“How to Become the Center of Influence Through Lifestyle Podcasting” with Sarah Bragg of the Surviving Sarah Podcast
As part of my series of interviews about “5 things you need to know to create a “binge-able” podcast”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Bragg is a popular host, communicator, and writer. You can find her on iTunes hosting the podcasts Surviving Sarah and Raising Boys and Girls and online at SarahBragg.com. While she seems to have be a master at brewing coffee and cheering for others, she has a self-imposed masters degree in surviving life as a wife, mother of girls and creative entrepreneur.
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Can you tell us the “backstory” about why or how you got started as a podcaster?
I have always been an entertainer even as a child. I’ve been drawn to the stage and microphone. So, for most of my life, I’ve searched for ways to do just that. If you would have asked me when I was graduating college what my dream job would be, I would have said to be a co-host with Regis Philbin. To me, that sounded like the most fun — the opportunity to sit in front of an audience and make their day better was intoxicating. From early on, making people laugh, helping them grow in understanding or simply inspiring them has always been a desire of mine. (Sadly, Kelly Ripa took my dream job).
Fast forward to when I was in my early thirties and a mother stuck in what felt like the movie Groundhog Day. That’s when I felt like a piece of the puzzle was missing for me. I missed entertaining and inspiring people. I missed being someone who used their voice to help encourage others. I knew what it felt like to feel lonely in motherhood — to feel like no one was around or knew what I was feeling. I knew what it was like to feel like surviving life, surviving relationships, surviving work. I knew that other women felt the same way and I wanted a way to connect with them so that they knew someone saw them, heard them and was cheering for them to survive where they are in life. Podcasting was new at the time but it felt like such a fun medium. And it was a medium that allowed me to not just put words on a blog post but to use my voice to reach women where they are. Women could listen as they drove carpool, walked the dog or hid in the closet from their kids. It was an avenue where I could be a voice of encouragement.
Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?
Podcasting has allowed me to connect with people in ways I never imagined. Not only have I had the opportunity to interview people that I’d never otherwise meet, but it’s allowed me to be like a friend to thousands of women. I do a lot of interviews in my home studio (aka my kitchen table) in Atlanta. I had the opportunity to interview the CEO of Popeyes Cheryl Bachelder and I remember thinking, “This is a very powerful, successful woman who runs an extremely large company sitting at my kitchen table.” It was surreal. The show has allowed me to sit with New York Times bestselling authors, America’s Super Nanny, and insanely intellectual people.
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?
The biggest learning curve for me in podcasting was technical things. I knew I wanted to have a good sounding, well-produced show, but technical equipment was new for me. I once recorded an entire episode only to find out that just one side of the conversation recorded. Since then, I always have my guests record on their end, too, as a backup. If they have an Apple computer then they can simply record via QuickTime Player so that if we have technical issues or streaming issues, there is a backup.
How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?
I launched Surviving Sarah in December of 2015 and as of July 2019, I’ve aired 183 episodes. In 2018, I launched my second podcast called Raising Boys & Girls. This show has two seasons with 23 episodes in total.
What are the main takeaways or lessons you want your listeners to walk away with?
I want to come alongside those who listen to help them survive right where they are — whether that is in relationships, with their work, with themselves or with their faith. So with each episode, I want listeners to know that I see them, I hear them and I am cheering for them and helping them live their very best life.
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine about Sarah Bragg!
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Podcaster Influencer, Sarah Bragg of the Surviving Sarah Podcast shares the best ways to:
1) Book Great Guests. Make a list of the topics you want to cover and the guests you’d love to have on the show. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those dream guests. The worst they can do is say no. I love to rely on my network. Sorta like 7 degrees from Sarah Bragg. If I know someone who knows someone, then I always ask for an introduction. I also streamline my pitch for guests and for responding to people who want to be on the show. I’ve created templates that are easy to adjust for each pitch or response. That saves me so much time.
2) Increase Listeners. Reviews are a big deal in the iTunes world. The more reviews you have the more iTunes will promote your show in front of others. So, encourage your listeners in almost every show to help support what you are doing by leaving a 5-star rating and review on iTunes. I will often read a review on the show which I believe helps to gain loyalty among listeners. I also advise you to link arms with other podcasters. When one show grows, it raises the water for all of us. I’ve found that the more I promote friends’ shows, the more it helps me. Reciprocity is truly the best.
3) Produce In A Professional Way. Nowadays, everybody and their mother have podcasts which means that you will be competing with some well-produced shows. Celebrities and even networks have shows. And because of that, the standard is elevated for all of us. People are becoming more accustomed to listening to well produced and quality sounding sounds. So while you don’t need a lot of money to start a podcast, I recommend spending some money on purchasing quality audio equipment.
4) Encourage Engagement. Engagement in podcasting is different from blogs. There is no way to have engagement in the podcast app itself so utilizing social media is necessary so it’s important to build a sense of community through social media. I’ve found that I have better engagement through Instagram stories than I do with just the Instagram feed. Instagram is a great place for your listeners to see you and get to you as the host. Utilizing voiceovers in your stories will give your audience a glimpse into why this episode is needed in their lives. It’s a way to show them how this episode will benefit them and how it will help resolve the tension they feel.
5) Monetize Your Show. One of the easiest avenues of monetizing is advertising and affiliate links. I work hard to only promote something that I believe will help women survive where they are in life. So, I find companies that will do just that. For instance, I am an affiliate for a health program that I followed the program for a year and a half and saw results. I know it’s something that will help women. So, I focus a lot of my energy into putting that in front of my audience. I worked with both an advertising firm and going after sponsors on my own. Each comes with its headaches. But I advise you to find what benefits you the most and what fits you the most. With the advertising firm, I found that I was saying yes to products I didn’t love. Now, finding sponsors on my own allows me more control over who I allow to speak into the lives of my audience.
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 about Sarah Bragg!
