10 years ago, Andy Kaufman stumbled into podcasting. At first, he thought it might be a good way to increase his marketing outreach. It did help with that over time, but there was a bigger lesson learned that he shares here.

10 years later the biggest benefit of the podcast Andy realized was the learning experience. By inviting people that he admired to be interviewed for his podcast he got to meet people and learn from people that he otherwise wouldn’t have met. His podcast became a calling card to authors, thought leaders and more.

His podcast also created what Andy calls a “forcing function” for learning. At first, he didn’t read the entire book of the author that he would be interviewing, he would skim it at best. Then he started reading the entire book of each guest before the interview and his energy changed. He and the guest were more engaged and shared more ideas.

Learning lead to business results too. Some of the best materials for Andy’s trainings and keynotes come from ideas shared during his podcasts. He regularly gets unsolicited offers for speaking engagements from listeners of his podcast. Through the podcast people can “get to know Andy”, his personality and his expertise enough that they reach out to hire him.

How to Reach Out to Potential Guests

Andy makes it look easy to get guests on his show. It is and it isn’t, especially when you’re getting started.  One tip for getting authors, especially the bigger names? Search Amazon for books that are going to be released in the next quarter and reach out to the authors BEFORE their book launches. That’s when they’re most interested in marketing themselves and their book. Publishers tend not to help much, if at all, with marketing so you’re adding value to the authors’ lives when you share their ideas in your podcast.

How do you know what guests to reach out to? Pick a niche to go after and stick with it. Andy’s sweet spot is the intersection between project management and leadership. Decide what you’re most passionate about and find guests in that niche.

Another benefit of the interview style of podcasting is that you’re not giving YOUR content away for free. Showcase the genius of your guests. This will bring you listeners in your niche and get you “introduced” to them. When they learn about you and what problems you solve, they might decide to hire you. In Andy’s case he gets paid to teach within the intersection of project management and leadership.

Listen In!

Andy gets into a lot more detail about how to find and engage with guests, how to asks questions that get them to tell stories and how to have a much more meaningful and successful podcast overall whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been at it for years. You’ll also learn more ways to leverage podcasting to grow your business faster than you could without it.

About the Guest

Andy Kaufman is a recognized expert on leadership and project management, helping organizations around the world improve their ability to lead and deliver. Andy works with leaders at the United Nations and other global clients to improve their ability to deliver on their initiatives. Before becoming an internationally sought-after speaker, Andy started as a software developer and was promoted into management for all the wrong reasons! He is the author of three books and host of the acclaimed People and Projects Podcast (https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com or any podcast app), which provides free PDUs through interviews and insights for his global listeners. To learn more about Andy's keynotes and workshops, check out https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes.