Welcome to the first show of our first season of Podcasting Smarter!  Joining us on this episode is Mike Rahlmann, host of the Be Our Guest (WDW) Podcast! With over 5.5 million downloads and morethan 1,000 episodes, the Be Our Guest Podcast is a trusted resource for anyone wanting to squeeze all the fun they can out of their Walt Disney World experience.

Mike generously shares his eight year odyssey of podcasting, and his enthusiasm for the platform has only grown over the years. He credits the community that grew around his podcast for him finding a new career as a WDW travel agent, for running marathons, travelling and for conquering his fear of flying.

"One of the powers of podcasting is that you can make a difference." --Mike Rahlmann

Mike's Podcasting Smarter Tips: 

• Mike recommends aligning your podcast with a charity to see the power that your podcast has to make a difference. The Be Our Guest Podcast will be podcasting for 12 hours straight on Sun. July 31, 2016 to raise money for Give Kids The World. Last year, they raised over $20,000 from their amazing audience.

• The key to Mike's podcasting success has been community. He encourages us to connect with our listeners on a deeper level both online and off. His show has done this by organizing a running team, having annual cruises, being active and curious on social media, and incorporating listeners into their show. 

• Mike shares how by adding a live show into his podcasting schedule his team opened up a different kind of engagement with their audience. He uses a combination of Mixlr and Skype to make that magic happen.