From A High 1% Podcaster

Danny Miranda is within the high 1% of podcasters, and has interviewed a few of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time, like Gary Vaynerchuck, Alex Hormozi, Leila Hormozi, Anthony Pompliano, Colin and Samir, and plenty of others.

But three years in the past, Danny didn’t have an enormous following. You simply must get began and maintain at it.

On this put up, you’ll find out how Danny will get superb company, prepares for and conducts interviews, and his distinctive method to rising the podcast.

Who Ought to Begin A Podcast?

It’s essential to select a content material medium you get pleasure from as a result of consistency is important to succeeding as a content material creator.

So Danny recommends podcasting for anybody who already enjoys telephone conversations.

His podcast really began as a result of he posted a Tweet inviting his followers to do one-on-one telephone calls with him. He loved these conversations, so it made sense to simply document them and switch the content material right into a podcast.

In the event you’re undecided if podcasting is best for you, document a couple of episodes and ask your self for those who may do it for the following decade. In the event you don’t assume you’ll need to proceed creating podcast content material for one more ten years, take into account a special medium you’d get pleasure from extra.

How To Create A Profitable Podcast

First, simply get began. Right here’s how:

The preliminary podcast company could be your mates, and also you don’t want any fancy recording software program on your first episodes. Danny recommends you utilize this Audio Technica mic to get began.

You possibly can put money into higher audio high quality and podcast recording gear after you’ve put in some reps and determined that podcasting is a content material medium you get pleasure from. 

Nevertheless, Danny’s success isn’t due to his podcasting gear and even his workflow course of. Beneath, we’ll talk about the 80/20 you should get proper to create a profitable podcast, which is:

1. Touchdown nice company.
2. Researching and making ready for the interview.
3. Conducting the interview.
4. Growing a real relationship with the host after the interview.
5. Rising the podcast and bettering your dialog expertise. 

Step 1: Reaching Out To Podcast Visitors

Step one is deciding who you need to interview.

Many newbie podcasters purpose to land company with giant followings, however Danny focuses totally on individuals who encourage him. By solely speaking to individuals he feels impressed by, you’ll be able to really feel the pure chemistry in his interviews, and that chemistry considerably elevates the standard of his podcast episodes. 

It’s additionally simpler to land company for those who solely attain out to individuals who actually encourage you, as you received’t have to make use of completely optimized outreach templates.

The truth is, Danny doesn’t use any outreach templates. He doesn’t also have a particular outreach technique.

As a substitute, he messages individuals he feels impressed by and authentically tells them how their content material resonates with him. 

That real message stands out from the remainder of the pitches these creators obtain, which is able to improve your acceptance charge and enable you scale back the time you spend doing outreach.  

Danny additionally prioritizes doing random acts of kindness, which often pays dividends. 

For instance, he seen somebody who follows him Tweeted that they’re beginning a podcast. So he reached out and provided to assist if that individual wanted something. This led to a forty five minute telephone dialog the place Danny supplied some preliminary steerage.

A day later, that individual requested if Danny would love Andy Frisella on his podcast. For reference, Andy Frisella at present has the highest podcast in Entrepreneurship and considerably impacted Danny’s private life. 

There was no technique for touchdown the interview with Andy Frisella different than simply serving to individuals out.  

So take into consideration how a lot time you commit to serving to individuals out.

There’s additionally the ROI on luck. Basically, for those who play the sport lengthy sufficient, some issues will work out. For instance, he bought Gary Vaynerchuck on as a result of he wrote a weblog put up about him in 2009 after which Tweeted about it once more in 2020:

A number of individuals within the feedback inspired Gary to come back on Danny’s podcast, and it labored. Two weeks later, they recorded the episode:

Danny additionally talked about that even at first of the podcast, he nonetheless invited individuals he felt is perhaps out of attain. Even when they mentioned no, that simply means no proper now. 

Inviting them on the podcast no less than opens the dialog, and for those who plan to proceed podcasting for the following decade, you’ll have extra alternatives sooner or later. 

The truth is, Danny reached out to Andy Firsella ten instances earlier than he lastly bought the intro that ultimately helped him get on the podcast. So don’t fear about rejection.

One closing tip to construct actual relationships is to message creators once you get pleasure from a chunk of content material they revealed. Regardless of receiving many messages per day, Danny nonetheless enjoys receiving these messages because it’s constructive suggestions that his effort is impactful. 

Takeaways

1. Solely interview individuals you genuinely really feel impressed by at this second in your life (that would change as you develop).
2. Don’t use outreach templates – simply inform individuals why you’re feeling impressed by them.
3. Do random acts of kindness. Finally, it would come again to you.
4. Don’t fear about rejection. Even when somebody says no, that simply means no for now. In the event you’re constructing a podcast that may exist for a decade, there will probably be loads of different alternatives to interview that individual, and your preliminary message opens the dialog.

Motion Gadgets

1. Make an inventory of the individuals who encourage you. 
2. Make an inventory of your latest accomplishments and whose content material has helped you obtain these accomplishments.
3. Invite individuals from each of these lists in your podcast with an outreach message explaining why they encourage you and what they’ve helped you obtain. 
4. Everytime you get pleasure from a chunk of content material, ship that individual a message or remark that you just favored it.

Step 2: Analysis And Interview Preparation

Danny’s objective in the course of the analysis course of is to determine who somebody is somewhat than simply what they do.

Whenever you purpose to study who somebody is, they really feel heard and appreciated. This helps:

• Enhance the chemistry of the dialog. 
• Uncover new insights about that individual.
• Construct a real relationship with that individual, which might pay dividends down the street.

For instance, when he interviewed Steph Smith, he discovered a quote the place she mentioned she felt her sister was smarter than her, which drove her to be extra aggressive. So he requested her about that within the interview.

In the event you’re nonetheless feeling caught and don’t know particularly what info to search for, he recommends utilizing Google to seek out:

• The place that individual grew up
• The place that individual went to highschool

You possibly can even search for outdated articles written about that individual from publications of their hometown, which is able to doubtless convey up some attention-grabbing insights that latest publications haven’t talked about.

One other technique is to go to that individual’s YouTube channel to kind by “oldest” and watch the primary few movies they posted earlier than they made it. 

This offers you understanding of who they had been and the way they’ve developed, which might encourage higher questions. You can even do that with social media, you’ll simply need to scroll much more.

Lastly, use Twitter’s superior search to see that individual’s hottest posts. 

You are able to do this by typing within the individual’s deal with:

Then, you’ll be able to set a selected variety of replies or likes:

For instance, right here’s one in all Danny’s hottest Tweets:

This can present you what their target market resonates with and what’s most impactful to them.

Danny additionally repeatedly mentions the significance of studying an individual’s power. So, as a substitute of simply in search of particular issues they’ve mentioned or completed, use analysis as a chance to get to know that individual on a deeper stage, and that may encourage extra nice questions.

To make your analysis actionable for the interview, Danny creates a doc that consists of three components: 

1. Subjects from analysis that had been insightful or he was occupied with.
2. Particular questions that arose when he was doing analysis.
3. Tweets he discovered notably attention-grabbing.

The truth is, right here’s the precise doc that he used when making ready for his interview with Alex Hormozi:

One essential word is that he likes to maintain all the things on one web page in order that in the course of the interview, he isn’t scrolling by way of a protracted doc and may simply be current with the visitor. 

Takeaways

• Deal with studying about who the individual is somewhat than simply what they do in order that they really feel seen once you discuss to them.
• Compile your analysis right into a single web page so that you could be absolutely current with the individual in the course of the interview. 

Motion Gadgets

• Use Google and LinkedIn to seek out the place that individual grew up and the college they went to. Attempt to discover articles from hometown publications about that individual earlier of their profession. 
• Use YouTube to view the oldest movies that individual uploaded to grasp how they’ve developed. You can even take a look at their oldest social media posts.
• Take a look at their hottest social media posts to see what their viewers resonates with and what that individual is thought for.

Step 3: Conducting The Interview

The interview begins earlier than you even hit document. One factor that has considerably improved Danny’s interviews is asking the individual, “What would make this one of the best interview you’ve ever completed?”

Their response to this query can information the interview and make sure the individual will get to say what they really feel is most essential. 

One other essential factor to do inside the first couple of minutes of assembly the individual is to make them really feel comfy and set up an actual connection.

This can assist construct chemistry, which is able to come throughout to your listeners.

Throughout stay interviews, Danny offers the individual a hug when he first meets them. In the event you’re recording remotely, take into consideration how one can give that individual a hug just about. 

For instance, it is perhaps asking a couple of second from their childhood or an impactful expertise.

In his interview with Alex Hormozi, the primary query Danny requested was a couple of psychology project Alex had at 19, the place he was supposed to select somebody with a psychological dysfunction and break down a scenario from their perspective. On this case, Alex picked his mom, who has suffered from despair and ADD.

This query confirmed that Danny genuinely cares about Alex as an individual which helps construct that relationship and chemistry.

Subsequent, be actually current with the individual you’re interviewing. For instance, place your doc of questions on one aspect of the display and have the digicam with the individual’s face on the opposite aspect so that you just aren’t flipping backwards and forwards between the 2.

If he’s doing a stay interview, you’ll be able to look at your telephone or have a notepad if you’d like, however as you turn out to be extra comfy, you’ll most likely have a greater connection holding a free flowing dialog.

The standard of the questions you ask additionally considerably impacts the interview high quality. A foul query is one thing that the individual has already been requested 1,000,000 instances earlier than. 

query makes the individual understand one thing they by no means knew about themselves.

This not solely helps you get higher insights out of that individual, nevertheless it additionally helps the individual you’re interviewing obtain extra worth from the interview, which is helpful to constructing an actual relationship with that individual.  

Danny additionally retains a doc of questions he’s been requested that he finds attention-grabbing or that made him see himself in another way:

Lastly, being susceptible makes the opposite individual really feel extra comfy and may also help them open up, as individuals are inclined to match vulnerability.

For instance, you might point out a time you had been bullied, a darkish time in your profession, or perhaps a private battle with a pal. 

FAQ: Ought to You File Remotely Or In Particular person?

Danny now information about 50 to 60% of his podcast episodes in individual. Recording stay tends to create higher chemistry and you’ve got an opportunity to construct a deeper reference to that individual. 

But it’s additionally rather more troublesome to e book company for stay podcasts. 

Danny recommends that you just document stay if doable, however don’t let that maintain you again from getting began.

Key Takeaways

• Perceive what the opposite individual desires to speak within the interview.
• Set up belief both with a hug or a digital hug (a politely private query) to indicate that you just care about that individual.
• Ask questions that assist the individual see themself another way or study one thing about themselves.
• Be actually current with that individual.

Motion Gadgets

• Ask the individual earlier than you hit document, “What would make this one of the best interview you’ve ever completed?”
• Put together your first query or motion (hug) to construct a real reference to that individual.
• Have your questions on one sheet on the aspect of the display so that you could be current and aren’t scrolling in the course of the interview.
• Begin a financial institution of fantastic questions which have made you see your self in another way.

Step 4: Publish Manufacturing And Visitor Observe Up

After Danny information a brand new episode, he often publishes it to YouTube and the entire conventional podcasting directories, like Spotify and Apple podcasts.

Riverside and Podbean are nice podcast internet hosting platforms, and if you’d like a tactical step-by-step overview to get your new podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Google podcasts, right here’s a tutorial on publishing your podcast. 

You can even use Fiverr to have somebody create your cowl artwork and even your intro and outro. Upwork is one other nice useful resource that you need to use to seek out podcast editors.

Garageband remains to be the modifying software program he makes use of, however you might additionally use Audacity. You will get a full overview of Danny’s present podcast workflow in his Substack. 

The principle takeaway is that he actually prioritizes creating high-quality content material over advertising and marketing and optimization. In the event you get the content material high quality proper, the remainder falls into place.

After recording a podcast, construct a real relationship along with your company.

One easy method to do that is to ship a present or perhaps a handwritten word to that visitor following the podcast. You possibly can point out one thing you notably loved discussing or an motion merchandise you discovered from them that you just executed. You may additionally ship that individual a e book they could like primarily based on the dialog.

Danny additionally doesn’t have time to fulfill with every individual individually, so he hosts occasions. For instance, he not too long ago began a males’s operating membership the place he lives in Austin, Texas.

Occasions are much more helpful to his company as they will meet new individuals and type connections. This additionally makes Danny extra memorable as a result of they’ll keep in mind that he’s the one who facilitated these connections.

Key Takeaways

• In the event you can convey individuals collectively, you’ll be able to preserve relationships with about 20 individuals in an hour as a substitute of 1. These 20 individuals may also get extra worth as a result of they’ll meet new individuals.
• Occasions the place you convey individuals collectively and facilitate new connections is likely one of the highest types of worth you’ll be able to ship.

Motion Gadgets

• Whenever you come throughout a chunk of content material, inform that individual you loved it.
• Ship that individual one thing after the interview, like a handwritten word or a e book.
• Host occasions that convey individuals collectively.

Step 5: Progress Methods

Danny has generated over 1,000,000 downloads, and he does a couple of issues to assist the channel develop. The podcast episodes are revealed to YouTube along with the standard podcast streaming platforms, and he additionally repurposes some segments from the podcasts into particular person clips.

His company even have giant followings, which has doubtless aided to his audiences’ development. 

Nevertheless, his development technique isn’t that subtle. For the primary a number of years, he didn’t even publish on YouTube. 

As a substitute, he focuses solely on creating higher content material.

“I’m not optimizing for extra individuals to see it. I’m optimizing for me to benefit from the dialog and to study and develop… and if meaning not getting 1,000,000 views per video, I’m content material with that. I need to proceed getting higher.”

Danny’s foremost technique to turn out to be a greater host and ask higher questions is to have higher conversations with himself and use his buddies for suggestions.

For instance, a pal may say, “Effectively, you mentioned X the opposite day. What did you imply by that?”

This makes Danny assume extra about why he says what he says and study extra about himself. 

One other a part of turning into a greater conversationalist is solely training. He publishes about three new episodes per week, so merely recording extra episodes has made him a greater conversationalist. 

Key Takeaways

• Deal with bettering your talent as a bunch (asking higher questions and bettering dialog depth) somewhat than vainness metrics.
• Use your pal group as a mirror to turn out to be a greater conversationalist. 
• Create a constant publishing schedule and publish extra often as you begin bettering your dialog expertise.

Motion Gadgets

• Use a content material distribution technique and repurpose your content material to YouTube and in shorter clips.
• Encourage your mates to offer you suggestions on conversations.
• Publish 3 times per week your first 12 months of podcasting.

Take The Subsequent Step To Turn into a High 1% Podcaster

You don’t need to be nice to begin a podcast, however you do need to begin to create an awesome podcast.

So, don’t fear about shopping for fancy podcasting gear on your first few episodes. Put in these first few reps and improve your sound high quality and development technique later.

If you wish to study extra from Danny, observe him on social media and take a look at The Artwork of Interviewing.

If you wish to join with different creators, head to the Copyblogger Academy. Inside, we recurrently provide you with actionable content material like this from a few of the greatest creators on the planet, and you may ask our group for one-on-one suggestions.

You’ll even have entry to numerous programs starting from private branding to content material advertising and marketing so that you’ve the instruments you should turn out to be a profitable creator.