Suzanne Chadwick
You're listening to the play big brand bold podcast episode number seven.

Welcome to the play big brand bold podcast, business and branding advice to help you play a bigger game in your business, and brand bold to stand out in the crowd. Each week, I'll be sharing interviews with business and creative professionals, as well as insights and strategies to help you do more of the things you want to do in your business. Get confident, clear and capable to build your business brand and bottom line.

Hey, hey, welcome back to the podcast. I'm Suzanne Chadwick, your host. And it is so great to have you here. I just wanted to do a big shout out to those people who have left amazing reviews in iTunes. Thank you so much for your comments. And for your support, it means so much especially because my little podcast is so new. It's just really encouraging. And I love seeing it. So if you're enjoying the podcast, please feel free to go to iTunes, and leave an amazing review and rating. It's always great to have those coming through. So today is a bit of a bonus podcast. As you know, I release my podcast episodes every fortnight. And I thought I would just do a bonus here for you. Because I've had so many emails and questions from people asking me how I started the podcast. Now before we dive in, I am obviously going to

admit and have a disclaimer that I'm about less than 10 episodes in and, and it's the first podcast I've ever done is you know, I haven't been on a lot of podcasts, but I listened to them non stop, and I love them. So a podcast to me was something that I thought was going to be a really great addition to my business this Yeah. So what I wanted to share with you today was really how I started the podcast, how I select my interview is how I got started, generally some of the tech some of the promo etc. So this is not gonna be potentially the most comprehensive way. But for me, it's kind of a Lazy Girls Guide to starting a podcast. So if you've been thinking about starting a podcast this year, or next year, and it's something that you want to really look into, then hopefully you'll get some tips from me, I guess the main thing that I'm going to say is, things only have to be as hard as you make them. So I am actually all about creating ease in my business. Yeah, so I give myself a lot of time I plan ahead, I am quite organized. So that I am not stressing, rushing, trying to do things at the last minute, because that's not where I thrive. That's not what I enjoy. And so even when it comes to this podcast, I am a lot of episodes ahead, I've front loaded a lot. So I've actually organized or decided on who I want to interview for the whole of the year. Because I'm doing fortnightly episodes, obviously, that's really only looking at around about 2526 people. So it's not, you know, 52, which would be massive. And we're going to talk about you know how to decide how often you podcast as well or how I decided. So I was really looking at what is a way that I can create really great content for my audience in a way that is easy and is full for me as well. Before you start your podcast, there's a couple of things that I think you should be thinking about. The first one is, is talking and interviewing people, something you enjoy doing? Is it something that you think you're good at, and it is just generally speaking about what you do and talking about different topics, something that you think you could do? Well, before you start, I think that that's a good place to start. Now, I do want to also say here that I think that a lot of people are better than what they think they are when it comes to certain things. So maybe ask those around you or have a go and see how it goes and see what happens. Before I started the podcast. I actually did a couple of tests around. So I recorded two episodes, which were my first few episodes. And then I decided do I like it? Was it easy? Is it something that I think I could continue to do before I decided to put it out there that I was starting a podcast. So I think that that's the first thing decide if it's something that you really want to do because if you kind of go well everybody's doing it, I should do it but you don't enjoy it and you find it stressful, then I don't think that this is going to be something that you're going to continue to do. Because at the end of the day, if we find things too hard, we don't continue to do them. Yeah. So before you do anything else make that decision. The next thing I'd say is, why do you want to start a podcast? So you really need to ask yourself this, what are your objectives? And why are you doing it? So for me, if you've been following me for a while, I have always been a video girl, I love video. It's something that I've done for years, I've done I do it for clients, I do it for myself. But I just kind of got to the stage where I didn't really want to be putting on makeup and outfits, etc, all the time. And I wanted something that was easier for me to create. I also love talking to other entrepreneurs, and asking questions, or learning, hearing their stories, etc. So this would be a good way for me to create content quickly and easily. As well as connect with the people that I wanted to connect with. Obviously, audio is the next big thing, or audio is the big thing at the moment, everybody's listening to podcasts. So I thought, Okay, this is something that I think my audience would like. And I think that the reach could be wider as well. So I'm really keen to get into the US more. And I think that having a podcast and being able to connect with us based podcasters is something that is going to help me to grow my business and grow my brand. I'm also writing a book at the moment. And that is another branding exercise that I'm doing. So I know that once my book is out there and published, then that's something that I can use as a lead in to connect with more podcasters and more entrepreneurs in the regions that I really want to expand the connection exchange. So it's really thinking about what are your objectives and why you're doing this. Because if you're really not sure why you're starting a podcast, and you're not sure exactly what the outcome could be for you, and how you're going to do it, then once again, it could be a harder thing for you to do. The next thing that I think is worth asking yourself is What do I want to talk about. So I'm a really practical person. So practical Podcast, episode plus stories is what I wanted. So I love podcasts like Amy Porterfield and Pat Flynn. And there's other ones that I really enjoy. Some of them are more storytelling, others are more practical business strategies and tactics. So I knew that I wanted my podcast to be that I really wanted to have take away actionable content for my audience. So really think about what you think you want to talk about, and whether you then know, either people or you've got to know how to either have solo episodes, or you've got enough people to interview on those topics as well. The next question that I asked myself is, who do I want to interview? So this is a big one, you know, it has to be relevant to the podcast title, and what I'm focusing on. So because the podcast is called play big, brand bold, I am looking for people to interview who I think they're playing a big gap. Yeah, they are out there, they are being visible, they are doing big things. They are, you know, trying different things. They've got things that are really interesting or different. And their branding in a way that I think is either unique, or they're just having what I like to say, but red hot dip, they are really putting themselves out there in a way that feels brave. So when I think about people that I want to interview, I need to feel like that is reflective of the title of the podcast. I don't really feel like I can interview people who are not really sure what they're doing. They're not really sure where they're going. They're not really putting themselves out there. So I think it's really important that your podcast has the credibility that you need it to have as well. So I started with people who I admired and I knew now obviously, you want to get the low hanging fruit. I've got some amazing connections, people I've collaborated with people who I've got friendships with, who are doing amazing things. So they have been the first people that I've gone to, to ask, would you be on the podcast and majority of the VA has said yes, which has been amazing. So I think just start with where you're at. But the other thing that I do want to say is that I have also interviewed or emailed some really big names as well. So people who I massively admire, who are leaps and bounds ahead of Maybe in business? And they've said yes, as well. But the point is, is that if they say, No, it's fine, it's not a problem. But I am absolutely going to play my big game. And I'm gonna go out there. And we're going to ask these people if they would like to be on my podcast, because once again, they fit the play big, brand bold theme that I want to talk about, I see them doing big things. So I want to talk to them. And if they are happy to talk to me, then awesome. So you really had to think about that, too, you know, who are you going to ask? So I would encourage you to sit down and think about write a list of who you would love to interview if that's what your podcast is going to be, and why you want to interview them as well. And then what I've done is that I basically just sent an email, giving them an overview of what my podcast is about, and why I want to interview them. And just letting them know that it can be any time. Now, because I've been really organized and I front loaded a lot of my episodes, I've kind of got a bank of at least five to six at any one time, which basically means that I've got at least a month and a half, if not more, two months or so hours worth of episodes ready to go at any one time. And then when I get a chance, I'll record an episode, I might record two or three in one day, and then I just bank them. So really planning ahead and giving yourself enough space to create the episodes that you want to create, I think is really important. Because once again, if it's too hard, and it's too much stress, you're just not going to continue to do it. Okay, so now the question that I've had a lot of people ask me is, how did I start? So the first thing is, I gave myself a long lead time and didn't put too much pressure on myself. So I recorded a couple of episodes myself, listen to them, you know, had a bit of a thing, how did it feel? Did I really like it. And then I gave myself a date, which was kind of like two months into the future. So I had recorded two episodes, at least, I was using the visual branding from my play big brand bold online course, because I wanted the branding to be similar or the same from a branding perspective. So I had all of that I went onto audio jungle, and I found music that I liked. That was I don't know, $20 or so. So I just started to gather the bits and pieces that I knew I needed. The other thing is, is that when it came to the number of episodes that I wanted to do, obviously the big podcasters do weekly episodes, when I spoke to people, they said to me, you should do weekly episodes, you know, that's where you're gonna get the traction. And that's what the majority of people do. But then I went into the sheep podcast group, which is a great group on Facebook, by the way, and I asked the question, How often do you release an episode? If you've released it fortnightly? Can you tell me what your experience has been? So I've asked questions, because I just thought if I record for a weekly show, I feel like that's going to be too much. I feel like it's going to be too much pressure for me to do that. The other thing is, is that I was still happy to do videos and blogs. So the podcast was really going to be one of the types of content that I was going to release. So if I didn't have a podcast episode every week, that's like, hey, I'll do a Facebook Live, or I'll do a video or I'll write a blog post, which means that it gives me the variety that I want as well. So when I went into the sheep podcast, Facebook group, one of the ladies was saying that she had done one every single weekend, she felt completely burnt out. She hadn't grown our audience, and it just hadn't been a great experience for her. Now that may have been down to other things. But obviously having a weekly show doesn't guarantee success. Somebody else came back actually a few people and said that they had been doing it fortnightly. It had worked for them, their audience had grown over that time, and that their audience knew what to expect. So if they had said it was going to be fortnightly, then that's when people came back. Now in my own experience, I follow quite a few podcasts. I never looked at the day, I just go in when I have time to listen, and I look at what the next episode is. I don't actually know if they release fortnightly or weekly or whenever it is. I just pick up the next episode that I can see when I've got time to listen. So to me it didn't matter when people were releasing. It didn't matter whether it was weekly or fortnightly as to whether I listened to them or not. So I decided to go with my gut and do a fortnight Like episode, because that's what felt good for me. So you just got to think about that. The other thing is that I also thought, well, if everybody knows that I'm releasing a podcast fortnightly, then I might also do bonuses like this episode in between, which is just like, you know, a cherry on top, really. And so that's what I decided to do. And I've learnt that from a few different podcasters, who I have really enjoyed their sort of bonus episodes. The other thing that I saw somebody else who I really liked the other day, they just did a short five or eight minute episode as well, which was kind of tips and tricks that they just learned in the last week around the topic that they focus on which their audience loved. And in the Facebook group that this podcaster had. The audience were loving it, her community was loving it. They were like, Yeah, we love the five minute or the eight minute podcast, it's so easy to consume. And we love that you've just got these little hits of great tips for us. So I am learning from other podcasters in the industry. I am not doing the standard, every single week for one hour, etc. Just go with what works for you, as long as your audience knows what to expect. Now my little secret weapon was that I didn't know how to start a podcast, I didn't know how to upload the episodes, I didn't know where to upload them. And to be honest, I just couldn't really be bothered to find out either. So I hired Lindell Harris from podcast va.com. And she set everything up for me. So I basically hired her to do her setup package. And she set everything up, she set up my hosting site, she set up my iTunes, or access my iTunes, and my stitcher set up my podcast page, and the first four episodes. So all I had to do was make sure I had the music, I wanted the intro, I wanted the visual or creatives, as well as at least three or four episodes that I had recorded, which I was able to do pretty easily. And then she went and she did all of the setup for me. So that I think is probably the best thing that I did is that I did what I was good at, which was the podcast, interviewing, and the editing, etc. And I gave the rest to her to set up. Now that she set it all up, all I have to do is record my episode, edit it in any way that I want to, and then upload it in the way that she has shown me and Linda was great she recorded video of how to upload she didn't really need to when I look at it, because it's so simple. And then that's it and I can just shedule for when that episode goes live, so I can even front load those as well. So I could be scheduling and creating episodes now and setting the release date to three, four or five weeks time on my blog as well as in my host. And then it all just goes live when I want it to which is fantastic. So that is how I started. Now when it comes to promo, I think this is something that I need to get better at and do do a bit more of as well. But what I'm trying to do once again, is create something that can be repurposed. So when I record my podcasts, I do it either on my iPhone, or I do it through zoom. And there's a couple of reasons for that. So first of all, I purchased on eBay and I'll do the link below. And I read jewel lapel microphone, which means that it's a lapel mic that has two lapel mics, but one import into or input into my phone. And there's an app that I use called iRig. And the sound quality is amazing. It's fantastic. And I really like it so when I'm doing interviews then I might use that. The other reason that I decided to get that is because I can do interviews on the go. I have not bought a fancy microphone I have don't have the whole set podcast set up either recording on my phone through those lapel mics, which I can either do at home or I can do wherever I am or I record on Zoom if I'm at home and then I use the audio and the video to then obviously the audio for the podcast and the video I upload it onto Youtube as well as using it to promote the podcast episode on Facebook or wherever else Instagram if I want to do like a clip that's understood 60 seconds. And I can do that to promote the episode as well. But when I create the image, I create a square one for and start a rectangle, one for Facebook and a long one for Instagram stories. And then I'm also using that Insta Stories image on Pinterest now as well. So it's exactly the same image. It's just different dimensions. So I create all of those in one go. So when I am creating the episode, in my podcast posting platform, then and on the blog, then I'll go and create those four images, and then I'll save them, and they're all ready to go. So I can be posting those when the episode goes live. But also, I obviously need them when I'm sheduled thing for the episode to go live on iTunes, as well as on my website. And then I also asked my guests to share as well. And the other thing that I do is that when somebody is listening to the podcast, then I save that image. So for example, Insta Stories, I've had so many people that have shared that they're listening to the podcast, which is amazing, thank you. So I take a screenshot of that, and then I reshare it and thank them as well. So I just think that you've just got to really give your community love, like if they are sharing what you've got with their audiences, then I just think repurpose that, you know, reshare it so that you can get more eyeballs on it. And I also think it gives it credibility, when other people see that more people are listening to your podcast, then there's going to definitely be a bit of a tipping point where they're going to be thinking, okay,

you know, maybe I need to be listening to it too. So I think, don't be share, don't be scared to share as much as possible. And I will absolutely be you know, resharing re sharing all of my episodes right up to my first episode. And I'm going to be getting back onto Twitter, actually, because I hear it's having a resurgence to be sharing some of those as well, because I've actually listened to a few podcasts from Twitter links. So I'm definitely going to be doing that too. But that is just a bit of an overview about what I think is Lazy Girls Guide to starting a podcast, really know why you're starting it and make sure that it's something that you think that you would enjoy, make sure you're really clear on what you want to talk about and who you're going to be speaking to, and how they fit in with that theme. As well as really knowing what you want to get out of your podcast. So what is it that you want your podcast to do? One thing that Pat Flynn and Darren rouse both said is that if you're a speaker, then podcasting is great because people can get a real sense of you, your personality, how you talk your energy, etc. So that was another big reason for me to do podcasting was because obviously, I absolutely want to do more speaking gigs whenever I can. And so that really worked for me, so know why you're going to do it. And think about who you want to interview. So sit down and write down a whole lot of people, if that's something you want to do. When you're starting out, don't put too much pressure on yourself, how to think about what shedule is going to work for you. Don't overdo the tech, if you decide that you are going to be a weekly podcast and you are 100% committed and you are going to jump in boots and all then yeah, absolutely get the tech and the microphones and all the rest of it. But I've had so many people say to me, geez, your audio is so good. I can I just tell you right now I'm using my Logitech camera and microphone. I've got headphones on which have got a little, you know, speaker for me to talk into. And the quality is awesome. I actually edit in Camtasia, which I've always used for my videos, but it's great for audio. You can level out your audio there, you can remove any background noise as well. And you can also obviously add whatever else you want to so my intros my music, my outros, etc. So that wraps up our little bonus podcast episode on the Lazy Girls Guide to starting a podcast. If you want to start a podcast, I'd love to hear how you're going, what you're thinking what you're concerned about what you're excited about any questions that you've got, I can answer them I will but it's been really fun for me to start my podcast I'm really enjoying it. The feedbacks been amazing. It's opened some doors for me already and the conversations are absolutely exactly what I've wanted them to be. Now there is something else that I've created for you, which is the Lazy Girls Guide to starting a podcast checklists which you can download at my website which is www dot the connection exchange.com forward slash hoard 007 So make sure you go and grab that as well. So I hope that that was really helpful for you and that it's given you a few things to think about and a few tips if you are going to be launching in. If you've enjoyed this episode, then please do share it. And I would love you to leave a review on iTunes so that obviously others can see whether this is the right podcast for them. You can obviously share it on Insta Stories, Instagram, Facebook, and wherever else you can also follow me at that connection exchange underscore on Instagram. I am all over stories, so we can come back there. You can also follow me on Facebook as Suzanne Chadwick TC X. And I look forward to having you back next episode Have an awesome week

Hey, gorgeous. If you're ready to work together and you're tired of going it alone, then I want to invite you to come and join me in the bold Business Academy. Get your systems strategies and structures in place to be able to scale and grow. Get your mindset working for you, and calm and build a profitable business so that you can pay yourself more, get more time back and be surrounded by an incredible community who is there to support you get all the details and come and join at Suzanne chadwick.com forward slash a b b a. Once you've done that, then you can always come and join us in the amplify mastermind accelerator where you can take your one on one work and move into group programs Build a Profitable personal brand so that you become known in your industry as the authority and started attracting the dream clients that you really want. If you're ready to dive into amplify then head to Sue's chadwick.com forward slash amplify and come and apply today.

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