focused on those dark horses that want to start, restart, kick-start or start stepping up their business game

The “Dark Horse Entrepreneur" is a podcast focused on those dark horses that want to start, restart, kick-start or start stepping up their business game... all with a personal development twist because we know that if your mindset is jacked your biz-set will get jacked
What is it about?
Sharing everything I have learned about small & big business, planning, marketing, solopreneurship, entrepreneurship, personal and team productivity, building and maintaining your mental agility, iron will, as well as your mindset, so you can run your race, buck the odds and win!
"Who is your podcast serving?
Driven entrepreneurs just getting started, restarted & kick-started Or, even my accomplished business owners already cashing checks who want to start stepping up, to cross that next finish line in first place. All those Dark Horses out there seeing the odds in everyone else’s favor, feeling everyone betting they will not win, place or even show! Those Dark Horses that are committed to firing it up, figuring it out, and stepping up their game, to ultimately win and gain the respect they desire, earned and deserve.
Where are you taking them?
By listening to Dark Horse Entrepreneur you will gain the insights, tools, tips & techniques to start, restart, or kick start your passive income / brick and mortar business, while honing your personal development skills so you can prove your haters wrong.
Why should they listen to you?
From hitting the rock bottom of drugs, divorce, bankruptcy and even the death of an 18 month old daughter to running the planning & marketing of some of corporate america’s finest companies. My name is Tracy Brinkmann, and I know that life isn’t fair and participation awards do not feed your family… I invite you to learn from a fellow Dark Horse all that I have learned and am still learning about starting, restarting, kick starting and stepping up your entrepreneur business game while not ignoring that amazing tool between your ears..yep your personal development counts too!
 

Why a podcast? I love engaging with people and one of the best ways to learn is to ask questions. So starting an interview style podcast helps me (and my audience) learn from the thought leaders I am lucky enough to bring onto the show. This stimulates additional ideas in my creative brain that prompts additional content that is then published on in the solo episodes. One of the great lesson I have learned in my 50+ years on this plant is... Learn, Do, Teach! This also answers the goals and motivations of doing this podcast (which is my 2nd one - the 1st one I started back in 2007 and it ran for 3+ years but only solo episodes only.) This podcast was started 07/27/2021 right in the middle of the COVID craziness. I was thinking that there was an opportunity to get in front of so many that were worries about their futures and share insights, tips and information that would hopefully make them pause and think "well, damn I could start a [x] business" to help them move forward with their hopes, dreams and ambitions! Took my about 4 weeks to pull together the artwork, initial interviews for the launching of 6 episodes and queuing up of additional episodes.
 

Interview episodes are released every Monday morning. Then solo episodes on Wed & Friday. This is a recent change. I was releasing solo episodes Tue, Wed, Thur & Friday. But moved the Tue & Thur content into my facebook group "The Dark Horse Tribe." I do all my podcast episode recording in advance currently via zoom. Then on Sundays I spend 3-4 hours editing and producing the content into episodes. I currently do everything myself with my team (even have a podcast production agency to do the same for others)
 

I do not currently take sponsorships. I have been using the podcast to promote ethical entrepreneurship, educate my fellow dark horses out there and of course gather my audience and tribe. My tribe will want more from me that is when I introduce them to the business & success coaching services I offer. As well as my podcast production services (yes it's way cheaper than you think to have someone to all the hard work for you) as well as digital courses on creating, lauching & monetizing your own podcasts & using podcasts guesting as a marketing arm of your business.
 

Currently as I mentioned earlier, I use zoom to record interview episodes. Then I bring in the audio to audacity. Do Noise Reduction, Volume Leveling, Mixing & Mastering - record into the intro teaser question, commentary and outro commentary (which teases my solo episodes) then drop in the show intro music and outro music and BAM we are ready to rock-n-roll!
 

Marketing my podcast has been just about as much fun as interviewing my amazing guests. I use just about every single social channel out there. I take snippets from the zoom video recording and turn it into 20-30 pieces of content. Re-distribute these bite size teasers onto all the social channels at a rate of like 3-6 pieces of content a day over 4-5 days each piece with a shortened URL pointing back to my podcast post on my website. On the website is a full transcription (which helps google seo my site and the post) as well as the podcast player than has subscribe buttons as well as social sharing buttons. This way my social sharing results in them coming to my site and social sharing. I also take these same snippets and do FB ad campaigns. I have been able to get traffic via FB with $.02-.10 clicks from FB to the website. Then of course emailing my list get spikes in listenership - reminding those on your email list that you just dropped another amazing episodes is the EASIEST and often most forgotten way to drive listens. They they turn around and tell others and so on and so no!
 

1. You & your message are worthy of the spotlight
Yes, you heard me right. You and your message are worthy of stepping into the spotlight. There are people out there that need, and even want to hear your message. They want and need to feel inspired by what you have stood victory over, and yes even what you have fallen in defeat to. Your lessons can and will become theirs as you share your story in the hopes of lifting them up and helping them avoid the pitfalls you have looked up from.
2. OMG the relationships
The people you will meet alone are worth all the effort that goes into creating and running your podcast. People that can help move you along your own journey, whether personal or professional. You will gain access to people who have traveled the road you are stepping onto and can help you avoid those potholes and pitfalls. You will gain access to people that are a mile or two behind you that you can help navigate the twists and turns you have just traveled. You can become a connector to some that you are unable to help effectively but know that right person who can! That my friends is a priceless reward.
3. Leave perfectionism at the door
How many times have you said, “I will start when….” When I have the right microphone. When I have the right message. When I have the right artwork blah blah blah. If it is in your heart right now; then it is Right…now! I learned to stop stressing about being perfect and just be ME! Oh yeah and I am far from perfect trust me on that one! Heck, I went into my first episode and revealed all my imperfections and blemishes. Go into it knowing it is not going to be perfect. However, it is going to be perfectly fun. Perfectly received and perfectly heard to those that want and need to hear what you have to say.
 

https://DarkHorseSchooling.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dark-horse-entrepreneur/id1524384950
https://www.facebook.com/tracy.brinkmann
https://www.facebook.com/groups/darkhorsetribe
https://twitter.com/TracyBrinkmann
https://twitter.com/DarkHorseEntre1
https://www.instagram.com/darkhorseschooling/
https://www.instagram.com/tracybrinkmann/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracybrinkmann/