► Tell us about you and your podcast
My name is Rob Lambert and I host "You Me and He" alongside Josh Frankenstein and Drew Carroll. "YM&H" is a comedy podcast that hopes to recreate those nights when you've stayed up way too late with your buddies and everything starts to become funnier than it should be.
We try to give a fresh comedic take on music, film and pop culture along with some stories from our childhood, the 6 years we spent on the road in a metal band together and life now as husbands and fathers.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
We started "YM&H" in late 2017 on a whim one weekend. I had hosted previous Youtube shows and podcasts and I was ready to start a fresh idea. Josh, Drew and I have known each other for so many years growing up and have had such ridiculous chemistry writing music that it only made sense for us to sort of "get the band together" and start creating again... so we did!
We recorded a test pilot episode, learned a lot from that experience, tweaked a few things and then recorded/debuted episode 1 in September 2017. We were bi-weekly for 10 episodes and moved to a weekly format in March of 2018.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
We are all husbands/fathers and all have full-time jobs so a production schedule is a BIG deal. Episode production starts pretty much right after the recording of the previous episode. We all have access to a running show outline in Google Docs that allows us to input ideas, play off each others ideas and have a loose structure of where the episode needs to go before we hit record.
Most of our episodes aim for a 30-45 minute runtime so recording an episode usually takes about an hour. I handle all the editing and post production which usually runs about 60-90 minutes for an episode so all in all, the average 40 min episode takes about 2 hours to produce.
Currently all show expenses are out of pocket, we believe in "YM&H" so it's only right that we put our money where our mouth is...pun intended. However, we are very open to sponsors and recently launched our Patreon page!
► What do you gain from podcasting?
Podcasting is such a cool, relatively easy medium to get into and for us it's just a great creative outlet. There is something about producing content that brings joy to others and when we read reviews about people laughing so hard they are afraid of waking their sleeping spouse or drawing too much attention at work... we know we've done our job.
Plus as family men, we strive to create content that is accessible/appropriate for all. We want to put content out into the world that we can be proud of, stand behind and take full responsibility for.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
Our process is relatively simple but super effective. We currently produce the show from 2 states. Josh and Drew are in California and I'm currently living in Utah but our goal is to produce a recording that "feels" like we're all in the same room together.
We produce a show outline via Google Docs for every episode with topics and a loose structure of where we want to go. It helps keep the show moving but allows for us to go a little "off road" if the comedy decides to take us there. I record using a Sennheiser mic and a Zoom H4N... in my car. The guys have a multi-channel mixer and studio quality mics on their side where they are recording themselves and a feed of my audio.
Once we are ready to record, we Facetime each other, hit record and it's off to the races. After the show Josh sends me all the files, I sync my recording up with their's via the feed of my audio they recorded and by the end it sounds like we're all hanging in the same space.
► How do you market your show?
Our current marketing is completely focused on social media and word of mouth. Our main avenues are Twitter and Instagram along with a little bit of Facebook and Reddit.
Our show can currently be found on most podcast hubs including iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify, Stitcher and many others... including Listennotes.com!
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
My first piece of advice is just go for it. You may have 1 or more ideas... just start producing them. The longer you sit on them the longer you'll wonder "what if?".
Now I'm definitely not saying just "hit record and see what happens". I personally believe this is a recipe for disaster and far too common with a lot of new podcasts. Know what your show is about, know what you're trying to accomplish with each episode and with the show overall and even if you're going for an improv/off the cuff feel... PLAN... even just a little bit.
The planning gives the show its structure but still allows for the rabbit trails that can often lead to something profound or comedy gold. Find shows that you love, study them, find out what works and then put those concepts into practice. Don't recreate these shows or rip them off... I'm saying study their process and see how your idea can benefit from the trails they've already blazed.