“How to Become the Center of Influence Through Podcasting with Your Sister” with Scout and Mady of the Okay Sis Podcast
As part of my series of interviews about “How to Become the Center of Influence Through Podcasting”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Scout Sobel and Mady Maio from Okay Sis Podcast. Scout and Mady are the sisters and co-hosts behind the Okay Sis Podcast. Each week, they chat about one another’s current fixation along with a rad female guest that is aksed to join in on the sisterly banter. Given the sisters’ curious nature, you can expect to hear commentary on topics that vary from skincare to female leadership to The Bachelor franchise. You’ll leave feeling informed and laughed-out.
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Can you tell us the “backstory” about why or how you got started as a podcaster?
Scout started a podcast about two years ago, and things were getting pretty stale. She and her sister, Mady, were at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa for Mady’s birthday, drinking rosé and getting massages. Scout had the idea to record an episode of her podcast together, so she whipped out her phone, went to the business center, and started podcasting. What unfolded was the most entertaining hour! She decided she needed to podcast with her sister from then on and that is how Okay Sis was born — eating truffle chips in a business center, recording off a phone. We wanted a space where we could chat with all of our girl crushes and spread the message of women empowerment. Okay Sis has become a haven for women all around the world to tune in, get inspired, and laugh at our sisterly banter.
Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?
We can definitely say that our relationship has grown stronger and more stable as a result of this podcast. In the beginning, we were a bit weary of working together and how it would affect our sisterhood, but it only deepened it.
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 we were recording our third episode, our memory card ran out of space! We had to stop the recording mid-sentence, run to CVS real quick, purchase a larger memory card, and then start the interview again. Mady waited back and entertained our guest while Scout was frantically running to CVS. Ever since then, we always clear out our memory card right after each episode!
How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?
We have been podcasting for almost ten months now and have aired 61 episodes to date!
What are the main takeaways or lessons you want your listeners to walk away with?
We want our listeners to leave Okay Sis feeling inspired and informed while also having a few laughs along the way. We like to balance serious and silly content. We’re big on offering actionable items on how to craft and build their dream lives whether they want to be a standup comedian, blogger, or entrepreneur as a woman. We also want them to be entertained — our sisterly banter comes out at its finest on each episode.
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Scout Sobel and Mady Maio!
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Podcaster Influencer, Scout Sobel and Mady Maio of the Okay Sis Podcast share the best ways to:
1) Book Great Guests. Booking great guests is the key to generating good content. Craft an engaging pitch, mention why you would love to interview that individual, and make it personal. Flattery goes a long way! Present yourself as an inquisitive person with an audience that will benefit from hearing that individual’s story. You never know who is going to respond! We had been avid fans of comedian Heather McMahan. We DM’ed her, and she agreed to come on the podcast! It was a big moment for us.
2) Increase Listeners. One of the best ways to increase listeners is to do podcast swaps with like-minded podcasts. This helps cross-pollinate audiences and introduces you to new listeners in a meaningful and strategic way. We were guests on Chatty Broads and spoke about mental health since Scout lives with bipolar disorder. We were able to connect so deeply with their audience and developed new relationships with new listeners.
3) Produce in a Professional Way. Invest in good equipment! Sound quality is key when it comes to producing a good podcast. We invested in the right equipment from the beginning.
4) Encourage Engagement. To encourage engagement, ask your listeners questions on each episode and on your social media channels. Polls on Instagram is a great way to engage your audience while also learning more about what your listeners want more of from you. Respond to every DM, comment, and email. Put your audience first! One of our listeners heard that we love poetry, so she sent us her book of poems, and we chatted about it on our podcast. Love your audience, and they will love you back!
5) Monetize. The best way to monetize a podcast is to be consistent. We have never missed a week (and we used to produce two a week!). Consistency builds audiences, and audiences lead to monetization. Also, pick like-minded brands. We partnered up with Bon Temps, a tea company, who is known for giving back to female creators through grants. In that partnership, the women empowerment theme ran through both of our missions.
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 Scout Sobel and Mady Maio!
