► Tell us about you and your podcast
I'm an entrepreneur with two exists (so far), angel investor, former venture capitalist, and worked in Marketing at America Online.
About EDGE
EDGE gives entrepreneurs the edge to win in business and life with authentic, unscripted conversations with guests who share their stories and lessons learned on how they've achieved success, peak performance, wealth, and happiness. With featured guests from a variety of industries, listeners leave each episode with winning plays to add to their own playbook.
Coming to you from the EDGE recording studio in Half Moon Bay, California, EDGE has over 300 episodes, has had featured A-list guests ranging from founders of household name companies, CEO’s of public and private companies, venture capitalists, marketing and sales experts, professional athletes, health professionals, special forces operators and other peak performers. EDGE ranks regularly in the top 10 and 100 charts and has a listener email list of over 17,000.
EDGE Listeners are business owners, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and senior leaders.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
As an X gen I grew up listening to radio and love it. I started "podcasting" in 1997 when I got tired of writing long fishing reports. I figured I could record the reports quicker and put the audio file up for people to listen to. A few years ago after selling my second company I decided to get back into. I loved it so much I built a real recording studio in my backyard and it's turned into a fun show and maybe another media company will come out of it.
Initially I just wanted to talk with people who are smarter than I am and have a authentic candid conversation. Also, I ask a LOT of questions and after 11am my wife gets worn out and limits them. This gives me an outlet to ask as many questions as I want. I'm half joking here :-)
EDGE started over two years ago and went through one name change.
I released by first episode a few days after I recorded it. I've learned if you don't get it out there you never will.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
We release episodes five times a week.
It takes me about 15 minutes per episode to do sound post processing and then I send it to our editor who does the rest of the post production.
As a business owner I make my own schedule and it's really a extension of whatever company I'm doing.
Funding is a good question. The recording studio design, construction with special sound barrier and muting (Audimute and some other companies that provide insulation etc...) materials cost about $40k I would estimate. Monthly hosting, editing and editing costs about $750/month.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
No outside sponsors at this time. We promote a print newsletter that I write for business owners.
If a sponsor comes with products that I or we use or would use we are open to it.
No sponsors right now.
Podcasting or any sort of media that you control helps build a band of followers that helps you meet new people, find friendships, business partnerships and customers. Once people get to know and trust you, you become an authority that they trust and will buy things you talk about. With this opportunity, also comes responsibility.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
Tools, Software etc..: Libsyn for hosting, Rode Mics in studo, RodeCaster Pro, Logitech high res webcam for remote and in studio recording video, Riverside.fm for recording remote, and Dolby.io.
► How do you market your show?
Listeners find our show on any podcast player, we're on all of them, and we give weekly updates to our email list of listeners of about 17,000+.
Majority of listens come through in order: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, Chrome, iTunes, Safari, then it gets small in the way of listener channels.
Most useful marking channels are email and organic search
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
It takes about 100 episodes to find your voice, 200 to start to be comfortable, 300+ to feel like you know what you're doing and have skills to turn any episode into a good one.
People will say you should not edit your own shows, I think you should. It's painful, but when you have to listen to how many "so, umm, like, you knows, etc.." you say you'll become better at speaking. You'll hear places where you could have taken the conversation somewhere else, or done something different. If you just listen to the edited versions done by an editor you'll never hear all the mistakes you make, the mistakes are the gold.
Pat Flynn's podcasting course got me back into it in the way of knowing what new tech was being used after having been out of it for about eight years.
► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?
EDGE Podcast Homepage: https://MyEDGEPodcast.com
EDGE Print Newsletter: https://EDGENewsletter.com
Personal Site: https://BrandonCWhite.com
Instagram (warning it's mostly my road biking pics and reels): @BrandonCWhite
Twitter: @BrandonCWhite.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonwhite/
email: B at BrandonCWhite dot com