How do you make the "ask"? Maybe it's simpler than it seems. On this episode of the Grounded Content podcast I talk to my friend Matt B. Davis.  He's not an expert in marketing, or personal branding, or networking. He's the podcast host who created Obstacle Racing Media, a podcast & media business that has grown from a hobby to a full time job.  One that supports his family. He and I talk about this stuff a lot - about what we do to be successful in the independent media world, to market our shows (and for me my client's shows,) to market ourselves, and our products. What works, what's sketchy? What's the latest BS being peddled out there?

The reason I really invited him on is because he calls me out on my BS. This episode is really a "spirited" conversation between friends. It may be more conversational than some of the others, but there are some solid tactics and take aways in there too.

Matt's empire ​Obstacleracingmedia.com
​Editor Kris Zarnoch

So many people start a podcast and then stall, in fact of the 2 million podcasts out there today only about 750,000 have published an episode in the last 90 days. Sometimes you just need a fresh look at things. Here's a tool that might help:
5 steps to asses, strategize, and elevate.

1. PURPOSE: What do you want your podcast to do for you? Attract sponsors, express your message, serve your community, build authority, have deep discussions, research your market, practice public speaking? Know that and you can start to do the equation and decide how to invest in success.

2. POINT OF VIEW: What makes you stand out? What makes you you? There may be 10, 20 or 100 podcasts on your subject, but none will be like yours.  Don't copy everyone else, I can help you understand your unique point of view.

3. PROCESS: Now that you know 1 & 2 we can develop your processes - do you edit or hire an editor, how do you structure your show, your publications schedule, who are your guests (if you have guests), how do they get booked, who writes copy and creates artwork?

4. PRACTICE: Like everything in life it's a cycle of continuous improvement. Get better, then get even better, that's how you become great. 

5. PROMOTE: You may have the most incredible podcast, but If you don't promote it how will anyone know.  There are things that really do work - paid and organic strategies - to make sure you reach the right people.  Once you have the first 4 steps in place, you can build a strategic promotion plan.

I want to help podcasters like you be great and achieve their goals. I'm going to be launching a beta of my 1:1 assessment program to help you understand what your destination is and  the steps you need to take to get there.

Interested in learning more and mastering the 5 P's of podcasting success so you can reach your goals with more ease and less time?  Click "Get on the list" and fill out the form to ​get on the waiting list and be the first to be notified.

Rich Cardona shares tons of useful insights on his show Leadership Locker. It was a pleasure to be on his show and to share fun stories and talk about what makes great content. I'm looking forward to sharing some of his wisdom soon on the Grounded Content podcast .

Rich Cardona, host of the "Leadership Locker" podcast and a media and personal branding expert, spoke at the Fitness & Self-Improvement Podcasters micorcon at this years Guinness World Record breaking Podfest Global Summit. I asked him to talk about how podcasters can use other social media channels to grow their audience. 

The single most important driver of a successful recorded interview is an understanding of your goals as an interviewer. To begin, it helps to recognize that there are five types of interviews. We've defined them as the 5 interview lessons interview types:

• Testimonial
  
• Conversational
• Curiosity Driven
  
• Journalistic
• Story Focused

Testimonial
In a testimonial style interview, the goal is to record a client or customer expressing satisfaction with your services or product. Most often your interview subject is not used to being on camera. The challenge is to get the exact content you're looking for while making sure it feels comfortable and natural.

Conversational
These are most often heard in podcasts or talk shows. In the conversational interview, the audience is as interested in hearing the guest as they are the host. The challenge here is to build rapport, to think on your feet, and keep a good sense of balance between remarks, questions, and follow-ups.

Curiosity Driven
In this style interview, the goal is discovery. You don't know where the interview will lead and are only interested in following the natural flow of discovery. For this, the most important skill is deep listening and curiosity.

Journalistic
The journalistic or documentary interview is one in which you don't already know the answers, but you do know exactly what you hope to learn. For this interview, you will want to have a solid outline and strategy in place before you begin. You may need to pause and check your notes to be sure you and your guest stay on track. For this style of interview, the biggest challenge is to keep the guest on track and make sure you get the information you are looking for on tape.

Story Focused
In a story-focused interview, your guest has a story to tell. Most likely something they have achieved or endured. Your job is to facilitate the telling of a rich full tale. You are the guide to help elicit detail, fill in gaps, and keep the story moving. 

Tactics
For each style interview, your tactics will differ.

No matter what style (or combination of styles) you use, before you approach your guest be sure you know exactly what you are looking to achieve.  

I'll leave you with a final thought from interviewer Terry Gross: "I learned that I never really know the true story of my guests' lives, that I have to content myself with knowing that when I'm interviewing somebody, I'm getting a combination of fact and truth and self-mythology and self-delusion and selective memory and faulty memory."

Get a FREE ticket, see the schedule of speakers, sign up for future events as we build our community!

Thank you Tibor for inviting me to join you on your podcast "Podcast Interview Mastery."

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE
1 – Learn more about the 5 different types of interview so that you can develop your own style.
2 – Learn more about the 4 keys to conducting better interviews.
3 – Learn why it is important to show your personality as a host in interviews and how to do it.

To listen, click here.

There is so much information about HOW to launch a podcast, choose the best microphone, the best hosting platform,  the best growth tactics - that it's easy to loose track of the essentials.  How do you make a BETTER podcast?

NUMBER ONE
If you haven't heard it yet, there's a great conversation between Tim Ferriss ("Tim Ferriss Show",) Dax Shepard ("Armchair Expert Podcast",) and Brene Brown ("Unlocking Us with Brene Brown,") where they talk about how they think about interviewing and how they prepare.  One of the things I love about this is the reminder that there are a lot of different ways to think about interviewing, and you need to find and develop what works best for you and your audience.

Listen to the first 15 minutes of this episode for a look inside the minds of these three expert podcast interviewers.

NUMBER TWO
"The Turnaround" features interviews with some of the interviewing GREATS, like Ira Glass, Mark Maron, Brook Gladstone, and Terry Gross.  The podcast series was created by the Columbia School of Journalism and digs into every element of interviewing - from prep, to question selection, to interview process. You can read transcripts or listen to the conversations here.

NUMBER THREE
We don't use "tape" anymore, but in the radio business "good tape" means good recorded content.  In the podcast series "Gimlet Academy" host Alex Blumberg  shares lessons, gained from 20 years of working in audio, about what it takes to produce a podcast episode that entertains, educates, and connects with listeners on an emotional level.  Episode four, called "How to Get Good Tape" focuses on the interview.

If you are tired of get rich quick schemes and B.S. this is the antidote.  I'll be on Clubhouse with Lisa Orkin (Lisa Orkin Creative, Radio Ranch and Project Woo-Woo) and Jen Edds ( Brassy Broadcasting, Beauty and the Gi Podcast,)

WHEN:
Every Wednesday afternoon 3:30 to 4:30pm EST
WHERE:
Clubhouse
LINK:
March 3rd link https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/mJEaR21v

Follow me on clubhouse for notifications @madmotion

Kate Paine shares advice for Linkedin, but also for understanding how to present yourself online in a broader sense. She shares Linkedin tactics and strategies, but her advice will help you grow your brand on every platform.

Listen to the complete episode:

Find Kate atStanding Out Online

I've been exploring the new audio based social media app called Clubhouse. Right now it's in that golden stage of new social media platforms where the conversations are real and human and organic, and where there's lots of creativity and exploration. The only downside for me is that to get the most of the platform takes time...a lot of time.

I'm be cohosting "Real Talk about Podcasting Q&As" with Jen Edds and Lisa Orkin on Wednesday afternoons on CLubhouse.

The platform is growing and changing quickly as users discover what works and create new ways to use the channel.  Here are my predictions about the value and impact it will have on podcasters.  How podcasters can use clubhouse to deepend community and why some might choose Clubhouse over podcasting.

Jeffrey Madoff has pivoted from one creative career to the next. After success in the fashion business, he moved to film and commercials, and today is a teacher, playwright and author. Today on Grounded Content dig into brand.  What is it, what are the best and worst examples, and as always - where do ethics fit in. With examples from Nike, Uber, Patagonia, Ralph Lauren, Coke and others Madoff explains the elements of a brand and their importance not only in selling products but in guiding a company's growth strategy. 

Find out more about his book "Creative Careers" featuring creatives like Ralph Lauren, Damond John, Joy-Ann Reid, Kathy Ireland and Tim Ferriss

Jessica Kupferman , the co-founder of the largest online and in-person community for women podcasters, and an expert in community building and podcast marketing, joined me on the Grounded Content podcast.  I asked her how important  diversity is in marketing? What is the most effective way to grow your podcast? Where is the line between selling and sleaze? And we talk about selling itchy overstock T-shirts and metaphorical underwear sizes.  Hear more Grounded Content here.

Watch the video for nuggets of  podcasting wisdom. At the Guinness world record-breaking Podfest Global Expo event we ran an afternoon conference for and by Fitness and Self-Improvement Content Creators featuring Gabby Reece "The Gabby Reece Show," Mark Divine "Unbeatable Mind," Matt B. Davis "Obstacle Racing Media," Anders Varner "Barbell Shrugged, Dr. Lara Pence "Spartan Mind" and "Curious Minds Podcast," and moderated by Marion Abrams producer of "Spartan Up Podcast" and founder of Madmotion.

Gems of wisdom from the guests, including a quick intro by Chris Krimitsos founder of Podfest Global Expo.

I hope to find more ways to serve the Fitness & Self-Improvement Creator community, if you'd like to stay in touch drop your email HERE.

Here's the full text:

Chris Krimitsos  0:00 

What's cool is all of us are focused on something positive, helping each other. While people are basically going through different phases of quarantine globally, how are you feeling? basically putting this together Marian?

Marion Abrams  0:18  
I feel grateful. I mean, I just forgot how smart and inspiring the group of friends that I have collected since I started podcasting. And since we started inviting other podcasters into the circle has been and why I I just love listening to them. And I think expanding beyond the fitness space and being part of the pod fest global Expo has been a really great opportunity. So I thank you, Chris for for setting this up. 

Dr. Lara Pence  0:46  
One of the phrases that I like to use and probably this will come as no surprise to individ any individual that's ever been in therapy is I like to use the phrase. So what I'm hearing you say is and what that allows is for the, for the guests to feel really heard to feel like you're there with them, not just that you're worried about your next question. And when the guest trusts you, because they know that you're listening, they're more willing to go there with you. And so and so what that can do then is not only it helps build trust and rapport with your guests, but it also then allows them to go that one step further, right. 


Gabby Reece  1:31  
I realized that there was a part of me that was dreading doing a podcast on my own. If I can be really honest, I thought, well, I could probably do 10 and then I probably be boring and I don't know and this is like 25 years into it. So the other point that I want to share with you is, is this idea of really trusting yourself, which is hard to do. So I will do an interview last week or next week, and before the interview, I will always think, okay, I've done my homework, which is obviously really important. And I hope it goes, Okay. And then when they leave, I always think I hope that I hope that we had a good show and that that I remember also all the things that I should have asked.

So you're always going to feel that way. And I want to remind you that whatever conversation needed to be had at that moment, on that day was the one that you were supposed to have.

Matt B. Davis  2:27  
It's gonna come out pretty clearly if you care about what you do.  Early on, in the process of me doing this show... I would have people say, you know, we really like what you're doing because you actually care about the sport. You're not just reporting on it. And I thought, well, how is there any other way to do it? I mean, to me that was like, why would I be here, like, I guess to try to make a book, which there wasn't much books to be grabbed, but to me, it just, it just made sense to do that. 


Anders Varner  2:58  
My attention to fitness has to be delivered to the people that I'm talking to, in a manner that resembles my life and the thing that I'm learning about because I want them to go on the journey with me, I want them to feel like they're in the room every single time we turn on the microphones, and I talk about the struggles that I, as a fitness professional have turned into music on and finding 45 minutes in my day to work out. I don't know, I never thought that there would be a day that fitness would be hard, but I get it now. And that is the most authentic conversation. That's where all of my attention is when I think about fitness. And the next piece, you could call me as woo is woo woo as you would like. But every time you turn the microphone on, I want you to think about how much you love somebody that is willing to take time out of their day and listen to you on their commute to work.


Mark Divine  3:57  
So if you're in an interview, or you're in any any type of scenario where you're like, Oh shit, you know, this is gametime and you're uncomfortable because it's gonna be uncomfortable. Then you come back to that tactical breathing and just kind of like, pause for a moment. reconnect with the breath and and with your nostrils with your nose, mouth close, and your mind soft and think about your mind like gripping, gripping, gripping.

And then inhale, just releasing, no need to think no need to do it, just notice what happens. And then with your eyes, instead of looking looking looking, release, go soft, peripheral vision. So this is profound because when you release the grip of your your thinking mind, and then you soften your gaze, and you breathe deeply through your nose and suddenly what happens is you your mind, your conscious expands out into what we call context. And guess what, right then and there, all that fear and anxiety goes away. And then while you're in this interview, you try to maintain that kind of relaxed awareness so that you're accessing kind of right and left brain synchronicity, right so you, you have the pattern recognition, the spontaneity to respond in a way that's not going to be as controlled or fear based. Or like I have to remember what I studied or you know this net

Grounded Content - Advertising, Marketing & Content Gets Real

With the launch of the "Grounded Content" podcast, I finally get to ask the best minds in marketing, messaging, advertising & content creation all the questions I want! In this clip from episode one my guest  Chris Brogan, author of the classic book "Trust Agents," founder of StoryLeader and host of the "Backpack Show" tells me  why he doesn't like the term "authenticity."  The episode title is a nod to fear driven sales tactics and listicles as well as Chris' quirky sense of humor.

Chris: I don't like the word authenticity, because I think that the most people trying to use it, utterly lack it and they are trying to emulate authenticity, which kind of goes against the word, right? So let's pretend I'm using it for now just because you like it.
Marion :  No, no, no, pick a better word. I pick a better word
Chris:  Just be helpful. You know, the advice I started giving in 2006. Anytime someone says whatever advice if you ask me this question, 20 minutes or now I'm gonna say be helpful.

Listen to the podcast at HERE or subscribe on your favorite podcast app:

Let's be real.  We all want to look our best on camera and in videos, and we want to be real.  Here are 3 simple tips that will make you look better without changing your make up or using filters. 3 simple tips so you look better in your videos.

If you want to see more like this, please subscribe to my youtube channel.

I challenged myself to create a series of four videos with myself as host, and to talk about my own creative and personal development journey.  I have made fun of people who do this for my entire life...until I started producing Spartan Up podcast and listening and learning from them. There is still a high proportion of blowhards and snake oil salesmen in the self help arena, and yet those reminders, hacks and lessons propel me forward.

As Doug Comstock said - I'm not telling you anything new, I'm just reminding you.

So here is video three of the series.  In this video I talk about the two most helpful tactics / principles I have learned.

When I posted the video about podcasting safely while social distancing a few people asked me about wind noise.  I realized that things I've been doing for 30 years  are second nature to me, but not everyone knows them. So - here's a quick video about 4 ways to stop wind noise from ruining your shoot when you get to record outside.

Find more technique and "how To" videos for podcasters and YouTubers here.

It started when I heard an interview with James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.  He said to establish a habit start with something really small, for example one push up a day.  It sounds ridiculous.  But when you start with a small commitment you'll be more likely to keep it.  Once you start keeping it you begin to see yourself in a new light - as someone who does a push up every day.

So I decided I'd run one mile every day.  I've written about that, and it's been going pretty well.  And James Clear was right.  Success there lead me to take on another challenge.  When COVID times started I committed to posting a daily photo journal here on my blog for a month.  I did that too.  I realized that the simple practice of writing and photographing every day was helping me grow as a creative, whether anyone read it or not.

Now I'm challenging myself to create a video, with me as the on camera host, talking about my own creative journey, every week for the next four weeks.  Here is the first:

Next week I'm going to talk about the value of keeping your work to YOURSELF.