Podcast Divas Kathryn Bryant: Podcasting | Educator | Author

Helen Zaltzman - The Queen of British Podcasting What a great pleasure to welcome the wonderful Helen Zaltzman onto Podcast Divas.  Helen is without doubt one of the most accomplished and long serving podcasters in the UK (and world) and thoroughly deserving of the ‘queen of British podcasting’ title I’ve bestowed on her here.
Helen says of herself; ‘I make podcasts: mainly Answer Me This! and The Allusionist, part of Radiotopia. I sometimes turn up on the radio; I write stuff; and I make things.’
This typically modest description belies the fact Answer Me This is a multi award-winning show, one of the longest running British podcasts and an iTunes classic, and the Allusionist was an iTunes show of the year 2015.
‘For so many years that I’ve been podcasting it was not a thing that people recognised, not just as a job, but as a thing!’
Helen has what many of us would consider the perfect job – she gets paid for podcasting. It was a joy to talk to Helen about her experience of podcasting over many years and thoughts about possible future directions. Listen in for many insights, observations and lessons, whether you’re a longtime podcaster or just getting started.
‘I could be a bloke with a recorder.’
There’s simply so much good stuff in this interview it’s hard to pull out the good bits without ending up with a massive long list – so just listen, enjoy and learn. But here’s a taster of what you’ll hear:
How Helen got into podcasting way back when How having a musician physicist for a husband proved useful How Helen taught herself the mysteries of the RSS feed What Answer Me This is about and how it’s changed (or not) since January 2007 The beauty of audience generated content Why a successful show is created in the edit How long it takes to edit Helen’s shows and the editing rule of thumb The sexist world of radio presenters What ‘Sound Women’ is all about How Helen got involved with Radiotopia and came to make The Allusionist What’s The Allusionist and why it’s Helen’s best ever job in spite of the challenges a show like this presents The different ways Helen monetizes her podcast What has kept Helen podcasting for such a long time What podcasting’s done for Helen The potential future of podcasting Podcasting in the US and UK and getting non US voices heard Podcasting and the BBC ‘I think a lot of people think starting is the hard thing, but it’s a lot less hard than carrying on… Don’t want to put you off.’
Advice for podcasters and Divas-in-waiting Just get on with it. 
‘There are so many reasons not to do something but just ignore them.’
‘Don’t worry about it being perfect.’
That stops people wanting to do creative pursuits.  They’ve heard shows and they want to be as good as the shows they like straight away, and that’s not how that happened.  The shows you like started out not very good as well.’
Just have a go and keep doing it.
Set a schedule because then you have to keep going and it’s that regular practice that forms the habits. Persistence is key.
‘Try the biggest idea you can, then figure out how you can make it workable…How imaginative can you make it within the technological and time resources you have.’ 
Helen’s favourite episodes
The Allusionist: Episode 25 on Toki Pona, a minimalist invented language Helen tried to learn (with difficulty) that impacted her psyche but she still thought was fun http://www.theallusionist.org/allusionist/tokipona Answer Me This: Pick any episode at random or episode 200 featuring their families ‘Everything benefits from a bit of an edit.’
A Podcast Diva Helen likes listening to
Criminal with Phoebe Judge  ‘Now there are so many podcasts, I think people should think very hard before they launch one, whether it’s a worthwhile use of internet – and their own time.’
Where to find Helen Zaltzman
Helen on Twitter @HelenZaltzman Helen's w

Iszi Lawrence is an international stand up comedian from
Reading, England, a longtime podcaster and happily for us - today’s
Podcast Diva.

Podcasting since 2008 with Sundays Supplement – a
comedy podcast where Iszi and co-host Simon Dunn review the Sunday
Newspaper Supplements, Iszi launched The Z List
Dead List a podcast about obscure people from history in
September 2014.

In that time Iszi has produced hundreds of episodes and shares
her experience on why first and foremost you need to love your
podcast, what makes a good podcast, tips and advice for doing this
and much more in episode 16 of Podcast Divas, including: 


Where exactly is Reading and is it really better than
Slough
Two great reasons Iszi is well qualified for Podcast
Divadom
The pointless purpose of the Sunday Supplements Podcast and 3
useful things about it
What was happening in 2008 that made Iszi think podcasting was
a good idea
Why you should be in the room with your cohost
How Iszi came to have 20 minutes of material on the scrotum
frog
Why after 6 years of podcasting Iszi started a new podcast
about dead people from history
What the Z list dead list is
What a six foot tall bisexual sword fighting nun got up to and
other amazing characters from history
Research and the rules of the show
How to record a live show for a podcast episode
Why a podcast should be an end in itself and not the means to
something else
The beauty of podcasts over TV and Radio
Getting donations to cover your podcast costs
Podcast merchandising
Why Iszi dressed up as a Roman centurion in December by a lake
wearing headphones
British versus American views on working hard for success
Whether to record in batches and release in series


‘You have to do stuff as well as you can for the purpose of
doing it only.  Then if other stuff comes out of it,
brilliant, but if you’re doing it for something else and not for
it’s own thing, the love wont be there.  You’ll give up on it
very quickly’. 


Microphone

Zoom H4N

Tips for podcasters and Divas-in-waiting

‘Bore yourself rigid and look at how to do sound and
editing, and this thing called multiband compression,
really understand that! Because the only thing that stops me giving
your podcast a listen is the sound quality’.


Do an idea that interests you – don’t worry if it interests
anybody else.

Give it your all.


‘Get a co-host who does all the editing!’ 


Iszi’s favorite episodes

Z List Dead List:


An English Country Garden Series 4 Episode 4 It’s very rude –
you’ve been warned.
Cornish Pastors – Series 1 Episode 1
En Garde: Attack of The Killer Nun - Series 5 Episode 1


‘There are opportunities, but the main reason I’m doing it
is because I want to make a nice show. If I did it for any other
reason it wouldn’t be a nice show….it is in itself a worthwhile
thing to do.’


Sundays Supplement


There are no good episodes according to Iszi – so definitely
check it out!

Where to find Iszi


http://www.iszi.com
http://www.zlistdeadlist.com
and check out when and where Iszi’s live recordings are
happening http://www.sundayssupplement.com


‘If I can’t put headphones on and listen to you because I’m
constantly fiddling with the volume I’m not going to
listen.’


Thank you

Thank you to Iszi Lawrence for being a wonderful guest and
Podcast Diva and to you for listening.

If you liked the show please let Iszi know, tell your friends
and leave a review on iTunes.  Cheers – Kathryn x

Amanda Cook is the fabulous featured Podcast Diva for episode 15. Amanda recently reached the 100th episode of The Wellpreneur Podcast - a weekly show on digital marketing and business inspiration and advice, especially for wellness entrepreneurs. 


‘What if I did a podcast, that could be fun.  That’s been the best decision!’


Reaching 100 episodes is a special milestone that deserves congratulations (and the title of Podcast Diva). It takes commitment and resilience to produce a podcast week after week. It also means Amanda knows what she’s talking about when it comes to podcasting, as you’ll hear in this episode as we talk about: 


Where the name Wellpreneur came from
How Amanda went from computer science to wellness coach
Amanda’s first podcast in 2005 – ‘How not to be dreadful’
How she came to start the podcast
The best decision Amanda made
Who Amanda’s audience and how does she know
The power of a Facebook group
Why you don’t want to be and perfect from the beginning
Content marketing the organic way
How to use Instagram as a key communication tool
Match your content to your ideal audience
How to effectively curate Instagram content
From podcasting to sale in Amanda’s business
The power of podcasting over blogging
The sponsorship dilemma
Sponsoring yourself
The links you need in your show notes and where to put them
One Instagram tip that will get you more subscriptions
Outsourcing
The workflow
Why you don’t need to get hung up on hiring help
Play to your strengths
How listening to your episodes will help you find your voice
Show notes technique
The advantages of Zoom over Skype to record interviews
What podcasting has done for Amanda


 ‘I’ve got to do something, I’ve got to save myself,  I’m basically dying inside.’ 


Equipment

Blue snowball microphone
Macbook pro
Zoom H2N (portable recorder) for travelling


‘There’s no way you can start out of the gate with everything perfect…until you start you don’t know what your audience wants.’


A favourite episode of your podcast
Episodes 43 – 45 are a part step by step series on how to hire an assistant.


‘Don’t let money be a limiting factor.’


A podcast diva you like listening to

On Being by Christa Tippit

Where to find Amanda Cook
At her website: wellpreneuronline.com

Links:

Fiverr -  for intros and outros
Upwork – for hiring people to do your editing, show notes etc
Trello – shared online project management tool
Zoom – video conference platform for recording a podcast

Thank you for listening
If you’ve enjoyed the show please let me know by way of a review or by liking and commenting on the Podcast Diva Facebook page and following and sending a tweet. Most importantly please subscribe to the show to automatically download every episode.

‘I like to talk. I felt like that was something I could do well.’


Episode 14 of Podcast Divas puts Nicole Keating in the spotlight. Nicole is on a mission to live a life of Epic Wellness, and to inspire and help others do the same through her podcast The Art of Epic Wellness.

If you’re wondering what the art of epic wellness is, Nicole describes it as a life of physical, spiritual and emotional vitality – surely something we all want! Nicole’s podcasting journey has been one of highs and lows, challenges and triumphs, and most of all of self-discovery and a love of the medium of podcasting and what it’s done for her.


‘I’m becoming this podcast-obsessed woman …I’m driving and I’m listening, I’m walking and I’m listening and I’m doing my clothes and I’m listening.  Every moment I could get I started listening to podcasts.’


Listen to episode 14 to find our more, including: 


What listeners get out of listening to Nicole’s show
The epic eight questions
The story behind how Nicole started the podcast
What Nicole learnt from her mentor, Hal Elrod
How Nicole became obsessed with podcasts
Why Nicole loved the idea of podcasting
A 180 degree turn on monetizing
Your pie of time
The challenge of being what you teach
The tough times Nicole went through
The beauty of organic monetization
Being responsive to your audience
How Nicole was scared to make the jump into podcasting
The mistakes she made on launch
Her one regret (we’re talking podcasting here!)
The pros and cons of getting ahead with your show recordings
The podcast learning curve
Technological mistakes and lessons learned
The different editing and show notes models Nicole has tried
The best way to record your intro


‘I was so scared to jump off.’ 


Recording equipment

Microphone - ATR2100
Tascam - for portable recording


‘My podcasting became the most epic networking experience ever. I met so many great people and deepened all these relationships.’


Top tips for Divas-in-waiting  
Get out of your head and start creating. the path only becomes clear as you start taking action.

Write up your intro before your interview and record it live as you record your show


‘Just go back and listen to everyone’s first show and you’ll feel much better.’ 


Suggested episodes of The Art of Epic Wellness
Episode 50 John Vroman - The Art of Living Life in the Front Row

Episode 30 Paleo, Bliss and Making Happines the World’s Default with the Merrymaker Sisters


‘As a medium it excited me to be able to reach people in this way.’ 


Nicole’s recommended Podcast Divas

Lane Kennedy - Game Changer Society https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/game-changer-society-w-lane/id788215534?mt=2
Rachel Rofe – A Better Life’ https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/better-life-w-rachel-rofe/id907163082?mt=2

Other Links mentioned in this episode

Hal Elrod – The Miracle Morning book and Achieve your Goals podcast
The Changeability Podcast
Changeability: Manage your Mind – Change your Life book
Auphonic

Get in touch with Nicole


Website – www.theartofepicwellness.com
Twitter @EpicWell
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/AOEWPodcast
Email – Nicole@theartofepicwellness

Thank you for listening

If you’ve enjoyed the show please let us know by way of a review on iTunes, a tweet, or by liking the Podcast Diva Facebook page . Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and never miss an episode.

‘We own our podcast and are very precious about it, even though there’s a sense of fun and silliness, we are serious about the quality of it and the jokes.’


Episode 13 of Podcast Divas puts, not one but, two ladies in the spotlight – Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn of The Scummy Mummies Podcast – a popular fortnightly chat show for less-than-perfect parents, which regularly tops the kids and family category on iTunes in the UK.


‘We do like a cat suit – preferably gold lame.’


This was such a fun episode to record and I think you can tell that Helen and Ellie are both also stand-up comedians, in fact that’s how they met.  Listen to find out how they came to co-host the Scummy Mummies Podcast and much much more including: 


Who’s tried a three way (we’re talking podcasting of course)
Who wants to be scrummy, yummy or scummy
The full story of how Helen and Ellie met
The best way to cope with being a parent
Why they started having guests on their show
Finding a balance of silliness and seriousness
How to deal with serious matters in an entertaining way
The progression from trying to be a podcaster to being a natural
The difference between podcasting and live shows
How to feel like you’re just chatting to friends when recording your show
The benefits of a multi platform approach
How to get your posts on the Huffington Post
The pros and cons of drinking on your show
The need for discipline, self-honesty and ruthless editing
Turning 2 hours of material into a 40 minute episode
Why Ellie needs to keep editing the show
The business side of podcasting

Why do Ellie and Helen podcast

What makes Helen cry at her laptop
How using Acast for advertising works
The advantage of a podcast subject with longevity 


‘Editing is like reading music.’


Microphones and editing
Ellie uses Audacity to edit their show.

Scummy Mummies started with a Blue Snowball microphone and recently upgraded to a Blue Yeti.


‘You feel like you’re chatting to friends and forget that the mic is on.’


Advice for Podcast Divas and potential Divas

‘Feel passionate about, and love what you’re doing.  Don’t just think oh there’s a niche or don’t try to predict what there’s a gap in the market for.  Just do what you really love and that will come across in what you say and who you interview.’ Helen

‘Edit it. It takes time and it’s a pain but as a listener, the podcasts I listen to are the ones that are nice and tight and edited. When it’s just people rambling on for two hours I can’t deal with it, I don’t have time for it – so edit. Be good’. Ellie


Suggested episodes of Scummy Mummies to start with


Episode 60 with Kathy Lette
Episode 5 on pelvic floor exercises

‘Some of the best moments of my entire life have been on the podcast.’

Helen and Ellie’s recommended Podcast Divas


Sarah Koenig – Serial https://serialpodcast.org
Helen Zaltzman – The Allusionist http://www.theallusionist.org and Answer Me This http://answermethispodcast.com - ‘She’s a podspiration’

Where to find Ellie and Helen


Scummymummies.com

Thanks for listening
If you enjoyed this episode please tweet @podcastdivas and @scummymummies and let us know.

And if you’re feeling particularly wonderful today it would be fabulous if you would leave a review for Podcast Divas on iTunes – it’s much appreciated!

 

Stepping into the spotlight today is Social and Podcast Diva, Amy Schmittauer. Amy is the founder, face and voice of Savvy Sexy Social, as seen all over YouTube where she has an amazing following. Amy is a professional vlogger, speaker and all-round social media expert. She is President of the video content and social media marketing agency Vlog Boss Studios in Ohio, and host of the Social Authority Podcast.

As well as talking about her podcasting journey and experience, Amy is full of great tips and insights on how to use social media as social marketing for your podcast. Get ready to be inspired to up your social media game.


‘Marketing is not a department. It's a lifestyle.’ 


In episode 12 of Podcast Divas you find out:

What Savvy Sexy Social means
What prompted Amy to begin the Social Authority Podcast
How podcast feedback compares to video feedback
Is Amy really a control freak
How Amy started her podcast
When it’s the right time to outsource
What Amy has to say about being an introvert
How the Social Authority Podcast has changed over 70+ episodes
Why seasons are a great excuse
How Amy nearly gave up her podcast and then refocused
The beauty of blab for podcasting
Why Pat Flynn had to record Amy’s interview of him for her show
How Amy monetizes the Social Authority Podcast
How to infuse your podcast with personality from behind the scenes
Why you need to market your podcast
Why you should choose one social media platform to start
Should we use social media automation tools
Why Amy’s turned off her Twitter scheduler for a few days
What to be careful of when outsourcing social media
If scale is always a good thing
The difference between promoting your podcast and showing behind the scenes
What should podcasters be showing on social media
There’s nothing wrong with showing the unsexy parts
The difficulties of long form content on YouTube


‘Marketing is really critical but it doesn’t have to mean you have to be all things to all people.’


Amy’s suggested podcast episode


Episode 76 ‘From 100 to 1000 email subscribers with personal trainer Melanie Ash’

‘Who is your target and where do they hang out?’ 

A Podcast Diva recommendation from Amy


Jamie Tardy ‘Eventual Millionaire’


‘People think they have to be on every single platform and that’s what holds them back’


Where to find Amy


 SavvySexySocial.com


‘If there is fear, you should lean into it’.


Thank you

Thanks to Amy for being a fab guest and to you for sharing your time with us.  If you enjoyed the show please share it and let us know.  It would be fantastic if you could leave a rating and review of Podcast Divas on iTunes as it’s great to read the comments and helps increase the visibility of the show.