I never made it on time. I never got to get interviewed by them. I was a little bit. He told me to come later and then I couldn't because I was also freaking out about my panel and then after my panel I was just ready to go.

Speaker 3 25:35

But that entire team of theirs, the Podastik, amazing people like the energy, the two girls, the guy and Q Incredible people like I love them, I enjoyed their vibe and I loved out every room that they were in.

Speaker 3 25:53

They were asking questions or sharing. I love people who you can tell like yo, I'm here to learn, like you know, like I'm here to network and everything and I'm fun, but I'm learning as well, like they were very, but also as much as I had fun in the Angela session. I was lucky sad that I missed that on the British are coming and especially when I had that it was a great session Because it's always good to know what other countries forecasting wise is and especially for somebody like me who likes moving and I plan on moving out of America, I need to know I'm not going to British because I've already lived there, did it, done it and coming back. But it's just knowledge that you need. It's always good to know and the fact that we had them in the room and I missed that it was like. But also I'm glad I went to Angela's session where I was like damn.

Speaker 1 26:52

Yeah, it was. It was nice. I that was one of the sessions. Like I said, I really, really wanted to be there and kind of hang out. Yes, we do need to. We're trying to always try to be inclusive and that's one of the things with these sessions. Right, you have there's the classroom session and there's the main session out there. You want to join all the sessions, but it's like you have to figure out which one you really really want to and I'm not saying that Banaras was bad or anything like that, but it was just like you're trying to figure which one to go which one to benefit me right now, Because like yes the British, its knowledge I need, but then the being a creative producer.

Speaker 3 27:38

That's what I'm doing right now. I want to those tools. I need them right now because that's where I am. So it is like it is fucked up that you kind of have to be like and that's what so comes.

Speaker 3 27:52

We'll talk about when we get to send the session, because I had a session with. It was two people both of them and both of them are people I fuck with. So I know them and I'm interested in their topics and I want to support both. So I'm like where do I go? So I had to do like half and half, which also made me kind of miss shit, because one is upstairs or one is downstairs.

Speaker 1 28:20

Oh, you had.

Speaker 3 28:21

I remember that part Because at least it was both of them downstairs, because we had two rooms downstairs. If it was both downstairs I'd have been like you know, but I had to come up to the main stage for water and then down for there. But we'll talk about that on the Sunday.

Conference Session Structure and Knowledge Sharing

Speaker 1 28:36

And it's really challenging. You know when they when they're doing that, when they're doing that the way they did it, because I don't know, I'm not, I'm not one to make those, to make those that stuff. But maybe we'll talk about it later. But yeah, that was one of the things that I really, I really would have wished for.

Speaker 1 29:00

Maybe start the morning session, we get the British, like we talk to the British on the main stage, then we break out.

Speaker 1 29:07

When we break out, we break out to the rooms, but there's no one talking up in the main stage. Then you leave and then you come back again to the main stage, so everyone who's on the main stage gets a chance to talk on the main stage. So that you, you kind of have people go to the breakout rooms and come back. So you take, as you're taking your break, you're taking a break to go to the, to the, to the other rooms, right, the breakout rooms or classrooms. Then you have your break time, then you come back the main stage. So you have like maybe three, three main stage presentations where everyone can attend. So you're, you're going in and out, in and out. So in the breakout classrooms you tend you probably will be now choosing where you need to go to. You know who is who's the one you really want to see, but now, when you go to the main stage, you're actually going to the main stage to listen to who's there, so there's not going to be a conflict of interest.

Speaker 3 30:01

That's a good idea and I think you should. You should talk to Taran, you know, because, as I've seen, there are already updates out for next year and they say Baltimore is officially their home grounds for both for our personnel years.

Speaker 1 30:15

So we're going back to Baltimore.

Speaker 3 30:16

Yeah, Next year is going to be 18 to the 20th, I believe in Baltimore. Same place, same place.

Speaker 1 30:25

I thought we're going to go to Atlanta and come and visit you.

Speaker 3 30:29

I mean, you're in Houston, you can come to Atlanta.

Speaker 1 30:31

No, I'm in Dallas, hey hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, I'm in Dallas. Hey, hey, you don't want to get people mad over here.

Speaker 3 30:38

It's all Texas. It's all Texas. You all come your titties down. It's all Texas. No no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Dallas, dallas applied to Atlanta in that bad. You know, you can come to Atlanta and visit.

Speaker 1 30:52

Yeah, I think, I think, I think if they would, if they would do well, we're jumping ahead, we'll talk about it, yeah.

Speaker 1 30:59

So, we get there. So we're talking about the sessions. So the first session, we go to the next session, the creative session. That creative session was actually good. You remember the guys who queue is it Quest? Before they did their presentation they were actually talking about. We were actually sitting there and talking about all the stuff that the creative stuff they actually brought in, what they were trying to, what they were trying to, but they actually told us what they were doing. A lot of people actually gave out.

Speaker 3 31:30

That tools they use.

Speaker 1 31:33

Of how they were, of how not how they were, but how they produced their shows, what they do in terms of links, how they talk about you know how they, how they interact with people. That was one of the like I said. That session was like an onion. It has so many layers.

Speaker 3 31:52

I wish we had we had time to to break it some more and especially when people are sharing tools that other people didn't know like to actually be like. So what does that actually do? Like it was really briefly, first phase. So yeah, Angela, do a session, Bring us back together, Angela.

Speaker 1 32:09

Oh yeah, angela, we need to, we need that, we need to go, we need to go look for her until Angela to come back and we do a session with her. She does the whole thing, you know one on one.

Speaker 3 32:19

Yeah, we need. We need to have that. But after that we attended because I'm a broadcast date and I like free food, so of course I went. I went to lunch and learned. Right. Thank you for feeding us. The food was but you know. Thank you, the food was nice.

Speaker 1 32:44

I really enjoyed it. It was simple, you know, we just didn't need much, we just need some With your stone tango easy. Right, oh, wow, yeah, I realized what a tango easy thing for me.

Speaker 3 32:54

The pasta was. I mean, like it was, you know, my food with no season and salt, and this is more to what we're talking about. I needed some a little seasoning and stuff, but it was. It was still good. I love pasta. So anytime there's pasta, you know, and salad, but also that presentation cause, why wouldn't you attend a monetizing track while you're a podcast Like, unless, unless you really know it about getting money with your podcast, cause I'm all about that. So I attended and what did you get out of it?

Speaker 1 33:29

Actually, on your end, what did you get out of it? Is it something that was really was really worth worth the time, worth the lunchtime?

Speaker 3 33:38

To be honest, most of the things she shared I already knew. Again, I attend different podcasters here. I actually have a great deal of people who are into monetizing and have done way here, but I liked that she was sharing the stats cause a lot of us, especially black people, we don't like. We don't have those knowledges, you know, we don't know where to go. Pull the stacks, what you should do.

Speaker 3 34:13

I realized that a lot of black podcasters I don't know if it's the knowledge or not involving ourselves also in different types of communities, to to, to, to get extra knowledge, like you know how me and you we are part of, like we are in public together, we are in clubhouse together, right, and then we are in the BPA, we are in AFROS, but I'm also in Portfest, I'm also in Balsport, so I have deep. I have the women's networking I have. So I am collecting information from different corners, not only the black people but also women of color, but the women side. We also have the, the, the Balsport itself, where it's a, it's a service. This community is giving us information. So I'm getting information from every corner. And so that session to me, I felt it was needed for the community because the way they were asking questions and seeing the kind of information that they were giving. You know light up the walls Like yo. We really lack this information in this community.

Speaker 1 35:20

Um, I'd also add that we are it's. We don't have the tools, we don't have access to some of the tools that would assist us in in in getting that information. And I can equate that to an African podcast. An African podcast I'm not talking about as African, let's.

Speaker 1 35:40

Let's say we're desperate podcasters and when I go to Africa, talk to the African podcasters, there's a way that you want to get the information. And then, when you start acquainting yourself with other means and other other communities, there's some type of uh, how do I say, there's some type of elements that you pick off from another community. Right, that may help or change your, your direction of how you podcast. Remember, sometimes, your isolation to to other podcasters. Right, let's say you know podcasting and somebody else knows podcasting, but you don't mix your podcast together, right? Or mix your information together.

Speaker 1 36:24

The way you're going to create your podcast on one side is not the same way you're going to create your podcast on the other side, but to mesh the two, you're going to get some assimilation, like now, you and I know how to advertise via podcasting, right, maybe there's somebody in Tanzania or Kenya who does not know how to advertise via podcasting, but there's a way they can use their own type of podcast. Maybe they go to a local market and put flyers over there. You see, it's, it's really tricky and it's another topic that we can really talk about.

Speaker 3 36:56

And which is true. But that's why I say I think also the thing is we try to stick on one community or just that community, or I'm a black person, I just need to belong to black communities. But, then also, we also say black people, black communities, we don't have the resources or the knowledge. But how are we supposed to gain that if we're only just putting ourselves?

Speaker 3 37:17

in that one box. That's why I tell people Communities are important. Yes, I am black person, I am going to be for my people. I attend our friends, I joined those communities, I show up. But that does not mean I shouldn't also go and get knowledge to these other communities that are willing to provide the knowledge and then wait, wait, take that knowledge, because I'm not saying that knowledge is going to work for me.

Speaker 3 37:47

The same way as the knowledge we get in the black community might work for black person who's here and not for the black person who's in Africa you get, or who's in UK or anything, but you take that information and you research it now on yourself, as long as somebody is already given you a pathway. Google is free. Research is simple. The only hectic thing I hate about research is not knowing where to start. But if somebody is giving you a starting point like listen, this is what I got, and you look and you're like you know I get this, I fuck with this, but this won't work for me personally. But let me look how I can make it work. Oh, how I can. So you bring it to this side of the community. You guys are about this. How can we make it work for us. You take it to that other side and figure it out, because somebody is already given you a starting point. That's better than nothing that you didn't have from the get go. So that's what.

Speaker 1 38:47

I'm saying Break it down to you very simply. This is what I want to tell you. Let me break it down to you very simply. Paula, how many countries have you been?

Speaker 3 38:53

in your lifetime, oh my God, oh my God, visited or lived in, because that's the difference?

Speaker 1 38:58

No, lived in, I know, lived in.

Speaker 3 39:01

Five or six Okay.

Speaker 1 39:04

That's where your uniqueness comes about, mike drop. Okay, there you go. That's the reason why you are the unique person that you are and having known how to navigate all these spaces, like you and I, rather than somebody else who grew up in one community and they think, okay, I cannot speak for them that much, but in my view, or how I've interacted, some may say you know, this is where I have. It's so many things that start off this conversation. It's a very good conversation that we can talk about and maybe have other podcasts. Right, keep that in mind. Let's explore this.

Speaker 3 39:45

Yeah, because it's just a mindset and I get what you're saying. But then, if you also, it's just like being comfortable when you get comfortable in a life right, the routine, the day, and then you're expecting something miraculous to change your life. But you are the comfort You're not getting out of your comfort zone, you know, but you're expecting. Let's say, I'm a single person, right, and I'm constantly saying, oh my God, I'm not meeting guys, there's no guys asking me out. But where am I, 24, seven, in my house, in my room, every fucking day. I'm not on dating apps online, I'm not talking to people, I'm not out meeting people. How is this boyfriend supposed to find me in my house, in my room? So, again, it gets very comfortable being where you are, but in order to achieve things that we're saying, they are out there. You just need to be willing, and sometimes people don't know that. That's why we have to have these conversations, that's why we have to go into those communities and try that.

Speaker 3 40:52

So, okay, I've gone to Afros. I've never been to a Black podcasting conference. Now I can come back and tell my other Black friends, like you, next year you got a girl. That shit was amazing when I've never gone to a podcast. When I went, when I came back, I told people Black, white, kids all year. Because podcasts has that family. They bring their kids. They're white, they're Black, they're gray, they're Muslim, jewish everybody belongs there. So because I went, I experienced. Now I'm bringing back the experience and sharing, like you're next year. You got to go, you belong.

Speaker 1 41:30

Now, right there, pause. See, you are the one who's making me now figure out how I can make my way to Podfest next year. Why? Because I met you, See, you're. And this is where this is where, and, Paula, I think we need to have a topic to where the difference between a DASPORM podcaster and African podcaster and others right.

Speaker 3 41:53

When do I belong? So when do I belong? You're a.

Speaker 1 41:56

DASPORM, podcaster, and your life, your life having to move from one one era. Like you live in Tanzan, you lived in Tanzania, you lived in in in the UK right For some time Just the fact that you got out.

Speaker 1 42:11

Let's, let's, let's just, let's just say, let's just say we talk about this. You get into the UK, you have to learn the people, you have to learn the nuances, and that's in a broad spectrum of time. Yet, as a podcaster, you also have to go to these spaces and learn how to talk to people. So you've, you've gotten experience, life experience as not as just a regular, regular, regular person. Now you're a podcaster. You can go out there and talk to somebody who is in a different community, and that's how you're able to go through and be comfortable talking to.

Speaker 1 42:45

You know, maybe I'll throw in this like a Amish community, paula, I am sure you can go to the Amish community and sit there and have a good conversation with them, right, and get out something to do, if you wanted to podcast and get something out of it from there. Why? Because you have learned how to move to other countries, talk to people, sit with people, observe them, which is very hard to do, and that's something that we don't even appreciate of ourselves, you know. So, by coming to podfest and, like you, it's the first time right and I want to experience podfest, you know, after the audience was your first time right Me. I want to experience podfest, see, but when we're curious, that's our curiosity, that's how we're learning, and I'm happy that I did meet you and you came and brought all this to life. You know, otherwise I'd be looking at podfest.

Advertising Strategies and Podcast Promotions

Speaker 3 43:45

I'm a light in your life, hey SMM. So what was your take from the lunch at Lany?

Speaker 1 43:59

It showed me that we have some ways to go in terms of advertising for ourselves. Now I know how to advertise. Yesterday I was doing some editing right and part of the edits and I think I'm teaching my listeners how to be ready, coming up maybe in the next few years, that there'll be stops and gaps for ads to come in, because I'll take him somewhere in the middle and I'll stop and say, hey, we'll be right back. Or I'll use the person's voice. Like if you came to my podcast and, by the way, I learned this in the morning, the morning cast, one of the guys in the morning cast said this In power podcast.

Speaker 1 44:49

In power podcast in somebody say this in the morning, like they would have the person do a promo of themselves. So, like Paula, if you came to my podcast and I was, you were there and you'd say I'm listening to some buzzer podcast, right, I'll take that clip and use it as a gap. So after a while, when I start adding the ads, or if I get some funding to put in ads, they already know that somewhere along the line they'll hear hey, some buzzer. Hey, what's up, we'll be right back. And then they hear you, paula, say hey, by the way, I love some other podcast as part of it. So it's like, hey, wait a minute, it's not something you'd ever, that's new. So that's something that we learned from the. Okay, I learned that trick from empowered podcasting. Now I'm incorporating it. And guess what? When, the, when we were having that presentation from what's that group? What are they called?

Speaker 3 45:48

And I remember what was the group called Simple cast.

Speaker 1 45:51

Simple cast. Yes, now with simple cast.

Speaker 3 45:55

Remember you had a one on one meeting with Amy, so I hope you've got some nuggets and you're going to implement or probably share with us. What does nuggets that you had on one on one Cause me and my Paula? By the way, I met a Paula and she had the same haircut. I had red locks and we were like this is the Paula club. She had cool as me and she actually won on the leadership board. So shout out to Paula Marie.

Speaker 1 46:24

Oh, nice, Nice. So, yeah, um, on that, I was trying to ask her about um, and I, like Amy, because she broke it down to the way I do, I'm thinking about advertising. So, like I said, these are very, very helpful. My one on one with her made me realize that, okay, what am I doing with my advertising? What type of advertising would I do? Mostly I, you know, all this time I've been thinking how am I going to work on my merchandising with my hats, uh, whatever, uh, shirts and stuff like that?

Speaker 1 46:55

She was like no, just look at it in a simple way. Look at an advertiser, find out what you can do for them. You don't have to do much, you just have to do a little bit at a time and as you go along, you you'll make it, you will figure it. Don't don't be, you know, don't look at it as a broad, but just try to break it down to small, small um bits and pieces and then you'll find where you fit in. So don't don't be, don't be alarmed by uh big names, Just try and figure yourself out. So she gave me some, some tips that were nice. I actually recorded them. But the problem was you two Paulers were getting excited over something we can't talk about over here, oh no.

Speaker 1 47:38

Oh no, we can't talk about over here.

Speaker 3 47:40

I have it I have it Shout out to uh, the booty bread down. So what's Sambasa is talking about? Um, so the booty bread down is um, the booty host honest, candid conversations about love, relationships, pop culture, feminism and our whole host of other shit. Now, you know I get excited at the word shit, right? So she came up to our table and just gave us these amazing boxes and our business card. And our business card says be responsible and ratchet. So you know she condemns being ratchet, but she also wants you to be responsible. So you, you know what's in here.

Speaker 1 48:25

No, no, no no.

Advertising and Branding in Podcasting

Speaker 3 48:27

Sambasa was going crazy. Oh, what the hell it's cool. And this one actually says don't be silly, wrap your wheelie, look at that job. Talk about advertising and sticking to your brand.

Speaker 1 48:48

No, see, I was trying to have a nice conversation, a one-on-one conversation, here. Y'all are getting excited on the side and actually it was recorded. You guys would laugh it and we were like what is going on?

Speaker 3 49:01

That's going to be your most recent episode ever, but shout out to my girls at the booty break that, like, talk about leaving an experience for somebody, cause you are one of my highlight from offers and how to use the way. You just leave this shit and this is why I tell people make merchandise to give away at places, cause even now, this was last week and then we're still laughing about this moment and I've always. I don't even want to use this condom. I'm just going to hold on to this forever and just be like girl. I might start putting my bad control pills in here as well.

Speaker 1 49:39

Just you know, and they made it fun. That's another thing. You know you're merchandising. Make the fun merchandising and interesting. Well, I guess we'll talk about that too, right?

Speaker 3 49:50

Get to that so the lunch thingy.

Speaker 1 49:55

It was nice Like, okay, the lunch part was great, we had our gems, we got whatever we needed to get right and something you mentioned about which I wish I did.

Speaker 3 50:09

You know, when I got my first sponsorship right, my podcast right now has a sponsorship ad, but I've actually never listened to where the ad is placed. Like you know, I go to BuzzFront and I just do the mid-roll and I know it's there. And I know it's there, cause the person whose ad is it she has told me oh my God, I add my ad, but I've actually never listened to my episode with an ad and I never gave my listeners a warning. So that's something I'm learning from you right now. So thank you for doing this recap, cause we are learning from all our takeaways from this and even though we might have been at the same session, we can have different takeaways. So that's something maybe in the future. And, sambaza, I should get you and probably I'll get Rafi. Rafi probably sees some shit on my podcast, but we should do promo swaps.

Speaker 1 51:04

Yeah, we can do that. Like you said, you do a promo, you advertise. Hey, check me out on blah blah blah. Send me the MP3 and I insert it on my podcast.

Speaker 3 51:18

Just use Pike Voice. I learned this, cause I did a promo swap for shout out to podcasting business school Adam Shibley I can finally say his last name, oh my God, he put me on on Speakpipe, it's free. People leave your voice note where you can easily transfer it to your podcast, play it, start it up if somebody has a message for you or a response to an episode. You did so. If you go look at my show notes even my newsletter I always put my spike link, so in case anybody has something to say. Cause now, the good thing is Spotify has that on theirs. But for all, other, people can use Pike Pipe. So just use Pike Pipe, I send you that?

Speaker 1 52:03

I think I have that, I have that and I tend to tell my listeners to do that, but that was anchor and I need to change that and now do the Speakpipe. Yeah, that's another way. You know, you get all the people to give you opinions about your show and then you put them in, like maybe at the end of the season, like you do seasons right. So at the end of the season or the end of the year, you kind of get all those and then put them all together.

Speaker 3 52:26

Which I have news by the end of this show. I will share my news, which kind I just came into. Last night at the empowered podcasting room after night we had a blast. Yeah, I should be coming out at nine o'clock, we'd be chopping it up and we were celebrating Alex's birthday. Shout out to Alex, but let's keep it moving. The lunch we were done with that and then we attended that. I can never say this app's name Hyte, hyatt, hyatt, hyatt, hyatt, hyatt. Oh you know what? No, it's HYTI. Do you have the bag? Where's the bag? I don't know I have mine. Like I was bringing everything here I forgot about the bag.

Speaker 3 53:08

I'm sorry, but yeah, the bag is in Canada by now, because I am just remembering about the bag right now. Do you use the Hyatt?

Speaker 1 53:24

No, I haven't, I haven't yet. Paula, remember, remember, remember, remember, ask, remember, ask podcasters, life balance we talked about this life balance. You get in, you get into your, you leave one session the way we left one session to the other. You jump. That's the way you jump into your life. You, once you get on that plane, you land like this Can I tell you what I actually did? Okay, this is, this is not even podcasting. I left AFRIC and Audio's came home. You know the first thing I did when I got home? I actually planted grass, planted grass. That's what I did before I went, before I relaxed, I put my bags down, went outside my backyard and had to plant grass because it was gonna, it was gonna. Actually, it's raining right now. So that's the thing I did. So this is podcast. In real life, you do things that you don't really.

Speaker 1 54:17

This is being an independent podcast, Right right, you know, if I had my own studio, all I would have done is just jump in, head to the studio, do what I need to do, leave and go go somewhere else. But this is life, you have to go and be a part of. You know, another like another cube, right, you're one cube, you move to another cube that's my family cube and I go there and I have to do the things that I'm supposed to do as a dad, yeah, husband, and all that you see. So it's tricky, but it's fun, it sure is so.

Speaker 3 54:52

are you gonna be downloading it or are you? Are you planning on exploring the IIT app? Did you learn anything from that conversation?

Speaker 1 55:01

Definitely I like that conversation, and the thing I liked about the Haiti app is because it does tell you that he's collecting a database. One thing, paula, you always have to realize now, in today's, in today's age, everything is run by data. What I collect from you Like all these gems I'm giving you Somebody's gonna sit down and listen All the gems you're giving me. Somebody's gonna listen to them. That is data, that is information. Information is key to anything that you do. So he's gathering information about podcasts, or specifically, african American podcasts. We tell him what we want. He gets the information and turns it to what makes the app run better or, to specify, to be more specific, to cater for us, you see. So let me remember what you say If we don't give him data, he's not gonna know what to what, to what to provide for us. You see what I'm saying? Yeah, so there's that idea of cultivating a database that is unique, which is why you need to go to Afros and audio.

Speaker 3 56:24

So my question is, bob will you be downloading and using the?

Speaker 1 56:28

app.

Speaker 3 56:29

Right, that was the question.

Speaker 1 56:31

Yes, I will be downloading the app.

Speaker 3 56:33

Yeah, Are you so? I'm not sure yet.

Speaker 1 56:40

No, I'll download and see what it has. I mean, I'm just tired of.

Speaker 3 56:49

Which is now Spotify Good pods? Is it good pods? Good pods Then? Now I add Then we have Isn't this also an app? Yeah. Oh, my god, I forgot this guy's name, but it's, that's the Z. He was a very great guy to talk to and that's the other thing.

Speaker 1 57:15

There's a lot of information that we have there and now you have to kind of see which one works for you, and that's the thing. Why don't you just download and then see what works for you?

Speaker 3 57:27

And I'm also visibility. But when you're also doing everything by yourself, at certain point you have to be like you're. Too much is too much. I'm sticking to what works until when it doesn't work.

Speaker 1 57:42

And on that, you know, you have to kind of like start off slow, and this is my thing.

Speaker 3 57:48

I'm gonna start off slow, I'm gonna let you and then give me the feedback and then I'll go from there, okay, Okay, we need to have another topic and talk about this. So another panel, because we gotta keep.

Speaker 3 58:06

Yeah, we have all the time to go to. So we had, which was among one of my favorite talks, because I admire this lady, I follow her work and I pay attention to shit she says Miss Daniela herself and it was podcast sponsorship. The amount of screenshots I took on the media market, media kit because I'm all about creating my media kit and and her telling us that your media kit is gonna be as long as it makes because I know certain people have only should have four pages. You only should have one page. You should do this. So what to break it down in sectors and tell us how you? She was like I'm still adding shit on my media kit and this is all that I have to go like. Her slides was so details and everything she does, and if you're not on a newsletter she sends out on grants for podcasters, you should get on that shit like I love everything about this.

Speaker 1 59:08

Question are you skipping, we're going over to Sunday, or we're gonna talk about the party on Saturday, or we just gonna leave that we're gonna come back to the party.

Speaker 3 59:16

We're gonna talk.

Speaker 1 59:17

Okay, so we're gonna go Sunday. Sunday is when we did the, or Daniela was the Saturday.

Speaker 3 59:22

Daniela did the Saturday. Yeah, we're still on Saturday.

Speaker 1 59:26

Right, okay, so Daniela did hers. I'm trying. I'm trying this the other one that was done by Crystal on Sunday morning and I think it will almost mirror the same, but Daniela's. Yeah, I remember Daniela. Now, one thing about Daniela is we had been chatting all over.

Speaker 3 59:47

X.

Speaker 1 59:52

So, yeah, and that presentation was really great with regard to marketing and I loved it. It just showed you how marketing can do with podcasting and you know she's taking podcasting to another level, whereby she's actually actually. I like the fact that she is making money out of podcasting and telling you oh, all she does is just travel.

Speaker 3 1:00:18

She's on a travel podcast and she gets sponsorship for this place where she goes to. So get on that shit. Like I literally learned a lot and I was like what the fuck? Oh my bag. Like literally. I think sometimes we overthink these things, while they're simple, and just believe in your pitch and send it out. You never know, you never know.

Speaker 1 1:00:42

And that's the thing I think where, when you look at, when you look at how you pitch yourself like you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're sort of like a niche, yours is more like a niche podcast, and the the people that can actually come into your space are tailored to a specific, a specific type of cause. Right, you are on a specific cause, so now, what kind of ads would you go to? What kind of sponsorships will you go for? Right, you can't do soap sponsorships right.

Speaker 3 1:01:20

Well, I kind of can cause. Here's the thing I'm a creative wait, so I, this way I was gonna get to why I can cause. I talk about creativity journeys in our mental health. Mental health is about self care, self love, peace. So stop is baby, take relaxing. That's, that's self care, you know taking a bubble bath.

Speaker 3 1:01:51

That's self care, like literally I. I can spin any shit into self care, right. So I have a better chance, like even tea if I want to come, come, come. Or mail to the sponsor because that's soothing. You know, some people on their self care is to relax with a cup of caramel tea you know I believe you in that.

Speaker 1 1:02:22

So, yeah, so she, she did her thing and, like, I appreciate you, you know, schooling me on that fact that, yeah, you just have to get your marketing deal right and arrange the way you're gonna do it. You know, don't don't be like, don't be shy and don't be too broad. Just see, I'm, as a matter of fact, remember information, data, research those three things are the ones that matter. Once you do all those three things and, like you said, the only hard part about research is to start where. Where is the starting point? But once you have your starting point, that already helps. You know that this is where I started from. I can do this and I can go back and revert back to where you started shift. Actually, that's the only place you can shift goals, because if it doesn't work on this side, you start the research from another side, but you haven't beginning point. That's the whole. That's the whole thing about that. So, yes, she did teach us a lot, a lot about, about advertising and marketing yourself.

Podcasting Conference Panel and Networking Experience

Speaker 3 1:03:27

Yeah, that was that was awesome and after that. This is when I went to my last panel for the day and I enjoyed it, if I could, and that's after that. I was like listen, I am ready to go nap after this. Shout out to J Ray and DJ Daniel it was about dance of podcasting host. You remember the two guys and it was very interactive Q the quick quest quest.

Speaker 1 1:03:56

The quest, no, it's the quest. Podcast with kids was yeah. J Ray and his yeah, that was yeah.

Speaker 3 1:04:04

Yeah, that Q is it?

Speaker 1 1:04:06

the podcast is called quest something, q Q West, q quest something, but this quest LLC yeah, I loved those boy.

Speaker 3 1:04:15

I remember that night I was like and I even quoted them on my panel because they did say something that you know everybody's not for you and you're not for everybody, which is sometimes we keep forgetting, especially when we are hunting for guests or hunting to be on other shows and sponsorships. Sometimes we take shit we know we shouldn't and it ends up going the wrong way because we I saw this visibility but then we forget that not everybody's for you and you're not for everybody. But I literally went to Jerry and I was like I am for you, you're for me, we have to call up. I was like fuck, yeah, we are. You know what?

Speaker 1 1:04:55

let me say the same thing, like when you are ranging to do this, to do these sessions, right, and you're trying to create like a, like a conference, or you're trying to create like after an audio, right, you need a certain some guests to come on to the show and you've prepared, right, make sure that they work to your schedule. Don't try to give them options to whereby they start telling you oh, you know, you know and you know what Paula, mm-hmm. After an audio do. The same thing, like you said when you told them hey, I can be on the panel. What do they tell you? Yeah, we'll give you the date this particular days for you, right, they made it like they didn't even.

Speaker 3 1:05:44

They just sent out the schedule. Here is your slot. There you go, whether you want it or not, it's up to you so that's, that's another thing and that's what they teach you.

Speaker 1 1:05:56

Not everything is gonna be. You have to be on control of your content and, like you said, not everybody's good for you. But you know, sometimes you try. You try to accommodate the person, but doesn't mean that you go out too much out of your way to, whereby you lose yourself, which is very good. And the other thing, remember they said, when you're looking at your podcast, look at it as an archive. At the end, look at the end goal. What do you want your podcast to be? Do you want it to be? You know it has to be somewhere.

Speaker 1 1:06:25

Put an archive that people can go back and look into, like yours. If somebody wants to talk about or wants to write about stuff to do with mental health, they can say, okay, I went, I. They give a quote and they say research. Or at the bottom, when they're doing there, when they're doing their quotes, or where they got their the stuff from right, they'll go the index. They'll go and say, hey, got from podcast. You know, in the future, maybe 10 years from now, they'll say, yeah, that's the podcast I got my information from and hey, wouldn't that be a cool thing all right.

Speaker 3 1:07:06

I love that fun and I love those boys and I love that they made it so interactive and fun. I think that was one of the panels where, right after, we all took a group picture, you remember, and that's when we also the empowered podcasting room took our group picture. Because, yes you, dominic and crystal. I know Dominic and crystal, I've met each other. I don't know if you have met any of them before but no, it was the first time.

Speaker 1 1:07:34

That was the first time.

Speaker 3 1:07:35

That was the first time meeting all of you it was a moment for me like, oh my god, and the fact that we all ended up in the same room cause me and you say, let's go to this room. And then we had already found crystal and Dominic there. So like, oh my god, we really, and it sees out. It also shows that you are in the right community, because these are the people I spend every morning, monday to Friday, with, and the fact that we all thought this is the room we needed to be it shows that we are aligned. But after that I went to nap, which is kind of sad, because I really wanted to go to the bold branding thing for you, because I'm all about branding and taking my branding to all other level if you miss it.

Speaker 3 1:08:18

I miss because I went to nap. After that I went to sleep, so did you attend that one? I think?

Speaker 1 1:08:26

I did, you know, because I had to be there. I you know I was staying like about that was the time.

Speaker 3 1:08:32

No, you were on main stage. I don't know what was on me, because that was the time I texted you to send me my pictures and we'll see you left come back. And I had them and I was like where are you?

Speaker 1 1:08:52

like I said, paula, from the time I met you to, you're my sister in crime and everything I look I'm good to you. Is I living you anything like that?

Speaker 3 1:09:03

you're stuck to my hip but that's how it was and I was lucky because some of us are staring me. I'm living tomorrow I won't be. I was like, oh my god, because literally I was hanging out with some other two other there was so much fire because we would just go and he would introduce, introduce me to people and I start talking shit to those people and it would just turn into a whole amazing ball and that's. Let's bring it back a bit. Before I left, there was a time I met this guy, this. I met the amount of talking me and it talks. If you go up against an Igerian and that button, you end up living a Nigerian man who can talk so much shit speechless. You know you're winning in life because I know, you know what you met your match today.

Speaker 1 1:10:17

You met your match today because he, you know, he you, you had him to the point where he was like oh, oh. They only could say is you, you? And?

Speaker 3 1:10:29

then Corey came and Corey was like you should be behind the mic on this, and we literally took it on the mic. I can't wait to see that. Yeah, I'm waiting to see them.

Speaker 1 1:10:39

There are a lot of, there are a lot of, there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes, and this is also one of the things that that I, I always encourage and I'll always encourage people to do. If you're going to do the the part, that, if you're going to a podcast festival, right like after the audio, show up on the first day and meet the people in the first day, because you, you, should you take off, that you bring in the familiarity right now, right so when you get to the conference the next day it's more like a chilled you.

Speaker 1 1:11:19

You saw each other yesterday, like the British, the British people. I met them in the morning when we were at Miss Shirley's for breakfast. So when we're going into Miss Shirley for breakfast I was like, oh, we're having breakfast. So she, they were saying, oh, the British are coming, blah, blah, blah. So we talked and we're like, oh, I didn't have breakfast over there, I had breakfast somewhere else. But the point is we already had a connection morning breakfast. They even say, oh, we should have had the morning session over here. You know that was a joke. So it, our interaction started that morning. But had we started the day before, we probably would have been at ease and then would have done more stuff together or talked about each other. And which is what kind of happens at the end of the podcast festival, the lesson you start getting close to people, you're like we should have done this.

Saturday After Party and Day Experiences

Speaker 3 1:12:09

You know, like Friday, you know I'm saying this because when I met Mark last year at Fort Fest, I met him on the last day and Mark was like I should have met you sooner. That's basically for Friday. Then we had the after party because that's Saturday after party yeah, we finished all the finals on Saturday and I didn't see until the end because you guys were sick and they're far back.

Speaker 1 1:12:37

Well, we also came a little bit late, but so what happened was we met up at the end, you know, when we went outside, when we when the whole. Well, like black people, we got chased out. We came, we had to be told to leave, so we left. Actually, I think there was a panel. There's supposed to be another panel, so the panel was missing. So they had to close down the evening part, so we were outside trying to figure out where we're gonna eat, and that's the time we met.

Speaker 1 1:13:21

Rukia and okay, rukia, and then you met Shamika, way where you Shamika, and so, though, we met them at that time, and then Gerald, gerald too. Then we had lunch. We went to eat lunch at this Mediterranean place called Twist, very nice place. Hey, if we, if you go back, then we probably might explore again the areas over there it's it's next time.

Speaker 3 1:13:50

Maybe I'll go one day before so that I can actually because the hotel was in a nice area by the end of and get to enjoy the hour bar or any shit goes out there.

Speaker 1 1:14:02

Yeah, if they're going back there again, I have to make some, some few changes to how I like. You know what I liked about the part I could use the scooter, the link scooter. That was my first experience actually. I don't know why I didn't. Yeah, I know I should have, but it was.

Speaker 3 1:14:22

I was scared, but I live in the suburbs.

Speaker 1 1:14:25

I live in the suburbs so I don't get a chance to do this thing. So when I got there I did the scooter thing. Now I have an app for the scooter thing and I wish I could do it. You know, rolling down the street, you know, like, yeah, I couldn't do that.

Speaker 3 1:14:36

So did you create content? You should have created content why you want the scooter.

Speaker 1 1:14:42

I wish I could, but I know I did a commentary when I got there as your future social media manager?

Speaker 3 1:14:49

answer is appointed. Everything is content. Everything is content. You writing a scooter somebody should have recorded you and once I'm riding a scooter, what I learned from this experience. There you go, and then go check out my next episode, where we'll be talking about this experience good thing.

Speaker 1 1:15:10

However, remember. Remember what I said show up on Friday, have that connection so that you and you meet people on Saturday morning. You have that, that that thingy where you have some familiarity. So had I done it, had I met people on Friday, maybe I could have told Craig to admit at the restaurant. Hey, craig, craig Digger, the, the artist right and the podcast, and he's a man of many, many many, many talents right.

Speaker 1 1:15:41

I probably could have asked him hey, can you video me doing this while you know, coming in and stuff like that, and he probably would have done a small show. Yep, that's the guy. I got it too, see. So you know. So that's, that's something that I could have done, and you're right. So we went on a rabbit hole. We keep doing this, but the whole thing is we were talking about the after party. You went to the after party the after party was really really cool, paula. That DJ Pius did the.

Speaker 1 1:16:14

DJ Pius did. Oh, mr L P. He said don't call him DJ L P, call him L P. So yeah, he actually did a good job. The music was nice. Hey, paula, how come you never asked for Afro beats? They played the regular Afro beats. We had a discussion with him about that and actually this is Paula. Let me tell you another thing that I could not do and I forgot. I always try to get a hot mic, have the mic with me and have it hot. So when I'm, when you meet me and you're walking close to me, just know that the mic is hot. Why? Because I'm gonna record pieces of whatever's happening and then cut it off, because you never know what you might talk that might be of substance but won't you, won't you doing that?

Speaker 1 1:16:58

you had your record yes, but then I it died too, and then after that I did not, I forgot the batteries. That's another story, but anyway.

Speaker 3 1:17:06

I like to do that. You know bringing your tools as a place. You need to have your tools but first time.

Speaker 1 1:17:13

So next year we're gonna do things different, right and then I probably put a signed hot mic.

Speaker 1 1:17:18

I'll probably put a signed hot mic so people know, okay, when we're having this conversation, we have a hot mic with me and stuff like that. However, the thing is, with with that, we there was Afro beats going on and a little bit of Afro beats and we were having fun, but we were at the corner after the dinner. After the dinner, we came back and we were hanging out and it was. It was nice. They played some nice music. I love the fact that now the podcast is where became became themselves. This was more like wow, oh, they can dance, or they want to go.

Speaker 3 1:17:55

But people already met teachers.

Speaker 1 1:17:57

I mean, god, it has been a long day, people just ready to like you know, no, no, no, no, no, paula, paula, there was some people, you know they, when they were on stage, they were like but we so dance that's what I'm saying, cause they had to prepare for that moment.

Speaker 3 1:18:17

So through all the days they just think about their stage and showing up on the stage and then networking and being their best version. Then, now that that is done, now they've cause also those people on the stage, you don't know how many people they actually know in real life on the audience or not, so it's still like everybody. Oh, we might also know each other from social media, but we really don't know. So it's like you're still very thick people, but by the end of the day, most people are like now we are bad. It's like the energy vibe. So by the time you go to the after party, you're completely loose and it's been a long day and for everybody who had already presented that day, they nailed the issue. They're like why is it done? I'm good, I can turn it off, I can enjoy for real.

Speaker 3 1:19:03

I came from. When I entered the door I went straight to the dance floor. I was on the dance floor with Dominique and the girls and Daniela, and then I was on the front. I literally didn't see you guys. Cause again, you guys were the fuck on and it was a little bit dark until when they put on the lights and we were leaving this. When I saw you and I came and again I left out round two, which I nailed it again, I won like I don't know how many rounds it was, I kept, we were, we were tired.

Speaker 1 1:19:35

It was a long day, I was tired, but we ended up. We ended up at IHOP, not Waffle House, but IHOP, not Waffle House, ihop.

Speaker 3 1:19:49

I mean, I'm just saying that. So we just rented a whole Waffle House for Sierra to serve it.

Speaker 3 1:19:56

About myself you know, but yeah, we ended up. Even my best friend enjoyed. He was in a room full of black people for a white guy, you know. But shout out to Walter and Chris. For some reason they blended with him, they love each other and they hang out. So then we went out. Of course we went to PBR. Now if we in Atlanta we also have PBR, people were riding bulls and I swear I went and told Anna the next day I was like that was porn. Anybody was out to us at a bull racing. I know there's some guys the bull riding videos, the bull riding a bull.

Speaker 3 1:20:39

I know there was some guys who took videos. It was porn. It was fucking soft porn. The guy who was controlling the bull. I swear, there was this guy he had. Like you didn't see me there- this striped top right and it was like there and she had big boobs and her boobs all over here and, boy, she was riding and the top kept on going down and she kept on doing this and the guy would go and have a hand to her boobs and then her boobs are also big, so they kept on.

Speaker 3 1:21:15

Like you cannot see. It was literally right in front of you and you're like we were just looking at each other like that's, that's that's the girl you guys, you guys were with, who was with Rokaiya? She went on the, she rode the bull, she rode and Nia also rode. Ah, okay, that's why the next day, because right in the morning you say Nia, it's Nia.

Speaker 3 1:21:42

Nia sorry yeah, well when Nia got off the stage and she was like I was so nervous, I was like he killed that shit. I was like he was all the bull riding. You rode yesterday. It gave you all the confidence you needed. I don't even remember what time we got back to our hotel no, I was, I was done, I think, at about 12.

Speaker 1 1:22:05

Well, we sat, we sat at, we went and you know what, when we left the party at 10 o'clock, there was a group of like almost 10 podcasts leaving the place, going out again to have an after after party. And I was like, no, no, no, I'm I hop. So I went and I hop, we sat down, kind of hung out over there. Ralph came later and he hung out with us again, so we chilled. And then after that, yeah, we decided, look, it's time, it's time to time to go home. And that was it I had, I think I had a good time, but the party was nice. Mr Alp, yeah, he killed it, and there was no doubt, no doubt we had the best one, the best music so fucking good.

Speaker 3 1:22:51

I'm just gonna say, oh yeah follow oh, oh, shout out to my homie.

Speaker 1 1:22:57

He picked the outfit for the night that's how hard it was, that's how you should do, that's how you look. You look good, you look good. I'll say that, my sister, oh, my sister, oh you, okay, sunday shout out to Crystal, naya and Adele.

Speaker 3 1:23:23

I love Adele, I love Crystal, I love Naya and the fact that she's also in Atlanta. We are gonna get in touch and do something. But there are pieces of podcasting which was presentation, partnership and platforms incredible information. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have because, first, I was late because I didn't want to get out of my bed and, second, I was standing next to Anna and we kept on cracking jokes. And then also my godly, I just walked in, who? I met her just less than a month because we were invited on international podcasting day to be in an apologetic summit and we had just connected on that and found that we were speaking at Alpha Zenay. Just so when we met each other.

Speaker 1 1:24:15

I was kind of sort of almost late. Well, I was late like just a bit because we went to some restaurant.

Speaker 3 1:24:22

I was even shocked to see you, because I thought you were leaving.

Speaker 1 1:24:25

I thought so and I and I was like you know what the morning session was was available, so I said you know what? I'll just go for the morning session and be out. And this is where everything just turned and I finished the whole day. However, I was on the top stage and I was having my breakfast while I was listening to the, to the piece of podcasting, and it was really cool.

Podcasting Networking and Learning Event

Speaker 3 1:24:43

It was cool all right, what do you? Learn from it as I say, doesn't pay much attention to that one.

Speaker 1 1:24:50

Well, for me, like I said, all this is knowledge and, just like you, need to be fed and be reminded of what, what is really out there sometimes. Sometimes the knowledge is the same but it could be packaged differently, and this is what happens when you go out and meet other industry experts. Like you remember when you talked about before that, you have to go to these different communities. The information is still the same, but how it's packaged and how they may package it is or marketed to you, marketed to you is going to be different. Therefore, it's imperative that you go back and listen to the same thing. It may be, it may be marketing right, but marketing might be spun differently from the way you're going to talk about marketing and the way I talk about how I market myself.

Speaker 3 1:25:41

You see, and that's so true because everybody's talking from their experience and stuff, and that's why I only wanted to be there. Yeah, baby, baby, baby. Did you get a button on? Yes?

Speaker 1 1:25:52

I did. Paula. Did you know you need to get my badge? You gave me this and a coaster isn't that a sticker?

Speaker 3 1:26:01

no, this is the magnet oh, the fridge right, you see most people in a coaster most people didn't get magnets, you got buttons well, I'm not this special one, I guess.

Speaker 3 1:26:14

I actually had a button for you, but the night we went out Saturday night because I had them on the on the top of next to the TV so that I can remember them and the hassle took. It was like I'm gonna support you and you wore the button at night throughout the night and then the next day I forgot to take it, you know what, paula?

Speaker 1 1:26:36

I don't mind, because I know I'm gonna meet you next year. So when I meet you next year I'll have a hat for you and I'll also have my, whatever the sticker the sticker, the stick of the thing. Okay, part face and what way? Right, so we're good so the piece, yeah, so with a piece of podcasting, like I said, all that was great. And then what else did we do? Your friend came from there.

Speaker 3 1:27:06

I was going in between two so profitable pitch by layer. She teaches you how to pitch like a boss and I love that cause. After listening to Daniel and sponsorships, now I want to learn how to pitch myself so that I can present and she killed it.

Speaker 1 1:27:27

But then you know you can't forget, you know I can never forget less last name pitch, pitch like a boss because her last name is funny. That's the city I'm from and I wanted to tell her. I was like, why are we seeing funny over here? Is this something wrong?

Speaker 3 1:27:42

and see, that would have been that you came to that. You are right and I should have.

Speaker 1 1:27:48

You see, that's the thing. I should have gone up. I think I was going somewhere. I've met Zenith. Zenith, who's an upcoming podcast from Zambia, shout outs to her and I'm really hoping for her podcast to show up. Well, and hey, if you're going to listen to this, we're really rooting for you as an African podcaster the aspirant podcaster to make it in this world. It is. It was an honor to actually have met you. However, that's the reason why we were leaving. I wanted to go up to her and say funny, you know, that's your last info is where the city that I live in you don't see. That would have been my way of introducing myself and getting to know each other, but hopefully I'll get a chance to talk to her some other time.

Speaker 3 1:28:26

I just done a summit with her and I'm supposedly a guest on our podcast in a few weeks, but I'm sorry, I was rushing from that one while also trying to support my boys, who actually is very amazing to my boy. So, and I also really wanted to learn about marketing, because you know, I'm big on brands and I want to know how to constantly market my brand. And so they are the the panel, content creation, blueprint, marketing and promotions for independent podcasters. And that was Chris and Walter. They did amazing job and I am definitely going to work our planning on meeting up and talking and just figuring out and I also be reaching out to Chris, who has been an amazing person to get to know and since they were the first people I was talking to, from Friday night when I met them at the lobby and the funny thing is Walter, a month ago podcasters is doing pod tours, so they've been going around. They had gone to Houston in Dallas, houston, austin, and they did Orlando, they did Vegas, they came to Atlanta.

Speaker 3 1:29:50

So when we went to Atlanta, walter was also that meeting. I saw him but we didn't talk. And then the next day, when we went on the recap call with podfest then, talking about it. I saw what I was like. So when we were with Walter and that I reached out to him because he's also on a different group with Mark and Lloyd and Simone, I was like it's such a small circle. I was like he also speaking at Apple's, I'm also speaking at Apple's, I'll see you there. So it's like, oh my god. I was like we are meant to work or collaborate together because we keep meeting each other in a span of a week. So nice to see you guys here to us.

Speaker 1 1:30:32

Yes, nice to see you.

Speaker 3 1:30:34

I was in between them, which also made me miss much, but again, because they, I know, and was like a pitch, like a boss, we're gonna constantly talk. That's a connection I made, but also I'm gonna reach out to them and just because these are all, I hated that. They were all two things I really wanted to pay attention to, but they were all happening at the same time.

Speaker 1 1:30:55

Yeah, because I remember you left and then, yeah, you had to leave and you had to go, and then I was like, okay, then you came back and finished with her, kind of had a conversation, and I think I was with Zenith, so we had to go back upstairs because also, I think also, what was that last one before yours? There was a presentation.

Speaker 3 1:31:18

Adela and Antna.

Speaker 1 1:31:19

Dystopia. The guy from it was he from Atlanta?

Speaker 3 1:31:23

That dystopia was on Saturday.

Speaker 1 1:31:26

No, he was on Sunday. He was on Sunday. No, he was on Saturday. Do you miss that? So we missed that. Talking about Saturday. Yeah, that was also a good one.

Speaker 3 1:31:38

Because I didn't go. I told you I left after I didn't go.

Speaker 1 1:31:41

That's what you missed.

Speaker 3 1:31:42

Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:31:43

And I was the Amy too, because Amy was sitting right next to me with that and, yeah, it was a, it was a, it was a really nice. Another, again, another, what do you call it?

Speaker 3 1:31:56

network, but then I know, I know them from podfest this year. I met them at podfest this year and then I met because one of his later half and not relationship wise, business wise is in Atlanta. I was also with him at the podfest pod tour meetup.

Speaker 1 1:32:15

See, and this is the thing, once you get around to doing this, this podcasting with other podcasters, we actually create a nice network of people who tend to help you out in the future. So, on the last, so now, next was yours, right after no before that.

Speaker 3 1:32:31

I actually missed that on how to build podcast leadership brand that attracts raising funds who are dying to support you. I wanted to get to that because it's so good to know how do people get this, return this in, like, how do I make people fun? But I missed that because after after this too, I went to have lunch and I was actually nervous and I was sleeping. I started, I wanted to go take a nap. I also wanted to attend Anna and Adele's, which was when the two media's media companies collided the power of collaboration, which I enjoyed. I learned some nuggets. People really underestimate the power of collaboration, I swear so I'm but also remember on the collaboration.

Speaker 1 1:33:24

Not everybody is good for you, exactly just yeah, just like anything.

Speaker 3 1:33:28

That's why that entire statement you're not for everybody, everybody's not for you it includes in everything, even in your personal life, not just podcasting, not your business, even in your personal. That's why they tell you when you just feel somebody's ride is not right, they don't belong in your circle, don't become friends. It's just gonna be fucked up drama and you're gonna be like oh my god, why the fuck?

Speaker 3 1:33:51

no, you brought it on your own. So after that I know I didn't go for the I come, you come, we come the e-cam, cause e-cam is only for people with mark books. So I was like I don't have a mark book, I don't know, I don't need to know, and I've had them before, they've also been a part of what person like. I am not going for that one.

Speaker 1 1:34:12

And you really experienced this, in this, like I think, and that's why I think I need to attend the process, because it seems like you, you, you have more knowledge with the people. Your, your app is really small, you like.

Speaker 3 1:34:29

Purpose is big. Like we won Guinness World Record for the most attended virtual conference for 2021 and 2020. Like 2020 and 2021, that's how big it is and that was virtual. So when we opened up back, when I tell you we have an entire hall where it's normally you know where people hold their weddings. Imagine this, the biggest hall. That's where we put they, put all their sponsors, so you just keep going around and then in the middle and you're also, you're also, you're, I think, at that one you're also doing something.

Speaker 1 1:35:07

You are, you are recording your people right at the, at the podcast, right, right, okay yeah, you get live interviews.

Speaker 3 1:35:16

You get all the sponsors, like mass sports. You capture and you eat this podcast.

Speaker 3 1:35:21

You all the sponsors are there and the good thing I like about what best. I normally end up coming back with so much shit because all the sponsors are giving out shit like you know t-shirts, you bars, you coupons, you pants, you ball. Like it's half of my suitcase is always freebies of what I came back, but it's normally big, it's not. That's why I can't compare it to that for the now. Just I mean this. People celebrating the 10th year in USA. They've been building this for longer.

Speaker 1 1:35:53

After this is still growing this is their fifth year actually yeah, but they're still growing.

Speaker 3 1:35:58

But I also, I also like it, but because also it's black community, so you can't compare with competing with somebody who's for everybody compared to, I mean. I mean.

Speaker 3 1:36:10

I'm not saying you're not, if you know black, you can't come to our cause. You can. But it's catered for black community, for our people and for each other to help and support and see each other. So we we still working, but also I love that I got to feel how a smaller conference feels, because I've just been used to put this and be the company, so it was.

Speaker 1 1:36:33

I can't imagine how it's gonna be, because if I, if I was intimidated by the way the Africa Park first was with that small thing, you trying to fit myself into everything and learn everything, I guess I'll have. That's my experience. I'll have to learn how to tailor myself to know, okay, I want to be doing this, this, this, this works for me and this doesn't work for me. And then, after that kind of you know, I learned and hey, smm social media manager is gonna be with me. So hey, I don't have a problem, you gonna be there, you gonna help me out.

Speaker 3 1:37:01

So hey, you know, because my first time I was overwhelmed too much, a lot, and I'm an extrovert and I should keep. But yes, but. But I love our present how, just because it's also very intimate like you are, so you are not a big crowd you actually get time to nurture those relationships, learn from people and be around your own people without why like, oh my god, I say nigga, this person's gonna take it weird. Oh my god, they say fuck you. You know I, the way we speak, the way we, you don't have to feel like am I making somebody uncomfortable? Will they get it?

Panel Presentation and Nervousness

Speaker 1 1:37:40

so I love that and it's also, by the way, let's also remember this it was very inclusive because we had all people of different, different genres, of different, you know, religion. There was no discrimination.

Speaker 3 1:37:58

Everybody was was there we had Indians, we are Jews, we had Muslims, we had Christians, we had.

Speaker 1 1:38:05

Everybody was welcome, even my white friend was there shoutouts to whatever after the Italian jacier did a good job with that shoutout to Talib and the entire office.

Speaker 3 1:38:16

And I would just see the Black Podcasting Association Cube. Everybody was there this podcasting you know they have.

Speaker 1 1:38:27

Oh, do you know podcasting? Have a, have a TV thingy, they have a here.

Speaker 3 1:38:33

Yeah, they have something that's coming up like it was giving out the flyers, like now I'm an actor too, I act. That guy I'm very curious about like I really want to check into this and see how, because I need, I need SEO help us up. So I'm excited about this one me too, me too wait, and wherever, wherever this, hey queen, I love oh yeah, this, yeah, I did.

Speaker 3 1:39:05

I did get this comparison this is the after the now just one. And then yeah, my god, I had this one. I love this one. Ways it, you get this.

Speaker 1 1:39:19

Yeah, the queue was this thing about the queue I think I need I need to have them come, and then we kind of have a conversation about this.

Speaker 3 1:39:26

It's a platform, it's a network as well, it's a media company.

Speaker 1 1:39:30

I know, but I never got to experience it. See what I'm telling you about. I met them for the first time last year at Fort Fest and then they also lead a road show about, about the stuff.

Speaker 3 1:39:41

They went on tour.

Speaker 1 1:39:42

I got to say hi.

Speaker 3 1:39:46

It's more sauce and then it says it kickbacks for podcast.

Speaker 1 1:39:51

Oh yeah, yeah, I have that in another, in my other bag, because I had so many bags here.

Speaker 3 1:39:58

Remember when I couldn't figure out what this thing was until we went to lunch and we're like, oh, this is simple.

Speaker 1 1:40:07

Yes, I mean.

Speaker 3 1:40:09

I mean it's right over there.

Speaker 1 1:40:11

That's what. After the lunch, that's when we were like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what. That's what it meant.

Speaker 3 1:40:16

And then, of course, I like the bio pic.

Speaker 1 1:40:20

That'll be on the idea. I have it on the others, on my other bag, because I picked up a whole lot of stuff and I was like wait two bags. So think, now let's talk about your or your presentation.

Speaker 3 1:40:34

You know what this guy's one.

Speaker 1 1:40:40

So I got a week, we got a start off. Let me start off by introducing Paula and shout out to you for having that panel. You are so scared about doing this panel and I think everybody should be scared. You should not be like very confident going to it because I think you probably be making making mistakes. But when you're scared you kind of have that idea of I got to follow this script. But I like the way when you got into it you say, oh, throw away those cards and then went. I can't say you. I can't say you went wrong. You went comfortable and you did quite an amazing job. Shout out to you and the panel was great. You had good people. And who's the other guy? The other guy who? Reginald? Yeah, he did great and I liked the part where he started off and he said about the disclaimer that got him into, into trouble or something like that, but on Twitter, right. So this is how to put it. There are. There are a lot of things that I heard and remember.

Speaker 3 1:41:58

I was supposed to leave and I said I'm not going until I listen to Paula and I actually can't say the clip that has been going on on my Instagram where I posted shout out to some of these that one took that clip for me. I was like, okay, if you're going to stay for just the beginning, can you capture my beginning of my talk by coming back and saying that I appreciate you, hey anything for my sister.

Speaker 3 1:42:25

And here's the thing, so that I've been on a panel, on a panel this year at Fort Fest, and again I was nervous, as I should have five minutes to be late. But and this, this one, I was prepared, that one, like I had not my dinner, I was going to start to shake after I got to my shit just came out. But this one it was because, like you know, I'm leading, I have to start. I don't have to just sit there and wait for people to answer, for me to answer. Like, I have to control this conversation, I have to control the audience, I have to make sure that audience are fighting with us. That's just pressure, right? Especially when people are putting time to come and listen to you, you better entertain them at some point, right?

Speaker 3 1:43:12

So the entire weekend, so today, I didn't even think about it, to be honest. And but the amazing part is, anybody who met me and this was people, some of them knew me from online and some people were just spent a few hours with me Everybody was telling I was nervous. I was like you're gonna be fine, look at you, you got this. Like nobody was ever doubting that I was going to lose my shit. So that was pressure, because everybody was believing in me and I'm like you don't even know me. How are you putting so much believe on me, like, like Dave? But then, even when, so the night before, actually before the party, the reason we were late? Because Matthew was on the call, so while he was on the phone I was standing there on bed going through my cards cause we had already talked about it and wait. So what was? The. Thing.

Speaker 3 1:44:06

Shut up. Let me tell you. So I put every question we had. We didn't know which questions we were going to ask. They were leaving that to me Like Paula go.

Speaker 1 1:44:17

I bet he had sugar.

Speaker 3 1:44:19

I was like I'm not going to ask you all the questions. I'm not going to ask you all the questions. I know the questions are numbered, but you can ask. Number five is number one, whatever you feel. So I wrote all the questions and then at the mark, I wrote my points of those questions in case I forget something. So I had the cards and I was like I'll go through them. So when he was on the call, I looked at the cards and I was like, let me go through them. So I was reading and as I was reading I finally clicked. I finally knew how I wanted to start the conversation.

Speaker 3 1:44:58

And next thing, matthew is on a business call. He just hears fuck, I rushed to the bathroom and then I put on the tap water to flow so that he can't hear the noise and I go through the panel presentation Welcome. Like I do the whole skit and I finish and I'm like, fuck, I know this. So when I walked into the party I had so much confidence. Like as soon as I walked in, the first person I met was Janissia, was my, my, my partner met and I hadn't seen her yet because, rokai, I had already met her and she goes hi, paula. I'm like Janissia, I nailed it and she's like what do you mean they must be? Before I could even talk about it, because she was shouting in the bathroom Like I feel like she finally figured this shit out.

Speaker 2 1:45:46

I'm like Paula, we, we had trust in you, we believe in you, we knew you got this.

Speaker 3 1:45:50

I'm like I know you're new, but I didn't know. And then I partied and everything. And then tomorrow came, sunday, that they actually have to be on the stage. You saw me. First I was asleep and tired and second I was like fuck this shit, now is. The time kept on getting closer. My stomach started. So Matthew was like let me come and pick you up, let's get you to eat something. Yo, I went to high up. I'm looking at the menu. I'm like what if I have to go shit in the middle of my panel because I decided to eat, or what? If I actually puke.

Speaker 3 1:46:24

I was like I ain't eating shit, I'm drinking tea. I literally drank tea, not even coffee tea, and I even left Matthew in the middle of his lunch. I was like I gotta go. I'm going to walk and clear my head. Matthew was looking at me like should I even come to this shit? Did we waste our money? Because I don't know the way you're acting. I'm even worried about you right now.

Speaker 1 1:46:48

No, but you did, you did, you did great, that's the best part for him, because he never listens to my podcast.

Speaker 3 1:46:57

He has never seen me around this, but he will help me pitch my come up with my elevator page. He'll help me get my shit together Like he'll listen to me talk about my panel ideas, my presentation ideas, any idea. So for him to actually see me this weekend, like I remember I never understood it, even though I supported it, but seeing you this weekend around your federal podcast and seeing you on that stage seeing you do your shit, I have all different respect for you and that she was like oh my God, Now can I just post on my shit so I can get, like you know, a studio and all that shit.

Speaker 1 1:47:42

And Paula, the way the conversation went and the topics that you had and the panel that you had all that as a moderator. You actually had them comfortable. There's one thing, and you only met them the first time, but when you got on stage you made them comfortable to whereby they were able to express themselves so well, which is a very hard thing to do, especially when your meetup is just one day or maybe 24 hours before you met them. And then you did something that you had practiced before and that's something that you should put into your resume, Because people don't get that chance. Some people are unable to get a conversation going from others like that, and that was a great panel that you did and you moderated and a great panel of people you had.

Speaker 3 1:48:33

Thank you. We actually met twice, but on Zoom, like just to go through. The first meetup was like, okay, we have been all putting a panel. Who are you, what do you have, what do we want this panel to be about? And then, everybody, we just made a Google Docs. Everybody was just dropping information. Then we met again to just kill it. Like, these are the questions we picked. This is the floor, this is our title. All right, do we need another meeting? No, fuck, no See you all at Apple's. So it really was.

Speaker 3 1:49:03

And the thing is I knew in my head as long as I started it, because even the cards don't matter I had to make sure I was listening, because if I'm asking a question and then like how you see the conversation ended yes, I had a specific question about content, trigger and warnings and it was supposed to be number five on my talk, but right after I asked the question a different question it's led to content warning and triggers. So if I was paying attention to the cards, I would have skipped that and then brought it back, but sometimes it's all it takes is listening and just connecting with the floor. Yes, the cards. Even when I have conversations on people on my show. I do have questions prepared.

Speaker 1 1:49:53

But, paula, that's preparation. That's what's called preparation and you are what they call a level two podcaster. If anyone goes to listen to the next podcast I'm going to do when I talk to Dana Seder, who was on SimaBox and he was talking about African podcasters, specifically African podcasters. There's a level one and level two. What you were talking about is the level two. You are that part of the level two podcasting where you prepare your notes. Maybe I'll put it at level three because you're not going with, oh so, number one, number two, number three. No, you have them, you have them in your mind.

Speaker 1 1:50:30

What you had to ask, and you knew that you had that question about trigger warning, but somewhere along the line, if it came up on part two, you put it in organically and continue with it so that you take it off from three.

Moderating Panels and Public Speaking Reflections

Speaker 1 1:50:42

Now it's come to two, then you're still throwing three there, but three is going to move to two, is going to move to three. So it's still in the part of the whole process, but you're listening to the other person and then it flows If you do that part where you are one, two, three, four and go work, and that's what I liked about you and I think that was a part when you said oh, we go this, I'm not using these cards. You put them on the side and you say you know what, we're going to do this. And that was the part where I, when I was back and I think that's the time I came back and I was like look, I got to finish this, this thing, what I started. And when I got back, I saw you say that and I was like Paula, you got this, we're going to have a good show and it was nice, you know at that point.

Speaker 3 1:51:27

That's when they told me they were showing me the time and I was like, okay, there's specific, certain specific things I need To have. And then I, when I looked at the card, the next question it was going to be longer and you saw my partner is those motherfuckers also can talk. So it wasn't like people are going to give you one, one line of an answer. So I was like, okay, let me go to the one that will really bring us home.

Speaker 3 1:51:53

And the most important part, even but as I was saying about my even, even math, was like the biggest takeaway you should have is the fact that you guys ran over time and people were still sitting and engaging, the fact that we were told like, yeah, your time is up, but we have 30 minutes break you can stay and use. And people stayed and people continue asking questions and we continue engaging to the next day. We're like, listen, we're going to shut this out. We literally took 20 more extra minutes, only 10 more minutes before the other shit started, while people are supposed to have their 30 minutes. But for me that was like, yo, this is such a blessing. It shows that we do have shit for you guys to hear you're engaging with that Because we might have. That was like what if I wrap this up and ask any questions and there is no question? That was my most feel, okay. Well then, thank y'all.

Speaker 1 1:52:54

I don't think you're going to have that. Remember, paula, the attitude you had, the vibe that you brought from the beginning to where everyone really wanted to see. Hey, dominic even sent you stuff and was telling you hey, you're killing it on the as you're doing the panel. Isn't that great, I mean, when you have somebody actually in the stage, right into you and telling you hey, you know what you're doing, a great job, Keep going on. You know.

Speaker 3 1:53:22

Paula, look you're good, you are fucking kidding. Oh my God, thank you, catch my next comedy. But I swear running that panel made me feel like y'all I can make motherfuckers laugh. I need to try comedy.

Speaker 1 1:53:39

I might be sleeping on my skills, y'all yeah you are, you are, and I think I'm thinking that you should be moderating more and more and I hope that you become part of it, like you become like one of the main sources of panel being in the panel on and on. Like we also talked about, like next year we should go on a panel and talk about our as diaspora African podcasters. Link that and be together. Hi Eve, hi Mimi.

Speaker 3 1:54:14

Nice to join us and the thing is. So. Here's the thing I've done a panel, moderated a panel, and next year I'm doing my own kind of like a TEDx, but it's not a TEDx, it's called Pecha Kucha. It's a five minute talk. So I'll be doing that at Port West and then I might be doing a surprise panel at Port West. It's still under wraps, but I'm enjoying this, and I even told Port West. I'm like yo. I told them I'm ready to go into here and if they're looking for moderators to drop in, hit me up, cause I feel like I want to explore the moderation world a little bit more and I don't want to do it in a clubhouse section. I want to do it like in life. I want to be a moderator, live on stages.

Speaker 3 1:55:02

So that's how you progress, breaking my virginity I even had. I was like thank you for breaking my virginity. Today it was like shut up it's it's and it's a nice experience.

Speaker 1 1:55:16

Remember, remember again, nice, uh, first, it's a first, mine was the first time attending it. Right, and I think with you, when you start doing the moderation and moving to moderation as part of your um skills and experience, you will become more and you could do public speaking, see. So it starts off here with the small and then you keep building up on it and even as a podcast, right now you we're moderating each other by our talks. Right, we, we know the cues and everything. And, look, it's an experience. You learn like that. You keep moving on and hey, sky, sky's not even the limit you got. You got places to go, girl.

Speaker 3 1:55:54

And that's why um cause, I do want to eventually take 10 next stage like that. So I knew I had public speaking issues like I get shy in public and I know I have to be comfortable. So I started since I joined port first in 2020, I started with case study presentations where I can either record myself or put my slides in my voice. So I've done for podcast for case study presentations and put this when they do their mini. And then I was like okay, let's go do pet chacucha. I was supposed to do pet chacucha last year but shit happened and I had to drop out last minute.

Speaker 1 1:56:33

Is pet chacucha African name or what is?

Speaker 3 1:56:36

pet chacucha Japanese.

Speaker 1 1:56:38

Oh, so that's.

Speaker 3 1:56:39

Yeah, it's like five minutes presentation. You should go go eat and learn what it means.

Speaker 1 1:56:48

I thought it was. I thought it was something that you added on from Tanzania to them and gave them. That's a pet chacucha.

Speaker 3 1:56:54

I was like, okay, this Tanzanian thing, okay, it's kind of like a 10 minutes but a five minute talk kind of shit. And then I did a panel this year. I was like, okay, I've presented enough a podcast, comfortable with purpose, because they know me. So I was like, let me try other places where people don't know me. That's why.

Speaker 3 1:57:17

I wanted to try out for us. I tried out for us. I know that motherfucking shit. Now we're just going to keep up. So it's it's all about pushing yourself, and these little goals, these small goals, are leading to the big goals that I have, which is that a question Was there a difference?

Speaker 1 1:57:35

Did you, did you feel a different? Okay, what was your take on on this model, on this particular one, afros and Audios, and was there a difference between the last, the others that you've done right, considering that the communities are different and this one? What is your take on?

Speaker 3 1:57:50

Language Because even if I was like man, can you, can you quit on the fucks? It was like a lot. I'm like it was because also the environment I am when you're with your fellow black people like it's so easy to talk and cast, it comes naturally Like you have to kind of, but then it after us because I know there are kids as well. I did not see them, one child at after the now, but at Port Fest we have kids from last year.

Speaker 3 1:58:18

This Arab guy he is called I don't give them a Lamborghini as a Lamborghini lives in Dubai and is a content creator. He came with an entire entourage to Port Fest like video cameras and all this and all, and one of his friends who was also speaking, his wife Jess, had a baby and the baby was three months old and the baby was there too. We have kids who are 11, 12, who have traveled all the way from UK to come to Port Fest. So it's a community where you never know who's on the stage. So I don't cast as much like I'm very careful with the way I talk and present to make sure everybody's able.

Speaker 3 1:59:00

I can't say your issue, I talk my issue, but I sense my issue, but I sense my issue. And then it after us there's no sense in fucking shit.

Speaker 1 1:59:09

No, but you know what, there are kids there on the second day. They were kids. I think it was Amy, not Amy One of the panels in the morning, crystal, it was Crystal Naya, and who was the third person?

Speaker 3 1:59:25

Adele.

Speaker 1 1:59:25

Those kids were there.

Speaker 3 1:59:27

I did not see them.

Speaker 1 1:59:32

But anyway, that's besides the story. So the takeaway was that right.

Speaker 3 1:59:35

Yeah, also just looking in the crowd and seeing so many of my people. Yes, at Port Fest you have to kind of have to.

Speaker 1 1:59:47

Yeah, with pepper, we got to get our. We got to get our our, our our diaspora and diaspora podcasts to actually show up and do something, you know, and I think that's, and I mean that creates and.

Speaker 3 2:00:03

I mean, we shared our right to to this thing, which was a very fascinating right, and we talked about a lot of that. We have a lot of work to do. Well, you do.

Speaker 1 2:00:15

Oh man, look, I have there's. There's a lot we're going to do. There's a lot of stuff from this, from this meet up and this particular festival. There's there's a lot of work that we have to do. I have a lot of work to do also with SEMA box from Kenya. I'm part of their creation, a creator of SEMA box. So we have a. We have to have some meetings and kind of work with them, and then I still have to work with you guys as diaspora and podcasters and their collective pod pod, pod break.

Speaker 1 2:00:48

So, paula, these are the things that we need to work on and that's what I was saying, from where we are now to where we'll get to next year, hopefully, when we go back to Afros and audio.

Speaker 1 2:00:58

We will be, you know, we will be great at what we're doing and be running stuff much better as African diaspora and podcasters, and then we will create our space and when we come up together with with all this, all this other elements and other podcasters, I think we're going to be. We're going to be more visible and, combined with all the knowledge that we're getting from other communities, bringing everything together, oh, we're going to make a great team. We're going to be a great team together, not as just diaspora podcasters just being inclusive. Right, we probably will be standing out as, as people who are part of this greater community. Remember, like we said in the beginning when we were talking about it, we have the advantages of the fact that we have lived in different places like we've came. We came from Kenya, moving to the UK. For you, me, the US, uk, all these countries that we've been to, we've learned how to live with different people.

Speaker 3 2:02:03

So when you bring it to podcasting, that is one of the special talent that I think we're not exploring that that well but true, also, on top of that, mind you, I think sometimes, when we start things like that, we want it to be so big, but the number of people don't make it big. I rather have people who actually want to be part of a community, willing to learn, willing to help, support and all that. So if I, if 10 people show up who are willing to do that compared of having 50 people and only two want to do that, I rather do that. So, as you're planning this, remember as well as much as we want to be inclusive, we also want serious people. So, not everybody is for you. You are not for everybody. You have to make sure that. Yes, I'm inviting everybody, but I also want you to make sure that you're willing to put in the work to be here.

Speaker 1 2:03:00

Paula, did I say I was inviting anybody?

Speaker 3 2:03:03

You said all the Esperans.

Speaker 1 2:03:05

No, I said oh yeah, like that. But Paula, remember what I said. I said diaspora and podcasters. I didn't mention about it in whatever story. You and I are the community right now.

Speaker 3 2:03:16

I'm saying diaspora itself. Not every diaspora needs to be a part of that.

Speaker 1 2:03:24

Right, but look at our community. If I'm to say we started organically, right now, it's you and I, Paula. This is our community. Then we have Ralph, then we got Zenith, then we got.

Speaker 3 2:03:33

Shemika. But who said I want Raf in there? Maybe Raf is not for me.

Speaker 1 2:03:41

I hope he doesn't hear this.

Speaker 3 2:03:43

But you get my point.

Speaker 1 2:03:45

He should have been here watching us, right, I'm sure he'll come and get this. But you see, it's all this inclusivity of just the four of us. We're not caring about the bigger numbers. We meditate at the festival. Then we'll grow slowly if we need to. But for me, 10, I'm good. I'm good. 10 max, I'm good. 5, I am good, as long as there's information circling, like, for example, you and I. I have information from my side, you have information from your side. We meet together and we bond. That's the whole point of all this. We got to bond as podcasters together, starting from Afro Zen audio Right.

Speaker 3 2:04:26

So we have actually spent two hours and it's almost going to two hours and a half, but we we went through the entire Afro Zen audio weekend. So overall for me, I am glad I went. The amount of networking, the amount of future collaborations, the amount of knowledge, the amount of just being part of a community and belonging was incredible. No regrets, and I'm already looking forward to Afro Zen audio just 20, 24.

Speaker 1 2:04:59

All right Pick.

Speaker 3 2:05:05

Pick one. What am I picking?

Speaker 1 2:05:07

Oh, you took the two cards. No, no, you can't say what it was, but you just got to pick one green or yellow.

Speaker 3 2:05:13

But you have two yellows right.

Speaker 1 2:05:15

Yes, I have two yellows. I just want to ask you. I'll pick one of the yellows, so pick green or yellow.

Speaker 3 2:05:23

Pick green because I have a feeling I have one of the yellows that you have. Okay.

Speaker 1 2:05:29

So this was Mary, Mary, many lumens, and they are many lumenscom they came, they had something going on, Remember. They were really cool. I love them.

Speaker 3 2:05:40

I follow both Maria and, oh my God, I forgot the boy's name, raphael. Rolf is such an art, amazing people, and I'm hearing the podcast. They even followed back and they shouted out my podcast.

Speaker 1 2:05:55

I need to hook up with them because I looked at their profile.

Speaker 3 2:05:57

They're really showing African stories, I believe on our podcast stories and journeys. It's incredible. I haven't checked them out.

Speaker 1 2:06:04

And they're more on the creative side film producers or whatever. Now, this is what they did. They got quotes and they gave everyone a quote, so you got to pick it up and then at the back is where they had the information, and then the front end are quoted from an episode of someone's episode, they take one quote and then they write the name in the episode.

Speaker 3 2:06:30

That was incredible, impressive. I need to start doing that for my podcast. I go on and find one specific quote that reflects that episode and then print that.

Speaker 1 2:06:43

Right. So now I'm going to read it so that we end this. This is from Jason Reynolds. The full episode is called Jason Reynolds. It says, I believe that I have 26 letters, 26 letters to put into a multitude of arrangement, to cast a spell. It's like a wildest form of alchemy. It still overwhelms me, the idea, the possibilities that I have with just these characters. Wow.

Speaker 3 2:07:15

Impressive. I love them. I have two yellow ones and I've already stuck them on my desk on top so that I can see them, even though I have to pack up and we are moving next month. I don't know why I did that, that's okay, that's okay, so some.

Speaker 3 2:07:32

Baza, thank you for jumping and doing this with me. By the way, this is our perspective, our opinions, from our knowledge. That's why, even when we were talking about the sessions, even though we were in the same session together, we all had different takeaways, we all learned different shit, and we will this. So this don't come for us. If we say something you don't like, I'm sorry, but we were very positive, so I'm pretty sure you're like. They wish it was a or if you have a different perspective, by all means challenges. You know, send us a spy. The only thing remember remember what you say.

Speaker 1 2:08:05

The only thing that we wanted we wanted out of it was that maybe they can do the main stages. They break them out so that we don't have to fight for the main stage. We all come to the main stage and sit down and listen to the main stage, move out and then go to the breakout rooms and then come back. So if we have the main, everybody in the main stage gets an opportunity to be listened to rather than have the few people. So the breakout rooms become where we break into sessions right, but when we come to the main stage, everybody goes to the main stage and listens to what's going on there. So some other podcast is happy that you, in whatever extended invitation to come and talk about Afros and audio.

Speaker 3 2:08:48

Before you tell people where they can find your podcast and everything, I have to hook your, put your plug in. Come on now, you need to learn how to do this. But anyways, before I remember, right after my panel I stayed for Corey's closing panel and then I left. I did not stay for the gratitude ceremony, which, at Port Fest, I normally do because it's one of my favorite, but I was really just tired and it was taking forever and I really just wanted to go and smoke a blunt.

Speaker 3 2:09:26

To be honest, which I ended up not doing because sometimes I was in my car.

Speaker 1 2:09:34

That's the story for another day, did you?

Speaker 3 2:09:36

cut a part of the gratitude ceremony. Did you do a gratitude?

Speaker 1 2:09:43

No, no, I didn't do it. I caught a little bit of it and I couldn't go say anything because also it was towards the end and I was leaving. I probably should have and, like I said, I think next time next year we should say something.

Speaker 3 2:10:00

The first time I normally do for Port Fest, but again, I was really just tired and ready to do it. We'll do it next year. And plus because the fact that I knew we had to write to DC and the game had just ended when I finished my panel. So I was like it's perfect time, because now it won't be crazy, but it's funny because I say bye to you and when you say bye, because I was like let me make sure I say bye to him in case he still wants to go.

Speaker 3 2:10:33

But when you didn't say anything, I was like maybe change this mind. You're lucky, I was still outside.

Speaker 1 2:10:39

It worked out Okay. So back to say back to some buzzer, well as some buzzer podcast. I want to thank the Tali just here for doing a great job. After an audio yeah, shout out to you and everybody who was there Black Podcast Association, cube Crate Talks. Okay, I gotta say this talk shit with Pete. You know I don't curse, so I'm trying as much as possible not to curse Everyone who was there. I really appreciate your.

Speaker 1 2:11:11

Your coming up there giving us content and giving us James James for anything to do with podcasting and with some buzzer podcast. You already know where you can find us at all socials, at some buzzer podcastcom. Wherever you listen to podcasts, you'll definitely find me there. Or do a search on Google Google is your best friend You'll find me. And one last thing is we're always coming up with series and go out and watch the listen to the latest series. We don't do videos yet, but, paula, now you're getting me out on the video thingy so I might be looking at it. You know, smm social media manager. Paul is actually my social media manager.

Speaker 3 2:11:53

He hasn't given me money as I told him to pay me. Say I'll tell him to pay me for friendship currency. Friendship currency. He giving me titers without the money. Friendship currency. Friendship currency there's so much that friendship currency can do my friend. At the end of the day, we hook each other up.

Speaker 1 2:12:13

We hook each other up from here. I tell you about this.

Speaker 3 2:12:16

At the end of the day, bill is gonna be paid. A girl gotta make a living, all right, thank you for hanging out with us. Thank you for talking some shit with me. You have a great next of your weekend. Bye y'all.

Speaker 1 2:12:30

All right, bye.

Speaker 3 2:13:00

And while you're there, feel free to shop away. Buy me coffee dot com. Thank you for listening, sharing, engaging and support in any way that you do. Remember, new episodes are out every Wednesday and for part two is ending on Fridays. Let's talk and all listen to some shit Happy, shit talking.