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May 13, 2025 13 mins

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In episode fifty-four of Podcasts Suck, Sebastian Rusk discusses on monetization strategies for podcasters, exploring various ways to turn your passion into profit. 

Tune in for laughs, valuable advice, and a look at the possibilities that await in the world of podcasting!

TIMESTAMPS

[00:02:04] Making money with a podcast.

[00:05:51] Networking through podcasting.

[00:11:30] Living life by false narratives.

[00:12:46] Making money with a podcast.

QUOTES

  • “Most people have the unique ability to start a podcast and interview people that will give you money, your prospects, people you want to build a relationship with, whatever it may be. A podcast is the vehicle. Your podcast is your vehicle. It's your sales vehicle. It's your networking vehicle.”
  • "The time is right now unless you hate money. Starting a podcast and interviewing people that you want to do business with, that will give you money."

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SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Instagram: Instagram.com/PodcastsSUCK

Facebook: Facebook.com/srusk

LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/sebastianrusk/

YouTube: Youtube.com/@PodcastLaunchLab

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sebastian Rusk (00:02):
Welcome to Podcast Suck, a podcast about
starting a podcast where we diveheadfirst into the wild, wacky
and sometimes frustrating worldof podcasting.
If you've ever sat down with amicrophone, hit record and
thought what on earth am I doing?
Or if you're just curious aboutthe magic behind your favorite
shows, then you're in the rightplace.

(00:22):
Get ready for laughs, insightsand a whole lot of what not to
do advice as we embark on thispodcasting journey together.
Let's dive in.
What's happening everybody, howwe doing Happy Monday to you.
Yes, they do exist.

(00:43):
That does require you toactually embrace the fact that
you can have a happy Monday.
So hope your week is off to agreat start and you had a lovely
weekend coming to you from avery rainy Miami Florida, which
just increases the motivation toget in there and get after it
on a Monday.
Just that much more.
Because, well, what else isthere to do?

(01:03):
Get after it on a Monday, justthat much more.
Because, well, what else isthere to do?
I mean, if you're into countingraindrops, maybe.
So I was trying to figure outwhat I wanted to talk to you
guys about today on this episodeand, by the way, if you are
tuning in live on Facebook or onLinkedIn or on YouTube.
We do record the recording ofthis podcast episode live and we

(01:29):
do that to engage with ourfriends over on Facebook,
linkedin and on YouTube.
If that is one of you, what'shappening?
Please drop a comment below.
I will reply just as soon aswe're done with the episode here
.
If you're tuning in to thepodcast episode, that means I'm
all up in your earbuds and youare listening to the podcast

(01:50):
episode.
I sure do appreciate you takingtime to spend a few minutes
with me to better understandwhat's possible when it comes to
the world of podcasting.
Today, I want to talk to youabout your ability to make money
with a podcast.
Constantly ask Sebastian.
I want to talk to you aboutyour ability to make money with
a podcast.
Constantly ask Samash, I wantto start a podcast, but how do
you make money with a podcast?

(02:10):
Do I need big, giganticsponsors?
Possibly, but that wouldrequire that you get tens of
thousands, of thousands ofthousands I'm talking like
40,000 to 50,000 downloads perepisode for large brands and
sponsors to give you cash, andwell, most people won't get

(02:33):
there.
Here's what most people can do,though.
Most people have the uniqueability to start a podcast and
interview people that will giveyou money, your prospects,
people you want to build arelationship with.
Whatever it may be, a podcastis the vehicle.

(02:56):
Listen to me very carefully.
Your podcast is your vehicle.
It's your sales vehicle.
It's your networking vehicle.
It's your social media contentvehicle.
It's your sales vehicle.
It's your networking vehicle.
It's your social media contentvehicle.
It is your communicationvehicle.
Still not clear why peoplearen't picking up what I'm
putting down here.

(03:16):
Some are Just got a DM about 15minutes ago from a guy hey,
great to connect with you.
Sebastian.
Saw a video you posted theother day about interviewing
people that you want to dobusiness with on your podcast.
I've been interviewing people,but it hasn't really been in a
podcast format.
Can you help me figure that out?
Why, yes, I can.
He booked a call and we'll bespeaking in a couple of days

(03:38):
about what's possible.
I created this strategy.
It's not only mine.
People have been doing it forquite some time now, but I
created it for myself and my ownbrand, because I wanted to get
in front of people that I didn'talready know.
And it's 2025.
Nobody wants to grab a coffeeor lunch.

(04:00):
Can I pick your brain?
No, you can't pick my brain.
You can pick your nose and youcan pick your friends, but you
can't pick my brain.
You can pick your nose and youcan pick your friends, but you
can't pick your friend's nose.
Side note, but what people areopen to is having their ego
stroked a little bit.
Let's get you on the podcast.
Well, yeah, I'd love to.
I'd love to be on your podcast.
It's a little bit different ofa conversation.

(04:22):
Then you want to grab coffee,want to grab lunch, you want to
meet up.
Let's connect, no, Be morestrategic and forward thinking
with your approach when it comesto networking, when it comes to
sales, if you're a sales rep,even if you work for a company,
start a podcast called the JohnSmith Show and interview

(04:44):
business owners and tell theirstory.
And oh, by the way, my name'sJohn Smith and I sell widgets.
In the event you need a widget,I'm your guy or gal or whatever
.
Not enough businesses are doingthis, I, I, every single week.
For the past 10 years, I've beenin BNI, which is old school,

(05:04):
offline, hand-to-hand, combatnetworking category exclusive.
There's only one category perchapter one realtor, one
mortgage broker, et cetera.
There's no competition andwhile we do very well in BNI.
It's not as good as we could bedoing.
While we do very well in BNI,it's not as good as we could be
doing and it blows my mindbecause people are there to

(05:29):
network with other people andhaving a podcast actually allows
you to network with people atscale.
What do you mean?
What I mean is that you don'thave to go anywhere.
Twice a month I got to get upat 5.30 in the morning.
I get to wake up at 5.30 in themorning and I've got to go to a

(05:49):
breakfast in person and shakehands and exchange business
cards and talk to people.
The other two weeks were onZoom.
This day and age, you caninterview someone on your
podcast on platforms like Zoomor Riverside, which we're going
to start using Again.
I had a call with their teamlast week.
Love what they're up to.
Completely different podcastepisode but side note, stay
tuned for that.

(06:10):
Riverside FM does rock, but youcan have conversations with
people and not have to goanywhere.
If you set things up correctlythe way that we set things up,
it's an automated process.
If I know that you're apotential client of mine and I
want to get you on the podcastwhen I have a conversation.
I want to meet you.
I'm going to say, hey, betty,let's get you on the podcast.
And Betty's going to say thatsounds great.

(06:31):
How do we do that?
I send Betty a link that goesright to my calendar, based on
my real-time availability andbased on she can book whatever
time works the best for her.
Everything's automated when shebooks the Zoom link.
All of her information isalready in there.
I know everything about Bettybecause she gave it to me and
she booked a time.

(06:51):
That was automated After I saidlet's get you on the podcast.
Here's the link to book.
I don't have to do anythingelse until I show up at the
actual podcast interview.
You got to understand, friends.
There is a, there is an abilityto automate this entire process
that doesn't add to your platethe level of BS excuses that I

(07:16):
hear on a daily and a weekly anda monthly basis of why someone
can't start a podcast.
Well, I got too much going onand I'm doing this and I'm
listen.
There's never going to be agood time ever.
If you're waiting for money notto be funny, or cows not to go
moo, or the sun not to come up,you're going to be waiting quite
some time.
The time is right now andunless you hate money, starting
a podcast and interviewingpeople that you want to do

(07:37):
business with, that will giveyou money.
By the way, this is the fastestway to monetize a podcast.
Kevin Spencer, who happens to bein my BNI chapter, has a
podcast called Retail Checks andBalances.
You've heard me tell this storybefore, maybe through content
and on the podcast.
Here he does retail point ofsale all the hardware, reward
system, everything up to swipingthe card.

(07:58):
What does he do?
He interviews retail businessowners, tells their story and
they hire him.
I think the last update I gotfrom him he's made right around
$200,000 or $225,000 over thepast 15 months with his podcast.

(08:22):
In fact, he texted me last week, closed the deal for $227,000.
He said who needs sales repswhen you have a podcast?
And that number continues to goup and up.
He'll get to a million buckssooner rather than later.
I'd say probably at some pointthis year.
Just one dude understands thegame, was willing to show up and

(08:43):
say I'm starting a podcast andI said you need to be
interviewing people you want todo business with.
You're a master networker.
You're all over the placeshaking hands, kissing babies,
giving business cards out.
Do that at scale with a podcast.
Oh and, by the way, the podcastcontent well, that can be
repurposed so that you'reshowing up in the newsfeed which
, by the way and then, lastly,become a better communicator.

(09:08):
A lot of you are really bad atcommunicating.
I say that with love.
The way you communicate, and itall has to do with a lot of
your inner critic, that innerstory and inner dialogue that
you tell yourself about what youthink you sound like or what
you think you look like.
It has nothing to do with you.
I always tell people that whenthey come to me, I don't like

(09:28):
this or I don't like that,listen, none of that has nothing
to do with you.
I always tell people that whenthey come to me, I don't like
this or I don't like that,listen, none of that has
anything to do with you.
It has to do with the listener,it has to do with the consumer.
Andy Warhol was once quotedtalking about artists whatever
you create, whatever art youcreate, and he said don't worry

(10:02):
about what you think about whatyou're creating or what the
person that sees it andperceives it, and whatever it
likes it dislikes.
Don't worry about any of thatdislikes, don't worry about any
of that, just keep creating.
Once we do that, we get reps in, start to create a belief
system for ourselves.
The more reps we get in, you'relike you know what I got.
This I see it happen on a dailybasis.

(10:24):
I got people coming to me likedeers in headlights.
When they first start A deer inheadlight, it's not deers, okay
, it's like saying shrimps, okay, it's just shrimp.
This isn't a grammar lesson,but I felt compelled to share
that.
But I have people come to meconstantly like a deer and
headlights.
I don't know if I can do this bylike episode three.
They're like give me the mic, Igot this Nothing I did.

(10:47):
I got this, nothing I did.
I simply remind them who theyare.
I simply share what myexperience of them is.
I simply share with them.
This is what shows up for me,based on my experience with you,
and nine times out of 10, thatis drastically and I do mean
drastically different than whatthey think.

(11:11):
Got to be careful with thatstory.
That story runs the show.
It's often a bunch of malarkey.
It really is not even true.
Living our lives according to astory that we wrote.
It isn't even true and we'retaking it a step further and
we're enrolling other peopleinto it as if it's true.

(11:31):
What, unless you hate money,your business should have a
podcast.
If you have questions, thoughts, ideas, concerns about why you
should start a podcast, why youshouldn't use the link in my bio
.
Hit me up on Instagram atpodcast suck.
That's podcast plural.
Two S's in the middle Podcastsuck.

(11:52):
Send me a DM.
Hit the link in my bio.
Schedule a podcast strategycall.
I'll sit down with anybody for15 minutes and chat about what's
possible.
I'll help you change thenarrative and story that you've
been telling yourself on why youcan't become a podcaster, why
you can't generate revenue,increase sales, get your social
media content game in check,become a better communicator.

(12:16):
I appreciate everybody tuning inlive as we recorded this
episode over on Facebook,linkedin and YouTube.
Please comment if you havequestions.
Those of you listening to thepodcast episode again, thanks
for letting me get all up inyour earbuds today.
Episode again Thanks forletting me get all up in your
earbuds today.
I hope you're leaving with atleast one or two things that you
did not know, that you did needto know, about making money

(12:36):
with a podcast.
It's money.
Monday, baby, let's go Is today,the day that you push the
excuses aside and go.
You know I'm doing this becauseI always say this time next
year you will be so glad and sohappy you started a podcast, but
none of that's going to happen.
Inaction very rarely has apayoff.

(12:57):
Thanks for tuning in.
Until next time, friends.
Thanks so much for tuning intothis episode.
We sure do appreciate it.
If you haven't done so already,make sure you're subscribed to
the show wherever you consumepodcasts.
This way good updates as newepisodes become available.
If you haven't done so already,make sure you're subscribed to
the show wherever you consumepodcasts this way, with good
updates as new episodes becomeavailable.
If you feel so inclined, pleaseleave us a review and share the
show with someone you knowshould start a podcast or may

(13:19):
already have one.
And remember podcasts suck ifyou don't have one.
Until next time, friends.
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