My Worst Interview Ever
If you run in podcasting circles long enough, it's easy to discover people in the industry who virtually everyone respects. A few have developed a gigantic following. Some have perfectly cornered their niche. Others have simply been podcasting since the very beginning. For me, several names always seem to come up: John Lee Dumas, Jeff Brown, Daniel J Lewis, and...Glenn the Geek. For those of us still trying to learn where we fit into the podcasting universe, Glenn is a role model. Not only has he developed a gigantic podcasting network based on a rather small niche,...
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Some people notice things. Other people do things. Some people talk. Other people act. Some people complain. Other people create. Our guest today is other people. After noticing discrepancies between what's true in Washington and what's reported about Washington--and a severe lack of transparency within Congress--Jen Briney decided to do something about it. She created the Congressional Dish podcast, which ultimately became hugely successful, and it's truly making a difference. Not only will you learn how to do interviews and podcasts from Jen...you'll learn about how to do life. Jen...
info_outlineMy Worst Interview Ever
It seems like nearly every podcaster has a "day job." A job that pays the bills and provides the knowledge and/or expertise a host needs for his show. Over the course of this podcast, one of my favorite parts has been learning my guests' wide variety of "day jobs." Accountants, consultants, developers, radio hosts. Today, I talk with Buck Ballard who--in real life--is a truck driver. And he managed to turn his knowledge of the road into a successful podcast with his son. His story is fascinating and should be an encouragement for any aspiring podcaster. It is possible to turn...
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As much as I don't want to admit it, I can be an "excuses guy." Miss an appointment with a client? Blame it on not enough sleep or a congested calendar. Bad night playing volleyball? Perhaps I ate too much or didn't stretch. It often feels like the last thing I want to do is admit that I'm the issue rather than my circumstances. Today's guest on My Worst Interview Ever apparently doesn't struggle with that same issue. He's blind...and yet most people would never know it. In fact, for years, his radio audience didn't have a clue. He was just "Trapper Jack", the fun-loving guy in the...
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Just like Los Angeles is filled with actors masquerading as waiters, Nashville is packed to the rafters with musicians waiting tables as well. The competition for available gigs is extremely steep and the odds for making a living are extremely long. Several decades ago, Nashville-born David Hooper realized that his skill set made him less of a candidate for playing music and more of a candidate for marketing it. So, that's what he chose to do. And he did so extremely successfully. Today, however, David has taken those marketing skills to "influencers" (authors, podcasters, bloggers, etc.)...as...
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They say there are two things you should never talk about at work: politics and religion. (Unless you work at FoxNews or CNN, I suppose.) There are just certain topics that divide people, start fights, and ultimately cause more problems than they solve. But don't tell that to Kenn Blanchard. Kenn adds race to the political and spiritual mix, and then talks about all three issues all the time. And, remarkably, he does it with great clarity and success. His background is something movies are made of, and his story is one you won't want to miss. After five years in the Marines and some time with...
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Since starting RINGR, I learned of a phrase called "first to market." Entrepreneurs and investors particularly like it because the concept is seen as a major advantage in the business world. It stands to reason that--if you can be the first company to present X product to market--then you'll have a better chance of getting and retaining a majority of the consumers who have been looking for X. Even if others come along later and try to copy what you're doing. I'm not sure I've ever heard a more convincing story of the "first to market" idea than Gary Leland's. Nearly everything he's done, he's...
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I first met Matt at an investor meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio. A mutual friend introduced us, knowing that we had each spent significant amounts of time in the audio space. Matt on the technical side. Me on the creative side. Also, Matt was carrying a large rubber ducky which made it nearly impossible to not strike up a conversation. Anyway, as it turns out, Matt is a really cool (and smart) dude...and he and his rubber ducky stand on the edge of an interactive children's toy gold mine. Matt is also a burgeoning content creator, who very quickly developed a "worst interview ever." Two of them,...
info_outlineMy Worst Interview Ever
Ana Marie Cox is a political columnist and culture critic and is the Senior Political Correspondent for MTV News. She writes about politics and policy, and hosts the “Talk” interviews featured in The New York Times magazine. She lives in Minneapolis, MN and—despite frequently tweeting about cats—has more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter. SHOW NOTES: 0:36 - How did Ana get so many freaking followers on Twitter? She says it's because she "cheated." We say it's because she's awesome. 2:58 - Of all the people Ana has interviewed, an awkward, in-person chat with Senator Ted Cruz...
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There are things in life we wish we could do. And then there are things in life we're willing to do. For example, I really wish I could speak Spanish. However, after taking two years of Spanish in high school, going on four extended trips to Peru, and owning a timeshare in Mexico, it's apparently not going to happen. If those things aren't going to motivate me to learn a new language, I'm not sure anything will. At this point, I'm simply not willing to put the time in to turn my wish into a reality. As a young boy, Allan Tepper's life changed when he decided to put the necessary work into...
info_outlineBack in 2014, at the very first Podcast Movement, I met Daniel J Lewis. I was new to the podcast world, new to my business, and standing alone at the RINGR booth trying to meet as many people as possible. Daniel asked a ton of technical questions about RINGR that I didn't really know the answers to. Partly because I'm not a technical guy. Partly because we didn't have an actual product at the time...just an idea for one.
It wasn't until after our initial conversation that I learned just how influential Daniel was/is in the podcasting world. And as it turns out, he's a super nice guy too! We met for coffee near his home in Northern Kentucky once and have kept in touch at conferences and via email ever since. However, with a new baby in the Lewis household, I'm guessing our correspondence might drop off just a tad.
Daniel J Lewis is an award-winning podcaster AND helps others launch and improve their own podcasts. He designs websites; offers one-on-one consulting; speaks on technology, social media, and theology; and Daniel hosts a network of award-nominated shows of his own.
SHOW NOTES:
1:34 - Daniel does a lot of stuff, but mainly helps podcasters improve their existing podcasts through his company, Podcasters' Society.
2:30 - The worst interview ever for Daniel was really freaking long. And unfocused. Obviously.
4:48 - It's no surprise, but Daniel has some immediate tips for being a great interviewer and getting the most out of your guest.
6:40 - Get a free 30-day trial of RINGR right now.
7:00 - Daniel and his wife are having a baby. Is he ready? (Hint: no.)
9:33 - A number of years ago, Daniel's world started to collapse. He hated his job. Had a broken engagement. Battled depression. And now?
13:04 - Daniel has a ton of resources available for podcasters (and aspiring podcasters) at his website, The Audacity to Podcast.