“How to Create a Bingeable Podcast through Unique Money Stories” with Bobbi Rebell of The Financial Grownup Podcast
As part of my series of interviews about “5 things you need to know to create a “bingeable” podcast”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bobbi Rebell. Certified Financial Planner Bobbi Rebell is the host of The Financial Grownup Podcast and the co-host of the Money with Friends podcast. She is a former global business news anchor who has worked at Reuters, CNN, and CNBC, and continues to anchor newscasts on a freelance basis and works with blue-chip brands including JP Morgan and Synchrony. She is the author of “How to Be a Financial Grownup” and is working on her follow up for parents tentatively called “Raising Financial Grownups.”
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Can you tell us the “backstory” about why or how you got started as a podcaster?
After writing my first book, How to be a Financial Grownup: Proven Advice from High Achievers on How to Live Your Dreams and Have Financial Freedom” I wanted to continue to share the life-changing money stories of extraordinary and inspiring individuals. Podcasting was the perfect platform. The stories really come alive when the listener gets to hear the guest tell it in their own words.
The Money with Friends podcast is a joint venture with Joe Saul-Sehy of the Stacking Benjamins podcast. We wanted to create a live podcast featuring diverse opinions on money-related news topics. We have a rotating cast of thought-leader co-hosts that join us for on-camera Facebook Live tapings. We also wanted to create a way for our community to engage with us so we include their live questions and comments in the show, both from Facebook and from our @moneyfriendspod Instagram stories channel.
Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?
The most interesting thing is the direct response I get from listeners. Having a person reach out and say that you are part of their day and that you make their life better, or that you helped them solve a problem is priceless.
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 made an April Fool’s episode where I said I was ending the show- and I think I was too convincing!! People reached out and were so upset… but it also was a nice validation that the podcast was making a difference.
How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?
The Financial Grownup podcast began in February of 2018 and we are approaching 250 episodes.
The Money with Friends podcast started on June 1, 2019. We are approaching 100 episodes because we recently took the show from 3 days a week to 6 days a week!
What are the main takeaways or lessons you want your listeners to walk away with?
For the Financial Grownup podcast, I hope they can relate to the guests and take away specific ideas on how to improve their life. Each episode in addition to sharing a meaningful money-related story, we also share an everyday money tip that is very specific and actionable. I want to deliver value in every episode.
For Money with Friends, we want the listeners to know they are part of the show, and part of a community that is learning the personal relevance of current money-related trends and stories. The show discusses news pieces and has a rotating cast of thought leader co-hosts to share diverse opinions. Money with Friends is very interactive with our audience. We tape live on Facebook (then the audio feed goes to all the usual podcast places) so we include their comments and questions right in the show. We also have ways to be part of the show by answering quizzes and polls on our Instagram stories channel.
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Bobbi Rebell!
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Podcaster Influencer, Bobbi Rebell of The Financial Grownup Podcast shares the best ways to:
1) Book Great Guests. Be bold, be persistent but always be polite.
2) Increase Listeners. I am a big fan of collaborations and generosity. Support other podcasters, and they will support you back. The most attractive listeners are ones that already enjoy podcasts and most likely podcasts that are similar to yours. Grow the pie.
3) Produce in a Professional Way. Take the time to learn what you are doing, and never be afraid to outsource something that is not your strength.
4) Encourage Engagement. Social media has been great for Money with Friends. We run lots of quizzes and polls on Instagram and our listeners love to hear shout outs. On Financial Grownup I recently started reading nice reviews and the listeners get so excited they often share that on social media, and hopefully with their friends
5) Monetize. Financial Grownup is primarily to promote my other ventures as part of a larger ecosystem. , so I have not focused on direct monetization. It leads to other opportunities, and at times sponsorships have been built into larger brand ambassador deals.
Money with Friends uses a CPM model and has focused specifically on brands that appeal to our business news audience- and because we have done so, our early sponsors have had great results. Word has gotten out and that has led to more opportunities. We are still a new show but we are very happy with the results.
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 Bobbi Rebell!
