podcast

The 5 Benefits Of Starting A Podcast

When I first got started as an entrepreneur, I remember listening to the Startup Camp podcast by Dale Partridge. Each morning I’d take a walk by the ocean with my headphones in and the volume turned up. I found it amazing how Dale could interview such spectacular guests — some of whom I was introduced to for the first time.

With Dale’s podcast, I listened to each episode three or four times. John Lee Dumas, Chris Bailey, and Jon Gordon were all incredible guests, and I vaguely remember thinking how cool it would be to start my own podcast.

Fast forward a few months later, and I was co-founding a company called Become The Lion. The thought of starting a podcast hadn’t yet come back into my mind.

While the company was only on Instagram, we realized that if another competitor came that was better than Instagram, our whole business would crash. With Uber taking over taxis and Airbnb taking over hotels, we didn’t want to have Instagram be our only way to reach fans.

podcast

That’s when the idea came back into my head. The idea of starting our podcast. I thought it was crazy. Who was I to start a podcast with no public speaking skills, no connections, and not a clue about how to run a show? But there was something inside of me that wouldn’t let these fears get the best of me.

I took out a pen and paper and wrote fifty names of people I’d like to get on the podcast, and only one person said “yes.”

That still wasn’t enough to deter me.

If you can think of something that could go wrong, it has happened. But there was still no way I would quit. I thought being a podcast host would help our business, but instead, it changed my life.

There are profound benefits of starting a podcast. If I would’ve realized these benefits when starting our business, I would’ve launched our podcast from the start.

1. Become a better public speaker.

Last year, I gave a speech to my high school. As I walked in front of the audience, a fluttering took place in my stomach. With my pasted on smile, I gave my speech. To this day, I can’t tell you what I said. I was thankful when the speech was done. Podcasting is the opposite for me; I’m always left wanting more.

Throughout high school, I saw a therapist for my anxiety. After delivering over fifty interviews, I took a speech class at school, and in front of my classmates giving my speech, I no longer had a fluttering in my stomach. This time I could speak with passion and no longer possess a fear of public speaking thanks to podcasting.

Whatever industry you may find yourself in, there will be times when you need to give a speech. When you start your own podcast, you’re no longer going to experience those fears you once had before. Why? Because podcasting gives you the needed confidence and practice for public speaking.

Podcasting allows you to speak in a natural and normal flow, and, over time, you will become a proficient speaker.

2. Connect with others in your industry.

I grew up in a small middle-class town of 6,000 people. To say I had no connections would be an understatement.

Through our podcast, I’ve been able to connect with highly successful individuals including Joel Brown, John Lee Dumas, Chris Ducker, Mike Dillard and others. 

For someone who’s starting out, you will not get the big names on your podcast, and you shouldn’t want to right away. I had Jon Gordon as the second guest on our podcast, and the interview went terribly on our part because we were still in the learning process. Luckily, Jon Gordon was nice enough to reschedule an interview with us for this coming summer!

You will not be perfect, and in the beginning, you should test interview friends and family. You don’t need to put the interviews out but rather use them to give you experience behind a mic before interviewing the big names.

When you create a podcast, you’ll be able to connect with those at the top of your industry. For example, I interviewed Dan Lok who charges $50 per one minute to talk. But because I had him on the podcast, he did it for free. After the podcast interview was over, he spent twenty minutes telling me how to grow our business. Dan even emailed the next day with links to videos I should watch on YouTube. This would not have happened without the podcast.

In business they say it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

From the guests I’ve had on our podcast, I’ve been able to create lasting relationships, even though they live all over the world.

3. Have your audience connect with you.

People don’t buy from businesses; they buy from people. When you create a podcast, you show your audience who you are.

For our podcast, I release two episodes with guests and one episode per week by myself. This allows our audience to connect with me. Your podcast will allow you to form a deep relationship with those who follow your brand.

If you own a blog, creating a podcast would be an excellent addition. Your readers appreciate your words, but they also want to hear your voice.

You aren’t just a business anymore; you’re a person. You can share your ups and downs with your audience. They aren’t perfect, and neither are you. Tell them your failures and your successes.

Through listening to Dale Partridge’s podcast every day, I built a relationship with him. When Dale comes out with a new book, I buy it and share his name often because of how much he helped me through his podcast. I would never have known about him or built a relationship with him if it wasn’t for his podcast.

Look at your podcast as an investment. When you first meet someone, you don’t have a relationship with them. But what do you suppose would happen if you hung out with the same person for one or two hours every week over a consistent duration of time?

When you create a podcast, you build a lasting relationship with your audience.

4. Promote your product or service.

You have your podcast going strong. You’ve built a relationship with your audience. Now is the time you can promote your product or service.

If you said “buy my product” from day one, do you think anyone would buy it? Through a podcast, you give so much value up front that your audience feels obligated to buy what you are selling because you’ve built trust with them.

Don’t push your product or service onto your audience; it can be a turn-off. If you’re releasing a new book, promote it after you’ve given your audience value first.

I’ve promoted our products at the beginning of an episode and the end of the episode. Giving value upfront will always be more efficient when driving your audience to do something.

With a podcast, you’re not fighting through emails, social media, or ads. It’s just you and the listener. You have their full, undivided attention to listen to what you are saying.

Once you have your own podcast, you’ll connect with other podcast hosts. If your interview goes well, you can ask them if you can be a guest on theirs. This gives you another avenue to promote your product or service.

Podcasting speaks passion. Because it’s a lot of work to produce an episode, you have to love it. And when you love it, your audience will recognize your enthusiasm.

5. Experience learning and find partnerships.

Learning and partnership go together when you have a podcast. You interview someone in your industry and learn something new. If that person is selling a course, you could become partners and promote their course. Then, you split the profits.

You can read all the books, but nothing will compare to when you hear people tell you how they achieved their success.

We’ve had marketers on our podcast, and we’ve been able to use what they have said and implement it into our business.

We had an interview with Chris Ducker on how to build a personal brand. You’re sitting with someone virtually and asking them how they grew their business or achieved success. You can take what they say and implement it into your own life and business.

There hasn’t been a single podcast episode I’ve done that I haven’t learned something new. Each of us has our own unique story. There is always something to learn from everyone you meet, and podcasting proves that to be true.

Almost everyone in the online world has a course, book, or program they sell. If you have a great interview with a guest, you can promote his product to your email list and split the profit.

It’s a win for everyone involved. Your audience gets a great product, and the person whose product you promoted gains new customers.

Creating a podcast has been one of the most rewarding aspects of starting our business. When you create a podcast, you not only change your audience’s lives but yours as well!

Tell us in the comments, what is keeping YOU from starting a podcast?


Trevor is a 19-year-old entrepreneur who’s had eleutheromania ever since he can remember. When he’s not working or studying, you can catch him by the ocean taking photos of the world that surrounds us. Trevor is co-founder of Become The Lion.

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