The Podsquad Show - Conversations with Podcast Managers & Podcasters: Recent Episodes
Kara Tanenbaum
The podcast explosion is bringing big business opportunities for virtual assistants and side hustle seekers who want to become podcast managers! I’m Kara Tanenbaum, host of The Podsquad Show and I invite you to join me each week where I interview podcast managers and podcast hosts to go behind the scenes for the best podcasting tools and business advice for growing an online business as a Podcast Manager. Each episode contains helpful tips to niche down your services, position yourself as an expert in this industry and provide valuable podcast production support that is in high demand by Podcasters. Let’s get started!!
For a lot of entrepreneurs who decide to add a podcast to their mix, it seems like they often get consumed with the “how-tos” at the expense of thinking through the “why” and “what.”
- Why do you want to have a podcast?
- What is the purpose of your podcast?
- What does success look like for your business from the podcast?
In this week’s podcast, my guest Megan King dishes on her path to podcast management as a former copywriter and we take a deep dive into how to break through the mindset of feeling like you have to do everything - even when you don’t love all of the individual tasks.
Today, Megan works with clients to not only launch and produce podcasts, but to do it in a way that is a truly strategic channel to help them accomplish their business goals.
Listen in to this week’s podcast for a look inside a podcast management business that is focused on strategy + the weekly ins and outs of getting a podcast on air.
As always, your podcast subscription, shares, comments, and reviews mean everything to a show like this, so please take a moment to help us get the word out.
For full show notes, please visit www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-022
Who else has found themselves in a season of transition this year?
You’re definitely not alone.
I think that’s why the success stories of podcast managers I interview on the podcast so much. The advice and insights that come from rockstar business owners who have been where you are today are pure gold!
This week I’m sharing a wonderful conversation with Jenny Suneson, former social media manager, virtual assistant, and podcaster herself. In 2018, a client needing podcast management support opened up this niche to Jenny and pushed her to transition away from social media management. Fast forward to today and Jenny is a podcast strategist + mentor and the owner of Savvy Podcast Agency, a full service podcast management and marketing agency.
For Jenny, the transition to podcast management meant a step back from the, “on all the time” nature of social media management and into a space where she can keep her work/life balance in check as a new mom.
In this deep dive conversation about Jenny’s two agencies and podcasts we talk about:
- The podcast service she always outsourced
- What building a subcontractor team of VAs and an online business manager meant to her day-to-day business life
- The incredibly valuable service of guest pitching that Jenny offers in one of her packages.
I loved this interview and I am excited to bring it to you and hear what you think. Give it a listen and share your big takeaways in the comments.
As always, your podcast shares, subscribes and reviews mean the world to me so please take a moment to help us get the word out.
You know when you meet someone and your conversation leaves you feeling super energized and excited?
I have one of those conversations to share with you today.
In this week’s podcast you’ll meet Jessica Andrade, a podcast manager and recent transplant from Washington state to Spain!
Like so many in our community, the pandemic wreaked havoc on Jessica’s career as a hairdresser in San Francisco. In fact, she left work one day last spring, and never returned as salons closed that weekend.
Hear her tell the story of all the things that aligned just right for her to launch the successful podcast management business she runs today.
Plus, get ready, because we’re pulling back the curtain on an incredibly valuable service you might want to consider for your podcast management business. This is a service that without a doubt:
- saves podcasters literal hours every week
- puts you in a “can’t do it without you” role for your clients, and
- is one of the most high-demand services prospective clients happily pay for!
Jessica’s energetic and adventurous approach to her business is a wonderful shot of enthusiasm for anyone on the fence about whether podcast management is right for you.
For full show notes, please visit www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-020
If you enjoyed the episode, please follow me on Apple Podcasts to get the episodes delivered straight to you every week! And for more Podcast Management tips, follow me on Instagram at @thepodsquadcollective.
As a business owner, some days it feels like there are just too many hats for one person to wear, am I right? I think maybe that’s why I appreciate conversations like the one I have for you this week.
It’s reassuring to hear a reminder that we don’t have to wear all the hats and do all the things from other podcast teams who have built a partnership that works.
We get to choose!
I’m excited to introduce you to Britney Gardner and Haley Hatcher.
As host of the Know, Like & Trust Show podcast and creator of the BE SEEN Method. Britney helps online service biz owners craft content that attracts perfect-match clients.
Britney admits that she waited far too long to bring on support for managing all the moving parts of getting a podcast on-air week after week.
That’s where organization and systems-obsessed podcast manager, Haley Hatcher, came on the scene.
As the founder and CEO of Heart Centered Podcasting, Haley believes that everyone has a story that is worthy of sharing, but knows that it's not always easy to get it out on the airwaves. Heart Centered Podcasting implements strategic launch support and weekly management to help their clients start and grow their podcasts with confidence and ease.
For full show notes, please visit www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-017
Rosemarie Callender’s story might resonate with many of you.
For sixteen years, Rosemarie’s career was helping CEOs and leaders build successful companies by being their right hand. When the pandemic caused layoffs, including herself, Rosemarie realized she was ready to build the business foundation she needed to create a life she loved. The pandemic provided her opportunity to sit back and reflect on life and what she really wanted for herself and her family.
Why?
She wanted better control of her time, something her nine-to-five job could never offer.
She started her online business as a Virtual Assistant with many types of clients in various industries before finally niching down to podcast management.
Fast forward to today, and she is in a comfortable space with not only her time but also the authority of work -- just as she’s always wanted!
**In today’s episode, Rosemarie, Podcast Manager and Founder of Hands-on Virtual Solutions, shares with us her formula for successful podcasting - for new and seasoned podcasters alike! Rosemarie chats about doing what you love, leveraging social media, drawing inspiration from others, but never forgetting to put your unique twist onto everything you create.
For full show notes, please visit www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-018**
Have you ever collaborated with a content manager or creator and wondered how easy it becomes to take off from there? Collaboration is not just something that's reserved for artists or designers— podcast enthusiasts can collaborate too! In this episode, to-be podcasters Emma Vertolli and Brittany Kues (also Emma’s podcast manager) join in to share insights into their collaboration.
It had been a dream of Emma's to start a podcast for a while now, and while she had the background to do it, she was SO in need of an expert hand in order to create a successful podcast!
Emma went through the usual channels at first, interviewing different podcast managers, but it wasn't until Brittany reached out to her, offering her service as THE podcast manager (and most importantly, as someone who genuinely cared), that her ideas began materializing!
Emma talks about her upcoming sports podcast, Passion To Legacy, how she decides to use it to gravitate into a niche, and how podcasting has become a breeze post-working with Brittany. Brittany explains her podcasting ideas, niching down for long-term partnership, and collaborating on projects that interest you!
We also discuss:
● Why it is essential to know how to network - "that's not only to get your foot in the door, but it's to grow once you're in the door"
● The importance of niching down and taking up projects that you love working on
● Planning, Organizing, and Outlining - following a system is key if you're a podcast manager.
● Tip for collaboration - it helps if you build a willingness to go back and forth with your client to understand their requirements as a podcast manager.
Full Show Notes, including all the links we discussed on the episode, can be found at https://www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-017
This one is for everyone out there who feels like the idea of working hard and playing more is a myth.
It seems like people throw around phrases like, "work smarter, not harder," and, "work/life balance," with no real strategies in place for exactly how to make that happen.
... enter the rockstar podcast manager…
This week on The Podsquad Show, I'm excited to introduce you to Lindsay Johnson and Min Sukree, the dynamic duo behind The Work Less, Play More Podcast for overworked entrepreneurs who want to ditch the busy work and belief that burnout is inevitable when you’re building a business.
Lindsay, also known as The Radical Connector, is a 20-year entrepreneurship nerd and business strategist who teaches new entrepreneurs business skills and strategies for building and scaling a profitable business by working less and playing more.
Min is the founder of Admin Avenger, her virtual services business supporting busy entrepreneurs in getting their podcasts on the air. Min's superpowers include audio editing, writing show notes, guest management, social media promotion, and more.
**Listen in as we peek behind the scenes, with lots of laughs, on Lindsay and Min's relationship and the tips and processes they've built on their journey to get on the air.
Full Show Notes, including all the links we discussed on the episode, can be found** at https://www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-016
This week, I don't have a guest to introduce you to, instead, I have some exciting things to share with you that we'll get to in just a minute. First, let's talk about podcasts. If you've been listening for a while, you already know that I love podcasting. There is something about listening and learning from a great conversation between two people that is, oh, so powerful.
Now the irony is not lost on me that we're talking about this on a podcast. So these statistics from www.podcasthostig.org will probably not surprise you. But did you know that 104 million people listened to podcasts? At least every month, 68 million people listen to podcast weekly and 16 million people in the United States alone described themselves as avid podcast fans.
Wow. This is crazy numbers. And with those kinds of numbers, it's obvious that podcasting is still exploding. And with that comes opportunity as more and more brand owners enter the podcasting arena. The vast majority of them won't be producing their podcast alone. There are a lot of moving parts involved in getting just one episode on the air.
That's where we come in. As virtual assistants, our business model is designed to provide remote support for our clients and with the trend in podcasting on the rise, the opportunities for virtual assistants to niche into podcast management specifically are endless. If you know a little bit about me, you'll know that I was a podcast manager for five years.
I had clients all over the world from Los Angeles to Florida, to Switzerland, even Tokyo. And it was incredible to help bring these podcasts to life every single week and to work closely in that partnership with the podcast hosts to make sure that their voice was heard, they connected with their listeners and that the impact was very powerful.
About a year and a half ago, I decided to pivot a little bit. Instead of having these clients one on one, I decided that I wanted to train aspiring podcast manager how to become one. And that is when The Podsquad Collective was born. So I'm going to be pivoting in the direction towards my own podcast.
As a result, this podcast will begin to focus more specifically on podcast management with new content coming in a three-person interview. I'll be bringing you interviews with podcast hosts and their podcasts managers, where they'll be digging into all the things you've ever wanted to know about how your favorite podcasts get on the air.
We'll be sharing tips tricks suggestions and of course, lessons learned along the way when it comes to podcast management services -- like booking guests, audio editing and mixing, writing, show notes and promoting new episodes on social media.
I am so excited to launch The Podsquad Collective Show on August 3rd!
In the world of high-speed internet and instant gratification, it’s easy to forget what it means to be productive. Time blocking is a time management method that uses the theory that focused, uninterrupted time spent on a particular task is more productive than having countless distractions and scattering tasks throughout the day. It’s a very simple concept — but it’s also incredibly difficult in practice.
**Today’s episode features the CEO of Simplified VA Services and time-blocking genius, Bianca Smith. Bianca tells us about her simplified mode of productivity and how she’s used the practices of task batching and time blocking to make the best out of her everyday life. We also learn about her journey from an MBA graduate in Accounting to a bookkeeper at Etsy shops and how she eventually set up her VA business and coaching programs today!
For full show notes, please visit my website at http://www.thepodsquadcollective/podcast-014**
Executive Assistants, this episode is for you.
My guest today, Lucy Brazier, OBE, needs no introduction. As the founder and CEO of Marcham Publications, specialist publishers of Executive Support Magazine, Lucy is a leading authority on the administrative profession around the world. Her passion is for the assistant role to be truly recognized as a career and not just a job.
Because she frequently provides services as a motivational speaker, trainer and facilitator for conferences around the world, COVID-19 brought travel to a halt in 2020. Lucy and her team needed to quickly pivot to a digital world, including the printing of her magazine.
**We chat about being resilient in your business when setbacks or challenges come our way, as well as the differences between an Executive Assistant and being a business owner as a Virtual Assistant.. While being a VA has its bonuses there is always a flipside and the switch can be daunting. Lucy gives us expert advice on how utilizing our Executive Assistant skills can easily correlate to offering services as a Virtual Assistant.
For full show notes, please visit www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast - 013**
When it comes to training others in your business, here's the thing: expectations can't be implied. You have to tell people exactly what's expected of them and give them enough support and resources to meet those expectations. That means transferring best practices from your head onto paper. Standard operating procedures help everyone get on the same page about what to do, when and how to do it, and why.
By definition, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are step-by-step processes required to complete specific, repetitive tasks. Basically, SOPs help you transfer those best practices you developed inside your head into documented processes. Once documented, the standard operating procedures allow someone else to complete those tasks with the same standard and care as if you were doing it yourself.
**In today’s episode, my guest Ashley Troutwine and I explain how good Standard Operating Procedures highlight whose responsibility it is to complete certain tasks and we break down the steps involved in creating SOPs that are crucial for both you AND your client’s business to run like clockwork. That’s right -- this is a wash/rinse and repeat type of service that you can add to your client offerings.
For full show notes, please visit**
https://www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-012
Who do you think you are? You don’t belong here. What makes you think that you can make money by going out on your own? There’s no way you’re cut out for this! Just wait, your business will be a flop and then everyone will know that you’re a fake.
Have you ever felt like this, where you are a complete fraud and that everyone was going to find out that you didn’t deserve your accomplishments? Or wrestling with feeling like you don’t belong?
If so, you’ve probably experienced imposter syndrome, right along with an estimated 70% of the population. That’s right — those feelings are shockingly common, and today we’re talking all about imposter syndrome, what it is and why it holds us back in our careers and life?
Today’s episode is a roadmap to understanding and overcoming the persistent fear caused by the same. Having experienced the belittling pull herself, Anxiety Specialist and Educator Heather Rider offers more than just makeshift advice on imposter syndrome. Join us as we discuss the truth behind this overpowering disorder and its potential causes to help you gorgeously hook out of it!
For Full Episode Show Notes, visit www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-011
This ONE secret weapon could help bolster your business by amplifying leads and land you even the most elusive clients. Tai Goodwin, my friend and guest for this episode, is here to show you why customized specific quizzes are the cutting edge means to forge ahead in your online business.
**Quizzes are no doubt a winning means to get your email list sky-rocketing and helps you understand your audience, which is KEY to turn leads into paid clients. Today, Tai Goodwin brings us along her journey scaling her business and increasing her email subscriber count from 1200 to 9000 in just four months using fun and engaging quizzes!
For full episode show notes, please visit my website: https://www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-010**
Some people think networking is handing out business cards and going to lunch with business friends.
While that may be part of it, that’s not nearly the whole story.
At its core, networking is about building relationships.
It’s about getting people to know, trust, and want to do business with you. The personal and professional connections that you forge can be leveraged to boost your business exponentially.
My guest in today’s episode, Jordan Garafola from OasisVA, discuss some proven strategies to finding your next client by leveraging your personal network.
Jordan is a Virtual Assistant and helps organize chaos for small business and professionals, specializing in Admin and website support services.
We discuss how networking is an absolute game-changer when it comes to your VA business and does not need to be salesy AT ALL. In fact marketing, when done right, could start right at your home, with your friends and family. Jordan takes us through her journey, leaving her full-time job in Australia to eventually set up her dream business in America. We discuss proven strategies to find your next client by leveraging your personal network and engaging in Facebook and Clubhouse activities. Listen in!
For full Show Notes, please visit my website at https://www.thepodsquadcollective.com/podcast-009
With over 2 million podcasts live today --and currently growing --your VA business could see incredible growth opportunities as a Podcast Producer. The podcast industry is booming and hosts need help putting together all the moving pieces it takes to create a successful podcast. Because of this, there is no shortage of potential clients you can work with and it can be a very lucrative online business.
My guest on the episode, Serena Gay, is the Owner of Made 4U podcasts and brings a wide mix of entrepreneurial and practical skills to the company, which she founded in late 2018 with the aim of producing lively and intelligent podcasts with well-researched and engaging content. Serena and I discuss the most on-demand skills in the podcast industry to learn and seriously level up your VA business!
Full show notes can be found on my website:
https://www.podsquadproducers.com/podcast-008
As an entrepreneur VA, have you been able to drill down to a niche and grow yourself enough to become an expert at it? My guest today did. Stacey Hooker made that smart move by digging deeper into software that provided a one-stop-shop to keep her systems and workflows perfectly in place. By developing new skills and narrowing her service offerings, Stacey has created a full workload of clients, so fully booked out that her discovery call quota is exhausted within the first week of every month!
**Join me on this episode as I interview the entrepreneur mastermind who breaks down the many benefits of her expertise software -- Honeybook, and shares with us how she built a thriving client base that recommends her for the services offered at her company, Sweetly Simplified Systems, LLC. She also discusses how she bumped into the software, self-learned its features, and eventually became a part of Honeybook’s educators' program. All of this has been instrumental to her success today. Tune in to see what Stacy's story brings in for your business!
Full Show Notes available on www.podsquadproducers.com/007**
Working with your clients is easier when you click and are a good fit for each other. How does a Discovery Call help in understanding your prospective clients and their expectations out of you? How do you organize one that’s concise and effective?
**Bettina Jones has been in the game for over a decade now. She is the founder and owner of Virtual Click Works, where she offers project coordination, communications, and social media handling for coaches. After 15 years in the corporate world, Bettina made the leap to start her own company and hasn’t ever since looked back. In this episode, she digs into her experiences to give away valuable lessons on laying foundations, choosing your clients, and fixing prices for the various services in your business. Listen in, for we also unpack Discovery Calls, and Bettina gives away the pointers to asking quality questions and creating checklists that help you pull off any conversation with ease!
For Full Show Notes, please visit www.podsquadproducers.com/006**
Do you know why legal expertise is KEY to the functioning of your business? My guest today, Layne Lyons, JD, shares how she learned the hard way that written agreements and legal claims are necessary to hold your business and profits intact. In this incredible episode, Layne breaks down all the legal pieces in order to protect our business and set it up for ultimate success!
Layne is a lawyer and legal expert with over 25 years of experience helping women protect their brands. She recollects her hustle from the past and shares the time she had little to no sleep and ruined her eating habits, only to be diagnosed with incurable fatigue that caused both her body and immune system to shut down. Battling this and a significant business blow, Layne emerged stronger than ever and has been equipped with everything it takes to become a successful businesswoman. Listen in to learn how to confidently run your company and make sure everything associated with it is closely guarded and legal.
Full Show Notes: www.podsquadproducers.com/005
It’s no secret that social networks are now a substantial part of every marketing strategy, and the benefits of using social media are so great that anyone not implementing this cost-effective resource is missing out on a phenomenal marketing opportunity to create massive followers and generate leads. Social media marketing requires both strategy and creativity and this episode is all about how it can help build your Virtual Assistant business and attract your perfect clients!
My guest for this episode is the Owner and CEO of Mary Christian & Co., a digital marketing agency specializing in launch assistance, done for you services, and 1:1 marketing coaching. She has over six years of marketing experience and has helped facilitate businesses in building successful marketing strategies and launches behind the scenes. Meet Mary Christian on the show today as she joins me for a warm and insightful conversation on her business, background, and passion.
Trivinia Barber, Founder of PriorityVA, knows EXACTLY what clients are looking for in hiring virtual executive support and in fact, she has created a successful business around it. When there are a lot of Virtual Assistants doing what you do, it is CRUCIAL to produce outcomes, not just be a “VA taskmaster” in order to stand out and set yourself apart. Adding a Virtual Assistant to the team is an important decision and the client wants to outsource who will be the best fit in every way for their business.
Trivinia joins me on this episode to share with us “behind the scenes” advice of why clients want you to understand the business that they’re in and the motivation of the Executive, establishing yourself as a Virtual Assistant by producing OUTCOMES and so much more.
For Full Show notes, please visit:
https://www.podsquadproducers.com/podcast-003
If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!
Setting and respecting personal boundaries is so crucial for any business owner who works with clients, even more so for those who work from home. And we often don’t take time to think through the implications of our boundaries until we are stressed out, close to burnout, or a combination of both. Dani Craig, co-founder of Blush House Media, knows just how to get you to make that essential move with your business, whether you are just getting started or already heavy in the daily grind and need help getting boundaries in place -- FAST.
For Full Show notes, please visit:
https://www.podsquadproducers.com/podcast-002
If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!
If you are interested in becoming a Virtual Assistant, this podcast is for you! In this introductory episode, Virtual Assistant trainer and Founder of Podsquad Producers, Kara Tanenbaum, gives you a glimpse of how she began her Virtual Assistant journey , what you can expect to hear in future episodes and why this podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to start and grow their own Virtual Assistant business.