Podcaster Stories

This week, I sit down with John Adams, host of DadPodUK, a fatherhood and family life podcast that shares the different, unique experiences of fatherhood.

John's podcast comes from being a stay-at-home dad for 10 years, and the conversations he's had with other dads around the various challenges they face as dads in an increasingly changing world.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

• how lockdown encouraged him to start the show
• the most emotionally-charged interview he's done to date
• why he wants to change the conversations around dads in the media
• how he and his wife made the decision for John to be a stay-at-home dad
• how his dad blog led to a charity event at Downing Street in London
• why finding guests can be a challenge for him
• why his show is so geared towards breaking down stereotypes
• why we need to be having more discussions about race and ethnicity at home
• how lockdown added extra difficulties for his eldest daughter and her changing school levels
• why he believes Covid will offer positive opportunities for change with this generation
• why he believes flexible working should be available to parents
• how lockdown has enabled a new dynamic at home for his wife
• how he manages difficult conversations as a dad to two daughters
• why he feels fathers are in a strong position to talk to daughters about periods and menstruation
• how different countries can be when it comes to gender equality
• what his plans are for the future of his podcast
• where he sees Clubhouse fitting into the podcast ecosystem
• why he's in no rush to make video podcasts

Join me for an educational chat about fatherhood, fear of becoming invisible, the 21st century family dynamic, and more.

Connect with John:

• DadPodUK
• DadBlogUK
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Electro-Voice RE320
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen Audio Interface
• Denon DJ HP-1100 Over Ear Headphones
• Podcast Pro Boom Arm by Accu-Lite and O.C. White

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• Aweber email marketing
• SquadCast remote interviewing
• My Podcast Reviews

This week, I sit down with Lainey Cameron, host of The Best of Women’s Fiction podcast, a show that highlights authors that Lainey respects, as well as interviews with best-selling and women fiction authors.

Each episode, Lainey and her guests share what inspired a favourite author’s book, as well as what advice they’d give to other writers.

Lainey is also the author of the award-winning novel, The Exit Strategy, which was inspired by a decade of being the only woman in the corporate boardroom. It’s been called a “rallying call for women to believe in themselves and join together” and tells the story of a Silicon Valley investor who first meets her husband’s mistress across the negotiating table.

For her first book, Lainey hired a voiceover professional to read the audio version, and she shares here how that process works.

Far from simply reading the words on a page, the artist needs to connect with the story and characters, to ensure the author’s vision remains, even when the end result can be something very different from what the author envisaged.

On Creating a Brand Through an Experiment

Lainey originally started podcasting as a video broadcaster using Streamyard for live interviews, and then decided to take that to an audio format.

To her pleasant surprise, the audio version of the show has overtake the video version, and is really taking off, helping her to connect more authors to a wider audience.

As the podcast has grown, Lainey is determined to continue giving a voice to lesser-known authors, and connecting them with the talent that can help them grow their audience.

The Importance of Vetting and Quality

As Lainey’s show has grown, so has the amount of cold pitches she’s receiving to have authors as guests on her show. While this can be a good thing when it comes to episode growth, it can also impact the amount of guests she has on, due to the extra research involved.

• A limited amount of time to read the books sent to her
• Minimal pre-release information or promo sheets
• A lack of peer reviews to ensure the book and author are right for her show

Since Lainey is very conscientious when it comes to who and what she shares with her audience, this extra awareness can cause problems that weren’t there before.

The Continuing Problem with the Tech Industry

Lainey’s background is in the tech start-up world, specifically in Silicon Valley. Being the only high-flying woman executive in the room would come with its own challenges, on top of the job any executive would need to do as part of their everyday life.

It often lead to Lainey needing to be twice as good as the men in the same position, and understand that the microscope was on her even more because of her gender.

How She Ended Up Hunting with Stoned Tribesmen in Tanzania

As digital nomads, both Lainey and her husband have traveled to numerous parts of the world, leading to a mix of scary and funny adventures.

One that sticks in Lainey’s mind is when they were on a safari tour in Africa, and ended up going hunting with a bunch of stoned teenage tribesmen in Tanzania. Now that’s not something we can all say we’ve done!

Join us for an entertaining chat about the writing world, the ongoing toxic masculinity in the tech world, and why being a digital nomad offers incredible life lessons if you can take the opportunity to grab them.

Connect with Lainey:

• Lainey’s website
• The Best of Women’s Fiction Podcast

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Electro-Voice RE320
• Motu M2 Audio Interface
• Denon DJ HP-1100 Over Ear Headphones
• Podcast Pro Boom Arm by Accu-Lite and O.C. White

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• AWeber email marketing<...

This week, I sit down with Kevin Steinberg, host of the Frankly Kev podcast, where he talks to everyday heroes who have experienced one or more of life's many challenges.

No experts giving you a checklist of how to perfectly do things. Or spokespeople and gurus to sell you products with pitch-perfect phrases. No celebrities to gawk at or fawn over. Just real people telling you real life stories.

You Know What? They're People Too

When Kevin first started his show, he used to do a quick intro about his guest and then get straight to the "meat" of the topic they were talking about. But then he had an epiphany - you wouldn't talk like this away from podcasting, so why do it now? This led to a much different, and more valued, approach to his show.

Putting Yourself in Someone Else's Shoes

Kevin's background is in acting, and he feels this is a key part of him being able to make guests feel comfortable when it comes to talking about very difficult topics. He tries to put himself in their shoes, to see what feels right and what shouldn't be asked, and that helps him really empathize with his guests.

My Sovereign Shield Has Been Humour

Despite the topics on the show being dark, Kevin shares how he and his guests often laugh while recording, because sometimes that's the best defence - and offence - against the horrors that life can throw at us.

People Who Need People

Kevin takes his inspiration in life from other people. Whether that's people whose views he agrees with, or those who differ greatly - just taking the time to talk, listen, and learn. Because at the end of the day, we're all we've got.

The Heroes Behind the Scenes

While Kevin's podcast is about everyday heroes and what they've overcome, his goal for the second season and beyond is an interesting take on the people behind the heroes.

Connect with Kevin:

• Frankly Kev Podcast
• Frankly Kev About page (check it out, it's awesome!)

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Electro-Voice RE320
• Motu M2 Audio Interface
• Denon DJ HP-1100 Over Ear Headphones
• Podcast Pro Boom Arm by Accu-Lite and O.C. White

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• Aweber email marketing
• Accusonus audio plugins
• Boomcaster remote interviewing
• My Podcast Reviews
• Reel.so audiogram creator

Season 4 of Podcaster Stories is sponsored by Accusonus. Make okay audio sound great with their built-in plugins to repair bad audio, for podcasters and creators alike! Visit podcasterstories.com/audio and use the coupon PodcasterStories10 at checkout to get a sweet 10% off the ERA Bundle Standard yearly subscription!

This week, I sit down with Tony Doe, host of The Tony Doe Podcast, where he chats with radio broadcasters who answer questions fans are curious about.

This audio series is about people from different backgrounds who share their radio stories, and how they feel about the medium's present and future.

Art Reflecting Life

Tony's background is in radio, and his show reflects that, with his guests coming from the medium and sharing why they chose radio, and what they're using it for to share their messages or art.

This is also true for Tony, who has used the pandemic to share his knowledge with younger people, and help them get their break in radio and the audio medium.

Does Podcasting Need More Regulation?

Because of his background in radio, Tony is well-versed in what can and can't be said on public radio. This changes drastically when it comes to podcasting, and he shares some great insights on what he feels are the biggest differences, and how we can bridge them.

2022 - The Year of the Indie Podcaster?

Tony firmly believes that 2022 is the year that the indie podcaster can shine. While mega-million dollars continue to shape who's who in the industry, this leaves a gap for the indie podcaster to be truly contextual for their listener, and deliver a more custom listening experience.

The Responsibility of Trust

We spoke about the recent controversy around Joe Rogan, and what that might mean for both podcasters and platforms when it comes to what can be said on a podcast. Tony's a believer that the audience needs to make an informed choice - but the podcaster also has a big part to play.

Connect with Tony:

• The Tony Doe Podcast
• Tony on Twitter

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Electro-Voice RE320
• Motu M2 Audio Interface
• Denon DJ HP-1100 Over Ear Headphones
• Podcast Pro Boom Arm by Accu-Lite and O.C. White

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• Aweber email marketing
• Accusonus audio plugins
• Boomcaster remote interviewing
• My Podcast Reviews
• Reel.so audiogram creator

Season 4 of Podcaster Stories is sponsored by Accusonus. Make okay audio sound great with their built-in plugins to repair bad audio, for podcasters and creators alike! Visit podcasterstories.com/audio and use the coupon PodcasterStories10 at checkout to get a sweet 10% off the ERA Bundle Standard yearly subscription!

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out the Goodniks podcast

Goodniks is a podcast exploring the journey and meaning of doing good in the world - for people who do good or are just thinking about it.

This week on Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Nate Garrison of The EXTRAordinary Podcast.

The EXTRAordinary Podcast profiles ordinary people living extraordinary lives, who adhere to a lifestyle by design mindset.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

• how Nate's show evolved from being a co-hosted show into a solo host
• how the show came about from a personal development program that Nate created, the 8 Keys 2 Great
• how Covid changed the way he records and plans his show
• how he used to identify cities and advertise he was coming that way, to find guests for his show
• how Nate identifies what he feels would make an interesting guest for his show and listeners
• why he adheres to a lifestyle by design mindset
• why Covid has seen both a positive and negative change in personal behaviours
• how our lives have the chance to be redefined post-Covid
• what the 18 month rule is for podcasting, and why he uses it
• the two episodes that stand out for him
• how his endurance sports lifestyle prepares him for handling disappointment in life
• the moment he found he needed to step away from corporate life
• why you should judge success by how your life meets your actual needs, versus your material successes
• how his goal is to gain something from every guest he interviews
• his plans for scaling his podcast, and why he's looking forward to getting back to in-person interviews
• why he has no interest in interviewing celebrities and uber-successful people
• why meaningful conversations make for the best podcasts
• why his biggest piece of advice for podcasters is to be consistent
• why his parents are his heroes

Settle back for an enlightening talk about making and living by your own rules.

Connect with Nate:

• Eight Keys to Great
• The EXTRAordinary Podcast
• Failures, Adventures, and Funny Stories
• Instagram

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Samson Q2U Mic
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen Audio Interface
• TRITON AUDIO Fethead In-Line Microphone Preamp
• Denon DJ HP-1100 Over Ear Headphones
• RockJam MS050 Adjustable Mic Suspension Boom
• Dragonpad Pop Filter

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• Aweber email marketing
• SquadCast remote interviewing