Podcast Guesting

What to expect:

 

• Our target audience are B2B professional service businesses; CEOs, Owners, Founders, Solopreneurs, consultants, fractional leaders. Companies with $2MM - $20MM ARR who are in growth mode. We will also attract aspiring entrepreneurs and startups who intend to reach that level.

• We strive for authenticity and “realness”, unless there is a big mistake, we will not re-record an episode, but merely edit out the necessary part.

• Despite the B2B audience, we have fun, we show up as we are. Jokes are encouraged. Language is not policed unless it gets out of hand – after all this is a podcast, not a locker room.

• Our guests, as well as our listeners, are either current or aspiring entrepreneurs. We will explore how you got started, how you got your first clients, how you grew.

• Interview questions are included in this document. We aim for light structure – the interview has some guardrails and purpose, but it’s not a robotic Q&A.

• It is important to educate and inspire listeners; sales pitches will be cut off. You will have an opportunity to talk about what you do and tell people where to learn more information – at the end of the episode.

• Accessible and easily-consumable content is what we aim to serve up – the ideal length for each published episode will be 20-30 minutes. Minimal intro and minimal outro will allow the episode to be filled with interview content. We will still need to be brief and tell only the best stories.

• Each guest will be asked to come up with 1-2 actionable insights to share with the audience at the end of the interview. We focus on growth here, so give our listeners and idea they can use that will help them start or grow their business.

 

How to be a great guest:

 

• Show up. Timely.

• Review the questions in advance and be prepared to discuss. An organic conversation is preferred over recitation of prewritten answers.

• We record audio only. For the purposes of promoting your episode, a head shot or photo would be helpful.

• Audio quality matters.

  • Ethernet is better than WiFi if you have that option.

  • Furnished, carpeted room is better than hard floors and lots of windows.

  • Home or office, no coffee houses or other public places.

  • If your neighbor has yard work done at a certain time each week, schedule around that.

  • Occasional dog bark or baby babble is acceptable (realness), take steps to make sure it won’t be constant or a distraction.

  • Phone put away and on mute.

• If you have a question or two that you like to answer or a specific awesome story, feel free to let us know. Although, keep in mind it might not be a compelling interview for listeners if it’s the same-old-same-old.

  • If there’s a few questions you’d like to ask, feel free.

• Relax, have fun.

• Probably the most important one – help us spread the word. Share your episode with your network.

 

Questions/Topics:

 

• We will start with a brief introduction or you and a fact that you don’t list on your LinkedIn profile – have a little fun.

• Your origin story – whether you’re a superhero CEO or a fractional sidekick, we want to explore your inspiration to get started, continue the family legacy, strike out on your own, etc. Your “why”.

• Who’s your ideal client, what business challenges do you help them solve, and why you?

• Tell your favorite customer success story.

• How did you get started and earn your first clients?

  • For legacy businesses, how did you balance honoring tradition with making your mark? How did you handle any family dynamics?

  • For anyone who started solo, how did you manage to get it all done? What did you outsource or hire out first? How long did you handle business development and how did you make that transition?

  • For investor-backed businesses, when did you first raise funds and how did you land your first investor?

• How did you sustain your growth?

• Tell us how you overcame a revenue challenge, or the growth strategy you credit with getting you to where you are today.

• Tell us something cool you’re planning in the near future.

• You’re the recipient of a no-strings-attached Grant of $1 million that you can spend on your business, what do you do with it?

• Share a valuable, actionable insight with the audience – what would you tell your ideal client if they were listening.

• Where can we find you?

• Bonus – offer an exclusive bonus to our listeners. Not necessarily a discount, but a package, bundle, add-on. Something they can’t get elsewhere.