“How to Become the Center of Influence Through Amped Up Podcasting” with Brendan Hufford of the Entrepreneurs and Coffee Podcast

 

 

As part of my series of interviews about “How podcasters can become a center of influence”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brendan Hufford of the Entrepreneurs and Coffee podcast. He is a veteran podcast who has learned everything he knows about business and podcasting by putting some skin in the game and starting his own. While teaching full-time, he built and sold two online businesses, all while creating and launching his podcast, Entrepreneurs and Coffee. He currently has added a second show to his podcast repertoire: 100 Days of SEO.

 

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Can you tell us the “backstory” about why or how you got started as a podcaster?

When I was still a teacher, and later an assistant principal, I fell in love with podcasts. I would download them to my iPad on wifi and listen to them in the car, iPad riding shotgun, on the way to and from work. Near the end of 2014, I realized that I had a message that I wanted to get out into the world and, after chatting with a mentor, I was challenged to start my own show.

Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?

Probably the most surprising thing that happened as a result of launching my podcast was being asked to keynote a conference. The organizers told me, bluntly, “we love your show and we think you can move a lot of tickets. How much is your speaking fee?” I’d never done a keynote before, so I just made up a 4-figure number and they instantly agreed. Fast-forward a few months and my name is up in lights on a maquis outside of the venue. Every time I look back on the event, I’m still surprised. I’d never been paid to speak before that so it was surprising to see the effect that podcasting can have in a very real and quantifiable way.

Can you share a story about the biggest or funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I was getting started, I was just too nervous to be professional. This came together in short order, but I never wanted to tell my guests what to do in order to get good audio. For example, one time a guest clearly had some sort of headset on and his microphone was rubbing against his beard when he spoke, creating a horrific amount of static. I was so mortified to interrupt him and the flow of the interview, and it took 25 minutes for me to say something. We ended up having to tally cut the first half of the interview.

How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?

I’ve been podcasting since January 2015 and, to date across two separate shows, I’ve aired 157 episodes. I’ve also been interviewed on over 100 other podcasts.

Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Brendan Hufford!

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Podcaster Influencer, Brendan Hufford of the Entrepreneurs and Coffee Podcast shares the best ways to:

1) Book Great Guests.Have something to say or don’t say anything at all. The world doesn’t need another generic “interview” podcast. From your intro music to your editing, to your guests, everything is a reflection of your brand and they all need to be considered. This will help you book better guests than any other tip.

2) Increase Listeners. Be a professional. If you’re going to do interviews, learn the craft of interviewing from the best. The easiest way to stand out and attract listeners is to learn how to bring the best out of your guest. Interviewing is a craft and skill that can be learned, but you won’t get better unless you take time to learn how.

3) Produce in a Professional Way. In your edit, you must be ruthless and even though you have 60 minutes of material, the final edit may come out to be less than 20.

4) Encourage Engagement. Plan your content in themes or seasons. Nobody binge-watches a single episode from 15 different shows. If your podcast episodes aren’t related one to the next, people aren’t going to want to binge them. Even if you have guests on your podcast, you can create segments that engage the listener and create an ongoing storyline for people to follow along with.

5) Monetize Your Show. Most people I know skip the first 5 minutes of most major podcasts because they don’t want to be pitched robo-investors and cricket protein. Hold out as long as you can, build trust, and wait for an advertising partner that will help you grow your show, not just expect you to help them make sales (or better yet, promote your own products!).

What makes your podcast binge-listenable? What do you think makes your podcast unique from the others in your category? What do you think is special about you as a host, your guests, or the content itself?

Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Brendan Hufford!