The Communicate Influence Podcast

If you’re looking to create and launch an independent podcast of your own, or even if you’re just an animal lover, today’s episode is a must-listen! Tuning in, you’ll hear from the creator and host of The Animal Guide for Curious Humans Podcast, Maureen Armstrong, as she shares invaluable insights into what it’s like to plan, create, and launch an independent podcast show. 

Maureen is very  busy, but she still managed to fit in creation of a podcast show. A lawyer, Maureen is also York University Ombudsperson, Toronto, and Chair of the Board of Directors of world Animal Protection Canada. 

We discuss what motivated her to begin podcasting, how she approaches episode planning, and her passion for connecting with guests, as well as the value of finding technical support, tips for growing an audience, and so much more! We hope you’ll join us for this fascinating conversation with animal advocate and podcast host, Maureen Armstrong.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into her inherent passion for animals and her decision to become a lawyer.
• Learn more about World Animal Protection Canada and Maureen’s role there.
• Maureen comments on animal welfare during the crisis in Ukraine.
• Why she chose podcasting as a platform to share practical information about animal welfare.
• Finding your niche; the value of researching other podcasts in the space you’re interested in.
• What you can expect from The Animal Guide for Curious Humans Podcast.
• The story behind the name of Maureen’s podcast and tips for deciding on a unique name.
• Maureen’s advice for artwork selection and deciding on the look and feel of your brand.
• More on the goals and objectives of her podcast and her vision for the future.
• The importance of viewing audience feedback as a learning experience.
• Insight into episode planning, which Maureen believes is the most difficult part of podcasting.
• Why she says that connecting with guests is the most rewarding part of podcasting.
• Advice for budding independent podcasters: find technical support and pivot as necessary.
• Some of the podcasts that Maureen loves to listen to herself.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Maureen Armstrong on LinkedIn

Maureen Armstrong on Twitter

Maureen Armstrong on Instagram

The Animal Guide for Curious Humans Podcast

World Animal Protection Canada

‘Animal welfare during the Ukraine crisis’

Freakonomics Podcasts

Animal Law Podcast

Ten Percent Happier Podcast

Communicate Influence

This week we continue our conversation with inspiring entrepreneur Mitch Callahan, CEO of the WooCommerce web development business Saucal.

Mitch shares how he and his business partner Dominik Sauter have grown Saucal in the last ten years. 

Both men are big proponents of remote work, because it gives people freedom. For Saucal, this means they've been able to hire from around the world and access a really large talent pool. 

Of course, remote teams bring their own challenges, so Mitch discusses how to manage a team when it's spread around around the world and across time zones. 

Mitch is a huge fan of storytelling and its power in brand building. He says that everyone launching a business today must really understand what makes them unique so that they can tell their story, carve out a niche, and work towards success.

We also explore:

• The importance of focus time and how to avoid distractions in the age of information overload. 
• How Saucal acquires client and how partnerships are really adding to the success of Saucal’s inbound marketing. 
• How to counter dark days and what to do when things feel overwhelming.

Two of the many books that have influenced Mitch's life are:

1. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki

2. Good To Great : Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't, Jim Collins

Mitch on LinkedIn.

Dom on LinkedIn.

Saucal on Twitter.

The podcast show mentioned in the midroll: The Animal Guide for Curious Humans. 

Mitchell Callahan had a decent career in finance in Toronto, but turned away from it, heading west to Calgary to start a business. In a matter of months, he was seriously broke and working long days, without much of a glimmer of a break.

Living in a small two-bedroom apartment with his business partner Dominik Sauter, Mitch was driven more by curiosity, tenacity, and hope than ambition. Meanwhile, he heard plenty of stories from friends who all know someone who’d  launched a business and . . . well, it had failed. 

This was Mitch’s life in 2012. Today, he is CEO of one of the most successful web development agencies in the world, Saucal. Dom, meanwhile, is Saucal’s CFO. Saucal specializes in WooCommerce for WordPress. They’ve worked for Amazon, Facebook, Salesforce, and a diverse range of eCommerce businesses large and small. 

How to move beyond fear, doubt

In this episode, Mitch shares his story and gives actionable tips on how to:

• Maintain focus
• Counter doubt
• Embrace fear
• Deal with negativity
• Take advantage of the right opportunities
• Not feel overwhelmed when you have a lot going on
• Be curious!

Mitch explains how travel is essential for his personal growth and explores his pre-Saucal career years in Toronto. His diverse experience and journey through life have laid the foundations for the company Saucal is today. 

Back in 2012, Mitch was just finishing off a role in finance and about to begin law school when Dom, a close friend from university days, told Mitch he was launching a web development business. “Want to join me?” asked Dom. 

To Mitch, this was a no brainer. Mitch knew that should the opportunity arise to be in business with Dom, the answer would be an unequivocal yes. 

Mitch recalls dark periods of doubt. He was mired in debt, to the point of trying to pay for lunch one day, only for his debit card to be rejected. 

Says Mitch: “I'll never forget when I applied for a third personal credit card, and got rejected. I knew that was a good thing, but at the time I was not sure how I'd get more money.

“Looking back though, I made some of my BEST decisions here. I bought bitcoin and Ethereum when they were super cheap. In my lowest moments, I was making my smartest decisions.”

In the first year or so, Mitch and Dom had little to show for their doggedness. In year two, something shifted. And on a deeper level both men always knew a day would come when the grind would pay off and they’d make money, build a team, and have the lifestyles they wanted. 

Saucal’s team is spread around the world. As a fully remote company, they hire globally and so can - as Dom says - pick the best of the best. Mitch and his family have just moved from Toronto to Portugal, Dom is based in Calgary.

Mitch wasn’t raised in a business culture and it was only after working for the government and then in finance in Toronto that he yearned for the freedom, challenge, and responsibility that having his own business would bring. 

Mitch’s story is inspiring! If you don’t come from a business background and want to be in business, or have just launched a company and feel overwhelmed with challenges, this story will persuade you that it’s worthwhile and possible!

Find Mitch at Saucal and LinkedIn.

Here's the link to the podcast show I mentioned in the intro! The Animal Guide For Curious Humans.

How to create a podcast show from a weekly roundtable meeting was first published via Podmotion.co https://podmotion.co and proved a hit. So the team at Communicate Influence felt that listeners would appreciate hearing the episode. Here it is!

The episode features Rob Finlay, commercial real estate (CRE) owner, operator, and expert. Rob is a thought leader, podcaster, and CEO of Thirty Capital, a provider of services and solutions to commercial real estate firms.

Turning a weekly meeting into a podcast

Rob’s podcast, Commercial Real Estate Capital Markets Report, launched in April after he talked to a friend about a regular weekly call he has with his team of senior traders. The friend asked Rob if he could listen in to the call, and that’s when Rob realized it might be a good idea to turn the weekly roundtable discussion into a podcast show. 

Each roundtable episode discusses treasury rates, short-term rates, and everything related to debt and debt optimization for commercial real estate. Each episode helps CRE professionals determine if it is time to refinance, borrow, or what kind of action they should take to optimize or leverage their debt.

Before the podcast show launched, the weekly call took place and Rob and his team absorbed all the information shared during the roundtable, and shared it with callers if they thought it was relevant or important.

Encourage diverse discussion

Rob appreciates the diverse opinions that his analysts present in each episode. They are at a senior level, so of course they are opinionated. This discussion makes for a very animated conversation about how the capital markets could evolve in the coming, days, weeks, and months. 

Even though the meeting is now a podcast, it still has a informality about it, and listeners feel that they are right there in the meeting with Rob and his team.  They’ve been able to find the sweat spot where the informal collegial chat is absent, but it’s not super formal.

Experiment with your podcast show!

Rob encourages podcasters to learn and experiment as they go, and to not be afraid of the ever-evolving process. Feedback is crucial, as is room for growth.

He says the best thing about doing the show is the feedback and suggestions they are receiving from the listener. They are getting questions as well as feedback, and aim to answer them in the show. They questions also play a role in shaping the content of upcoming shows.

In this episode Rob also discusses:

• Figuring out how to slightly tweak the meeting format so it could be recorded
• Working with a consultant to launch a show
• How the new show has transformed Thirty Capital’s lead generation and marketing
• How much his team is enjoying being involved in the show
• Equipment used for the show
• Setting up measurable goals and expectations for a podcast show.

Find Rob on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at Thirty Capital. 

Carl and host Sheelagh Caygill conducted their podcast interview with Carl's Rumble Studio, an asynchronous recording platform that allows users to record and publish audio content at lightening speed!

Carl explains that there are various movements, such as the Open Voice Network, which is sharing and defining standards for voice tech across many industries. 

Content discovery

In the comms and marketing world, one of the most obvious examples is content and content discovery through voice search.

"More and more content is being found through voice search as users ask their smart speakers or phones for whatever they are looking for," explains Carl.

"Companies are optimizing their web content for Google Assistant and the other smart speakers so that it's surfaced as a voice search."

Content can include pages created and optimized for voice which are then synthesized by the text-to-speech engine, and then read out through a smart speaker. It can also be actual audio content that a brand creates, such as a podcast or micro-cast, which is then returned by Google. 

There are now interactive voice response systems (IDR) with natural language understanding, and also call analysis. New technology is even able to transform heavy accents so that they are more easily understandable to customers.

Smart speakers are also being used by marketers for branding campaigns. Carl cites the example of Skilled Creative in the US, which is working with Meredith Corporation to produce custom voice tech apps for branding campaigns. 

Proceed with caution

Carl says that agencies wanting to get into voice tech should do a lot of research first, because developing voice tech is not like building a website. Consider working with an agency, or if you want to train your staff, look to an organization such as the Conversation Design Institute, for which Carl has a discount link on his Voice Tech podcast website: Conversation Design Institute.

You can also use free tools like Voice Flow, but don't under-estimate the amount of work voice tech creation can take, because it's a complex and time-consuming.

Carl says that a minimum, comms and marketing pros should educate themselves about voice tech, and that means reading, listening to podcasts, and asking questions. Use the hashtag #voicefirst on Twitter for questions and conversations. 

Voice tech isn't a flash in the pan and it isn't going away. It's going to change the way we interact with all the devices around us. It behooves you to know what's coming up.

You can find Carl on Twitter and LinkedIn, and be sure to listen to his Voice Tech podcast!

Eli Schwartz is an SEO expert and the author of the new book, Product-Led SEO. Eli has more than a decade of experience driving successful SEO and growth programs for leading B2B and B2C companies. 

He helps clients like WordPress, Shutterstock, BlueNile, Quora, Getaround, Mixpanel, and Zendesk build and execute Global SEO strategies that dramatically increase their organic visibility at scale.

In this interview with Communicate Influence, we discuss SEO from a content writer's perspective, as well as some of the important questions around SEO.

Eli wrote his book to create a conversation around SEO for for executives and leaders on how to understand SEO, how to fund SEO, how to plan for SEO and how to strategize SEO. It's also for the SEO managers and the content managers in terms of how to think about SEO from a strategic and holistic standpoint, rather than just from a tactical standpoint.

Eli addresses of issue of high expectations with SEO and also it's lack of business visibility.

"The problem—and something I've been hoping to address with my — book, is that SEO doesn't have enough business visibility. 

"They're focused sometimes on these myopic metrics around here's my ranking or here's the traffic I've gotten, instead of this perspective of I'm here operating a channel to grow more business or to grow more revenue in total for this business."

The question businesses need to answer when it comes to SEO is: What can I do to help grow business, rather than what can I do immediately to create just traffic on this page. 

"It's important to have that perspective and do your best within that environment," explains Eli, encouraging SEO professionals to be a part of the holistic view in the holistic strategy of the entire business, rather than just this is what I'm going to do that's good for SEO, and that's it.

What is product-led SEO? 

To understand product-led SEO, you really need to understand what product-led SEO is not, says Eli.

"Product-led SEO is not content-led SEO," says Eli. "The way most people are going to do SEO is they're going to look at their core business product, and core business, and go to a keyword search tool to discover what the keyword is that they should put around for their core product offering. The next step most businesses take is to write some content that will be their SEO."

However, for Eli, product-led SEO is much more holistic than content-based SEO. With product-led SEO, a business creates a product—or an asset—for the search users. And when you're creating that asset for the search user, it's not just a blog post that you intend to rank on one keyword.

Eli explains that product-led SEO involves the creation of an online product or asset that a business uses to rank according to the needs of prospective clients or audience. 

"I'm now thinking of who is the user, because when you create products, you want to think about who the user is, and the roadmap to launch that product."

Examples of products include directories with content, or proprietary content. For some organizations such as consultancies, key issues that require questions and answers can serve as the product around which to build SEO. 

The next questions to ask are what resources are required to launch the product. "It's no longer just needing content because that is SEO. It's: 'Will I need a designer? An engineer to help launch that product? A content writer to write the right amount of content for that. Maybe I need some digital and visual assets'."

Full show notes at Communicateinfluence.com https://communicateinfluence.com/

Colleen Stewart, author of The Story Compass: Navigating Through Uncertainty In Your Business, says that when we're at work we don't understand the power of story. "On a conscious level we don't talk about it that way. And so we don't always go to it automatically."

Colleen says that in almost any setting just presenting a list of features in bullet-point form isn't going to persuade, convince, or be memorable. 

"It's not captivating, it's not easily remembered, and it doesn't immediately communicate meaning."

To use the power of story we need to first of all "Talk about it, pull it out, open it up, and look at it for what it is and really understand how stories work. And then we can do it with more intention in business."

Businesses have moved away from storytelling but are recognizing that they need to get back to storytelling, and Colleen thinks it's almost become a bit of a buzzword. 

"There is a gap in our knowledge now of what a story actually is. So it's fine to say, as a business, okay, we have to tell a story, we have to make an emotional connection, we're going to communicate in a way that is relatable, we're going to communicate in a way that creates mental pictures. 

"Wonderful, but how do you do that? And that's the answer that I think is often missing, with a lot of services and, and consulting programs and efforts by marketing teams is that they don't actually know how to do it. And that's not a criticism. It's just, I think it's the reality.

Interpret what you know to give value to clients

The mistake many consultants make in a first meeting or presentation is simply sharing all the knowledge they have. 

Colleen Stewart

Four types of stories: Vision, Knowledge, Value, and Journey

When Colleen began working with clients on storytelling for their businesses, they'd say this is great, but that they didn't have any stories to tell. That was the seed that planted the idea for the book.

She has identified four story types that every business can share: Vision stories, knowledge stories, value stories, and journey stories. 

"We come back out of there and to a point where we're transformed, we know something new, maybe we have a new offering as a business that we can then share with the world. "

Find Colleen on Linkedin. Her business is Perfect Pitch, based near Toronto, Canada. Be sure to read The Story Compass: Navigating Through Uncertainty In Your Business.

Alain Hunkins is a leadership expert who sits at the intersection of the science and the art of leadership.

He has a deep understanding of the psychology of leadership, and his new book, Cracking The Leadership Code, reveals the in valuable principles and practices that Alain has developed and refined during the 20+ years he's worked with leaders.

In this episode, you will discover Alain's gift for translating complex concepts from psychology, neuroscience, and organizational behavior into simple, practical tools that can be applied on the job.

Alain's definition of leadership is anytime any of us are trying to influence anyone to get something done. "That is leadership. And if you think about it, we're all leading ourselves every day. If the cornerstone of good leadership is connection, the first person that I need to connect with is myself."

Leadership today is in pretty poor shape. In fact, says Alain, only 23 percent of leaders are effective.

Problems Inherent In Hierarchy and Power

Says Alain: "If you look at the nature of hierarchical organizations, which most of us work in . . . it is a hierarchy for most of us. There's someone you report to. One of the challenges of hierarchy is that when people get into positions of power, power is an intoxicant.

"So, when people are in these positions of power, they're not likely to say: 'I'm in this leadership role. What my job is to do is to unlock the potential in others. And the best way to do that is to ask the people I lead - and this is a servant leadership mindset they would be having - is to ask them, What can I be doing better to serve you?'.

The key, says Alain, is that we learn to take feedback, and then we apply it. "But to take feedback, we have to be willing to be much more malleable with our egos. And for many of us, that's just that's too scary."

Seek feedback

Alain sees the solution in managers learning to stop taking feedback so personally, or as an afront to their value as a human being.

Alain says the keys are in leaders seeking feedback, coaching, and developing self-awareness.  One of my colleagues, Tasha Eurich, has this wonderful book called Insight. And she says only about 12 to 14% of the population has any real degree of self-awareness. So do things that will bump up your level of awareness so that you can be much more effective!"

Alain has worked with tens of thousands of leaders in over 25 countries, and served clients in all industries, including 42 Fortune 100 companies. He delivers dynamic keynotes, seminars, and workshops covering a variety of leadership topics including communication, teambuilding, conflict management, peak performance, motivation, and change.

Author of more than 400 articles, and been published in Fast Company, Forbes, Business Insider, Chief Executive, Chief Learning Officer, The Association for Talent Development, CEO Refresher, and the American Management Association.

With his Master’s in Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Professional Theater Training Program, and a BA from Amherst College, Alain also serves on the faculty of Duke Corporate Education, ranked #2 worldwide in 2019 by Financial Times on its list of customized Executive Education programs. Alain has  lectured at UNC Kenan-Flagler’s business school and Columbia University.

Discover Alain on LinkedIn or at AlainHunkins, where you can also read about his 30-day Leadership Challenge.

Sponsored by Podthreads.com - threads for podcast lovers!

Many entrepreneurs write a book to grow their business and develop influence.

When it comes to writing and publishing, a number of options exist for ghostwriting, author coaching, publishing, or self-publishing. But none offer the unique services delivered by PublishedAuthor.com.

Josh Steimle, entrepreneur and author, founded Published Author to deliver the crucial missing components - thought leadership and influence. 

"Through my experience and talking to author-entrepreneurs, I know that a book is the best tool to help entrepreneurs educate their team on their philosophy and the culture they want to create," explains Josh. "With a book at the centre of a thought leadership system, entrepreneurs will attract attention, build authority, and grow their business.

"A book is something every entrepreneur needs because of the authority and credibility it brings."

Josh is a speaker and coach. He used his book, Chief Marketing Officers At Work, and thought leadership to generate over $10M for his digital marketing agency, MWI. He's written three books and more than 300 articles in publications like Fortune, Time, Forbes, Fast Company, and Mashable.

He says he's not just helping entrepreneurs write a book, "We're helping them to set up a thought leadership system. It might be that they also want to do public speaking, launch a course, or a membership group. Or they may want PR, or to launch their own podcast.

Published Author works with entrepreneurs in different ways, depending on budget, time commitments, skill set, and interests.

"With every Published Author client, the first question is: Do you want to do this yourself? Or do you want somebody to do it for you? Client's can write a book themselves, or they can hire a ghostwriter to write that book for them," says Josh.

"A lot of the bestselling books out there are not written exactly by the author, but are the author's idea. The ghostwriter sits down with the author and interviews them, gathers the entrepreneur's knowledge and expertise, and turns it into a book. "

Masterclass, Mastermind, or Done-For-You

For entrepreneurs wanting to write their own book, Published Author offers a masterclass in which they get group coaching, information, the Published Author workbook, and any help and support they need.

The next level is Published Author's mastermind group. "Mastermind is a smaller group of eight to 10 entrepreneurs," explains Josh. "We meet weekly, help each other out, answer each other's questions. They get one-on-one coaching,  and a lot more attention. They also get other services as part of that mastermind."

The highest level is the Published Author full service, for entrepreneurs who want Published Author to managed every aspect of their book's creation. Obviously, the book contains the entrepreneur's ideas.

 With the full service, Josh manages the whole process, including hiring the right ghostwriter, sourcing a publishing company, along with any other experts for the entrepreneur's needs. These could include book publicists, podcast producers, or PR and marketing pros.

"At this level, we're providing many services to help them entrepreneurs get what they need to, getting them out there as a successful author with a successful book launch."

Links: PublishedAuthor.com, JoshSteimle.com

Curtis regularly posts helpful videos on Instagram, and you can find him online at https://www.instagram.com/curtisvova/

Podthreads.com!

Podthreads is happy to sponsor the Communicate Influence Podcast. Podthreads is a new clothing brand for podcast listeners and creators. Show your appreciation for podcasts and their creators by wearing one of Podthreads' exclusive designs! Find Podthreads at podthreads.com

This episode is sponsored by Podthreads - a new online clothing store for podcast fans!

When regular host Sheelagh Caygill was in England last year, Karen Unland and Mack Male - both seasoned podcasters - kindly produced an episode for Communicate Influence listeners. 

Karen and Mack are the the co-founders of Taproot Publishing, an Edmonton-based media company whose mission is to help communities understand themselves better. Karen was a newspaper journalist; Mack was a software developer and blogger; they combined their talents and experience in 2016 to try to solve the problem of shrinking local media.

In this episode, you’ll hear them outline the challenges facing local journalism, why a strong local media ecosystem is important, and what they’re trying to do about it. 

Here are some resources to add context to their conversation:

• What Killed The Newspaper? Google Or Facebook? Or…?
• Mind the Gaps: Quantifying the Decline of News Coverage in Canada
• Here’s how some for-profit local news outlets are building subscriptions
• The media consumer’s dilemma
• Business idea earns Taproot a LION Award nomination
• Mack launched a podcast hosting service in 2006!
• Karen started the Alberta Podcast Network in 2017
• Taproot’s current podcasts: Speaking Municipally and Taproot Edmonton Presents: Igniting Innovation

How to support your local media startup and the ecosystem that nurtures it:

• Share your stuff: Put the indies on your news release list and keep them in mind for story pitches.
• Spread the word: Share what they publish and recommend them to others.
• Join or subscribe: If the outlet sells memberships or subscriptions, invest a little.
• Buy their services: If the outlet sells ads, sponsorships or other services, invest a little more.

Wherever you are in the world, if you are interested in Spotlight or Taproot Publishing’s other B2B information services, contact hello@taprootpublishing.ca. 

If you are in Edmonton, see what Taproot Edmonton has to offer. You may be particularly interested in the Media Roundup.

In last week's episode, Kim Scaravelli discussed managing Twitter in 30 minutes a day. 

This week, Kim, founder of Trust Communications, looks at how to select the right social media platform for your business. That's right, you don't have to have a presence on every platform, only the ones that will perform for your organization.

Kim says the first thing that you should do is consider social media as another part of your marketing, which is part of your business plan, which is part of your strategy for growth. 

So before you jump into all of these different platforms, ensure you really should have a solid strategy in place. And your strategy should include things like really knowing who your ideal audience is, because that's going to tell you where those folks are on social media. 

An example would be if you are a B2B brand, and you are selling specifically to people who are managers, HR people, or C-suite executives, then LinkedIn is a really important place for you to have a presence.

If on the other hand, you are selling, say, beauty products, primarily to millennials, and you're selling them directly online. Why are you on LinkedIn? Instead, you need to be on Instagram.

In this episode, Kim discusses: 

• Thinking strategically about your social media plan
• Understanding your audience
• Assessing the skillset in your organization to see if you need outside resources to help manage social media
• Determining what kind of content you'll produce
• Building authority in your niche
• Assessing your results.

Kim discusses a lot more in this episode, and provides examples of use on social media platforms, and why social media should be fun!

Find Kim at TrustCommuncations.ca

Kim also covers other points about doing impactful shoutouts, and be sure to interact with those who have interacted with you.

Says Kim: "At the end of the day, it's social media, it's not torture media. If this is the most stressful part of your day, you spend, you know, two hours a day doing social media and six hours a day complaining about it, stop!

"Once you actually get that hang of it, and you're actually talking to people, you're having conversations with people, then it's fun," she explains. "It's just like a coffee date. Or it's just like saying 'Hi' to somebody in the bank lineup. Relaxing is one of the keys to success on any kind of social media."

You can find Kim on Twitter at twitter.com/KimScaravelli, and at Trust Communications.

This episode is sponsored by the Published Author Podcast. If you're an entrepreneur who wants to publish a nonfiction book to grow your business, then this is the podcast you've been waiting for. The Published Author Podcast will help you become an author and show you how to build a thought leadership system around your book. With this, you can grow your business land speaking gigs, grow your tribe, and lots more. Go to Published Author for more details!

Be sure to check out James' newsletter/podcast Podnews, and his new podcast show Podland.news , hosted by James and Sam Sethi.

The Future is Spoken isn't just the name of a new podcast, it's a phrase that illuminates the fact that voice will dominate marketing and PR in coming months and years.

Voice technology is now ubiquitous. We speak to our voice assistants at home, to our smartphones, and to our vehicles. Some people talk to lighting and temperature control systems in their homes.

Voice technology is the next big thing, and organizations that are early adopters are using the technology to create new opportunities for customer service.

Shyamala Prayaga is a globally recognized voice technology pro and founder of the Digital Assistant Academy. The Academy was launched this month and is offering its first course, Voice Interaction Design.

The course will qualify people to work with businesses and organizations as a voice designer. They will help create an organization's unique voice, with a human touch.

In the Communicate Influence's latest podcast episode, Shyamala explores the rise of voice, what it means for the marketing and PR industries, and what makes the Digital Assistant Academy unique. She also discusses her new podcast - The Future is Spoken!

Listen here, and be sure to share this episode with interested colleagues and friends! (SC include link)

Nick moved from being a journalist at the BBC into communications. He held various roles before launching his own agency, A House Called Alice, based in London, UK. Nick delivers executive coaching, training, and corporate journalism for several high-profile global clients.

You can find Nick on LinkedIn.

This episode is sponsored by the Digital Assistant Academy - Setting the Standard in Voice Technology Learning

Every year across the world, hundreds of journalists move from the newsroom or the classroom into the world of PR, communications, or marketing.

The good ones possess great storytelling skills, and know how to get information out of people.

However, communications and marketing are very different worlds form journalism, and journalists must develop a whole new set of traits to succeed in these industries. For example, patience, diplomacy, likability, and teamwork are highly valued in comms and marketing.

If you're a journalist thinking about making the move, Nick Meir has a lot of guidance and pointers for you in this episode.

He also discusses current issues in communications, working with the c-suite, and employee engagement.

Nick moved from being a journalist at the BBC into communications. He held various roles before launching his own agency, A House Called Alice, based in London, UK. Nick delivers executive coaching, training, and corporate journalism for several high-profile global clients.

You can find Nick on LinkedIn.

Influencer marketing is fast replacing many marketing tactics. It's such a flexible option that can be used on many levels. Small and large agencies can employ it, as can businesses and individuals.

In fact, the chances are that you've already used influencer marketing and don't realize it. For example, having a contact share your content with their Twitter following of thousands, or receiving a LinkedIn recommendation from someone with a greater profile than yours, are both forms of influencer marketing; in effect, you're using someone's influence to lift your profile.

Neal Schaffer explores the depth and breadth of influencer marketing in his new book, The Age of Influence. Neal is a social media marketer, corporate trainer, educator, keynote speaker, and author of three other books.

The Communicate Influence Podcast show connected with Neal last week to discuss his impressive new book. 

This is a meaty episode, running for 52 minutes. But not a word is wasted! Neal discusses so much of value in this episode, including:

• The role of social media in influencer marketing
• The power of word of mouth
• Employees as influencers
• Email marketing
• Influencer marketing and SEO
• Why influencer marketing works

Connect with Neal at nealschaffer.com or on LinkedIn. 

Podcasting is significantly changing journalism, which has been affected a great deal by lack of investment and a declining audience in recent years.

In this episode we speak with Toronto podcast producer and journalist Kathleen Goldhar on the impact podcasting continues to have on journalism

"I don't think you can do anything without a podcast anymore," Kathleen observes. "Every news organization has one, CBC has one . . . whether it's an original podcast where they do a lot of an amazing work or all the shows are sent out on a podcasting format.

"So podcasting is as much a part of journalism has print, as digital storytelling, and as TV news is like, there's just no separating it now."

She adds that a lot of people don't read a lot online, and so this makes podcasting an essential part of journalism.

Kathleen says that there is no one thing that makes a journalistic podcast stand out.

But the intimacy that a podcast allows for between host and listener is a key aspect of a good podcast.

"What podcasting and what audio does is it just goes straight into your brain because it's so intimate. So it's a chance to hear the people, it's a chance to hear them interact with the journalists a lot of times, which is really nice."

Kathleen says that it's essential to pay attention to your audience and think their information needs.

"Most people are listening to podcasts while they are doing something else. If you make me stop and ask who's that character? or What did he do again, or Who's this person, then you've lost me. And if that happens too many times, I'm going to turn off the podcast.

"So, as complicated as podcast stories can be, and nuanced and smart, they also have to be quite straightforward and simple. We're not reading, so we can't go back. We're not having the extra advantage of a visual reminder like you do in television," Kathleen explains. "I'm not going to make notes while I'm listening to a podcast. So I need the story itself to unfold in a very practical and a very simple way."

She adds that this doesn't mean that a podcast has to be dumbed-down. Instead, podcasters have to really think about the listener and how prepared they are to be joining you on the story.

"This is a big part of the quality for me, that's when I know that it's produced well . . . when I never have that problem (of losing the thread of the story), and the podcaster is always helping me if I do need to go back in my mind to a character that was introduced a few episodes ago," she adds.

Kathleen recommends that if you want to be a podcaster or podcast producer, the best thing you can do is listen to as many podcasts as possible.

"You should listen to a lot. I think there's a lot of people who don't listen to podcasts and then say they want to make a podcast," she notes. "And then when you're listening, spend some time thinking to yourself, why did that work for me? Why didn't it work for me? What are the pleat places that I can find inspiration? What do I want to stay away from? Is that kind of thing?"

You can find Kathleen on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

"If they're excited, we become excited. Like we really do! We really do put ourselves in the place of that customer.

"And, you know, one of our favorite brands is Disney. We love to go to the parks. It's just, I get to be a kid again.

"You can tell that they've built their entire brand around empathy, that they understand when someone, you know, Well, just every part of it from the moment you call in to the way that they, um, you know, they just explain everything so carefully."

Jack Fussell is a brand strategist with Campfire Social. Find him on Linkedin. Listen to his podcast, Onward Creatives. 

Many podcast transcripts are uploaded to podcast websites with the belief that they benefit search engine optimization.

But is this true? Carl Robinson, founder of Rumble.Studio and host of the Voice Tech podcast, has used and then removed transcripts, and saw no difference in traffic figures. I had a similar experience.

The issue could come down to the quality of transcriptions generated by platforms such as Otter and Descript. They need improvement - a human has to remove errors while adding speaker names, subheads, and pull-out quotes.

Paying someone to do the work adds a cost for independent podcasters, who often podcast without a budget.

However, there is a reason to add transcripts or closed captions to episodes - for the hard of hearing. A recent class action lawsuit against Gimlet Media has brought this issue back into focus.

In the complaint, filed last week in New York, plaintiff Kahlimah Jones argues that Gimlet violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide closed captioning on various podcasts.

In this episode we explore the use of transcripts, and whether every podcaster should include them with their episodes.

Carl Robinson's Voice Tech Podcast is here: https://voicetechpodcast.com/. And you can find him on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

He takes listeners through all the essentials, including SEO, advertising, Google Tools, paid-for options, and social media. This is the second and final part of our series on e-commerce platforms and marketing. You can find episode one with Kevin McCall here.

How to market your e-commerce store

Key takeaways from this episode include:

• Research your niche and what's happening in your industry before beginning any marketing. Use available analytical tools to help with this task
• Track all referral traffic, including traffic from social media and or affiliates
• Use tools to identify competitor traffic
• Really good content is essential. Hire a writer if you don't a stellar writer in-house. Web content is your online salesperson!
• Use your blog to create targeted content marketing, although this can take time to boost SEO
• If your website is new and you need leads set a budget for online advertising.

Show notes:

You can find Fernando on LinkedIn. Here's his recommended reading for this episode:

Large study about Featured Snippets
https://www.semrush.com/blog/large-scale-study-how-to-rank-for-featured-snippets-in-2018/

E-commerce Study free Ebook
https://www.semrush.com/ebooks/ecommercetrends/

Listen to part one with Kevin McCall on selecting e-commerce platforms.

This episode is sponsored by Podmotion.co, a new podcast creation and promotion agency launching soon! Go to Podmotion.co for more details!

Kevin also talks about how to present your goods online, along with returns, exchanges, and the overall customer journey. Does your selected solution work with your ecommerce stratecy?

Finally, when your ecommerce store is up and running, how will you advertise it? Kevin gives a brief overview of this. He also looks at how to select a developer for your ecommerce project.

This episode is sponsored by Podmotion.co, a new podcast creation and promotion agency launching soon! Go to Podmotion.co for more details!

In a few weeks I'll have a full human, interview with the CEO himself - Carl Robinson of Rumble Studio.

You can connect with Carl on LinkedIn.

Podmotion.co - episode sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Podmotion.co, a new podcast creation and promotion agency launching soon! Go to Podmotion.co for more details!

You can find Linda Andross and Ken Evans at APEX Public Relations.

This episode is brought to you by Podmotion.co - a new podcast creation and marketing agency base in Toronto. Visit Podmotion.co for more details.

Like what you read and hear? Consider supporting our podcast development at buymeacoffee.com. Thanks to our latest supporters, Cleidi Hearn from Ireland, Aaron Sherle from Arizona, U.S. 

We all face procrastination at some point in our lives. That conscious and perhaps deliberate process employed to bring about failure - according to psychologists.

Procrastination is employed for various reasons - we don't like the task at hand, there's something better on offer, or we're not sure how to proceed.

Some people say they procrastinate because they're tired - although other's aren't convinced that's a case of procrastination. More just a case that someone needs a break or even a good night's sleep.

In this episode, we change formats and have a discussion rather than an interview. Host Sheelagh Caygill and screenwriter Daanish Ahamed discuss why they procrastinate and methods they've used to successfully end this behaviour.

Daanish details a special method he has developed to break cycles of procrastination. Briefly, it is using a friend to offer a reward if the task is completed on deadline. The reward is unrelated to the task and therefore diverts attention from all the distractions and excuses the procrastinator creates, and makes it easier to focus on what needs to be done.

If the procrastinator fails to meet their deadline, they must provide a reward to their motivating friend.

Daanish is offering to put this method into practive with five listeners. Find out what Daanish's offer is and how to take advantage of it in this episode!

You can find Daanish Ahamed at LinkedIn and on Twitter.

If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us grow and reach more people, consider a tiny bit of support via Buymeacoffee.com

A lot of CEOs regarded social media as a waste of time, assuming it was frivolous, where they would tweet about what they had for breakfast that morning. But the power of social through the Trump case study really galvanized people to go out there and give it a try.

Go to Communicate Influence to read the full article with this podcast.

Fine Bob Pickard on LinkedIn and Twitter.

"People drive by and if they can't see dentist, they aren't going to know there's a dentist there. The same thing goes for online. 

Continuing reading the rest of this article at

You can find Paul at Paul Davis Solutions and here on LinkedIn.

Like what you read and hear? Consider supporting our podcast development at buymeacoffee.com. Thanks to our latest supporters, Cleidi Hearn from Ireland, Aaron Sherle from Arizona, U.S. 

There are some secrets to writing great email newsletters. Well, they're not secrets anymore. Even so, more newsletter writers could take note of them and then we'd have way better newsletters to read!

Tyler McCune, a copywriter who specializes in email newsletter writing, is this week's guest. Tyler has studied email newsletter writing closely, and follows all the masters, such as Marcella Allison, Matt Furey, and Ben Settle. Tyler shares email newsletter tactics to massively improve engagement and open rates.

Successful email newsletter writers focus on developing a relationship with a reader, and recognize that a newsletter is actually a very intimate medium . . . similar to the way people wrote to penpals years ago, explains Tyler.

"If you think about it that way, like you're just writing to your pen pal, and you're trying to entertain them and say, 'Hey, maybe you want to buy this thing'. You'll you'll stand out in the inbox over everyone else who's just pitching," says Tyler.

A big part of the art of newsletter email writing is combining the entertainment and the valuable information in with a sales pitch.

"This is like copywriting 101. It actually comes from the world of direct mail, which most people call junk mail. And you've probably gotten this where it looks like a magazine and you flip it open and on page three, they're trying to sell you. And if you read those, I mean it's really amazing because they'll just have pieces of information there that doesn't have anything to do with buying the product, but they're just trying to demonstrate that they're knowledgeable and that they're going to give you valuable information."

If you've succeeded at copywriting 101, the next step is knowing your your audience, what they desire, how the action you want them to take ties into that desire, and then making the link very clear for them.

Go to Communicate Influence for a special offer from Tyler McCune, the full show notes, and extensive resources.

Find Tyler McCune online: Copy By McCune, LinkedIn.

Continue reading the full intro to this episode here. 

Resources:

Dena's TED Talk: 90 % Of Yoga is Off The Mat.
Dena's meditation talk on Youtube.
Dena's podcast: The Ego Podcast

Meditation apps: Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer

Books recommended by Dena:
The Yogi Code - Yogi Cameron
The Power of Now - Eckart Tolle
Practicing the Power of Now – Eckart Tolle
10 Secrets of Success - Wayne Dyer
Recovery – Russell Brand
The Shadow Effect - Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford, Marianne Williamson
The Universe has Your Back - Gabrielle berstein
Super Attractor – Gabrielle Bernstein 

Books recommended by Sheelagh:
The Art of Meditation - Matthieu Ricard
Meditation for Beginners - Jack Kornfield
Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation - Sharon Salzberg
Meditation is Not What You Think - Jon Kabat-Zinn
Real Happiness At Work: Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace - Sharon Salzberg
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction To The Practice of Meditation - Thich Nhat Hanh
When Things Fall Apart - Pema Chodron

Like what you read and hear? Consider supporting our podcast development at buymeacoffee.com. Thanks to our latest supporter, Aaron Sherle, and to my supporters on Patreon.

“If it is truly happening, then that’s when the story becomes propagated and everybody remembers and retells the story.”

Find Ben Baker at Your Brand Marketing or Linkedin.

"I created a blog and shared stories and the audience grew. With that, I was able to build a personal brand and make a transition into the freelance industry," he explains. "It's a really good way to source inbound work for myself. And I'm always learning, which is something I love doing." 

Digital marketing requires you to be data savvy, and there is some overlap with data sciences. You also have to understand how to visualize and think about storytelling, and how how you can alleviate bottlenecks. 

Why you should be on TikTok

Lacklan is loving TikTok at the moment. "Brands until now have relied on Facebook and Instagram predominantly," he explains. But Facebook is now a paying platform, and organic reach is really limited. With Facebook ads, a lot of companies are trying to leverage them, so they are becoming more expensive."

The beauty of TikTok is that the content is so raw and authentic; it's a really impressive opportunity to build an organic presence on that platform. Initially not a lot of brands were using the platform, but we are starting to see more and more brands using it.

I think TikTok is really only In its infancy and I think that has a lot more to come from Tik Tok in terms of how brands can utilize the platform.

Can established brands or older people use TikTok?

The Social Media Examiner noted someone in a keynote share that over 60 per cent of TikTok's audience in the US is over 40. 

You can fine Lachlan Kirkwood at clickthrough.marketing or on LinkedIn.

If you enjoy our podcast show, consider buying us a coffee at Buymeacoffee.com. Thank you!

Vurbl - episode and show notes sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Vurbl. Vurbl is launching new technology for audio creators like me, so our message is broadcast loud and clear. Join the beta at Vurbl.com

Tech management consultant

Do you need a technology management consultant? Kevin McCall has extensive hands-on and leadership experience across diverse industries and organizations. Kevin can be reached at Kef.ca. He's also one of this week's episode sponsors. 

Like what you read and hear? Consider supporting our podcast development at buymeacoffee.com. Thanks to our latest supporter, Aaron Sherle, and to my supporters on Patreon.

It's time for something much lighter during these challenging days. This week, This Communicate Influence Podcast episode has nothing to do with communications or marketing. Instead, we release our blooper episode!

You'll get to hear how Sheelagh's co-host interrupted interviews with Josh Stimelie, Bob Pickard, and Fiona Fenwick. And you'll also get a look into the challenges some independent podcasters face when they have a full-time job and various other projects on the go.

Enjoy this episode, and if you have your own bloopers, be sure to share them with us!

Thanks to Liam Morrison for narrating this episode.

This episode is brought to you by Vurbl. Vurbl is launching new technology for audio creators like me, so our message is broadcast loud and clear. Join the beta at Vurbl.com

If you enjoy our podcast show, consider buying us a coffee at Buymeacoffee.com. Thank you!

This week's episode is a must-listen for leadership and corporate communications staff working with leaders.

Bob Pickard, a globally recogized PR consultant, discusses the importance of leaders tuning into the emotion of stakeholders, especially during a crisis, and they must lead and communicate in response to those emotions.

You can't lead without strong communication skills

"The emotion of the moment has become far more important than the logic, or the word of text," explains Bob.

"If you were to ask me 'What is the one thing I would say about trends in leadership communication that everybody should remember?' it would be this: State of the art in corporate communications is having your leader take the organization forward with communication that’s authentic, empathetic, and convincing, striking the right real-time emotional cord.

"I recommend to my clients who are leaders that they begin almost anything they say with an acknowledgement of some sort of shortcoming, or some problem they are trying to overcome, and that immediately not only commands the attention of the audience, it establishes the credibility of the leader tackling a tough one authentically."

The emotion of the moment is fear

Based in Toronto, Bob recently commissioned Signal to research the use of the terms communication, leadership, and crisis. Those three words, as well as the word "fear” appeared together in more than 30,000 articles in March. That number had more than tripled compared to the previous three months.

"The global level of fear had gone through the roof," notes Bob. "And leadership and communication were intimately connected. This fear was driving a need for leadership that offers clear and open communication.

"People feel fear about job loss, loss of home, or loss of family, or loss of a loved one. This is evidence of increased salience of the whole concept of leadership communication. That’s what people want at a moment of crisis. Leadership is synonymous with communication.

Understanding the strategic value of PR

A CEO has to understand the power of PR and the strategic value of corporate communications as a strategic asset . . .Today, leadership and communications are almost seen as synonymous. You can't be a good leader unless you're a fluid and convincing communicator.

Speaking about the 2020 pandemic, Bob says the focus for leaders must be on the emotion of fear that many are feeling. "Leaders need to respond well to this and give a sense of direction.

"This is evidence of increased salience of the whole concept of leadership communication. That’s what people want at a moment of crisis. Leadership is synonymous with communication.

Prepare for the next crisis

Bob strongly advises leaders and communicators to prepare for next crisis. "After COVID-19 it is no longer optional to tune in to the wavelength of public sentiment at that moment. The communicator advising should provide the right guidance about how to communicate as a real-time leader, and to constantly be aware of where public sentiment is at. Leaders must calibrate and adjust tonality accordingly.

Find Bob Pickard on LinkedIn and at Bobpickard.com

Vurbl - episode and show notes sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Vurbl. Vurbl is launching new technology for audio creators like me, so our message is broadcast loud and clear. Join the beta at Vurbl.com

If you're any kind of creative professional, this episode is for you. I interview Helen Campbell, a coach for creatives based in Wales.

Helen works with creative professionals across all fields, such as writing, marketing, public relations, film, video, artists and more.

Most of Helen's clients are freelance and she has observed a number of changes or new behaviours in her clients since the pandemic outbreak. In this episodes she presents solutions to the way creatives may be thinking or behaving.

She notes that instead of hanging back and asking themselves if they should be contacting clients, her clients should be reaching out to find out what their clients need. Most of them are communicators, and communication skills are important at the moment, Helen notes.

She encourages freelancers to do a skills audit and find out what neglected skills they have and how they can use them during this crisis.

Other clients are asking if they should be charging for their work right now. And of course if freelancers have to support themselves or their families then yes, they should be charging for work.

Meanwhile, a lot of freelance creatives have fallen into the trap of comparing themselves to others - which is never good in any kind of situation. Helen encourages people to let go of this and tune into themselves rather than looking at or following others. Instead, identify one or two people who inspire us, and simply look at what they do and be inspired.

In summary, Helen's for key pieces of advice for creatives are:

1. Tune in and listen to yourself
2. Do a skills audit and identify forgotten skills
3. Reach out to your clients and ask what they need
4. Don't compare yourself to others

You can find Helen Campbell at https://www.coachingbyhelen.com and on LinkedIn.

If you enjoy the podcast, please let your friends know and consider supporting our fundraising efforts at Buy me a Coffee. Thank you!

Some small and medium-sized businesses may struggle to maintain basic business processes during the pandemic.

If employees have never worked remotely before, a business won't have given any consideration to setting up platforms for file management, business processes, customer service, payroll, or even email. This situation can seriously impair a business and place its future in jeopardy.

Keven McCall is an entrepreneur and technology management consultant based in Toronto. He has decade of consulting and leadership experience across a diverse range of organizations and advises many business owners on how to maintain efficiency, even in adverse conditions.

Join me as I talk to Kevin about how smaller agencies and business can manage all aspects of their business remotely. His own start-up was set up and run completely remotely and he has deep experience in remote working and the remote culture.

In this episode he recommends approaches and platforms that will benefit many small businesses and solopreneurs. He discusses cloud solutions, meeting solutions, collaborative tools, chat-service solutions, and more.

You can find Kevin at Kef.ca and on LinkedIn.

Platforms mentioned in this episode:

Airtable, Xero, G-Suit, Intercom, Microsoft Teams

Episode sponsors:

Do you need a technology management consultant? Kevin McCall has extensive hands-on and leadership experience across diverse industries and organizations. Kevin can be reached at Kef.ca. He's also this week's episode sponsor. Thanks, Kevin!

Like what you read and hear? Consider supporting our podcast development at buymeacoffee.com. Thanks to also to my supporters on Patreon.

There's a switch happening here at the Communicate Influence podcast.

For the next few weeks we're producing some super short episodes designed to give immediate support  communicators, marketers, and writers so they can better manage their work and time during Covid-19. Times are tough, so we hope these episodes will help.

The first episode interview with Lachlan Kirkwood, a digital marketing strategist based in Brisbane, Australia.

Lachlan addresses best practices for social media messaging during Covid-19. He gives three tips on how you can message during the crisis. This episode can help refocus your social media activity in the coming weeks, and reconsider some of your messaging and business activities.

You can reach Lachlan at clickthrough.marketing or via LinkedIn.
__

Do you need a technology management consultant? Kevin McCall has extensive hands-on and leadership experience across diverse industries and organizations. Kevin can be reached at Kef.ca. He's also this week's episode sponsor. Thanks, Kevin!
_

Like what you read and hear? Consider supporting our podcast development at buymeacoffee.com. Thanks to our latest supporter, Aaron Sherle.

Podcast interviewing can be tricky, especially if you're new to it and haven't had any journalism training or interviewing experience.

If you want deeper interviews with your podcast guests, join me, host Sheelagh Caygill, as I talk expert podcast host Ronsley Vaz. Ronsley has conducted more than 900 interviews and says he gets better with each one.

Ronsley is an author, entrepreneur, and host of Should I Start A Podcast, The Psychology of Entrepreneurship, and Bond Appetite.

The interview was intended to focus on Ronsley's agency, Amplify Media, in Australia. But the conversation veered off into something more meaningful as we explored impostor syndrome, how Ronsley overcame it, entrepreneurship, reaching goals, and Ronsley's approach to interviewing and growth as an interviewer.

Ronsley's discussion is deep, and it offers listeners lots of insights into overcoming personal challenges, grabbing opportunities, and becoming a successful podcaster and interviewer.

Show Sponsor - Kef Consulting

Kevin McCall, a technology management consultant at Kef Consulting is this week's sponsor. Thanks Kevin! Kevin is a full-service web and technology consultant, specializing in end-to-end web and e-commerce solutions. He is currently available for new clients. Contact Kevin at Kevn @ Kef. ca or find him on LinkedIn.

Fundraising

Thank you to my fundraising supporters on Patreon and at Buymeacoffee.com. If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us at Buymeacoffee.com. Thank you! 

Kevin McCall, a technology management consultant at Kef Consulting is this week's sponsor. Thanks Kevin! Kevin is a full-service web and technology consultant, specializing in end-to-end web and e-commerce solutions. He is currently available for new clients. Contact Kevin at Kevn @ Kef. ca or find him on LinkedIn.

Fundraising

Thank you to my fundraising supporters on Patreon and at Buymeacoffee.com. If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us at Buymeacoffee.com. Thank you! 

The last seven days have seen rapid change around the world, as governments, businesses, and organizations reacted to contain the spread of Covid-19.

In this episode, host Sheelagh Caygill talks to Ben Baker, an internal communications and brand consultant based in Vancouver, Canada.

Ben points out that simply telling employees to work from home isn't enough. Organizations need to be proactive in supporting their employees to ensure that employees remain connected, are productive, and feel valued.

Larger organizations are prepared

Larger organizations are the ones that will cope best during this time of disruption, while smaller businesses will struggle and may not have contingency plans in place.

Make the best use of technology

He emphasizes the importance of using technology to fulfil the need for connection, and recommends daily check-ins - a minimum of two a day, one at the beginning and one at the end of the shift. Using Zoom or Skype with video can accomplish this.

Remote working will be difficult for some employees, who may be sharing their home with a partner or family and may not even have high-speed internet. Companies need to be aware of this and have leaders who understand this and reach out to their teams to resolve these issues.

People may feel isolated or even depressed

In some instances employees may even need equipment, such as printers or desks, and businesses should be willing to supply these things. For some, it will be an isolating or even depressing experience. All the more need for managers to stay in touch and check in.

Show Notes

Find Ben at Your Brand Marketing or LinkedIn.

Show Sponsor

Kevin McCall, a technology management consultant at Kef Consulting. Kevin is a full-service web and technology consultant, specializing in end-to-end web and e-commerce solutions. Kevin is currently available for new clients. Contact Kevin at Kevn @ Kef. ca or via LinkedIn.

Fundraising

Thank you to my fundraising supporters on Patreon and at Buymeacoffee.com
If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us at Buymeacoffee.com. Thank you! 

Its purpose is to underline PR’s role as a management discipline and motivate practitioners to secure the skillset they need to deliver at boardroom level. #FuturePRoof looks at the threats and opportunities for public relations so we are well placed to capitalize.

Show notes

Sarah Waddington at astute.work, on LinkedIn and Twitter.

#FuturePRoof

Global PR Alliance

Thank you to my supporters on Patreon and at Buymeacoffee.com

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us at Buymeacoffee.com. Thank you! 

The Global Alliance

CIPR AI Panel

CIPR on PR 'sleepwalking' into AI

The Montreal Declaration for Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence

Jean Valin on LinkedIn

Wordsmith - https://automatedinsights.com/wordsmith/

Thank you to my supporters on Patreon and at Buymeacoffee.com

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us at Buymeacoffee.com. Thank you!

Starting a podcast isn't difficult, but it does take some preparation. Marc Guberti shares his knowledge with listeners. He hosts three podcast shows and has been a guest on plenty, so he has lots of experience!

The episode follows on from last week's conversation with Marc about ageism young people face, as well as his work ethic and tremendous drive. 

Tips on starting a podcast

Wanting to get into podcasting can be overwhelming. Begin by thinking about your why - what do you want to accomplish with your podcast, even if it's a hobby. Plan out some episodes, and then consider a podcasting host, equipment, a set-up for long-distance interviews, but don't spend too much money to begin. 

Podcasting is a long game

Many new podcasters post on Facebook or Reddit about their disappointment with download numbers. But it's important to realize that when you launch a podcast show, it takes time. You're not going to see results for at least a year or two. Marc's advice: Be prepared to ask yourself if you can produce episodes for a year. If yes, you're setting yourself up for success.

What show format works best? 

Marc's view is that interviews work best for podcasting. Also known as the chat cast, this format can include one or more guests who discuss a topic. A great goal for a chat cast is giving listeners actionable tips.

He believes this format is best for business because it introduces new business relationships, which can benefit your venture in the long term. If you aim to produce solo content, Marc recommends Youtube for this format. 

Lots of hopeful podcasters are deterred by fear. If this is holding you back, Marc recommends simply jumping in. Yes, listen to a few of your favourite podcasts first, but don't put off starting your podcast for too long. And stay focused on the fact that you'll get better as time goes on. By episode seven or eight, you'll hear a marked improvement in your interview and presentation skills. 

How to market a podcast

A key to podcast marketing is to use as many social media platforms as possible to promote your show. Use visuals to engage people, and ask guests to promote their episodes, too. 

Producing great content is vital. Select guests who really add value to your episodes, and work on your questions and delivery for continual improvement.

Marc says that for podcast hosts, one of the eventual challenges is removing "ums" or any other speech space filler. Don't worry about this initially, but it's certainly something to work towards as you make progress. Serious podcasters might even want to work with a speech coach - especially if a longer-term goal is to get into public speaking.

Connect with Marc: Marcguberti.com Marc's podcasts: Breakthrough Success, Profitable Public Speaking, and Ditch the Job. Find Marc on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Marc Guberti is in his early 20s, but this young entrepreneur is already a business consultant and the author of more than two dozen books on publishing, marketing, and investing.

Marc began writing at the age of 11, when, as a New Yorker, he created a Boxton Red Sox blog, and the momentum he established then has only progressed. But it hasn't all been a piece of cake. He's encountered ageism, with people questioning his knowledge and experience.

In this week's episode of The Communicate Influence Podcast, Marc challenges the ugly assumptions of ageism and explains why it's incorrect and illogical. Today, Marc is committed to empowering teens and adults so that they can achieve success in business and in life.

Marc also discusses where his enthusiasm comes from, his work ethic, and how he manage to accomplish so much.

If you enjoy this episode, consider buying The Communicate Influence Podcast a coffee at buymeacoffee.com!

Show notes:

Marcguberti.com

Marc's podcasts: Breakthrough Success, Profitable Public Speaking, and Ditch the Job.

Find Marc on LinkedIn and Twitter.

If you like the show, please consider buying us a coffee at Buy Me A Coffee. It's an inexpensive and fun way of showing us your support! Thank you so much!

These are the people who've made recommendations, and their current favourite shows. Let us know on social media what you think of these recommendations, and what you're listening to, as well!

Ceyhun Yakup Özkardes-Cheung, Content Manager at fisherAppelt in Hamburg, Germany.

Yakup recommends: 

1. The GaryVee Audio Experience https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/podcast/
2. Frank Kern, Your Next Million https://frankkern.com/podcast/
3. Jeff Walker, Launch Life https://jeffwalker.com/podcast/

Josh Steimle, creator of The 7 Systems of Influence, Boston, U.S.

1. The Tom Woods Show https://tomwoods.com/podcasts/
2. ChinesePod https://www.chinesepod.com/
3. Amy Porterfield Podcast https://www.amyporterfield.com/amy-porterfield-podcast/

Liza Baker, integrated nutritian health coach, Michigan, U.S.

1. The Good Life Project https://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/
2. Christine Hassler Over it & On With It https://christinehassler.com/podcast/
3. Jennifer Harrington Menopause Natural Solutions https://www.menopausenaturalsolutions.com/podcast

Dena Jackson, comedian, speaker, and podcaster, Canada

1. Awakening with JP Sears https://awakenwithjp.com/podcast
2. Under the Skin with Russell Brand https://www.russellbrand.com/podcasts/
3. You Made It Wierd with Pete Holmes https://youmadeitweird.libsyn.com/
4. Spooked https://spookedpodcast.org/

Sidwyn Koh, founder, Kyrie.fm

1. How I Built This, with Guy Raz https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this
2. Robin Hood Snacks https://snacks.robinhood.com/
3. https://www.faithdrivenentrepreneur.org/podcast-inventory-1

Paul Padmore, My Perfect Failure podcast, UK

1. David Rubenstein Show https://www.bloomberg.com/peer-to-peer

Amanda Cupido, podcst producer and author, Let’s Talk Podcasting: The Essential Guide to Doing It Right, Toronto, Canada

1. Grammer Girl Podcast 

Josh's website, and his article in Forbes which he references in the episode and which turned around his business.

Josh's first book, Chief Marketing Officers At Work, and his second book's Publishizer page for 60 Days to LinkedIn Mastery due in May.

On Writing, by Stephen King, which Josh recommends to writers.

Books Josh is reading: Future Shock by Alvin Toffler, The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle.

Consider giving a small tip if you enjoy this podcast. Please go to at Buymeacoffee.com or Patreon. Thank you!

[Consider giving a small tip: If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a tip at Buymeacoffee.com or Patreon. Thank you!]

More recently, Pete has become a brand ambassador for a local financial institution called the Darlington Building Society. Pete discusses his role as editor of the prestigious newspaper, how he focuses on connected with the community while an editor, and his work as an ambassador. He explains how he performs his role as ambassador, how to set up an ambassador program, and what to look for in an ambassador.

Pete is also a children's author and has written The Dad At Large books, based on his column, and, more recently, The Monstrous Morals series, available on Amazon. His work as a writer has played a role in his ambassador role, as you'll hear in this episode.

Who makes a good brand ambassador?

This episode is a bit longer than average, and that's because we wanted to explore the kind of career, qualities, and reputation a brand ambassador needs to be successful.

And, an admission from the host, Sheelagh: "It was great to catch up with Pete because I reported to him for about six years in the early days of the internet. Back then, my title was New Media Editor - and it was that job that got me switched on to the excitement and potential of all things online."

You can find Peter Barron at Peter Barron Media, or on LinkedIn.

You can find Fiona's book at Amazon.ca.

Connect with Fiona on LinkedIn and go to her website fifteenminutes.co.nz

You can find Fiona at fifteenminutes.co.nz and LinkedIn.

Like this episode and want to give feedback or discuss it with the host? Join our exclusive community at Kyrie.fm:

https://kyrie.fm/p/communicateinfluence

Episode 13 of The Communicate Influence Podcast sees host Sheelagh Caygill and guest James Cridland continue their conversation about podcasting. (Listen to episode 12 on podcasting trends for 2020). This time, we look at James' work, his newsletter Podnews.net, the rise of podcasting and its fast growth, and the investment in podcasting content.

Consider giving a small tip: If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a tip at Buymeacoffee.com or Patreon. Thank you!

James also touches on the fact that podcasting is filling a space that media hasn't grasped (but let go of decades ago) - spoken radio. When it comes to radio, spoken radio is listened to by an older audience. Podcasting is listened to by younger audiences.

We discuss the fact that many people don't know why they should listen to podcasts, or how they are different from other media. It was actually Dr Phil with his podcast show Phil In The Blanks who helped created a new segment of older podcast listeners. These new listeners are loyal to Dr Phil and and want to hear what he has to say, so they dove in to podcasting for the first time. James notes that this is an example of how good content is driving new listeners, and how it's different from the content existing on radio or TV.

Podcasts are also leading a renaissance in scripted audio (audio dramas in the U.K.) which radio gave up on years ago, and which many younger people haven't listened to ever before.

James stresses that word of mouth is one of the best ways of discovering new podcasts, and how important it is for producers and host to encourage word of mouth.

Finally we touch on what makes a good podcast show and a podcast episode. James believes that this is one that is well-edited and well-crafted, and also one that features audience participation.

Resources:

Find James on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Mentioned in this episode: Dr Phil's podcast Phil In The Blanks, James' newsletter Podnews.net, BBC's The Missing Cryptoqueen