Build a business & life you love. Weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, mindset & perseverance.

As an attorney and legal coach, I serve online, information entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. and around the world. Experts and thought leaders, including many consultants, professionals, coaches, speakers and authors come to me for a wide range of legal supports including online business and website protection, business contracts, intellectual property support and protection, domestic and international business issues, and dispute resolution support.
These entrepreneurs are typically small or micro-businesses and have a variety of business fundamentals they are working on in order to grow and scale their businesses. So, on the podcast, we cover all topics related to entrepreneurship and business growth: from marketing, sales, technology and growth strategies, to publicity, mindset, work-life balance, mental health, and spirituality (and more).
We feature a variety of experts and industry leaders who share insights from their own lives and entrepreneurial journeys, and their expertise that will help other entrepreneurs build their business or improve their lives.
Our listeners include a wide variety of conscientious and mission-driven entrepreneurs, experts, and professionals who are actively building and scaling their businesses for greater impact and influence within their industry or niche.
 

I have a friend, Doug Sandler, host of Turnkey Podcast and Nice Guys on Business, who jokes that he is the podcast hammer (and everybody else is the nail). We were having a conversation one day in early 2020 and he said "You really should have a podcast." I thought about it for a few minutes and I thought, "he's right! I should."
The timing was immediately before Covid hit the states. And we were at a business conference for small businesses and nobody was talking about this pandemic and what it was going to do to small businesses and the impact it was likely to have. So my initial goal in launching Guts, Grit & Great Business was to create conversations in the marketplace around mindset, perseverance and business building strategies that would support the type of entrepreneurs I work with: information entrepreneurs, including experts, professionals, consultants, coaches, speakers & authors. I really want mission-driven entrepreneurs to stay on their path. I want them to build the business that their clients need in order to create the impact in the world they so desire. This is a segment of the business marketplace that is not well served by the legal industry, and other professionals and key business supports as well.
A short time later, with the help of Turnkey Podcast through their course (Ultimate Podcast Launch Formula), I launched Guts, Grit & Great Business. In 4 weeks I went from concept to having my first 3 episodes created and launched. This was in the late spring of 2020, almost exactly two years ago to the day.
The recording of my welcome episode was exciting and also nerve-wracking. I'm pretty sure I created a script, even though it was a relatively short episode - under 20 minutes. But I had great guidance and support which made the whole launch process so much easier! I edited my first handful of episodes using Hindenburg which was GREAT experience. It was frustrating to hear all of my errors, but it really influenced, in a good way, my recordings moving forward.
 

The only way I could successfully launch a podcast as a mom to two young kids who were home full-time during the first year plus of Covid on top of running my two businesses, is because I had my entire podcasting system created before I launched. I utilized as much automation as I could from the start, from my email templates that I use to invite guests and conduct all of my follow up, to my calendaring system that connects to zoom and collects all essential guest information and consents including to my interview release form, to transcription (using otter.ai), in addition to outsourcing some of the podcast production support to my team including an editor and a virtual assistant (or two or three). This allowed me to just show up to the interview(s), have a fabulous conversation with my guest, and stress very little about the rest of the system. Within a couple of months of launching, I had pre-recorded enough interviews to populate the podcast through the end of the year, and developed a full pipeline of guests.
I never wanted to be in the position of recording a last minute episode prior to the next week's deadline. That has been another strategy that has served me well and allowed me to really enjoy the podcast rather than stress out about it being "another thing on my plate."
As for time, aside from those first few months where I was recording about 12-15 interviews per month, I only spend 4-6 hours per month recording, and probably another few hours reviewing and approving the podcast and social media posts prepared by my team.
I really believe that creating a system BEFORE you launch your podcast is the only way. Especially if the plan is to enjoy yourself! I tell people regularly that Guts, Grit & Great Business was my favorite thing to come out of Covid! It has been so enjoyable. I have regularly shared my podcast SOPs (standard operating procedures) with anybody who asks and is interested in launching their own podcast. I want it to go as smoothly and efficiently as possible for them!
 

When I launched my podcast, I knew it would be a long-term play. While I didn't have a strategy to immediately generate revenue, I had several goals: 1) to bring powerful conversations to the marketplace and those that I already serve to support them in honing their mindset, increasing their perseverance in their business building journey and introduce them to amazing experts in the marketplace that will help them scale their business; 2) to create a platform that would allow me to serve some of my amazing colleagues and other industry leaders in the online entrepreneurial space by amplifying their work and message; and 3) to have fun building connection and influence through these conversations. I love "talking business" and am a connector by nature. I just decided to put some structure around something that I already loved doing and use that structure to create content that would serve the marketplace and my peers.
I do have a sponsorship program that includes multiple levels of sponsorship. Now that my podcast is in the top 3% in the world, I plan to utilize this program more frequently. But one of the strategies that is not discussed enough is having a guest-to-client strategy and positioning yourself to connect with your ideal clients as guests. I have generated at least $75,000 (if not more) with this strategy, and a core component of the strategy is having a long-form podcast where you take the time to really get to know your guests and share their message. It is amazing how much you appreciate someone once you have spent an hour conversing with them and helping them share their story and expertise.
Podcasting has so many benefits - from the 3 goals I mention above, which are also significant benefits, to building an authority platform for yourself, and resources in the marketplace that can be easily shared in the future. There are so many ways that podcasting can be utilized to support your network and your individual business growth.
 

Having tools that you like and use is so important when it comes to podcasting. so it is as easy and seamless as possible! I use email templates inside of Gmail to make invitations, Calendly for all of the intake and scheduling (including block scheduling), Zoom for recording the interview (both audio and video), Krisp noise canceling app (for recording), Dropbox for storage, Hindenburg for editing (if I edit myself), otherwise an editor that I outsource all of my editing to, Otter.ai for transcription, Simplecast for hosting, Canva for social media posts and marketing, Wordpress for my podcast posts on my website, Headliner for audiograms, and of course various social media platforms for sharing the final episodes.
As for equipment (after trying various options), I use the Blue Yeti microphone w/ a pop filter on a stand and Apple headphones that connect through the bottom of the mic. I also use a lighting set-up to make sure that no matter when I record I have adequate lighting and my guests can see my face!
I have had no issue finding guests - I made initial outreach efforts in several mastermind groups that served me so well. These groups were FULL of experts and thought leaders within the niche of entrepreneurs that I serve, many of whom I already knew. I also made a long list of everyone in my network that I would love to have on the podcast based on their expertise, personality, generosity, etc.
I am now inundated with requests from potential guests and their agents. While I have accepted some of these guests onto the podcast, I continue pursuing my desired guests with a connection and outreach strategy, and by talking with experts and those in my circles who can make new connections for me.
Each episode includes a brief intro ("here's what to expect today..."), a guest excerpt to entice listeners, the full intro, the interview, a sponsor spot, and the outro. I hired a professional voice artist to create the podcast assets - a variety of brief intros, and the official intro & outro before launching.
 

Nearly 3/4ths of my traffic comes from Apple Podcasts and iTunes, with the rest primarily coming through my website (the Simplecast player embedded on my site) or a variety of other podcast platforms. Guts, Grit & Great Business can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Overcast, Simplecast, Castbox, and more.
Despite getting inundated with requests for my show, I have lots of room to improve my marketing. To date I have published each episode to three social media channels: LinkedIn, Facebook & Instagram. I create a weekly podcast post on my website where I host the show (www.legalwebsitewarrior.com/podcast). And then I send a monthly Guts, Grit & Great Business round-up with summaries of the shows from that month and links to each show to my email database.
One thing that I've done that has really boosted listenership is create an email that goes out to each guest the morning that their episode goes live. It includes a variety of information including visuals / social media images for their episode, along with swipe copy for both social media and newsletters that includes links to the show on my website and on Apple podcasts. I can tell when a guest shares this information because it often creates a big boost in listenership for the week.
I would encourage every host to create a concise and repeatable strategy like this that allows them to share each episode with their guests (efficiently), and encourages their guests to share as well.
I have also made a big deal about reaching certain milestones (first 50 episodes, first 100 episodes, reaching the 1 year mark, 2 year mark etc) where I tag numerous of my guest experts online on LinkedIn and Instagram. This has been a fun way to create engagement around these milestones, remind people of the podcast, and get lots of support as well. It has also been fun to announce periodic increase in ratings - top 10%, top 5%, top 3% worldwide as another way to generate interest and celebrate progress on the podcast!
 

Do it already!! If the idea of launching a podcast has been simmering for awhile, pay attention to that little nagging idea and just launch. And if you are feeling intimidated, or like it will be too much work, I highly recommend the Ultimate Podcast Launch Formula by Doug Sandler and Strickland Bonner at Turnkey Podcast. This will help you to put a plan in place to launch your podcast with EASE and very efficiently. I launched with a complete strategy in place, with only 3 episodes, but with all of my SOPs at a time when I was completely slammed in my life - with two businesses and full time mom to two littles who were at home because there was no school (thank you, Covid!).
If I can do it, so can you. You just need the systems. If you know podcasters, reach out and ask them to share their systems with you. The key is creating a workflow that minimizes your time and effort and allows you to really enjoy the process.
Additionally, just like everything else in business, remember this mantra: progress over perfection. You will just have to go through the growing pains, like everyone else, that are involved in your first handful / dozen / few dozen episodes. It will take what it takes for you to get your feet under you and to build your confidence. Just make sure that perfection is not the standard. Your audience will love hearing you be real. Even if you make mistakes. They just want to get to know you and your guests (if you have guests), and hopefully learn some things along the way that will help them think differently about a concept, improve their life, or pass the time in an enjoyable way.

You will learn so much along the way as well, and will also create amazing content and resources for your audience, marketplace or business, or all three!
As for resources, pay attention to the podcasts and shows you enjoy - what do you like about them? What would you do differently? What do you want your guests to take away from each episode? Creating your OWN map is, in my opinion, the most powerful strategy.
 

Visit my website at: www.legalwebsitewarrior.com
Visit my podcast homepage at: www.legalwebsitewarrior.com/podcast
Sponsor GGGB at: www.legalwebsitewarrior.com/sponsorship
Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/HeatherPearceCampbell
Connect with me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelegalwebsitewarrior