Talk about the future of work, HR Leadership, and VUCA

I have been described as the "Millennial in a Baby Boomer." I founded my business (Success Performance Solutions) 26 years ago but wake up each day as if it's in start-up mode. While many of my peers are fixed on retirement, I'm focused, fascinated, and terrified by the future. Consequently, I have no plans to sit idly by but work hard each day to ensure that no human is left behind.

That calling became clearer in 2020. For many people, the SHIFT hit their plans as a result of COVID-19 and the convergence of technology, people, and business. More than ever, it's evident we are living in a world of perpetual uncertainty, or VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous.) Most of us are unprepared. People are worried are their jobs and careers. Employers are struggling to fill open positions. Meanwhile, the pace of change is accelerating.

My podcast features business and HR thought leaders each week who help make sense of the next waves of normals. Our target audience is primarily people in business, especially HR, but topics reach the interests of almost everyone interested in the future of work, jobs, careers, and the workplace.
 

I've been podcasting before podcasts were a thing. In 2001, I hosted an AM talk radio show. But it was a lot of work. Unlike today, there was not Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, or iHeart podcasts. Two weeks after the show, I received a cassette tape recording that I had to duplicate several hundred tapes. We printed labels and mailed them out each week to clients and prospects. The ROI just wasn't there. Then in 2010 I started a podcast using Blog Talk Radio for a few years. But then I was contacted by a streaming talk show about hosting a new show in 2018 and Geeks Geezers and Googlization was born.

Why do I podcast? I'd be lying if I didn't include marketing my business and building my thought leadership. Of course, informing the business community is an obvious by-product. But one of the most rewarding motivations is that I get to meet and interview incredibly talented people. Even if I'm an audience of 1, I get to challenge my perceptions, be exposed to new ideas, and eventually share more robust insights with my audience.

How long did it take to get started? Well, if you include the false starts in 2001 and 2010, twenty years! But once I signed the agreement in 2018, it was only a matter of a few weeks until I went live with my first guests. Since then we're fast approaching our 200th episode.
 

How frequently do you release an episode? Geeks Geezers and Googlization is a live show. I record weekly. Fortunately, the actual production of the show is handled through the streaming radio and TV "station." That allows me time to schedule guests, research talking points, and pre-market the show.

How long does it take for you to produce an episode? More time than most people realize. As I mentioned, actual production requires very little of my time, but production in my opinion is the least timing-consuming part. I have an obligation to my guests to pre-and post-market the episode. If I include scheduling and researching up to posting a blog with show notes plus social media marketing, I can easily spend 6 to 10 hours per episode.

How'd you find time to do podcast if you have a day job? Marketing my business (and myself) is my job, at least the part when I'm not fulfilling commitments to clients. While time consuming, podcasting is time well spent and I outsource other functions of the business that don't require my expertise or that don't motivate me.

How much do you spend on podcasting (e.g., hosting, editing, marketing...)? Actual out-of-pocket expenses runs about $10,000 per year. But if I paid an assistant to do more of the administrative work, it would likely be closer to $20,000.

Do you fund this podcast yourself? I've been fortunate to acquire an annual sponsor each year who helps subsidize a portion of the show. But each year, I try to improve the experience so it's become a smaller percentage. This year it will cover about 25% of out-of-pocket expenses. My goal is to acquire one or two additional sponsors and invest in a dedicated assistant to help with some of the marketing admin. At this point, my goal is to cover more of the cost, not make a profit. My "profit" comes from the exposure, business, and opportunity the show generates.
 

Do you take sponsorship? Answered above.
 

We broadcast live each week on YouTube, Facebook, and Talk4TV using Streamyard video. The audio of each show is then uploaded into Libsyn and published to dozens of podcasts. For editing the podcast file, I use Camtasia. For excerpts, I use Headliner. Along the way, there are probably a dozen other tools to create and edit images such as GetStencil, tinypng, RelayThat. Each episode is also posted on the podcast website (GeeksGeezersGooglization.com) as well as social media.

Finding guests is easy! Whenever I hear someone that captures my attention, I reach out to them. 99% of them immediately schedule. I also receive almost daily requests from PR services who are always looking for places to promote their clients. Because our content is broadcast live and the audio is published within 24 hours. guests are very receptive to being on my show. Unlike most podcasts that have weeks or months delay in posting, mine is close to real-time.
 

I often suggest that I'm a content creation company that just happens to be in the HR space. Each episode is promoted on LinkedIn, Twitter, and some Facebook pre- and post show. I post a blog for each episode with show notes on my company website (https://SuccessPerformanceSolutions.com) as well as an abbreviated description with the audio and video on my podcast site (https://geeksgeezersgooglization.com). I provide the links and pre-made images for YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram to my guests for them to share too. I also use a program called MissingLtr that automates a campaign that republished quotes from each episode. These are re-published on a schedule over 6 to 12 months, creating evergreen content. The most popular sources are iTunes and Spotify to date with a long-tail effect from the many different sources including YouTube.
 

Podcasting is a fantastic medium to promote your business, engage with experts, and inform your audience. But it takes time and commitment. As I mentioned earlier, I started "podcasting" twice but fizzled out. Like anything else in business, you need to be consistent. Whether you podcast monthly, weekly, or daily, put it in your calendar. I even broadcast from the side of the road while traveling one time. Rain or shine, busy or not, I'm live every Wednesday at 1 PM ET! Plan to invest time and resources, and budget some money for marketing. With technology today, you could even record a podcast with your smartphone. But then what? To get listeners you need to market it, be consistent, and commit.
 

Podcast website: https://geeksgeezersgooglization.com
Personal website: https://irawolfe.com
Company Blog: https://successperformancesolutions.com
Email: success@super-solutions.com
Thinkers360: https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/irawolfe
Social Media:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/irawolfe
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/irawolfe
Twitter: @hireauthority
Instagram: @googlizationnation
Facebook: https://facebook.com/successperformancesolutions
Books: https://www.successperformancesolutions.com/recruiting-googlization-book-sales-page/