The Complete Season 1 - Podcaster Stories

Eric Barnhart of the Mindful Moment Podcast

Danny Brown — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode 14 of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Eric Barnhart, host and founder of Urban Contemplatives and the Mindful Moment podcast.

With a tagline of “creating mindful moments for active lives”, each 15-minute episode features conversations with artists, musicians, writers, scientists, philosophers and others, exploring contemplative practices through an ecumenical Christian lens.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

how Star Wars inspired his love for music, which inspired his eventual career
how that love for music got him a degree in jazz piano, which led to him working in churches”creating mindful moments for active lives”how he’s met other like-minded folks through this association with the church
why divisiveness is a global issue versus a beliefs issue
how Eric’s seen the very best and the very worst of humanity over the last 25 years
how the podcast came about due to the Covid pandemic
why allowing yourself to hear your belief is more effective than being told what to believe
how he deals with people that are trying to push their own agenda
how shared learning through open dialogue is key to a positive community
how Star Wars fans can be very similar to those with fervent beliefs
why you can have polarizing viewpoints yet still agree on something if it connects with, or moves, you
why none of us are experts – in life, in religion, in culture, and more
why we need to stop fretting about the things that don’t really matter
how Western culture still needs to catch up with other cultures when it comes to mindfulness
how Thomas Merton played such a huge part in Eric’s life and goals with Urban Contemplatives and the Mindful Moment podcast
how true Christianity is about humility and being there for others, no matter what
how Mysticism creates fear in some Christian corners, and why it shouldn’t
where Eric sees the podcast evolving over the next 12 months
why good ramen is key to a happy life
how his love of Jethro Tull helped him learn guitar, even when holding the guitar upside down!
how the music industry has paved the way for content creators across all mediums when it comes to distribution and production

Settle back for an enlightening episode where Eric shares what may be the best pathway to peace in our lifetime.

Connect with Eric:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Susan Diaz and Will Lamont of The 4AM Report

Danny Brown — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 02:00:00 -0500

In episode 13 of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Susan Diaz and Will Lamont, business partners at c+p digital, and co-hosts of The 4AM Report.

The show combines marketing discussions, societal issues, wacky lessons from marketing mishaps, and more. Having just celebrated the one year anniversary of the show, Susan and Will dropped in to talk about the experience so far.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

how their love of asking people questions, and going with the flow, resulted in the podcast
how the 4am hook came from being up at 4am in the morning as agency owners, worrying about clients, work projects, etc
whether they would have a live show at 4am in the morning
how they use bonus content in the 4pm show, Thirsty Thursday
how they became comfortable with controversial topics on their show
why marketing should be fun, and how they’re using their show to promote that
why brands need to be be consistent when talking about their values around societal issues
how Will’s behind the scenes experience has helped the podcast overall
why having a co-host helps drive the efficiency of their own podcast, and those they produce for others
why they’re particularly proud of their episode that talked about a scandal the Canadian Prime Minister was involved in
why you need to learn to be okay with being uncomfortable to bring the best show
why you need to look beyond the vanity metrics of your show to see the true impact
why getting over their imposter syndrome has helped get high visibility guests
why podcasting is the perfect medium to keep your networking opportunities live during the pandemic
how your podcast can drive multiple arms of your content strategy
how Will found himself travelling with Canadian cheese across country

Connect with Susan and Will:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Mark Taylor of Education on Fire

Danny Brown — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode 12 of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Mark Taylor, host and creator of the Education on Fire podcast, a show for teachers, parents, and mentors to help them support children.

The show share stories and resources that Mark hopes will support children to thrive and be able to live their best lives.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

how the idea for the podcast came about
why it’s more than just a resource for parents and educators
why he believes passion is key in anything you do
why networking is key
how Covid-19 has impacted the educational space
why we should stop saying “kids need to catch up” when talking about the 2020 school year
why the education system needs to change to a more open approach
the two episodes that have really stood out for him so far
why it’s okay to give up on a project
how to integrate multiple show ideas to create the best podcast you can
what advice he’d give to new podcasters

Settle back for an informative and insightful chat about why you need to not only have great content, but know the audience you’re creating that content for.

Connect with Mark:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Lefteris Statharas of Lefteris Asks Science

Danny Brown — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode 11 of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Lefteris Statharas of the Lefteris Asks Science podcast.

Driven by both his passion for science, and his professional work as a mechanical engineer, Lefteris started his podcast as a way to bring scientists together to demystify their professions, and show how fun science can be.

With a natural curiosity and an easy-going manner, Lefteris has a simple goal – to see what drives people with passion, and to get more people interested in, and passionate about, science.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

how the idea for the podcast came about after a chat with a peer
which type of science drives his curiosity
the episodes that have stood out
why there seems to be such an anti-science stance in some countries, with the US probably being the worst culprit, as evidenced by Covid-19
how social media has enabled more interest in science
the cultural and scientific differences between Greece, where Lefteris originates from, and Singapore, where he currently lives and works
who his all time hero is, and why

Settle back for an engaging conversation around science, the rabbit holes of Reddit and the internet, and more.

Connect with Lefteris:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Dr. Alice Kerby of Beyond the Pink Cloud

Danny Brown — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode 10 of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Dr. Alice Kerby of the Beyond the Pink Cloud podcast.

After suffering from severe stress while going through her doctorate, Dr. Alice fell into a downward spiral of alcohol abuse. This continued until she realized her problem, and she has been sober for three years since.

It's this experience that led Dr. Alice to starting the Beyond the Pink Cloud podcast, where she talks to people that have overcome their own battles with substance abuse, as well as inspired others by living their best lives.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

how the podcast grew from her own recovery from alcohol abuse
how the Covid-19 pandemic is leading to higher stress and addiction temptation
how we're adding to our stress levels while working from home
how the show's direction has evolved from recovery-focused to multiple fields of expertise across various topics
why she's inspired by people living their dreams
some of the hurdles that are hard to overcome when dealing with abuse
how the drinking culture of different countries affects addiction levels
the fear of sharing her story in the first few episodes
how she became a semi-professional fire dancer

Settle back for an open and honest discussion about addiction, recovery, and what that means to the people afflicted, and those surrounding them.

Connect with Dr. Alice:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Pete Cann of the Laughter & Positivity with Pete Podcast

Danny Brown — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode nine of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Pete Cann of the Laughter & Positivity with Pete podcast.

After building an agency for chefs for 11 years, the Covid-19 pandemic put Pete's business on hold, and he had to furlough his team. However, this allowed him to focus on a podcast idea he'd been thinking about for a while.

Taking his cue from a virtual event called the Laughter Phone, Pete expanded on how he used positivity and laughter in his business to start his Laughter & Positivity show, and bring the world of laughter yoga and laughter professionals to a wider audience.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

how he first got into being a laughter professional
his process for the show, as it switches between just featuring him and having guests as well
the episode that stuck with him the most
why his life could have been vastly different if he'd stuck on the path he was on as a younger man
why Covid-19 has been an opportunity
how you can use laughter yoga techniques in your everyday life

Settle back for a fun and interesting chat on why laughter truly is good for the soul.

Connect with Pete:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Zach Moreno and Rockwell Felder of SquadCast

Danny Brown — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode eight of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Zach Moreno and Rockwell Felder of remote recording platform SquadCast, and the Between 2 Mics podcast.

After looking to use a remote recording solution for their internal team meetings, both Zach and Rock were disillusioned at what was on the market. They knew audio and reliability could be better, and so SquadCast was born.

They believed remote recording should - and, more importantly, could - be just as good as offline audio recording. We sit down to discuss the evolution of SquadCast, and how the podcaster experience is at the forefront of everything they do.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

How limitations of other remote platforms led to the creation of SquadCast
Why SquadCast is built from the podcaster's viewpoint
How Zach and Rock's day jobs led them to how they approached SquadCast
Why audio quality equal to offline recording was a core goal
How SquadCast's progressive upload technology differentiates them from others
How SquadCast solved the problem of audio drift in remote recordings
Why the SquadCast team refuse to settle for the status quo
How the users of SquadCast have driven the direction of the platform
How they're trying to help educate remote podcasters through their Remote Podcast Stats Report and State of Remote Podcasting webinar
Why data shows the use of headphones should be mandatory for all podcasters
How their well-known Board members and advisors became involved
How the reciprocity of the podcast community drives Zach and Rock
Why analytics is the next big challenge to bust in podcasting
Why new podcasters shouldn't get bogged down by the technical side of things
Why tools should concentrate on solving existing problems, not ones that haven't been found yet
Why you shouldn't be discouraged early in your podcasting journey
What Zach and Rock appreciate about each other

Settle back for an open and interesting chat about remote recording, and why settling for the status quo will only hold the podcasting industry back.

Connect with SquadCast:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Lisa Gerber of The Gear Show

Danny Brown — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode seven of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Lisa Gerber, owner of Big Leap Creative and host of The Gear Show.

After making her name as a communications pro and marketer, Lisa decided she wanted to attract more clients in the space - outdoor lifestyle - she was interested most in, and The Gear Show was born.

Talking with the people behind her favourite brands and companies, The Gear Show pivoted somewhat after 10 episodes, to feature more on the people behind the corporate front.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

How the loss of clients and talking to friends led to the show idea
How she started the show talking about gear before pivoting
Why she pivoted to more personal stories behind the gear heads
How she makes her guests feel comfortable
Why researching guests makes for a richer experience
Why Howard Stern's interview technique is what she aims for
The interviews that have had the most impact on her
Why new podcasters should just start and not overthink things
How she won her school's award for a foreign language

Settle back for a fun, engaging chat about following your dreams, and why you should never be afraid to change even when something has been going for a while.

Connect with Lisa:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Bob Dunn of Do the Woo Podcast

Danny Brown — Thu, 28 May 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode six of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Bob Dunn, founder of BobWP and host of Do the Woo Podcast.

After making his name in the WordPress community, Bob has continued to grow his reputation in the WooCommerce space, showcasing the platform's features and benefits when it comes to e-commerce using the WordPress platform.

In this week’s show, I sit down with Bob to talk about pivoting your brand, where WooCommerce is headed, how he and his wife beat IKEA's marketing department, and more.

Topics on the menu include:

Why he made the pivot from purely WordPress to WooCommerce
How he's grown as a podcaster from launching different shows
Why he chose the WooCommerce platform to concentrate on
Where he sees the future of WooCommerce
Why you should pinpoint exactly what you want to do when launching a podcast
How he and his wife beat out the multi-national retailer IKEA for a marketing award

Settle back for an informative show about the WooCommerce platform, building a niche, finding your passion when it comes to podcasting, and more.

Connect with Bob:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Jeff Esposito of Kaspersky Security

Danny Brown — Thu, 21 May 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode five of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Jeff Esposito, Global Head of Regional Social Media at Kaspersky, and co-host of the Transatlantic Cable Podcast.

After being an early adopter of social media, and working on the PR and communications side of VistaPrint, Jeff started at Kaspersky, where he uses the company's podcast to educate both consumers and business of the importance of online security and data protection.

In this week’s show, I sit down with Jeff to talk about the changing face of security, and some of the things you can do to protect yourself.

Topics on the menu include:

Why the Kaspersky podcast was launched
How the dark web operates
How to monitor what your kids are doing online
How to protect your family from hackers
Some simple tips on securing your home network without breaking the bank
Why you should never pick up random USB sticks

Settle back for an informative show about security, what privacy online really looks like, and why you should never assume businesses have your best interests at heart.

Connect with Jeff:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Mark Asquith of Rebel Base Media

Danny Brown — Thu, 14 May 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode four of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with podcasting veteran Mark Asquith, CEO and co-founder of Rebel Base Media, as well as host of many podcasting shows and resources.

After getting started in podcasting way back in 2013, Mark realized there was a gap in the market for the kinds of tools and services that podcasters were crying out for. This led to the birth of Rebel Base Media and its slew of podcasting services, including podcast host Captivate.fm.

In this week's show, I sit down with Mark to talk about his podcasting journey and where he sees the medium going next.

Topics on the menu include:

How his love of the DC Universe first got him into podcasting
Why he thinks like a geek when it comes to his approach to podcasting
Why he's glad the industry has moved away from tech gobbledegook
Why podcasters need to buy into the Podcaster's Presence Promise
Why podcasters shouldn't worry about sponsorship until they're truly ready
Why he believes Spotify's entry into the podcasting world could be a bad thing
How his hair metal past saw him appear on the same stage as rock legends Whitesnake

Settle back for an enlightening conversation about someone who's immensely passionate about not just podcasting as a medium, but in helping those who want to be part of it, too.

Connect with Mark:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Bob Reed of The Old Man Podcast

Danny Brown — Thu, 07 May 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode three of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Bob Reed, Communications Strategy Lead at Element-R Partners, LLC, and co-host of The Old Man Podcast.

After shooting the crap with his neighbour Dave, over the years, both men realized they might have something that others may enjoy listening to as well. And so The Old Man Podcast was born, taking a look at life through the lenses of two men as they approach their 60th birthdays.

Bob also talks about why he's so passionately vocal about the political happenings in his country, as well as why he won't discuss religion. He also shares his mean impressions of the characters in the classic TV show, Taxi.

Topics on the menu include:

When he and Dave first realized their neighbourly meanderings might make for a good show
How a personal tragedy sidelined the show
His goals for the relaunch of the show
Why he isn't apologetic for his political posts on Facebook
Why religion is something he won't discuss online
The funniest line he's ever heard, from the TV show Taxi
His impression of the actor delivering that line

Settle back for a fun and engaging conversation about two friends making a podcast, and how that's been received not just by older men, but women, too.

Connect with Bob:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks

Danny Brown — Fri, 01 May 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In episode two of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Gini Dietrich, CEO of communications agency Arment Dietrich, Inc., and founder/host of the award-winning Spin Sucks blog and podcast.

Having made the move from co-hosting a PR podcast into her own show where she takes the led, Gini shares what that transition has been like, along with lessons learned along the way, how the show has grown exponentially, and more.

She also talks about the personal change that came in her life seven years ago, and how that's changed the way she's approached life and business in general.

Topics on the menu include:

How the data that showed only 1% of podcasters were female spurred her into action
What's been the biggest challenge
How the Spin Sucks podcast is the #1 lead driver for her agency
The best piece of advice she has for new podcasters
How she came to adopt her daughter Addie
How it took almost three years to finalize the adoption
Who Gini's all-time hero is

Settle back for a fun and enlightening conversation on podcasting for communicators, and how business owners need to look after themselves and their employees first.

Connect with Gini:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Talking With My Wife About My Depression

Danny Brown — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In this special episode of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with my wife, Jaclyn, to talk about my recent diagnosis with depression, how that’s changed me, what I’m doing to cope with it, and more.

Topics on the menu include:

The symptoms I was experiencing in the lead-up to the diagnosis
What made me seek help, as opposed to continuing to deal with it alone
How my life has changed since that first diagnosis
Are the therapy sessions and medications I’m on a quick fix?
What advice I’d give for anyone suffering the same symptoms

Settle back for an open and honest conversation between my wife and I as we talk about something that still isn’t discussed as much as it should be.

Connect with Jaclyn:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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