Podcast Launch Secrets: Allison Hare's Success Blueprint for Coaches & Experts

0:01 Welcome to The Coaching Equation, brought to you by Empire Partners and hosted by Ryan Lang and Brooke Bishop. Our mission is to help you build a profitable and impactful coaching business by cutting through the noise and all the expert advice to deliver tried and true actionable insights that you can deploy in your business today. Each week, we bring on expert guests, unveil cutting-edge tactics and strategies, and share the secrets and stories that we've gathered from working with the most successful coaching companies on earth. Welcome back to the Coaching Equation Podcast.

0:42 I'm your host, Ryan Lang, CEO and co-founder of Vampire Partners. And if you've ever thought about launching your own podcast, you are going to love today's episode. The one, the only, our podcast boss. Allison Hare is on the show today, and I get a chance to dive into Allison's background from burnout to creating her incredible podcast that's now been running for well over five years in the top one and a half percent of all podcasts. And we get real about why should we even bother with a podcast in today's day and age where there are a bazillion of them out there. If we decide that this is something that really resonates with us, how do we do it right? We dive into all the mistakes that people make when they're launching their podcasts and the secrets Allison has used to help some of the most successful podcasts on earth.

1:32 This is one you will not want to miss. Whether you want to launch a podcast, have thought about launching a podcast, launched and then failed, no matter what, you're going to love this. It's episode 39 podcast. Of the Coaching Equation Podcast with Alison Hare. Welcome back to the Coaching Equation Podcast. I'm your host, Ryan Lang, CEO and co-founder of Empire Partners. And Brooke Bishop not in studio today. He is off because I have a much better looking and much more talented guest today. Alison Hare is with me. Welcome, gal. I have a little more hair than Brooke. You do. Thank you for that. You have a lot more hair than Brooke. And yeah, listen, you're an upgrade on a number of different levels.

2:18 Sorry, Brooke. I just traded you in. Poor Brooke. Yeah, I just traded you in for a much better alternative. Uh, yeah, this is, I, this has been a long time coming and, um, I am, I have so many things that I want to unpack with you today. And as it, before we kind of dive into everything, I just want to sort of tee this up by saying that, you know, Alison and I, I mean, we've known each other. What has it been? I mean, it's been a good three years now, hasn't it? Yeah. Yeah, it really has. It's kind of crazy how time flies, but when I met you, there was something about you that really – I don't know what it was, but there was something magnetic about you that kind of told me like, you know what, I don't know.

3:11 how or why or what the mechanism is, but there's something that we're going to do together. And for whatever reason, from the beginning, for me, one of the things that kind of just jumped off for me was your experience with podcasting. And we both share a background in broadcasting. And I want to ask you a little bit about that, because I think there's probably a lot to that story that I don't know. that I think would be valuable for everybody else. But before we get into that, I mean, you know, for the person listening right now, Alison has been instrumental in this podcast. It would not exist, I fully believe, if not for you.

3:53 And, you know, she helped us really from square one, ideate on what it was gonna be, making sure that it was, you know, differentiated in the right way, helping us launch it, helping us with, you know, ongoing content. You know, we call her our podcast boss. And, you know, so she's an amazing human on a lot of different levels, truly talented podcaster, amazing coach, fabulous salesperson. Yeah. So with that, I want to start kind of from the beginning with you. What was it that got you interested in broadcasting to begin with?

4:36 Where did that come from? Yeah, I was one of those kids that was like mediocre, like never the best, never the worst at everything. And I remember I remember sitting in my kitchen with my mom crying and I was 12. And my mom's like, what's going on, Alison? And I'm like, I am not good at anything. You know, like I didn't really play sports. I didn't play music. I come from a very musical family. And, you know, she was heartbroken. And fast forward, I remember going to college and I discovered that my college had a radio station.

5:18 I was always really into music. And, um, and, and used to make mixtapes. Remember mixtapes? Those were like my love language. Those were my love language. Right. And I remember taking a class. It was voice indiction. It was a voice indiction class. My professor's name was Ernest Wiggins. And I remember getting up and speaking and I felt like all the lights in my body turned on and it was like, wow. Allison, this was what you were meant to do. But the question has always been, how do you use, if my gift is my voice, at the ripe old age of 17, 18, whatever it was, how do I use it as a force for good?

6:03 And so that question has always been, the North Star. And over the years, I have dabbled in radio. I wanted to be a radio DJ. And they listened to my mixtape and was like, no, thank you. I put my mixtape on a... I remember I sent a stack of pizzas to the radio station with my demo tape on top. And they thought, very clever. No, thank you. And I ended up... I ended up picking the money and going towards a sales role, you know, and and I always kind of put this creative self on a shelf.

6:45 It was always like something that was hidden in the background. And I feel like. we all have opinions and musings and things we're curious about, but it just kind of goes nowhere or it ends up, um, in Facebook comments, like snarky Facebook comments, you know, as, as our own outlet for, for, for speech or for having dialogue or, or understanding, um, something better. And, um, Many years ago, I was in the corporate world. And so I had spent 20, I don't know, 23, 24 years in technology sales.

7:26 So I worked for Salesforce, DocuSign, ADP, and was really careening towards a massive, massive, massive burnout. And I remember hearing Esther Perel. Do you know who Esther Perel is? I don't. I don't. She's this amazing, she's this really well-known, iconic relationship expert. And so she did this TED Talk. And it was the TED Talk's topic was something like how to rekindle your love, like how to rekindle your romance. And what was interesting about this particular TED Talk is the answer was...

8:11 The answer was for you to, um, uh, I hope you can edit this part out. But, oh, the, the answer was, um, to be in your element, to be in your element. And all I thought about was, was like me on a stage. But at the time, all I did, I had no hobbies whatsoever. I was really burned out. I had two little kids at home and all I could think about was me on a stage. And I'm like, all I do is sit around and watch Real Housewives. How am I going to get on a stage, you know? And fast forward a few years, I got a promotional email and about a podcast launch program.

8:58 And it was at a time where there was a lot of political unrest, not like there isn't there now. I was experiencing a lot of iniquity and real life challenges where I was like, wow, Whether it is healthcare and education, I was volunteering at a local school and noticing all of this massive inequity where I was like, man, if people like me knew what was happening or could discover what was happening in real time, maybe we could come together and change this. I felt very hopeless. Yeah.

9:39 And so I got this promotional email about starting a podcast. I didn't even look at the price. I just said yes. And I had no idea what I was going to talk about. I just said yes and figured I would figure it out. And that is what I did. And so the podcast was born. It is called The Reinvention Room. That was five and a half years ago. And it is an award-winning podcast. It is globally ranked top one and a half percent, which I'm very proud of and has been an amazing journey to grow. meet some people I would have never been able to build relationships with or get in front of or have meaningful conversations with.

10:24 Like I've interviewed Seth Godin and Jesse Itzler and Academy Award nominee, legendary icon, Mariel Hemingway. And if you don't know who they are, they are big deals in their own circle. They are very big deals. Yes. But it's this platform has become not only a form of expression, but it has been an opportunity for me to create change in the world and also feel fully expressed. But at the same time, so many people have come to me and said, I want to start something like you did. And so kind of undercover, I've been helping people launch their podcasts.

11:09 And some of the biggest and most beloved podcasts in the world started from me helping them out just like I did with you. And so it just has become such a passion. to help people really find their voice and create change and feel like they can make a difference. And from the connection piece of like building relationships or changing somebody's mind, you know, opening curiosity has been such a gift and has opened up like endless doors and of possibility that I just can't help but want to share with other people, especially when people feel like they don't have as much agency or freedom or power in the realm that they're in now.

11:58 So offering them an opportunity to find the platform and really get clarity on what it is, is a game changer for people's business and for their lives and for their families. Absolutely. I love that. I want to ask you a question. I circle back for a minute to... You kind of making that decision at that early point in your life that, hey, you know what, this DJ thing would be great. And I kind of feel like, you know, it tugs at my heartstrings a little bit, but I got to go. I'm going to go do something that is going to put some money in my pocket and all of that good stuff.

12:39 And then getting to the point where you had an opportunity to. kind of re-engage with that. I think there are a lot of people that are listening right now that have something like that in their lives and podcasting might be one, it might be something like that might be that you never tried it before. Um, but it was kind of a dream and you set it down and you forgot about it. Um, and, What is something that you would tell someone who has thought about this in the past, wanted to do it, or maybe even dabbled with it a little bit in some way, shape, or form, but then life took over, they got into their business, and now here they are, and it feels like, oh, that was so long ago, and I still would want to do it, but I feel like I can't pick it up again.

13:27 What would you tell them? It's an interesting paradoxical relationship because a lot of times what happens with the podcast idea, it feels like something has been placed on your heart and it will not let go, which is why it keeps coming up. And for anyone coming to me, I'm like, you got to pull on that thread and let's see where is this coming from? So getting clarity on Why is this important? And a lot of times it can start with people saying, I feel like my story is meaningful. I want to share it, but I don't quite know. And we so quickly talk ourselves out of it.

14:08 I'm too busy. I don't know what to do it. You know, who wants to hear my dumb voice? Does, you know, there's so many podcasts out there. And really, it is an opportunity for you to have your own corner of the Internet that you get to design any way you like. Knowing that those people that are going to have the successful podcast, I think part of it is like redefining success. And in the beginning, I always coach people. If this is something for you, make it for you in the beginning. But if you put some parameters around it about how do you really connect with an audience, then it gets so much easier. I think people kind of have ideas of ideas.

14:51 So they have like kind of a vague idea. Like I want to help people with my story or I'm a lawyer who wants to hear about my law firm, you know, and there are so many ways to make. law or whatever you do, engaging and exciting and something that obviously has taken up a lot of time in your life. And part of it is just finding the angle. And a lot of times people are like one degree off or they haven't like asked themselves the right questions. And so it ends up staying on a shelf. And so when you do ask the right questions over what, you know, why this feeling won't go away.

15:35 You know, there's so much opportunity available once you pull that thread. And I think if I could give anybody the push to like see, well, what would happen if I went... a level or two deeper into why this keeps coming up. And sometimes people just need a little bit of polish or like, just help me clear out the noise of all the ideas that I have and just help me find a path. And that's where I come in to kind of, take their ideas. Like my, my mind, my brain thinks in podcasts. Yeah, it does. I can, I can verify this. It totally does.

16:16 It totally does. Well, and you know what you're talking about for me resonates big time because, uh, you know, and I've talked about this lightly on the show before, but, um, you know, I had, I had a four year, I was a broadcast journalism major. I had a four year career at, a couple of major radio stations and work with huge, huge players and radio and put it down. And I had this, when I put it down, it was so hard because I loved what I was doing every day. But I, like you was in a spot where I was like, man, I like, I'm not willing to just gut it out. I was, you know, 20 years. three 24 at the time.

16:58 And, uh, I just wasn't willing to just get it out for, uh, another, you know, five, 10 years before I got where I wanted to go. I, I was interested in money. I was interested in business and I made that choice, but it was really hard to walk away. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I said to myself, I'm going to be back at this. I don't know how, but I just feel it. And it's so weird because I'm, you know, I engage with other hobbies and passions of mine over the years and, you know, music and other things like that, but broadcasting of any kind, uh, was something that kind of sat on the shelf. And I just wondered sort of when would be the time that I would get back at it.

17:38 And I thought about it lots of different times. And, and for me, I got really lucky in that I had a, you know, a, a friend of our family, um, reach out to me, who was the executive director of a really wonderful community radio station in Fort Collins and say, hey, your dad told me that you were in radio. What are you doing, you know, on these days at this time? Because we could really use somebody. And that kind of reignited the fire. And what I appreciate about what you do, Allison, and where I can really verify exactly what you're saying is that for me. When it came to podcasting, for me to just walk back into the radio station, man, it was like – it was just like – it was just picking up that thing that I had done so many times before.

18:29 And after just a little bit, like I was right back in it. But when it came to the podcast side of things, I had those questions. Well, why am I going to do this? Why – what exactly is it that I would talk about? Yeah. And, uh, how would I go about it? And all of those different things. And I think that that was one of the, probably one of the most valuable experiences that I had when you started helping Brooke and I design this whole thing is the intricacy of the questions that you asked us about why and who and what, and all of those different things. And, and perhaps maybe equally as importantly, um.

19:10 the relentless nature with which you ask the questions again and again and again and again, continue to challenge us. So that really resonates for me big time. And I think it is one of those deals that you do need to just kind of get very centered. It's like, you know, what's really interesting about it, Allison, is that it's very much like, other areas of, of business in general, like go try to start a business without knowing why you're doing it or who you're serving or, you know, what the business is about. I mean, it's pretty fucking hard, even when you do know those things.

19:52 And I would say the same thing about, uh, about a podcast and you just happen to be unbelievably good at pulling that out of somebody. Um, I want to ask you something specific to your podcast. Let's just say that I know we've got a lot of people listening to this right now who are, they see the glimpse of hope. It's like, okay, maybe I could do this. What are some of the biggest lessons in five and a half years of podcasting? What are some of the biggest lessons, like top two, three lessons that you think you've learned in five and a half years of a very successful podcast? It's such a good question. I think people really get tangled up in the technology and believe it or not, the technology is the easy part.

20:37 You know, you can literally record on your phone and publish it today for free. You know, you can go live. The barrier of entry is really low. I think that with a little more, I think even for, for mine, I think something that I have been guilty of, and I think every podcaster has, is like the Rogan dream. And so what people feel like is, you know, like they don't tell anybody about their podcast. They're just kind of building it. They don't want to like put it out there. And I'm like, you need to put it out there. You need people to see, you know, like I don't know how many times I will...

21:20 go to record and I'll be like, I recorded the most amazing interview and I forgot to hit record. You know, like they're just so many gaps that that kind of happened behind the scenes and people really get ingratiated with that. I think people assume they have to have a radio voice. I mean, think of Ira Glass of This American Life. He doesn't have the traditional radio voice, but he created a whole genre. You know, Marc Maron doesn't have the most pleasant voice, but he's got one of the biggest podcasts in the world. I think back to the Joe Rogan effect. people assume that if they release their podcast, that it's going to be like Beyonce dropping an album at midnight, that people are just going to be stoked and tell all their friends, but you kind of have to like build a little bit of a bridge and, you know, build some excitement around it.

22:14 So I think learning about, um, that aspect. And I will tell you that one of the biggest lessons that I learned. So one of my first clients is Brian Green. Brian Green is the co-host of the commercial break. It's one of the biggest comedy podcasts today. And so he was in my very first podcast cohort in 2019. And so he launched in 2020. It's a massive show. And he and I have been really, really good friends for many, many years. He's somebody I love and adore and respect and is just a great guy. And I was getting to the point where I was over editing everything that I was doing.

23:00 And so... I was so nervous that if I had too many ums or too many you knows, or I wasn't getting to the point fast enough that people were just going to tune out. So I kept thinking, and this is truly the lesson, that people love long form content, but the messaging is like, no, you need to hook them in three seconds on TikTok. You need to be engaging. You need to enroll them. But really, don't you and I, Ryan, want like a 25 hour series that we can't stop binging on Netflix? Hell yes. It's the same thing with the long form content. And so my friend Brian, I'm like, you know, I'm getting all in my perfectionist tendencies, where it's taking me so long to edit my show because I can't stand to hear all these vocal pauses.

23:52 Or I should just get to the point quicker. I'm laughing because I've so been there. Go ahead. Yes. And he's like, Allison, those are not your people. The people want to hear you stumbling over your words. The people want to hear you kind of remembering, trying to remember something. And by the way, that aspect, like I watch Brian Green and his co-host Chrissy do this all the time in the commercial break where they will talk about a show. that they're making fun of and they're like, who's the name of the actress? And you're shouting like it's whoever it is, you know, whatever that is, that is part of the engagement of like when you are kind of forgetting it or saying it the wrong way.

24:35 On the on the other side, like the audience is like the listener on the other side is actually participating. when they're like, oh, no, no, no, no, you got it wrong. Or, you know, I know who you're talking about. And you're like shouting it. It's family ties. That's the show you're talking about. You know, people start to get involved in it. It's a really intimate experience. And you think about like, if you're reading some trashy novel on an airplane, you've got the novel out there, right? But you're like embarrassed for people to see. Yeah. You're reading this, you know, trashy novel, or you can have it in your headphones where nobody knows.

25:15 So it's such an intimate one-to-one conversation, even though it is one-sided and it's, you just never know. Like I'm looking, I'm getting pings right now. So I released an episode today and the topic is women hating women. Yeah. And I'm getting yes. And so I do these cultural deep dives. I'm getting ping left and right of people commenting of like, you forgot to mention Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. You know, and you forgot this. And I'm also hearing some of my personal stories of Allison. You can call me anytime you're sad. You can call like I'm the one. So it's just an interesting.

25:56 It's such an incredible personal intimate relationship. That, you know, they, they, they spend time with you, like they are taking you to work. They're taking you to do the dishes and to do the laundry and on their carpool that they are taking you with them. It's, it's, it's such a gift. Um, that I, I, uh, I didn't realize the kind of power and impact and opportunity it has for discussion. Like for me, I want every single episode to be a conversation starter in something that's thought provoking and that each person is going to leave with a takeaway.

26:36 And that is kind of my approach is, you know, what is the promise of your show? What is the promise? Yeah. that your show delivers, that every time you broadcast, it is going to your listener is going to walk away with what. And it could be like, I think Brian Green in the commercial break, you're going to laugh out loud, like literally, LOL, at least once. And that is his goal, you know, and that's all it has to be. And so I think having that as your North Star makes it so much easier for the for the road to appear versus let me just throw something up and then it loses steam because you realize there's work behind it or I haven't really thought behind the sustainability of what this looks like.

27:24 I love what you just said, and it reminds me of, I saw a clip with Gary Vee and Chris Williamson the other day. And one of the things that Gary said was, you know, I feel like too many people who think they're A players in terms of content of any kind are making content selfishly instead of selflessly. And he goes, if you're not running this through the filter of what's in it for them before you put it out there, you're fucking it up.

28:05 And and I couldn't agree more. You know, it's so interesting because earlier in my life I can think of I mean, I would know in my head what I what I thought, how I thought I wanted somebody to react to something. But. I can think of plenty of times where I had ideas and things like that that were really just I mean, I was fucking entertaining myself at the end of the day, you know, and it really does carry such weight and power and impact when you take the time to go. What do people really need right now? What are they asking for? What what would be helpful for them? What would make them laugh? And similarly to exactly what you're saying.

28:46 I really love the whole bit about not being a perfectionist about it. You know, uh, Brooke and I have certainly embraced that on this show. Uh, and, uh, I, and I do think that there's, there's that part I also was stuck in the paradigm of, Oh my God, my show's gotta be absolutely perfect. I'm going to edit every little fucking thing here. Um, and it really, at the end of the day, One of the things that I think makes the best shows the best is the human quality that plays alongside it. Right. So much. It's finally it's like we forgot.

29:28 It's almost like the world forgot for a minute that authenticity was awesome. And I'll tell you what, it is coming back with a force right now. Mm hmm. And it's far more interesting to find somebody who is authentic today than something that's overproduced and overedited and seems to be perfect on the surface. Do you want to hear something interesting? So do you know who Tim Ferriss is? Tim Ferriss has one of the biggest podcasts in the world. Really incredible thought leader. He has made a pact this year that he is not going to have anybody on his show that is on a book tour or is promoting anything.

30:11 Isn't that great? And so, you know, I think people do get caught up of I need the big time celebrities in order to grow my show. That's not it at all. I think there are so many there are so many misunderstandings or misconceptions about what what is required to grow a meaningful podcast. You know that you need zillions of followers and you need to have the biggest names. And that's not the case. I have had a woman on my show, Cindy Robinson. And she purposely does not want to be found. She has a massive social media following, but she posts and ghosts.

30:54 She has no interest in monetizing it at all. She's a different bird, but she is also kind of quirky and sits around and reads medical books. and like kind of synthesizes this information in a way that's really powerful. She's been on my podcast 12 times. And by far, they are my most downloaded and shared podcast, more than Seth Godin and Jesse Itzler. you know, and these bigger names and there's nothing wrong with with the others. But it doesn't move the needle as well as like meaningful, authentic content does. And so I think there is more of I've actually watched the trends where this year it is less about interviewing and more about personal reflection, you know.

31:42 And I think people are tapping into connecting with people. You know, unbelievably, I don't know if it's unbelievably, but like has not happened before. It has unseated Joe Rogan as number one in Apple podcast. Who knows how long that will last? But yes, it just came out. Incredible. And even Kylie Kelsey, she also did that, which I think is interesting. You know, I don't know if it'll last, but... What's interesting about Mel Robbins and why she does such a profoundly good job, like there's nobody that I've seen do this better and why her podcast is so successful, like number one in the world is because she uses you language.

32:28 She doesn't talk to you guys like, hey, guys, you know, Glennon Doyle will call her podcast listeners the pod squad. And I may listen, but I'm not... like getting together with the squad and helping them make decisions. You know, I don't I feel disconnected from that. But when Mel Robbins talks, she talks, she says. I know what you're thinking. You are thinking, Mel, you are crazy because whatever. And you know what? You're right, because I've been there. And so she does not come from a place of like, I have all the answers. She's, you know, I heard her on an interview, I think it was with Oprah, and they're like, how did you get to this point?

33:11 And she's like, I'm, Oprah, I wish I had some special thing. I don't know what it is about me, but I learned everything the hard way. And I was like, I get that, you know? And it just, it was so relatable. It was so relatable. And it was not coming from a high horse. You know, when she talks, she is authoritative. But in a very maternal, like, I've been there. I don't want you to go through this. And if you're feeling resistance, I totally get it. I would feel resistance, too. And here is the science behind it. And I think because she uses that you language, it really, really draws people in because you feel.

33:52 And I was listening to her today. She was talking to Martha Beck. And she said, Martha, I want you to tell me. I want you to tell me and that listener, that one person out there, she literally called it out, who is saying, you know, whatever. And it was so personalized, but it is the biggest podcast in the world. So there are tiny little nuances like that, that make all the difference for connectivity. And I think for me... You know, when I teach this, it's really three things, clarity, connection and consistency. Those three things are going to help you with everything. And a lot of times people are so close.

34:35 They just need the bolts tightened a little bit. They might be one or two degrees off. It might be just... Another aspect of it, again, like asking yourself the right questions of who are you serving and what is the purpose? You know, what what do they what is the promise that you that they'll walk away with? But it gives you ultimate freedom to say whatever you want. Right. But still maintaining the promise. So it doesn't mean that you have to have this perfectly polished, overproduced thing. You know, when you don't have a team like NPR has 18 people working on a show. And so you can make an incredible show like Tim Ferriss.

35:15 His show is so bare bones, like there's no production. It is like I imagine him in a dark room with a microphone. And that's it. Probably is knowing Tim Ferriss. Yeah. Yeah. It probably is. I think these are really great points. And so I want to recap something really quickly because for anybody that's listening to this right now that has been thinking, man, this feels too overwhelming, or you've kind of had these roadblocks or it's too far away, whatever. A couple of things I just want to highlight that Allison said. Number one, don't fear the tech. Number two, stop fucking trying to be a perfectionist because it's not about that. Number three, hey, guess what? Long form content still relevant.

35:56 Not only relevant, but I actually think it's gaining in popularity again. The power and the impact of an intimate conversation that you get to have on your podcast. And lastly, just recognizing that if you really have the right strategy and the right nuance and the right guidance, it can be effective. One thing I want to touch on, someone right now is going, yeah, but... Allison, there's eight bazillion different podcasts. And sorry, I missed the boat because I'm not like John Lee Dumas. And I didn't launch my podcast in like 2008 when nobody else was doing it.

36:37 Why should I bother? I love this question so much. And there's actually new data on this that I found this morning. So there are over 5 million podcasts, 5 million podcasts. Do you have any idea how many, how many are active, meaning publishing on a regular basis or publish something in the past 90 days? 468,000. No fucking way. Yeah, there is a lot in the graveyard. And what I also found is that there were less than 200,000 that published an episode last week in the last week. So what that tells me is that not I wouldn't be so concerned with the graveyard, but I wouldn't be so concerned with the number and really the sustainability aspect of it.

37:29 Imagine how many people come on and they're like, there's not a lot of forethought that goes into it. Right. And that forethought might be, you know, me and my best friend, we are so funny together. All of our friends tell us we should have a podcast and they'll throw something together. And then, you know, like they get tired after three episodes. There isn't really much intention or strategy built around who is it for. Yeah. And it may be where it's like, oh, it's just some little thing where they aren't really taking it seriously. But when you take the long game seriously in terms of like, what is the impact that you want to make? And also keeping in mind of like your expression, like your freedom of expression is so important to feel fully expressed and.

38:20 And know that episode one is going to sound very different from episode 30. And my episode one, I interviewed, I interviewed somebody. She was like 16 years old. Right. And she was like, she was named like 18 over 18. She was just this incredible girl. You know, civic minded activist. And she happened to be my kid's babysitter. And I had no idea what I was doing. And so I had a microphone. Of course, I had a blue Yeti because everyone starts off with a blue Yeti. Oh, yeah. Everyone gets rid of it after episode two or three when they realize it sucks.

39:01 You know, it was really marketed very well. But I had this one Blue Yeti. I had no idea how to plug in a second microphone. So we just... She sat here and I talked here and then she... It was such a piece of shit, you know. But I didn't care. And I didn't care because I just... I was excited to get the message out, but I also had to let myself off the hook that it was not going to be perfect. Yeah. And episode two got better than episode one and episode three got better than episode two. And you just kind of have to give yourself some grace around it. I published it. It sounds, you know, it's actually a really great interview, but it sounds like shit.

39:46 And it just happens. Well, and what I'm hearing you say is don't look at the graveyard number. If you want to be in that. There's so much opportunity. Yeah. What's a small number? Just be consistent. One of the things that I want to highlight here on this particular subject is I remember, you know, after we, after we. you know, did the bulk of our initial work with you, I remember coming to you and going, Alison, why in the hell are you not doing this like crazy right now? Why are you jerking around with anything else? You're brilliant at this.

40:26 And one of the things that you said to me that is very telling, going back to that reason why is you talked about some of your early experience with this and you talked about how, um, When you watched people get ready to get ready, do the thing, and then they'd either A, never launch, or they'd launch, they'd do two episodes, they'd peace out, and it absolutely broke your heart. Yeah. And, you know, when we started talking about when I when I continue to start pouring honey in your ear about this, you just said, well, I will only do this if people actually launch. And now you know why those numbers are staggering.

41:08 I had no idea. I mean, that's that basically says about one percent of people who technically have a podcast podcast. actually do it and do it consistently. It's staggering. But I think also even for your audience, Ryan, is that there's a difference between hobbyists that there really is nothing at stake, you know, but for your audience of coaches, these are people that have a personal brand. They have a reputation. There is so much opportunity to get in front and build relationships with potential guests that you might be interviewing, people that could be potential clients or are your clients that are going to help you kind of...

41:55 grow your business, but it helps people. There's no better way to gain visibility, credibility, awareness, and build trust than in a 25 minute podcast episode. And so having that, like if it is an extension of your business, and that doesn't mean that it has to be predominantly a lead generator because typically podcasts, there are really three ways to monetize a podcast. One way is to have a zillion followers where you have larger ads like... Tide and AG1 and whatever it is advertising with you.

42:35 One way is through deals and sponsorships. And the other one, which is by far the best, is to promote your business, is to find your own clients because they get you, they hear you, they understand you in a conversation. It's not some perfectly polished business. Instagram thing that you have been told that you got to hook them in three seconds and have really clever reels, people get to hear you and feel you and understand you. And it's such an incredible way to build trust. It is such a slam dunk, especially for coaches, for personal brands, for executives, for high-level entrepreneurs, for fractional executives, or people that are looking to get in front of people that they may not have been able to get in front of.

43:20 otherwise and build trust and credibility. Absolutely. Brilliant point. I couldn't agree more. And I think it's one of the things that we talk about in marketing in general. One of the hardest things to do, especially in this day and age, is build trust. It's very it's it's not easy and it is a crowded marketplace. And one of the things that I appreciate the most, you know, um, Being able to do a podcast at all is fabulous because I think back on my radio days and, you know, like Howard Stern could do whatever the fuck he wanted on his show. But it took him a long time to get to that. It took him a long time. Right. Like I had so much red tape.

44:01 And I pushed, you know me, like I pushed the limits on that a little bit. But there was so much of I mean, today you can really do it any way that you want it. And one of the things that I think is most important, if you're if you listen to the show and you actually know Brooke and I, you know, this is just how we are. Like this is what you hear is what you get on the show. There's no question about that. And I think that that's one of the most valuable things about a podcast that's done right is that you really get to figure out, is this person my person? Yes. And I can tell you, I have paid literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to people that I heard on a podcast and went, that guy.

44:47 That gal. Yeah. That is what I need. And by the way, there are more people that are going to the things that you're trying to kind of toe the line with, like maybe you have a political leaning, maybe you have a specific view on faith or a belief where a lot of people will try and kind of straddle it and keep really neutral. And I'm not saying you should go full board, like some conspiracy theory. Sure. But, you know, I have to even remind myself of like, you don't need to play neutral. The people that will buy, you know, not buy from you, but like the people that will be ingratiated with you, you know, like you have to speak to them. You can't just keep it neutral all the time.

45:30 People really do want to hear your opinions on that. on things. And, you know, for me, I, I have a code of ethics around, you know, I, it's really important for me that I am respectful at all times, that I'm not trashing people's, you know, beliefs at the times, but I will have curiosities and I will be like, that's not my deal. But like, I want to understand why. Um, And for me, that is important for me. But it is important that some of those things that people feel like they have to put so much on the shelf, that you bringing that into it actually draws people to you. I agree. And again, it's like, you know, if I'm a Bible-thumping, you know, Rory Veda, who we both have worked with, talks about, like he says, I'm a Bible-thumping Jesus lover.

46:19 He said it on my show. Yeah, 100%. That's who he is. Yeah. That's my guy. You know, I've talked to people that are like, I heard him and I get him and I want to work with a company like that. And there are probably people that are like, no, that's not for me. And that's okay. You know, like you, there, there are, you only need a handful of clients to make a living. Truly. So true. Only need a handful of clients and finding the right ones are so much better than the ones that you're trying to like cast a wide net and capture Yeah, I completely agree with you. I totally agree. So let's, let's get to, let's get to something that I'm so excited to talk about right, right now.

47:05 I'm super excited. I, I let the cat out of the bag a little bit a few weeks ago on the show, but, um, you know, I have been trying to figure out how we could put something together. You and I in this vein, in this medium that we both have such a love for and feel so passionate about. And right now is really, as you just highlighted, such an amazing opportunity for people. And that's exactly what we're going to do. So we are launching a podcast launch program, the beta version of is going to begin here as of the recording of the show in just about a month or so from now.

47:47 And we're super excited about it. And I want to touch on this before we wrap up today a little bit and give people a little bit of a flavor for how this is going to go. The first thing that I want to mention with this is that I had to talk Alison into doing this. And the only way that she would agree to doing it is if people actually launched their podcast. So I want to be super clear that what this is not is this is not another shelf help course that you're going to go do and, and not do shit. It ain't working that way. Um, So the other thing that I want to mention is that we're limiting this initial group to only 10.

48:32 We do have a wait list. I'm going to throw out a link to jump on it if you want to do that. And we're going to announce all the details of the program coming up. Yeah. I want to ask you, for somebody that is thinking about, that has thought about it, that has ever had an inkling, that has just been waiting for the right moment, why is this the right moment? Why wouldn't it be? Why this program though? Well, I think having a container that has the launch itself built in and all of those questions, I feel that where people get tangled up is that they get overwhelmed with all of it at once.

49:15 And all of it looks like... cover art? How do I figure out the technology? What do I even name it? You know, the music or like getting on a schedule that works. I think people get so overwhelmed where this process is like, let's do it step by step by step by step. So that all of a sudden that yellow brick road is clear. It's not like, oh my God, I got to get all of this done where everything is kind of broken down into bite-sized pieces, but you also have access to me where we're going to workshop your ideas. And I think even that workshopping your ideas... for 99% of the people that I talk to always, it's like, there it is.

49:58 There it is. That that's exactly it. You know, I think people just need the path. They just need to see the path. And sometimes having somebody else, you know, like, like I'm really good at strategy, Ryan, for anybody else, but for me, I'm like, I, I, I need to help. Yeah. You know, I'm similar in a lot of ways. Yeah. It is the same thing where, you know, like I, you can't see the label when you're in the jar. And so part of this is like identifying of having somebody hear your idea and saying, oh, you can take this. And then all of a sudden you have it shaped in a way where you're, where you're like, oh, yeah. That makes perfect sense.

50:38 Like I have a friend of mine that, or a client of mine that I'm working with who is a lawyer and she's got a really successful law firm. And she came to me and said, Alison, I have this very clever name. I'm going to call it Not Your Average Lawyer, which she totally is not. She is not an average lawyer. And I was like... great, Danielle. Who is your audience? Are they lawyers? And she goes, no, they're business owners. And I was like, why would a business owner care? You know? And so again, it is like one degree off. And so we came up with a better, more defined, like clear name where for her, she's like, oh, and she would have gone down this totally different path.

51:20 Cause I think people are trying really hard to be clever. And that could look like, Ryan's runway. You know what I mean? Like people don't know who Ryan is or what runway that is. And so, you know, having somebody kind of in your corner, get it so crystal clear. Like one of my clients launched a podcast is called Women in Sales Leadership. Who do you think is for? What do you think it's pretty darn clear? And it was available. You know, it was so clear and it's so clear what the promise is. And so that's kind of the stuff that, again, sometimes people just need a little bit of that path revealed to them.

52:01 And all of a sudden, all systems are go. And so if you are in that space, you're like. I don't know, do I have time? Do I, you know, can I figure this out or whatever? But it's been on there and you can see a path. Let's work together and let's make it real. And that is the best part, that it is like an eight week container. It's actually, I think it's eight weeks is launching it and then four weeks of support after that so that you've got, you know, the TikTok of your show is going to be running and you've got a blueprint for the rest of it so you can keep going. I love this. I love this. So let me explain how you can get in on this right now.

52:41 As I mentioned, you cannot, you can't buy, you can't really opt into anything other than the wait list. We are going to have 10 slots available for this. We're going to release them on February 6th. And if you go to www.profitablecoach.io forward slash podcast launch, okay. That's www.profitablecoach.io forward slash podcast launch. We'll park the wait list there for you. We'll put it in the show notes as well. If this is something that you've been thinking about, listen, we just gave you about a bazillion reasons why now is exactly the right time. And here's the thing. You know, if this is something that's on your heart, if you're listening to this right now and you have no interest in a podcast, please don't do this.

53:27 If you're listening to this... No, if you're listening to this right now, though, and you've been thinking, damn it, I want to do this. I'm waiting for the right time. I want to get back to it. I tried before and tried to launch and it didn't work because I didn't have the right help or I didn't know what I was doing. Whatever it is, if this is on your heart right now is the right time. And this program is going to be absolutely incredible. You get an opportunity to get in on the very first cohort of this program. We are excited about it. Allison's excited about it. I'm super excited that we're going to get a chance to do this together. And I can promise you right out of the gate right now. that there is nobody better on the face of the planet at helping you launch your podcast than the lady that I've been talking to for the last 52 minutes here.

54:11 So Allison, thank you for today. Thank you for bringing your wisdom, all of your beautiful experience, all of the value that you just brought to the people that have been thinking about doing this is second to none. I appreciate you. Love you. I'm grateful for you and excited to go do this thing. Amazing. Thank you. All right, guys. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Coaching Equation Podcast. And until next time, take care. Thank you for listening to this episode of The Coaching Equation. Please hit subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. And if you got value out of this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would share it out with a friend and leave us a review on iTunes or your favorite platform.

54:59 To learn more about Empire Partners or to inquire about working with Ryan and Brooke, please visit www.empirepartners.io forward slash go.