“How to Become the Center of Influence Through Behind The Scenes Podcasting” with Brock Radke of the All The Vegas Podcast
As part of my series of interviews about “How to Become the Center of Influence Through Podcasting”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brock Radke. He is an award-winning writer and reporter who’s been documenting life in Las Vegas for 20 years. He currently leads entertainment coverage for Greenspun Media Group’s family of regional publications. This includes the Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas Weekly magazine and Las Vegas Magazine.
Brock is the creator and co-host of the All The Vegas podcast launched in 2018 as a collaboration between Las Vegas Weekly, Southern Nevada’s leading news, entertainment and culture magazine, and The Space, the community-driven, charity-based arts complex just off the world famous Las Vegas Strip. Brock and co-host Mark Shunock welcome a different guest for each episode of All The Vegas, showcasing the city’s most important and most intriguing personalities from the worlds of entertainment, music, food, sports, nightlife and more. Recent guests include Harrah’s Las Vegas headliner Tape Face, Vegas Golden Knights player Deryk Engelland, Mirage headliner Terry Fator, restaurateur Elizabeth Blau, downtown Las Vegas casino mogul Derek Stevens, Las Vegas Aces player A’ja Wilson and television and music legend Paul Shaffer.
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Can you tell us the “backstory” about why or how you got started as a podcaster?
I’ve been a writer, reporter and editor covering Las Vegas for 20 years. Living and working in such a unique and famous city inspired me to find a better way to share more of the conversations and interviews that have driven my writing. Podcasting is a great way to do that. But the idea behind the All The Vegas podcast really took off when I started discussing the project with my co-host Mark Shunock. He’s an entertainer and actor. Mark provides a different perspective for our show and adds a lot of fun and energy.
Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?
We record All The Vegas at a small theater complex called The Space. It is best known for hosting a variety show twice a month called Mondays Dark. This show raises $10,000 for a different local charity with each show. Exposing our guests to Mondays Dark and making them supporters is a really cool byproduct of working on the podcast together. All The Vegas has expanded our networks in a lot of interesting ways.
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?
I wish I would have spent more time thinking about the audience I wanted to capture and building the show for those people. I assumed candid conversations with Las Vegas entertainers, chefs, athletes and personalities would have broad appeal. While that’s generally true, the variation of our guests leads to very different topics and conversations from episode to episode and that can make promotion a bit complicated. I think the lesson I learned is to be as specific as possible with this style of content to connect to loyal listeners that will get the most out of the experience.
How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?
All The Vegas launched in January 2018 after several months of development. We’ve published 34 episodes as of October 1, 2019.
What are the main takeaways or lessons you want your listeners to walk away with?
We want to share the stories and personalities of the people who make Las Vegas such an amazing place to visit and an even better place to live. We want our listeners to feel like they’ve made a new friend with each episode, whether it’s a headliner on the Las Vegas Strip or a neighbor who runs the restaurant down the street.
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Brock Radke!
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Podcaster Influencer, Brock Radke of the All The Vegas Podcast shares the best ways to:
1) Book Great Guests. Be generous, patient and flexible when communicating with our guests and their representatives about scheduling the interview; making sure the guest is comfortable and prepared for the production; and doing ample research about each guest in order to give ourselves the best shot at creating compelling content. Our guests love Las Vegas as much as we do so it’s always a positive experience.
2) Increase Listeners. Try new things within the podcast. Book guests who have a strong following. Connect with other content creators in our community and just be as consistent as possible with our production.
3) Produce in a Professional Way. Las Vegas Weekly magazine, my employer, is lucky to be collaborating with co-host Mark Shunock and co-producer and engineer Ken Boelke and using the recording studio facility at The Space to create the All The Vegas podcast. It’s a tremendous studio and these two guys are true professionals in their fields and that has made my first endeavor into podcasting a very smooth experience. Surrounding yourself with talented people makes all the difference.
4) Encourage Engagement. Stay active on social media, promote the podcast in the magazine and communicate directly to your audience during the show. Let people know you appreciate their participation and that they can contact us with feedback.
5) Monetize. Because the All The Vegas podcast is published by Las Vegas Weekly magazine, we work on sponsorships and advertising in a different way. The marketing staff uses the podcast to strengthen existing client relationships and create new partnerships with businesses who are looking for digital exposure instead of or in addition to print.
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 Brock Radke!
