Podcast Junkies

To celebrate my three year anniversary of Podcast Junkies, I had the pleasure of speaking with podcasting veteran, Gary Leland. Although Gary is a well-known Hall of Fame podcaster, there is so much more to him that makes him tick. I was so honored that Gary shared so many incredible stories from his life that he hasn’t shared before so we could all get to know him better. I love bringing you these great conversations and I want to thank you for listening, for continuing to listen and I’m humbled to have you as part of the Podcast Junkies family. 03:44 - His online stores and businesses 09:18 - His view on inventions and ideas 10:59 - His mini-blinds and wallpaper business 19:09 - Innovations in wallpaper 21:18 - Why the wallpaper business fell from grace, what took its place, and its resurgence 25:13 - What it’s like working with his wife, Kathy 29:58 - What attracted him to Kathy 30:56 - What has changed about him over time 33:04 - When he realized Facebook was going to be a tool for business 33

As a former teacher for 10 years, Adam Lewis Walker decided to break away from the traditional classroom setting and life as a career professor in order to teach people more about success rather than academics. With an extensive background in teaching and a lot of hard work, Adam is now a best selling author and keynote speaker, a mentor and coach for entrepreneurs, and founder of the Awaken Your Alpha podcast. 09:17 - People who love to complain and how to avoid becoming one 12:11 - Where he was when he ad the idea for the Awaken Your Alpha podcast 16:04 - The most surprising thing he discovered when he started podcasting 19:36 - Being a teacher in South London 22:32 - What motivated him to become a teacher 24:33 - Sports and the struggles of being an athlete in England 28:02 - His Olympic pole vaulting aspirations 28:58 - His first entrepreneurial adventure 31:24 - His first real business 34:41 - The biggest take-away from his first business 43:40 - The mentor who shaped who he his today 50:50

In just two short years, Ramona Rice has gone from someone who didn’t even know what a podcast was to birthing three different podcasts, changing careers and working for Podcast Websites, and most recently starting a podcast with her mother. Ramona is loved and adored in the podcasting community and after listening to my conversation with her I think you’ll know why. 04:29 - Her Super Powers 07:00 - How she discovered podcasting 07:44 - How the Sports Gal Pal podcast came to existence 10:15 - What she learned from starting the Sports Gal Pal podcast 12:55 - How and why she got into sports 13:12 - Who she originally wanted to target with the Sports Gal Pal podcast 14:17 - One of the most famous people she had on her podcast 15:10 - Reaching out to potential guests via Twitter 16:35 - The reason she thinks she was able to land big guests on her show 20:43 - What she got out of the 2015 NMX conference 27:49 - We Should Not Be Friends podcast and what made her a better podcaster/interviewer 34:47 - H

Tina Conroy is the host of The Intuitive Woman Podcast and what is known as an Intuitive - a person who taps into their guides to get a message. She helps other women develop their innate power of intuition and she is also a devout practitioner of Reiki, Energy Healing and a yoga teacher. We dive into where I met her, the story of the first time she tapped into her intuitive side and how she turned her intuition into her life’s work. 05:37 - When she first got the idea to start her own podcast 09:40 - Our back pains 13:24 - The importance of listening to your body 14:10 - What an Intuitive is 14:54 - The first time she tapped into her intuitive side 20:13 - Oracle cards and the story of The Oracle 22:20 - How her intuition paved the path to her life’s journey 27:06 - Her challenges as an entrepreneur 27:52 - Abundance/Scarcity mindset 30:50 - The spiritual community in Long Island, NY 32:08 - How her friends and family have reacted to her spiritual path and career 35:22 - Lessons she’s learned fr

Since practically the age of two, Tina Dietz has always felt comfortable with a microphone in her hands and that easiness and her background as a therapist has since led her to become a very regarded interviewer, coach, consultant, and podcaster. She is the founder of Start Something Creative Business Solutions where she helps people launch businesses, podcasts and audio books. We cover a lot of great topics that is sure to enlighten even the most seasoned podcasters and entrepreneurs. 05:33 - Why she loves going to podcasting conferences 06:04 - The Messengers - A Podcast Documentary and how she is involved 10:51 - Podcasts and podcasting as a means of therapy 12:51 - What the impetus for starting her podcast was 16:01 - Her early childhood recordings 16:32 - What she did the first time someone handed her a microphone 17:41 - How she became so comfortable behind a microphone 18:15 - Performance Anxiety 19:35 - How to use your complaints and upsets to quickly and creatively solve issues 25:57 - Who

Engel Jones is the host of the 12 Minute Convos where he has had more than 1000 conversations with incredible people in a span of three months. He’s passionate about podcasting and speaking to people about their potential. Our conversation is a beautiful dance that crescendos into a deep philosophical examination of The Ego, recognizing abundance, and the importance of giving without expecting anything in return. You’re going to want to listen to this one through your favorite headphones or earbuds. 03:51 - “The Record.” 06:04 - The concept behind the 12 Minute Convos. 08:54 - The intimacy of podcasting. 11:05 - Who he learned to ask the right questions from 12:30 - When Engel Met Harry. 15:39 - One of the challenges podcasters face. 17:21 - The food in Trinidad. 19:19 - Angel vs Engel. 21:08 - The importance of getting the pronunciation of your guest’s name correct. 23:09 - When his interest in self-discovery began. 26:09 - Where Harry gets his energy for a conversation from. 29:54 - Connecting

In this episode I talk with the husband and wife duo behind Planted in Miami, a podcast about conscious living in the Magic City. We do a deep dive into their inspirations, why they transitioned to a plant-based diet and how podcasting made them take the leap to quit their 9-5 jobs. There are lots of laughs but also great insight into the entrepreneurial life and all it entails. 04:27 - How they learned to start podcasting 07:05 - Who influenced their podcast 08:56 - Podcast format (husband and wife) 09:33 - Planted in Miami origin 15:25 - What prompted their move to a plant-based diet 22:01 - Harry’s reason for turning vegetarian 24:56 - Jeanette’s audition on American Idol 28:49 - How they met 29:32 - Why they left their 9 to 5 jobs 33:29 - Their new business venture 34:47 - Alex’s advice for wannabe entrepreneurs 35:11 - The two things they spend their money on 38:50 - Katie Krimitsos Podfest presentation 39:40 - The importance of intellectual property 44:31 - Why having a support group is

This week’s episode is an engaging discussion the host of The Podcast Engineering School. Originally from New Jersey, he now calls Colorado Springs home. Naturally the conversation starts off techy, and we understand how Chris got his engineering start. It’s a testament to his varied interests that end up on the subject of meditation! 03:00 - The value of the Podfest conference 04:45 - How Harry ended up at Podfest 06:00 - Chris’ experience with a podcast studio 08:00 - What Chris found in Alaska 10:30 - The struggles of keeping up with technology 12:10 - The beauty of a mobile existence 14:00 - The day the internet broke! 15:50 - The genesis of Chris interest in technology 17:30 - Why was there a need to bring engineering skills to podcasting? 23:00 - Recommended settings for an episode MP3? 27:00 - The challenges with Harry’s new podcasting course 29:00 - Partnering with companies doing interesting things in this space 32:00 - Daniel J. Lewis’ Podcasters Society Full Show Notes: http://podc

As host of Marketing to Crush Your Competitors, Fabienne has demonstrated the power of consistency, with over 250 episodes published to-date. Coming from a competitive background she understands the importance of striving to do your best but always in an ethical way. She understands clearly that podcasters need to remember that they are the owners of their show, and should always be directing the conversation. 02:45 - Quick chat with Soren Pederson, Product Specialist at Shure 07:07 - Thoughts on theming days 08:40 - Importance of a partner to hold you accountable 12:45 - Individuality with a business partner 15:10 - How Fabienne met Vernon Ross 16:25 - The genesis of the podcast 17:15 - The importance of leveraging influencers 20:00 - Return guests are Hall of Famers 22:00 - Fabienne’s competitive nature 27:00 - Don’t forget the listener 30:00 - Why your marketing always needs to be a part of your personality 31:00 - Why Andrew Warner inspires Fabienne 33:40 - Something Fabienne’s changed her m

Keith Tomasek is the host of The Inadequate Life and a professor at. He’s a great guy and super fan of the show, having worn the Podcast Junkies t-shirt on Day 1 of his podcasting class. He’s also a masterful interviewer and gives us some great insights in to how make your guest shine! He shares the challenges of living with Crohn’s Disease. A really insightful gem for podcasters. 11:15 - Keith’s family history and their t-shirt biz experience 13:20 - How did Keith’s podcasting class go? 16:00 - My experience teaching a class at General Assembly 19:30 - Podcasters’ obsession with landing a sponsor 24:00 - How best to position yourself to a sponsor 27:35 - Origins of The Inadequate Life podcast 29:35 - Tips on getting the most out of your show’s name and author field 32:10 - What drove Keith to start a podcast, and his connection to Marc Maron 35:00 - How the podcast grew a relationship with Chilina Kennedy 37:50 - Keith’s performing background 45:10 - How has Keith improved as a host? 47:00 - The

Richard and Shawn are the comedic hosts of The Language of Bromance, a podcast where they laugh about things they go through, stories in the news and even getting serious discussing issues like net neutrality. Every so often their friendship turns to a bitter reality with their nerdiest creation, the draft episodes, an original take on a “Best Of” or a “Top 10” list. In this episode, you will discover the nature of why they started the podcast, why they’re continuing and how it’s actually helped them forge a fantastic friendship. 09:03 - How did Shawn & Richard come up with the name of his podcast? 10:40 - Inspired by Kevin Smith of SMODCAST to do a podcast --which turned out to be a great way to catch up with your best friend 14:40 - “Audio voyeurism” at its finest 17:45 - From horror movies to D&D to podcasting: the origin of their friendship 24:20 - How their friendships have changed over the years 27:45 - Making it a priority of pruning friendships - only if you think it’s worth it 32:00 - Importa

Gary Jenkins is the host of the true crime podcast, Gangland Wire, which recounts his stories of true organized crime true as a Kansas City Police Detective. With twenty-five years on the police force, Gary has a lot of stories to tell! His enthusiasm for learning new technologies and passion for actively participating on these platforms enable him to genuinely connect with his listeners. Gary and I dive into some stories on the police force and we discuss the origins of the podcast. 08:35 – The podcast’s focus on the west side mafia and serial killers. 11:40 – How did Gary come up with the name of his podcast? 13:25 – The AHA moment when Gary realized through podcasting he could share his crime stories in an innovative way. 17:25 – His co-host, Aaron, is an interesting guy! 21:30 – A checkered past living in Kansas City didn’t stop Gary from getting a job as a cop. 24:45 – Bringing together your neighbors, thanks to crime and Facebook. 29:20 – An incident made Gary realize he didn’t have the police “

Mike Murphy is a one man band and the host of Mike Murphy Unplugged. He is a podcast helper, tutorial maker, and each of his podcast episodes follows a very specific theme or topic. Mike has been podcasting consistently for the last three years, but who is the man behind the mic? Find out on this week’s show! 03:15 - Why did Mike decide to podcast about podcasts? 04:55 - Mike talks about his recording gear! 09:25 - When you become a podcaster, consuming podcasts starts to decrease. 14:35 - Why did Mike decide to have a theme for every single one of his episodes? 16:40 - Mike knows his topics will begin to repeat soon, and he doesn’t know how he’ll deal with it just yet. 18:45 - What kind of feedback has Mike gotten from his listeners? 20:55 - Mike sometimes isn’t sure if what he’s saying is really resonating with his audience. 23:00 - Mike talks about his love for yoga. 27:30 - Mike started small, when it came to his social media presence, but now he has increased his exposure to other platforms, be

Katie Krimitsos is the ever-so-passionate host of Biz Women Rock! Katie and I talk about our spirituality, and putting the right energy out in the world. If that’s too much woo-woo, then bear with us. We do also dive into what really drives Katie, what to do when people have these ‘should’ expectations towards you and your business, and how to not get caught up in the competition. 05:50 - Where does Katie’s drive to help others come from? 07:55 - Did Katie have a mentor while she was in corporate America? 09:45 - What does family mean to Katie? 14:00 - Katie thanks her parents for winning at parenting. 16:30 - Birthdays are such a big deal for mothers. 20:15 - These days you can find me signing emails with hearts, and giving people good vibes! 22:30 - Be who you are. You attract the best people that way! 30:20 - This convo might be getting a bit too woo-woo! 33:35 - Katie is vegan...ish. 36:45 - Has Katie noticed her podcast changing, as she grows as a person? 41:25 - There are a lot of people who

Glenn from ponies rolling in the water to educating podcasters on the powerful impact of building long-term relationships with sponsors, Glenn tells it like it is. He's adamant about why learning improv has been one of the keys to his success. Listen to why he decided the pickle wench at the Renaissance fair was going to be his wife, ideas about the next podcasting gold mine, and the Mongol Derby! 04:35 - Why Scooter is the world's most famous pony. 07:00 - Being around when iTunes got started 12:00 - Why the title sponsors re-signed up for next year's radiothon 12:35 - Where Glenn get's his drive to be first 14:00 - Why learning improv was one of the best things he's ever done 17:45 - Learning improv from Wayne Brady 18:15 - Meeting his wife at a Renaissance fair, a pickle wench 21:00 - Growing up with the Amish and black buggy Menonites 25:00 - A primer on riding styles 27:30 - Why the horse passion niche has been so successful 31:10 - What most people don't know about horses 35:20 - What is th

Rob Dionne is the host of Open Sky Fitness, a podcast with an incredibly engaged community, who are all struggling with their weight loss journey. Rob shares tips on how he was able to really, really engage his audience, and why he decided to make a shift in his interviewing style, in order to present himself as the expert. 00:10 - This show is a bit overdue, because Rob and I were suppose to have this conversation after Podcast Movement 2015. 01:50 - Rob bought his first house two years ago. 05:30 - Where did the name, ‘Podcast Junkies,’ come from? 07:05 - Who inspired Rob to start his own podcast? 13:05 - It’s not a mystery trying to get people on your show. Just be open and ask them. 15:25 - How has Rob grown as a person, since he started his podcast? 18:05 - When Rob brought his wife onto the show, his download numbers doubled. 20:55 - Rob’s lead generation has completely changed, all because he created that podcast group. 24:10 - Rob hates it when the host on Facebook Live interrupts themselves

Have you ever found a note on the ground that was maybe meant for somebody else? Davy is fascinated by the origins of these notes, and has since created a magazine, and then a podcast, on uncovering the true meaning and stories behind these forgotten notes. Find out why Davy has such a fascination towards the lost note, on this week’s podcast! 05:25 - How long has Davy been a writer? 07:55 - Are writers functioning alcoholics? 10:25 - People aren’t in podcasting to be millionaires. 11:05 - When did Davy first listen to podcasts? 18:25 - How did Davy distribute the magazine in the very early days? 20:15 - Were there any specific stories that really stood out to Davy? 25:05 - Davy asks me how I first got into podcasting. 34:40 - For the longest time, Davy was so curious as to who these people were that were writing these random stories and notes. 35:55 - As technology has evolved, you really have to be in a certain type of state to sit down and write a note. 40:45 - In the magazine, Davy and his team

Natalie Jennings is a photographer and the founder of A Face Project, which received a 2013 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant of $10,000. Natalie discusses how aspiring podcasters can tap into their local community to get funding for their creative projects, where her love for podcasting stems from, and so much more, on this week’s episode! 03:50 - Natalie and I met at Podcast Movement. 05:40 - What did Natalie think of the talk I gave at Podcast Movement? 08:35 - Why did Natalie go to Podcast Movement? 10:50 - How does a photographer end up being a podcaster? 12:40 - Why does Natalie like Humans of New York? 16:15 - How did Natalie structure the format of her show? 20:00 - How did Natalie get a grant for her work? 28:50 - Natalie discusses the magazine she recently launched, which is an excellent companion to her photography and podcast. 35:15 - Natalie always feels slightly weird promoting her stuff. 40:35 - When it comes down to production, it’s all about storytelling. 46:35 -

After connecting via the Anchor application I was excited about the opportunity to connect with Ashley. She's been podcasting straight Monday through Sunday and as of this conversation has not missed a day, 180 plus episodes and counting. After going through the ups and downs of the online marketing world, she has now found her real voice and hit her stride. She's an open book and a genuine soul. 04:20 - How Ashley and Harry met 05:40 - Why 6 figures is bullshit 07:30 - Taking the 30-day podcast challenge 10:30 - There are thought leaders and "thought leaders" 15:15 - Overnight success does not just happen 17:35 - The importance of sharing the entire journey, good and bad 20:00 - How to handle requests you can easily Google! 22:30 - Where does this out-sized personality come from? 23:30 - Why she does a daily Facebook Live 24:20 - Ashley has always been a performer 26:30 - No one is going to give you permission 28:10 - Where she gets inspiration from. 29:30 - You don't have to tell people you're

Christine Blackburn is the host of Story Worthy, a podcast about true stories from Hollywood's most interesting talents and creatives. Christine has always taken her podcast seriously, and has recorded well over 300 episodes by now. Christine believes she doesn’t have any talents, but the stories she’s able to extract out of her fascinating guests say otherwise. Get a behind-the-scenes look at Christine’s creative process, and find out more about Christine! 03:20 - When did Christine decide to take her show seriously? 04:05 - Why are stories important to Christine? 06:40 - What kind of people did Christine like to interview when she was first starting out? 09:55 - When you’re first starting out, hold off on telling people about it. Allow yourself to learn from your mistakes first. 15:10 - How does Christine keep herself organized? 16:55 - There’s a very specific person who has a passion for podcasting. 19:00 - Don’t do things half-assed. You’re just wasting your time if you do. 23:20 - Did you know y