Let's Get Visible with Janine Coney- Personal Brand, Visibility and Business Success Coach
This podcast series is for female entrepreneurs and founders who are ready to elevate their visibility and create a powerful personal brand and business for their success. I am a Personal Brand, Marketing and Business Strategist based in the UK. I produce solo podcasts and chat with my industry-leading guests about all aspects of elevating a personal brand and business from getting more visible and positioning yourself as a recognised expert in your career or business. We talk about the highs and lows and I love to give impactful insights, tips and inspiration to help you grow.
Let's Get Visible with Janine Coney- Personal Brand, Visibility and Business Success Coach
Ep 45 - Podcasting Success Secrets with Donna Eade
Ever wondered how anyone can start a podcast using just the basics? In this episode, we promise you'll learn how to kickstart your own podcast journey straight from Donna, the inspiring host of the Mindset and Action Podcast. And you’ll learn a bit about sound quality too - lol!
Donna is a podcast host of the Mindset & Action Podcast and the Mic Action Podcast and is a podcast mentor, who helps passionate business owners create and launch their podcasts to amplify their message. Her passion and drive come from one of her highest values, the need to help others. She helps her clients go from creation to publication so they can help more people with their unique talents and skills
Donna talks to me about her evolution from believing professional studios were a must, to embracing the simplicity of recording from home. Donna's journey, influenced by industry greats like Jasmine Starr and Amy Porterfield, offers tangible lessons on leveraging minimal equipment and the impact of the pandemic on podcast growth, especially in the UK.
Discover effective podcasting strategies that go beyond download numbers. Donna and I discuss how to use your podcast as a powerful tool for brand building and credibility. From integrating lead magnets and email marketing to utilizing dynamic content platforms like Buzzsprout, we cover it all. You'll learn how to promote your services and products seamlessly within your podcast content, enhancing your holistic strategy and expanding your reach.
For those ready to jump into the podcasting world, Donna shares indispensable advice on starting with what you have and ensuring high-quality recordings. Tips include using basic tools like Apple headphones and creative sound-enhancing solutions like recording in a wardrobe. We also delve into the role of a well-prepared host, the importance of guest etiquette, and effective launch strategies to maximize visibility and engagement. Step up your podcasting game with Donna's insights, and gain practical tips on personal branding, visibility, and prioritising sound quality for a professional touch.
You can connect with Donna and join her upcoming podcast masterclass here:
https://donnaeade.com/startandgrow
Visit my website for details about all my services and how to work with me in the next Unseen to Unstoppable program starting in January 2025. This is my signature program to take you to being unforgettable and unstoppable through my unique step by step approach to building a personal brand and business
Or visit my website here
Hello and welcome to the let's Get Visible show, the podcast for ambitious female leaders, ceos, founders and entrepreneurs who are ready to take their personal and business brand to the next level. I'm Janine Coney, your personal brand marketing and business strategist, and here we cut through the noise and focus on what really matters Me and my guests, delve into the strategies and insights and the real stories that will help you stand out and drive the results that you want. So if you're ready to make your mark and elevate your visibility, you're in the right place. So let's get going with the next episode. Hello and welcome back to the next episode. Today, I'm joined by Donna. Donna helps passionate business owners create and launch their own podcasts. She is the podcast host of the Mindset and Action podcast and she is an absolute goldmine of information regarding launching a podcast, elevating your podcast and getting your podcast as visible as possible. So let's dive straight in with today's episode and let me introduce you to Donna.
Speaker 1:So Donna welcome to the let's Get Visible podcast. I've been really excited about this one. I have so many questions for you. I'm really excited to be here, so welcome. So before we dive into that, obviously I've just done a short introduction about you, but I'd love you to introduce yourself to the audience today.
Speaker 2:Okay, so my name is Donna and I am a podcast host and mentor. My podcast is called the Mindset and Action Podcast, and if you search for it, use the ampersand instead of and on Apple, because otherwise you won't find it, which is a bit of a problem for me, but I prefer the ampersand to the word. So yeah, mindset and action, and it's a podcast to help you grow and streamline your business, and we focus on mindset, audience building, productivity and planning. So that's the podcast, and then I mentor people who want to start a podcast, because one of the things that I found when I started my podcast, and one of the things that I talk about all the time, is the fact that you don't know what you don't know, and it's very easy to go and search for the things that you think you need when you're going to start a podcast, but there's lots of stuff that you don't realize that you need, or that you think you need and you don't actually need, and so I help people to go from idea to publication on their podcasts.
Speaker 1:Amazing. I've got so many questions for you that we want to unravel today and give people some insights as well, to help them. Now I have been a podcaster for a good three, four years, but what is so shocking in that is how many times I've picked it up and put it down. Picked it up, put it down and then deleted episodes when things have changed, which, looking back, maybe I shouldn't have done so. I mean mine. This one when we are recording is about only 45, 46. However, I've done more than that. However, I've learned quite a lot over the years, but things have changed so much. But what I'm intrigued to know before we delve into the world of podcasting is how did you come into this? Because obviously podcasting has only been big over the past maybe four or five years. It's really, really exploded. I know it's been about before that, so tell me about how you come about to being a podcast host yourself and now a mentor.
Speaker 2:So for me, podcasting has been around for the last 10 years in my world, but it's actually over 20 years old now in reality reality, uh, but it obviously it started in America, so over here in the UK it really took off in the pandemic. It really did um, and so that was great to see from that perspective, to see it grow and to see a new audience come about. In the UK, I think we're about sixth in the world on listenership for podcasts, so we're still quite. You know, we're not usually in things like that are worldwide. We're quite close to the top in a lot of things, but podcast listenership we're still quite low on the totem pole. So I always see that as a good thing. There's lots of room to grow. But I started I first heard a podcast back 10 years ago, 2014.
Speaker 2:I was following a lady who some of you may know called Jasmine Starr, and I had followed her from the beginning of her career Well, not from the very beginning, but when she started to teach photographers about photography, wedding business. I was a wedding photographer at the time, so I was following her because of that. I was a wedding photographer at the time, so I was following her because of that. She then went on to Amy Porterfield's podcast and told her audience being me that she was on it and I started listening to it. And so I started listening to Amy Porterfield's podcast when she was on like episode 45, somewhere around there and she's now on episode 600 and something. So, and she's now on episode 600 and something. So I've been listening to her for a long, long time and I'd always assumed podcasting was that thing. That was like a radio show. So you needed a studio, you needed producers, you know it needed all of this stuff. I had no idea you could do it from your own home until Amy started opening up a bit more about it.
Speaker 2:And then, when I started my business in 2020, I decided that I was going to use podcasting because when I was a wedding photographer, I had a blog I'm what I call, and I've dubbed it. I think like I should go and do a trademark on it, or something is keyboard dyslexic, right. Do a trademark on it, or something is keyboard dyslexic, right. So I can.
Speaker 2:I can spell perfectly fine with pencil and paper, but you give me a keyboard and one or other is working faster than the other and I always misspell words. So one of the best ones that I misspell is Christmas. I cannot spell Christmas to save my life on the keyboard. If I'm just mid-typing, if I focus, yeah, but if it's just in a sentence, I'm always going to spell it wrong, and the simple three-letter word and the E and the H are always the wrong way around when I type it. So I thought I can't be doing with a blog, I'm going to do a podcast. And so, yeah, in 2020,. I started my podcast April 16th, I think it was, and I've done an episode every week since then, with the exception of two weeks over Christmas, which I give people grace that they're not going to want to listen to me and I can spend time with my family and then this year I started doing two episodes a week, so we've shot up a little bit on the number. I'm on episode 265 now.
Speaker 1:I I think that's a commitment to a week, though.
Speaker 2:That's the commitment well, I have a mini episode on Monday which is a mindset episode, so it's 10 minutes. Um, and I use I use my guests for that. So we do a 10 minute mini mindset on a Monday and then we have a full episode. So I record that with my guests in one hit. And then my solo episodes are every other Thursday and on the Monday I have my friend and coach, viv, come in and do a 10 minute and we record four at once. She comes in for an hour we do it for and then I just edit those, so they're 10 minutes, and then my Thursday episodes are between 30 and an hour, depending on the guest and what we're talking about.
Speaker 1:Wow, but the thing is, what I love there is is the consistency me being a personal branding and talking to people about consistently what I've been consistent is consistently shite. I've been consistently inconsistent with my podcast, um, and I think I've gone through phases where I've fallen in and out of love with it, but I also think, because my business changed, I took a bit of a break from it, um. However, it's still something that I've always come back to and I really love and I'm very, very committed to it again going forward. But so obviously you've taken there's from 2000 to now 2024. What's been your biggest learnings in that time? I've got so many questions I want to ask you I'm trying to get them in a logical order in my brain so they don't come out all over the place, so when people listen back to this so when you started, what fears did you have because we both know that that's one of the biggest obstacles for people what fears did you have and how long did it take you to build up the momentum?
Speaker 2:I think it took a while. So for me, I think my biggest fear wasn't around hitting the record button, which I think for most people it is, and I didn't really understand that. Excuse me if you can hear my cat meowing in the background. Sometimes noise reduction works, but often it doesn't. So for me it wasn't around that, because I love to talk, so and I've got no issue with talking, and the fact that I don't have to be camera ready for podcast is like a-okay with me, so like good to go. But my fear was more around the listenership like will I get anybody listen to me? Like is it just going to fall on deaf ears.
Speaker 2:And I struggled in the beginning because there isn't a lot of people that talk about their numbers out there, which is why when I talked to people on my mic action podcast, which is the second podcast I started back in January about podcasting it's a seasonal one though I ask them about their numbers because I think it's really important for people to realize that it's not about that number. It's not like you hear, um, like amy porterfield she get her. Aim was a million downloads in a month and you think, if so, if you get 10 downloads on your first episode, which was me, you think, oh my gosh, there's no point. Why should I even bother doing this? And that's. It's not a fair comparison and there's so many things within downloads that makes it so it's a number that shouldn't matter. It really is a vanity metric when it comes to looking for big download numbers, because you want people really taken much notice at all.
Speaker 2:I'm quite obsessed with my numbers, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean exactly. I mean I am generally, generally, but I just haven't. It's been maybe it started more of a passion project, I don't know, but it's not something I obsess over and think I just, you know, if I've talked to some people and some people have listened to it, then I think that's brilliant, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's how I wish more people would come to it. But they often think that they need to have these big download numbers. And it's not about the download numbers, because what I always tell people is you can listen to a podcast without downloading it, and, in fact, most platforms. Apple used to have it that, um, if you subscribed to a podcast, they would automatically download those episodes for you, so they would be in your app, um, and then, if you hadn't listened for a while, it would pause it and it'd let you know the next time you went to listen. Oh, we paused downloads on this. Do you want to restart it again Now? They don't do that. So you can listen to podcast episodes. It doesn't mean you've downloaded it. So I listen through GoodPods and if you download it, yeah, you can listen to it when you're offline, but if I'm in the car and I'm listening, I haven't downloaded that episode, so that's not showing up for the podcast host no, I don't think I ever download any really.
Speaker 1:I mean, yeah, maybe if I'm going away and I'm that interested, but generally for me a podcast like is a one-time listen. Yeah, so, unless I'm going to lose my wi-fi and I want to download it for something to listen to, exactly going on a long run, or something other than that no, it's not a download but it might be a subscribe and it will definitely be a go back. Yeah, I mean, don't you just love podcasts for the fact, so you can take them anywhere with you? Yeah, listen in the car. Um, you know, on a run, I love nothing more than the podcast when I'm out on a run.
Speaker 2:Now, yeah, which is why it's so important for us not to get hooked up on that download number and different apps showed it. And the thing is is you could get really like it could be a whole job, just like keeping those, because, although your host will generally keep an overall download number, that's the download number, whereas if you go into Apple console in there it will show you how many people have pressed play, how many people have listened to it all and how many downloads you've got. So it breaks it down a bit more. But not everybody listens on Apple. Lots of people listen on Spotify, I listen on GoodPods, so it's not a true. You're not ever getting a true idea of the numbers there. So you can't really have that KPI in your business like I want to hit this many, I want this many listeners, because you really can't tell what those numbers are. So you have to have a different way of measuring it, which is where freebies and email list building comes into.
Speaker 1:Podcast it becomes. Also, it's a I'm I not going to say it's free, because there are parts of podcasting now that you have to pay for we'll come on to that in a bit but in a sense it's a way for you to build your brand, one of the easiest ways for you to build your brand and advertise what you're doing. You're kind of missing a trick now if you don't use your podcast as well, with segments within it, to promote something that you've got coming up. Don't get me wrong, you don't want to turn it into like a, an American TV advert. It's just like, goodness me, is there any content in here?
Speaker 1:However, I think to begin with, people or let's I don't want, I don't ever want, to call anybody small or little or anything, but people started out and they just gave a message, and sometimes I do still do them that have a message. But actually you've got a way of bringing in your services and your or your product, but generally from my point of view, when I work with clients their services into the particular podcast, not just by what you put in your show notes, but what you're talking about, not just in the interview, but purposefully dropping in sort of segments within it and that is free advertising for you. Yeah, and even if you're not using it and you're not thinking, even if you're not using it and thinking're not thinking, even if you're not using it and thinking, right, it's a sales tool. Use it as a reputation tool, use it as a branding tool, use it as a way to build your credibility, because it's way more than just just a podcast. Yeah, so much more for you, doesn't it?
Speaker 2:yeah, absolutely and absolutely and on that topic, you know I did a great episode, episode 266, that came out recently that I talk about lead magnets, email marketing and podcasts and how they all work together, and that's what you have to. It's like a holistic approach. I talk about it being a Venn diagram of all three of those circles crossing over and the gold is in the middle, and that's where you're going to see things like that your social media following growing, or people coming into your Facebook group, or people downloading your freebies things like that is where you're going to see okay, my podcast is working and you have to look at it from that perspective, rather than, how many people have I got listening to it? Yeah, so you need to be quite deliberate about sharing things, like you said. So dynamic content is something that you can use in buzzsprout, which I know you use. I use. It is my favorite podcasting platform. Um, you can put dynamic content out that is timely and it will go across every episode you've ever put up.
Speaker 2:So if somebody goes back and the great thing about podcasts is people often do go back to the beginning or at least go keep going like once they listen to one episode, if they went and listened to 266. Now they might not go back to number one, but they go back to 264, 263 and they go back and listen to other ones. They're going to get that consistent message. So if you're running, say, a masterclass at the end of the month which is what I'm using myself as an example You're going to be doing a masterclass at the end of the month.
Speaker 2:You go and listen to one of my podcasts now, at the time of recording, which is early September. Then you will hear my advert, for that masterclass will come out and you can listen to any of my podcast episodes and that same thing will be heard at the beginning of every episode and then, after the masterclass is done, I can take that down, I can replace it with my freebie one and that will go out across all of them. So it's not this timely thing that's stuck. So I do mention in my current podcast that I've got a masterclass coming up. I expand on it over the advert, but when somebody comes in in October and listens back to that episode, that masterclass isn't going to be available for them anymore. So it's that balance of telling people in real time what's going on but, with things like that having it so that every single episode is telling people the same thing's going on. But with things like that having it so that every single episode is telling people the same thing that kind of amplifies your message Massively.
Speaker 1:Massively. Yeah, like you said, it's a magnet, it's a funnel and I think, even if the time has gone by you know what I've listened to podcasts before and you know until they've set the date and I've realised, oh, it's been and gone. But you know it doesn't put me off. Actually it makes me more. Oh, hold on, I'll look out and maybe I'll come back again Because I missed that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Maybe I can get that, you know, and obviously, like Donna has said, you know you can put links to your freebie lead magnets in there and get people onto your website, get them away from it, get them, you know, from the podcast onto your website and into your world and signing up. So there's so many benefits to it. But one of the biggest benefits to me has also been about the people that I've been able to interview over time, and then the platform that it gives me and whoever I'm talking to to be ourselves, because my podcasts have never been scripted and never will be. They're more conversational each to their own. However people do, it's very different.
Speaker 1:Um, I like real conversation and that allows people to get to know me and get to know my guests as well, and for me, from a personal branding point of view, that's really important too. Um, you know, because you people get more of an insight into who you are, what you believe in, you know what your values are, how you work. There's more of a real connection that can take place over a podcast than can from just reading a blog about somebody. Yeah, and I find that really, really powerful. Yeah, I agree. So let's dig in with another conversation. So if somebody wanted to start a podcast, what would be your number one? Well, what would you? Yeah, what would be your number one tip for them, if somebody's thinking about doing it?
Speaker 2:I would say start with what you have. So I think a lot of people think that they need a lot of flashy microphones, equipment, boxes with dials and digits on, very much like I did when I thought you had to have a whole radio studio to do it. People think that you have to have a lot of equipment and although they can't see me now, janine, you can see the headphones that I'm wearing. This was my original podcast mic. Was it my headphones? Yeah, my apple headphones with the microphone apple, and that was what I did my first. I don't know, I think it was until I got 50 downloads. I was like, once I got 50 downloads, I'm going to treat myself to a microphone. So I did it, it all on my Apple, so you can still go back and listen to those very first episodes.
Speaker 2:And the audio is not as great as it is now, but it was good enough, and there are some toilet podcasts out there. So it's like there is a lot worse audio out there For me. I'm quite I'm a bit of an audio snob, because I really appreciate the fact that my guests are only using their ears. It's the one sense you're using when you're listening to a podcast. So I want to make it as beautiful as possible, but do the best with what you have. So my number one tip is use what you've got and bring in. Bring in soft furnishings into your space, which is something I've just realized that I did not do today. I am so sorry, but it's okay, because Janine's having a moment today.
Speaker 1:I'm having a moment. So let's just be honest here, because I'm all about honesty. My microphone's not working, guys either. I said to Donna when she came on. I said my microphone's not working, I'm just going to have to go with it. So I do have noise reduction on my software that I put this through afterwards. So fingers crossed it will be okay. And yes, I too should have bought in soft furnishing because my studio is not very acoustic, the uh, you know, blessed. So but you're absolutely right and I think, if that is the case and you're not actually recording it, because a lot of people, you don't have to record them for youtube. So many people now are using them, um, obviously as a marketing tool from a video content point of youtube, but you don't have to do that. So you can just take yourself off into your bedroom or you're working from home because obviously your wardrobe's even better is it.
Speaker 2:Have you done it in a wardrobe?
Speaker 1:Well, hold on.
Speaker 2:I've done it under my duvet. I've literally sat with my laptop on my bed the duvet over like sat on the floor with the duvet over my head. That's what I used to do when I only had this. And yeah, and I've heard like other, I think Jenna Kutcher once did it in this understairs cupboard which was her coat room and stuff like that yeah, anything with lots of soft furnishings. Totally agree, and I think donna is absolutely right there.
Speaker 1:Um, we're kind of joking and having some reality in of the world here, but if you are going to record on an ongoing basis, then think about the environment you're in and you can now a lot of these pop-up offices that are in. If you are, if you are home-based, a lot of pop-up offices have podcast pods and sound booths and things that you can. You know, you you could really plan your podcasting and you could go and hire one for a day and just put yourself in there, and I have used one once and it's, it's an amazing experience actually, because you kind of feel like you are literally and having an out-of-border experience, because you can't hear anything else other than your own wonderful voice. You can see, um, yeah, it's quite addictive, but, um, sorry, sorry about the quality today. Guys, when you're listening back to this, you know what we are here to tell we're doing our best and we're doing.
Speaker 2:We're doing what we can with what we've got, which is the important part.
Speaker 1:Yes, and showing up absolutely when people, when I, when people talk to me about my podcast, um, I started with anchor, as it was then. Um, and it was so simple I'm holding up my mobile phone now um, it was literally just on my mobile phone. I recorded it on that and my guests literally tapped in via their mobile phone because actually thinking about it was pre-zoom wow, it was. That stuff makes me sound so old. It wasn't even that long ago, but like just pre-pandemic, when we didn't really use zoom like we do now. Um, yeah, you literally dialed in and we had a conversation over the phone and it was so easy because you just uploaded it. Look at donna wow, she's. Yeah, wow, you just upload it. It. Look at Donna Wow, she's going. Wow, you just uploaded it.
Speaker 1:The amount of work I put into editing it allowed you just to put a track over the top of it and it was so easy and it was free. And then it turned to Spotify for podcasters and then they took the ability away to be able to do that and then that sent me, and probably loads of other people, into a spiral of what do we do now? And that's where people like Donna come in, not just in that situation. But somebody like Donna comes in when you are busy and you want to run a podcast and you want a professional to help you do it, or you want to learn how to do it properly. And I think if I was at the beginning stages now of launching my podcast without even though I haven't actually got that many out there at the moment as such, not in the scales of your 200s odds me to do it properly, professionally, and it's going to help me get where I want to go much quicker. Or I would invest in somebody to do the editing for me on an ongoing basis.
Speaker 1:I don't want that to scare anybody. I think you can't do them yourself. You can, but there's just a lot of software and there are a lot of just things out there that are really tricky to use if you're not quite sure how to use them and they can just suck away your time like no tomorrow. And if you want to do a podcast, you a lot of the time you're like in the moment, if you're, if you're recording on your own and you've you get it done, you're like I want to get it up there. You don't want to be still looking at it two weeks later because you haven't been able to edit it or, you know, get it right. So that's where Donna comes in into her own in what she does with people, not just the amazing podcasts that you produce, but what you do for other people as well. So what stage do people generally come to you?
Speaker 2:Usually at the idea stage, like they've got the idea they want to do it but they've got absolutely no idea where they're going to start with it. Like what, what microphone do I need? You know, and I have to tell them you don't need one to start with. You know all of those things. Uh, what platform? What's? What's a podcast host? They don't realize there's a difference between a host and a directory they think that they need. How do I get it on apple? Apple is like the number one question and it's just like it's a bit more complicated than that and that's what you were kind of alluding to. There is like getting it up on some of the directories is really simple, others is a bit more jumping through hoops. So those are the sorts of things. Then the editing again can be quite tricky technically if you're somebody who's not tech minded. So it's usually the people that I work with are the people that are a little bit technophobic and just need a little bit of helping hand and the people that are right at the beginning with their ideas.
Speaker 2:I do have a launch strategy on my website that people can buy. It's a short, three-part training, so some people have already sort of got the idea. Some have already started recording things, so they don't necessarily need me for that side of things, but they want to make sure that they launch it. Well, and I think that's a lot of the time where somebody misses the trick with podcasting. And I experimented on myself and I've done it with my clients that when I launched my second podcast I had a launch, whereas with my first one I didn't. And if you remember, back at the beginning I told you 10 downloads, I think, in my first 30 days on that first episode. And when I relaunched that podcast, relaunched that podcast, I got 30 downloads in my first seven days. So the amount of listenership went up drastically when I actually did a launch. And for my clients, I had one client who got 125 downloads in their first seven days because they used my launch plan, another who got to number 10 in the Apple podcast charts for spirituality with her podcast in her first week, and so it makes a huge difference.
Speaker 2:And again, we're not focusing on download numbers here. It's not the downloads that are important, it's boosting that visibility right at the beginning of it. Because, like you said earlier and it's something I always talk about is that when you start with a launch, you're starting from halfway up the hill and it's a lot easier to push that boulder up to the top than if you were starting at the bottom. So if you don't launch, you're starting at the bottom. It's going to be a long slog to get to the top. But if you do a launch, you're ready. You jump halfway up the hill already and it can make such a big impact.
Speaker 1:So those are the kind of ways I help. Yeah, I mean, you're making, you're making me think here. I'm sure you're making lots of other people think as well. Um, yeah, because I don't think I did. I think when I launched mine, I didn't just I didn't launch, just just did it.
Speaker 2:There are some people out there that have podcasts that they don't even talk about them anywhere yeah, I think this is a massive kick up.
Speaker 1:They asked for me there will be. Uh, obviously, I'll be ticking the explicit content one. I've sworn on this, that's fine. Um, yeah, I think there is. Yeah, I think, absolutely right. You know I talk to people about becoming boldly visible. Um, so use your podcast as part of that. It's not something to hide behind. Yeah, um, and I think you know, I don't think I've met one person, not that I don't think anybody would ever come out and say to you anyway, who's gone to? Who said to me anything bad about my podcast either? You know people come up and you don't. You think that people aren't listening, but they are well, actually, no, I did, I did.
Speaker 1:And Hannah, if you're listening to this, um, hannah, um messaged once and said Janine, I was tapping in my car because were you wearing a bracelet? Was there something? And it was. I hadn't taken something off that was banging against my microphone. Big lesson for you there. Think about what you're wearing and what's around you and what could be tapping. So, bless Hannah, she's going along in her car. You know, like you would be tapping everything, trying to get this noise to stop, and it was because my microphone was so sensitive it had picked up on my bracelet that was hitting something, so I'm very, very aware of that going forward.
Speaker 1:So, which brings us nicely streamlining in to what I wanted to talk about, this kind of the get readies and the do's and the don'ts. If you are invited to be a podcast guest. Donna and I have had a conversation outside of the podcast about this, having worked with other people on podcasts for years, and we would love to steer you now in the right direction of being an amazing podcast guest. If you are asked to feature on somebody's and with some of the yes, do this and we'll cover a few of the please don't do that as well. I'll let you kick off with a yes, do this.
Speaker 2:So a yes do this is to bring in soft furnishing. So even if you don't have a professional microphone, you know, use headphones, because one of the things that people don't realize is when you are speaking through to somebody else's computer if you aren't wearing, if you both aren't wearing, headphones. So, for example, now I have got headphones on, so Janine is coming into my ears, which means that when she speaks she's not getting picked up on my microphone and that gives feedback. So if you don't wear headphones, then on a recording you will often see that on the person who wasn't wearing headphones there might be some speech from the other person. It can kind of interfere. And if you've got Zoom set up in a certain way and there are people that have got it set up I really don't know where the button is because mine's not set up like that but some people have it set up so that if somebody else speaks their microphone cuts out. Some people have it set up so that if somebody else speaks their microphone cuts out, and then that causes issues as well. So it kind of feels like that when you're listening back to it like somebody else spoke and your microphone was cutting out and it's not. It's actually feedback from what you're saying.
Speaker 2:So wear headphones, because that is going to make sure that your audio track is kept clear, and bring in soft furnishings to help deaden the sound. So we're wanting the sound to be absorbed by the materials around it and if you're in an office, it's going to bounce off of everything and that's when you get the kind of echo the toilet podcast sound that I talked about earlier. So soft furnishings and headphones is my first. Please do that.
Speaker 1:Please do that. Okay, I'm going to go with a don't. I'm gonna go with. Please. Don't just show up without doing some preparation beforehand, know who's interviewing you, you and take the time to understand a bit about the host as well.
Speaker 1:If you have been asked to appear on their podcast, for me, generally I will have guests on that I've either met or know. However, I have known in the past where I have randomly asked somebody to come on and then they've come on and they haven't done any research and I'm going to be honest, that's just kind of rude as well. If somebody has asked you to be a featured guest, it is not all about you being the featured guest. It's about you coming on and being a really decent, nice featured guest and realizing it's a two-way thing. It's not just about you being featured. You're not doing them a favor. They're not doing you a favor. You're working collectively on something that hopefully will be able to support, be interesting. I don't know how to put it for other people, but yeah, that would be my don't, don't. Don't not do your research. Does that make sense?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, it does, and on that I would say um, do please do your research about how the host would like you to apply to be on their podcast. Because I have a form that I want my guests to fill in and I used to have it on my podcast show notes and when I'm looking for guests I put it back on my show notes for people to fill in. But the number of unrequested emails I get from people wanting to be guests unsolicited emails that's what I was looking for, that I get people wanting to guess, and I actually have an auto responder on my email that says lets people know that I'm not in my emails very much because I can't stand being bothered by my emails all day. So I only go in there maybe once or twice a day. So an auto responder will go back to that person saying hey, just to let you know, I only check my emails once a day. I'll get back to you as soon as I can, and then I have a link If you have asked to be on my podcast, please fill in this form, because your email will just get deleted because I haven't got time to read all of these requests from people and a lot of the times, it's PR agencies working for people as well, which I don't like, because that means that the person hasn't listened to my podcast.
Speaker 2:They don't know my audience. They're not looking for a collaboration, they're just looking to promote themselves. Those people are a no from me.
Speaker 1:And yeah, that's a really good point there. Don't go on to somebody's podcast and think it's just about promoting yourself. I've had that collaboration where somebody comes on and you can just tell all they want to do is just get to talking about it is about themselves, but about their thing or the product or the service that they have, and you can tell that's just why they're just trying to angle the conversation. Again, just have the the conversation. It will get to that. It will get to that. Somebody will give you that opportunity. Um, my other one was going to be am I going to have a menopause moment on you? Um, do no, that has that happened to you mid-podcast? You just go blank. You go, what was I going to say? Um, do. Um, make sure that if you are a guest, you understand there is a responsibility. Maybe that's too much of a heavy word for you to.
Speaker 1:Also, when it's published, promote it. You're not just going on it for the podcast host to talk about you. You know, and post it on your stories once as if, yeah, you know, be a decent person. Put it on your own feed, talk about it when you've recorded it. Talk about the fact that you've recorded it. Use it as a PR opportunity, use it to elevate your brand and, you know, be a decent person and you will often be asked, you know, for your photograph, for a high-res photo to use in the promotion afterwards. Nobody wants to see donna and I as we look, as we're recording this today, um, but the photos that will go out to support it will be really lovely. Um and yeah, and then talk about it and then, when it goes, please, please, also promote it on your feed and your stories as well.
Speaker 2:It's my biggest bugbear. It's my biggest biggest bugbear. It really is Because, as you can imagine, like pretty much every other episode of mine is a guest podcast and I would say I would say I would have about at least 30% of my guests don't do anything at all. The other 70% tend to reshare what I share. If I tag them in it, yeah, and other than that, nothing, yeah, and I literally have it in my podcast agreement form.
Speaker 2:I ask them what socials they use, I ask them for their handles, I ask them where they're going to promote the episode and then I let them know that they are expected to share it organically. And I get literally a handful of the ones that I have done that have actually said to me oh, I've put it in my email this week. Maybe there are people that put it in their emails that I don't know about, but, social media wise, I always ask them to tag me so I can reshare it, so they can get another hit at my audience. And I don't think about. But, social media wise, I always ask them to tag me so I can reshare it, so they can get another hit at my audience. And I have. I don't think I have ever been tagged, or certainly not in the last 12 months. I have not been tagged by a guest to say thank you for coming on, for letting me come on the show well, there's a lesson in itself there.
Speaker 1:Guys, you can stand out by doing that. Um, I even send people the ident. You know, I'll do the graphic and I'll do, I do a little voiceover that supports it and I send that out as well, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, there's our little bug bears of things that you can do and you can't do, and obviously you should be sent by somebody beforehand kind of things to be prepared for. That go without saying.
Speaker 1:Make sure you're in a space that we're not a coffee shop where you've got lots of noise, because you might be able to hear through your headphones, but remember the mic's going to pick up everything around you, so you need to think about that. If somebody is recording you and they say they are going to use it on youtube, do do think about your surroundings, think about your brand and how you want to be seen. You might say I don't care, but it does matter, even if you think it doesn't, it kind of does, depending on what your brand is and how you want to be seen. So these are all things you need to take into consideration if you're asked to be a guest. But if you are asked to be a guest, I know some people. I know I'll have to wrap this up soon because I said we were going to keep it short, but we have talked a lot and we could probably keep on talking.
Speaker 1:Um, some people say to me they're very nervous about being a guest. So let's have a conversation around that together as well, because I don't think if the connection is right, there shouldn't be anything to be nervous about. There should be conversational. And I suppose that's down to you asking the podcast host how are they going to interview you? And I suppose if it ultimately doesn't feel right and you don't feel a connection and it's not right, then I'd say don't do it. But generally, you know, most people when I've been interviewed have been just really lovely and you can always ask for a steer in the direction of the questions they're going to ask you. But please don't script yourself, because then you'll just get yourself in a real mess and it will sound like you were scripted as well. Only in my opinion.
Speaker 2:What do you think? I think for me, I think there are also bad hosts. So, as much as the way we've sort of spoken about the bad guest experiences we've had, there are bad hosts out there as well. So what?
Speaker 1:are they?
Speaker 2:what's a bad host? So my friend was interviewed by somebody and the podcast actually never aired, um, but she said the difference between me because she came on my podcast and she said the difference was like night and day, she goes. I went into this podcast I had no idea what to do, what I was going to be asked. I had there was nothing I could prepare for, I said. And she said, and it obviously wasn't a good episode because she never put it out either and I, when I have a guest on, I have an email sequence that I go through with my guests, which Janine's coming on my podcast. So she's in that flow right now and she will have received an email yesterday which is my email that goes out just before we record and what it does is it sets up the expectations and it says you know, looking forward to recording with you.
Speaker 2:This is the topic that I would like us to touch on and I give three questions. These aren't like the be all, end all questions. These are this is sort of the subject area, this is where the questions are going to go, just so that my guests can make some bullet point notes if they need to. But generally speaking, it's on your area of expertise that we're going to be talking, and it depends on the podcast, because obviously there are podcasts out there that are more story led. It's about your business story. The questions could be very different, but for me it's usually it's like it's business focused. It's like how can we help people? And we're using your area of expertise. So I will give three questions. This is what we're going to sort of touch on. I might ask more questions throughout as the conversation grows, because I want it to be organic, and then I also give a list of.
Speaker 2:You know, this is how to set up for a podcast. Please make sure you're in this room, please make sure that you have a glass of water with you, because you know what you're going to start coughing the minute that you need to talk. You know all of those things and I give them some information there so that they know how to prepare for the podcast. And then I have a thank you email that goes out afterwards as well. So you know that's how I do it. Other people do it a different way, but you've got to kind of. You've got to be your own advocate. So if you are going on a podcast and you haven't heard from the host since they set it up and you're a week out and you haven't heard anything about it and you're nervous about what's going to happen. Be your own advocate. Message them, ask them. Okay, so we're recording next week, really excited about it.
Speaker 2:Can you give me an idea of the types of questions that you might be asking or the topic area, so that you know? Is there anything I need to know to set up? Ask them how they set up for their podcast, because one thing that sort of does bother me is when people don't listen to my request that they bring in soft furnishings, that they make sure that they've got headphones plugged in, because I try to provide the best audio possible. So I do have a good microphone and you don't have to have the same microphone as me or a good microphone to be a guest on my show.
Speaker 2:If you do all the other things, because it brings the audio up to kind of a level playing field but if they don't wear headphones, they don't bring in soft furnishings, they don't have a microphone plugged in, then the sound difference is so vast that there's you can't really like. You can fix the, the um, noise reduction and things like that. So you make their sound sound as good as it can, but it's still going to sound very different to mine and I'm trying to match it. So you want to try and match your host's audio the best way you can. So if they don't use microphones, then you're good. Don't worry about having a microphone. If they use headphones, make sure you use headphones. If they want you to bring in soft furnishings, bring in soft furnishings. But you're trying to match their audio as best you can. So if you find out how they set up for their podcast, that will give you a good idea on how to do that.
Speaker 1:Everything that has not happened on this podcast today is because my microphone's not working, guys. So yeah, listen to what she says there.
Speaker 2:So yeah, so if you're nervous, just just ask the questions, um, make sure that you feel comfortable with it. Uh, hosts should be very open to giving you the information you need to make you feel?
Speaker 2:comfortable and remember. Unless it is a video podcast, it's just audio. You know, it's just a conversation. Just don't even look at the red button. I mean I can't even see it on my zoom right now. There's no red button. I'm just having a conversation with Janine, who knows where it's gonna go exactly and I think the thing is people are worried if they go wrong.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think podcasts you can go wrong and you know what. It is editable, it's not. Um, you know it, it can be fixed. I try not to. I don't edit my podcast that much, not unless somebody, like I think I had a brain fog Once I've had brain fog, somebody else has, and I think once, although I talk about, don't have any interruptions, an Amazon driver arrived and the whole bells and everywhere went off and I was like I'll just have to pause and what have you?
Speaker 1:I mean I could have just played that one out, really, but I did edit that out. But generally, yeah, life happens and I think people accept it in podcasts. Yeah, anyway, we could go on, we could go on, we could. We'll leave it there, just come back. You know, obviously I'm recording this one with Donan and I'm going to be a guest on hers as well, so who knows what we'll talk about on that one? So I always end my podcast with asking you of two tips you'd give someone starting out in their business for their visibility. It can be funny, it can be personal, but obviously relative to the subject of personal branding and getting visible in your business. So what tips would you give anybody now who is starting out in their business or looking to stand out and elevate their business?
Speaker 2:I think the number one don't go getting your social media all set up until you've decided on what your name's going to be and try and make sure that you can get the handles in all the same places so that you can just say this is where I am everywhere, because that is going to be the simplest, most consistent thing you can do for your social media visibility. So that would be my number one. And my number two is more of a not just visibility but just in business in general is to have a conversation with some kind of coach, whether that is a business coach, a mindset coach, somebody who is business related, regardless. I was speaking to somebody earlier today who is a coach that helps people get out of corporate and into business, and I think one of the biggest problems that business owners have is they don't know where to start. They don't know what they should be doing, so they just start and then all of a sudden, they've got no systems in place. They they, you don't know what, you don't know taxes, what's that? You know all of that stuff that you just don't know.
Speaker 2:So, talking to a business strategist, a business coach, who can help you set everything up correctly from the beginning and show you the things that you don't know, because we don't know what we don't know. So you don't know what you need to ask to get the right answers. But a business coach, somebody who works with strategy and things like that, can say okay, you know, janine would be a great person to go to. So like okay, I want to start this business, I've got this idea. How on earth do I start about making a brand and getting it out there? You know you need those people in your corner to help you with that, because otherwise you're all over the place.
Speaker 1:It's kind of scary and I'm not going off on a tangent because this was my final, you know, question, but you've just hit on something there that I have to elaborate on. It's kind of scary to me how many people do start off and will just get what I call shiny syndrome. They see the lovely things that they want to be doing and they go out there and they have not thought about the foundations of the business. Yeah, they haven't really thought through exactly how they're going to build it. Like you've said, they haven't thought through the platforms that it's going to be on. They're just literally going out there.
Speaker 1:Now I'm all for taking action and I'm all for taking messy action. When it comes to the start of your business, then there has to be the foundational work that goes in place of building your personal brand, your and your business brand together so they align, and that you have a strategy in place to take it where you want it to go, whatever stage you're at Now. Some people come back to this a year and this happens a lot. They'll start a business and then a year later and go oh my God, I've just been throwing spaghetti at a wall for a year. What am I doing. I need need to go back. I need to just start. Not start again, but just go back.
Speaker 2:I feel like they have to start over again.
Speaker 1:It's just like, oh my god, it's all rubbish yeah, because actually, what the hell have I been doing? I've been looking at what so-and-so is doing over there and so-and-so is doing over there, and have I been in my own lane? No, I haven't. So, yeah, lovely point there. Thank you very much. Thank you, love those, love yours, loved having you as a guest. As I said, we were going to try, I said we'll record about half an hour or so. We're coming up to nearly an hour. Um, donna, honestly, it's been a pleasure. How can people connect with you and find you?
Speaker 2:um. So I'm donna ead on linkedin. That's where I hang out the most. Um. I'm also on Instagram, Donna underscore Ede underscore on Instagram, but my website is DonnaEdecom. Come and find me there.
Speaker 1:And of course all the details will go in the show notes anyway for you, so don't worry about that. I'll pop that in there. Do you have anything? I think you mentioned you've got a. Is it a workshop coming?
Speaker 2:up. Yes, I don't know when this episode's going out. It's the end of September. I've got three days 24th, 25th and 26th of September and it's how to start your podcast and grow your audience. So if they're interested in that, you can go to my website and it will be there. Pop up on the homepage for you if you're in time.
Speaker 1:Amazing, brilliant, wonderful, honestly, absolutely love this. Thank, amazing, brilliant, wonderful, honestly absolutely love this. Thank you so much. Thank you for listening today. Tune in for the next episode very soon. Take care for now, bye, bye. Okay, folks, so I'm coming back into you from recording the podcast. You know I said I had a sound issue. Well, donna and I have just spent another 10-15 minutes afterwards going through my setup and making sure that my microphone and my headphones because they're all syncing in all different places We've just had you know I'm a very good lip reader, but now we have it sorted. So I want to show you the difference in the clarity, although you've probably, if you've listened to an hour of us talking, with Donna sounding amazing and me sounding like a bit tin, can you can see the difference in clarity.
Speaker 2:If I actually let Donna talk as well, you say something too yes, so yeah, it was funny to listen to you trying to work out my lip reading. That was brilliant. She's a good lip reader, guys.
Speaker 1:But anyway, this is how it should sound, um, and when I'm. I feel so much better now because I'm going to be a guest on Donna's podcast, so at least I can make sure my setup is right and we can get this sorted beforehand. So when it works, it works, guys. But you know what we did today. We just went with it anyway. We can't re-record, um, the whole hour of conversation, because we couldn't capture that brilliance again, um, so beautifully. So, um, it doesn't have to be perfect, guys, just get it going. Just get it going for now. But, um, when you do you want to try and get sound quality very much like this? Anyway, I will say goodbye properly now and I'll see you in the next episode.