Your Pod Guy

In the episode, I am starting to review the Podcast Checklist I developed for aspiring podcasters. The first question is the most important to define before you do anything else with your podcast. What do I want to accomplish with my podcast? You may have several desired outcomes for your podcast and defining these up front will give you the basis for completing every other task on the checklist. Get the Podcast Checklist here: YPG Podcast Checklist  Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. I use Descript to produce all my podcasts. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTok Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I discuss podcasting burnout. I’ve been producing his podcast, Behind the Bits, for three years. It is an interview podcast that focuses on standup comedy. Behind the Bits won the Discover Pods Award for best interview style podcast in 2020 and I was featured in Podcast Magazine in 2022. It gets about 10,000 listens per episode. He explains that burnout is a common occurrence for podcast producers and it is better to be prepared for it than to become frustrated and quit. Behind the Bits, is a podcast produced and edited by just me. I don’t use any outside help for any of the work that goes into producing the show. To prepare for each episode, I do 3 hours of research on my guest and 2 hours of editing, as well as 3 hours of social media promotion. I look for guests who have something insightful to say, and are involved in projects such as albums, books, and comedy specials.  The podcast Behind The Bits is a successful podcast, however I’ve been feeling burnout from all the work that goes into it. This includes reaching out to sponsors, scheduling and prepping guests, and dealing with technical issues. To combat this burnout, I’m changing my perspective and looking at the podcast from a macro perspective. I’m also taking stock of the connections I’ve made and the impact they have had on listeners. I’m also planning what they want to do with the podcast in the future. Burnout is a common challenge for podcasters. To combat this, I learned that it's important to keep a positive attitude and be proud of the work you have accomplished. Additionally, I suggest preparing episodes in advance and taking breaks from social media. Creating best of episodes is also a good idea and can be helpful if interviews aren't ready. I hope this episode gives you the tools to be burnout-proof and able to refocus if burnout does occur in your endeavors. Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. I use Descript to produce all my podcasts. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript I mentioned the contest that is running to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy. I’m excited to give away some great podcasting tools like a studio microphone, a 1-year subscription to Descript, and 2 hours of consulting time from me! Click the link below to enter:https://www.yourpodguy.com/contest If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTok Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talked to Brian Aquart, host of the “Why I Left” podcast which centers around The Great Resignation that occurred during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I wanted to talk to Brian because “Why I Left” is a podcast that has a clear mission & “Why” which I believe are the most important ingredients to make a compelling show that has a clear target audience. Brian’s story is like many others in that he had the idea for “Why I Left’ at 3AM and went right to work in creating an outline of his “Why” & mission. Brian studied employment law in the Midwest and relocated to New York to work in healthcare as Chief of Staff. Understanding the thought process that was going on with career professionals in all employment categories was important for Brian to be effective in his own staffing endeavors. More importantly, Brian wanted to connect with people and discover all the peripheral things that make people change careers, move away from their current city, and make job changes in their current field.  When Brian was planning “Why I Left”, he did a number of things that I recommend everyone does before starting a podcast: 1. He talked to friends & family about the idea for feedback.2. He found a mentor to help take his idea from concept to final product.3. He read books on podcasting and took wisdom from each to ensure he started out using best practices.4. He reserved a URL for a website for the podcast.5. He listened to a lot of podcasts of similar content for inspiration.  Check out “Why I Left” on your favorite app and check out the website for the show here: https://whyileft.co/ Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. I use Descript to produce all my podcasts. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript I mentioned the contest that is running to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy. I’m excited to give away some great podcasting tools like a studio microphone, a 1-year subscription to Descript, and 2 hours of consulting time from me! Click the link below to enter:https://www.yourpodguy.com/contest If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTok Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk about choosing a podcast host. A podcast host is where you upload your podcast audio or video file for distribution to all the podcast players. It acts as a hub for all the podcast players to access your show and is distributed through an RSS feed. When starting your podcast, you should out a trailer with podcast artwork so everything is in place when you launch. He also recommends picking one podcast host and not worrying too much as most will provide the same basic functions. Different hosts may have different features like a functional podcast website, web players, and the ability to host multiple shows. Podcasting is easier than ever with a wide range of hosting services available. It is easy to switch hosts if you don't like the one you initially chose, and the process won't take more than a couple of hours. The best way to get started is to choose your host early and get your trailer out as soon as possible to ensure you're fully distributed to all podcast players. If you need help or have questions about podcasting, you can reach out to Scott at yourpodguy.com or use the Ask Answer tool in the Show notes.  Your Pod Guy is a podcast about podcasting and how to make your podcast great. You can follow Your Pod Guy is on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Your Pod Guy also has a mailing list for great podcast info delivered right to your email. The next episode of the Pod Guy podcast will be an interview with Brian Aquart, host of the “Why I Left” podcast. Brian has a clear mission and Why and is a great interviewer.  Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. I use Descript to produce all my podcasts. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript I mentioned the contest that is running to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy. I’m excited to give away some great podcasting tools like a studio microphone, a 1-year subscription to Descript, and 2 hours of consulting time from me! Click the link below to enter:https://www.yourpodguy.com/contest If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTok Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I answer a question I received from a listener about the equipment and software I use for my podcasts.. My current microphone of choice is a Rode Procaster, which has a great balance of cost and quality. The Procaster is a heavy dynamic mic with a built-in pop filter, and it captures warm sound without picking up any ambient noise. It is an XLR mic, so it needs to be plugged into a soundboard, and it currently sells for around $229. The Road Pod Mic is another XLR mic that is more budget friendly, selling for around $99. The Pod Mic is a popular choice for podcast hosts and is a great quality for the price. To use with the mic, a Cloudlifter is also recommended for better sound quality.  The Cloudlifter is an optional piece of equipment that increases the volume of a mic output without having to increase the gain on a soundboard. It is necessary for some mics and can be helpful to reduce distortion in a microphone’s output. The boom arm is a must-have for any podcaster to keep their microphone out of the way when not in use and to be able to position it exactly where they want it. It should be able to hold the weight of the microphone and be quiet when positioning the mic. It should also be long enough to be able to position the mic properly. The IX Tech Boom Arm is a great choice for podcasters and is currently available for around $60. Ultimately, it is important to choose a boom arm that meets the needs of the podcaster. My sound board is a Roadcaster Pro which is made specifically for podcasting and live streaming. It has four XLR mic inputs as well as slots for a micro SD card, computer, phone, and Bluetooth device. The board also separates all audio tracks from the mics and other inputs into individual tracks, making it easier to edit for specific issues like noise or low volume. This sound board also has a ton of audio processing features to make the speaker's voice sound great in the recording. I use Descript for my audio and video editing. It’s “edit text, edit everything” interface has saved me hours of time in my editing process.  Here’s links to all the equipment and software I mentioned in this episode: Rode Procaster Mic Rode PodMic Cloudlifter IXTECH Mic Boom Arm RodeCaster Pro RodeCaster Pro II Descript Audio/Video Editor Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. I use Descript to produce all my podcasts. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript I mentioned the contest that is running to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy. I’m excited to give away some great podcasting tools like a studio microphone, a 1-year subscription to Descript, and 2 hours of consulting time from me! Click the link below to enter:https://www.yourpodguy.com/contest If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTok Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I discuss the reasons why potential podcasters shouldn't start a podcast . Many people are capitalizing on the podcast industry by offering a range of services like podcast production, graphic design, social media design, editing, blogging, and show notes. However, many of these services are expensive and do not guarantee success for the podcast.  The first reason is not having an idea of what to create. You shouldn’t start a podcast until you have something you have a burning desire to communicate. The second reason is wanting quick money. There are podcast gurus who promise quick money right away but can’t deliver on that promise.  Starting a podcast is not necessarily a great way to make money right away. Instead, it requires a lot of research, effort, and dedication. To be successful, having an original idea and understanding how to create a show with a consistent flow and message is critical. Don’t start a podcast if it will be a long commercial for your goods or services or if  you don’t enjoy listening to podcasts.  In the next episode, I’ll address a listener question regarding my podcast gear, Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. I use Descript to produce all my podcasts. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript I mentioned the contest that is running to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy. I’m excited to give away some great podcasting tools like a studio microphone, a 1-year subscription to Descript, and 2 hours of consulting time from me! Click the link below to enter:https://www.yourpodguy.com/contest If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTok  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to the 7ht episode of Your Pod Guy!  In this episode, I’ll be talking about a tactical error I made in starting my podcast, Behind the Bits.  Your podcast is basically a small business (even if it’s not making any money) and even after careful planning, you may find that you made some mistakes in your content, how you present the show on social media, and even in your podcast artwork.  The good news is that you can adjust to mistakes without moving away from the spirit of your show or your mission.  I expect you'll have questions and I'm here to answer them. you can shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com and I'll answer them right here on the podcast. You can also use a cool toll I'm beta testing called Ask Answer. you just grab your phone and record a video asking me a question and I'll answer it. Pretty cool, huh? Just click the link in the show notes to ask me anything about podcasting. I'd also love some feedback. Is the information I'm presenting helpful to you? What topics would you like to hear about? I'm not new to podcasting but this is my first podcast about podcasting and I want to make sure I'm putting out what you want to hear.  In producing 4 podcasts, I have become obsessed with great podcasts and want to help make yours great too! That's what Your Pod Guy is all about. If you like what you hear, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave a review to help me reach more podcasters and aspiring podcasters like you! Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. In the next episode, I'll talk about some reasons you shouldn't start a podcast. I use Descript to produce all my podcasts. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript I mentioned the contest that is running to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy. I’m excited to give away some great podcasting tools like a studio microphone, a 1-year subscription to Descript, and 2 hours of consulting time from me! Click the link below to enter:https://www.yourpodguy.com/contest If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTokAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to the sixth episode of Your Pod Guy! I'm Scott Curtis, Your Pod Guy. Before I get into the show, I want to let you know that I'm having a contest to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy! I'm giving away a great podcast mic, a 1-year subscription to Descript podcast and video editor which I'm using right now, and 2 hours of free podcast consulting from Your Pod Guy. That's me. Head over to yourpodguy.com/contest to see how to enter. Pro Tip: There's ways to get entries every day! The link is in the show notes too. We're going to cover your podcast "why" today. I think that determining your why is the most important part of planning your podcast. Understanding your why, writing it down, and creating a mission statement from it is what will keep you motivated to continue your show past the seven episodes that is the total run for most podcasts. That's right; the statistics show that 82% of podcasts stop before they reach a year and most podcasts don't last more than seven episodes. I'm going to put the full transcript of this episode into the show notes so that you can refer to it when you are getting to your podcast "why". There are a lot of reasons most podcasts fail and I believe the easiest way to sum up the failures is to say that they thought it would be cool to start a podcast and when they didn't go to the top of the charts right away, they thought it was too much work. A podcast is a lot of work and determining your "why" will not only help you to be on the winning side of the statistics but will help you determine if a podcast is really a good idea for you before you put in the effort and investment to start it. I'd like to illustrate how I got to my "why" for Behind the Bits to give you a real-world example. As I mentioned in episode 2, I started performing stand-up comedy at the age of 52. As a podcast listener, I looked for all the comedy teaching podcasts I could find. I found some really good shows but none of them had exactly what I wanted. So, I decided I'd start my own podcast because I figured there had to be more people like me. At that point, I didn't know what I wanted though so, to start, I realized that I needed to write down what I didn't want. I still have the notebook I used to plan Behind the Bits. Here's my list of what I didn't want in my podcast: I didn't want the perspective of a one person show. Basically, a lecture.I didn't want a lot of small-talk and inside jokes between the hosts & guests. I didn't want the same questions posed to every guest. Maybe 1 or 2 static questions like why did you start stand-up?I didn't want the host to be the focus of attention. I didn't want the subject matter to be too basic. There are a lot of books with that info and more than enough shows.I didn't want the guests to be all famous comedians.  That's a lot of what I didn't want! Boy am I picky! After determining what I didn't want in my podcast, I made a list of what I did want: Interview working comedians at all stages of their careers.Guests chosen for a particular reason. They said or did something that I thought should be documented.Branding that didn't include my picture or name. (This was a mistake that I'll cover in another episode)A conversation with active listening vs a list of questions.Guests in the industry and also industry adjacent (Like club owners, comedy writers, speech coaches, etc) Serious conversation with little banter and small talkNo pre-interview. I want to get to know my guests while the proverbial tape is rolling. Once again, that's a lot of wants! Between the wants and don't wants, I solidified my "why". It's pretty simple. There wasn't a podcast I found that had everything I wanted and nothing I didn't want. Now, I had to create a mission statement that outlined exactly what my podcast would be. Here's the big reveal: I want to learn everything I can about stand-up comedy and bring my listeners along for the ride. That's pretty simple, isn't it? That's what a mission statement is supposed to be. The work is determining what and you don't want in your podcast. After that, your mission statement should be very easy to write. If it isn't, go back and do the work again. Most definitely, don't start your show until you've done the work and have your mission statement, or your show will surely be in the 82% of podcasts that fail. Strong words but they're true.  I expect you'll have questions and I'm here to answer them. you can shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com and I'll answer them right here on the podcast. You can also use a cool toll I'm beta testing called Ask Answer. you just grab your phone and record a video asking me a question and I'll answer it. Pretty cool, huh? Just click the link in the show notes to ask me anything about podcasting. I'd also love some feedback. Is the information I'm presenting helpful to you? What topics would you like to hear about? I'm not new to podcasting but this is my first podcast about podcasting and I want to make sure I'm putting out what you want to hear.  In producing 4 podcasts, I have become obsessed with great podcasts and want to help make yours great too! That's what Your Pod Guy is all about. If you like what you hear, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave a review to help me reach more podcasters and aspiring podcasters like you! Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. In the next episode, I'll talk about the big mistake I made with Behind the Bits I use Descript to produce all my podcasts. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript I mentioned the contest that is running to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy. I’m excited to give away some great podcasting tools like a studio microphone, a 1-year subscription to Descript, and 2 hours of consulting time from me! Click the link below to enter:https://www.yourpodguy.com/contest If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTokAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re covering podcast editing software. I talk about the free software out there that will help you edit your show with ease as well as the software I consider to be my “Silver Bullet” for producing my podcast.  First up is Audacity. You can get this free audio editor here:https://www.audacityteam.org/Next, is Garageband which is for Mac users and is free as well. Check it out here:https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/ Auphonic is free for up to 2 hours of audio processing per month and has options to subscribe or buy blocks of audio processing. Check it out here:https://auphonic.com/ The last piece of software I talked about is called Descript. This is my go-to audio and video editor and has made my life so much easier. Check it out here:https://www.yourpodguy.com/descript I mentioned the contest that is running to celebrate the launch of Your Pod Guy. I’m excited to give away some great podcasting tools like a studio microphone, a 1-year subscription to Descript, and 2 hours of consulting time from me! Click the link below to enter:https://www.yourpodguy.com/contest If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTokAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to the forth episode of Your Pod Guy! I'm Scott Curtis, Your Pod Guy.Let's talk about microphones. It's one of the first questions aspiring podcasters ask me. It makes a lot of sense that you might need some direction in choosing a microphone because there is so much conflicting information and opinions out there. There are two basic types of microphones. Condenser & Dynamic. Let’s talk about condenser mics first.Condenser mics are commonly used in studios to pick up sounds with great detail and accuracy. For that reason, they are great for recording music vocals. The plus side of condenser mics is that they have a very rich and warm sound. your voice will sound great when you're using a condenser mic. You also don't have to be super close to a condenser mic as it has a wide listening area. The downside is that condenser mics are very sensitive and will pick up all the noise around you along with your great voice recording. If your computer is loud it will pick that up. If there are conversations in the other room, it will pick that up. If you can hear it, a condenser mic will hear it. With that in mind, a condenser mic is a great fit for a true podcast studio environment. That means your recording area is soundproof and treated with acoustic panels so your voice doesn't bounce off the walls back into the mic. A dynamic mic is the most common mic used for podcasting. The reason is that a dynamic mic has a narrower listening area. Simply put, it only hears sounds that are vary close to the mic. Dynamic mics are much more forgiving in louder environments. As a matter of fact, I'm using a dynamic mic right now with a loud computer and the dryer running right outside my room. The downside of a dynamic mic is that you lose some of the warmth you get from a condenser mic. But you're recording a podcast not and opera so a dynamic mic is still a great choice. Another small downside is a dynamic mic has to be much closer to your mouth to pick up your voice clearly. Usually between 3 and 6 inches is best. Taking into consideration the advantages and limitations of condenser and dynamic mics, my recommendation is to use a dynamic mic for podcasting. A dynamic mic is just designed better for recording a podcast and you don't have to worry about sound bleedover if you have 2 or more people in the room using different mics. You can also record just about anywhere and get a decent voice track.Now, what should you expect to pay for a podcast mic? Well, microphones vary widely in price. You can spend 20 bucks or 2,000 bucks on a mic. A 2,000 mic is not going to sound 1,800 bucks better than a 20 dollar mic. Also, your editing software can make an inexpensive mic sound great. Heck, you can record on your phone and make it sound pretty good. My recommendation for a mic that will be suitable for starting a podcast is an inexpensive dynamic mic that connects to your computer by USB. You can record directly into your editing software and have your show sounding great and ready to go pretty quick. Just remember to make a backup or two backups of the recorded file right away. I'll talk about some disasters I've had over the years in another episode. I'll also talk about podcast editing software in the next episode. It's a lot to digest and I think I gave you enough to think about with all the mic talk. I expect you'll have questions and I'm hear to answer them. you can shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com and I'll answer them right here on the podcast. You can also use a cool toll I'm beta testing called Ask Answer. you just grab your phone and record a video asking me a question and I'll answer it. Pretty cool, huh? In producing 4 podcasts, I have become obsessed with great podcasts and want to help make yours great too! That's what Your Pod Guy is all about.Make sure to follow Your Pod Guy on all the socials by clicking the links in the show notes or searching your pod guy in each platform.If you like what you hear, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave a review to help me reach more podcasters and aspiring podcasters like you!Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email.In the next episode, I'll talk about podcast editing software. I'll cover free and paid tools that will make editing easy and make your podcast sound great. Thanks for listening and have a great pod day. If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask Answer  Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here: InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTokAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to the second episode of Your Pod Guy! I'm Scott Curtis, Your Pod Guy. In this episode, I'm going to talk about the podcasts I've started. This will be a little bit of a vanity episode which makes me uncomfortable because I don;t like talking about myself but I think it will give you some good perspective. I'm going to talk about my passion project shows first and my business related shows in the next episode. My first podcast launched in 2016 and was called Michiana People. Even though it's retired, the episodes are still out there and there's a link to them in the show notes if you want to hear some real rookie podcast interviews. The name Michiana Peope came from where I lived at the time. Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan have been called Michiana for many years because they are considered a shared region. I started Michiana People to highlight the great people in the region and I talked to folks in politics, artists, musicians, business owners, and activists. I made some great connections and friendships with that show that are still important to me today. I never blew up the podcast charts but I had a loyal following and I still get a few listens to Michiana People years after the last episode aired. The smart thing I did with Michiana People is exchanged a permanent sponsorship for the show for my company buying all the initial equipment. Now, I didn't buy the best equipment for the job, but I'll get into that in another episode.  I also started performing stand-up comedy in 2016 at the age of 52. I know, I'm a late bloomer. One of the first things I did when I started was to look for podcasts about stand-up that would give me an inside track to being a better comedian quicker. I found a few that I liked but none of the podcasts I found were exactly what I was looking for. After a couple years, I decided that I would have to start my own podcast about stand-up comedy and Behind the Bits was born. Behind the Bits had a long gestation period of nearly a year as I wanted to do all my research and make it as perfect as I could. I'll talk more about my planning of Behind the Bits in another episode. Many of steps I took to prepare for the podcast went into my Your Pod Guy Podcast Checklist which is available for free at yourpodguy.com. Even with all the planning, I made a lot of mistakes at launch and during the past three years the show has been around. However, I did a lot of things right as well. The outcome is a comedy interview podcast with a great following. I also won the Discover Pods award for Best Interview Style Podcast in 2020 and was interviewed for Podcast Magazine in 2022. Behind the Bits has had ups and downs but overall, I'm very happy with the show and the feedback I get from listeners. In producing Behind the Bits and Michiana People, I have become obsessed with great podcasts and want to help make yours great too! That's what Your Pod Guy is all about. Make sure to follow Your Pod Guy by clicking the links in the show notes or searching your pod guy in each platform. If you like what you hear, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave a review to help me reach more podcasters and aspiring podcasters like you! Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. In the next episode, I'll talk about the business podcasts I've helped to launch. Thanks for listening and have a great pod day.If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.comYou can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask AnswerHere's a link to Michiana People Podcast I mentioned:https://feeds.redcircle.com/b293459e-80fc-4d43-b668-ad847223b7b6Here's a link to Behind the Bits:https://www.thebtbpc.com/Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here: InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTokAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to the first episode of Your Pod Guy. I'm Scott Curtis, Your Pod Guy. Today, I'm going to give you a brief overview of what Your Pod Guy is all about and what you can expect from the podcast. This show is dedicated to help you start your podcast the right way or point your current podcast in the right direction to accomplish your mission. How am I qualified to tell you how you should run your podcast? Great question. I've started 4 podcasts since 2016. Two of them were passion projects and two of them were business related. I'll talk more about my podcasts in the next couple episodes. I will tell you that I'm speaking from experience and from making a lot of mistakes. My mission for this podcast is to help podcasters avoid mistakes like I made and give some perspective on all the conflicting information you find when Googling "How do I start a Podcast?" To be totally transparent, the Your Pod Guy podcast is a companion piece to my podcast consulting service which you can learn about at yourpodguy.com . However, I believe just listening to the podcast will give you insights and actionable items to make your podcast the best it can be. I intend for these episodes to be short, sweet and published often. You'll hear tips, tricks, trends, and maybe an interview of a podcast host who is doing it right.  Inn order to give you the content you need, I need to know your questions about starting and maintaining a podcast. So don't be shy and shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com or send me a video question by clicking the link in the show notes. Make sure to follow Your Pod Guy on all the socialsin by clicking the links in the show notes or searching your pod guy in each platform. If you like what you hear, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave a review to help me reach more podcasters and aspiring podcasters like you! Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your emailIn the next episode, I'll talk about why I think I'm qualified to help you with your podcast. And it's out right now!If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.com You can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask AnswerFollow Your Pod Guy on the socials here: InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTokAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to the third episode of Your Pod Guy! I'm Scott Curtis, Your Pod Guy. In this episode, I'm going to talk about the business podcasts I've started. After this the one, I promise we'll get to the good stuff after this one but you've got to know I'm not some uninformed guy talking about podcasting, right?I worked 17 years for a great company in Goshen, IN called Mapletronics. We were and IT services company and managed service provider. In talking to my clients, I noticed the gap between what I understood about networks, cybersecurity, and data protection and my client's knowledge was widening. As your specialty becomes more complex you need to find new ways to communicate the value you provide to clients and potential clients because nobody buys what they don't understand.With that understanding the Mapletronics Tech Talk podcast was born. We put together a show that broke down important IT trends into easy to understand conversational topics. Then we recorded short, informative podcast episodes we could share with our clients and potential clients.It's important to be established as a trusted advisor in the IT world and for that matter, in any business such as law, real estate, business consulting, marketing, and the list goes on.Mapletronics Tech Talk Podcast was a hit both with clients and the Mapletronics team. Our clients understood our offerings and why they should partner with us and our teammates understood our sales and marketing focus better.The net result of the Tech Talk podcast was more sales. We were able to cross-sale in current accounts and brought in new business relationships form those current clients sharing the podcast with their peers.Flashing forward to now, I’ve made a big move from northern Indiana to Huntsville, AL so my wife and I could be closer to one of our two children. I'm working for a larger IT services company called IT Voice that is also a world class telephone services provider among many other things.Of course, I knew a podcast would be a great fit for IT Voice and our CEO was sold on it right away. We're basically doing the same type of podcast as I did with Mapletronics. We're just talking about a larger product offering. Links to both shows are in the show notes.If you think a podcast for your business might help establish yourself as a trusted advisor and will drive sales for your organization, you're probably right. Taking what you do and explaining it so that people understand what it is and why they need it has always been difficult. If your client's and prospects can listen to your explanation in a no pressure fashion on their own time, I think you'll have some great results.In producing Behind the Bits and Michiana People, I have become obsessed with great podcasts and want to help make yours great too! That's what Your Pod Guy is all about.Make sure to follow Your Pod Guy on all the socials by clicking the links in the show notes or searching your pod guy in each platform. If you like what you hear, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave a review to help me reach more podcasters and aspiring podcasters like you! Head over to yourpodguy.com if you'd like to book a free consultation and while you're there, join the mailing list for more great podcast info delivered to your email. In the next episode, I'll talk about the equipment and software you'll need to start a podcast. I don't think this is the most important aspect of planning a podcast but is the first question I'm asked by nearly all potential podcasters. Thanks for listening and have a great pod day.If you have any questions you’d like to ask, shoot me an email to scott@yourpodguy.comYou can also reach me through Ask Answer using your mobile device (I think it’s pretty cool)Ask AnswerHere's a link to Mapletronics Tech Talk Podcast;https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/mapletronics-tech-talk-mapletronics-computers-F1GIKR-iMtb/Here's a link to IT Voice Technology Simplified Podcast:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2001249Follow Your Pod Guy on the socials here: InstagramFacebookLinkedInTikTokAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stay tuned for great information to make your podcast fulfilling for you and your listeners!Check out the website for more tips, tricks, and to schedule a free consultation. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.