► Tell us about you and your podcast
A Certified Speaking Professional, workshop leader, and Certified Virtual Presenter, I am an expert in continuous improvement and remotivating demotivated teams. With a background in film and tv, it felt a natural progression to start my management podcast, ‘Manage Self, Lead Others’ aimed mainly at experienced and aspiring people managers to transform team culture. Our slogan is ‘Fiercely Australian, fiercely global’. Each week I speak with key experts from Australia and across the globe sharing insights into self-leadership and leading others.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
The show was born in April 2020 out of the COVID-19 pandemic. I suddenly had free time to finally create the podcast I had in the works. The first episodes were virtual presentations that I repurposed as podcast episodes. I am energized by the whole podcasting experience. It brings all my media and television experience to the fore. It's a unique opportunity to speak to a global audience.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
I’m committed to a weekly episode release schedule, and Saturdays work well to do post-production, working with my editor. I estimate that inviting, confirming, recording and post-production, and promotion works out to about 7 hours per episode. It’s a passion project in addition to running my speaking and training business. I aim to have ten episodes in the bank in case I have a week or two where I don’t make an episode.
We release an episode every Wednesday at 3:30 PM Australian time, which is about 2:00 AM Eastern time, New York City.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
Since starting the podcast I've never felt more alive. I absolutely adore the project. I believe it's creating my global presence as an influencer. I don't know where it will lead, but I do know it will lead somewhere interesting! In terms of sponsorship, I joined C-Suite Radio, part of the C-Suite Network and they place the ads.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
I have a library of favourite books and invite those authors for interview. Membership in the C-Suite Network gives me access to a bank of experts as well. I’m always on the lookout for companies issuing reports e.g. The Future of Work, etc., relevant to my micro-niche of workplace culture transformation and go through their media department to request a spokesperson interview. I use Zoom meetings to do a video interview; we edit on Premiere Pro, before uploading them to Megaphone, the platform C-Suite Radio uses for podcasting.
► How do you market your show?
Chartable.com gives me all the demographics. I am frequently listed in the top 100 management podcast charts in Australia and Ireland! I post the new episode on LinkedIn, and send an email broadcast each Friday to my list of 4000 subscribers as ‘something to listen to over the weekend’. Megaphone has automated links to post on Facebook and Twitter.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
I would recommend investing in good equipment. Initially I was using the inbuilt microphone on my computer, but have found an external webcam and microphone give a much crisper image and sound. I like the Logitech Brio. I am upgrading to a Heil PR 40 mic.