Podcaster Stories

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:

• Urban Contemplatives
• Mindful Moment Podcast
• Urban Contemplatives on Facebook

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

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:

• The 4AM Report
• c+p digital
• Susan on LinkedIn
• Will on LinkedIn
• c+p digital content academy

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

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:

• Education on Fire
• Primary Education on Fire

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

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:

• Lefteris Asks Science podcast
• Lefteris on Twitter

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

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:

• The Kerby Method
• Beyond the Pink Cloud podcast
• Dr. Alice on Facebook

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Rode Podmic
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
• 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

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:

• PeteCann.com
• The Laughter & Positivity Podcast

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Rode Podmic
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
• 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

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:

• SquadCast.fm
• Between 2 Mics podcast
• SquadCast on Facebook

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Rode Podmic
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
• 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

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:

• The Gear Show
• Lisa on Instagram
• Big Leap Creative

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Rode Podmic
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
• 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

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:

• BobWP.com
• Bob on Twitter
• Do the Woo podcast

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Rode Podmic
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
• 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

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:

• The Transatlantic Cable Podcast
• Jeff on Twitter
• Kaspersky blog

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Rode Podmic
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
• 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