It's a predicament all podcasters face eventually – you do an interview with somebody who has a great story and you create an episode together, but you later find out the person is an asshole, or a criminal, or somebody you'd rather not associate with or promote.
So here are some lessons from a "generic book" on business that I've modified to help you to grow your podcast.
- Each Moment Happens Once - When somebody is in your studio, always have the recorder running. You never know what's doing to happen and you can't recreate a "moment."
- There Is No Formula - Something that works (or doesn't work) for somebody else won't necessarily give you the same result. Personality and personal experience is more important in podcasting than format, formula, or even "best practices" – these things are arbitrary and based more on you than anything else.
- Last Can Be First - This can be taken a couple of ways. One, that you can jump in after something is hot, learn from everybody who has jumped in before you, and make something better. But it can also mean that even a small podcast, one without a huge audience, can do well, because it has the right audience.
- Progress Comes From Monopoly - If you want to be huge and make a lot of money, it helps to be the only option. Fortunately, this is easy to do with podcasting, since much of what makes you the "only option" is based on the blend of your personality and specialized knowledge.
- Distribution Is Essential - Your message, whether via your podcast or anything else, won't be heard if people can't get to it. For maximum reach, your podcast needs to be available in as many places and as many formats as possible.
